Li Jiren was just seeing patients at Wan'antang Clinic when he heard the news and rushed back immediately.
"Where is my son? Has my son returned safely?"
"What's all the fuss about?" As soon as she entered the backyard, seeing his hurried appearance, the lady glared at him. "Xuan'er is taking a bath."
Li Jiren quickly stopped and cupped his hands in greeting, "Madam, I was just too anxious."
The maids in the mansion covered their mouths and chuckled when they saw this. Their master had been married for many years, but he and his wife still treated each other with the utmost respect.
People were scrambling to get a job at the Li household, knowing that the master was kind and never mistreated his servants.
Seeing his expression, the lady handed him a cup of cool tea, saying, "Don't worry, Xuan'er is safe and sound, he's not injured."
Whew… Li Jiren felt relieved. Although he had received the letter before, he could only truly feel at ease when it was back by his side.
After sitting down, he took a sip of cold tea and subconsciously said, "Madam, you shouldn't drink too much of this tea. One cup a day is the maximum."
The lady rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. "I know, I know, Doctor Li."
Everyone laughed.
Before long, Li Xuan came out after washing up. Li Jiren hurriedly went up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and seeing that he was indeed unharmed, grabbed his hand to take his pulse, but Li Xuan refused.
"No rush, I'm fine, let's eat first."
"Alright, Dad will eat some more with you."
Li Jiren was particular about health preservation and did not eat after noon, but he made an exception for his eldest son.
The feast was prepared long ago, and dishes were brought out one after another, filling the table to the brim.
Although Wan'an Hall did not charge consultation fees during this period, some people felt bad about it and sent some vegetables or chickens to the Li family. The Li family never lacked food and drink.
Watching their eldest son devour his food, the couple exchanged a smile and quickly urged him to "slow down."
Li Xuan ate until his belly was round, like autumn leaves being swept away by the wind, and then let out a burp without any regard for his image.
"Mother, I'd like to have a word with Father."
Li Xuan calls her "Mother," but calls Li Jiren "Father." It sounds like nothing, as if the father and son are close, but only the three of them can understand the difference in meaning.
"Alright, you two can talk."
The hall was cleared, and the two sat facing each other.
"Father, what does my father want to do?"
These words sounded awkward, but Li Jiren had already gotten used to them and accepted them as normal.
"It's nothing, just distributing grain and porridge. I would have done it even if the master hadn't said anything."
"That's all? No other steps?"
"No, I really don't. If you don't believe me, ask your mother. I'm at Wan'an Hall all day seeing patients. I don't have time to do anything else."
Li Xuan pondered for a moment, "I heard that the imperial relief grain arrived today, but it was mixed with bran?"
"That's true. The people are full of complaints, and many people have blocked the entrance to the county government office."
What do we use for distributing porridge at home?
Li Jiren looked embarrassed, but he still told the truth in the end, "Fine grains..."
Li Xuan let out a long breath, and roughly understood what his father wanted to do.
The conversation ended there. He knew his father wouldn't let his dad get too involved, and he guessed that all the wealthy merchants and gentry in the county did the same.
Li Jiren insisted on taking the patient's pulse and found that the patient was somewhat weak. He immediately wrote a prescription and returned to Wan'an Hall shortly afterward.
Li Xuan summoned Uncle Gong, gave him a few brief instructions, and sent him out to gather intelligence.
"Big pot..." The little girl strode into the house with her short legs.
They had already given orders not to approach, and only this person dared to disregard them.
She ran up to Li Xuan and hugged his leg tightly. "Big brother, where did you go? You didn't even take Yan'er with you."
Li Xuan shook his head and chuckled, then picked her up and pulled her onto his lap, gently stroking her little nose.
"How old are you and you still can't speak properly? If you don't speak properly, your brother will spank your tutor's bottom."
This is his younger sister, Li Yan, born to Li Jiren and his concubine.
Heaven has mercy, her father will never have a legal wife in his life, and this girl is being wronged, even though she is the legitimate daughter.
However, with the Empress in power, the distinction between men and women, and between legitimate and illegitimate children, was greatly weakened, and only one principle was believed: the capable rise and the mediocre fall.
"Hmph! If Big Pot goes out without Yan'er, he only deserves to be called Big Pot."
"Oh... I see..." Li Xuan feigned distress, "Then the gift that my brother went through all that trouble to bring back from another county can only be given to another family's little sister..."
"No!"
"Big Brother!" In the village by the riverbank, a group of men rushed into the house.
They were all very strong and muscular, with an unquenchable restlessness between their brows.
"What are you yelling about?"
The man sitting at the head of the table was dressed in a gray-brown short jacket. He was muscular and strong, and his skin was like that of rough pottery that had been soaked in river water, dark with a reddish tinge.
It was none other than Liu Bo, the Iron Anchor Elder, who was the head of the Longmen County branch of the Canal Gang.
He downed the large bowl of tea in one gulp, pointed at one of the men, and said, "Liu Laosi, you speak."
"Brother!" Liu Laosi stepped forward and told them about the fact that bran and chaff had been mixed into the disaster relief grain provided by the imperial court.
Liu Bo's nostrils twitched, and he spoke in a deep voice, "Have you brought them here?"
"We've brought them back. Quick, bring a bag up."
A burlap sack was placed in front of him. Liu Bo bent down, instantly drew the short knife from his waistband, and slit it open to reveal the grain inside.
He stretched out his left hand, his knuckles as thick as old bamboo roots, the horizontal lines on his palm worn white by the thin rope. He grabbed a handful of food and then slammed it down hard.
"Fifty percent bran, is this even fit for human consumption?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the room immediately became noisy.
"It must have been embezzled and corrupted by the imperial court."
“Those gentlemen in the court don’t treat us like human beings; probably 50% of them think we’re doing them a favor.”
"Could it be the county magistrate...?"
"Shut up! Magistrate Lu is such a good official, haven't you known how good he is after all these years?"
"Ha, I heard that the one providing disaster relief is the eldest princess, and a member of the military, is that all?"
...
People had been looking forward to it for a long time, but the reality was far from what they expected, and complaints poured in.
Silently, complaints spread from the disaster relief grain.
"A bunch of lazy, incompetent officials forcibly demolished Huilongtan. I think this is retribution!"
In order to widen the canal for transport, the imperial court ordered the forced demolition of the Jiuqu Huilongtan area seven or eight years ago.
This grievance arose because it was a natural flood discharge area.
"Hmph, it's that damn thing..." The person who was speaking blurted out in anger, but then suddenly felt a sense of apprehension and barely managed to swallow the words "Empress":
"Stopping the worship of the River God angered the Water God; otherwise, how could there have been such a great flood?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I think!"
...
Most of the canal gangs have made their living on the water for generations, and the worship of the River God is a tradition passed down from their ancestors.
As a result, the Empress ascended the throne and issued an imperial edict designating the River God as a wild deity, from which it could no longer be worshipped.
The old man couldn't accept it and kept nagging at home, but with the imperial court suppressing him, he could only keep it to himself.
Using the "bran and chaff" issue as an excuse, they vented all their grievances.
Liu Bo sat at the head of the table, his face sullen.
There was no attempt to stop the increasingly outrageous complaints, as if everyone shared a common hatred for the enemy...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
