Tao Wanniang gave Hu Shi a knowing smile, and walked forward with a relaxed expression. After changing into decent clothes, she would no longer look like a refugee.
A long queue had formed in front of the government office. Hu Shi and Tao Wan Niang stood in line one after the other, listening to the people express their gratitude.
"Sister Tao, do you... have connections in high places?"
Hu asked in a low voice.
"No, I have someone below me. My deceased man keeps appearing in my dreams."
Tao Wanniang said half-jokingly, looking at the people around her who were all thanking their God, she also felt a bit more favorably toward the imperial inspector.
If it weren't for that official, the county government probably wouldn't have distributed grain.
One dou of rice per person was an immense blessing for ordinary people; one dou of rice could feed a family of three for a month if they ate sparingly.
When it was Tao Wanniang's turn, she expressed her gratitude to the county magistrate in the same way as the surrounding people, which did not arouse any suspicion from the yamen runners.
"Lord Cheng!" Tao Wanniang, carrying rice, immediately stepped forward and called out when she saw Cheng Feng patrolling nearby.
"Who are you?"
Cheng Feng looked at Tao Wanniang and found her familiar, but he couldn't quite place her.
“It’s me, Tao Wan Niang. If it weren’t for Lord Cheng and the Imperial Inspector yesterday, my family of eight wouldn’t have been able to enter the city. Today, we were able to receive the rice distributed by the imperial court. On behalf of my family, I thank Lord Cheng!”
Upon hearing Tao Wan's mother mention a family of eight, Cheng Feng remembered them. However, after changing into clean clothes and tidying up, she looked like a completely different person!
"Why didn't you bring your family along? Every extra person means an extra bushel of rice!"
Cheng Feng couldn't help but ask.
"Lord Cheng, don't you know?" Tao Wanniang leaned closer and whispered, "The officials are driving away the refugees. People who aren't from this city aren't allowed to come and collect rice. I... I had to borrow some nice clothes to get through. Lord Cheng, you have to keep this a secret from me!"
As soon as Tao Wanniang finished speaking, Cheng Feng's expression changed. This county magistrate dared to be so outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant!
"Lord Cheng, to avoid getting into trouble, I want to take my family away from Caofeng County, but I'm afraid we'll be arrested as soon as we step onto the street. Lord Cheng, can you tell me what we should do?"
Tao Wanniang deliberately feigned weakness and asked, "I was arrested, but my three grandchildren, the oldest of whom is only three years old, are still alive. We've survived all this way to the provincial capital on just this one peck of rice."
"Don't worry, Aunt Tao, this kind of thing will never happen. I will report to the magistrate."
Seeing that Cheng Feng had gone to find the imperial inspector, Tao Wanniang happily carried the rice away.
"Sister Tao, do you know that official?"
Madam Hu was extremely shocked. Wasn't Tao Wan Niang a refugee from famine? How could she know someone of such status?
Tao Wanniang nodded and said in a serious tone, "This is the Inspector General's guard. If it weren't for their protection, how could we have entered the city?"
Hu looked at Tao Wanniang with newfound respect, having gained a clearer understanding of her appearance.
The two carried the rice home. The sudden distribution of rice relieved Hu's immediate crisis, and it would last her quite a while.
"Mom, how come you can bring back a bag of rice after just one trip? Why didn't you call us along?"
Ling Dahu was very excited when he saw the peck of rice that Tao Wanniang had brought back.
“If you go out, you’ll be arrested by the officials halfway there, let alone when you get to the yamen.”
Tao Wanniang said directly, "The officials in Caofeng County are really audacious. They dare to deceive the Imperial Inspector. On the surface, they are distributing rice to the court for disaster relief, but behind the scenes, they are driving away the refugees. However, I have already reported this to the Imperial Inspector, so it shouldn't be a problem for us to leave later."
The Ling family members looked at each other in disbelief. When did their mother become so powerful that she could easily get in touch with the imperial inspector?
"Mother, are we just going to wait a bit and then leave?"
Ling Dahu asked, his face full of admiration for Tao Wanniang.
"Let's get everything organized first. Are all the noodles dry? Put them away. Now we have a peck of rice and a bag of dried noodles, so we won't have to worry about running out of food on the road anymore."
Tao Wanniang efficiently directed her son and daughter-in-law, while she herself naturally needed to rest for a while.
"Gouwa, come here. Grandma's legs are sore. Come and massage Grandma's legs."
"Okay, Grandma." The puppy was very sensible and well-behaved, and knew that his grandma had been protecting him all the way. He immediately ran to Tao Wan's mother and squatted down.
"Aunt Tao, let me give you a shoulder massage."
Under Aunt Liang's guidance, Xiao Qiao'er obediently stepped forward and began to massage Tao Wan's shoulders.
How much strength can a child have? But Tao Wan's mother still felt at ease.
The Ling brothers went to get noodles, while their two daughters-in-law packed some personal belongings. Their granddaughter, Huani, and grandson, Ergou, sat obediently in front of the door, watching Tao Wanniang.
When Mrs. Hu, who had just finished putting down the rice, came over, she saw this scene of her grandson surrounded by his knees, and she was so envious that she almost cried.
"Oh my, Sister Tao, you're so lucky!"
"What a blessing! My children and grandchildren are all debts to me. I have to take care of this whole family!"
Tao Wan's mother complained, but her eyes were actually smiling; her little grandson was quite adorable.
"What, you're leaving already?"
“Can I stay? It costs one tael of silver a night. I don’t have any extra money. That one tael of silver is money I’ve saved up from the very bottom of my heart.”
Tao Wanniang was speaking to the two women who were tidying up the house. Didn't they know how much money her family had? Her wealth had nothing to do with the original owner's past exploitation of her son and daughter-in-law.
"Well... Sister Tao, everyone's suffering, you know that."
Hu was a little embarrassed; she was even wondering if the county government's distribution of grain was related to Tao Wanniang.
"Sister Tao, I really want to thank you. You might be the lucky star of the Hu family."
Mrs. Hu said with a smile that two bowls of egg noodles and this bag of rice would be enough for her to get by. Maybe she could make it through the drought. Then she could grow some vegetables in her yard and do some odd jobs, and that would be enough to get by.
“Sister Tao, I won’t stop you from leaving, but if you ever come to Caofeng County again, remember to visit me.”
"Okay, Sister Hu, you'd better take good care of yourself, so that I won't be unable to find you when I need you someday!"
Tao Wanniang spoke with a smile, her slightly sarcastic words sounding all the more genuine.
"Pah, pah, pah! You jinx! Don't worry, I'm tough as nails!"
Ms. Hu said with a smile, her face completely different from the cold expression she had at the beginning of last night.
"Hey, I'll go out and see for you, let's see if the officials will still stop the refugees."
"That's wonderful, Sister Hu, you're such a kind person."
"Sister Tao, it's just that we clicked. You're truly my lucky star."
The two were exchanging compliments when Madam Hu went out to take a look. About half an hour later, she returned.
"Alright, Sister Tao, I've inquired. They're not guarding the city gates anymore, letting the refugees in. There are no officials stopping the refugees on the streets either. You're really amazing; you've helped so many people with just a few words."
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