That evening, the scout who had gone to gather information returned, his cheeks red from the cold. He said, "Sir, the people from the two surrounding counties are all fleeing. The roads are littered with corpses, and the refugees are heading this way; they're only ten miles away!" They could get here in one night.
The two constables both had a look of pity in their eyes. Although they had encountered a rare natural disaster, life in their county was still relatively good, which led them to mistakenly believe that everyone outside was like this. Now, seeing the numb faces outside, they were deeply shocked; many people had died on the road.
Those who survived weren't much better off; they were dressed in tattered and thin clothes, and there were elderly people and children among them.
It got colder as night fell, and even the cotton-padded coats provided by the county government were struggling to withstand the harsh winter.
Not to mention that many of them were only wearing thin clothes, their faces blue from the cold. They had initially worried these people were some vicious criminals, but their worries were unnecessary. Freezing in the bitter cold, all they wanted was to survive. The constables rode past them on horseback, and they didn't even have the strength to give chase.
When Zhu, the head constable, heard what his subordinates said, he also fell into deep thought.
The county magistrate said, "Didn't I mention the other day that I set up a government-run brick kiln? They're short-handed there." People in the county have better jobs in making tiles and bricks, and they don't want to work at the brick kiln. These refugees from other places are just what they need to fill the gaps here. At least they can be guaranteed lodging and two meals a day.
Officer Zhu said, "Your Excellency is wise."
He Zifeng's prediction was correct; the county magistrate still softened his heart. Constable Zhu said, "Sir, please tell us what you need us to do!"
The magistrate said, "No one should sleep tonight. Boil water, cook porridge, and make ginger soup. You two come with me to fetch them. Call all the auxiliary soldiers too. If any of them act recklessly, throw them out!"
"Okay." Arrangements were then made. The government-run brick kiln was located in a rather remote area. It was on the very edge of the county town. There were several empty houses there. This winter was cold, so heated brick beds had been built early on, but no one had lived in them.
He Zifeng sent people over to tidy up in advance.
Now, the county officials are used to things happening at any time, and they don't dawdle as much as before when they do their work.
They even made the doctors wait for their appointments.
The government office was brightly lit.
Ever since the county magistrate did so many good things for the people, his commands have been very effective. He mobilized more than two hundred people in an instant.
The city gate tower was lit up.
It was already late at night, and the refugees who had fled the famine saw the light in the distance, as if they had seen hope.
"Mother, there's a county town ahead." They were so cold they had lost all feeling!
"Yes." The children all looked excited.
But the adults looked reluctant; they didn't want the children to be so naive. Along their journey, they had passed through several towns, where the locals wouldn't let them in, even drawing their knives and threatening to kill anyone who dared to enter.
Some brokers would trade ten catties of millet for a half-grown child, and they always wanted a girl. You could tell from the shady-looking brokers that they had no good intentions towards the children they bought.
At first, some people sold their grain, but they couldn't keep it. Their meager grain was either stolen or robbed. Even though they sold their daughters to get the grain, no one would let the family survive.
Having learned from this example, other people stopped selling their children.
Women used to be able to work in the fields; they were strong and resilient, and they've endured it to this day.
Her husband was still alive but had a fever. He certainly wouldn't live much longer. The woman, with her frail body, staggered as she carried the man, who was even taller than her, on her back.
Before she left, she was a fellow villager fleeing from war. If there was a man among them, things would be a little better, but if he died, how could she, a woman alone, survive with five children?
She hadn't had a proper meal for several days, and when she was hungry, she would eat some snow. Her stomach was twisting with pain, but the woman dared not say a word. Her hands and feet were covered in chilblains, and she wished she were dead to avoid the suffering.
But God didn't let her die, so she decided to live well.
His husband said, "Xiuniang, put me down. I'm not feeling well. It's better for one person to fall than for two." He was delirious with fever and rarely conscious, but each time he was in a daze, he could feel himself moving slowly forward.
Before the famine, he and his wife didn't talk much. He worked away from home, earning two taels of silver a year. They owned land in the countryside and were a respectable family. After being away for a while, he noticed that everyone around him had two homes. One in the countryside helped him raise his children and take care of his parents, while the other in the city helped him with laundry and cooking—neither way was a loss for them.
Some people around him even advised him that he shouldn't have given the money to his wife so readily. They said he should also plan for himself. Having a woman to take care of him would allow him to release his pent-up energy. He was somewhat tempted, but before things could develop, the snowstorm struck. Who would have thought that this grown man would be weaker than a child, and would be the first to collapse?
It was his wife's frail body that carried him. During this dazed period, he recalled their wedding day when she was just an innocent farm girl. Now she was a mother of five.
He only managed to utter one sentence before he was breathless. But hearing his wife's panting made him feel even more inhuman. How could he abandon the wife who had borne him his child? It was truly despicable.
Only after facing death do you realize that everything else in this life is meaningless. The only blessing in this life is the person before you. He had been in a daze, but suddenly he regained consciousness.
Perhaps it was what the old folks often call a final burst of energy before death. He said, "Xiuniang, I've wronged you in this life. If I die, there's still five taels of silver sewn into the sole of my shoe! Don't let anyone know about this money. Dalang is ten years old. Let him take care of my younger brothers for me. When I die, there's no need to bury me, just leave me somewhere. In the next life... I'll take care of you again."
Xiu Niang said, "Hang in there, we'll be in the county town soon." She didn't say that she was also nearing her limit, barely clinging to life. She didn't care about anything else. She'd die right now if she could just find a good place for her children.
Snowflakes began to fall again at night. The sight of light in the distance had excited everyone a little, but seeing the snow made their hearts sink once more.
That glimmer of light was like a mirage, a place seemingly forever out of reach.
Another person nearby collapsed with a thud. The cries of his children filled the air. The others walked forward, their faces blank.
They didn't even glance at him; perhaps the person who had fallen was their uncle, aunt, or sister-in-law. They'd seen too many things like this on the road, and it didn't even make a ripple.
"Dad, wake up! We're almost in the county town. There are big steamed buns there, and a warm earthen bed. Waaah... Dad, just hang in there a little longer."
What the child said was the excuse the adults used to persuade them to keep going along the way.
The man lying on the snow still had a breath left. He said, "Follow your second uncle and keep going. That's how you survive!"
The child knows that he shouldn't cry, because tears will freeze into ice, and the face that has shed tears will crack, causing a pain like being cut with a knife.
But he couldn't help crying. No one could compare to his own father. The child wanted to carry his father on his back like everyone else. But he was too thin and weak to even lift his father.
Seeing everyone was almost gone, being alone at this moment meant certain death. It was either die with him, or abandon his father and follow his second uncle to survive. In an instant, the child made his decision and tried to carry his father on his back. Finally, he managed to lift his father onto his back. But after taking two steps, his legs gave way, and he collapsed.
His father was both relieved and anxious: "You should go quickly."
"I won't abandon you. At worst, we'll die together. We won't be alone on the road to the underworld," the child said stubbornly.
Just then, the sound of clattering hooves was heard. The sound of the horses stopped the crowd in front of them.
There were over a thousand refugees here, and half of them had died on the road. They were filled with despair at this blockade. There had been several previous instances where the county government had set off fireworks and firecrackers in a grand celebration, yet they were still not allowed to enter.
They really couldn't survive.
Just as everyone was filled with sorrow, someone loudly announced, "I am here on the orders of the county magistrate to escort you into the county town. The injured will be taken in by carriage first, and the rest will follow."
"I have injured people here!"
"I have some too."
Upon hearing this, the child's eyes lit up with joy. "Great! Father, we're saved!" he exclaimed. He then helped his father onto the carriage. This time, the county magistrate had requisitioned fifty carriages, thirty taels from the yamen (government office), and the rest borrowed from the brokers. The carriages were loaded with people. With the injured no longer in service, everyone moved much faster.
This was the only county government they had encountered during their escape.
The carriage was faster than they could walk, and after dropping off the passengers, it immediately turned back to pick them up. These people were already at their limit by now. He Zifeng truly admired them!
They made three detours in total, all taking horse-drawn carriages to the county town. The place was brightly lit. Inside, a spacious house was packed with over thirty people. Every room held that many people, yet the rooms were spacious and comfortable. They even had heated kang beds (traditional Chinese brick beds).
This is a warmth they haven't felt in a long time.
Every household felt like they were in a dream, and then they were given ginger soup to dispel the cold.
"How is my brother? He was taken away ahead of schedule."
"Yes, and my father too."
He Zifeng said, "The kitchen has already cooked porridge, and we will give each of you half a bowl later. The injured have all been handed over to the doctors for treatment. If any of you have a fever, you should move out in advance to avoid infecting others."
They hadn't eaten for so long that they could only eat half a bowl of thin porridge at a time. Otherwise, their bodies wouldn't be able to handle it.
Seeing He Zifeng's imposing presence and his attire as a yamen runner, everyone felt much more at ease: "Thank you, sir."
These people were all very weak and were filled with gratitude for the county that had taken them in.
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