At the end of the morning, the mist that shrouded Jiyang City had not dissipated, and it was chilly.
Outside the West City Gate, four cauldrons were steaming, and victims lined up in a long line to be given porridge.
Yesterday, the government posted a notice saying that Si and Shen would give out porridge twice. The victims who had no food and clothing had a chance to survive and came to line up early.
Zhang Feng stood up on tiptoes and looked forward. He was only at the height of the adult's shoulders and could only see the steam rising not far away.
Zhang Feng started lining up at dawn, but was pushed all the way backwards. If the kind-hearted aunt behind him hadn't pulled him, he might have been squeezed to the end.
There are rows of shacks under the city wall. A few broken wooden boards are put together, and some rags, rags, and straw are stuffed inside to become a home. Zhang Feng's home is among them.
Zhang Feng was worried. His mother and sister only ate some grass roots and tree bark yesterday. The sister was so hungry that she cried and her mother was still sick.
Glancing at the piece of clay pot missing in his hand, Zhang Feng thought that after receiving the porridge, he would go to the small river three miles away. Yesterday, the buffalo brother caught a fish in the river by smashing the ice, and he could also catch a fish for his mother. If I make a bowl of fish soup, maybe my mother's illness will be cured.
The heat had been rising for a while, Zhang Feng's stomach growled and he swallowed.
There was a commotion at the city gate, "Prefect Yang is coming", "Prefect is coming", the crowd knelt down one after another, Zhang Feng quickly knelt on the ground with everyone.
Prefect Yang was a good official. If he hadn't ordered the disaster relief porridge, his family might not have been able to survive the winter. Zhang Feng lay on the ground and took a sip sincerely.
Yang Quanqi helped several old men up and said loudly: "Everyone, please get up. The porridge soup will continue until mid-February, and the government will recruit people for work. As a prefect, Yang will serve as an official for one term, and he should do his best to benefit the country. Keep the people safe."
"Thank you so much, Prefect", "Prefect Yang is really a living Bodhisattva", "It is really a blessing to the people of Xinye to have Taishou Yang here"...
Yang Quanqi came to the copper cauldron, picked up a bamboo spoon and stirred it in the cauldron.
The copper cauldron is used for cooking in the army. It has a diameter of three feet and a depth of two feet. It can cook meals for a hundred people. Five stones of rice are divided into two times, two and a half stones at a time, and boiled in four pots (1). Each pot is nearly twenty kilograms. The golden corn is tumbling in the pot, which is very tempting.
Yang Quanqi ordered the three sons beside him: "You three, also go and carry porridge for the people."
The father and son stood in front of the cauldron, each serving porridge with a spoon.
The porridge has been cooked. A spoonful of porridge is almost as thick as an earthenware bowl. It is quite thick. This bowl of porridge cannot be said to make people full, but at least it will not make people starve to death.
Zhang Feng lined up in front of Yang Anxuan's pot. When it was his turn, he raised the broken pot in his hand and placed it on the edge of the pot. He uttered the auspicious words he had heard, hoping to please the young general and give him more.
I was thinking clearly in my mind, but my words became stumbling when I said, "Good luck to the general... Lords and princes for generations... are blessed..."
Yang Anxuan saw the half-grown man in front of him, with a dark face and a cracked hand holding a weight, revealing a bright red gash.
People in troubled times are not as good as peace dogs. Yang Anxuan sighed secretly in his heart. The spoon sank, and he took a spoonful from the bottom of the pot and poured it into the pot.
There was a missing piece of the pot, so Zhang Feng tried his best to put as much as he could into the pot. I originally wanted to plead with my mother and sister at home so that the young general could give me half a spoon, but the pottery bowl behind me was already stretched out.
Carefully holding the bowl and walking toward the shack at the base of the city wall, Zhang Feng saw the girl's face peeking out from behind the wooden board. Her messy hair and thin face were all she could see. Only her big eyes were visible. A few feeble coughs came from the straw pile. Come out, my mother is seriously ill.
Zhang Feng poured the porridge in the broken pot into a pottery bowl and said to his sister Zhang Lan: "It's still hot. Let it cool down before eating."
Zhang Lan nodded, looked at the pottery bowl longingly, and swallowed his saliva.
Zhang Feng leaned down and called his mother softly in the haystack: "Mother, mother, get up and have some porridge."
The withered face in the straw pile turned a strange red color. Zhang Feng touched his mother's forehead with his hand, and it felt hot. Looking at his drowsy mother, Zhang Feng couldn't help but cry out.
Zhang Lan saw her brother crying and started to cry too. While crying, she sobbed and said, "Brother... I'm hungry. Can I have some porridge..."
After the porridge was served, Yang Anxuan saw that there was still some burnt food at the bottom of the pot, so he scraped it up with a spoon. Thinking of the half-year-old boy just now, he took the spoon and walked towards the shack.
Hearing cries from a distance, Yang Anxuan quickened his steps, and Zhao Tian followed him, watching the surroundings carefully.
In addition to the half-grown child I saw just now, there was a thin girl in the corner, crying and drinking porridge. A famous woman was lying in the straw wadding, her eyes closed, and she coughed once or twice.
Seeing Yang Anxuan bending down, Zhao Tian reminded him from the side: "Third Young Master, be careful to get over the illness."
Handing the spoon to Zhao Tian, Yang Anxuan knelt down and touched the woman's forehead with his hand. It was so hot that it was hot. Looking at the leaky shack, Yang Anxuan knew that this woman could not survive two days.
"I have to see the doctor." Yang Anxuan reached out to hug the woman. Zhao Tian hurriedly handed the spoon to Zhang Feng and said: "Third Young Master, let me do it."
Zhao Tian picked up the woman and Yang Anxuan said to the two children: "Follow me and find the doctor."
Zhang Feng held his sister in one hand and held a spoon in the other. Yang Anxuan saw that the little girl was as thin as a reed stick, with some straw tied around her body and reed stuffed in the straw. She timidly looked at him with half of her face beside her brother.
As soon as they left the shack, a gust of cold wind blew and the two children shivered. Yang Anxuan took off his cloak and put it on the children. Zhang Feng said sensibly: "I'm not afraid of the cold, please cover my mother."
When the victims outside the shack saw Yang Anxuan coming out, they gathered around him and knelt down, kowtowed, and screamed, "Save us," "Give the child a bite to eat," "I can do any job, I just want a bite to eat." eat"……
Zhao Tian frowned and said softly: "Third Young Master, there are too many people to save."
Looking at the expectant eyes, Yang Anxuan blurted out, "Save what you can for peace of mind."
Zhao Tian looked at Yang Anxuan in surprise. He really couldn't believe that these words, which were almost ambitious, came from the mouth of a young man who was only fifteen years old. It was said that in troubled times, heroes emerge, and the three young masters' benevolence will definitely be rewarded with benevolence.
Yang Anxuan didn't know what Zhao Tian was thinking, and said loudly: "Dear fellow villagers, Governor Yang has formulated a disaster relief strategy. Please pay attention to the official announcement. Don't worry, everyone, the government will never let you die of cold or hunger."
The noise under the city wall reached Yang Quanqi's ears, and Yang Quanqi frowned slightly. Yang Anyuan said in a neither yin nor yang manner: "The third brother is so talented that he took on his father's hard work. In just a short time, he won the support of the people. Tsk tsk, he is so scheming."
Yang Quanqi snorted and turned back to the city.
…………
Ji'an Hall. The doctor diagnosed the pulse and found that body heat was caused by hunger and cold. After drinking a dose of decoction, Zhang Feng's mother-in-law Sun woke up.
. After learning about the situation, Mrs. Sun struggled to get up and took her children to kowtow to Yang Anxuan.
Yang Anxuan stopped her and saw that the mother and son were a little embarrassed. The medicine had to be taken for three days in a row. During this period, they could not catch any more cold. The shack under the city wall was obviously uninhabitable.
The official office in Jiyang was not half as big as Luoyang, and the living quarters were also small. Yang Anxuan had to share a small courtyard with Yang Anyuan. In addition to the two brothers, there are several servants and wives, and there is no extra house.
Zhao Tian saw Yang Anxuan's dilemma and said: "Third Young Master, let Mrs. Sun live in my house and let my mother-in-law take care of her while I live in the camp."
Many people in the Yang family army married and had children. Zhao Tian married a Tian family and had a four-year-old daughter. He is the head of the village, and his clan has two resettlement houses.
Yang Anxuan thought for a while and said, "Then I'll trouble Brother Zhao for now, and I'll think of a solution in a few days."
Mrs. Sun was grateful and followed Zhao Tian with great gratitude. Yang Anxuan returned to the prefect's mansion and came to the lobby to see Yang Quanqi.
Yang Quanqi was discussing with everyone about conscription. Yang Anxuan took the time to report: "The victims have set up tents outside the city to keep out the wind and cold. Please ask my father to recruit people as soon as possible to build wooden tents for them in the city."
"There is congestion in the city. If the refugees' livelihood changes, how to deal with it? This matter is not urgent." Yang Quanqi said.
Yang Anxuan was about to persuade him again when he caught a glimpse of Yang Anyuan's face that looked like a smile but not a smile. His heart trembled. Then he looked at Yang Quanqi's cold face and tasted something unusual.
I was worried about the people, acted too hastily, and did not consider Yang Quanqi's feelings. The people's kneeling at the base of the city wall might have made Yang Quanqi unhappy.
Thoughts were racing in his mind, haste was not enough, Yang Anxuan bowed humbly and said: "My child is not thoughtful and acts recklessly. I hope my father will forgive me and give me more guidance."
Yang Quanqi's face softened a lot, and he said warmly: "You are still young, so it is inevitable that you will not think fully. Please report it to me before you act in the future. As a father, I will consider it for you."
…………
There is Wujin House in the east of Jiyang City, which is the private residence of Chen Shen, the chief registrar. The Chen family is a local noble family.
The Jin Dynasty followed the Han system, bathing every five days. Today it is Chen Shen's turn to entertain guests at home.
In the main hall, Hualin Hall, Chen Shen closed his eyes slightly and listened to the merchants on both sides complaining.
"Mr. Chen, this business can't be run anymore. As soon as we opened the shop, a bunch of disaster victims gathered in front of the shop, begging for rice and food. How dare the customers come in."
"Yes, not to mention the restaurant where I live, the prepared dishes can't be sold. If it wasn't for the cold weather, they would all go rancid."
"Hey, shopkeeper Zhao, if the food goes rancid, don't give it to the victims."
"It's a good idea, even if you dump it, you won't give it to them. Mr. Chen, you have to come up with an idea for us. Let the Yamen send people to drive away these victims. We will pay no less in business tax."
Chen Shen listened expressionlessly. His family's business had been affected in the past two days, and his brother Chen Hai had told him of his hardships more than once.
After a few coughs, everyone calmed down and looked at Chen Shen.
Chen Shen twirled his beard and said, "Everyone knows the reason, and I can't do anything about it. Governor Yang asked for donations of money and food, but everyone didn't agree. This is the result."
"Why, our money didn't fall from the sky. This year's merchants and tax servants have not lost a penny. There is no reason to forcefully collect donations." Shopkeeper Li from Qinglongzhai pouted his fat face and said: "The government wants to If you are forced like this, the servant will close the door and leave."
Chen Shen sneered in his heart, Qinglongzhai was engaged in the north-south trafficking business, and brought in many trucks of goods from Yan State a few years ago. How could it be so convenient to make money away from Jiyang City.
Shopkeeper Wang of Dafengpu said: "Prefect Yang is being tortured so much that we might as well jointly file a complaint to the court and remove his new governor from Xinye."
Shopkeeper Wang is a member of the Wang family in Taiyuan, and his business is also owned by the Wang family. He has a big tree at his back to enjoy the shade, but he is not afraid of Yang Quanqi. However, changing the county governor requires the emperor's nod. Shopkeeper Wang is really not afraid of the wind blowing his tongue.
Among these people, Shopkeeper Xu of Shengfeng Restaurant had no backing, and he couldn't bear it any longer. He said hesitantly: "It's not an option if we continue like this. How about everyone donate a little bit to save Yang Prefect's face? Better off."
Chen Shen felt bitter in his heart and closed his eyes silently. I am caught between the Yang family and the Wang family, and I am afraid that one of them will be offended in the end.
Chen Hai knew something about the inside story and understood the brother's difficulties, and said: "It's useless for us to go to the government office to plead. Why not find other people in the Yang family and let them help talk."
Chen Shen's eyes lit up and he said: "This is a good idea. Yang Guang is lustful and Yang Siping is greedy for money. If we follow their fancy, we may gain something."
Chen Hai smiled and said: "The cost can be shared equally by everyone, and it doesn't cost much."
In the midst of the bargaining, Chen Shen licked his beard and pondered, thinking about calling Cen Hui in the evening and having something to tell him.
