lcionline Chapter 202: The Appearance of Famine Refugees
Chapter 202: The Appearance of Famine Refugees
With supplies scarce, finding a way to extend storage time is what the two of them want to do most right now.
These past two days, Lin Xi has made "old duck soup" for dinner!
The man with missing teeth deliberately chose a location at the foot of the mountain in the village, just to be closer to the Lin family.
After the house was completed, Qian Yan'er and her family moved in.
Those who are near the water get to smell the aroma first!
From afar, they could smell the aroma of Lin Xi's dinner!
So, just as Lin Xi had placed the old duck soup on the table and was about to have the family of four eat,
I caught a glimpse of a "family of four" growing on the top of his wall!
Lin Xi stared at the "family of four" on the wall, and almost dropped her chopsticks.
"Eat...eat something?"
Lin Xi said "please be polite," but the toothless dad immediately jumped off the wall without hesitation and nimbly "teleported" to the dining table!
He took out his bowl and chopsticks from his pocket and started serving himself rice.
Qian Yan'er, Baoya Yu, and Pang Niu also quickly jumped down, grinning and showing their white teeth as they looked at the group, then quickly found seats to sit down!
They have a "home," but Lin Xi's home is where their "warmth and vitality" truly reside!
Gao Mengli's lips twitched. When the group encountered her daughter Xixi eating, she would instantly turn into a "glutton".
She quickly scooped two more spoonfuls of rice into her bowl and packed it in.
She glanced at her eldest son, who still seemed oblivious to the impending crisis, and quickly grabbed Da Niu's bowl. After tidying it up nicely, she handed it to her eldest son.
Gao Mengli picked up a piece of duck meat and put it in her mouth. The duck had been stewed for a long time and was already tender and flavorful.
The duck skin has a slight elasticity, and the fat under the skin is cooked to perfection, melting in your mouth without feeling greasy at all. Instead, it adds a unique fatty aroma!
Although using old duck would taste better, they didn't use it!
When ducks meet pickled radishes, it's like dry wood meeting a raging fire—a wonderful spark that instantly ignites!
The tangy and refreshing flavor of the pickled radish hits right into your nose, bringing out the savory aroma of the duck meat. The two together are like a pair of bickering lovers!
As expected, near the end of the meal, the "family of four" sat on the steps of the courtyard with their bowls in hand, watching as the "family of four" in front of them scrambled for the last pickled radish!
Life was quite interesting.
Da Niu quickly shoveled two mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. He's been growing a lot lately, so he gets hungry quickly and needs to eat more.
After finishing his meal, he put down his bowl and chopsticks and prepared to go to his study.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. He quickly crossed the veranda and opened the door.
"Oh, Grandpa Village Chief, what brings you here?"
"Da Niu! I've come to see your parents about something!"
Hearing the sound, Gao Mengli quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks and came out, only to see the village chief with a solemn expression. "Uncle Village Chief, did you look for me?"
The village chief nodded. "A family came from outside the village. They said they were fleeing famine from another place, and they looked quite pitiful. I thought you guys were quick-witted and had a lot of ideas, so I came to ask them about it."
They had their families with them, and the adults were all pale and thin; it was truly heartbreaking to see them like that.
Gao Mengli frowned. "Escape from famine?"
Have people already fled the famine?
The village chief nodded and sighed, "It is said that locust plagues have occurred in other counties. They are villagers from the northwest, and they have encountered varying degrees of disaster in each county they have traveled through."
"They just came to Pingyao County and felt it was better than other places; there were no locust plagues, so they wanted to settle down in our village."
Although he is the village chief, the village's current prosperity is entirely due to the Lin family.
Although he could decide their fate, he still needed to consult the Lin family's eldest branch first.
After all, once they entered the village, the Lin family was the only family that could provide them with work to do.
Upon hearing this, Gao Mengli frowned. "Uncle Village Chief, I suggest you go to the county magistrate and ask him to resolve this matter."
It's not that she's heartless.
Moreover, since some people are fleeing famine, there will definitely be more in the future.
These have all been arranged in the village. If those who flee famine later also have to enter the village, it could easily cause chaos.
Gao Mengli continued, "Uncle Village Chief, it's not that we don't care about them, it's that we can't."
We'll bring people in today, and more people will come in tomorrow.
Hunger reveals only pitiful and miserable appearances. We have no way of judging the character of these people.
There are good things and bad things.
Their character varies greatly; if they're brought in, they'll probably cause trouble later.
After all, settling down here means taking a share of the village's resources. So, tell me, should we give them or not?
After hearing Gao Mengli's words, the village chief looked hesitant and troubled. He scratched his head and said, "Lin family, I have considered what you said."
But if we just hand the matter over to the county magistrate now, will he be able to handle it? What if he doesn't? What will happen to this family?
Gao Mengli crossed her arms and gave him a reassuring look: "Uncle Village Chief, you can rest assured about that."
Since the magistrate is in charge of the people of this area, he has a responsibility to resolve these problems.
The county town has a small population and low productivity, so Dou Weiyi might actually be quite happy about it!
In the past, because Pingyao County was poor, many people couldn't bear it and went to other counties.
People are the foundation of development.
However, she neither cares about this matter nor can she interfere.
Entrusting it to Dou Weiyi is the perfect choice!
After hearing Gao Mengli's words, the village chief felt reassured!
The village chief's worried expression instantly faded, and he slapped his thigh: "Hey, what you said makes sense!"
I was so caught up in my own thoughts, only thinking about things in our village, that I forgot all about the magistrate's duties.
I'll take them to the county town now.
After saying that, he turned around and ran towards the village entrance.
He had previously thought it would be good if more people came to the village; more people would make it easier to get work done.
But you've got it wrong. Their village already has over fifty "slaves," so they don't need any other manpower!
Gao Mengli's words made Da Niu's eyes sparkle. "Mom, you're so thoughtful!"
Gao Mengli turned her head and patted Da Niu's head. "Da Niu, people's hearts are unpredictable. It takes time to see a person's true character. Gold will always shine."
If they were honest and hardworking, they wouldn't have a bad life if Lord Dou made arrangements for them.
Knowing people and making good use of them is part of her "knowing people" approach. Dou Weiyi is also a key element of this approach.
Da Niu nodded, seemingly understanding, "Mom, I understand. Excessive compassion without considering character will ultimately harm both others and yourself!"
Even if you're going to help, you have to test their character first!
Gao Mengli smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's right! Alright, go study now, you'll have to take the preliminary examination next year!"
Da Niu responded and skipped towards the study. After taking a few steps, he turned back and shouted, "Mother, I will definitely study hard, pass the imperial examination, and become a county magistrate, so that our village can all benefit from this!"
Lin Xi came out of the courtyard and heard Da Niu's "bold words," and burst out laughing, "Well then, I wish Lord Lin all the best in his exams!"
The two have a daily love-hate relationship, which Gao Mengli is no longer surprised by.
He just stared at the direction of the village entrance, his expression somewhat solemn.