Chapter 6: People's Roofs Are Insecure
Xiao Linyuan looked at the silver in his hand and used sign language to say: "This is too much."
"Take it; the restaurant still needs your help in many areas."
Okay, thank you, Manager Su.
Su Jingge got up and went up to the third floor.
Standing on the third floor of the restaurant and looking out, dark clouds rolled in on the horizon, and the rain pattered down.
Spring brings heavy rains, with endless streams of rain dripping from the eaves like a glistening beaded curtain.
Not far away, a house was leaking from its roof. The rain was just beginning to fall when the wind brought a downpour. The family scrambled to catch the leaking water with straw baskets, wooden buckets, broken pottery jars, and any other usable containers.
The raindrops inside sound as if you can hear a 'thump-thump'.
As the rain intensified, the area quickly filled with water.
The thatched roof was repeatedly torn off and then put back in its original place.
Those with better conditions could afford rubble roofs, while those who were slightly poorer could only make thatched roofs by mixing grass with mud.
It's alright now that spring has arrived.
In winter, such rooftops freeze quickly when it rains or snows, then thaw at dawn, only to freeze again after sunset, a cycle that repeats itself endlessly.
The dampness and cold, combined with the already thin bedding, have caused many people to suffer from eczema, rashes, and rheumatism.
Without money for treatment, some people simply succumb to the unbearable itch.
The level of hardship was unimaginable.
This is true for many ordinary people's families.
It looks like the roof is leaking and needs to be fixed.
She pondered this matter.
Repairing the city was the responsibility of the county magistrate, and the imperial court allocated funds every year for the construction of the city.
Discard the portion that the princess embezzled.
Surely the remaining grace period should be enough to repair the roof?
Why is Yuxiang County still in such a state of decline?
Where does the annual maintenance budget go?
For three years after the original owner became mentally challenged, her memories were blank.
All she could think about was her brother Ziyu...
There's only one possible explanation: the magistrate and his associates embezzled the money!
Now she needs to find a way to repair the roof.
She quickly came downstairs and saw Xiao Linyuan wiping the table.
"Xiao Linyuan, I have a question for you."
The man stopped writing with his handkerchief and smiled slightly: "Please go ahead."
"I'd like to know if the imperial court allocates funds to local counties every year for repairs? Especially to areas that have experienced major disasters, is there extra attention paid to them?"
Xiao Linyuan nodded: [Yes.]
Her brow furrowed; that was it.
Now she wants to participate in the renovation of Yuxiang County, but she is just a merchant, and only officials have the right to decide such matters.
She started pacing around the room, wondering how she could participate in the renovations...
Seeing the woman pacing anxiously in the room, Xiao Linyuan felt a surge of urgency and walked over to her: "What difficulties has Manager Su encountered? Can you tell me about them?"
She looked at the man; for the past three years, he had never left his home and certainly knew nothing about the city's repairs.
But he was once a general, so he should know something about the government.
So he asked, "Do you know how non-officials can participate in the renovation of local county towns?"
Xiao Linyuan paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Why would you ask that? Do you want to participate in the city's development?"
Su Jingge's eyes were calm: "Yes, but I'm just a merchant, do you know that?"
Xiao Linyuan rolled his eyes, frowned slightly, and shook his head: "It's very difficult for non-officials to participate in official affairs unless they are dispatched by the court. But you have no merit, and no one recognizes your abilities, so this path of dispatch is blocked."
According to him, ordinary people cannot do it.
"Okay, thank you, I'll think about it some more."
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Xiao Linyu watched her standing under the eaves at the entrance of the restaurant, her hands behind her back, her back straight, gazing at the distant homes of ordinary people.
His expression was slightly solemn, especially when he saw the leaky houses of the villagers, he couldn't take his eyes off them for a long time.
She cares deeply for the people, which is quite similar to him in the past...
He pursed his lips, but still walked up.
After someone stopped beside her, she turned her head to look at the man and said in sign language: "It's not entirely hopeless; there's a way..."
Su Jingge's eyes lit up: "General Xiao, please tell me."
Although you are a merchant and cannot participate in the city's repairs, you can act as a supervisor or assistant.
"Supervisor, assistant supervisor?" Su Jingge's pupils contracted slightly, and she snapped her fingers. "Yes, assistant supervisor!"
She remembered an ancient imperial court system that stipulated that merchants could donate large sums of money and grain to officials in order to qualify as supervisors or assistants in construction projects.
This allows one to participate in city construction.
To put it simply, all a foreman needs is money.
Being an assistant manager is a bit more difficult; it requires both money and knowledge of city construction.
This wasn't difficult for her.
Wasn't it she who built the post-apocalyptic fortresses in the previous life?
With this goal in mind, she turned her attention to the third floor.
It seems that to become an assistant manager, one needs to accept more orders and have more money.
In the coming days, she planned to reopen the Yunque Restaurant.
So he took out a portion of the remaining twenty taels of silver to renovate the restaurant, hoping to attract more customers.
Besides, one handyman is not enough.
She put the job posting back up.
There seemed to be some tools in the backyard, so I walked towards the back.
Although the flowers and plants in the yard were overgrown and withered, the yard was very clean.
In a corner of the stable, she heard rustling sounds, more like snoring...
Su Jingge became alert. What was that?
She went inside and saw a little boy, about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in tattered clothes, with several holes in his shoes, his toes showing.
It was fast asleep in its hay nest.
Ah! She suddenly remembered.
This is the little mute boy that the original owner picked up before she became mentally impaired. He was being bullied, and the original owner gave him money and steamed buns, so the little boy has been following her ever since.
Later, the original owner asked if she would be willing to work as a handyman at her restaurant, with food and lodging provided, and a monthly salary, though not much.
The little boy was so excited that he nodded his head like he was pounding garlic.
She remembered that his name seemed to be... Wei Shuang.
He's rather timid, so he does the dirty work in the backyard, feeds the chickens, and walks the horses. He doesn't usually go to the front yard, and he'll hide when someone comes.
After the original owner went mad, he couldn't care less about him at all, and most of the servants in the restaurant had already left.
He was the only one who didn't say anything when the house in the backyard collapsed due to the heavy rain, and he just lived with the horse.
He is obedient, hardworking, and works silently without complaint.
When Wei Shuang heard the horse snorting, she awoke with a start and saw her master standing before her.
He was first surprised, then knelt down in fear and kowtowed repeatedly.
He gestured with his hands, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just accidentally dozed off. I wasn't slacking off."
Su Jingge helped the man up. His hair was a mess, like a bird's nest, but his eyes were crystal clear.
She took two taels of silver from her pocket: "Take these and go."
The boy shook his head frantically, his eyes red, gesturing rapidly: "What did I do wrong? Tell me, I'll change, please don't send me away!"
Su Jingge felt uneasy. She shook her head and said, "No, no, you are very good, really very good. It's just that following me might lead to hardship or danger in the future. You can choose to take the money and leave."
No, I don't want money. I have no home anymore. Yun Que is my home. I'm willing to do anything for you.
Wei Shuang's eyes were as pure as a lotus flower on a snow-capped mountain.
She patted his head: "Okay, then we'll depend on each other for survival."
They brought out many tools for frost, including agricultural tools such as hoes, shovels, and ox-drawn plows.
Textile tools, metallurgical tools.
Woodworking tools, cooking utensils.
And axes, shovels, grease for oil lamps, fuel, etc.
Although they are not large tools, they have everything you could need.
After the original owner's family fell into ruin, the restaurant became their second home, and these items were moved here as well.
She looked at the panting boy and laughed, "Haha, that's enough, thank you."
For Shuang, sign language: 【Does Shopkeeper Su need something repaired?】
"Yes, we're renovating the restaurant. Come on, let me take you to the front hall to meet your other companion."
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