Pan Qingfeng stepped out from the crowd and, seeing Lin Yinan looking at the unburnt mugwort in the fire, smiled and explained, "There were so many mosquitoes at night, biting the child so badly. One of the herbalists in the group, who had some basic medical knowledge, smelled the mugwort wafting from the city wall and went to the forest to collect some to burn and repel mosquitoes."
"I took it without asking, please forgive me, Lord City Lord!"
As he spoke, he led everyone to bow to Lin Yinan and presented her with the booklet containing the information of each family that had been registered the night before.
"Lord City Lord," Lin Yinan said, quite liking the title. "It's alright. Anyone with medical knowledge knows that mugwort has mosquito-repelling properties."
Then she told Pan Qingfeng and the others about Longtan County's policy on sheltering people.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in disbelief.
"If we work here for ten years, will the house really belong to us?" someone asked cautiously.
"They still give us food every month?"
"Eat three meals a day?"
Some people even pinched their thighs hard to make sure they weren't dreaming.
"I'm not dreaming!"
Their journey south was arduous and filled with hardship. Unlike those who came down from the mountains, they did not question Lin Yinan, but instead wondered if they were hallucinating.
Otherwise, how could such a good thing fall into their laps?
"Is it really not a contract of servitude?" Pan Qingfeng asked Lin Yinan again to confirm.
"no!"
Lin Yinan stood there quietly, her eyes clear and bright, her belly high and protruding. The rising sun shone down, gilding her with a golden light.
"Truly, Guanyin Bodhisattva is a savior from suffering!"
Several elderly men hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.
Lin Yinan gave her brother a wink, and Lin Yiheng quickly stepped forward to help the elderly man leading the group up.
"Grandpa, please get up quickly."
At this moment, the guards carried out several tables and chairs, and Lin Yuanzhi and Lin Tiezhuang helped to set out the writing brushes, ink, and the contracts they had copied the night before.
Lin Yinan picked up a contract from the table and handed it to Pan Qingfeng. "You can read, so read this contract to them first, and then line up to sign it."
Pan Qingfeng took the document and unfolded it. Every clause that the city lord had mentioned was clearly written on it, with rewards and punishments clearly defined.
In the end, the more he looked, the more horrified he became, and his hands began to tremble involuntarily.
What kind of magnanimity does this pregnant woman possess to have such lofty ambitions?
As soon as Pan Qingfeng finished reading, he turned around and signed his name on the contract without hesitation.
With him taking the lead, the others who realized what was happening followed one after another and stepped forward to sign the contract.
In less than half an hour, Lin Yinan's legs started to go numb from standing. She whispered a few words to Lin Yiheng and then prepared to head home.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Pan Qingfeng quickly called her back.
"Lord City Lord, please wait!"
Yun Mo supported his wife, his face showing some displeasure. "Is there anything else?"
Seeing Lin Yinan's probing gaze, Pan Qingfeng mustered his courage and asked, "I would like to ask if the City Lord is still accepting people here?"
"Is anyone else still missing?" Lin Yinan stopped in her tracks.
Pan Qingfeng: "My grandfather and other members of my clan are in Shigong City. If the city lord still needs them, may I go and bring them here?"
Just when you're about to fall asleep, someone offers you a pillow. Lin Yinan couldn't help but smile. "What a coincidence, we happen to have a convoy going to Shigong City today. You can travel with them."
"That's wonderful!"
"How many people are left in your clan?" Lin Yinan asked.
Pan Qingfeng's eyes dimmed upon hearing this. "There were over a thousand people before heading south, but only a little over two hundred arrived in the south, and many more were scattered in various places."
As soon as he spoke, the crowd of people signing contracts fell silent. On the road to escape famine, who hadn't lost someone? They had barely managed to reach the south after suffering a great loss.
"Once things settle down, we can slowly search for our lost family members. As long as they reach the South, there will always be a day when we can reunite."
Lin Yinan's expression was calm and his tone was composed, yet his words were inexplicably convincing, just like the contract they had just signed.
After signing the contract, the people in the group picked up their meager belongings and followed Lin Yinan into the city.
Zhang and Yunyan hurried towards us.
"Anan, should we cook lunch for these people?"
Lin Yinan nodded, "They have signed a contract and from now on they are people of Longtan County. They will be responsible for cooking three meals a day for them."
Zhang glanced at the large group of ragged refugees following behind them and worried that the grain in the storeroom was not enough.
"Should it be boiled dry or cooked until runny?"
"Cook rice." Lin Yinan thought for a moment and continued, "See if the new canteen is ready yet. If it is, and there are more people, then move to the new canteen to cook."
Seeing how thin and weak Pan Qingfeng and the others looked, she knew they wouldn't have the strength to work if they didn't eat well, and she wouldn't do anything that put the cart before the horse.
Zhang laughed loudly, "It was packed up a couple of days ago, so we'll go back and have someone move the stove over there."
The people behind him were excited to hear that they would be eating rice at noon, and they were looking forward to the meal.
Lin Qingxiang arrived in a hurry with the small team responsible for building the house.
"Anan, the house they're staying in has been cleaned up and is guaranteed to be leak-proof. They just need to help set up their beds."
Lin Yinan turned to Pan Qingfeng behind her and said, "You take some people and go with him. We'll set off later, and I'll have someone call you."
Pan Qingfeng nodded and led more than 700 people to follow behind Lin Qingxiang.
Walk through the main street and continue walking towards the back.
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