Chapter 208 Jinjiang Exclusive Release
Liu Zimo frowned slightly and looked at Zhao Tongpan: "What do you mean by this, Lord Zhao?"
No matter how much supplies Lu Xuan has, they all belong to him. What does it have to do with them?
A shrewd look appeared on Zhao Tongpan's seemingly smooth face.
"Since he has more supplies, he should use them to help the people escape the natural disasters they may encounter in the future. He clearly has countless supplies but only cares about enjoying them himself. Isn't that too selfish?"
Zhang Tongzhi disagreed. "From what Master Lu said, he's going to other towns next. The people of Luochuan need help, and so do the other people. If we take all the supplies, we'd be selfish and disregard the lives of others."
Besides, they already owe tens of millions of pounds of debt. If they owe more, the burden on the government will increase.
The supplies they have now are enough to last them until the next harvest. Once the food production in the greenhouse can meet the needs of the people in the city, their lives will naturally get better and better.
No matter how much supplies Lu Xuan has, they are not essential to them. There is no need to offend him and affect subsequent cooperation.
But when Zhang Tongzhi mentioned the debt, Zhao Tongpan, who was in charge of supervising the government finances and managing the distribution of government supplies, had something to say.
"Even if the greenhouse really can harvest over a thousand kilograms, the remaining grain after paying off the debt wouldn't be enough for the people to eat, and they would have to be replaced with nutritional supplements. I just tasted the nutritional supplements, and they don't taste anything like grain. Why would we choose nutritional supplements made of unknown ingredients when we can eat rice?"
Others couldn't help but frown.
If they don't make a deal with Lu Xuan, they might not even have enough food to eat in the future. Why did you choose to do it?
Zhao Tongpan spoke in an official tone, "If he really wanted to help the victims in the city, he should have selflessly handed over the supplies to the government office and let us be responsible for their distribution."
He frowned in dissatisfaction. "Taking advantage of the food shortage in the city after the disaster to demand exorbitant prices, how is he any different from those profit-seeking, profit-seeking profiteers? He's clearly taking advantage of the situation! The fact that he's not being punished is a matter of course because of the supplies."
"Since the supplies are already in hand, it's better to just ignore the debt. How could a commoner like him dare to go against the government?"
Li Jingli couldn't help but want to nod his head, but he caught a glimpse of the magistrate's gloomy face from the corner of his eye, and just as he was about to nod his head, he stopped and lowered his head and pretended to straighten his clothes.
Liu Zimo's expression turned unhappy as he asked, "Master Zhao, do you mean we should take Master Lu's large amount of supplies for nothing?"
He calls others profiteers, but how is his own behavior any different from that of a bandit? Does he still remember that he represents the government?
Liu Zimo was very disdainful of Zhao Tongpan's greed, but he was just a legal advisor without an official position after all. Even if he had the support of his uncle, the prefect, it would not be easy for him to openly accuse his superior.
He could only remind her coldly, "Master Zhao, don't forget how Master Lu entered the city."
Judge Zhao paused.
Liu Zimo chuckled, "Since he dared to descend from the sky alone on a magical artifact, how could we know that he has no other means of self-preservation besides a large amount of supplies? If he gets angry and causes trouble, can Lord Zhao bear the responsibility?"
Zhao Tongpan opened his mouth, "I——"
"alright!"
Liu Wenchi, who had been silent the entire time, interrupted Zhao Tongpan in a deep voice. He gave Zhao Tongpan a look with a warning in his eyes, "Now that the contract has been signed, don't do anything unnecessary. Otherwise, if it affects the livelihoods of the entire prefecture and even the surrounding disaster victims, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Judge Zhao's expression turned stern.
Liu Wenchi waved his hand at everyone and said, "Alright, let's stop here. It's getting late, everyone should go to bed early. Remember to notify everyone in the city to come and collect supplies tomorrow morning."
Zhang Tongzhi, Li Jingli and others nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes."
Judge Zhao moved his lips, but in the end he didn't say anything more and followed the others out of the study.
Liu Wenchi watched Zhao Tongpan leave with a calm expression.
He didn't care about Lu Xuan's background, nor did he intend to seek more.
The only thought in his mind was to get through the current difficulties and let more people under his rule survive. Only in this way could he be worthy of his official uniform.
·
Early in the morning, in an alley in the south of Luochuan City.
The residents in the alley woke up one after another and started busying themselves in and out of the yard. Some of them originally lived in the south of the city, while others were outsiders who had later taken refuge there from surrounding towns.
On weekdays, there would be more or less friction between the two groups, but today, everyone gathered together to discuss the new things that happened yesterday.
One of the middle-aged men said mysteriously, "I heard a monster entered the city yesterday. Has anyone seen it?"
The two men nearby shook their heads. "We were repairing the city wall in the west yesterday and didn't see it, but we did hear that someone flew into the city from the sky."
An elderly woman came to the door carrying a basin of water. Upon hearing their conversation, she exclaimed, "What kind of monster are you? Don't talk nonsense! It's clearly a god descending to earth!"
Several men immediately looked at the woman. "Liu family, what did you say about gods descending to earth? Do you know what happened yesterday?"
Mrs. Liu slapped her thigh and said, "How could I not know! My cousin's son, his classmate and neighbor's second uncle's eldest son, was hit on the head by a flying tile during a strong wind a few days ago. After being sent to the hospital, the bleeding finally stopped, but he started to have a fever again. His family was almost preparing for his funeral, but guess what happened?"
More and more people gathered around, seeing that Mrs. Liu was keeping the secret, and couldn't help but urge her, "Tell us what's going on! Stop keeping us on suspense!"
"Is he dead?" someone said deliberately.
"Pssst, pssst, pssst!" The Liu family woman glared at the person who was speaking. "What nonsense! Not only did that son's fever go away yesterday, but the bruise on his head has even healed with a scab. I went to see him yesterday, and he looked so lively and energetic, even more energetic than me!"
The neighbors around were shocked and asked, "Is this true?"
"A broken head needs at least ten days to half a month to heal, and it's healed in just a few days?"
"Don't try to fool us!"
The Liu family woman rolled her eyes. "Who has the time to fool you? If you don't believe me, go to the clinic across the street from the government office and see for yourself. He wasn't the only injured patient there. Yesterday, that immortal figure came over and went to the clinic with the prefect to treat the injured and sick people there. He cured everyone, and the relatives of those patients even kowtowed to the immortal to express their gratitude."
"The clinic was packed before, but now it's said to be empty. All the patients have gone home."
The middle-aged man who had first mentioned the monster said, "Hearing you put it that way, it really doesn't seem like a monster."
"Did the other party really fly down from the sky?"
"And more than that." The Liu family woman, clearly well-informed, said proudly, "I know a sister who lives nearby. She happened to be there and saw it all. That divine figure waved his hand and produced several bags of food, fresh fruit, and even white salt out of thin air!"
"hiss!"
"There's really food!?"
"There are still fresh fruits at this time of year? It sounds a bit magical."
The Liu family woman snorted, "Even if he's not a god, he's at least a messenger sent by the gods to save people from suffering! The sister I know said that the clinic has received a lot of medicine, so if anyone has an injury or illness in the future, they won't have to worry about not having enough."
The others were filled with regret when they heard this, and one even slapped his thigh and said, "If I had known earlier, I would have gone over there yesterday. Maybe I could have seen that immortal messenger!"
That being said, many people now live half-full every day. Unless they go to repair the city wall or do other work that can earn them some food, they stay at home and move as little as possible to avoid consuming too much energy and getting hungry quickly. Who would go to other streets for no reason?
Afterwards, the group discussed the immortal's abilities for a while.
Some people were curious about where the food and fruits came from, and others wanted to know whether the fairies could really fly.
Just when some people couldn't wait to go to the government office to try their luck and see if they could see the immortal messenger, the sound of gongs suddenly came from the street, followed by a loud announcement from the officials.
"Each family will send one person to the government office to collect supplies. In addition, there will be a big pot meal today. Everyone will have a share. Remember to bring your own bowl."
The people looked at each other in confusion.
"Today isn't the day for distributing rations, so why are they suddenly distributing supplies again?"
Ever since everyone ran out of food, the government office has only distributed rations every five days. The last distribution was three days ago, and there are still two days before that.
It was the Liu family's wife who reacted the fastest. "Are you stupid? It must be that the immortal envoy brought the supplies and gave them to the prefect, or the prefect made a deal with the immortal envoy!"
No matter which one it is, the result is that they have food to share again!
"Don't dawdle if you have supplies to collect. Hurry up and take the bowl to the government office!"
The others perked up at her reminder, "Yes, yes, let's go to the government office!"
"Hurry, second brother, take the bowls from home!"
A group of people hurried back to their homes, some took bowls, some quickly woke up their relatives who were still asleep, or rummaged through baskets and took them with them, ready to put other supplies in them later.
·
At the gate of the government office.
The streets were crowded with residents of the prefecture and disaster victims who had received the notice, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the piles of boxes of nutritional supplements and hundreds of large bags piled up in front of the government office.
Everyone was whispering, speculating about what supplies were in the bags and boxes and how much they would get.
Although only three days had passed since the last distribution of supplies, the amount of rations distributed at that time was not much, and some families were already on the verge of running out of food.
If supplies were not distributed today, we would have to go out into the wild to find wild vegetables or drink water to survive the next two days.
The people waited for about a quarter of an hour, and then the gate of the government office opened. Officials headed by Liu Wenchi filed out.
The people who heard yesterday's news subconsciously glanced at the adults, and finally their eyes fell on the only unfamiliar face, and their eyes lit up.
Could this person be the demon/god that everyone is talking about who came from heaven?
He doesn't look very handsome, but judging from his complexion and temperament, he is indeed not an ordinary person.
Liu Wenchi gestured for everyone to be quiet, and the noisy crowd took some time to quiet down.
Liu Wenchi said loudly, "I'm sure everyone has heard that the government office did receive a new batch of supplies yesterday. Among them, some medical medicines have been sent to various clinics in the city. If anyone has a family member who is unwell, they can take them to the clinic for timely treatment. The medicines obtained this time are extremely effective, so there is no need to worry about not being able to cure them."
"In addition to this, a portion of the remaining rations will be distributed today. Each household will receive them according to the number of people who registered previously. The distribution cycle for each type of material is different."
Liu Wenchi pointed to the team on the left led by Zhang Tongzhi and said, "Master Zhang, this is where you can get the nutritional supplements. Each person can get four every ten days."
Then he pointed to the magistrate Zhao on his right and said, "Lord Zhao is distributing salt and sugar. Each person can receive half a pound of salt per month. Families with elderly people over 60, children in their twilight years, or pregnant women can receive one pound of sugar, also per month."
When the people heard that there was salt and sugar to be given away, they immediately became excited.
Half a pound of salt a month may not sound like a lot, but in fact, as long as there are more than two people in the family, they can get a pound of salt. The amount of salt they usually buy is just that much, which is enough for them to eat.
Not to mention the sugar!
Although many elderly people and children have lost their lives after many disasters, one-third of the families in the city still have relatives who meet the requirements.
Every pound of sugar can make the whole family happy, and you can grit your teeth and persevere in hard times.
But...what are nutrients?
The people looked at the long object in Mr. Zhang's hand, which was only the length of a palm and the width of two fingers, with puzzled expressions.
This thing doesn’t look big, is it edible?
You can only get four in ten days, which is not enough to fill the gaps, right?
When the prefect explained that the nutritional supplements were to be distributed as staple food, the people were so shocked that they could not close their mouths.
Something so large, a staple food? Ten days' supply?
Does the prefect want to starve them to death?
"Everyone, don't be impatient." Seeing that many people were reacting strongly, Liu Wenchi patiently explained, "This thing is very filling. Just two or three bites will fill your stomach. If you don't believe me, I can let you taste it for yourself right now."
As he spoke, he randomly selected six people from the crowd, including men and women, old and young, and two strong young men.
Liu Wenchi squeezed the nutrient solution into a small bowl and asked people to give them spoons. Each person scooped a small spoonful from the bowl to eat.
The six people put the nutrient supplement that looked like paste into their mouths with half-belief and half-doubt. They held it in their mouths for a while to taste it, but they couldn't taste anything, so they had to swallow it whole.
Then……
"Huh?" One of the girls, whose face had turned blue with hunger, touched her stomach in doubt and said in a daze, "I don't think... I'm not hungry anymore."
Another old man next to him was also shocked, "I, I think I'm a little full."
Others also gave feedback.
"I'm not hungry either."
"My stomach isn't growling anymore!"
Two of the young men had rumbling stomachs when they stood up, but now they had obviously calmed down.
The people around were in an uproar.
"Really? You're already full after just one bite!?"
The audience in the live broadcast room who were watching with Lu Xuan were also a little confused.
Did ancient people have such small appetites? They were full with just one bite?
Lu Xuan said: "When you are hungry more, your stomach will naturally become smaller."
Someone in the crowd was skeptical and asked loudly, "Don't try to fool me. Are you really full?"
"It's just a spoonful of porridge, how can it possibly fill me up?"
A middle-aged man who was under suspicion complained, "What good would I get from fooling you? One spoonful won't fill me up, but it definitely doesn't make me hungry anymore."
Liu Wenchi asked the officer to open another nutrient supplement and let each of them take another sip.
This time, the six people no longer had doubts on their faces, but instead seemed quite impatient.
After the second bite, the reaction was even more obvious.
"I'm really full this time!" A young man who hadn't had a full meal for several days was so excited that his pale face showed some color.
Other elderly women who ate less than him said, "I feel a little full."
Others: “!!!” Is it really that exaggerated?
Liu Wenchi said, "One bottle of these nutritional supplements can be taken in about six mouthfuls. If you take two mouthfuls a day, you can last for three days."
So receiving four in ten days is not only a lot, but also a bit rich.
Young and strong people with big appetites can eat one more bite when they are not full occasionally.
What's more, in addition to nutritional supplements, the rations originally distributed by the government office will continue to be distributed.
There is probably enough food in the government storehouse to last for more than a month. Once the inventory is completely cleared out, according to Lu Xuan, the food in the greenhouse should be ready for harvest, which will be a good start in supplying the new food.
The onlookers repeatedly confirmed with the six people who were trying the food that they were really full. Some of them even came forward to touch their stomachs which were no longer empty. They looked at the boxes of nutritional supplements in front of Zhang Tongzhi with different eyes.
Liu Wenchi was very satisfied with the crowd's reaction and continued, "The government office also received a batch of grain, vegetables, and fruits. Since the quantity was not large enough, it couldn't be distributed per household. After discussion with others, I decided to change it to the communal dining system that the officials mentioned earlier."
As he spoke, he pretended to be calm and took out a large pile of ordinary radishes and cabbages, as well as mutated radishes and cabbages, sweet potato flour, salted fish and other supplies from his space ring.
People: “Wow!”
"What's going on? Where did the supplies come from?"
"hiss!"
"Could it be that the prefect is also capable of using divine means?!"
The people were stunned by Liu Wenchi's move. Then, someone noticed the unusual size of the mutant cabbages and exclaimed, "Why are these cabbages so big!?"
It looks like it can reach the height of an adult's thigh. This cabbage must weigh about 50 to 60 kilograms! ?
The others looked over subconsciously and also gasped.
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