Chapter 206: Rice Price Lin Zhaodi and others return to the village + Rice price rises sharply
When Li Chunmiao thought of the possibility he had guessed, he was immediately frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. He no longer cared about sighing for others.
Her mind raced, and she immediately asked, "Ah Shu, it was your Ah Ye who discovered the cave, and it was he who led the group there. Do you think it would be possible to have Ah Ye take my husband to the mountains ahead of time and have him bring back our stored food?"
Lin Shu replied, "Of course you can, but Aunt Li, the people who collected the grain that day knew how much grain your family had stored. You can't keep this a secret for long."
Li Chunmiao's heart sank slightly. "I know, but it's better than having everyone see it."
When storing grain, everyone contributed their own, and no one knew how much grain the other had contributed. But when the grain was transported back from the cave, the villagers would definitely gather around to see how much grain her family had. So many eyes would be staring at it!
Lin Shu thought for a moment and said, "I have an idea. The people who collected the grain at that time only knew that your family had handed over a lot of stored grain, but they didn't know what this stored grain was. Auntie can do this..."
Li Chunmiao was delighted after hearing this. "Ah Shu, I'll trouble you and Ah Ye with this matter!"
If you want to go to the mountains, you have to pass through the village, and if you pass through the village, it is impossible to hide it from everyone, so it is best to do it in a clear way.
That night, Zhou Ye and Lin Shu each carried a backpack and went into the mountains. They did not avoid people and answered directly when someone asked them.
Zhou Ye explained, "Most of the food at home is stored in the cave. The remaining food has been eaten up, so we won't have any dinner tonight. Ah Shu and I have big appetites and can't stand going hungry, so we want to go to the cave in advance to get some of the food we have stored. Uncle, do you want to come with us to get some?"
The man who asked the question hurriedly said he couldn't go.
It's getting dark, so don't bump into anything while walking on the mountain road. If you accidentally break your leg, it will be more trouble than it's worth.
Zhou Ye was a well-known honest man in the village. When the villagers learned that he and Lin Shu were going to the cave to get stored grain, they were not worried that he would steal grain from other families. Besides, they knew how much grain each family had handed in that day and had marked it. If it had been touched, they would be able to see it.
The main reason was that most villagers did not believe that there would be a flood at the beginning, and the amount of grain they handed over was not much. Most of the grain was still at home, and they took it with them when they went to the mountains to take refuge.
In this way, the two of them successfully entered the mountains.
Zhou Ye and Lin Shu's backpacks were not empty, but were filled with some dried goods that had been dried in the mountains in the past few days. However, the two men were very strong and the dry goods were light, so from a distance it looked like they were carrying two empty backpacks.
When they arrived at the cave, Zhou Ye replaced Wang Yingen's large basket of rice with dried mushrooms, wild vegetables, and other dry goods, then mixed it with the other basket of rice so that the two baskets were about the same weight. He took as much rice as he could from his own family, but left the dry goods and miscellaneous items he had brought with him untouched.
"Ashu, it's done." Zhou Ye said. He exchanged the two baskets of dry goods he brought back for substantial food.
Lin Shu nodded, but her eyes paused on a few bundles of dry firewood in the corner of the cave.
This was some dry firewood that Ah Ye had prepared before leaving the cave, in case it rained for days and dry firewood would be hard to find. Although it was not used, Ah Ye's awareness of such precautions was more valuable than anything else.
It was getting dark soon, so the two of them didn't dare to delay and just took their things and left.
On the way back, I heard a woman from an unknown family crying and wailing so loudly that it made me feel upset.
Lin Shu remained silent, and Zhou Ye was also silent along the way. He thought, this is just the beginning, it will get more and more chaotic later...
As soon as they arrived at the gate of the courtyard, they heard voices talking inside and someone sobbing and wiping away tears.
It’s my third aunt Zhang Qiaohua.
The thatched huts of my third aunt and uncle's family were all washed away, and they had no ground to rest in the mountains tonight. When they passed by Lin Dashan's house, they couldn't help but come in to chat about family matters.
Zhang Qiaohua also heard about what happened outside. Besides being frightened, she became even more worried about Lin Yushu who was studying in town. She couldn't help shedding tears when she mentioned this matter. "...If I had known there would be a flood this year, I wouldn't have asked Yushu to go to town to study. When he left, he only took two sets of clothes and a few copper coins. He didn't have anyone he knew in town to look after him, and he was still young. If anything happened to Yushu, I wouldn't want to live anymore, wuwu..."
He Guixiang offered comfort, but she wasn't the person involved, so how could she truly empathize? She'd been terrified when Ah Shu had a high fever in the middle of the night, let alone this flood.
Seeing Lin Shu coming back, He Guixiang quickly winked at her.
Her third sister-in-law is willing to listen to Ah Shu, and Ah Shu's words of comfort are much more effective than hers.
Lin Shu told Zhou Ye to put the things away first and said to Zhang Qiaohua, "Don't worry, Third Aunt. The muddy roads in the village are barely passable now. Those who came today are all from nearby villages. Jingxi Town is far from Tianshui Village, and the road is bumpy and difficult to walk on. The flooding in the villages downstream is definitely worse than ours. I'm afraid we'll have to wait a few days before it's passable. Cousin Yushu is a promising young man I've set my sights on. Good luck will come to those who are lucky, so he'll be fine. Besides, the headman's eldest grandson is also studying in town. Aren't the headman's family also waiting with peace of mind?"
After Lin Shu said this, Zhang Qiaohua gradually calmed down.
Ah Shu was right. The village head's precious grandson was also in town. Old Man Liao and Lin Zhaodi were also stuck there and hadn't returned. She was worried, but weren't others worried? There was no point in being anxious.
She stopped talking and just kept reciting it in her heart.
Unexpectedly, the next morning, Old Man Liao's ox cart returned!
After receiving the letter, Zhang Qiaohua and Lin Dashan hurried to the village entrance.
There were quite a few people on Old Man Liao's ox cart this time. In addition to Lin Zhaodi and Zhao Laosan, there were also Lin Yushu and a young scholar. The scholar was wearing a long green cloth gown and a square scarf on his head. He looked quite handsome. He was Zhang Zongyao, the eldest grandson of the village head.
Zhang Zongyao's return surprised the villagers of Tianshui Village. The village chief's precious grandson was a stunning sight every time he saw him. He looked nothing like the rough, farm-dwelling peasants who lived there. He was not only handsome but also talented. Because the child was so absorbed in his studies, he only returned during the busy farming season, so Ping'er couldn't even see him.
The news spread quickly, and Lin Shu and Zhou Ye soon rushed over with Liao Dunzi.
These days, Liao Dunzi has been eating, drinking and sleeping with Lin Dashan's family, so any news they have is known together.
The car stopped at the entrance of the village, surrounded by several circles of villagers.
The wheels of the ox cart were covered with thick yellow mud and looked wet, which showed that the mud on the road was very deep and there were many puddles. It was extremely difficult for the few people to get here.
The tables and chairs that Lin Zhaodi brought with her were not there. There were only two wooden barrels filled with miscellaneous items, a backpack and an upside-down wooden basin on top of them, making it impossible to see what was inside. There was also a bookcase full of books next to it, which was probably Zhang Zongyao's.
Old man Liao’s ox cart was not big to begin with, and with all these things and four people sitting in it, it was already full.
When Lin Shu and the others arrived, Uncle Three and Aunt Three had already pulled Lin Yushu aside to ask about his well-being and his experiences over the past few days.
Zhao Laosan and Lin Zhaodi were in good spirits and took the initiative to talk about what was happening outside with the villagers who gathered around them.
Zhang Zongyao was the most haggard one, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept a full night for several days. There was also worry in his eyes, as if he was worried about the series of consequences brought about by the flood.
After accidentally meeting the unfamiliar face of Lin Shu, he was slightly startled. After remembering something, he frowned slightly, then looked away and whispered something to the head of the village, Zhang and other family members beside him.
Lin Shu also frowned.
This was the first time someone showed dislike for her after just meeting her once. It turned out that Zhang Zongyao was indeed Lin Yao's admirer, and Lin Yao couldn't have a good impression of her, the fake daughter who had usurped her throne.
However, this person was not what she had imagined. He looked like an honest scholar. The most commendable thing was that he cared about the people's concerns, so his character should be good.
Just as he was thinking, Zhou Ye suddenly held Lin Shu's hand.
Lin Shu looked at him:? ?
Zhou Ye explained: "Ashu, the ground is slippery, I'll hold your hand."
A gentle and handsome scholar, who had not been exposed to the wind and sun in the fields, had a skin color whiter than many peasant women. No one knew what was so special about him that made Ah Shu look at him for so long.
Of course, he was not jealous at all. He knew in his heart that Ah Shu liked someone like him, but he didn't want Ah Shu to pay attention to anyone else.
At this moment, a burst of exclamations suddenly broke out from the crowd that was surrounding Lin Zhaodi and Zhao Laosan to inquire about the news.
"What? Zhao Laosan, how much did you say the price of rice has risen to?"
Zhao Laosan sighed and replied, "You heard right. The price of rice in town has risen to one hundred and twenty coins per dou. The price of gray flour and grains has also increased significantly."
The rice referred to here is naturally brown rice. Before the flood, a dou of brown rice was only seventy cents. In just a few days, the price has increased so much!
The villagers were stunned when they heard this.
As long as they had land, they had food, so they could be self-sufficient. In the past, they would only sell their surplus food at home, and would never go to the town to buy it. But this time, the floods have flooded the fields, and the food stored at home will not last long. They are still thinking of using the remaining money at home to buy some food in the town to store, but a bushel of rice costs 120 coins. Who can afford it? The key is that a bushel of rice will not last long!
Zhang Zongyao, who was standing by, suddenly spoke up and reminded, "The price of rice and other grains in town is likely to rise. If you want to buy grain, it's best to do so as soon as possible."
The villagers all had bitter faces. It wasn't that they didn't want to buy rice, it was simply that the price was too high.
Or should they wait a little longer? The grain merchants in town have raised the price of rice so much, the imperial court will definitely not let it go, otherwise, wouldn't they let the common people starve to death? They will buy it when the price drops.
Lin Shu exchanged a look with Zhou Ye - buying food is urgent!
Zhou Ye had experienced famine and knew what would happen after a disaster. If things continued to drag on, the price of rice would only rise higher and higher, and it was very likely to triple or quadruple. Unless the court issued a decree in time to strictly control the rise in rice prices, the price of rice and grain would soar.
"Old Man Liao, are you still driving the cart today? I want to ride your ox cart to the town to buy food." Lin Shu asked.
Old man Liao had already learned from Liao Dunzi what had happened in the past few days. He was grateful to Lin Shu's family and immediately responded, "No problem. Let me and the old ox take a rest, eat and drink our fill, and then we'll set off right away!" They left in a hurry this morning and he hadn't even had breakfast yet.
A villager asked hesitantly, "Lin Shu, food is expensive right now. Do you really want to buy some?"
Lin Shu said seriously, "Even if the higher-ups are willing to control food prices, if the disaster is severe, they can't just do it. Historically, it's not uncommon for food prices to triple or quadruple after disasters. Food will become more expensive as time goes by, so if you want to buy, you really have to do it early."
Lin Shu wanted to remind them and tried to sound as serious as possible, but if the villagers didn't believe her, she wouldn't try to persuade them with all her heart.
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