latelenovela Chapter 108: Giving Porridge
Chapter 108: Giving Porridge
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zheng Hao returned to the prefectural school.
Not long after he left, Lin Xiaoyao came to the Gu family and said to Gu Lin with a serious expression, "Master, there are more and more disaster victims outside the city. The prefect has posted notices calling on all wealthy households in the city to donate money and grain. What should we do?"
Previously, Prefect Zhen had called on merchants to donate money and grain, but it was just a call to action; he had never posted a notice like this before. This time, it was more of a notification than a call to action.
Before today, Lin Xiaoyao was unaware of how serious the situation was for the disaster victims outside the city. After reading the announcement, Lin Xiaoyao confirmed that the situation in the south was becoming increasingly dire.
Sitting up straight in the recliner, Gu Lin looked up at Lin Xiaoyao, frowned, and asked, "What's going on? Didn't the imperial court send an imperial envoy to provide disaster relief? Why are there more disaster victims outside the city?"
Lin Xiaoyao didn't know the specifics either. He shook his head and said, "I heard from the farmers who deliver vegetables to our restaurant that the refugee camp outside was already full of people a few days ago. When they came to deliver vegetables today, they saw that the ground outside the refugee camp was full of people."
Actually, the farmers who delivered the vegetables gave more specific details.
When they delivered vegetables before, there weren't so many refugees outside. But after delivering vegetables to Haoyunlou last time, for some reason, the garrison in this prefecture stopped driving away the refugees fleeing from the south. Today, when they came into the city to deliver vegetables, they were startled by the number of refugees outside.
The emaciated refugees stared with gleaming eyes at the vegetables on their carts. If it weren't for the soldiers guarding the area, they would have no doubt that they would have been robbed of their carts and themselves by the refugees.
To appease the farmers who delivered the vegetables, Lin Xiaoyao gave them an extra half string of cash.
Gu Lin sat to the side, pondering. If such a thing were true, Zheng Hao should have been the first to know, but the other party had not mentioned it to him since returning home the day before yesterday.
Either the other party genuinely doesn't know, or the matter is of great importance and cannot be easily told to him.
Regardless of the method, obtaining evidence would have to wait until the other party returned from their next ten-day break, and Gu Lin had no intention of bothering them at the academy with this matter.
Gu Lin asked Lin Xiaoyao, "Do you know how many refugees are outside?"
Lin Xiaoyao's expression was solemn, and she said in a heavy tone, "It's at least three times more than last time."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's expression turned cold, and he asked, "How much of the grain I told you to stockpile is left?"
Lin Xiaoyao said, "After deducting the money spent on distributing porridge over the past few months, there are still two thousand shi of grain left."
Before news of the southern floods came last year, Gu Lin noticed that the prices of many items on the market were rising, so he decisively bought a lot of grain. After the news of the southern floods broke, the price of grain in the prefectural city immediately rose, and it was not until some time later that the prefect suppressed it. Gu Lin then asked Lin Xiaoyao to buy grain again.
Some of the grain was new, but most was old. Two thousand shi of grain seemed like a lot, but with three times as many refugees as last time, it was far from enough.
Gu Lin said to Lin Xiaoyao, "Cook the porridge in our porridge stall to a thinner consistency, and then boil and sterilize the unsold ingredients from the restaurant and the leftover food from the customers' meals at high temperature before sending them to the porridge stall."
After Gu Lin finished speaking, Lin Xiaoyao said, "Master..."
If, as Gu Lin suggested, the leftover food from the diners is given to the refugees, they are very likely to be attacked by the rivals of Good Fortune Restaurant, who already dislike it.
Gu Lin said firmly, "We simply don't have enough food to save so many people. If we want to keep the soup kitchens running, we have to be very careful with our resources."
The patrons at Good Fortune Restaurant are mostly respectable people. The so-called leftovers are usually only touched a few times and aren't dirty; the refugees need to survive. We should sterilize the leftovers at high temperatures and send them to the soup kitchens. We shouldn't hide anything from the refugees; we should tell them the truth. They can eat what they want, and we shouldn't force them to eat what they don't want.”
Gu Lin had no choice. If he continued to distribute porridge as before, the two thousand shi of grain would not last long. He had to find another way.
Seeing the young man's unwavering expression, Lin Xiaoyao nodded and said, "I understand, boss."
Gu Lin did not entrust the task of distributing porridge to refugees entirely to Lin Xiaoyao. She was already busy managing all the affairs of Haoyunlou and was too preoccupied to handle this as well. If she were to take on this task as well, it would be difficult to guarantee that neither side would make mistakes while she was multitasking.
The next morning, Gu Lin got out of bed, ate breakfast, and immediately went to Haoyunlou Restaurant.
He summoned Xiao Cui and asked her to help him prepare money and food. He then instructed Da Zhuo to keep an eye on the cooks in the backyard who were responsible for disinfecting leftover food in his spare time, so as to prevent any mistakes due to carelessness. He also sent Yu Ercheng to keep an eye on the soup kitchen outside the city.
In the past, Gu Lin would turn a blind eye to the fact that the people at the soup kitchen were greedy for money, but the situation was different now. Gu Lin said to Er Cheng, "Let me be clear with you. I sent you to the soup kitchen not because I don't value you, but because I don't trust them."
Under Yu Ercheng's watchful gaze, Gu Lin said, "I don't have time to waste with them right now. You keep a close eye on them. If they still can't see the situation clearly and are greedy, putting things into their own pockets, don't show them any mercy. Come back and tell me directly, and I will not tolerate it."
Yu Ercheng was also a refugee who had fled here. He knew how hard it was for refugees. He knew that his employer had put a lot of thought into the refugees. Yu Ercheng clasped his hands and said, "Don't worry, employer. I, Yu Ercheng, will not let anyone be greedy for a single penny."
Afterwards, Gu Lin led his men to escort the money and grain to the government office.
At this time, he saw many merchants outside who, like him, had come to deliver money and grain.
The wealthy gentlemen who used to be dressed in fine clothes and adorned with gold and silver have become much more frugal. Instead of wearing brocade and silk, they now wear simple cotton clothes.
They bowed their heads and bend over, pleading poverty to the officials collecting money and grain: "Sir, since the floods in the south, the price of grain in the prefectural city has risen, and many people have no money to spend. We have been doing business at a loss for the past six months and have not made much money at all."
"We are aware of the difficulties faced by you gentlemen and the hardships endured by the prefect. We, the common people, are deeply grateful for your tireless efforts day and night to handle the many important matters of the prefecture. Without you, we would not have a peaceful life."
While pleading his case, the wealthy man secretly slipped money into the official's hand. The official, who had initially looked indifferent, lowered his gaze, then with a flick of his wrist accepted the banknotes. After looking down at the satisfactory amount, he said to the wealthy man, "The Prefect knows your difficulties, but with refugees in the face of the crisis, the Imperial Court has issued an edict that those with money should donate money, and those with grain should donate grain."
The intelligent people present understood that money and food must be donated, but the amount was up to them, and it couldn't be too little; they had to cross that line.
Gu Lin lowered his eyes, pretending not to see what was happening in front of him.
That's just how the world is; one side makes a request, and the other side provides it.
He had his assistant push the cart forward and handed the money to the official, saying, "Sir, Gu Lin from Haoyunlou has come to deliver money and grain."
The official ordered someone to take the grain and weigh it, and then he took the silver notes himself. Seeing that the other party did not express any opinion, he held the brush in mid-air and said in an ambiguous tone, "Good Luck Tower, I've heard of it. It's a place that officials and wealthy households in the city like to go. No wonder Master Gu was able to donate so much money and grain."
Gu Lin disliked being in the limelight, and this time the donated grain followed the main group, without shortchanging anyone or donating a large amount.
He understood that the official in front of him was asking for a bribe. Gu Lin didn't want to cause trouble. He slightly raised his hand to take out the silver note, but out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure walking out of the government office, and then heard a clear, cold voice: "Uncle Gu".
Gu Lin watched as the official in front of him put away his arrogant expression and addressed the person behind him, saying, "Young Master Zhen."
Gu Lin turned his head, and Zhen Cheng was already standing a few steps away from him.
Upon seeing the cart behind Gu Lin, Zhen Cheng immediately understood what the other party had come for. Then, he said to the official, "Lord Peng, this is an elder of my classmate. His family runs a restaurant. Is the money and grain he sent enough?"
Even though Zhen Cheng was the biological son of Prefect Zhen, apart from his title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations), he was indeed a commoner. It was not wrong for him to address the official in front of him as "Sir".
The official's expression changed, and he smiled and said, "I dare not accept such praise. The grain that Boss Gu sent is clearly full, so it is more than enough."
Gu Lin didn't say much about the dramatic changes in the officials.
After handing over the money and grain, he and Zhen Cheng walked out of the crowd, and then he thanked Zhen Cheng.
Zhen Cheng politely declined, and afterwards, the two tacitly avoided mentioning what had just happened.
Zhen Cheng was not a talkative person, but after thinking for a moment, he said to Gu Lin, "Brother Zheng is at the government office. Uncle Gu, would you like to go and see him?"
Seeing that the other party appeared at the government office, and since it wasn't a holiday for the prefectural school, Gu Lin guessed that it must be related to the refugees outside the city.
Hearing that Zheng Hao was also in the government office, Gu Lin's mind raced. He shook his head and said, "I have things to do at home, so I won't bother you any longer. You and Zheng Hao can have dinner at home another day, and I will definitely treat you well."
Zhen Cheng thanked him, "Thank you, Uncle Gu."
Gu Lin turned and left the government office with his men.
When Gu Lin got home, he saw a familiar figure he hadn't seen in a long time as soon as he entered the door. The person turned around when he heard the noise behind him.
Upon seeing the other person's face, Gu Lin exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Yu!"
Looking at the young man not far away, who had grown a bit taller and whose face had lost its youthful naiveté and become even more handsome, Yu Ge'er smiled and replied, "Lin Ge'er."
At the table, Aunt Zhao had prepared six dishes. Gu Lin looked at the family of three across from him and asked, "When did you set off for the prefectural city? Judging by the journey, you weren't spending the Mid-Autumn Festival on the road, were you?"
Chen Xiaoliu skillfully handed the baby in his arms to the man beside him.
Yu Ge'er explained, "I wanted to come over as soon as I finished my postpartum confinement, but the baby is young and easily gets sick if exposed to the wind, so I waited for a few more months. Just a few days ago, a security escort agency in the county was going to escort a shipment to the prefectural city. The baby's health has also improved, so we went to the prefectural city with the security escort agency."
After hearing what Yu Ge'er said, Zhao Saozi said, "Then only your father is left in the village."
Chen Xiaoliu continued, "We originally wanted to bring Dad along, but he didn't want the journey to be too tiring and he couldn't bear to leave the crops in the fields, so he stayed in the village. Before leaving, I hired some day laborers so that Dad wouldn't be too tired."
Brother Zhao nodded in agreement and said, "Uncle Chen did the right thing. The land is the lifeblood of us farmers."
After arriving in the prefectural city, what Brother Zhao found hardest to adjust to was not having land to farm. Before, in the county town, he could go back to the village every few days to fertilize and water the fields.
Chen Xiaoliu replied, "That's right. Especially after seeing so many refugees outside the city along the way, I understand the importance of farmland even more."
The atmosphere at the table froze when the topic of the disaster victims outside the city was brought up.
Yu Ge'er said, "There are also refugees outside the county town, but not as many as outside the prefectural city. When we first arrived in the prefectural city, we were all frightened by the refugees outside."
"However, looking at the soup kitchens of all sizes standing outside the city, including government-run ones and many private ones, the refugees outside the city are always in a better situation than those outside the county town."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin asked with a slightly surprised expression, "Didn't the county government and wealthy households provide porridge to the refugees?"
After exchanging a few glances, Yu Ge'er said to Gu Lin, "Of course there are. At first, everyone followed the government to set up sheds and distribute porridge, but after a few days of distributing porridge, other families saw that there were more and more refugees, so the porridge in the sheds became thin. Later, when they saw that the price of grain was rising, they even closed the porridge sheds. It was us, Fu Man Lou and Ru Yi Lou, who continued to do it."
Yu Ge'er continued, "When I leave, I will entrust the restaurant to a reliable person, and at the same time, I will entrust the porridge distribution to another person, so that they can check and balance each other."
Having worked with Yu Ge'er for so long, Gu Lin trusted his ability to handle things.
Then he said to Yu Ge'er, "Originally, since you three have just arrived in the prefectural city, I should let you rest well and then take you around the city. But now the matter is urgent, and I'm afraid it will be too much trouble for you two."
Without saying a word, Yu Ge'er and Chen Xiaoliu said to Gu Lin, "We know how serious this is. Lin Ge'er, just tell us what you need."
Aunt Zhao said from the side, "We two old bones can't be of much help, but you don't need to worry about the family and the children. We'll take good care of them for you."
Gu Lin raised his glass to express his gratitude.
Actually, given Gu Lin's status as a merchant, he didn't need to worry so much about the disaster victims; after all, if the sky falls, there are always tall people to hold it up.
But seeing more and more refugees pouring out of the city, and the prefect posting notices calling on wealthy households to donate money and grain but releasing no information, and what made Gu Lin most uneasy was that Zheng Hao, a scholar, had been pulled away to work by Zhen Cheng or Prefect Zhen, Gu Lin felt that something big must have happened that they didn't know about.
The next day, Gu Lin took Yu Ge'er and Chen Xiaoliu to Haoyunlou. After the two sides introduced themselves, Gu Lin began to make arrangements for Yu Ge'er and Chen Xiaoliu.
Gu Lin sent Chen Xiaoliu to assist Yu Ercheng. The two took turns transporting grain and staying in the soup kitchen, while Yu Ge'er stayed by his side to help him prepare money and food.
With the help of the two more people, Gu Lin felt much more relaxed. Before, he had to keep an eye on the people below to prevent them from embezzling too much, and also pay attention to whether the leftover food was properly disinfected, for fear that the staff in the building might be negligent and give the disaster victims food that was not thoroughly disinfected.
After arranging everything, Gu Lin handed the matter over to Yu Ge'er and then left the city with Chen Xiaoliu, who was escorting the grain.
Upon arriving at the soup kitchen, Gu Lin saw several men, dressed in shabby clothes but with an air of refinement, arguing with Yu Ercheng. Yu Ercheng, mindful of the surrounding disaster victims, suppressed his anger and tried to explain to them.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaoliu turned to Gu Lin and said, "Brother Lin, the situation here has changed and there might be danger. I'll take you back to the city first."
Gu Lin raised his hand and shook his head in refusal, then got out of the car and walked towards the soup kitchen.