ebookland Chapter 260 Even a sheep that's been fleeced bald will rebel.
Chapter 260 Even a sheep that's been fleeced bald will rebel.
Wu Qingfeng laughed and said, "County Magistrate Li went to the countryside first to understand the people's conditions, while Zhu Zhu and I stayed behind to inspect the situation in the city. When we passed by here, Master Zhu was so hospitable that I couldn't refuse, so I shamelessly came to freeload a meal."
While Master Zhu was certainly hospitable, the main reason was that Lin Chang'er would also be coming.
Lin Chang'er pursed her lips, understanding that there was still a while before she had to leave the banquet.
Old Zhu went to greet the other old friends first. Originally, Lin Chang'er was a female guest and should not have been left alone with Wu Qingfeng. However, since they were already familiar with each other, Old Zhu treated them as his own juniors and didn't take it to heart.
This perfectly fulfilled Wu Qingfeng's purpose, so the two of them didn't go into the hall to drink tea, but instead stood under the tree and talked.
Lin Chang'er then recounted how she had dealt with Chen Zhao at the academy gate.
Upon hearing this, Wu Qingfeng smiled at her and said, "Your method is quite ingenious. It strikes a balance between the two, both supplementing the student's livelihood and avoiding offending the Chen family."
Lin Chang'er pursed her lips, "Young Master Chen Ming helped us earn so much money, we should at least give him some face!"
Wu Qingfeng nodded and said, "Yes!"
He added, "This morning, I inspected the northern and western districts of the city with Chief Clerk Zhu..."
"How is it?" The north and west sides of the city are shantytowns, the most dilapidated areas in the county.
Wu Qingfeng shook his head. "Not good."
Lin Chang'er had already guessed it, "You didn't just happen to be passing by here, did you?"
Wu Qingfeng chuckled, "You saw right through me."
Lin Chang'er, "Are you trying to mobilize the city's wealthy businessmen to raise funds for the disaster victims?"
Wu Qingfeng nodded, "The process for disaster relief funds is complicated. Not to mention the layers of exploitation along the way, how much actually reaches the people? Just consider the current situation: the grain is all soaked and rotten. What are they supposed to use to fill their stomachs while they wait for the disaster relief funds?"
Lin Chang'er said, "That makes sense, but Old Zhu and the others have already donated a lot of quicklime and grain. If you propose to donate again, I'm afraid it will be..." She has already taken advantage of these people twice. If he comes again, isn't he just taking advantage of them again?
Don't you want to pluck them all out of their bald spots?
Even sheep that have been sheared bald will rebel.
Wu Qingfeng also understood this point and smacked his head, "I didn't think this through!" Fortunately, this idea hadn't been voiced yet.
Lin Chang'er smiled at him, "Concern can cloud judgment, but you're doing this for the people."
His dark eyes darted around. "I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?"
Wu Qingfeng quickly said, "Go ahead."
Lin Chang'er beckoned to him, and Wu Qingfeng leaned in to listen.
Old Zhu was sitting in the main hall talking with a few old friends when he looked up and saw two people standing under a tree whispering to each other.
These guys are just like old children, still young at heart.
Old Zhu immediately tugged at Old Li's sleeve, and the latter saw it, then nudged Old Chen. Old Chen stared wide-eyed until he understood, then quietly gave Old Zheng directions.
In just a short while, the old men huddled together and whispered among themselves.
Old Zhu said, "I knew it. How could I possibly be so dignified as to ask Lord Wu to condescend to me? It turns out that my true intentions were not what they seemed."
Old Li said, "If you ask me, it's nothing. Chang'er and Lord Wu are a perfect match. If they really get together, you can even drink a cup of wine to thank the matchmaker. How prestigious would that be?"
Old Zhu wholeheartedly agreed and nodded with a smile.
Old Chen clearly thought differently. "Have you forgotten? Lord Wu comes from the capital and is from a prominent family. Our dilapidated place is just the least significant part of his political achievements. How could he possibly settle down here?"
Old Zheng nodded, "Old Chen is right. Lord Wu is no ordinary official sent to the capital. His marriage may have already been arranged in the capital. Besides, no matter how capable Chang'er is, she is still a widow..."
"What's wrong with being a widow?" Old Zhu didn't like hearing this. "Is there any law that says a widow can't remarry?"
Old Zheng quickly waved his hand, "That's not what I meant. Chang'er is like a junior in our own family. How could I look down on her? But to be honest, things aren't looking good. Even if they truly love each other, there will be many hardships ahead."
Old Chen also said, "Old Zheng is right. The court has not explicitly prohibited widows from remarrying. It's easy to talk to ordinary farmers, but let alone the prominent families in the capital, even minor officials in prefectures and counties may not be able to get their families to agree."
Old Zheng continued his analysis, "If it really is true, then it must be after Chang's wealth." After all, bribing officials requires money.
If one cannot marry into the family of a high-ranking official, marrying a merchant is another way to find a better path.
Old Zhu wanted to refute them, but he also knew that what they said was not wrong.
But she just wouldn't admit it, stubbornly insisting, "Who knows! Chang'er wasn't an ordinary woman to begin with. Who knows, she might just find a different path."
Old Chen was about to argue when Old Li quickly stomped on his foot under the table, silently shaking his head at him, "Old Zhu is right, who knows what the future holds!"
After pausing for a moment, he smiled and said, "It's hard to say about marriage. If you ask me, if Chang'er is really interested, we should just give her a hand. She won't forget our kindness anyway."
"No, she still has us, her family members, to rely on. She has no worries about food and clothing, and she has both a son and a daughter. So her family will have someone to carry on the family line. She can't afford to have a bad life, can she?"
That sounded much better, and Old Zhu smiled. "Yes, yes, that makes perfect sense. Let's have some tea. Where were we? Oh, the business in the prefectural city..."
Little did Lin Chang'er know that the old man in the main hall almost got into a fight with Wu Qingfeng because of her.
He only explained his idea to Wu Qingfeng in detail.
Wu Qingfeng listened carefully until she finished speaking, then nodded slightly, the worry between his brows dissipating. "Good idea."
Lin Chang'er pursed her lips, "Then let's get on with it as soon as possible! And set up the soup kitchen at the city gate as soon as possible."
Wu Qingfeng nodded.
Before long, the feast began.
After discussing business matters with Lao Zhu and the others for a while, Lin Chang'er took the initiative to steer the conversation toward the disaster.
When the topic of the disaster came up, everyone at the table naturally turned their attention to Wu Qingfeng, who was sitting at the table.
Wu Qingfeng then spoke up, "I came here today to discuss with you the matter of setting up sheds and distributing porridge."
"Several people of great righteousness prepared quicklime for epidemic prevention early on, and also purchased grain to wait for the autumn harvest when prices would be lower."
"However, from what I have seen in the past two days, the prefectures and counties have suffered severe disasters, the people are starving, and the grain is either spoiled or rotten. If we continue to sit idly by, I am afraid we will not be able to wait until autumn."
"Originally, I, along with County Magistrate Li and Registrar Zhu, inventoried the county government's granaries, intending to open them for disaster relief. However, most of the stored grain was old rice, moldy, spotted, and sprouting; less than one in ten was usable, so..."
Upon hearing this, Lao Zhu and the others quickly focused their attention, straightened their posture, and looked at him.
Wu Qingfeng stood up, raised his hand in a bow, and said, "I have a request that you kindly grant me. I would like to use some of the affordable grain you have prepared for disaster relief. I hope you will kindly agree!"