Chen Yu shook his head, glanced at everyone, and said helplessly, "I understand your concerns, but there is no better solution right now. 500,000 people, even if each person only has 1 liang of grain per day, that's 50,000 jin. With the grain we have now, it's only enough to supply them for less than two months."
Upon hearing this, everyone was slightly taken aback. According to normal food supply and demand standards, an adult needs at least 1 jin of grain per day. If that's the case, wouldn't it mean that the grain in front of them is only enough to feed the people of Anping for a few days?
Given the current trend of this natural disaster, it certainly won't end in just a few days. The longer the disaster lasts, the lower the chances of getting supplies from outside will be.
But if each person only has one ounce of grain per day, everyone will still starve to death.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought popped into Lin Ping's mind, causing him to involuntarily shiver.
He looked up at Chen Yu, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but he finally decided to speak: "Commander, if... if we really only get this much food, then... then won't some people... start a riot to fight over this little bit of food?"
"No way? This is food donated by the commanders without their own help. Even if they aren't grateful, they shouldn't riot, right?" a young soldier offered his opinion.
"Young Sun, you're still too young. You don't understand the complexities of human nature," an older soldier said earnestly, patting the young soldier on the shoulder.
The other soldiers looked grave, clearly aware of the seriousness of the situation.
Chen Yu nodded and said, "That possibility cannot be ruled out."
"So, if we use this method to screen out some people who are not eligible for relief, wouldn't the remaining people be able to get a bigger share?" Lin Ping tentatively suggested, his eyes showing both anticipation and unease.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu gazed intently at Lin Ping, remaining silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Lin Ping, I understand your thoughts, but in such extreme circumstances, we cannot simply categorize people as qualified or unqualified. Doing so would not only exacerbate social conflicts but could also trigger greater chaos."
"But, sir, we have to think of a solution. If the food is not distributed evenly, it could easily become the fuse for a riot. Most importantly, if everyone only gets a little bit of food, everyone will starve to death sooner or later!" Lin Ping said anxiously, knowing full well that the problem at hand was not to be underestimated.
Faced with Lin Ping's question, Chen Yu did not answer immediately, but fell silent.
After a long while, he waved his hand weakly, sighed heavily, and said, "Well, then let's do as you say!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu felt completely drained, as if he had aged 20 years in an instant.
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