Yun the Butcher listened for a moment, then, while a soldier was drinking water, he hid a tael of silver in his sleeve and handed it to him. The soldier had noticed Yun the Butcher for a while, and now he finally came looking for him. He squeezed the silver in his sleeve and beckoned Yun the Butcher to the city wall, away from the crowd.
"Tell me, what do you want to know? First, let me make it clear: the silver you gave me is too little. I can't let you settle in the city," the official said. Yun the Butcher looked up and saw that the official looked to be in his twenties, well-proportioned, with a slightly dark complexion, but strong. He looked like someone who had plenty of food and water and was well-fed. From the moment he spoke, it was clear he was a clever, somewhat cunning young man with a clear conscience.
"Don't worry, I'm not asking to settle down in the city. I just want to know what the current situation is in the city? Is there any food for sale in the city? Is there enough water in the city?" Yun the butcher bowed to the official and asked politely.
"You sound like a sensible person, unlike some who, for a little silver, want me to move them to the city. That's just wishful thinking. I'm not afraid to tell you that several grain stores in the city now have grain in stock and are open for business, but I don't know how much the price has risen. The four large wells in the city were dug by the government back then, and they're very deep, so there's still plenty of water.
Some of the wealthy families in the city left at the beginning of the drought. Those who remain now have deeper roots and larger businesses. Moreover, later on, the government wouldn't let them leave. The porridge provided at the city gate was also mandated by the government. "Do you have any other questions?" the soldiers asked Yun the butcher.
"Is it because the water in the city is only enough for the people in the city that the government restricts refugees from settling in the city?" Butcher Yun asked.
"What a clever man! The city isn't short of water right now, but if all the refugees at the city gates go in, there will be a shortage of water. And most importantly, the government doesn't have much food in stock right now," the official said. Yun the Butcher understood immediately.
"Thank you for telling me this news. May I ask your name? We are the entire village and we are fleeing the famine together. We plan to go to the city to purchase supplies tomorrow and then head south. I may trouble you again tomorrow." Butcher Yun bowed to the officers and soldiers again.
"My last name is Bai, you can call me Xiaobai. I will be on duty tomorrow, so you can come to see me tomorrow morning. I will be off duty tomorrow night when you come out of the city." The soldier explained to Yun the butcher.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning." Yun the Butcher reunited with Li Xiucai and Zhang the Hunter. When the three finally squeezed through the thick crowd, all of them were sweating profusely. Seeing the three of them had returned, the village chief summoned one representative from each family to attend a meeting.
"What's the situation now? What news have you found out?" the village chief asked anxiously.
"Village Chief, I read the notice, and it says that the government in the city is running low on food. Therefore, the city won't accept refugees to settle down. There's one exception: if you have relatives or friends in the city who are willing to take you in and pay a deposit, you can settle down there."
"In addition, refugees can enter the city in the morning and leave before the gates close at night after paying a city entrance fee. If anyone is found hiding in the city, they will be executed immediately if caught by the government. Furthermore, wealthy families in the city will distribute porridge at the city gate every morning, noon, and afternoon. However, I heard that the quantity is not high," Li Xiucai said first.
"It's enough to go to the city to buy supplies. What news have you two heard?" The village chief then asked Yun the Butcher and Zhang the Hunter.
"I went to the shack next to the city wall to inquire. I was looking for another hunter. When I arrived, they were drying their furs. Old Man Wu told me that they were also villagers from nearby, not far from here, and usually went to the provincial capital to buy and sell things. They had fled the famine because the village well couldn't provide enough water for everyone. Old Man Wu also told me about the porridge distribution.
Furthermore, the city entrance fee is said to have increased significantly, though Old Man Wu didn't reveal the exact amount. The same goes for shopping in the city, where one must return after the gates close at night. It's also true that soldiers will execute refugees found hiding in the city. Old Man Wu and his companions discovered that every night, soldiers would drive their carts to the mass grave west of the city to dump bodies. Hunter Zhang shared the news he had gathered with everyone.
"Fortunately, we don't plan to settle down in the city, nor do we plan to hide in the city." A villager patted his chest and said.
"Yes, the officers and soldiers were really cruel," said another villager.
"Okay, we won't be staying here for long, so we don't need to pay attention to this. Yun the Butcher, what news have you heard?" The village chief waved his hand, asking everyone to stop talking.
"Village chief, I secretly gave a tael of silver to the soldier guarding the city, and he told me that there are still many wealthy families in the city. At the beginning of the drought, some wealthy families left the city. Later, the government would not let the wealthy families leave. They also insisted that they provide porridge to the refugees at the city gate. In addition, the four wells in the city were dug by the government. They are very deep and have abundant water.
There are still several grain stores in the city, and I heard that they have a lot of grain in stock, but the price has also increased a lot. The soldiers told us to go to the city to ask around and find out the price of grain. In addition, the soldiers said that the water in the city is only enough for the people in the city. If these refugees at the city gate go in, there will definitely not be enough water. Moreover, the government in the city really doesn’t have much grain left.” Yun the Butcher said to everyone.
"What the officers and soldiers mean is that in order to ensure water supply in the city, they restrict refugees from settling there, right, Brother Yun?" asked Li Xiucai.
"Yes, that's what the officers and soldiers meant. Moreover, the government has strongly demanded that the rich families in the city come to the city gate to distribute porridge. It is also to give hope to the refugees at the city gate and prevent riots. Now, with the porridge from the rich families every day, some people can barely survive by starving to death. If, one day, the rich families are unwilling to come out to distribute porridge, there will definitely be problems." Yun the butcher explained to everyone.
"The government wants the refugees to flee the famine to other places. The problem now is that the refugees have finally arrived in the city and don't want to leave easily. The government asked the rich families in the city to come out and distribute porridge, which is also a compromise to the refugees. However, over time, the water and food in the city are limited, and the government will definitely take coercive measures to force the refugees to leave. With so many refugees gathered together, if there is a riot, there will be nowhere to hide." Yun the butcher kneaded the paper and broke it into pieces to explain to everyone.
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