The next morning, the people in the county learned that they had taken in a group of disaster-stricken people the day before and settled them in a remote area on the outskirts of the city. They had no clothes, and the county hoped that everyone would donate a few pieces of clothing they didn't need.
As soon as the news came out, many people enthusiastically donated clothes.
"These are my eldest son and second daughter's clothes from when they were little. They've all been washed, so let the children wear them."
“These are my sister-in-law’s clothes that my mother-in-law sorted out. These brightly colored clothes are too worn out, so you can take them.”
"These clothes, sir, please don't mind that they're old. I've checked them, and there are no patches!"
Everyone was very kind, He Zifeng said, "I thank you all on behalf of the disaster victims."
These ordinary people are very simple and honest. It would have been better if they hadn't been thanked; the more they were, the more their faces turned red. They said, "The world is tough. They wouldn't have left their families and homes if they hadn't been desperate."
These snow disasters exceeded everyone's expectations. The locals' lives had only just begun to improve, and they were already giving back to others.
The county received a lot of clothes, and some thoughtful people even brought water basins and bamboo baskets. These things weren't valuable, but they were useful for daily life.
Everyone was very enthusiastic about donating clothes, so much so that one room in the county was overflowing. Since they weren't careful enough with the donations, they hired someone else to do it.
The guy we recruited is in his forties and has a slight limp. I heard he was married when he was young. But after he joined the army, he never came back; I heard he died in battle.
He had no children and was physically disabled. He could only make a living by weaving straw and the like.
He Zifeng only discovered him when he was going through the county's population survey. This job was easy, perfect for him. They provided food. After a month of work, he would also receive a cotton-padded coat, which could be resold for three hundred coins.
However, he didn't plan to sell it; he just happened to need a thick coat like this.
Since he'd taken on this job, he had to do it well. First, he sorted all the clothes—men's, women's, and young men's. Some clothes needed washing. He took five hundred pieces of clothing over there. He'd heard the clothes there were so filthy they couldn't be washed properly. They were practically glued to the body!
The doctor said this isn't hygienic. Their clothes, shoes, and pants need to be changed to clean ones. Their old clothes should be piled up and burned to prevent them from bringing in dirt and getting sick.
Sorting out more than 500 sets of clothes in one day is no easy task. But without anyone's help, he managed to pack them up, put them in bundles, and go with the truck to distribute the clothes.
The disaster victims were overjoyed to hear that they would have new clothes to wear. Before, they had to wear them out of necessity to survive, but now that they had work, they felt ashamed to still be dressed in tattered clothes!
They joked that even the beggars in the county were dressed more decently than they were.
Who would have thought that the leaders here would be so meticulous, even remembering something as simple as clothing? This is the kindness of the people in the county, and it means a great deal to them.
They had received all sorts of disdain along the way. Now, even a little bit of love was enough to bring tears to their eyes.
There's a separate area for changing clothes, and there's a basin there where you can quickly wash yourself.
The basin was originally filled with clean water, but after they washed in it, it became filthy. However, after washing their bodies and hair and changing their clothes, they felt refreshed and energetic, no longer like they were when they first arrived.
They even tidied up their place. Everything there exuded a different kind of vitality.
The meal arrived shortly after we finished tidying up. A few days ago, the doctor said they were weak and had been eating only multigrain porridge and steamed buns. Now that their spirits have improved, I made multigrain bean rice and stir-fried vegetables today. The stir-fried vegetables smelled wonderful.
Although it was just ordinary stir-fried cucumber slices, they could still smell that oil and meat had been added.
When serving the rice, a layer of vegetables was placed on top. After mixing it, the vegetable broth soaked into the rice, and the rice absorbed the flavor of the vegetables. A bite of rice followed by a bite of cucumber slices was crisp, refreshing, and sweet—a deliciousness they had never imagined before.
From starving to being able to eat stir-fried dishes, it feels like a dream. They're restless despite the county providing them with such a good life. Recently, many people have been urging them, asking when the brick kiln will start operating; they want to get to work as soon as possible.
Otherwise, I'd feel guilty about being fed and cared for like this every day.
Although they were anxious, the county government wasn't. The county magistrate now had business from the greenhouse every day. He earned quite a bit selling vegetables in the winter. It was more than enough to cover the food and drink needs of these newcomers.
Working at the brickyard is exhausting; once they start, it's no joke. Their bodies haven't fully recovered yet. They plan to rest for a few more days before resuming operations.
He Zifeng had several things to do recently, and by the time it was time for lunch, it was almost evening.
He Zifeng moved a chair to the rest room of the yamen and sat down to rest with his eyes closed. Once he was exhausted, he didn't even want to eat.
A moment later, a slight noise was heard at the door. He Zifeng's rest was disturbed, but he wasn't annoyed, assuming the county magistrate had summoned him again. He'd had too many chores lately. He Zifeng opened his eyes, somewhat surprised. It was none other than Qiu Yu, carrying a food box. Seeing He Zifeng awake, Qiu Yu said somewhat apologetically, "Did I wake you?"
He Zifeng immediately stood up, took two quick steps forward, and secretly touched his wife's hand as he took the food box. If he couldn't feel the warmth from her fingers, he would have thought he was dreaming.
He Zifeng's lips curled up when he saw Qiu Yu, and he said, "Why are you here?" After not seeing her for many days, his eyes were filled with tenderness.
Qiu Yu said, "I had nothing to do at home, so I stewed some chicken. You can try it." He also missed He Zifeng, so he could only use this as an excuse to come over.
The other yamen runners recognized Qiu Yu and immediately let him in. They also spoke highly of He Zifeng, saying that he was so busy that he didn't even have time to eat.
Qiu Yu always entered the room quietly, afraid of disturbing him. Who would have thought that He Zifeng would be so perceptive and wake up immediately?
He Zifeng's smile widened even more. She really was his wife; she thought of him whenever she cooked something delicious.
At this moment, He Zifeng was more concerned about Qiu Yu, so he got up and locked the door to the rest room.
Qiu Yu pretended not to know. But his slightly red ears betrayed him.
After closing the door, He Zifeng hugged Qiu Yu from behind. They both probably missed each other's warmth, and they had done more intimate things on ordinary days. Now, it was just a simple hug, but it made them both instantly intoxicated.
Qiu Yu is usually very cautious, but for some reason, she hugged He Zifeng's neck and gave him a kiss.
The fact that his wife kissed him had completely distracted He Zifeng, leaving him utterly blank-minded. He had only one thought in mind: he wanted her, right now.
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