Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 619: Leaving No Handles_1

The heavy snow that had continued intermittently for the past few days had turned into a snow disaster, with the areas near the capital being the most affected. Jinzhou was somewhat better off, as those in precarious housing had been relocated early on, and even with some refugees pouring into Prefecture City, things did not seem chaotic.

Exhausted, Zhou Shuren returned home that evening. Zhulan, who was deeply concerned, said, "Eat more."

In the past two days, arranging for the refugees, he had lost quite a bit of weight.

Zhou Shuren was extremely hungry, as he had only had breakfast in the Government Office that morning, and then just some plain congee at noon. His stomach was empty. After eating a few mouthfuls of rice to fill his stomach, he finally said comfortably, "All the refugees in the city have been properly accommodated. It’s a good thing we prepared in advance; otherwise, the refugees would not even have had a place to stay."

Zhou Shuren felt that he had accumulated a great deal of merit. Without him, who knew how many people would have frozen to death. The temperatures had dropped a lot after the snow had ceased. Even with his thick cotton clothes and cloak, he was frozen to the core—what more for the poor refugees? Having winter clothes was already a luxury, not to mention how many years old they were. With stiffened cotton clothes that didn’t keep one warm at all.

Zhulan served Zhou Shuren chicken soup. After putting down the bowl, she said, "I heard that some benevolent families have set up congee stands these past two days. Do you think our family should also set up one?"

There was no shortage of grain in the household, as her habit of stockpiling had influenced the whole household, and the Zhou family was well-stocked on various supplies.

After drinking the ginseng chicken soup, Zhou Shuren felt a warm satisfaction in his stomach. "There’s no need to set up a congee stand. From tomorrow on, there won’t be any families setting them up on their own. I have already sent people from door to door to inform them not to set up congee stands privately. Any grains, cotton clothes, and other supplies should be donated to the government office. They will distribute everything uniformly to avoid refugees wandering around, which is hard to manage and might cause trouble, and also to ensure the resources are used to their greatest extent."

Zhulan paused for a moment. "Some people are genuinely benevolent, while others do it to gain a reputation. Not everyone is willing to donate for the government office to distribute."

Zhou Shuren replied, "That’s why I have prepared a donation list. It details who donated what and how the items were distributed. Everything will be posted outside the Government Office."

Zhulan laughed softly, "That’s a good idea. Now that all donations are going to the Government Office, as the Prefect of Jinzhou, our family must also make a contribution. How about one thousand jin of grain, along with the cotton blankets and clothes we’ve prepared in advance?"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "That’s very good, neither too much nor too little."

Zhulan had carefully considered this amount. She had inquired with several people in the Tao family about how much grain was used and how many cotton clothes were donated when they set up congee stands in the past, then she chose a middling amount that would not offend anyone and would allow for the maximum contribution of supplies.

Having had his fill, Zhou Shuren remarked, "Home is indeed the most comfortable place."

Zhulan said, "Tomorrow, I’ll ask the kitchen to prepare some jerky for you to carry with you."

Zhou Shuren waved his hand, "No need."

In fact, Zhou Shuren felt annoyed by the subject. He did not see why he should necessarily share in the hardships of the common people, yet other officials insisted on doing so. With many officials following suit, he felt embarrassed to ask for special treatment. He knew that doing more practical work was far more substantial than going hungry.

Zhulan sighed, "Speaking of which, Jinzhou’s situation is considered quite good. But who knows how various places in the capital are faring?"

Leaning back in his chair and sipping tea, Zhou Shuren said, "The capital will be a bit more chaotic. The refugees there mostly wish to go to the capital. It has the largest number of refugees and, despite preparations, will not be settled so quickly."

Especially since real estate in the capital is incredibly expensive and densely populated, there are not many vacant houses, which complicates accommodation.

The next day, horse-drawn carts filled with grain donations lined up in front of Jinzhou’s Government Office. After making a round outside, Zhou Shuren said to Wong Ju, "Make sure to write down the details clearly, and yes, in large characters."

Wong Ju said excitedly, "Yes, my lord!"

Zhou Shuren patted Wong Ju’s shoulder. The latter had been somewhat thrilled these past few days. "Stay calm."

Wong Ju couldn’t calm himself; having experienced several snow disasters by his age, he knew the true plight of the commoners when the dynasty was first established. With the Imperial court lacking silver and insufficient grain, the impoverished people suffered greatly, and many died in the calamity.

Things improved somewhat later. There were snow disasters in the previous years as well, and he was in Jinzhou Province at the time, but the response was still far from ideal. There was a shortage of everything, and many old people and children died.

This year’s snow disaster, however, was the most relaxed and confident he had ever felt. He truly admired Lord Zhou. He didn’t aspire to feast on meat by following Lord Zhou, but even sipping a little more soup would be good. Ah, no one died in the disaster this year, and there was no chaos at all; that’s an achievement, an achievement!

After Zhou Shuren arrived in Jinzhou, he subtly cultivated the administrative efficiency of the government office officials. Every donation was carefully recorded without any confusion, and Zhou Shuren was very satisfied with this.

In the capital, the Crown Prince stood inside a temporary porridge stall, his voice faint, "Even with preparations made, there are still many refugees without a place to stay. This year’s temperature is lower than in previous years, and we’ve run out of warm cotton clothes."

Ning Xu, with his hands crossed over his chest, said, "What the Crown Prince has done is already commendable."

He hadn’t returned for many years, but he knew what he should, and to handle it as swiftly as this year was a first.

The Crown Prince replied, "It’s not that I did well, but that Lord Zhou’s methods are commendable."

Ning Xu had heard about Lord Zhou more than once. He turned his head, looked at the undisguised admiration in the Crown Prince’s eyes, and smiled, "It’s getting late, the Emperor is still waiting for the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince looked wordlessly at his uncle, thinking that this man was really brazen. No one would suspect Ning San to come out so openly with him. His mouth twitched, "Alright."

On the way back to the city, Ning Xu sat by the carriage window. He had come out for the safety of the Crown Prince. His years as a spy had made him trust no one. The Crown Prince’s significance to the Ning family was too great. The Ning family had expended generations in exchange for the prosperity of their descendants; any mishap could befall anyone but the Crown Prince.

Ning Xu gazed at the porridge tents on the street, frowning, "It would be better to keep the refugees in one place; this is somewhat chaotic."

The Crown Prince, looking at the patrolling soldiers, was about to respond but paused. When he looked again, the person was gone.

"What’s wrong?" asked Ning Xu.

"Nothing."

The Crown Prince had thought he saw a man who looked very much like the Emperor at the porridge stall, but in the blink of an eye, the man vanished. Bowing his head, the Crown Prince thought the current Fifth Prince was an imposter. But what about the real one? He considered various possibilities, but he felt more certain that the real Fifth Prince was already dead. He must have been mistaken just now, and it made sense that the real Fifth Prince was dead because he, too, would not leave loose ends.

In Jinzhou City, Zhulan listened to Old Madam Song’s words and said, "Deng Li really is tenacious. I may not see her, but she comes every day."

"If you don’t see her, she won’t give up easily," replied the old woman.

Zhulan sighed, "Enough, bring her in."

Soon, Deng Li entered. It was the first time Zhulan saw Deng Li; the young girl looked very much like Deng Yun but had a different temperament, with ambition in her eyes.

The excitement in Deng Li’s heart turned cold when her eyes met those of the Family Head’s wife’s, and she hurriedly bowed her head in a salute, "Deng Li has come to see the madam and thanks you for saving my life."

Zhulan had no objection to Deng Li; different environments shape different characters and pursuits. The girl understood much more than Deng Yun and as Scholar Deng’s sister-in-law had not encountered any troubles, it was normal for her to have ambitions after witnessing the prosperity and seeking it out herself. However, she was not suitable for the Zhou family, "Now that your health has recovered and the road to the capital is clear, we’ll send you home in a couple of days."