Chapter 208, exclusively published on Jinjiang Literature City: Supplies are being distributed!
Liu Ziming frowned slightly and looked at Magistrate Zhao: "What do you mean by that, Magistrate Zhao?"
Lu Xuan has all the supplies he needs; what does it have to do with them?
A shrewd look appeared on Zhao Tongpan's rather smooth face.
"Since he has more resources, he should use them to help the people truly escape the more natural disasters they might face. It's too selfish of him to have so many resources but only care about his own enjoyment."
Zhang Tongzhi disagreed with his statement, saying, "Judging from Young Master Lu's words, he will be going to other towns next. The people of Luochuan need help, and so do the people of other places. If we take all the supplies, it would be selfish and disregard the lives of others."
Besides, they already owe tens of millions of kilograms of debt, and any more would only increase the burden on the government.
The supplies they have received so far are enough to last until the next harvest. Once the grain produced in the greenhouses can meet the needs of the city's residents, their lives will naturally get better and better.
No matter how much supplies Lu Xuan has, they are not indispensable to them. There is no need to offend him and affect future cooperation.
But when Magistrate Zhang mentioned the debt, Magistrate Zhao, who was in charge of supervising the government's finances and managing the distribution of government supplies, had something to say.
"Even if the greenhouse can really yield more than a thousand catties, there won't be enough left for the people to eat after paying off the debts. We'll have to switch to nutrient supplements. I just tasted the nutrient supplements myself, and the taste is nothing compared to grain. Why choose nutrient supplements made of unknown ingredients when we can eat rice?"
Others couldn't help but frown.
If they don't trade with Lu Xuan, they might not even have enough to eat later. Why are you being so picky?
Judge Zhao, speaking in his official jargon, said, "If he truly wanted to help the disaster victims in the city, he should selflessly hand over the supplies to the government office so that we could be responsible for their distribution."
He frowned in displeasure: "Taking advantage of the food shortage in the city after the disaster to ask for exorbitant prices, how is he any different from those greedy and unscrupulous merchants? He's clearly taking advantage of the chaos! It's already a favor to spare him from punishment because of the supplies he received."
"Now that we've got the supplies, let's just pretend those debts never happened. What right does an ordinary citizen have to go against the government?"
Li Jingli was so moved by what he said that he wanted to nod, but when he caught a glimpse of the prefect's gloomy face, he stopped nodding and instead lowered his head to pretend to straighten his clothes.
Liu Ziming's expression was not good as he said, "Does Lord Zhao mean that we should take Young Master Lu's large amount of supplies for nothing?"
He calls others unscrupulous merchants, but how is his own behavior any different from that of bandits? Does he even remember that he represents the government?
Liu Ziming was disdainful of Zhao Tongpan's insatiable greed, but he was just a clerk without any official position, and even with his uncle, the prefect, as his support, he couldn't openly criticize his superior.
He could only coldly remind him, "Lord Zhao, don't forget how Young Master Lu entered the city."
Judge Zhao paused for a moment.
Liu Ziming scoffed, "Since he dares to descend from the sky alone in a celestial artifact, how can we be sure he has no other means of self-defense besides a large amount of supplies? If we anger him and cause trouble, can Lord Zhao bear the responsibility?"
Judge Zhao opened his mouth, "I—"
"alright!"
Liu Wenchi, who had been silent all along, interrupted Zhao Tongpan in a deep voice, giving him a warning look: "Since the contract has been signed, do not do anything unnecessary. Otherwise, if it affects the livelihoods of the entire prefecture and even the surrounding disaster victims, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Judge Zhao's expression hardened.
Liu Wenchi waved his hand at everyone and said, "Alright, that's enough for now. It's getting late, so everyone should get some rest. Remember to notify everyone in the city to come and collect the supplies tomorrow morning."
Zhang Tongzhi, Li Jingli, and others nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes."
Judge Zhao moved his lips, but in the end he didn't say anything more and left the study with the others.
Liu Wenchi watched Zhao Tongpan's departing figure with a calm expression.
He didn't care about Lu Xuan's background, nor did he have any intention of coveting more.
His only thought was to get through the current difficulties and let more people under his jurisdiction survive. In this way, he would have done justice to his official robes.
·
Early morning, in an alley in the south of Luochuan city.
The residents in the alley gradually woke up and busied themselves in and out of their courtyards. Some of them were originally from the south of the city, while others were outsiders who had come from surrounding towns to seek refuge.
The two groups usually have some friction, but today, they gathered together to discuss yesterday's interesting events.
One of the middle-aged men said mysteriously, "I heard that a demon entered the city yesterday. Has any of you seen it?"
The two men next to him shook their heads. "We went to repair the city wall on the west side yesterday and didn't see anything, but we did hear that someone flew into the city from the sky."
An elderly woman carrying a basin of water came to the doorway. Hearing their conversation, she scoffed, "What monster? Don't talk nonsense! They're clearly gods descended to earth!"
The men all turned to look at the woman. "Liu family, what are you saying about a deity descending to earth? Do you know what happened yesterday?"
The woman from the Liu family slapped her thigh and said, "How could I not know! My cousin's son's classmate's neighbor's eldest son was hit on the head by a piece of tile that was blown off by a strong wind a few days ago. After being sent to the hospital, the bleeding was finally stopped, but then he started to have a fever. His family was almost preparing for his funeral. And guess what happened?"
As more and more people gathered around, seeing that the Liu family woman was keeping them in suspense, they couldn't help but urge her, "Tell us what happened! Don't keep us in suspense!"
"Could he be dead?" someone said deliberately.
"Pah, pah, pah!" The Liu family woman glared at the person who spoke. "What nonsense are you talking about! Not only did that family's son's fever break yesterday, but the scab on his head that was hit has also healed completely. I went to see him yesterday, and he was lively and energetic, even more so than me!"
The neighbors exclaimed in astonishment, "Really?"
"It takes at least ten days to half a month to heal a head injury, but it's already healed in just a few days?"
"You're not trying to fool us, are you!"
The Liu family woman rolled her eyes. "Who has time to fool you? If you don't believe me, go to the medical clinic street near the government office and see for yourselves. It's not just him who's injured. Yesterday, after that divine figure came, he went to the medical clinic with the prefect to treat the injured and sick people inside. He cured everyone. The relatives of those patients even kowtowed to the divine figure to express their gratitude."
"The clinic used to be packed with patients, but now it's said to be empty because the patients have all gone home."
The middle-aged man who had initially brought up the topic of demons said, "Now that you mention it, he certainly doesn't seem like a demon."
"Did it really fly down from the sky?"
"That's not all." The Liu family woman was clearly well-informed and said proudly, "I have an acquaintance who lives nearby. She happened to be there and saw it clearly. That divine figure waved his hand and produced several bags of grain, fresh fruit, and white salt out of thin air!"
"hiss!"
"There really is food!?"
"Fresh fruit at this time of year? That sounds almost like something out of a fairy tale."
The Liu family woman snorted, "Even if they're not gods, they're at least divine messengers sent by gods to save people from suffering! The sister I know said that the clinic has acquired a lot of medicine, so no one will have to worry about running out of medicine if they have any injuries or illnesses in the future."
The others looked regretful, and one even slapped his thigh and said, "If only I had gone over there yesterday, I might have met that celestial envoy!"
That's what they say, but nowadays many people live a life of barely having enough to eat. Unless they're repairing the city wall or doing other work that pays them a little food, they stay at home and try to move as little as possible to avoid expending too much energy and getting hungry quickly. Who would bother to wander around other streets?
Afterwards, the group discussed the celestial messenger's abilities for a while.
Some people were curious about where the grains and fruits came from, while others wondered if the fairy messengers could really fly.
Just as some people were getting impatient and wanted to try their luck near the government office to see if they could catch a glimpse of the celestial messenger, a gong suddenly sounded in the street, followed by a loud announcement from an official.
"Each family should send one person to the government office to collect supplies. In addition, there will be a communal meal today, and everyone will get a share. Remember to bring your own bowl."
The people looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Today isn't the day for distributing food rations, so why are they suddenly distributing supplies again?"
Since everyone ran out of food, the government has only been distributing rations once every five days. The last time they were distributed was three days ago, and there are still two days left before the rations are due.
The woman from the Liu family reacted the fastest, "Are you all stupid? The celestial messenger must have brought supplies and handed them over to the prefect, or the prefect and the celestial messenger made a deal!"
Regardless of which one it is, the result is that they have food rations to share again!
"Stop dawdling and grab your bowls to go to the government office now that you've received the supplies!"
The others perked up at her reminder, "Yes, yes, let's go to the government office!"
"Quick, second brother, bring the bowls from the house!"
A group of people hurriedly returned to their homes, some grabbing bowls, others quickly waking up their still-sleepy relatives, or rummaging through baskets to bring along as well, preparing to use them to carry other supplies later.
·
At the entrance of the government office.
The streets were crowded with residents of the prefecture and disaster victims who had received the notice. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the stacks of boxes of nutritional supplements and hundreds of large bags piled up in front of the government office.
People whispered among themselves, speculating about what supplies were in the bags and boxes, and how much they would receive.
Although only three days have passed since the last distribution of supplies, the amount of food distributed at that time was not much, and some families were already on the verge of running out of food.
If supplies are not distributed today, we can only go out into the wild to find wild vegetables or drink water to get through the next two days.
After the people waited for about fifteen minutes, the gates of the government office opened, and the officials, led by Liu Wenchi, filed out.
Those who had heard the news yesterday subconsciously scanned the officials, and their eyes finally fell on the only unfamiliar face, their eyes lighting up.
Could this person be the legendary celestial being/deity that everyone's been talking about?
He wasn't particularly handsome, but judging from his complexion and overall demeanor, he certainly wasn't an ordinary person.
Liu Wenchi gestured for everyone to be quiet, and it took a while for the noisy crowd to calm down.
Liu Wenchi said loudly, "As you all have probably heard, the government office did receive a new batch of supplies yesterday. Among them, a batch of medicines for treating illnesses has been sent to various clinics in the city. If any family member is unwell, they can take them to a clinic for timely treatment. The medicines obtained this time are extremely effective, so there is no need to worry about them not being cured."
"In addition, a portion of the remaining food rations will be distributed today, with each household receiving rations according to the number of people previously registered. The distribution cycle for each type of ration will vary."
Liu Wenchi pointed to the team led by Zhang Tongzhi on the left and said, "Lord Zhang, this is where you collect the nutrient solution. Each person can collect 4 doses every ten days."
Then he pointed to Magistrate Zhao on the right, saying, "Magistrate Zhao distributes salt and sugar. Each person can receive half a catty of salt per month. Those with elderly people over sixty or children with graying hair, or pregnant or postpartum women in their families can receive one catty of sugar, also once a month."
The people were immediately excited when they heard that salt and sugar were available.
Half a pound of salt a month may not sound like much, but in reality, as long as there are two or more people in the family, they can receive a pound of salt. Usually, they only buy about that much salt, which is enough for them.
Not to mention there's candy too!
Although many elderly people and children lost their lives after multiple disasters, one-third of the families in the city still have relatives who meet the criteria.
Dividing a pound of sugar into smaller portions allows the family to enjoy a sweet treat, helping them grit their teeth and persevere through tough times.
But... what are nutritional supplements?
The people looked on in bewilderment at the long, narrow object in Lord Zhang's hand, which was only the length of a palm and the width of two fingers.
This thing doesn't look very big, is it edible?
You can only get four in ten days, that's barely enough to fill a tooth gap, right?
When the prefect explained that the nutritional supplements were to be distributed as staple food, the people were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths.
Something that big, a staple food? A ten-day supply?
Does the prefect want them to starve to death?
"Please don't be impatient, everyone." Seeing that many people were reacting strongly, Liu Wenchi patiently explained, "This food is extremely filling. Just two or three bites are enough to fill your stomach. If you don't believe me, I can let you try it for yourselves right now."
As he spoke, he randomly selected six people from the crowd, including men and women, the elderly and the young, as well as two young and strong men.
Liu Wenchi squeezed the nutrient solution into a small bowl and had people give them spoons. Each person scooped a small spoonful from the bowl and ate it.
The six people put the nutrient solution, which looked like a paste, into their mouths with some skepticism. They held it in their mouths for a while to taste it, but couldn't taste anything, so they could only swallow it whole.
Then……
"Huh?" One of the girls, whose face was pale from hunger, touched her stomach in surprise and said in a daze, "I think... I'm not hungry anymore."
Another elderly man next to him looked shocked. "I...I think I'm a little full."
Others also provided feedback.
"I'm not hungry anymore."
"My stomach has stopped growling!"
Two of the young men had been experiencing rumbling stomachs when they stepped forward, but their rumbling subsided noticeably.
The surrounding people were in an uproar.
"Really? I'm full after just one bite!?"
The viewers in the live stream who were watching along with Lu Xuan were also a bit confused.
[Was the appetite of ancient people really that small? Were they full after just one bite?]
Lu Xuan said, "When you're hungry a lot, your stomach will naturally shrink."
Someone in the crowd, skeptical, shouted, "You're not kidding me, are you really full?"
"How can a spoonful of porridge possibly fill you up?"
The middle-aged man, who was being suspected, said with dissatisfaction, "What would I get out of lying to you! A spoonful won't fill you up, but it certainly won't make you hungry."
Liu Wenchi had the officials open another vial of nutrient solution and give each of them another sip.
This time, the six people no longer had any doubts on their faces; instead, they seemed quite impatient.
The reaction was even more pronounced after the second bite.
"I'm really full now!" A young man who hadn't had a proper meal in days was so excited that his pale face regained some color.
The other elderly women, who ate less than him, said, "I feel a bit full."
Others: "!!!" Is it really that exaggerated?
Liu Wenchi said, "One vial of these nutrients is enough for about six bites. If you take two bites a day, it will last for three days."
So receiving four in ten days is not only a lot, but even a bit extra.
Young adults with large appetites can eat an extra bite if they are not full sometimes.
Moreover, in addition to the nutritional supplements, the rations originally distributed by the government will continue to be provided.
The government's warehouse still has enough grain for more than a month. Once the inventory is completely emptied, according to Lu Xuan, the grain for the greenhouse should be ready to be collected, which will replenish the supplies.
The onlookers repeatedly asked the six people who were tasting the food to make sure they were really full. Some even went up to touch their no longer empty stomachs, and their gazes toward the boxes of nutritional supplements in front of Zhang Tongzhi were different.
Liu Wenchi was satisfied with everyone's reaction and continued, "The government office also received a batch of grain and vegetables. Since the quantity was not large enough to be distributed to each household, after discussion between myself and others, we decided to change it to the communal dining system mentioned by the officials in the previous notice."
As he spoke, he calmly took out a large stack of ordinary radishes and cabbages, as well as mutated radishes and cabbages, sweet potato starch, salted fish, and other supplies from his spatial ring.
The people exclaimed, "Wow!"
"What's going on? Where did these supplies come from?"
"hiss!"
"Could it be that the Prefect possesses supernatural powers?!"
The people were stunned by Liu Wenchi's move. Then, some sharp-eyed people noticed the unusual size of the mutated cabbages and exclaimed, "How can these cabbages be so big?!"
It looks like it reaches an adult's thigh; this cabbage must weigh at least fifty or sixty pounds!
The others instinctively looked over and gasped as well.
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