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墨書 Inktalez
It was currently a time of great hardship, especially with the unprecedented drought lasting over three consecutive years. Such a situation was extremely rare. In an environment marked by prolonged high temperatures and severe water shortages, crops would typically perish from the lack of moisture and the onslaught of heatwaves.
The vibrant green landscape before them seemed utterly unreasonable. Gao Ping quickened his pace, leaning heavily on his cane, while the members of the Gao Family hurried to keep up with him. As they approached the farmland, they finally caught a clear glimpse of the deep ditches between each plot of land, flowing with water.
It was water! So much water! Witnessing this, excitement surged within them, and they rushed to the edge of the ditch, bending down to scoop up handfuls of water to drink. The water was crystal clear and incredibly sweet! They had never tasted such delicious water before.
In reality, water is a tasteless substance, even when it flows continuously. The reason it seemed so delightful was simply that they had gone too long without such refreshing drinks. The relentless drought had left rivers and lakes along their journey completely dry; despite carrying enough food, they had to conserve water meticulously for fear of dying of thirst along the way. However, upon seeing the flowing water in the fields, all their previous hardships seemed to vanish in an instant.
Their suffering would soon become a thing of the past. After a long moment, Gao Ping spoke up: "Has everyone had enough to drink? After we finish, let’s hurry on to Zhao Family Village." Most nodded in agreement, each taking some Qing Shui to quench their thirst. They then mounted their horses and set off, passing through the fields.
Ahead, they spotted a small fortress made of rammed earth. Though the walls were only about two meters high, they effectively concealed what lay inside. Upon closer inspection, they noticed a long line forming against the earthen wall, consisting of no fewer than a hundred people. Despite the distance, it was easy to identify them as refugees by their tattered clothing and sallow faces.
How could there be so many refugees here? Gao Ping furrowed his brow slightly and raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. He said, "Even if that is indeed where Zhao Family Village is located, we must approach this unknown situation with caution."
Before fully understanding the situation, I would like to send someone to gather information. Who is willing to go?
Everyone fell silent. Thanks to Gao Ping's usual caution, they had avoided many potential crises on their journey, so everyone agreed with his suggestion.
At this moment, Gao Shun stepped forward and said, "Grandfather, I am willing to go."
Gao Ping nodded with appreciation upon hearing this and gently grasped Gao Shun's arm, advising him softly, "Alright, you go. We will wait for you to bring back news. Remember, Zhao Family Village is said to be home to immortals. Once you enter, your words and actions must be appropriate; do not commit any breaches of etiquette."
Gao Shun acknowledged and then quickly made his way toward Zhao Family Village.
As he approached the crowd, he finally saw the specific situation: Zhao Family Village was holding a rice distribution event for relief efforts.
These were not ordinary people, he thought to himself.
Holding a relief event in a year of frequent disasters was indeed an extremely challenging task, as no one could guarantee when the calamities would end. Would it be the second year? The third year? Or even longer? Because of this uncertainty, most families chose to stockpile food in case of future shortages.
Moreover, many wealthy families often believed that aiding disaster victims was the government's responsibility; they felt no obligation to take action themselves. Unless absolutely necessary, they would not distribute their grain for the benefit of others.
People like the Zhao Family, who were so compassionate, were truly rare.
Gao Shun intended to approach the Zhao Family to seek refuge. However, after witnessing this scene, a sense of curiosity arose within him. Thus, he quietly joined the end of the line waiting for rice.
In fact, he did not need to overly conceal his identity. His current appearance was not much different from that of an ordinary famine victim: his clothes were tattered and disheveled, his hair tangled like a bird's nest; his face was covered in dust. The only differences were that he stood taller and appeared slightly healthier than those around him.
Aside from these details, he looked no different from the hungry and exhausted faces surrounding him. The crowd slowly moved forward as it neared Gao Shun's turn.
Before distributing the porridge, a registration process was necessary.
"What is your name? How old are you? Can you read and write?"
Although puzzled by the questions, Gao Shun complied and replied earnestly, "My name is Gao Shun, I am fifteen years old, and I can read and write."
Upon hearing this, the registrar paused for a moment, then scrutinized Gao Shun closely.
"Are you sure you can read? Can you write well?" the registrar pressed further.
Gao Shun confirmed that he could indeed read and write beautifully.
At this, a glimmer of excitement appeared in the registrar's eyes. Since the Zhao Family had begun accepting refugees three days ago, this person had been assigned to register information, recording the basic details of the refugees such as their names and ages. The most critical aspect was whether they could read and write.
With the number of refugees steadily increasing, the village's few hundred literate individuals were proving insufficient. There was an urgent need to identify more educated people among the refugees to help manage and maintain order.
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