"Hurry up and leave! Have you ever seen such a big flood?"
Xu Jiang realized it was useless to ask him, so she turned to the officer who was standing nearby and asked, "Brother officer, may I ask if all the villagers have been evacuated?"
Seeing that she was a young lady, the officer whispered to her, "Most of them have been moved. Don't come and cause trouble. Can't you see that our master is currently involved in a lawsuit?"
Xu Jiang bowed and said, "Thank you, sir." Then he went to another place.
"It's not just Leyou Township that's been affected this time. Chongyi Township and Meifu Township downstream have also been flooded quite a bit."
"It's really a sin."
"If they hadn't mined the rocks illegally, how could the mountain collapse and become blocked for no reason? They are such bad people!"
"Don't make it public. If you get out of this, you're begging for money in Liuyuan, will you be alive?"
"Live? How can I live? This year's harvest is gone." The man said and started crying.
When he cried, the villagers of Leyou Township also burst into tears.
Xu Jiang felt quite uncomfortable seeing this, and her heart was filled with anxiety because of what he had just said. Could this flood not only be a natural disaster, but also a man-made disaster? She stepped forward and asked, "Brother, what are you talking about with the illegal mining of rocks?"
Seeing that she looked unfamiliar, the man took her words to heart, wiped his face, turned around and said no more.
The villagers looked at Xu Jiang for a few seconds, then pulled the man who had just spoken and walked towards the city gate, where there were temporary thatched huts for the villagers to rest.
Xu Jiang was about to chase after him when someone called out to her, "Madam, please wait."
She looked back and saw that it was the old man she met at the Leyou Riverbank yesterday. He was also covered in mud and sand and looked very miserable.
"Uncle, you're here too?"
When the old man saw her, his eyes reddened and he sighed, "It would have been great if I had met you earlier. It's too late, too late."
"It's not too late. As long as people are still here, it's good. Even if the crops are gone, we can plant them again." Xu Jiang was also upset, but she calmed her thoughts and said soothingly, "Such a severe flood has occurred under the emperor's feet. The court should provide grain relief. As for the fields, after the flood recedes, we can borrow seedlings from other villages to plant. As long as people are there, there will always be a way."
The old man shook his head. "There was a snowstorm before the New Year, and now there's a flood. Not only is the wheat gone, but the fields are also infested with insects after the flood. Rice is also difficult to grow. I'm afraid life will be difficult this year."
The snowstorm could be considered a natural disaster, but this flood was not a man-made disaster. Xu Jiang, remembering what the villager had said, whispered to the old man, "Excuse me, sir. I just heard someone say that the river was blocked because someone was illegally quarrying. Is this true?"
Speaking of this, a hint of anger appeared on the old man's face, but he suppressed it and waved his hand to Xu Jiang, saying, "Madam, don't ask anyone about this matter. Even if you do, no one will dare to tell you. Just pretend you haven't heard of it."
It seemed that this was true, so Xu Jiang asked, "Where is the blockage?"
"Zao Village." The old man pointed her in a direction.
It is exactly the direction of Gaoyang Township, no wonder Gaoyang Township was also flooded.
Xu Jiang said to the old man, "Old man, there's a long shed under the city gate for disaster victims to rest and recuperate. I see you don't look well, why don't you go over there and rest."
"How can I rest? I am an old woman with a leg problem and can't walk. My son is away from military service, and I only have my daughter-in-law and grandson at home. They are all on the other side of the river, and I don't know what's happening to them."
Xu Jiang looked up and saw that half of the mulberry and jujube forest was submerged in water yesterday. There was no land in front of or behind the houses behind the mulberry forest. Beyond the houses and up the mountain was the Willow Garden.
She just hoped that what she said to the boss yesterday would be effective. Even if it couldn't stop the flood, it would be good to be able to resettle the villagers.
Xu Jiang drove the donkey back to the city gate, found a porridge stall, queued up to ask for a bowl of porridge, and sent it to the old man.
"Please eat something. If you collapse, how can you reunite with your family?"
"Thank you, my lady. If it weren't for you, the crops in Leyou Township would have suffered more than just the disaster. Please accept my greeting." As he said this, the old man was about to kneel down to Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang was startled and quickly stopped him, "Stop! You're shortening my lifespan." Then she stuffed the porridge into his hands and urged him, "Drink it quickly."
The old man drank and wiped his tears.
After he finished drinking, he said to Xu Jiang, "I don't know your name yet. When this disaster is over, I will go to the village community and set up a tablet for you to thank you for your kindness."
"No, no. I was saved by someone in the flood. We ordinary people, you help me, I help you, it's our due." Xu Jiang took back the bowl and said goodbye to him, "I'm leaving now. You should go to the shed and rest for a while. Good luck will come to those who are lucky. I believe your family will be safe and sound."
The old man wiped his hands and looked much calmer. "Since my lady discovered the danger and saved the lives of our villagers, she must be the lucky star of our village. What the lucky star says will naturally come true."
Xu Jiang smiled and then said goodbye to him.
Returning to the city gate, Xu Jiang glanced at the tents filled with disaster victims, his mind still lingering with the words of the villager just now. If this was a man-made disaster, then the culprit should be found and an explanation given to the villagers.
Having made up her mind, she pulled the reins and headed straight for the Dali Temple.
But when she came to the Dali Temple and asked the guards to pass on the message, she heard the guards say that Lou Yunchun was not in the yamen.
"Last night, the two county yamen sent people to request manpower. After the lord assigned the men, he also led two teams out and has not returned yet."
Xu Jiang's heart tightened, "Where is he going?"
"Leyou Township."
"Did you go last night?"
"yes."
But Xu Jiang hadn't seen Lou Yunchun or the people from the Dali Temple outside the city. She couldn't help but think of Liang Mo's words about an official being swept away last night. Her feet suddenly felt weak and her body swayed.
The guard saw that her face was pale and asked with concern: "Madam, are you okay?"
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