Many refugees came from the south, all flooding into Yuanzhou territory at once.
All they want now is somewhere to go.
Tianxiang County was originally their first choice, but when they arrived, they found that although the place was large, all they could see was a vast expanse of white snow, with nothing else in sight.
They only glanced at the county before heading to the neighboring Jiangning and Yongning counties.
Some stayed behind because Jiangning County and Yongning County simply couldn't squeeze in any more.
Not many remained; fewer than a hundred people.
However, these people are also a problem in Tianxiang County.
Everything else is fine, but there's nowhere for them to stay. And with the weather so cold, leaving these people to live outside is just waiting to die.
Zheng Gaoyi used to hope that more people from the county would come, but now that people have come, he's starting to worry.
These people surrounded the county government office, waiting for Zheng Gaoyi to give them a way out.
Some people arrived at Song Ning's current residence but didn't come in; they just stood outside and watched longingly.
This situation is definitely not a solution.
When Song Ning and Zhou Cheng arrived at the county government office, Zheng Gaoyi was just about to take out the tent they had brought out earlier.
“Er Ya, you’ve come at the right time. I was planning to let them use the tent first. Although the tent won’t be very useful in this cold weather, it’s still better than being outside.”
Song Ning nodded: "Okay, we'll bring some thatch over then, it'll be of some use."
Zheng Gaoyi let those people into the courtyard, and Shi Tou busied himself pouring hot water for them.
If left in the cold for too long, the hands and feet become stiff, and some people can't even hold a bowl.
Their faces were pale, their lips were purple, and some children, held in the arms of adults, had their heads drooping and were on the verge of death.
Song Ning immediately recalled the days when they fled famine.
He shouted, "Who's in charge?"
As soon as Song Ning finished speaking, a middle-aged man stepped forward, trembling, "It's...it's me."
In such cold weather, the man was only wearing thin clothes, and the exposed parts of his body were so cold they had turned purple.
"Everyone should wipe the frozen parts with snow first. If you go into a warm place immediately, your body won't be able to handle it."
The group looked at each other, and finally the middle-aged man gave the order, and they all sprang into action.
Zhou Cheng was helping out when Song Ning walked over and called out, "Uncle Zhou, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"you say."
"I think... I should take those families with children back. The adults are okay, but the children probably won't be able to hold on."
Zhou Cheng glanced outside and saw people holding their children and silently weeping. They were lucky to be alive; who knows how many children had died on the way.
Zhou Cheng nodded: "Okay, don't worry, I'll talk to everyone about this."
Shi Tou went to deliver the message, and soon after, Li Xingwang and Zhou Ling'an arrived by carriage.
Zheng Gaoyi stood on the steps and called out, "Those with children at home, get on the bus."
Li Xingwang and Zhou Ling'an stepped forward to help, assisting families with children into their vehicles.
The remaining adults stayed behind, looking on with envy.
"No need to rush the rest, let's set up the tents first."
Zheng Gaoyi was responsible for settling the remaining people, while Song Ning and Zhou Cheng led them home.
Li Xingwang already understood Song Ning's meaning and said earnestly, "Don't worry, my parents said that I don't have many family members, so they can arrange more people for my family."
Zhou Ling'an chimed in from the side, "My family can do that too."
There aren't many people with children, only about a dozen, so it shouldn't be a problem.
The mule cart stopped in front of Song Ning's house, where his family had been waiting. As soon as he got off, they rushed out to greet him.
Song Ning handed the people over to Liu Yuelan: "Mother, let them rest in the outer room for a while. It's too hot in the inner room, so we can't go in now."
"Yes," he replied, then carefully helped the person into the house.
Li Daniu and Aunt Zhao also came out and helped the person back to their own home.
Song Xiu'e and Zhu Shun didn't say much and directly took over a family.
Because there were many people in the Sun family, Song Ning didn't let her lead them away.
Zhou Cheng and Luo Wenxin simply asked a few nearby households if they could help them, and they agreed.
They were all refugees who had come here to escape famine, and they knew the hardships they had endured along the way, so they helped whenever they could.
After everyone was settled, Song Ning found Zhou Cheng and Luo Wenxin and told them his idea: "Uncle Zhou, Uncle Luo, when winter first came, didn't the magistrate give each family charcoal? We haven't used any yet. I'd like to give this charcoal to those who live in tents. I'd appreciate it if you could help me ask other families if they have any that they don't need. I'll buy them."
Zhou Cheng and Luo Wenxin immediately went door to door to ask.
In the end, they brought back quite a lot, and more than half of the families kept them.
Moreover, they absolutely refused to accept any money when they brought it to me.
“They said that the charcoal was given to them for free by the county magistrate, so why would they take your money now? We’ve all been through this before, and we all know what’s going on.”
Just looking at those people made them feel uneasy.
With this charcoal, the tent should be a little warmer, and we should be able to get through the night.
After delivering the items, Song Ning finally returned home.
Liu Yuelan was cooking, Song Dahai was gathering firewood in the yard, and Old Mrs. Liu was keeping those people company in the house.
As soon as Song Ning entered, she heard the child crying. The child's parents, instead of being annoyed, even laughed.
Grandma Liu breathed a sigh of relief: "At least she finally cried."
The child was still a baby, and his body was so stiff from the cold that he didn't have the strength to cry.
Once inside, I finally felt better and even drank some rice porridge, which gave me the strength to go back inside.
The fact that she's crying so loudly now means she's come back to life.
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