"Name."
"Everyone in my family calls me Sanniang."
"What's your last name?"
"Qin."
“How many people are left?”
"We are the third of our family. My parents-in-law passed away early, and my husband is dead."
"Then I'll give you an extra bag of rice. Can you carry it?"
"I don't want this rice."
"Why?"
"My child is hungry, so I'm here to eat my fill. My husband is gone, and I can't live any longer. I'm going to jump into the river after I finish eating."
The indifferent and resolute tone made Zhao Jun shiver.
He turned his head and saw a woman in her twenties, also covered in dirt. She was holding a baby in her hand and carrying another on her back.
It was late autumn and the weather was getting colder. Their clothes were thin and the two children's faces seemed to have turned purple from the cold.
The woman seemed to have cried and was tired. There was no light in her eyes and only a lifeless numbness on her face.
Like a dead person.
The clerk also looked at her blankly. She had already received the porridge and did not go to get the relief food. She put the child behind her down and fed him. The older one took the bowl and slurped it.
Zhao Jun pulled Zhou Wu over and when he looked up again, he saw people all around him with sad, lifeless, or numb faces.
At that moment, he was overwhelmed with grief. Holding back the tears that were about to fall, he climbed onto the clerk's table next to him, looked down at Qin Sanniang, and said, "Qin Sanniang, please allow me to say a few words to you and the people."
Qin Sanniang raised her head.
The people around also looked up.
Zhao Jun shouted with all his might, "Fellow villagers, you must be very confused and in pain right now. Why do we work so hard to survive, but God is so unfair, allowing us to suffer so much?"
"We toil hard on the land beneath our feet, working day and night, not daring to rest every day, and working hard every day, in exchange for just three meals a day."
"But sometimes, fate is like this. A disaster, a war, or a heavy tax can make us lose everything and destroy our family."
“Why is this world always so dark? Why does it always make it so hard for us poor people to survive?”
"It's not because we didn't work hard, but because some people didn't do their job well. Ensuring that the people live and work in peace and contentment is the responsibility of the court and officials throughout the country. But even the court has its bad days, and officials have their bad days too."
"But we must not lose hope in this world. No one should say they can't live anymore and want to leave this world. Because the court is not only full of bad officials, but also officials who want to provide the people of the world, all of you, with enough food to eat, warm clothes to wear, and a roof over your head."
"Changsha County Magistrate Chen Xiliang was such a person, and so am I. We Han people have fought our way out of this world, overcoming all obstacles. We have been bullied by the barbarians, drowned by floods, and starved to death by famine, but we have never perished."
"Because we always hold onto hope, some officials, upon gaining power, forget their roots and think they are climbing over your heads. But what I want to tell you is that you are the masters of this country, you are the people of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty exists because of you, not those high-ranking officials."
"I, Zhao Jun, promise here that no matter what, I will ensure that everyone lives and stays healthy. If your family is short of rice, the imperial court will provide it. Any wealthy landlords or grain merchants who dare to raise the price of grain will have their property confiscated and their clans exterminated, and the rice they hoarded will be distributed free of charge to the people."
"To all those who want to take advantage of the disaster to lower the price of land and deprive you of your land, just tell me and let them ask if the knife in my hand is sharp."
"Don't keep all the grievances you've suffered in your heart. Tell me everything."
"Don't bear your suffering alone. Tell it all to the authorities and to me."
"I will listen carefully to the voices of all of you, to what each of you says, the opinions you raise, and the difficulties you encounter."
"If you're short on food, come to me. If you're short on oil and salt, come to me. If you're short on seeds for next year's spring planting and your family is short of labor, come to me."
"I want all the people affected by the disaster to survive until next year's autumn harvest."
"I want you to have your own land, hope to survive, and the belief that even in darkness and despair, there will be daybreak!"
"Do you believe me?"
Zhao Jun used all his strength to shout to the people around him.
That moment.
A flower called hope blooms on everyone's face!
They heard Zhao Jun's name, his promises to the victims, and his oath.
Everyone shouted, "Believe! Believe! Believe!"
That sound.
It seems to soar into the sky.
Let the evil God who brings down such cruel disasters hear it!
In the previous chapter, some people called the protagonist stupid, while others said they'd quit reading and would delete the book. All I can say is, comrades, you've lost your faith. If the same thing happened to a great man, do you think he would go? If it happened to those martyrs who sacrificed their lives, do you think he would go? What I want to tell you is that the protagonist is a man of faith. Although he used to be a troll, he still has faith.
Sometimes, comrades, you must have hope in your heart.
(End of this chapter)
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