Seeing the wailing of the people around her, Xu Nian felt a surge of anger.
The city lord lived a life of extravagance, and his palace was magnificent and resplendent. Yet, in some deserted corners of the city, there were still so many people who didn't even have a place to rest in peace!
"Ah, I'm so thirsty..."
The old man, his face full of wrinkles, collapsed on a pile of straw in the dilapidated house in the center, muttering to himself.
Xu Nian could no longer hold back. She took out water from her spatial storage and was about to pour it into a bowl to send to the old man when a clear male voice squeezed in from the side.
"Grandma, the water is here. Please have some."
It was a young man, about the same age as Xu Nian, who was holding a broken bowl and handing it to the old man.
He had delicate features, but his clothes were covered in dust, and he was carrying a large bucket of water in his other hand.
The old man shakily took the bowl, slowly drank the wine, and his face relaxed considerably.
"I'm so thirsty too..."
"And me too."
The sounds rose and fell in succession, but the man showed no sign of annoyance. He went to each person and poured them a bowl of water.
His movements were very skillful, as if he was used to doing these things.
Thinking of this, Xu Nian's gaze softened considerably as she looked at him, and she walked over.
"Sigh, there's still not enough water."
Chen Mo looked at the new scars on his hands and sighed almost imperceptibly.
He had to beg and plead to get this water from someone else.
The journey back from the central government was extremely long, and he walked back and forth every day, his hands already blistered from the effort.
Chen Mo put down the empty bucket and muttered to himself, "If only a god could help us..."
"Hello."
Before Chen Mo could finish speaking, a very pleasant female voice rang out from the side.
He looked up and froze on the spot.
She was a smiling girl, tilting her head to look at him, holding a large bucket of water in her hands.
Do you need water? I have some here.
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo stood there stunned for a long time, staring blankly at Xu Nian's lovely face, momentarily captivated.
It wasn't until Gu Zhan coughed, sounding slightly annoyed, that Chen Mo snapped out of his daze, his face turning red.
"Ah, yes, thank you!"
Seemingly realizing that his actions had crossed a line, Chen Mo, his face flushed, took the water and continued to serve the elderly.
Xu Nian chuckled and looked at Gu Zhan with a leisurely air, "Why are you scaring him? He's such a good kid."
Gu Zhan, however, acted as if it were none of his business, fiddling with his belt and remaining completely silent.
[Haha, the general is indeed a repressed pervert!]
[This is possessiveness! General's possessiveness!]
I think it's just about caring for her younger sister, right?
The comments section was filled with various opinions, and Xu Nian glanced at them and found them amusing.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo also made sure that every elderly person had water to drink, and the wailing around them subsided considerably.
"Um, my name is Chen Mo. May I ask your name, young lady?"
Chen Mo awkwardly took the basin and handed it to Xu Nian, whispering something.
Seeing his innocent boyish appearance, Xu Nian raised an eyebrow. "Xu Nian, this is Gu Zhan."
When Xu Nian called his name, Gu Zhan simply nodded slightly, his expression not particularly friendly.
Chen Mo repeated Xu Nian's name in his heart several times, and said happily, "This time, thanks to you all, otherwise this water would definitely not be enough to drink."
At this point, Chen Mo's face darkened again.
I'm lucky to have met such a kind girl today. What about tomorrow, or the day after?
Seeing Chen Mo's complicated emotions, Xu Nian couldn't help but wonder, "Don't you have a water source here?"
Hearing this, Chen Mo gave a wry smile. "No, if we want water, we have to go to the center. But the guards there don't like us at all. I had to beg them until I was hoarse to get this water."
Upon hearing this, Xu Nian couldn't help but frown.
Not providing food is already an unforgivable crime, but the city lord is even unwilling to provide water?
Suddenly, an unnamed rage rose in Xu Nian's heart.
Gu Zhan's expression wasn't good either, and he asked in a deep voice, "So how have you all managed all these years?"
Upon hearing Gu Zhan's question, Chen Mo's expression changed for a moment, then he remained silent.
Seeing this, Xu Nian thought that Gu Zhan's words had touched a nerve, so she gave Gu Zhan a wink.
Then she smiled and said, "It's okay, you don't have to say it if you don't want to."
Everyone has secrets they don't want to talk about, and she wouldn't force Chen Mo to reveal them.
Upon hearing this, a hint of gratitude flashed in Chen Mo's eyes.
He pondered for a long time before letting out a leisurely sigh.
"Actually, our lives weren't like this before."
Seeing that Chen Mo intended to tell the story, Xu Nian understood and pulled Gu Zhan to sit down next to the haystack.
Chen Mo took a deep breath for a moment and slowly said, "The current city lord has only been in office for three months. The residents of the city were all tricked into coming here by his subordinates, while we are the original inhabitants of the city."
Upon hearing this, Xu Nian's expression changed slightly, and she continued to listen patiently to his explanation.
"I'm not afraid to tell you this, but the previous city lord was actually my father."
Chen Mo gave another bitter laugh, and what he said shocked Xu Nian even more: "Your father?"
Seeing Xu Nian's reaction, Chen Mo nodded. "My father was very dedicated during his tenure. Even during the famine, he made sure we all had enough to eat. But good times don't last long..."
"He suddenly fell seriously ill, and no doctor, no matter where they came from, could cure him. I just watched helplessly as he disappeared before my eyes."
As he spoke, Chen Mo choked up for a moment, as if his father's kind smile was reappearing before his eyes.
"After my father passed away, the current city lord suddenly appeared and seized the position of city lord with the power of thunder, giving me no chance to catch my breath at all."
Chen Mo lowered his head in self-reproach, "From then on, we indigenous people were driven to a corner and lived the most miserable life."
After listening to Chen Mo's account, Xu Nian finally understood the whole story.
[Isn't this city lord going too far?]
[That's right, even if you treat the people well after you become the city lord, that would be good.]
He became the city lord purely for his own selfish desires; what a pitiful young man.
Chen Mo scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I'm so sorry to have let you hear such bad news. If you're here to ask for lodging and food, I can find someone else..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Nian waved her hand gently, her smile unchanged.
Seeing this, Chen Mo stared blankly at Xu Nian's actions once again.
"I'm also very sorry to have made you bring up such a painful memory. But don't worry, everything will be alright."
Xu Nian took out a large bag of grain from her spatial storage and placed it in the hand of the stunned Chen Mo.
"From now on, this place is under my jurisdiction, and I will make sure that every one of you eats and drinks well!"
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