Distributing porridge at the city gate
The guards at the gate remembered Fu Zhiqiao and immediately stopped her, saying with displeasure, "Why are you here again? We've already told you, our lords don't receive guests!"
Fu Zhiqiao explained, "Please inform Lord Li that Taibai Wine Shop is willing to donate 100,000 catties of grain to help the disaster victims in Qingzhou overcome their difficulties."
"What's wrong with you? Can't you understand human language? Don't think you're a woman..." The officer realized halfway through his sentence, "Who do you say you are?"
Yinxing added from the side, "Our young lady is the owner of Taibai Wine Shop and wishes to meet Lord Li."
Taibai Wine Shop was well-known in Qingzhou, and when the official heard that she was going to donate 100,000 catties of grain, he immediately changed his attitude: "Please wait a moment, I will go and report to Lord Li right away."
"My lord! My lord!"
Li Wenkang was already annoyed by the disaster victims when he heard the officials shouting. He said unhappily, "Why are you shouting if you're not? Can't you see I'm busy?"
The official ran in, panting, and said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, there is a woman outside the gate. She claims to be the owner of Taibai Wine Shop and says she wants to donate 100,000 catties of grain."
"What?!" Li Wenkang jumped to his feet and asked, "Is this true? Where is she?"
"It's right at the door."
Li Wenkang grabbed a book from the table and smashed it on the official's head, yelling, "Then why don't you hurry up and invite the person in!"
Inside the yamen, Li Wenkang warmly received Fu Zhiqiao.
"Truly, women are just as capable as men! Who would have thought that the renowned Taibai Wine was created by a woman named Boss Fu!"
Fu Zhiqiao was too lazy to beat around the bush with him. "Now that people are suffering from disaster both inside and outside the city, why is Your Excellency delaying the opening of the granaries?"
Faced with such a problem, Li Wenkang had a good idea of how to deal with it. His smile faded slightly as he said, "Boss Fu, it's not that I'm unwilling to open the granary for disaster relief, but opening the granary without cause is a serious crime. Without orders from above, I dare not act on my own!"
Fu Zhiqiao wisely stopped asking and changed the subject: "What are your plans to do about the disaster victims outside the city, sir?"
Li Wenkang sighed: "It's not that I don't want to settle them, but I'm simply powerless to do so! Boss Fu has seen the situation in the yamen..."
Fu Zhiqiao listened patiently as Li Wenkang finished complaining about being poor. "Lord Li, let me be frank. Donating 50,000 or 100,000 jin of grain is no problem for me. However, I have one request."
Fifty thousand catties of grain? One hundred thousand catties of grain?
Li Wenkang's eyes lit up. Grain prices in the city were soaring, with a pound of fine grain costing eighty wen. One hundred thousand pounds of grain would be a considerable sum of money.
His smile widened: "What are your requirements? Mr. Fu, please speak frankly."
"I will be in charge of the entire process of distributing disaster relief grain."
Li Wenkang was overjoyed when she agreed to donate grain, but her next words made him hesitate: "This...this doesn't make sense..."
How can the government entrust disaster relief to an outsider?
Fu Zhiqiao knew exactly what Li Wenkang was thinking. He wanted to use the donated grain to enhance his own reputation, trying to gain both fame and honor. There was no such thing as a free lunch.
"The government will naturally be in charge of disaster relief, but I will have to decide how to implement it."
Ten thousand catties of grain can only provide emergency relief, not save lives.
The already impoverished people have now suffered a natural disaster, and their means of survival are likely to become even more limited.
Fu Zhiqiao absolutely refused to allow the grain she donated to be embezzled. She despised Li Wenkang in her heart. In the hearts of these so-called "parent officials," the lives of so many disaster victims were not as important as his political achievements.
After thinking for a moment, Li Wenkang realized that using the government's name to provide disaster relief didn't seem like a bad deal for him.
“Lord Li, the grain was donated by me, so it’s my decision how to use it. If you don’t agree, just pretend I was never here!” With that, Fu Zhi Qiao got up to leave.
Li Wenkang quickly stopped her; they couldn't let the duck that was already in their mouths fly away.
It doesn't matter who is in charge of the food relief; the final credit will go to them anyway.
Li Wenkang immediately agreed: "Boss Fu is too kind. Of course, you will be responsible for all the grain you donated. I will issue the order right away."
*
At the intersection of Yudao and Yongzheng Street, a sallow-faced, thin young man ran over excitedly, shouting, "They're giving out porridge outside the city! It's true! Everyone hurry up and get some porridge, or it'll all be gone by the people outside the city! Hurry up, everyone..."
"Outside the city? Weren't the city gates closed?"
"It was just opened; I saw it with my own eyes."
"Zeng Linggang, is that true? I don't have the strength to run to the city gate."
Zeng Xingming rolled his eyes and said, "It's not going to be rice porridge again, is it?"
It would take them about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to get from where they are now to the city gate. If they were given rice porridge, he wouldn't go. Drinking a bowl of rice porridge wouldn't even make up for the effort he would expend walking back and forth.
"No, I saw it, I saw it very clearly! It was sticky, white rice porridge!" The young man named Zeng Linggang couldn't hide his excitement.
"Really?" Zeng Xingming stood up, but his tone was still very skeptical. Last time the porridge was rice water, but this time it's rice porridge? He didn't believe that those officials could have much kindness.
"You're not trying to trick us, are you? Trying to lure us away and take our seats?" A middle-aged man spoke up. They were all from Baitou Town and had fled immediately when the flood came. Because they arrived early, they were lucky enough to enter Qingzhou City. Those who came after them weren't so fortunate and were left outside the city.
"Believe it or not, it's up to you." Zeng Linggang picked up his chipped earthenware bowl and immediately ran towards the city gate.
Zeng Linggang's figure quickly disappeared at the intersection, leaving Zeng Xingming and several other fellow villagers behind. They looked at each other suspiciously before choosing to chase after him. "Gangzi, wait for me! I didn't say I didn't believe you!"
There was indeed porridge being distributed at the city gate.
About two or three hundred meters from the city gate, a new soup kitchen was built.
Ten meters away from the soup kitchen stood government officials holding long guns, and a fence more than a meter high was erected to prevent the disaster victims from rushing in and looting, which could lead to accidents.
Five large pots were set up under the shed, filled with thick white porridge, which emitted a rich aroma.
A dozen or so officials were wearing aprons and linen masks, looking neat and clean. They were responsible for serving porridge to the refugees one by one, while five large pots behind them were constantly adding rice to cook new porridge.
Disaster victims from all directions came upon hearing the news, crowding the soup kitchen to the brim.
It's true! It's true!
The big pot was full of thick, hot white porridge; they were finally able to eat rice porridge!
"I've never thought rice porridge tasted so good before!" Zeng Linggang said, and then he burst into tears.
"Look at you, so useless." Zeng Xingming said with disdain, but a layer of mist rose in his eyes.
Zeng Xingming and Zeng Linggang are cousins. He lost both his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle. During this flood, only he and Zeng Linggang escaped; all the other elders were swept away by the water and their whereabouts are unknown.
This bowl of porridge was the most they had eaten since the accident.
Fu Zhiqiao stood next to the soup kitchen, wearing a veil, personally supervising the process to ensure the disaster victims had enough to eat.
The thick rice porridge smelled so good that everyone wanted to squeeze to the front to get a sip of hot porridge. Inevitably, some commotion broke out in the crowd. The officials maintaining order shouted, "Don't rush, everyone gets some!"
The officer shouted at the top of his lungs, his face turning red, but it had no effect.
Seeing this, Fu Zhiqiao immediately scolded, "No cutting in line! Anyone who cuts in line will not be given porridge tomorrow, and none of you will get any!"
Upon hearing that those who cut in line would not be allowed to serve porridge the next day, the disaster victims who were desperately pushing forward immediately stopped.
"Will you come again tomorrow?"
Will there be this thick white porridge again tomorrow?
After receiving a positive response, many people in the porridge line spontaneously stepped forward to maintain order, and those who were restless obediently followed instructions and formed a long queue.
The people maintaining order were Zeng Xingming and his fellow villagers, especially Zeng Xingming, who had noticed the veiled woman in the soup kitchen long ago.
Seeing that the officials obeyed her orders, she immediately realized that the porridge was probably donated by her.
Zeng Xingming muttered quietly, "I knew it! Why did those officials suddenly become so kind?"
Since he had received a favor from her, Zeng Xingming wanted to do something to repay her. So, he spontaneously led a few fellow villagers to help maintain order in the group.
The line for porridge was so long that it seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.
Fu Zhiqiao estimated in her mind that the flood had affected at least hundreds of thousands of people.
She also saw the grandfather and grandson she had seen at the city gate before in the queue. The old man looked thinner than a few days ago, and the little boy looked listless. With porridge to drink, at least their lives could be saved.
No one cut in line or caused any trouble, and the porridge distribution proceeded very smoothly.
Soon it was the grandfather and grandson's turn. The officer scooped a spoonful of white porridge into the old man's bowl and said, "Next!"
"Wait!" Fu Zhi Qiao walked over. "Everyone gets a bowl of congee, give this child one too."
The officer recognized Fu Zhi Qiao and seemed flustered when she came out to speak. "I... I just thought he was young and could eat with the adults."
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't make things difficult for the official serving the porridge. Instead, she instructed Yin Xing, "Yin Xing, bring me a bowl." She took the bowl, walked to the large pot, and personally scooped half a spoonful of porridge for the child.
The old man froze on the spot, and Ginkgo reminded him from behind, "Grandpa, don't just stand there, catch it quickly!"
The old man came to his senses, took the half bowl of porridge, squatted down and fed it to the little boy. After taking a sip, the little guy's eyes filled with tears, and he couldn't help but lean on his grandfather's shoulder and sob.
The old man, holding the little boy's hand, bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, kind philanthropist! Thank you, living bodhisattva!"
Fu Zhiqiao said to the soldiers serving porridge, "Everyone should have a share of white porridge. We can't withhold it just because they are children. From now on, adults will get one bowl of porridge, and children will get half a bowl."
A bowl of plain porridge isn't a very large portion to begin with, and adults have to save some from their own mouths to feed the children, so the end result is that neither of them gets enough to eat.
The disaster victims who were queuing up saw her act and shouted, "Thank you, kind philanthropist!"
The words of gratitude rose and fell.
Several women holding children immediately tried to kneel down before her.
Fu Zhiqiao felt happy seeing the disaster victims happily drinking from their bowls.
After the first day of porridge distribution, about three or four thousand disaster victims arrived.
Nearly two thousand catties of grain have been consumed, and this is only the first day. Once the news of the porridge distribution at the gates of Qingzhou City spreads, even more people will likely come tomorrow and the day after.
Fu Zhiqiao found Zeng Xingming; she had witnessed his actions during the day.
A person with a grateful heart can't be too bad. Fu Zhiqiao plans to give him a chance to contact ten healthy and able-bodied people among the disaster victims.
"We need some workers who can carry things and wash dishes for our porridge distribution. It's ten coins a day. Are you willing to do this job?"
Zeng Xingming was overwhelmed by the sudden surprise and stammered, "I...I'm willing."
"Well, I'm still short nine people. Could you help me ask around and see if there's anyone else willing to come and work?"
"Me? You want me to ask?" Zeng Xingming pointed to himself in disbelief. This was tantamount to giving him the right to choose people!
"Yes, it's you!"
Ten coins a day may not seem like much, but at this critical juncture, it adds up, and there are far too many people willing to do this job.
The next morning, Zeng Xingming brought ten carefully selected honest and healthy people to Fu Zhiqiao.
With the addition of these ten people, the workload of the officials was reduced.
The porridge was only distributed to homeless disaster victims inside and outside the city. People in the city were not allowed to receive it. Moreover, the purpose of distributing porridge was to prevent people from starving to death, and it was stipulated that each person could only receive it once a day.
But there were just too many disaster victims, and the soup kitchens couldn't keep up with the demand.
The 100,000 jin of grain had been eaten up at some point, and Fu Zhiqiao had another 20,000 jin of rice brought out from the winery.
"Girl, should we continue to provide food?" Looking at the vast number of disaster victims, Ginkgo couldn't help but ask.
Fu Zhiqiao was also troubled; she couldn't possibly bear the burden of ensuring that everyone in the city had enough to eat.
Fortunately, two days later, she received the imperial order to open the granaries and distribute grain.
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