Chapter 19: First Contact with Xiangjia Village
This catastrophic disaster began a day earlier.
Xiangjia Village is located outside Shuntian Prefecture, a strategically important and extremely safe place. However, in times of chaos, it would be a hotly contested area, making it more prone to disaster.
Unfortunately, we are living in a chaotic world right now.
First, the rebel leader, or rather, the Shun emperor Li Zicheng, led his troops into the capital, while the former Chongzhen emperor hanged himself from a crooked tree with a white silk ribbon. Fortunately, this emperor still had some sense of responsibility, leaving a note before his death: "Let the rebels tear my body apart, but do not harm a single commoner." Under these circumstances, the Shun emperor's troops, upon entering the Ming capital, initially behaved quite well. While not entirely without offense, they didn't commit any serious crimes or burnings; they merely took some stored grain for military supplies, which relieved those living outside the city.
So be it if there's a change of dynasty; ordinary people just want to live a good life.
But the fighting didn't stop there. The northern Tartar army pressed in with overwhelming force, putting immense pressure on Shanhaiguan. To counter this, the new court began requisitioning grain, plundering the surrounding area. Even the newly sprouted seedlings in the fields were not spared. At this time, Xiangjia Village—no, not just Xiangjia Village, but almost all the fields outside the city—were barren, overgrown with weeds, and the few remaining berries had been picked clean.
"Sigh—!" Xiang Dali sat in front of his house, looking at the wasteland in front of him, even his sigh seemed powerless.
His stomach was growling, and he cursed under his breath, "Damn it!"
Another deep sigh escapes my lips. When will this end?
These past few years have been incredibly tough! Winters have become even colder, freezing the fields so badly that no crops can grow. The thawing in spring is also delayed, resulting in consecutive years of poor harvests. Families have to tighten their belts, but often they can barely scrape by.
In comparison, Xiangjia Village fared slightly better in this area. This was because they were a village of artisans, originally working for the Imperial Workshops and the Ministry of Works. Although Emperor Chongzhen had begun to tighten his belt and shut down the Imperial Workshops several years earlier, they could still find work in the capital and buy some grain thanks to their skills and past connections.
However, as the situation worsened, even the mansions of the wealthiest families closed their doors, and these craftsmen found it increasingly difficult to find work. During this period, they often went hungry. In neighboring villages, people were even starving to death every few days, which had become commonplace.
As before, everyone thought that all they had to do was weather the war.
But bad news kept coming.
The battle at Shanhaiguan seemed to be going poorly, with wave after wave of defeated soldiers returning to Shuntian Prefecture from the north. The defeated soldiers had lost all morale and moral compass, looting anything in sight. Some, driven by rage, committed murder, arson, and all sorts of atrocities, seemingly venting all the anger and fear they had suffered on the battlefield on these ordinary people.
A few days ago, Xiangjia Village encountered a small group of defeated soldiers. Some village women, unable to bear the humiliation, jumped into a well, and some villagers, trying to protect their grain, were struck on the head with a knife. Fortunately, there were many men in their village, and they fought back and drove the defeated soldiers away.
In the past few days, several families in the village have hung white cloths, and the sound of weeping is deafening.
Just as Xiang Dali sat in front of the door, pondering his future, a little girl of about two or three years old slowly walked out of the house, followed by a woman with a slightly protruding belly. The little girl looked thin but normal, but the pregnant woman's exposed arms were almost skin and bones, a shocking sight.
"Why are you up?" Xiang Dali saw his wife come out and immediately stood up to help her. As soon as he stood up, his vision went black.
Huang Si Niang sighed and looked into the distance: "I wonder what the situation is like in the city now..."
When such a thing happened in Xiangjia Village and they ran out of grain, the village head and some elders thought of sending someone to Shuntian Prefecture to borrow some grain from the noble people they knew in the past, to see if they could get through this crisis.
"Don't worry, we should be able to borrow some back," Xiang Dali reassured her.
Huang Si Niang said in a low voice, "I heard that the village head and the others are thinking of hiding in the mountains because they feel it's not safe here. Some people even want to go south."
The mountainous region of Shuntian Prefecture was ideal for escaping war. Hiding in the mountains until the situation stabilized was a good option. Jiangnan, on the other hand, was far from the front lines and the weather wasn't as cold, offering a possible chance of survival. However, they had no roots in Jiangnan, and moving there with their families would be tantamount to fleeing famine, abandoning their livelihoods there—a decision many couldn't bring themselves to make.
Huang Si Niang touched her belly, feeling somewhat anxious; this child had come at a truly inopportune time.
Xiang Dali grabbed her hand: "Don't worry, if we really have to go, we'll all go together as a family. I've already prepared a cart, so even if I have to carry you, I'll get you there."
Besides his wife and daughters, he also has an elderly mother.
"Daddy, I'm so hungry." Ah Li's voice was soft, her eyes were sunken and looked even darker.
Her limbs were slender, but her belly was swollen. It was empty, with hardly any food inside. Ali hadn't eaten anything for two days and felt a sharp hunger in her stomach. Children don't understand, and when they get hungry, they cry and fuss. But because she hadn't eaten and had no strength, her cries sounded like a kitten's whimper.
Xiang Dali ruffled her dry, yellow hair: "Dad will go find you something to eat."
Huang Si Niang shook her head slightly, reminding him, "The rice jar at home is empty..."
Xiang Dali clenched his fists: "Those soldiers and bandits!"
The defeated soldiers from a few days ago had looted all the grain in the village, leaving them not a single grain of wheat. Looking at his pregnant wife and his daughter, who was as thin as a little mouse, he felt a mix of sorrow, guilt, and self-reproach, followed by a overwhelming sense of bewilderment.
In this world! How can we protect our families and ensure their survival?
Just then, someone ran in from outside the village, out of breath.
"Fifth Brother!" Shang Dali exclaimed in surprise.
The one who ran back was Xiang Laowu, who had been sent to the city to borrow grain.
Xiang Laowu's face was filled with fear, his voice trembled and had an indescribable sharpness as he shouted to everyone he met, "It's terrible! It's terrible! We've lost! The court has lost! The Tartars have entered the pass—!"
According to what he had learned, the Shun emperor's army suffered a major defeat at Shanhaiguan, and the Tartar cavalry had already entered the pass. Shuntian Prefecture was now in complete chaos; not only were the common people terrified, but the soldiers stationed in the capital were also in disarray, desperately trying to seize the last opportunity to escape.
Upon hearing the news brought by Xiang Laowu, the entire Xiangjia Village descended into chaos.
At the critical moment, the village head stepped forward to organize the overall situation: "Escape! Escape now! Everyone go back and pack your valuables. We won't wait any longer. Let's hide in the mountains first and then head south when we find an opportunity."
“You have all witnessed the horrors of defeated soldiers and bandits, but the brutality of the Tartars is a hundred times greater than that of the bandits! Wherever the Tartars go, they often massacre entire cities, leaving only one in ten survivors! Only by fleeing can you have a glimmer of hope.”
Some people were worried: "But we don't have much food left, how are we going to escape?"
“Whether it’s gnawing on tree bark, digging up grass roots, or even eating clay if all else fails, we can survive!” the village head declared resolutely. “But staying here means certain death.”
No one opposed him.
Several months ago, the news of the Tartars massacring the city of Tongguan had already spread far and wide. It is said that there are very few people left in Tongguan who can still breathe.
Xiang Dali's mother, however, didn't want to escape: "You take Fourth Sister and Ali with you. I'm not leaving. This old woman walks slowly and can't walk anymore. You'll just be a burden with me..."
She didn't want to be a burden to everyone.
Once they're all gone, she'll just find a strip of cloth, hang it on the beam, and return her old life to that damned heaven. She's lived long enough to survive this chaotic world to this age.
Xiang Dali knelt on the ground, crying, "Mother, how can your son abandon you? If we're going to leave, we'll all go together."
That won't do!
Huang Si Niang also knelt down: "Mother, if you don't leave, I will stay here too. I'm also heavily pregnant and can't walk anymore."
Xiang Laoniang slapped her thighs with her withered hands and wailed, "Heavens! You're blind! We've worked honestly and diligently our whole lives, how did this end up like this! Open your eyes and see!"
In the end, the family followed the villagers and fled into the mountains. After a few days, seeing that the situation was alright, they decided to head south. They dared not take the main roads and opted for side paths, but even so, they were discovered by the enemy.
That night, as everyone was resting, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves and a commotion.
"The Tartars are here!"
"Run! The Tartars are catching up!"
"Run!"
Chaos erupted immediately.
Amid screams and wails, the people of Xiangjia Village ran forward in a daze amidst the chaos. Xiang Dali carried his old mother on his back, and Huang Siniang held her daughter Ali in her arms, running desperately, only feeling the sweet, metallic taste rising in their mouths.
Flames erupted everywhere, and the stench of blood in the air grew stronger.
The other party, like a cat toying with mice, watched them flee in panic from horseback, then caught those who were about to hide in the mountains and brought them back, crushing their hopes of survival at the last second.
Finally, they were driven together, their faces full of mockery and ridicule.
Those families in the capital all had powerful connections, and the higher-ups had warned against resorting to massacres at the drop of a hat. But these little rats living outside the city could be killed without causing a ripple.
As it happened, these soldiers had been holding back their anger for a long time.
"Kill them all, leave no one alive," the general ordered casually, as if he had grown tired of the game.
When death was imminent, the people of Xiangjia Village stopped crying.
The other side's utter disregard for human dignity ignited their fighting spirit. The village headman grabbed the bamboo cane he was using as a walking stick and stomped it twice on the ground, his eyes seemingly about to spit blood, and shouted:
"Running is useless! Let's fight them!"
"Let's give it our all!"
Huang Si Niang's tears flowed silently. She squatted down and kissed Ali's cheek, then hugged her tightly, trying her best to push her into the shadows and cover her with her own body so that no one would see her.
"Ah Li, don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
Ahri is still so young; hiding her under me might offer a sliver of hope for survival. If not... it doesn't matter; at worst, the family will just be reunited underground.
Ahri remained silent. She seemed to have been terrified from the very beginning, neither speaking nor crying, just staring blankly.
Just then, a white light suddenly enveloped the area.
Faintly, Huang Si Niang and the others heard a voice beside them: "The teleportation mechanism has been activated..."
......
Qinghe Ancient Town.
Lu Xiaoqi was listening to the system's announcement with a headache:
"The card you drew will be placed in the ancient town within ten minutes. Please get to the coordinates as soon as possible."
This time it was alright; they even gave me coordinates, which is a small square located in Zone 4.
She rushed over, complaining as she went, "Why do I feel like you guys are so unreliable? You sent an entire village all at once. Next time, are you going to send an entire county? And how am I supposed to manage these thirty-nine people?!"
The initial joy of being able to open a virtual experience center vanished instantly.
Looking back on her 26 years of life, the only time she had ever managed people was when she was a group leader in junior high school, with four members including herself. Now, suddenly there were so many people to manage, and they were ancient people who were completely out of step with modern society. The anxiety that Lu Xiaoqi had managed to suppress for a while suddenly resurfaced.
"And there's absolutely no information about Xiangjia Village!"
She was starting to panic. The previous three were all historical figures, so she had access to information about them, which gave her a psychological advantage. But now, she was completely lost and felt utterly hopeless.
The system reassured her: "Player, please rest assured, none of those who pass the system's selection process are truly wicked."
Lu Xiaoqi hummed twice, feeling exhausted.
After walking for a few minutes, we were almost at our destination when I finally felt at ease and my rationality began to return.
"You explained the difference between SSR and SR before. SSR is someone who is recorded in official history, while SR is someone who is recorded in folk or unofficial history. So why are R cards included in your selection process?" she asked the system.
System: "They are people who have a special skill in their field. The people of Xiangjia Village are like that; almost all of them are craftsmen who work for the Ming Dynasty royal family and the Ministry of Works. Moreover, several of them have mastered several skills that are now lost or on the verge of being lost."
Lu Xiaoqi raised her eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised. So that's how it is.
It seems that although Xiangjia Village has left no trace in history, it is a place where hidden talents are hidden and should not be underestimated.
The system continued, "Before they arrived, they were facing a disaster..."
He told her about Xiangjia Village's background and experiences. Lu Xiaoqi listened with a sigh, and vaguely felt that she might have actually done something good by drawing a card this time. Just as she was about to say something, she arrived at the coordinates indicated by the system.
It was in a small square in Zone 4.
Upon arrival, they saw a group of men, women, and children sitting there blankly—all thirty-nine of them, not one missing. They were dressed in coarse linen clothes, their garments worn and patched, looking disheveled and disheveled, some even with bloodstains on their bodies.
They looked like they had just come from the battlefield.
Lu Xiaoqi had met three people before: Zhao Feiyan, the Empress, second only to the Emperor; Yuwen Kai, the Minister of Works, from a century-old aristocratic family; and even Song Wu Sao, whose family owned a restaurant and was wealthy. Given this background, although she knew that ordinary people in ancient times actually lived very difficult lives, she inevitably only saw the glamorous and prosperous side. Furthermore, having lived in the best of times herself, never lacking food or clothing, when had she ever seen such ragged, emaciated, and miserable people?
Upon seeing this, I couldn't help but gasp.
......
Where is this place? Is this the place the immortals spoke of, hundreds of years from now?
Holding Ah Li tightly in her arms, Huang Si Niang was somewhat bewildered. The Xiang family villagers around her were the same; none of them spoke, their faces still showing signs of shock, clearly not yet recovered from the calamity that had just occurred and the bizarre encounter that followed.
Just now, Huang Si Niang thought she was about to die, but a strange white light suddenly enveloped them, taking them to a white space they had never seen before.
Everyone thought they had encountered a deity, and they knelt down in gratitude and panic.
But the deity did not appear in person; instead, he told them through his voice that he would send them to a future world more than four hundred years from now, where someone of His choosing would help them, and all they needed to do was cooperate with that person.
The people of Xiangjia Village naturally obeyed.
After an unknown amount of time, in another instant, they arrived at this small open space from the white space.
Those who were bolder enough to look around immediately realized that this was no longer Xiangjia Village, nor the clearing in the woods where they had been surrounded, but a beautifully constructed but seemingly uninhabited town.
The moon had quietly climbed into the sky, but there were few stars to be seen; the sky was hazy. Instead, there were distant points of light that shone brighter than the stars.
Is this the world the gods described as being hundreds of years in the future?
It looks very quiet and peaceful...
After regaining his senses, Xiang Dali helped his mother sit down, then stood up and found Huang Si Niang, who was holding Ah Li, nearby. The family of four had been separated in the chaos.
"Ah Li!" He hugged his wife and daughter into his arms.
His actions were like a switch, pulling everyone out of their emotional turmoil and back to reality, prompting them to search for their loved ones. Shouts and groans filled the small open space.
Huang Si Niang broke free from Xiang Dali, and after only a brief moment of joy at surviving the ordeal and being reunited with her family, she immediately realized something was wrong. She grabbed Ali's shoulders and shook him vigorously: "Ali, Ali!"
Ahri blinked, but remained silent, neither uttering a word nor uttering a tear. She stood there blankly, like a little wooden puppet.
Xiang Dali asked, somewhat flustered, "What's wrong?"
“Ah Li seems to have been frightened by those Tartars…” she said anxiously. “She hadn’t spoken or cried before.”
Grandma Xiang slowly moved over as well. Her back was aching, and she'd been jolted back in the collision; every step hurt. She stroked her granddaughter's soft hair: "She's probably just frightened and lost her mind. It's alright, it's alright, just call her a few more times and she'll come back..."
Before the word "了" could be finished, someone next to them shouted:
"A fairy! It's a fairy!"
The group looked up and their eyes met those of Lu Xiaoqi, who was approaching.
Lu Xiaoqi had just arrived, still reeling from the shock of how dire their situation looked, when she saw the large group of people suddenly kneel down and bow deeply to her.
"A fairy!"
"Your Highness, I bow to you!"
"Thank you so much for saving me, fairy!"
She was so startled that she leaned back and almost tripped. What was all this about?!
However, Lu Xiaoqi quickly realized that anyone who was suddenly saved and then traveled through time would be amazed by the other person's great power, let alone these ancient people who were already superstitious about ghosts and gods.
She quickly explained, "Get up, get up, I'm not a fairy!"
"Don't misunderstand..."
She tried to explain and help him up, but no one listened.
She had no choice but to kneel down on the ground as well. Otherwise, she feared it would shorten her lifespan.
I wanted to cry but couldn't.
Village head Xiang Ming placed his cane on the ground and led his villagers in a very devout three bows to Lu Xiaoqi before cautiously saying, "Fairy, when we came here, a deity told us to follow you from now on. If you have any orders, we, the people of Xiangjia Village, will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Lu Xiaoqi saw the nervousness and ingratiation in his eyes, and her heart stirred.
She understood.
Whether she is truly a fairy or not is unimportant to these people; what matters is that she is a "fairy." Only then can they have a reason to stay here, feel protected, and truly feel at ease.
Having figured this out, Lu Xiaoqi softened her tone, trying to make her voice sound gentler:
"Get up first. Although I am not a fairy, I am indeed the one who has been chosen," she said vaguely. "I also know your origins. From now on, you can stay here in peace. I don't have any other important matters to attend to. I just need you to help me build up Qinghe Ancient Town."
Hearing her say that, Xiang Ming felt a sense of relief, and his original worry and fear lessened considerably.
He led the villagers in bowing again, his voice choked with emotion: "Thank you, fairy!"
Their voices were carried away by the night wind.
Lu Xiaoqi suddenly felt a pang of sadness and melancholy.
The people of Xiangjia Village were hardworking and skilled, but even so, they were nothing more than nameless individuals. They could neither influence the situation nor control their own destiny, and could only let the wheels of history relentlessly crush them. They were like a few insignificant specks of dust, and even if they died tragically, they would not leave any echo or mark in the long river of time.
"There was a great famine, and people ate each other." "Tens of thousands died, and the Si River stopped flowing."
Such chilling descriptions, though brief, are not uncommon in historical records, revealing the blood and tears of countless ordinary people. Without the system, perhaps they would have been nothing more than a part of that blood and tears. Future generations might offer a few words of pity, but their names, their lives, would never be remembered.
Thinking of this, Lu Xiaoqi's voice softened a bit: "Get up quickly."
The people of Xiangjia Village stopped refusing and got up from the ground.
"Don't call me Fairy anymore. This is just a future world several hundred years from now, not a fairyland, and I'm really not some kind of deity. My surname is Lu, so from now on, you can call me... Miss Lu." Lu Xiaoqi chose a title they could accept.
As she got closer, she saw that the group of people really did look unwell. Both adults and children were very thin, their clothes hanging loosely on them, only slightly better off than the pictures of starving people in Africa she had seen before. Even worse, several of them had injuries, some of which were even bleeding.
Lu Xiaoqi took a deep breath: "We'll talk about other things later. I'll get you some food first, and your wounds need to be treated as well."
She called Sister-in-law Song, gave them a few instructions to wait where they were, and then returned to the small building at the entrance of the ancient town.
This small building used to be an office building. The upper floors had offices and a security monitoring room, while the basement housed the power distribution center and network center. A couple of days ago, during a major cleaning, she had a cleaning company clean the entire building as well. She had originally planned to hire two temporary security guards from the town to stand guard, but now she's glad she didn't, otherwise she'd be in real trouble.
“It should be here…” She found the relevant power switch and turned it on.
In the small square of Zone 4 where Xiangjia Village is located, the streetlights flickered weakly twice, and then lit up one by one, brighter than any stars they had ever seen before, dispelling the gradually thickening darkness.
The villagers of Xiangjia Village, who had calmed down considerably, immediately knelt down in awe again.
"It's magic!"
"It's so bright..."
"It's exactly the same as daytime. Is this really a world hundreds of years in the future?"
"The luminous pearls described in the book are nothing more than this."
In this unfamiliar yet reassuring environment, Huang Si Niang kissed Ah Li's forehead with tears in her eyes: "We're safe now, Ah Li, don't be afraid anymore..."
Lu Xiaoqi was tapping away on her phone in the office building. After waiting for another half hour, she finally heard a car horn outside the gate and quickly ran downstairs.
Her takeout finally arrived.
"You've brought quite a lot." Because there were so many things, the convenience store owner in town personally drove his tricycle to deliver them. He looked curiously into the ancient town and saw lights shining in the distance, which was quite unusual. "Would you like me to carry them in for you?"
Lu Xiaoqi shook her head frantically: "No need, thank you, I can manage on my own."
The boss was skeptical: "Can you even lift it?"
Just then, car headlights shone from a short distance away, and a taxi stopped.
Inside the taxi, Yuwen Kai took out his phone and said reservedly, "I'll pay the fare."
However, he couldn't find the payment code after clicking around for a while. In the end, Zhao Feiyan, who was already familiar with mobile payments, helped him find the QR code payment page and successfully paid the taxi fare.
Song Wu Sao smiled and encouraged, "Teacher Yuwen will get the hang of it after a few more tries. It's much more convenient than carrying around a bunch of copper coins."
Yuwen Kai: "That's true."
Zhao Feiyan: "It's just that these numbers look like tadpoles, and I'm still not used to them."
The taxi driver glanced at the three people who got out of the car, and after closing the door, he couldn't help but complain to his colleagues in a group chat on his phone: "Let me tell you, I picked up three weirdos today..."
One person was dressed like a Taoist priest who had returned to secular life, another had long hair that almost reached his calves and was quiet and didn't say a word, and only the middle-aged woman seemed more normal, but she often spoke incomprehensibly, like someone in an ancient costume drama. What a strange trio.
Seeing them was like seeing a savior for Lu Xiaoqi, and she quickly said to the convenience store owner, "Look, my companion is here, so there's no need for you to bother."
The boss was disappointed: "Fine, then call me if you need anything."
The little tricycle rumbled away.
"You've finally come." Lu Xiaoqi's eyes were brimming with tears; she really couldn't have handled things by herself.
Sister-in-law Song smiled and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, we're all here. We came as soon as we got your call. But what's going on with that village?"
Zhao Feiyan also looked over curiously.
As Lu Xiaoqi led them inside carrying bags, she explained the whole story to them: "I don't know how to settle them... Oh dear, we'll have to buy a few small tricycles."
The plastic bag was sore and tiring on my hands.
Yuwen Kai sighed, "The fact that Xiangjia Village has such a miraculous encounter is truly a testament to the great virtue accumulated by their ancestors."
Sister-in-law Song Wu recalled her escape and felt a pang of sympathy. Zhao Feiyan and the others nodded in agreement. These three women had all lived through turbulent times and were no strangers to such experiences.
Lu Xiaoqi frowned and continued, "Food is easy to solve, but how are we going to house so many people? Some of them are injured and have limited freedom, and then there's the matter of their meals and management..."
In short, she was very stressed.
Yuwen Kai smiled: "Why worry about accommodation?" He pointed to the ancient town around him, "There are so many houses here, accommodating thirty-odd people is a piece of cake."
Lu Xiaoqi paused, looked around, and seemed a little confused: "Huh? The houses here are so dilapidated, and there's nothing there..."
Song Wu Sao laughed, and even Zhao Feiyan showed a faint smile on her face.
"With such a nice house, what more do you need? A bed? Furniture? A roof to shelter you from the wind and rain is enough!" Sister-in-law Song chuckled and shook her head. "Back in our day, only wealthy families could afford houses like this! Not to mention when we were fleeing from disaster, sleeping in the open and eating grass roots and tree bark was commonplace..."
To have someone provide lodging and food is truly a stroke of incredible luck! How could one possibly complain about such a rare favor?
Lu Xiaoqi was taken aback: "Is that so?"
It seems she really is being stubborn... She always feels that no matter how poor the house is, no matter how difficult the conditions are, there should at least be a bed and a chair, right? If all else fails, when you go camping, you still need a tent and a sleeping bag.
Just as Sister-in-law Song had said, Xiang Ming was very excited after hearing her arrangements: "Can...can we really stay here?"
The villagers couldn't help but touch the wall beside them, whispering among themselves, "This is a big brick house with tiled roof!"
"It's so much better than our previous house."
"Fairy, no, Miss Lu, are you really giving us such a nice house to live in?"
Even Huang Si Niang, who was holding Ah Li and feeling sentimental, had her eyes sparkling at this moment.
After receiving an affirmative answer, the villagers couldn't help but kneel down in gratitude, leaving Lu Xiaoqi feeling both helpless and bittersweet.
“Alright, Miss Lu, if you don’t like kneeling like this, get up!” Yuwen Kai’s voice came from beside her. “Where is the village head? Village head, come out.”
Xiang Ming stepped forward and bowed his head: "Honorable sir, I am the village head."
This nobleman gave off a completely different vibe than Miss Lu. He was just like the officials they had met before, speaking in a calm tone but full of authority, making people want to bow down.
Yuwen Kai stood with his hands behind his back: "Since you are the village head, you should also fulfill your management responsibilities. So, first, have the people of your village line up according to their households to receive their grain, then compile a list of the wounded and have them come to the other side to receive their medicine. No cutting in line, no making noise, understand?"
He spoke logically and clearly, and although he wasn't very friendly, the village head seemed to find a sense of familiarity with him, even a feeling of finding a pillar of support. He immediately agreed: "This humble subject will do as he says right away!"
Next, following Yuwen Kai's instructions, Xiang Ming had each household send one person to collect food, and those with injuries lined up on the other side.
Lu Xiaoqi gave Yuwen Kai a grateful glance and immediately cooperated in arranging for Song Wu Sao and Zhao Feiyan to distribute food, while she and Yuwen Kai checked on the injured. The whole scene immediately became orderly.
"Bear with it, I'll put some iodine on it for you first."
She wanted to clean a villager's wound on his arm, but the teenage boy seemed shy and apprehensive: "I'll do it, I can do it myself..."
“If you don’t know how to use it, take it out.” Lu Xiaoqi smiled and, without any politeness, grabbed his arm and pulled him over.
The boy had a cut about four or five centimeters long on his hand, which looked like a knife wound; the blood had already dried. She sighed. Ideally, she should take him to the hospital, but they had limited freedom, and the wound clearly indicated it was caused by a weapon. The hospital would likely involve the police, and things might get complicated. Fearing the villagers might panic and give themselves away, she bought iodine, hemostatic agents, and bandages for emergency treatment.
Fortunately, the system was transferred in time, and there were not many villagers with external injuries, nor were they serious. Most of them were just injured or scraped while fleeing for their lives.
"It hurts a little, just bear with it." Lu Xiaoqi lowered her head, carefully cleaned the wound with iodine, then applied a layer of Yunnan Baiyao, and bandaged it up. She had learned some outdoor emergency medical knowledge before, and now it finally came in handy.
Her touch was very gentle. The boy, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, saw her serious profile under the light, with a few strands of hair hanging down. His face turned red without him even noticing the pain in his arm.
He thought in a daze, "So this is what a fairy is like..."
"Okay, next one." Lu Xiaoqi finished her work and said to Yuwen Kai beside her with some regret, "Fortunately, they are all just minor injuries, but it would be better to go to the hospital to get them checked out if you have the chance."
Ah, if only the town had its own doctor.
Yuwen Kai nodded: "For now, this is the only way."
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I won't go back today. I'll stay in this town with them. They are all craftsmen. I've often dealt with craftsmen in the past, so I have some experience. I can help young friend Lu manage things here."
Lu Xiaoqi was both excited and a little embarrassed: "But don't you still need to go to the planning bureau? And there's no bed here..."
“I’ve often slept outdoors in the past, it’s nothing special.” Yuwen Kai smiled. “Then the planning bureau can go whenever they want. On the contrary, we urgently need people here. As long as you don’t blame me for overstepping my bounds, that’s fine.”
"How could that be! I'm overjoyed!"
In managing craftsmen, Yuwen Kai has far more than just a little experience; that's far too modest. Moreover, she knows she's not cut out for project management; specialization is key, and letting professionals handle specialized tasks is the best approach.
All I need to do is select the professionals.
With this thought, Lu Xiaoqi's worries disappeared, and she felt wonderful, with hope for the future!
Yuwen Kai was actually overly modest in one other way—even when he slept outdoors in the past, he was always surrounded by servants, with carriages and bedding to ensure his living conditions and quality of life. Even when he accompanied the army on its northern expedition against Goguryeo, he still had servants to take care of his food and daily needs.
But now... he shook his head. Forget it, let bygones be bygones. This kind of life, simple and peaceful, isn't bad.
On the other side, Sister-in-law Song and Zhao Feiyan were distributing food to each household. She was in a hurry and didn't even look at the hot meals; instead, she chose dry rations, bread, biscuits, and mineral water, mainly for the large quantity and to make sure she was full.
Sister-in-law Song distributed the items according to the number of people in each household: "Don't rush, everyone, you'll get one."
She calculated the food and divided it up: each person could receive a loaf of bread and a few cookies, and each household could receive a bottle of water.
Zhao Feiyan frowned: "Isn't it a bit too little? Should we buy some more?"
"Not for now. They've been starving for so long, and if they suddenly overeat, their stomachs might not be able to handle it and they could easily get sick. Eating less is actually a good thing," said Sister Song Wu, who knew the refugees well and had vivid memories of the feeling of hunger.
Zhao Feiyan felt somewhat ashamed: "I see."
Although she had a difficult childhood, she never had to flee famine or hardship, and she was always able to have enough to eat.
On the other side, Xiang Dali received the food for his family and hurriedly walked back.
"Fourth Sister, there's something to eat. Mother, please sit down."
He carefully pulled the bread loaves from his pocket; they were supermarket bread, packaged in plastic bags. He examined them under the lamp for a while, muttering, "How am I supposed to eat this...?"
Huang Si Niang was clever; she leaned over to take a look, then tried to tear it open from the serrated edge: "Perhaps it is so."
Sure enough, the packaging bag was quickly opened, revealing bread inside, baked to a light golden brown. Huang Si Niang broke off a piece for Xiang Lao Niang and fed another to Ali: "Good boy, there's something to eat! Weren't you hungry? Eat some!"
Old Mrs. Xiang has bad teeth. Back in the village, she used to eat thin porridge, and later, when food was scarce, she could barely scoop out a few grains of rice. She hasn't eaten such substantial dry food in a long time and is worried that she won't be able to chew it.
But when you take a bite, it's so soft, with a delicate texture and a sweet aroma.
Delicious!
When she looked under the light, she was shocked: "Oh my, it's made of white flour!"
These steamed buns made of white flour were something only the village head's family could afford, and even then, only during festivals and holidays. They were never served on ordinary days. Old Mrs. Xiang had only eaten them a handful of times in her life, but she still remembers the taste vividly.
I never imagined that I would be able to eat white flour in my old age!
Just then, she heard her daughter-in-law beside her exclaim in surprise, "Dali, Mom, look! Ali ate it!"
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ali, who looked like a kitten. Although his eyes and expression were still blank, his little hands were tightly gripping a small piece of dry food, which he was wolfing down into his mouth.
Huang Si Niang was overjoyed and quickly broke off another small piece: "Don't rush, there's more. Our Ah Li can finally have a full meal, don't rush..."
Xiang Dali's eyes welled up with tears after hearing what she said.
Old Lady Xiang stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly slapped her thigh and began to wail softly, tears streaming down her face: "Heavens above! I never thought our family could live such a good life!"
The cries were carried by the wind, spreading all around and then being swept up into the sky.
The wind dispersed the clouds, and the moon finally broke free again, gazing gently upon the world.
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