On New Year's Eve, the wooden houses of the victims outside the city were bustling with activity.
It was even more lively than when there was no disaster.
On New Year's Eve, the wind and snow suddenly stopped.
Through God's will, the victims' villages outside the city lit torches and bonfires, and cooked thousands of pots of fish and mutton soup in the open air, so that every victim could have a bowl of delicious broth on New Year's Eve.
New Year's Eve is a festival engraved in the bones of Zhou Dynasty. A bowl of fresh soup on New Year's Eve made many victims warm to the core.
It's not just hot soup, it's hope.
With the imperial court and the newly appointed Governor Yang here, they will surely be able to survive this snowstorm.
Yang Qingyuan looked at the people with smiles on their faces at this moment, and felt happy in his heart. Maybe people's hearts were complicated, maybe after the disaster, they would want more, and even have evil thoughts.
At this time, everyone's belief is so simple - try their best to survive in this snow disaster.
At this moment, Yang Guo suddenly understood what the teacher was teaching.
"Establish a mind for the heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the living people, carry forward the unique teachings of the past saints, and create peace for all generations."
Of these four lines about Hengqu, Yang Qingyuan only taught Yang Guo two.
"Maogong, we don't need to inherit the sage's unique skills, nor can we achieve peace for all ages. As long as we can establish a heart for the world and a destiny for the people, this life will be enough."
Yang Guo didn't understand before, but following the teacher and looking at these smiling and happy victims, Yang Guo understood a little bit.
A charlatan may be able to save a hundred people from being killed by the sword.
A doctor with a hanging pot may be able to cure thousands of people from suffering.
The teacher is an official, but he can protect 100,000 people from the disaster of wind and snow.
Without his master, no fewer than ten thousand people might have died in this ruthless snowfall, including himself.
What little Yang Guo didn't know was that his master had led people to take back the food from the thieves day and night, otherwise his respect for Yang Qingyuan would have been even higher.
Of course, this is not the result of Yang Qingyuan alone, but the contribution of the Pingshan County government together. But because of Yang Qingyuan, the Pingshan County government can operate so efficiently.
This is the significance of Yang Qingyuan becoming an official.
The imperial government is always the most effective place.
"Master Yang, Yaya will treat you to some soup!"
A little girl about five years old, holding a large porcelain bowl, walked carefully in front of Yang Qingyuan, and she still made a babyish sound while speaking.
The little girl is wearing a cotton coat that is slightly rough in workmanship but made of brand new material.
These are the cotton-padded clothes made by refugee women headed by Aunt Liu. The current output is slightly low, and priority is given to workers who have to work outside. The excess materials can be used to make cotton-padded clothes for children.
Yang Qingyuan did not refuse, and ended up with the porcelain bowl in the little girl's hand.
Seeing Yang Qingyuan take the soup, the little girl took a deep breath and immediately pinched her earlobe with her fingertips.
"Wouldn't it be hot?"
Yang Qingyuan was slightly startled when he saw the little girl's movements, and then the memory flowed in his heart. Once upon a time, his grandmother taught him this way.
"Yeah! This is what my mother taught Yaya! This way my hands won't get hot!"
Yaya was not defensive at all against Yang Qingyuan. Yang Qingyuan's temperament made him naturally trustworthy.
After saying that, Yaya ran back again and handed three bowls of soup to Xiao Tao, Shen Bao and Xiao Yang Guo three times in a row.
"Little brother, drink the soup!" Yaya handed the last bowl of fish and mutton soup to Yang Guo, and kept looking at Yang Guo. This little brother is so good-looking!
Yang Guo also happily took the soup bowl from Yaya's hand.
Yang Qingyuan touched Yaya's head and praised, "Yaya is really capable! Have you ever drank the soup yourself?"
"YaYa finished serving to the Lord and went to drink. Dad said that the Lord is..." Yaya tilted her head and thought for a long time before saying uncertainly, "Yes... he is our benefactor. You must drink first!"
"Yaya is so sensible. Then I have a request. Don't call me "sir" when you see me again in the future."
"Then...what's that called?!"
"Call me uncle!"
Compared to adults, uncles obviously understand Yaya better.
Yang Qingyuan picked up the porcelain bowl, raised it slightly towards a couple in the distance, and drank.
On New Year's Eve, although there are no lanterns and colorful decorations, we can still have fun in the midst of hardship.
After Yang Qingyuan and the other two drank the fish and mutton soup, they went to Aunt Liu's house for a New Year's Eve dinner.
Because of the Chinese New Year, Yang Qingyuan calculated and confirmed that there was enough food, so he distributed more food to the victims to ensure that everyone could celebrate the New Year with peace of mind.
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It's February, and it's early spring.
The wind stops and the snow stops, and new leaves sprout.
This is Yang Qingyuan's third month in Pingshan County. He originally expected to complete the work in Pingshan County in two months, but now it has been delayed to the third month.
According to Yang Qingyuan's plan, a lot of wasteland outside Pingshan County has been reclaimed, and most of it is used to grow cotton.
Yang Qingyuan also funded the construction of a cotton workshop to produce cotton-padded clothes and quilts. It provided job opportunities for some women among the disaster victims and solved the jobs of 7,000 people.
Some of these women are not yet married, and some have no relatives at home. Yang Qingyuan's workshop gives them a chance.
This workshop is shared by Yang Qingyuan, the Zhao family of Pingshan County, and the female workers in the workshop. Yang Qingyuan and the Zhao family account for three thirds of the annual profits, and the female workers account for the fourth.
A complete cotton handicraft industry chain has begun to take shape in Pingshan County.
Of course, the transfer order from the imperial court had already come. Within ten days, the cabinet would send Wen Pingshan to the county government and ask him to complete the handover of the work at hand and return to Beijing to report on his duties.
But Yang Qingyuan is worried. The wasteland outside Pingshan County has not been reclaimed, the seeds of cotton have not been sown, the villages of more than 100,000 victims have not been divided, and the cotton workshops have just begun to operate...
He still has too many things to do and has not left Pingshan County for the time being.
Ten days later, the official documents also arrived. The cabinet approved Yang Qingyuan's request. After Yang Qingyuan resigned, Pingshan County Magistrate Zhao Jianfeng temporarily assumed the post of county governor and continued Yang Qingyuan's work.
Yang Qingyuan originally wanted to transfer Zhao Jianfeng to Beijing, but now Pingshan County still has many things to do, and Zhao Jianfeng has been by his side these days and is very clear about his political orders. If he stays here, he can do a better job. Continue to implement your own decrees.
Three days later, although they were reluctant to give up, more than 100,000 disaster victims had basically been resettled and started a new life.
Yang Qingyuan can be regarded as successfully completing the task of being the center of the cabinet.
After going to Mrs. Liu's house for a farewell meal, Yang Qingyuan was very satisfied with the first women's federation organization in Zhou Dynasty that she had established with her own hands. Originally it was just a whim of Yang Qingyuan, but now the Pingshan County Women's Federation is playing a role.
Yang Qingyuan took little Yang Guo back to the county government office, packed his luggage, and set off the next day.
We came with three people and returned with four horses.
There is one more little Yang Guo.
"Sir, are you leaving on your journey?" Zhao Jianfeng knew Yang Qingyuan's return date, "Aren't you going to leave without lunch?"
Yang Qingyuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "No, after lunch, what about dinner?!"
"Sir, you have wonderful ideas and amazing talents. Jianfeng wishes he could follow you."
"There is no need to belittle oneself in Jianfeng. I am just talking on paper. You are the implementer of these policies. With a little hard work, Jianfeng will also be a talented person in the state."
After the two talked, as soon as they went out, Zhao Shifeng was already waiting outside.
"The official heard that your Excellency returned to Beijing and came here to see you off."
Zhao Shifeng, the person in charge of the six gates of Pingshan County, made great contributions when Yang Qingyuan suppressed Chen Bing. Later, he asked the six gates to cooperate with the city defense army to maintain public security in Pingshan County and provide important security guarantees for disaster relief and peace of the people.
Yang Qingyuan also mentioned this in his memorial to the cabinet.
"These days when I am in Pingshan County, I rely on Zhao Baotou for his help! I would like to express my gratitude!"
As he spoke, Yang Qingyuan saluted Zhao Shifeng.
This actually made Zhao Shifeng a little at a loss.
After bidding farewell to the officials who came to see him off, Yang Qingyuan and the four of them led their horses out of the city gate. They didn't go far when they saw people standing beside the official road.
Yang Qingyuan was slightly startled. He had seen this scene at the entrance of Caoyun Village in Shendu.
It was the victims from outside Pingshan County who came.
No, we should not call the victims now.
These more than 100,000 people have settled outside Pingshan County and have their own villages, their own houses, their own land, and their own jobs.
These common people, supporting the old and the young, stood on both sides of the official road.
An old man on crutches came out. Yang Qingyuan recognized him. He was the oldest person among the victims. He was already eighty-two this year. Under normal circumstances, even the county magistrate would have to be polite when seeing such an old man.
It's a pity that natural disasters are ruthless. If Yang Qingyuan hadn't provided disaster relief properly, he would have turned into withered bones in the grave.
"I'm so shameless! On behalf of the 100,000 disaster victims, I would like to thank Mr. Yang for the grace of being alive and living in peace!"
As he spoke, the old man dropped his cane and knelt down on the ground first.
As the old man knelt down, the people on both sides knelt down like a wave.
There are a total of 50,000 people here. After learning that Yang Qingyuan was returning to Beijing last night, the people rushed to tell each other privately.
If Yang Qingyuan wanted to return to Beijing, he would definitely take the east gate, and tens of thousands of people gathered at the east gate early.
In a year of great calamity, the grace of survival cannot be repaid.
Yang Qingyuan believed that this was the responsibility of officials, but these common people did not think so.
In the past, when officials left office, squires often organized people to send them off to express their hope of staying. But today, all the people in Pingshan County are the original victims of the disaster.
Aunt Liu and her granddaughter slowly stood up from among the victims and took out a cloth umbrella from the baggage they were carrying.
"The old woman is ignorant, but she also knows how kind you are. This is the Wanmin Umbrella made by the old woman and the female workers overnight. It is a little bit of our heart. Please accept it."
Yang Qingyuan looked at the Wanmin Umbrella in Aunt Liu's hand and wanted to laugh but didn't.
The so-called Wanmin Umbrella is just an umbrella cover made of cloth strips, but Aunt Liu actually made it into an umbrella.
Yang Qingyuan smiled with tears in his eyes, his eyes sparkling.
This is the real Umbrella of the People. There is no squire, no signature, no show, a cloth umbrella made by the common people.
"Auntie, I accept it! I accept it!"
"You all get up!"
Yang Qingyuan took the Wanmin Umbrella and wanted to help Aunt Liu, but Aunt Liu refused.
"A common woman kneels down to send you back to the capital, and wishes you a bright future!"
"If the adults don't go, the women can't afford it!"
As Aunt Liu finished speaking, thousands of people kneeling on the ground spoke one after another.
"If the adults don't go, the common people will not be able to afford it!"
Yang Qingyuan had no choice but to let Shen Bao put away the Wanmin Umbrella, bowed to both sides, and then the four of them got on their horses and walked away.
