Chapter 178: Blood boiling
Now the whole Songyang County is in chaos. People cannot open their doors to do business, and there is no place to buy food. Food must have become the biggest problem.
Shu Wan had thought about this from the very beginning.
"Really? Are you really responsible for all of our food and drink?" Someone thought he might have heard it wrong and asked in disbelief.
"This is impossible. There are so many people in Songyang County. Where did you find so much food?" Some people didn't believe Shu Wan and thought she was just delaying time.
"Yeah, if it only takes one or two days, it might be possible, but if it takes a long time, it will be impossible!" An old lady nodded, thinking that what she thought was right.
"That's right, how can this be possible? It's just nonsense!"
"No, she must give us a reliable explanation. Maybe she just wants to buy time and wait until we are all infected with the plague, and then let us fend for ourselves!"
"That's right, let us out! We want to get out!"
…
Seeing that the crowd started to quarrel again, Shu Wan quickly raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down.
"Everyone calm down and listen to me. I am in Songyang County now. If I lie to you, the lie will be easily exposed. Why should I do that?"
"There are so many people in Songyang County. If you really want to force your way out, I, the city lord, and the soldiers of Songyang County will not be able to stop you."
"You can leave at any time, but can you please trust me once? I promise that I will not let you down."
"I hope you can give me a chance, and give yourself a chance, okay?"
People are like this. They originally believed something, but when someone refutes it, they will start to doubt it and think that their previous speculation was wrong.
I was already somewhat skeptical before, and after hearing such remarks, how could I still stand on my previous stance?
"It's okay for us to believe you, but you have to show us where the food is. Otherwise, how can we believe that you are not just making empty promises?"
"That's right, you can't just talk about it, we have to see where the food is, otherwise we won't feel at ease."
Shu Wan had expected someone to say this.
"From now on, we will open the granary in Songyang County. The rice stored in it will be enough for the people of Songyang County to eat for about seven days!"
"At the same time, we have sent people back to the main city to gather food and transport it here. The food will arrive in five or six days at most!"
"So, don't worry, whether it's rice, vegetables, pork, or eggs, we will definitely supply them to the maximum extent possible, and we will never let anyone go hungry!"
"From today on, everyone must follow the instructions and stay at home in quarantine. You cannot go out. We will send people to deliver food to your doorstep every day, and you can pick it up when the time comes!"
"If there is something very serious and you have to go out, for example, if there is a pregnant woman about to give birth, or an elderly person is seriously ill, or there is other very urgent matter!"
"Everyone can rest assured that we will arrange patrol soldiers on every street. If you encounter an emergency, you can explain it to the soldiers, and then go out while taking safety precautions!"
"We promise that as long as you follow our instructions, cooperate with our work, and stay at home in isolation, all the expenses will be borne by us!"
"As for those people who have already been infected, all expenses from now until they are fully cured will be covered by us. No one needs to pay a penny!"
Shu Wan spoke very sincerely. It would be a lie to say that she was not moved. The look in her eyes could not be faked. Unconsciously, all the people present were aroused by her words.
They unconsciously felt that being a citizen of Blackwater City was something to be most proud of.
They don't need to spend a penny to eat fresh vegetables and rice for free. If they accidentally get sick, they don't need to pay for it because their superiors will cover it.
How could they not be moved by this?
Even some people with low tear points had red eyes.
They always thought that they were abandoned by the city lord. They were unfortunate to be born in Songyang County. This was their fate. They thought that they would be abandoned and left to fend for themselves here, with life and death at the mercy of fate.
Let’s not talk about whether the plague can be cured. Even if there is a medicine that can cure it, they are all poor people. Only a small number of people can afford to treat the disease, while most people cannot afford to buy medicine or see a doctor.
But now, Shu Wan told them that they could see a doctor and receive treatment for free! They were not abandoned.
They were to be remembered! So how could Shu Wan's words not make their blood boil and move them to tears?
"But this is a huge expense!" Someone roughly calculated the current prices, and then thought that there are more than 300,000 people in Songyang County and no one knows when the plague will end.
If the city lord were really asked to bear all these expenses, it would be an astronomical figure that is out of reach.
This will empty the City Lord's Mansion! The person who said this was not doubting Shu Wan because he didn't believe her, but was very worried. He was worried that if a war broke out after the City Lord spent all his money in Songyang County.
This is unpredictable. When other countries see that Blackwater City has experienced a disaster and all its money has been drained, they will surely not be able to fight a war and will inevitably launch an attack. By then, the generals fighting in the war will have no food to eat and no clothes to wear, and their horses will have no food or fodder to eat. How can they fight?
"Don't worry, my family is the richest in Blackwater City!" Shu Wan smiled, "We will definitely not let you go hungry. And your City Lord Rong has a lot of private money, don't worry, it's enough for you to spend." Shu Wan said with a sneer.
"Besides, all the people in Blackwater City are one family. As the saying goes, when one side is in trouble, all sides will come to its aid."
"Now that the folks of Songyang County have suffered such a disaster, as our compatriots, how can others just sit by and watch us suffer?"
"So don't worry, everyone. The city lord asked General Yu to go back to the main city to take the lead and call on all officials and merchants in the main city. Those who have money can contribute money, and those who don't have money can also contribute two stone of rice. In this way, are you afraid that you can't raise enough silver and food?"
"We have more than a hundred counties in Blackwater City. With so many compatriots here, they won't just watch you suffer and starve, so please rest assured!"
This was also what Shu Wan had agreed with Rong Chen early in the morning and asked Yu Jianning to do.
If the Shu family and the Rong family only rely on their financial resources, it can be said that they can afford all the money needed for the phone bills during this epidemic.
However, Songyang County has a large population and huge demand. Even if Rongshu and his family had money, they might not be able to buy so much food and vegetables and deliver them in time.
In addition, many industries are fixed assets, and it is really impossible to exchange them for hard cash at the moment.
So another thing Shu Wan asked Yu Jianning to do was to call on everyone in Blackwater City to work together.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work.
Shu Wan believed that as long as the entire Blackwater City was united, they would be able to eliminate the plague in a short time.
"Good! Good! Good!"
All the people present cheered and applauded, giving thunderous applause.
I have a deep respect and admiration for Shu Wansheng.
I had only heard before that the wife their city lord married, the eldest daughter of the Shu family, was a dandy girl, but seeing her with my own eyes today, she was clearly heroic and as capable as any man.
He is a true person who is willing to give everything for the survival of ordinary people like them. He is not afraid of the plague and came all the way to Songyang County to advance and retreat with them!
Not only do they have a wise city lord, they also have a city lord's wife who can be called a role model for the world! "Wanwan, I never knew that you have such magical power. Just a few words can calm their anxious emotions!" Rong Chen once again deeply felt that he had picked up a treasure. Why didn't he think about it and didn't want to marry her at the beginning!
If he could go back to the past, he would definitely kill his former self with his own hands.
"Isn't that great?" Shu Wan accepted it without being modest, "Maybe it's because I'm so beautiful and what I say is convincing. If it were you, you would definitely fail!" Shu Wan was in a good mood and made a joke.
"I admire you!" Rong Chen smiled. "If it were me, and I'm not bragging, I certainly wouldn't be able to say such inspiring words. They might even chase me and beat me up!" Rong Chen really couldn't say these words. He felt that it was a bit too pretentious.
Of course, this was only if it came from his mouth, but it was different when it came from Shu Wan's mouth. Even he couldn't help but feel awe after hearing it, not to mention these ordinary people.
"That's because you don't know what I did in my previous life." Shu Wan glanced at him and said, "I only used a little bit of my strength. It's nothing, nothing!" She waved her hands repeatedly, signaling Rong Chen not to admire her too much.
"Then I will definitely not argue with Wanwan from now on!"
"City Lord, Madam, we never thought that the City Lord and Madam would come in person and think so highly of us. City Lord and Madam, please accept our greetings!"
The people didn't know how to express their gratitude to Rong Chen and Shu Wan. All they could do was kowtow to them to show their sincerity.
As they spoke, they all knelt down in unison.
"Hey, Rong Chen!" Shu Wan was frightened by the scene. She reached out to pull Rong Chen's sleeve, "Hurry up and tell them to get up!" She really couldn't get used to this scene. Kneeling at every turn was too weird.
"Everyone, please stand up!" Rong Chen raised his hand, motioning them to stand up quickly, "No need for such a big ceremony, I am your city lord. Since I enjoy your offerings, I should naturally take on the responsibility of people's livelihood. This is my job, no need to thank me. As for the madam!" Having said this, Rong Chen looked at Shu Wan and smiled deeply, then said, "She is not used to others kneeling and kowtowing to her like this, so you just need to be grateful to her in your hearts. If you want to thank her, I will thank her on behalf of the people!"
Perhaps because of what Shu Wan said before, he didn't feel ashamed when he said this now! Shu Wan blushed a little when he was called Madam, but it was really not appropriate to refute at the moment. She couldn't embarrass him in front of so many people. How would the subsequent prevention and control work be carried out?
So she could only bear it and settle the score with him someday.
It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.
"Dear fellow villagers, let me say something!" At this time, Song Dagui came over and walked to the side of Rong Chen and Shu Wan and said, "Everyone has heard what the city lord and his wife said just now. As long as everyone cooperates with our government's work, you don't have to worry about food and drink."
"I will take the lead today and donate two-thirds of the money I have saved over the years to Songyang County for future expenses."
"Of course, I don't have much property, but this is my intention. I hope the city lord, his wife and the folks of Songyang County don't think I'm stingy. I really don't have much money, haha..." Song Dagui said halfway through his impassioned speech, and then hurriedly explained that he didn't have much money and couldn't donate much.
Firstly, he also had selfish motives. He couldn't donate all the money. Otherwise, after the plague, his family would have nothing to eat and drink. He had elderly parents and young children to take care of, so the burden on him was not light.
Furthermore, he also wanted to take this opportunity to show Rong Chen that he was not corrupt, perverting the law, plundering the people's wealth, or enriching himself!
"But there is one thing I have to make clear first. I have to say this up front, so that no one will accuse me of being unkind!" Then, he changed the subject, put away his smile, and became serious.
"If anyone refuses to cooperate with our work and insists on causing trouble, we will not be responsible for any of his expenses during this epidemic. If the case is serious, he will be sent to jail. Do you understand?"
He knew very well that there are all kinds of birds in a forest, and there will always be a small number of people who will cause trouble.
Therefore, he had to sound a warning to these people in advance so that they would be in awe and avoid causing trouble.
How could the people say that they had the intention to cause trouble? They only shouted that the city lord was wise, his wife was wise, and Lord Song was wise! Shu Wan then remembered a very important thing that he had forgotten.
So he publicly invited more than twenty women from among the people to follow him back to the government office to work.
It's impossible for Shu Wan to do nothing and just wait here for the supplies from the main city to be delivered. Before that, she has to start making a batch of emergency masks and protective clothing here for use first.
She didn't dare to invite too many people because she didn't know if there were any people who were infected with the plague and had not been detected among them.
The most taboo thing nowadays is a group of people gathering together!
(End of this chapter)
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