Chapter 135, exclusively published on Jinjiang Literature City: Taking in a Sibling Brother and Sister, Leaving the County Town (Small...)
"Brother Lu, do you still remember me?" Lin Qingfu asked Lu Xuan with a slightly nervous smile.
“Of course I remember.” Lu Xuan was somewhat surprised. “Manager Lin of Ruyi Pharmacy, I didn’t expect you to be in Yangshan County as well.”
Lin Qingfu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his smile becoming much more natural, and said, "I only arrived a few days earlier than you."
Lu Xuan nodded and said, "I was able to successfully exchange the ginseng and lingzhi I dug up for cash thanks to Manager Lin."
His first real pot of gold was earned from this shopkeeper, Mr. Lin.
Back then, Lin Qingfu was a slightly plump man, a middle-aged man who seemed very amiable and prosperous. But now, he is nowhere to be seen as plump, and he looks rather thin.
Lin Qingfu waved his hand, "Even without me, there are plenty of pharmacies willing to buy ginseng and lingzhi of such good quality. In the end, I'm the one who benefits."
pity……
Lin Qingfu said with a bitter expression, "Now that Ruyi Pharmacy no longer exists, I can no longer be considered a manager."
Thinking of the purpose of coming to the east of the city, Lin Qingfu asked Lu Xuan expectantly, "I heard that you want to recruit people with special skills. I am decent at accounting and also know medicine. I wonder if I meet the requirements?"
Lu Xuan paused slightly, "You know medicine?"
Lin Qingfu nodded, "Ruyi Pharmacy is my family's business. My ancestors were imperial physicians. Later, due to some changes, they went into hiding in Baisong Town, but their medical skills were still passed down. In addition to pulse diagnosis, I am also quite good at acupuncture and massage."
After arriving in Yangshan County, he made a living by practicing medicine.
However, people's attitudes toward medical care remained largely unchanged before and after the disaster: they wouldn't seek treatment for serious illnesses that couldn't be cured, and they would just tough it out for minor illnesses without needing to see a doctor.
Only those with relatively good financial means could afford to see a doctor and obtain the necessary medicinal herbs. Such people were few in number, so Lin Qingfu's life was not very easy; at best, he just managed to avoid starvation.
Lu Xuan stared at Lin Qingfu for a moment, making sure he wasn't lying to get something in return, before saying, "We'll be leaving the county in a few days, with no fixed destination. We might be wandering around. If Manager Lin has no objections, then please stay."
Lin Qingfu hurriedly said, "I have no objection. I'm the only one left in my family. As long as I can live well, it doesn't matter where I am."
Lu Xuan nodded and said, "Then Manager Lin will be in charge of treating the villagers from now on, and I will provide the medicine they need. The monthly salary is fifty catties of coarse rice, twenty catties of coarse flour, ten catties of meat, and a certain amount of vegetables and fruits. In addition, you can also receive a household subsidy, and the harvest from gathering/hunting will be distributed according to your labor. You can ask any villager for details, and they will tell you."
"Does Manager Lin have any objections to this?"
Lin Qingfu exclaimed with delight, "No objections, that's great!"
There was rice and meat, and the amount of rice and noodles was enough for him to eat his fill every day with some left over, which was even better than he had expected!
Lu Xuan said, "Then welcome to become a member of Yunlu Village."
Newcomers cannot immediately integrate into the villagers; an observation period is essential.
If Lin Qingfu's medical skills and character are confirmed to be sound, Lu Xuan plans to lend him both the treatment equipment and the medicine-making equipment.
It just so happens that they've drawn extra gold blind boxes, so the villagers can now entrust their medical needs to Lin Qingfu.
·
After Lin Qingfu, Li Tie left behind a blacksmith, a carpenter, and a hunter.
The total number of people is not large, but when it comes to technical personnel, quality is more important than quantity.
In comparison, the young people had more success in finding partners, with seven families finding suitable candidates in less than two days.
Five families found suitable wives, one of whom was a widower remarrying, and two families found sons-in-law who would move in with them.
Although it's called a son-in-law who moves into the woman's family, once the person is confirmed, they can actually live as a separate household. After marriage, the girl's family will also be married out, and the children will still take the man's surname.
It's just that the current situation is special, and the bride's family is worried about their daughter leaving them, so the groom has no choice but to leave with them.
To test people's character, these things were not explicitly stated during the selection process, so in the end, only two people were truly committed to each other.
Actually, nearly ten households initially had their eyes on the project.
The three families that were left out either had difficult relatives or, after a little contact, it was discovered that their personalities were incompatible, so the matter was dropped.
The three disappointed families, along with the others who had not yet found a suitable candidate, continued their search in the remaining time, unwilling to give up.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan left Lin Qingfu in the village and then left the county town with a large group of people from both factions.
·
"There really is charcoal!" Grandpa Chen and the others, who had just gotten off the car, looked at the charcoal on the ground, which was soaked by the rain, with surprise on their faces.
The Miao family members traveling with him, wearing raincoats, looked through the rain at the blackened landscape left by the scorching fire, their expressions filled with shock.
"There was a wildfire here before? Was it during the hottest period? The whole mountain burned down?"
Chen Bing, who had followed along, suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Could this be the place where you guys were before, Brother Lu? Is the entrance and exit of the cave also nearby?"
Lu Xuan glanced at him. "It is indeed this mountain, but I can't remember where the cave exit is."
He deliberately changed the direction of the car, as it was quite a distance from where they had come from, and it wasn't even on the same mountain.
We've already said that caves aren't suitable for living during floods, so what good is finding one? It's just a waste of effort.
Keep collecting charcoal.
Grandpa Chen was clearly not in the mood for exploring the cave. After a moment of reflection, he called out to the able-bodied men who had come with him, "Get moving! Spread out and look for charcoal!"
Since the onset of the rainy season that Lu Xuan mentioned, it has been getting colder and colder every day.
Although they found a batch of charcoal in a workshop in the north of the city, the quantity was not large.
After the rainy season comes an even colder winter, and he was worried that there wouldn't be enough warm clothing and that many people would freeze to death. Lu Xuan then gave them such a wonderful surprise!
The only regret was that the people of Yunlu Village were in a hurry to leave, and Lu Xuan only gave them two days.
The only thing we can do now is to make the most of these next two days and collect as much charcoal as possible.
[I never expected the streamer to bring them here to collect charcoal.]
Rather than letting the charcoal be completely destroyed by the rain or washed away by the flood, having the people of the county collect it is at least putting it to good use.
[Besides, the streamer isn't losing out either; not only did they receive payment for the 100 jin (50 kg) of goods' transport costs, but they also take a 10% processing fee for helping with the drying.]
With so many people working together for two days, the harvest will definitely be more than in Yunlu Village.
This time, Lu Xuan brought Lei Yan along and operated two hovercars, bringing over 300 people—more than twice the total population of Yunlu Village. With all these able-bodied men working together, efficiency would definitely be greatly improved.
It only takes a couple more days and consumes a little energy from the dryer, but we can earn at least several tons of charcoal for free, which is well worth it.
·
While the disaster victims in Yunlu Village and Yangshan County were busy with their own tasks, the rain grew heavier and heavier, as if a huge hole had been torn in the sky, with water constantly pouring down and large raindrops hitting people painfully.
Most areas of the county town were flooded with more than half a meter of water. For safety reasons, the disaster victims were gradually moved to higher ground in the town.
The relocation of several thousand people was no easy task; the county had to send people to the mountains to scout out whether it could accommodate so many people.
Before the disaster victims in the county town had even left, the people of Yunlu Village were already preparing to depart.
At the city gate, the three hovercars were parked on one side, just as they had been when they entered the city ten days ago, and many people came to see them off along with Old Master Chen and others.
Chen Bing looked at Lu Xing and the others with reluctance and said unwillingly, "Is it really necessary to leave? Actually, you can all travel with us. If there are more people, you can take care of each other if you encounter danger."
Lu Xuan is gone. What will happen when all the treasures he acquired run out?
He looked down at his two children who had come to see him off. The two children were carrying a large bag full of candies and snacks that Lu Chen had prepared for them.
Chen Bing even considered getting Chen Yao and Lu Chen engaged, as the saying goes, "A woman three years older than her husband is a golden brick," they would be such a perfect match.
Unfortunately, Lu Xuan had no such thoughts at all.
Lu Chen is only seven years old. What engagement? He's a child who hasn't even grown up yet. Let's talk about it in ten years.
Lu Xuan said, "We are definitely leaving. If Boss Chen is reluctant to leave, he can come with us."
Chen Bing said dejectedly, "Then forget it." All his possessions and relatives are here, where else can he go?
Lu Xuan said calmly, "Then we'll have to wait and see if fate allows."
He had considered replacing their communicators for easier communication, but the communicators had a limited range for receiving signals; if they were too far away, they couldn't be contacted, so there was no point in replacing them.
If they can survive the catastrophe, or even just this year, they may one day reunite.
Before arriving in Yangshan County, he did consider whether to let the villagers stay, but this idea was rejected by Li Tie and others as soon as it was mentioned.
We agreed to head south, how can we stay here?
Recruiting a dozen or twenty new people isn't a big deal, but when it comes to living in a place with a total population of several thousand, the conflicts become numerous.
Furthermore, although Grandpa Chen and his group bought a lot of treasures, not everyone could get a share of them, so there would inevitably be differences in treatment.
When they see the disaster victims eating and drinking well every day, unaffected by the disaster, how can they not be jealous and cause trouble because of their resentment?
The villagers, who had grown accustomed to the carefree life during the hottest season, naturally did not want to become increasingly uncomfortable.
To put it more practically, they're all waiting in line to take their share of the evolution fluid, how can they be left behind alone!
Let's go! We have to go!
Grandpa Chen and Boss Wang knew they had nothing to offer the villagers of Yunlu Village to keep them, so they didn't try to persuade them further. They simply said their usual goodbyes to Li Tie and the other villagers they had met.
Just as everyone was immersed in the reluctance of parting, someone suddenly ran out from among the onlookers behind them without warning, rushing towards Lu Chen, who was talking to Chen Yao and Chen Rui, with a ferocious expression.
Realizing something was wrong, the others shouted, "What are you doing!"
"Stop him!"
"Run, child—"
Lu Chen, who was being targeted, stood still. In a flash, another figure rushed out from the crowd, knocked the man who was about to grab Lu Chen aside, and then grabbed Lu Chen's hand and ran quickly to Lu Xuan's side.
Lu Chen, who had been dragged away, turned around and glanced at the man who had been knocked off balance. He puffed out his cheeks in annoyance, clenched his fist at the man, and shouted, "Get down!"
As Lu Chen finished speaking, everyone witnessed the man who had launched the sneak attack being slammed into them as if by an invisible heavy object. He first let out a short scream, and then crashed into the ground, creating a human-shaped crater at least half a foot deep.
Grandpa Chen and the others: "!"
Other onlookers: ?
Is this person really that heavy? A fall from this person even caused the ground to collapse?
Lu Xuan secretly kept his merits hidden after giving his younger brother a small boost.
At this moment, someone in the crowd recognized the man and loudly pointed him out, "I recognize this man; he's one of Boss Feng's men!"
The villagers of Yunlu Village turned pale.
Feng Hu's men? There were even some who escaped the net?
What's even more amazing is that the other party actually wanted to avenge Feng Hu?
The audience, who were also taken aback by the sudden accident, didn't think the other party wanted to avenge Feng Hu after they came to their senses.
Is it possible that the other party is simply seeking revenge because they've lost Feng Hu and their backer, and their lives are becoming difficult?
[Definitely! Feng Hu wasn't exactly a beloved leader; once he's dead, he's dead. Who would avenge such scum? They're not stupid!]
[Too bad they picked the wrong target, tsk tsk.]
[Do you think our little Chenchen is easy to bully just because he's young? If the streamer is a great demon king, then little Lu Chen, who has awakened his gravity powers, is at least a future little demon king!]
[If I hadn't been pulled along, with that clenched fist and the gravity manipulation ability activated, I would have been absolutely awesome!]
Once he regained his footing, Lu Chen smiled at the little girl who had saved him and said, "Thank you for saving me, sister. I helped you once, and you saved me once. We're even."
The girl, who was half a head taller than Lu Chen, pursed her lips, looking somewhat disappointed. "You're welcome."
Although she didn't know what had happened, seeing the man inexplicably fall to the ground, she knew that even without her help, Lu Chen would be fine.
Lu Xuan ignored the attacker who had already been pinned down, patted Lu Chen's head, and glanced at the dejected little girl: "You saved my brother, so I can grant you one request."
The little girl shuddered and suddenly looked up at Lu Xuan.
She hesitated for a moment, then turned around and beckoned her younger brother, who was still hiding in the crowd, to come over. She then pulled her brother to kneel down and kowtow to Lu Xuan.
"Please take me and my brother in! We'll do anything! We'll even kill someone!"
Lu Xuan was not surprised by the other party's request.
From Lu Chen's words, he guessed that the other party must be the brother and sister that the little guy encountered when he did something heroic in the north of the city.
He had noticed the siblings' whereabouts before, but hadn't thought much of it at the time. Now, hearing the girl's request, perhaps he was envious of Ke Wei back then?
Lu Xuan did not immediately agree, but asked, "Why do you want to come with us? You might survive if you stay."
Without the oppression of gambling dens and county government offices, the lives of the disaster victims in the city are much better than before. Rather than following these strangers, they prefer to stay in a more familiar place.
The older sister raised her head, her expression resolute: "Your brother saved me, and you have helped us. I want to repay your kindness."
Lu Xuan asked, puzzled, "When did I ever help you?"
The older sister bit her lip, glanced at her obedient younger brother beside her, and whispered, "My brother was also targeted by that corrupt official in the county government before. He was almost arrested several times. If you hadn't killed him, we probably wouldn't have lived much longer."
The viewers in the live stream were stunned for a moment, and then they couldn't help but start cursing again.
That old man!
Besides Lu Chen's younger brother, he even had his eye on other children. He's a scumbag who deserves to die!
Lu Xuan's eyes darkened slightly as he looked at his sister's more resolute expression than Ke Wei's, and at his younger brother beside him who was clearly nervous but also held a hint of expectation. He said, "If you want to come, then come along."
The older sister's eyes lit up, and she excitedly pulled her younger brother to kowtow three more times. She then quickly ran back into the crowd and soon returned carrying a large package.
Wow, they even prepared their luggage in advance!
Opportunity always favors the prepared mind; this little sister has a bright future!
Seeing this, Lu Xuan didn't say anything and told them to get in the car. Then he took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Old Master Chen, saying, "Farewell, I hope we will meet again someday."
After saying that, he got into the RV, and the four hovercraft quickly started up and left Yangshan County under everyone's watchful eyes, embarking on a new journey.
After watching the three hovercars and one RV until they were completely out of sight, Old Master Chen opened the paper and read its contents.
"This is—!" Master Miao's hands trembled with excitement, but his eyes were fixed on the words on the paper, unwilling to look at them for even a moment.
The document clearly records the exact time of each natural disaster that will occur over the next five years!
With this record, they can prepare in advance before each natural disaster occurs.
This thin piece of paper was more precious to them than the batch of supplies they had just acquired in the transaction. It was a priceless treasure that would allow all of them to truly secure their lives during the catastrophe!
Grandpa Chen carefully folded the paper again, determined to seal it in a vacuum bag when he got home.
He looked up again at the hope that he could no longer see, took a deep breath, and turned to the people around him, saying, "Brother Lu has already given us enough help. Now it's time for us to do our best and not let him down."
"After we've counted the number of disaster victims in the town, we'll leave the county town early the day after tomorrow and head up the mountain!"
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