Chapter 50 Work-for-Relief
The air on the mountain is fresh, and the breeze that blows over has a slightly sweet taste.
Niuwa lay in the dug pit, turned over, and slept restlessly with his mouth open, his belly rumbling.
He heard a familiar, muffled sobbing sound. Niuwa couldn't take it anymore, scrambling to his feet and saying gruffly, "Sister-in-law Zhang, don't worry, Brother Zhang will definitely get better!"
On this hilltop, tents were everywhere, men and women, big and small, but each area was marked with strange symbols written in colored powder. There were also respected elders organizing things, forbidding any disorder or disturbance. It all seemed quite orderly.
It was just getting light.
People were coming and going, carrying earthenware pots for fetching water; others sat idly at the tent entrance, fiddling with straw baskets. Children, having regained their liveliness, chased and played around the small campsite, oblivious to their surroundings, eliciting a few shouts or slaps in return.
In a makeshift tent made of rags and fishing nets not far away, Sister-in-law Zhang, holding a swaddled baby, replied with a weary expression and downcast eyes, "I'm not worried about my husband. I've never met anyone better than the Prince, someone willing to buy him medicine and take him to the doctor..."
"What happened to you?" Niuwa asked curiously. He glanced at the devastated city of Liuzhou in the distance, then understood. He patted his strong shoulders...
"...Everyone's houses are uninhabitable, Sister Zhang, don't worry, even if Brother Zhang recovers and comes back...I will help your family build this house! You've all been so good to me, and although I, Niuwa, am a bit simple-minded, I know what's good for me!"
"You should rest. You don't have the strength to do so much work," Zhang's wife said quickly, wiping away her tears. "I'm not worried about this. It's just... what will we do if the county government stops distributing porridge...?"
Just as the rice was about to ripen and be ready for harvest, a hurricane struck, flattening vast swathes of the fields. Experienced farmers and able-bodied women, after being settled, all rushed to harvest their own fields, gathering as much as they could.
Zhang's wife was quite unlucky. Her grandfather had been struck and killed by a stone blown by the wind the day before, and her husband had been taken to the hospital for treatment due to vomiting and diarrhea. She was left alone with her infant child, who was still breastfeeding. With a heavy heart, she tied the child to her body, intending to drag her weak body to the fields to salvage some life-saving grain. But then…
result……
Upon closer inspection of her paddy field, the rice stalks were all soaked and rotten, withered and decaying, some even infested with insects and diseases. Forget about saving them; this year's harvest was essentially a total loss.
Sister-in-law Zhang cried in despair and hasn't recovered yet...
"We can't farm anymore, so we can only sell our land to someone as tenants, or even sell ourselves... just to get by after the disaster relief food stops." Sister-in-law Zhang continued to mutter with her head down, her face expressionless, filled with uncertainty about the future.
She has a child she can't leave, would anyone really want her?
Moreover, I heard that the wealthiest gentlemen had already fled with their families in carriages before the storm hit. Who could they sell themselves to if they wanted to?
"..." Niuwa fell silent upon hearing this.
He was very strong and usually hunted and chopped firewood in the mountains to earn money, living a life of irregular meals. These past two days, he was so hungry he felt weak in the knees and limbs. The thick porridge that everyone at the county government office served him was barely a taste; it would slurp down in no time, leaving him with a burning heart. He forced himself to go up the mountain and wander around a few times, but couldn't find a single prey. He cooked and ate any mushrooms he recognized that he found.
Zhang's wife was worried about how they would get by, and he was worried too.
These days everyone looks worried, still not knowing... still not knowing if this year's land tax needs to be paid, or when. Just thinking about it makes it hard to breathe.
Niuwa's optimism vanished. Helpless, he sat on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
A commotion arose in the distance.
The elders had returned from their meeting, chattering happily.
"Is dinner ready?" Niuwa jumped up, grabbed his wooden bowl, and asked hopefully. Even though it wouldn't be this early, what could be so exciting?
"Niuwa!" The elder in charge of Gouli Lane, who was also responsible for the five surrounding lanes, called out Niuwa's name with a strong voice, grinning from ear to ear. "The Prince is building houses for everyone and is recruiting people. Go and call all your neighbors, uncles, nephews, and cousins! Everyone who can go, come! Food will be provided!"
Niuwa jumped up, his mouth agape, not even realizing his grin was almost up to his nose: "Really?! I'm going right now!"
He dashed off, patting each tent in turn, completely unconcerned about the scolding he received for his rough actions. The slight dizziness from before was long forgotten; now, Niuwa was bursting with energy—
Putting everything else aside, as soon as Niuwa heard that the prince was recruiting people, he ran off to inform people without a second thought.
A while ago, when the prince was renovating his palace and building those so-called "public toilets," the treatment of the workers was the envy of everyone. At first, everyone hesitated, but a few brave souls went ahead and tried. Turns out, besides thick porridge, they even got meat! And they were paid for it…
Like many others, he drooled with envy at the gifted student, only to find the positions filled on the very first day, leaving him with deep regret. Every time he thinks about it, he can't help but slap his thigh – "Why didn't I have the courage to try? I missed my chance!"
Now there's another chance!
While panting, Niuwa roused all the neighbors and led the throng back to find the elders, all the while answering their bewildered questions: "Repairing houses for everyone??" "The prince is so kind, he... he'll repair houses for us?"
"It's hard to say, that's Prince Rui, after all. I've never seen his soldiers trample the seedlings in the fields... I've heard they don't even buy food on credit, and they don't even touch their wives' hands!" "Father, how can you speak like that in front of the child!"
"No, no, this is very important. My daughter... cough cough, if you put it that way, they won't snatch girls?" "Do you know Xu San? He likes to touch people. He used to get a job as a constable because of his brother-in-law, but now he's gone."
"Huh?" "He's in the county jail! He'll be gone in a few days. I heard my nephew's brother-in-law got a job, and now their salary... no, how was it? Bonus...? is pretty high. The only requirement is that they're not allowed to touch or scare people, not to overcharge vendors, and they have to help others if they get into trouble. I heard the pancake vendor from this morning has been making a lot of money lately!"
"Hey, so when we go to fix the house, my husband can also go and sell some food..."
The neighbors chatted and gossiped as they walked, each one with something to look forward to, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
When we got down the mountain and onto the street, the registration area was already packed with people.
Everywhere were yamen runners shouting orders, interspersed with angry elders cursing: "Don't you understand queuing up! I said you won't be registered if you don't line up, you bald man! I saw you!"
Niuwa's attention, however, was focused on the other side: "Why are those old ladies over there?"
On another street in the distance, a group of women could be vaguely seen standing, seemingly queuing. Niuwa, his face flushed, suddenly darted out of the queue and asked one of the women what was going on.
"With so many of you building houses, who's going to cook for you?" The woman pointed to a girl beside her holding a needle and thread. "See? Anyone who can cook, anyone who can sew, even those who are sick or too weak to work, are welcome. It doesn't matter if they're male or female. Over there, we're also hiring people who can write, who can do math, and who know carpentry..."
Niuwa couldn't hear him anymore. His face lit up with even more joy. He turned and ran, his hair whipping behind him. He ran all the way back up the hill, panting, barely able to speak: "Zhang...Zhang...Sister-in-law...!"
Zhang's wife also has work to do!
...
The people of Liuzhou, who had been dejected after the disaster, were now beaming with joy.
Even though their current treatment is barely enough to keep them alive, even though the extent of their suffering is still dire and their future is shrouded in an unbearable burden, everyone feels hopeful. There's no other reason; in the past, when ordinary people encountered any difficulties and had nowhere else to turn, their only option was to sell themselves.
If you can't sell yourself into servitude and become a refugee, you'll have to flee famine. Whether you live or die depends on fate; this is a consensus among everyone.
Who has ever heard of a superior being... treating them this well? They are more upright than the highest official in the land, they are like parents who saved their lives.
Inside the county government office.
With a click, Master Qin finished the last abacus bead with a blank face and closed the ledger.
He closed his eyes in sorrow: "...Now the money is all gone."
In the days since the hurricane receded, the people the prince sent to the other counties have gradually returned. Only a few people who were stationed in the most severely affected counties have not yet returned—yes, mainly Doctor Bian, who is extremely busy outside.
The rest of the people gathered at the Prince's residence. Before they could even exchange a few words, Qi Chengming coughed, clapped his hands, and announced that everyone should immediately move on to the next task:
"...There's no time for you to rest for now. Liuzhou is in dire need of reconstruction, so we all need to hurry."
"Give me a summary of the situation in the six counties later," Qi Chengming instructed, before explaining his "work-for-relief" plan for Liuzhou City. "This matter can only be spearheaded by the county government, Mr. Qin—"
"Here." Qin Liusong bowed. His face was covered in stubble, and he looked so haggard that he didn't have time to take care of himself. He looked like he had aged more than ten years after going out.
"You'll take responsibility." Qi Chengming gave him a meaningful look. Qin Liusong understood and accepted it.
I understand. On the surface, this was all the magistrate's idea, and the county government also needed to raise money from this year's land tax to get things done.
"Come to my study later." Qi Chengming coughed, indicating that they needed to discuss it further in private.
The work-for-relief program requires substantial financial and material support. The county government can provide the grain, but the money can be negotiated between the prince and wealthy families in Liuzhou. Some kind-hearted wealthy families in the city haven't left and have been donating money and distributing porridge these past few days.
Qi Chengming thought of the tens of thousands of taels of silver he had received from the Bai family that he hadn't even had time to warm up yet—if he didn't use it now, when would he?
I don't know how the rumors started, but somehow they spread and it became that he was going to build houses for the people—this reputation can't be allowed to exist, so Mr. Qin and his men have to control it and attribute all the credit to Mr. Huang.
"Mr. Huang." Qi Chengming turned to look at the person in charge. He was going to entrust this difficult task to Huang Dong.
"You want me to plan the entire city of Liuzhou?" Huang Dong's voice trembled. "The renovation of houses and the adjustment of the sewer system... are you asking me to do all of that?"
Although Huang Dong had been feeling somewhat dazed and dreamy when His Highness mentioned the work-for-relief program, now this huge pie had been thrown at his head, almost knocking him out.
I've never seen anything like it, not even in my wildest dreams!
"Didn't you agree on this when you came with me?" Qi Chengming retorted, though he hadn't expected the opportunity to come so quickly.
He originally planned to build the Prince's Mansion first, and then gradually work on the city's drainage system. After all, it was alright for ordinary people, as they could get some demolition compensation. But what would wealthy and scholarly families want to move for no reason? What was that little bit of compensation worth?
Now things are much better; everything can be done in one go. If Qi Chengming doesn't seize this opportunity, he'll be a complete idiot.
Qi Chengming made a quick decision to produce cement.
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Author's Note: First update of the day!
Hehehe, I finally added the comments! Next up is the multi-update team!
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