In the following days, disaster relief in the capital proceeded in an orderly manner.
The Ministry of Revenue has a house in the city that used to be a warehouse. Now it is completely empty and used for disaster relief.
The merchants in charge of disaster relief also moved all their supplies to their respective warehouses, with tents set up outside. In addition to cotton clothes, charcoal, and medicinal herbs, there was also a tent where the Ministry of Revenue distributed porridge.
Every day, the victims came and took turns to receive charcoal, and then drank a bowl of cold-repellent soup and a bowl of porridge.
Charcoal is collected daily so that the quantity distributed can be adjusted according to the weather.
Of course, not everyone could claim these things. All disaster victims had to be verified and approved by the Ministry of Revenue before they could present their receipts to claim their belongings.
These disaster victims were all already impoverished citizens of the capital. They had no money to buy thick cotton-padded clothes or charcoal. Even the doors and windows of their homes were broken.
In previous years, when the weather in the capital was more benign, they would have suffered a little hardship and endured some pain. They could have persevered and gotten through it. But this year, with its deadly weather and the relentless snow, even if they tried their best, it would have been difficult to get through.
The court's disaster relief was equivalent to giving these people a way to survive.
It's been snowing heavily these past few days, but fortunately, the victims all live nearby. The Ministry of Revenue's warehouse is located in East Market, where the poorest people live, making it a convenient location for disaster relief.
Su Shunci was the first to start disaster relief, and cotton-padded clothes were the first items that needed to be distributed.
Early that morning, Su Qingyu came with a few maids to help after breakfast.
The first person to receive a cotton-padded jacket was a woman in her fifties, thin and frail, with a sallow complexion and hands covered in cuts from frostbite.
She looked at the cotton-padded jacket in Su Shunci's hand helplessly, muttering, "This is too good a dress! I don't need to wear something so good."
Then he asked Su Shunci, "Miss, do you have any unwanted cotton clothes? It's okay if they're a little torn, as long as they can withstand the wind. It would be a waste to let me wear such good clothes."
She spoke sincerely, and the way she looked at Su Shunci was like a devout believer looking at the gods, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the temple.
Su Shunci's eyes were filled with tears. She had never felt that a cotton coat could be so heavy.
She stuffed the cotton coat in her hand into hers and said, "Auntie, take it back and wear it. This is for you. Put it on now and don't catch a cold."
Su Shunci walked around to the front and helped her put on her cotton coat and buttoned it up.
"I really met a living Bodhisattva today. When have I ever worn such nice clothes?" The old woman muttered as she left. After taking a few steps, she looked back at Su Shunci, her gratitude beyond words.
Su Qingyu felt deeply upset when she saw this scene. There was no such thing as fairness in this world. These people were born into poverty, and they were trapped in it their entire lives, without even a chance to turn things around.
In contrast, the wealthy families in Beijing have enjoyed endless wealth and prosperity for generations. Yet, some are still unsatisfied and crave even more. They treat the poor like a plague and human life like worthless grass.
She was unable to change everyone, so she could only do her best to help ordinary people.
Cotton-padded clothes were distributed the fastest. Within two or three days, all the victims in the capital who needed cotton-padded clothes had received them.
Su Shunci and Su Qingyu, who were supposed to have dismantled the shed and left, did not leave. Instead, they had several carts of flour brought over, and with their maids and servants, they steamed several large pots of steamed buns every day.
Steamed buns are made by mixing white flour and corn flour together so that more people can eat them.
So after receiving porridge every day, the victims could also receive a steamed bun.
Everyone laughed in the cold wind when they saw they could still get a steamed bun. Some people even said a few simple words of gratitude or called Su Qingyu a living Bodhisattva when they took the steamed bun from her.
At this time, it seemed that everyone had only one belief left, which was to keep these people alive.
Just across the wall from Su Shunci's side is where the Su's Medicinal Herbs Store provides disaster relief.
The daily scene is completely different from here.
The person in charge of serving medicine to the victims was Su Yuanqing, the eldest son of the second branch of the Su family.
As for why Su Yuanqing is the one from the Su family, there is a reason for that.
A few days ago, Su Xiangling had sent word home that the Crown Prince might be inspecting the disaster relief efforts. Su Yuanqing was being asked to go there, and if he could gain the Crown Prince's favor, his future would be bright.
Su Yuanqing didn't want to come at first. Disaster relief work is not as interesting as drinking and having fun.
But he could not resist the pressure from He and Su Chengyan, so he had to come reluctantly.
Su Yuanqing and his servants were responsible for applying the medicine every day. He was unwilling to do so and naturally had a bad face. Seeing him do this, the servants followed his example.
So Su Shunci and Su Qingyu could hear Su Yuanqing's angry curses every day.
Either they scold the victims for being slow, or they scold them for coming too early.
Su Shunci even discovered that the Su family's disaster relief medicine was prepared in a perfunctory manner. It should have taken an hour to boil, but the servants wanted to prepare it in just a quarter of an hour.
On two occasions, Su Shunci even wanted to overturn the Su family's medicine stall, but she refrained from doing so because she did not want to cause trouble during the disaster relief efforts.
Of course, Su Yuanqing wasn't completely clueless. Even though he treated the disaster victims rudely and insulted them, he would immediately become their grandson if an official showed up.
Su Shunci was stunned by the speed at which his expression changed.
In a blink of an eye, it was already mid-December, and the people had been here providing disaster relief for more than ten days.
Su Yuanqing would ask every day when the Crown Prince would arrive, but no matter how long he waited, the Crown Prince never showed up.
He finally lost his patience and asked his servant to watch over the place while he quietly went to Ruanxianglou with a few young masters he was familiar with.
As soon as he left, the prince's carriage stopped at the gate of the disaster relief site.
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