boyutpedia Chapter 151 Trying to Quit
Chapter 151 Trying to Quit
The devastating snowstorm plunged the entire county into chaos. As the county's head, Su Muyang shouldered numerous responsibilities, including relocating disaster victims, distributing rice porridge, and recording the damage to houses. However, these arduous tasks left him overwhelmed and barely able to catch his breath.
At this exhausting moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Su Muyang's mind: Why not just abandon this mess and let whoever wants to be the county magistrate take the job!
Thinking of this, Su Muyang immediately took action. He hurriedly prepared his writing materials and wrote a resignation letter with great speed. His pen moved swiftly, and every word revealed his weariness and helplessness towards his job. After finishing, he carefully tied the letter to the leg of a well-trained carrier pigeon and released it towards the palace.
About half a day later, the carrier pigeon finally flew back to the county government office. Along with it came a personal letter from the Emperor. Su Muyang nervously opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. On it was written a line of bold, flowing characters: "A letter to the Imperial Son-in-Law: People can do things because they believe they can. You will certainly be able to handle the aftermath well. Furthermore, I have dispatched an imperial envoy with a large amount of grain, ten thousand taels of silver, and ample cotton quilts to the disaster area. I hope you will cooperate closely with them, work together, and strive to lead the people through this difficult time as soon as possible! Sincerely, Zhao Shouyi."
After reading the letter, Su Muyang slapped his forehead in frustration, muttering, "Oh dear, I'm doomed! I thought this resignation letter would get me out of this predicament, but it seems I still can't resign! Oh well, it looks like I can only grit my teeth and continue to deal with these thorny problems..."
So, Su Muyang and his men worked tirelessly on disaster relief. Some were setting up temporary shelters, others were distributing food and water; everyone was incredibly busy. Just then, some heartening news arrived—Mr. Meng, a wealthy merchant from the town, had actually come to donate supplies.
A horse-drawn cart laden with goods slowly approached, loaded with a full hundred catties of high-quality rice and a cartload of fresh cabbages. Upon seeing this, Su Muyang was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward, tightly grasping Master Meng's hand, saying, "Thank you so much, Master Meng! You are truly a kind and benevolent man! Your generosity is deeply appreciated!"
Master Meng smiled slightly and replied humbly, "You're welcome! This is just a small contribution from me. It's only right that I can help the villagers affected by the disaster. It's just a small favor." After saying that, the kind-hearted merchant added softly, "If you run out of these ingredients, just send someone to the Meng residence to let me know, and I will definitely continue to provide assistance."
Hearing this, Su Muyang was overjoyed. He nodded repeatedly in thanks, "Really? That's wonderful! Thank you so much for your kindness, Master Meng. With such a kind person as you helping us, we will definitely be able to overcome this difficult time!"
Upon receiving this precious donation, the government officials immediately sprang into action. They set up stoves, cooked fragrant rice porridge, and distributed it free of charge to the hungry disaster victims. Meanwhile, the chefs in the kitchen quickly showcased their culinary skills, chopping the tender cabbages into sections, adding simple seasonings, and stir-frying them into plates of steaming, fragrant stir-fried cabbage.
However, given the large number of people affected, this food was still a drop in the bucket for everyone. But even so, it temporarily alleviated people's hunger and gave them a glimmer of warmth and hope in their predicament.
In Xinghua Village, life became increasingly difficult for the villagers. At first, every household had a relatively sufficient food reserve, and the mountains of firewood gave them a great sense of security. Whenever heavy snow fell, people regarded it as a rare holiday and spent each winter day with great joy.
However, as time went on, the situation gradually changed. People had to start being very frugal, saving every grain of food, and even became stingy with the firewood used for cooking, daring not to use even a fraction more. This was because the snow seemed endless, falling day after day without ceasing.
Seeing this, the village chief was extremely anxious. After thinking it over, he decided to take out the twisted dough sticks he made at home, carefully divide them into many small portions, and then instruct his wife to carry baskets and distribute the food from house to house, while saying some comforting words to everyone so that they could calm down and not fall into excessive panic.
The eldest son and his wife had been deeply worried lately because they couldn't go out to work. When they saw the village chief's wife slowly approaching, the eldest son, as if grasping at a straw, eagerly went forward and asked, "Auntie, do you know when the school will open? I really want to go to class as soon as possible, learn more knowledge, and then go out to earn some money to help support the family!"
The village chief's wife shook her head with a smile, saying helplessly, "Look at this snow! It keeps falling one after another! How can schools possibly be open in this weather? Children, don't think too much about it. Being able to eat and drink your fill is the greatest happiness. If you really feel bored, come to my house for a visit when you have time. I'll make you all some delicious dumplings!"
Upon hearing this, the eldest son of the Su family waved his hands repeatedly, a helpless look on his face, and replied, "Then let's forget it. Thank you for your kindness, Auntie."
Meanwhile, the bustling capital was also covered in thick snow, but the situation was much better than in the quiet village. Spirited guards stood along the roads, diligently clearing the snow to ensure safe passage for pedestrians; and the streets and alleys were filled with enticing aromas, a dazzling array of delicious food that made mouths water. Although Su Yuning and Ye Beichen had no shortage of food and drink here, their hearts were always with their families back in the countryside. After careful consideration, the two resolutely made an important decision—to take some essential supplies and return to their hometown to visit them.
Coincidentally, the village chief's nephew and the chubby little girl, Pangniu, shared the same thoughts. Hearing that their fellow villagers in the town were facing shortages of food and clothing, they were extremely anxious and rushed to the market, carefully selecting and purchasing all sorts of supplies. Each of them harbored a burning desire to do their part for their hometown folks and help them get through this difficult winter.
Just then, a group of energetic young people unexpectedly met in the bustling market. Snowflakes fell on them, reflecting on their youthful faces.
"Yu Ning, Bei Chen, so you're here to buy supplies for the village too?" The village chief's nephew walked up and asked with a curious look on his face. His gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, revealing a hint of surprise and joy in his eyes.
Upon hearing the voice, Su Yuning turned to look at the speaker, her face blossoming into a radiant smile. Ye Beichen, standing beside her, smiled and nodded in response. Then, the two exchanged a knowing smile, as if they were perfectly in sync.
Upon receiving a positive reply, the village chief's nephew was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Great! Let's go together!" Thus, a lively shopping trip began.
Su Yuning walked briskly to a stall and carefully selected various foods. In no time, she had a full haul—ten servings of fragrant pickled vegetables and an equal amount of spicy and tempting chili sauce; in addition, a basket of fresh and juicy vegetables and a basket of colorful fruits followed closely behind her.
On the other hand, Ye Beichen showed his pragmatic side. He carefully compared different kinds of rice, flour, and meat, and after some deliberation, he finally bought a sufficient amount of rice, millet, and flour, as well as a large piece of fresh pork and some evenly thick vermicelli. These were all essential ingredients for the villagers' daily lives.
Meanwhile, the plump and adorable girl was busy as a bee. She was carrying bags of various items, including juicy radishes, snow-white pears, and bright red dates. This puzzled those around her, as it seemed unlikely that disaster-stricken people would have the leisure to enjoy such things on such a cold, snowy day.
Seeing everyone's puzzled expressions, Su Yuning couldn't suppress her curiosity and leaned close to the chubby girl, asking softly, "Chubby girl, why did you buy so many strange ingredients? Are you planning to eat them as snacks or enjoy them as dessert?"
Faced with Su Yuning's question, the chubby girl blinked her big, round eyes and explained with a smile, "Haha, no, not at all! Actually, I bought these things to boil water for drinking. Especially in this cold weather, drinking some hot soup can not only warm you up, but also effectively prevent colds. It's very beneficial to our health!" After saying that, she proudly shook the bag in her hand and continued to happily pick out other items.
"Hot soup can dispel cold and cure a cold? How do you know about this method?" Su Yuning asked with great doubt, her big, bright eyes fixed on the chubby girl in front of her, her face showing an incredulous expression.
The chubby girl put her hands on her hips, raised her chin, and replied with a proud look, "What's so hard to understand? It's the principle of food and medicine sharing the same origin! My father is a well-known barefoot doctor in the surrounding villages. I've been influenced by him since I was little, so naturally I know some medical knowledge!" After saying that, she winked at Su Yuning with a smug look.
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning suddenly understood and quickly gave a thumbs-up with her right hand, sincerely praising, "Oh, I see! That's amazing, I really admire you!"
Just then, the village chief's nephew caught everyone's attention. He was carrying large and small bags filled with all sorts of alcoholic beverages and fresh beef and mutton. Seeing this, Ye Beichen curiously stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Hey, brother, seeing you buy so much alcohol and beef and mutton, are you planning to make drunken beef and drunken mutton?"
The village chief's nephew shook his head with a smile and explained, "Nonsense! These drinks will warm you up and ward off the cold. And this beef and mutton are very useful! They can be used for hot pot, enjoying the steaming, delicious feeling; or they can be used to make soup, nourishing the body. If anyone finds it too troublesome to cook, they can just sprinkle some cumin powder on it and roast it. The point is to let everyone enjoy a good meal!" As he spoke, he enthusiastically showed everyone the ingredients he had purchased.
"We've bought almost all the ingredients. When are we leaving?" Su Yuning blinked her big eyes and asked the person next to her with a face full of curiosity.
The village chief's nephew frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Hmm... let's leave this afternoon. I'm thinking of buying some blankets and other heating supplies for the villagers. After all, the weather is getting colder and colder, and we can't let everyone get cold." As he spoke, his expression was particularly serious, as if he were shouldering a heavy responsibility.
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning puffed out her cheeks in anger, glared at the village chief's nephew, and said irritably, "I'll give you a look, you figure it out yourself!" After saying that, she turned her face away and refused to look at him anymore.
After being glared at by Su Yuning, the village chief's nephew was completely bewildered. He scratched his head and asked blankly, "Oh dear, how did I offend you, Yuning? I was just trying to be helpful."
Just then, Ye Beichen, who had been standing silently to the side, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, explaining to the village chief's nephew with a smile, "Haha, you don't know, Yu Ning's factory was closed for rectification a while ago, but it has reopened now! And their factory has all kinds of heating products, so you don't need to spend any extra money to buy them."