After listening to Shui Qing return and repeat the old village chief's words, Fan Jin's face turned as cold as water.
"The floods weren't the worst part; what was truly terrifying was the subsequent crop failure, the corruption of government officials and clerks over relief grain, rampant disease, and people driven to desperate measures by hunger..."
Shuiqing remembered that the old village chief had said that if there was extra money, they could stockpile lime, which was also a method of sterilization and disinfection.
However, after a disaster occurs in China, the government arranges disinfection and sterilization in a unified manner, so there is no need for individuals to worry about or exert effort on their own.
But it's different here. You have to rely entirely on yourself, whether it's disinfection and sterilization to prevent disease after a flood, or personal and property safety.
She said with a serious expression, "The old village chief asked Sister Guifen to go to the village to inform people. I suppose some people will follow suit."
But is there enough food for the villagers?
"The rice the villagers earned this year can be exchanged for flour to last until the end of next year. However, the flood not only means we need enough food, but also a place to shelter from the wind and rain."
Otherwise, if the houses collapse, not only will there be nowhere to store the grain, but people will also get sick after being soaked by the rain for several days. So I reckon the villagers will use some of their rice to exchange for roof tiles and rebuild their mud-brick houses by the end of the year.” Fan Jin looked at Shanshui Village not far away and guessed.
Every summer when there is a lot of rain in their village, one or two thatched houses will collapse from the rain. But since there are many people in the village, they can stay somewhere else for a while, and then everyone works together to help each other and rebuild the houses.
However, it's different if there's a major flood. Before the flood, there are continuous torrential rains. At that time, too many houses will collapse, and there will be nowhere to resettle them. Everyone is too busy taking care of themselves to have time and manpower to take care of other people's affairs.
At that time, families with many elderly people and children will suffer greatly.
Shuiqing also looked in the direction of Shanshui Village, where she saw rows of small thatched houses, many of which looked quite old.
Apart from the old village chief who relied on his own hard work and the Fan family who had accumulated wealth through their ancestors, the other families in the village basically relied on a few acres of meager land, their livelihood depended on the weather, and after a year of hard work, they had basically no money left.
If a family has a poor financial foundation, its ability to cope with risks will be weak.
"Only by uniting the villagers as one can we deal with the safety issues after the flood. And to unite as one, we must at least ensure that everyone has something to eat so that they don't starve to death."
With prolonged hunger, how could they resist when outsiders came to rob them?
Helping the villagers is also helping yourself. After all, in this place where there is no security, especially after a natural disaster, you can't rely on the government officials. You can only protect your own property and safety by yourself.
Their family has young children, including two daughters. If a gang of refugees were to wander into Shanshui Village, armed with sticks and knives, and break into their home, and if they saw Yan Qiuxing and harbored any malicious intentions...
Shuiqing dared not think any further. She usually didn't think too badly of people, but after the disaster, she wouldn't think too well of them either.
Fan Jin had witnessed countless ugliness throughout his life. For men, death was the least they could do, but Shui Qing and Yan Qiuxing were women...
He took a deep breath, composed himself, and turned to Shuiqing, asking, "Shuiqing, can I still buy those kudzu seeds you bought last time?"
Shui Qing nodded: "You can buy them. Are you planning to sow the seeds yourself?"
With 34 households in the village, it wouldn't be an easy task to spread the seeds on all the hilltops.
Fan Jin shook his head and sincerely expressed his thoughts: "No, I've thought about it. If we want to help people, we should also let them know our kindness, so that they will do their best to help us when they need it."
Secondly, dealing with disasters is ultimately their own business. If it is too easy this time, they will only think that they are lucky and will continue to have the same mentality in the future.
Only by actively participating, making choices, and putting in effort, and comparing their gains with those of others who reap the consequences of their own efforts, will they learn from their experiences and grow in the future.
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