Mr. Cao is a big figure in his hometown.
The family owns nearly a thousand acres of fertile sloping farmland, an oil press, and two shops, and they live a prosperous life.
Finally, Beirong called.
He could only take his wife, children, and other valuables with him, and flee with the main force.
At first he wanted to go to Hedong, where his father-in-law's home was.
Later I heard that the capital was taking in refugees, providing them with food, drink and work.
And Hedong is not safe either.
I heard that Beirong might attack at any time.
Most importantly, his father-in-law's family was already run by his eldest brother-in-law. If their family of more than ten people, young and old, fled there, they would probably be looked down upon.
After careful consideration, Mr. Cao decided to follow the main force southwards for the sake of his life and property, and settled down in the shanty town at the refugee resettlement site in the capital.
The conditions in the shantytown are very poor and can only provide basic food, drink and accommodation.
Mr. Cao lives in a very cramped condition.
But he still insisted on living in the shantytown.
Why?
Of course it’s to save money.
Why spend money to rent a house when there is a place to live for free?
Isn’t rent free? Isn’t food free?
When people flee, they carry money with them in case of emergency and for a future comeback, not for enjoyment.
Moreover, if a family rents a house, they will definitely need more than one room, at least three.
If you rent a house, you have to buy some household items, such as a coal stove for cooking, cooking utensils, bowls and chopsticks, etc.
But today...
Just now, two Embroidered Uniform Guards caught someone urinating and defecating in public and gave him some rude words. The whole process was witnessed by Mr. Cao and his family.
Because the shack where their family lived was nearby.
The two Embroidered Uniform Guards left and the crowd dispersed.
Mr. Cao scolded his wife and children and returned to his shack.
He looked very unhappy.
When he returned to the shack, the family of more than ten people, young and old, were looking at him.
Everyone had a lot to say, but no one dared to speak first.
Mr. Cao has supreme authority in the family and no one dares to challenge him.
The atmosphere is depressing.
It was his wife Cao Xu who broke the silence.
"Master, will there really be an epidemic?"
The eldest son muttered quietly, "With so many people living in the shantytown, eating, drinking, defecating and urinating, I think it's only a matter of time before an epidemic breaks out."
"What should we do then?" Cao Xu exclaimed.
The whole family looked at Mr. Cao, waiting for him to make a decision.
Mr. Cao also looked worried.
"Tens of thousands of people live in shanty towns, and the imperial court cannot ignore it."
"The imperial court is taking care of it! Our food and drinks are provided free of charge by the imperial court every day. The shacks were built by the people at the resettlement site."
To be honest, the shacks at the refugee resettlement site are much better than the shacks for refugees outside the South City Gate back then.
Back then, the refugees' shacks were built by the refugees themselves using local materials. They were messy, crooked, leaky, and could collapse at any time.
The huts at the refugee resettlement sites are all uniformly designed and built using bamboo and sun-dried straw, making them sturdy, durable, and easy to dismantle.
It's just not airtight.
As the weather gets warmer, all kinds of insects come out.
It is said that the shanty town was built in a hurry and there was not enough time for the ground to dry out.
In order to save time, we had to start building the shack directly on the ground.
Wet ground, coupled with straw and wheat stalks, is most likely to breed various insects.
Bang!
The eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family slapped the child on the leg, alarming everyone in the room.
The whole family stared at her.
Especially Mr. Cao, his eyes were spitting fire.
The eldest daughter-in-law felt wronged and afraid. She spread out her hands, which were stained with green. "There are bugs crawling on Dabao's legs."
Cao Xu gouged out the eyes of her daughter-in-law and caused trouble for the family.
The eldest son of the Cao family said cautiously, "Dad, the weather is getting warmer. When summer comes, the smell of this shack area... What the Embroidered Uniform Guard said is not without reason. If an epidemic breaks out, will our entire family die here? I heard that if an epidemic breaks out, everyone will be locked up, regardless of whether they are infected or not, and no one will be allowed to leave."
Cao Xu was so frightened that she screamed, "Master, our fields, houses, shops... our family can't die here."
The eldest son of the Cao family continued, "I heard that the cement houses on the other side of the official road are only home to a few thousand people. It's very clean there, and the roads are paved with cement. There are also various shops. I'm strong and skilled. If I give you some money, you can open an oil press. The oil you squeeze out can be sold directly to the people in the resettlement area. With an oil press, our family will have an income and we won't have to worry about running out of money."
Cao Xu nodded repeatedly, "Master, what the eldest brother said makes sense. Living in a shack is not a long-term solution. What if this war lasts for three to five years? Do we have to live in the shack area for three to five years?"
The whole family looked at Mr. Cao eagerly.
Mr. Cao subconsciously pinched his waist. There were gold and silver treasures hidden inside his cotton-padded jacket.
Under the expectant gaze of his family, he announced: "The eldest brother is going to look for a house on the other side of the official road. We can only rent two rooms. The whole family will live in one."
With two rooms, where can we live?
The daughter-in-law secretly expressed her dissatisfaction.
The eldest son of the Cao family hurriedly agreed, fearing that it was too late and his father would change his mind again.
"Ask around for a living. A family of old and young can't just rely on their little wealth to live on. Whether it's working as a laborer, opening an oil press, or having the eldest daughter-in-law do needlework at a military uniform factory, you need a way to make a living. Let me be frank: after rent, I won't make a penny. You'll have to earn money for food and drink. If you don't make any money, you'll go hungry."
Regardless of whether you will go hungry in the future, it is a happy thing to be able to move out of the slum area and live in a spacious and bright concrete house.
The eldest son of the Cao family stood up and said, "I'm going to rent a house."
The eldest daughter-in-law excitedly said, "I'll pack the luggage."
On that day, the Cao family rented two large single rooms.
The eldest son of the Cao family was petty when he rented a house.
It was only when he rented a house that he found out that single rooms come in different sizes.
The small one is only about the size of a shack. After pressing down a bed, a cabinet and a table, the remaining space is barely enough to even turn around.
The large single room was as big as three or four shacks.
Since my dad is paying the rent and only gives me two rooms, of course I'll rent the largest single room.
That evening, the family registered, the doctor checked and confirmed that they had no symptoms, and they moved into the cement house smoothly.
Rows of cement houses, all two-story buildings, with their own doors and courtyards.
Each two-story house has its own kitchen, toilet and bathroom, and compared with the conditions in the slum area, it is like a luxurious mansion.
The entire Cao family was very satisfied with the conditions of the cement house, except for Mr. Cao, who had a gloomy face.
Because the rent exceeded his expectations.
He thought a single room would only cost a hundred wen a month.
However, the single room they rented cost 450 wen a month, and two rooms cost 900 wen.
Just the rent for the house would cost nearly one or two taels of silver a month, and Mr. Cao felt so distressed that his heart ached.
How much grain would he have to sell to make back one tael of silver?
spendthrift!
Just know how to spend money.
He locked his money in a box and kept the key close to him.
From now on, it would be wishful thinking for him to earn even a penny other than rent.
…
Zhao Minfa and Huang Qubing, one represents the Four Seas and the other represents the Shaofu.
In order to accommodate the refugees, the two people were so busy every day that they had blisters at the corners of their mouths.
It was dark and another day had passed.
Finally I can sit down and relax.
Every time he took a bite of rice, the blisters in his mouth were irritated, causing Huang Qubing to grimace in pain and cry out that he couldn't bear it.
Zhao Minfa laughed when he saw this.
"If Mr. Huang can't bear the hardship, why not return to Wenqing Bookstore or ask the Shaofu to send someone else over."
"Pooh!"
Huang Qubing sprayed a mouthful of water.
"Who said I can't endure hardship?"
Zhao Minfa was eating while flipping through the problem summary sheet.
He said to Huang Qubing, "Young Master Huang, you'd better eat something, otherwise you'll wake up hungry in the middle of the night and won't be able to sleep. You won't have the energy to work tomorrow."
Huang Qubing had blisters at the corners of his mouth, and eating was like torture.
He knew he had to eat.
I could only endure the pain and force myself to eat a few bites.
Zhao Minfa eats very quickly. No matter how painful his mouth is or how tired he is, he will never miss any meal and will eat up all the food.
The experience of not having enough to eat as a child was too profound.
So when food is placed in front of me, I always feel guilty if I don’t finish it.
He quickly finished the last few bites, then took the summary sheet and said to Huang Qubing, "Three urgent issues. First, we need to build more latrines. Second, we need to build more wells. Third, I suggest that all refugees be required to learn about hygiene and safety."
Huang Qubing drank some cold water to cool the pain in his mouth and asked, "What happened?"
Zhao Minfa said, "Arguments and fights over water use are a frequent occurrence every day, and they're getting worse. If we don't control it, we could end up with large-scale regional fights. Furthermore, the problem of open defecation is becoming increasingly serious. Reports indicate that toilets are in short supply, and queues are so long that many people resort to relieving themselves on the spot."
Huang Qubing nodded and said, "Then build more wells and dig more toilets."
Zhao Minfa continued, "Many refugees have no regard for hygiene. They think they can do whatever they want, as long as it's not their own home. It's spring now, and the weather isn't hot, so it's not serious. If this continues in summer, there's a high probability of an epidemic."
Also, many people drink raw water. Doctors say there are already cases of diarrhea and abdominal pain. If this situation isn't controlled, more and more people will suffer from diarrhea and abdominal pain, leading to an epidemic."
Huang Qubing's expression was serious. "It seems we were too soft-hearted before. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is short-handed, so we have to rely on ourselves. Eunuch Zhao, could you please transfer a group of guards from Sihai, preferably those who have worked in the refugee slums in Xinmin County? They are experienced and know how to discipline refugees. I will also transfer a group of guards from the Princess's Mansion to help."
Zhao Minfa said decisively, "I'll rush to Xiaozhu tonight to ask my wife for instructions. I'll try to get more people over."
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