Xiao Youran began her usual speech, "I have some good news to share with everyone today! This porridge stall has a new owner! It's Miss Jiang Mingwei from the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion! She's my aunt, and a kind-hearted person! Today's rice and noodles are supplied by the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion!"
She turned to Jiang Mingwei, "Aunt, is the Marquis's mansion planning to donate porridge for several months?"
Jiang Mingwei had never received such attention before, and was very nervous. She tentatively answered in a low voice, "Three...three months?"
Xiao Youran clapped her hands, "Alright, three months it is! Famine victims, the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion will continue to provide porridge here for three months! Let's give them a round of applause!"
A burst of applause erupted.
Jiang Mingwei lowered her head shyly. Back in Dingzhou, the Earl's Mansion often distributed porridge to earn a good reputation. She didn't think that three months' worth of rice and flour was anything special.
Xiao Youran asked in a low voice, "Was that cloth warehouse next to the granary just now? Look at these disaster victims, they're all dressed in rags. If you have any extra cloth, why not donate it to them to make some clothes?"
Jiang Mingwei thought to himself that the Earl's Mansion had donated countless clothes over the years, so what was a few bolts of cloth? He nodded in agreement, "Alright, I will transport a hundred bolts of cloth tomorrow, and women and children will get them first."
Although the Earl's family is currently facing some financial difficulties, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Surely they can come up with enough food for a few months and a few hundred bolts of cloth?
The applause from the disaster victims grew even louder.
The disaster victims then lined up in an orderly fashion to receive porridge.
Since Xiaoyou Ran recruited workers last time, most of the able-bodied young people among the disaster victims have gone to the city to work on construction sites. The disaster victims left behind are mostly the elderly, women, children, or some extremely lazy people who are unwilling to work.
For example, the family that tried to force Yan Jin to acknowledge them as relatives last time.
At that moment, a tall, burly young man ate the steamed bun in his hand in a few bites, then drank the porridge in big gulps. He licked his lips, feeling that he was not full enough, and looked at the few little kids next to him. He went straight up and snatched the steamed bun from the youngest child's hand.
The child burst into tears.
Seeing this, a boy nearby handed the bowl of porridge and steamed bun to another child, then pounced on the young man and punched him, making him stagger back two steps.
Seeing this, the other two little ones also stuffed the porridge bowl and steamed bun into the youngest child's hands, saying, "Keep them safe!"
Then the two of them pounced on the young man, and the three of them quickly pinned him to the ground and gave him a good beating.
The old woman nearby saw this and shouted, "Murder! People are being assaulted! Stop! Stop it now!"
She kicked her two older sons beside her, shouting, "Get up! Your eldest brother's been beaten! Go help him!"
The two sons had just finished their porridge and lay down to rest when they opened their eyes, looked around, and then rolled over. "Big brother is such a big guy, he can't even handle three little brats. I'm not full and don't have the strength, so I can't handle him either!"
The old woman was furious. She put down the youngest child, Si'er, and went to pull the other three children.
Unexpectedly, these three children were incredibly strong. One of them pinned the eldest son to the ground while the other straddled him and beat him mercilessly.
It's impossible to pull it apart.
The old woman frantically ran to call for the soldiers, "Sirs! My son has been beaten!"
The soldiers all recognized the family. One of them spat and said, "I saw it all. He was the one who tried to steal someone else's steamed bun first. He deserved to be beaten!"
"Mother..." At this moment, the young man finally let out a painful howl and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The old woman turned her head and saw that the three children had finally let go of her son. She quickly ran over, crying, "My son!"
Over there, the large pot was almost empty. Madam Yang, along with several maids, cleaned up the pots and pans, preparing to return to the city.
Just then, a figure rushed over and blocked Yang and the others, crying out, "Chunhua! Chunhua! Please save your eldest brother!"
Xiao Youran, who was standing nearby, heard this and looked around blankly, "Who is Chunhua?"
Wang Wu jumped over and blocked Yan Jin's path. "You old woman, why are you so ungrateful? What are you doing here again?"
It turned out to be Zhang Pozi, Yan Jin's biological mother.
With a pained expression, Granny Zhang said to Yan Jin, "Chunhua, please, for the sake of our sibling relationship, save your elder brother!"
Xiao Youran then realized that Yan Jin's original name was Chunhua.
Yan Jin ignored her and carried the steamer back to the shed with Su Yue to wash it.
Wang Wu blocked Granny Zhang's path.
Old Mrs. Zhang pleaded desperately, "Sir, my eldest son was just beaten. Please, have mercy and let my daughter save her brother!"
Wang Wu snorted coldly, "Weren't those people fighting by the wall over there your son? I saw it all. He tried to steal someone else's steamed bun first, and that's why he got beaten up. In my opinion, he deserved it!"
Granny Zhang exclaimed, "How can a man of his stature, seven feet eight inches tall, possibly be full on just a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun every day?"
Yueyue raised an eyebrow. "Oh ho, if you're not full, you don't have to eat! Go somewhere else! I heard there's a soup kitchen in the east of the city, why don't you go there?! Besides, you're all tall and strong, and you all go to work on the construction site and get enough to eat, but you bunch of lazy bums, who's to blame for not getting enough to eat?!"
Granny Zhang cried out in desperation, "Please, please save my son! He's been beaten unconscious..."
Wang Wu sneered, "Impossible! Those three children were only five, six, seven, or eight years old. How much strength could they possibly have? How could they possibly knock your seven-foot-eight-inch son unconscious?!"
Jiang Mingwei nodded vigorously. These little brats weren't her size, how could they possibly knock a grown man unconscious?
Granny Zhang was almost in tears. "It's true...it's true...I beg you kind people, Chunhua! Please give me some money to call a doctor!"
Xiao Youran glanced at Yan Jin, who was busy behind her, and saw that Yan Jin quickly looked away from her, so she knew that Yan Jin had softened her heart.
She beckoned Yan Jin over, "What do you think?"
Yan Jin bit her lip and remained silent.
Granny Zhang panicked, "Daughter! It's our fault for not having the money to ransom you. Dalang is still your older brother. If he's beaten to death, how will I live... He really was beaten unconscious and even vomited blood... Look!"
She showed them the bloodstains on her chest.
Yan Jin turned her head away, "I don't have any money either!"
Xiao Youran sighed. Although the girl hated her family, she couldn't bring herself to stand by and watch someone die; at her core, she was still a good person.
She said, "I know a little about medicine, I'll go and take a look at him first."
Aunt Zhang looked incredulous.
Wu Mingwei appeared, "You old woman, if you want money from her, you should ask her to call a doctor. Isn't there a doctor right here?! Aren't you going to lead the way?!"
Worried about her son, Granny Zhang had no choice but to lead the way.
Xiao Youran and the others followed.
When they got to the base of the wall, they saw that the tall and strong Zhang Dalang was indeed unconscious, with bloodstains all over his chest.
Xiao Youran reached out and took his pulse, discovering that Zhang Dalang had indeed been beaten and suffered internal injuries. Both of his arms were twisted in a strange position, indicating that they were broken.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked Wang Wu to find a carriage to take the person to the city's traditional Chinese medicine clinic for treatment. Upon seeing this, Granny Zhang happily pulled her two sons and her youngest son onto the carriage.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com