As he spoke, he introduced the Yunyu brothers to everyone, "These two are my second uncle's sons, Yunyu and Yunkang. In order for us to arrive in Nanman Prefecture smoothly, my second cousin looked up detailed information about Nanman Prefecture for us in advance. Now he will tell you about the situation there."
When the clan leader and Wu Xingwang heard that Yun Yu was doing so much for them, they all looked at him.
Being treated with such importance for the first time, Yunyu felt a little nervous. He had already memorized the information about the three counties, which he had found in his father's study and the government office's records.
"The three counties of Nanman Prefecture are Xihe, Longtan, and Chian. Xihe County is close to the sea and is a necessary passage for Japanese pirates to land. The land is mostly saline-alkali land, which is relatively barren and unsuitable for cultivation."
“Longtan is close to Xihe. The county town has flat terrain, plenty of fertile land, and is very suitable for cultivation. Before it was invaded by Japanese pirates, it was a well-known grain-producing county in the south. However, the Japanese pirates invaded every year, and the imperial court did not send troops to deal with them. Even the most fertile land was abandoned.”
When Yunyu saw the records, she felt a deep sense of regret for this place.
“Chi’an is located in a hilly area. The county has many mountains and little arable land. Irrigation is inconvenient. Farmers can barely make ends meet after a year of hard work. Due to high taxes and the influence of Japanese pirates, the people of this county also fled.”
Finally, Yunyu glanced at Yunye and said, "Second cousin, that's the situation in the three counties."
Yunye turned to the clan chief and Wu Xingwang and Wu Xu.
What do you think?
It is human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm. Wu Xingwang was terrified when he heard that Japanese pirates were causing trouble. "Why don't we choose Chi'an? If the Japanese pirates come, we can go up the mountain to hide."
As the leader of a small team, Wu Xu had witnessed the strength of the Yun brothers along the way.
"I chose Longtan. We came to the South because we wanted to have enough to eat."
The clan chief looked at the village chief and several clan elders.
The old fellows were cunning and shrewd; some pretended to be deep in thought with their eyes down, while others turned their heads away and didn't even look at the clan leader.
The clan chief was quite straightforward, throwing the question to Lin Yinan, "Yinan, you're knowledgeable and experienced, which place do you think we should choose?"
Lin Yinan replied without hesitation, “I think Longtan is the most suitable place. Our ancestors have been farmers for generations. The essence of farmers is farming. How can we live without the land? As for the Japanese pirates that everyone is worried about, we have encountered many Hu people, bandits and outlaws along the way. Have we ever been afraid?”
"Yes! I agree with choosing Longtan." Yun Mo unconditionally agreed with his wife's choice.
Yunyu was shocked.
Yunye took out a map of the Southern Barbarian Prefecture, which Yunyu had also brought.
"Longtan is here. Let's go to Longtan first. If the actual situation is not as expected, we'll consider other options. What do you all think?"
The clan chief said, "We are from the Tingyun family of Linjia Village."
"Let's go to Longtan first."
The others unanimously agreed to go to Longtan. They said that after leaving the territory of Nanzhou Prefecture tomorrow, it would take another five days to reach Longtan County.
"Master, are we really going to Longtan County to farm?"
When Wu Xingwang returned and told her, Zhao hesitated. Everyone there had fled, and there were still Japanese pirates. She was really worried.
“Perhaps this is an opportunity for our family to change its destiny.” On this issue, Wu Xingwang has keen insight; he sees far ahead and thinks deeply.
The desire of Zhao and Qian to persuade her further was suppressed.
Seeing that the two were puzzled, Wu Xingwang simply spoke frankly, "Although Nanzhou Prefecture is more prosperous, don't forget what the steward at the Yun family estate said. The families in the south have complicated relationships everywhere. One wrong step could lead to the destruction of your family and the loss of your life. You'll have to start all over again. You might as well follow the Yun family."
He then looked at Wu Xu's group behind him, "That Wu Xu is a smart one, he knows that following the Yun family is the right thing to do."
Wu Yuan nodded, realizing that he had been thinking too simply.
"Father, I heard that a pair of brothers from the second branch of the Yun family have arrived."
Wu Xingwang lowered his voice, "Don't offend people, try to keep in touch with them more often."
After leaving the territory of Nanzhou Prefecture, the further we went, the more desolate it became. In some places, there were no roads at all, and everywhere there were thorns and weeds taller than a person.
Springtime brings warmth and flowers, but various snakes, insects, and rodents still lurk in the grass.
The guards who led the way even caught two snakes as thick as a human arm.
Lin Yinan's family can stew a pot of snake soup every day, but she is afraid it will be bad for her child, so she doesn't dare to drink too much.
As the weather gets warmer, mosquitoes become more prevalent. Every day when setting up camp, Dr. Lü and Dr. Lin lead the villagers to fumigate mosquito-repelling herbs in the camp.
The team finally arrived in Longtan County on the seventh day.
Through the tall weeds, Lin Yinan could see the archway outside Longtan County in the distance, but the three characters "Longtan County" on it were already blurred.
The low city walls have mostly collapsed, and the county gate is nowhere to be seen.
The guards cleared a path ahead, and the group followed closely behind into the city.
The city was desolate and dilapidated; its former glory was long gone.
The streets were overgrown with weeds and the buildings were in ruins.
The roof tiles were dilapidated and in danger of falling at any moment when the wind blew. The walls were mottled, covered with cracks and climbing vines.
This will be their home from now on!
Even though it was dilapidated, there were no barbarians burning, killing, or looting there.
Everyone was very happy; they finally had a place to settle down.
The guards led everyone to an open space in front of the county government office, where they prepared to set up camp and rest.
There were many children in the group. After they stopped, the village men and the guards worked together to clear away the weeds from the surrounding houses and streets to prevent any snakes or insects from hiding there.
At the same time, Yunye had the village chief strike a gong to remind everyone to stay within their designated area and not to leave the open space in front of the county government office, as the houses were in danger of collapsing and they were not allowed to enter easily.
Although they were still eating wild vegetable porridge, things were different now. With hope for the future, everyone was full of energy and quickly prepared lunch.
Just before lunchtime, Yun Qi and Yun Ming, along with a squad of bodyguards, had already traversed the entire county and drawn up a map of its layout to facilitate future planning and renovation.
After lunch, the Yun brothers gathered all the men in the village and in Wu Xu and Wu Xingwang's group to discuss what to do next.
Yunye began by saying, "This is where we'll be living from now on. This place has been abandoned for many years, so the houses are definitely uninhabitable. Behind the county government office, there's a large area of farmland spanning two streets." He continued, "Let's brainstorm and discuss the two most pressing matters: how should we build the houses? And how should we cultivate the land?"
"The houses should be distributed to each household so they can build them themselves. The land should be measured out and then distributed to each household to cultivate," Wu Xu suggested, believing it to be the most appropriate solution.
The clan chief and villagers nodded in agreement, as they had done so when they were in the village.
"Whoever lives in the house should repair it, and the same goes for the land. Anyone who doesn't want to go hungry should go and farm it."
The Yun brothers looked at each other, having never farmed before. They were simply observing how others did it and then preparing to follow suit.
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