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墨書 Inktalez
"What’s happening on the road? It’s been urgent for a while now, and there hasn’t been a single update? What is the Governor thinking? Why hasn’t anyone been sent over from nearby? How long are we supposed to wait for the people in the capital?"
In matters of life and death, County Magistrate Zhou felt like cursing. Whenever something happened, everyone pushed back, insisting that they could only open the granaries for relief after receiving orders from the court. What kind of reasoning is that?
Special circumstances require special treatment. Everyone was rigidly adhering to the rules. All the officials and soldiers from the county office had been dispatched, yet it was still not enough to make a significant impact.
"Your Excellency, please be cautious with your words!" Master Wen quickly closed the door to prevent County Magistrate Zhou from saying anything too extreme.
Walls have ears; the officialdom is a complex environment where some matters must be guarded against.
Realizing he had misspoken, County Magistrate Zhou fell silent for a while before asking, "Have there been any updates from the soldiers?"
"Your Excellency, the roads are blocked. Our people can only clear them slowly. Even if they manage to get through, our relief supplies cannot be delivered."
Afterward, both men wore worried expressions. What were they supposed to do? It truly echoed that saying about calling out without response.
"This won’t do; we need to organize a rescue team. All soldiers should go over; those who aren’t injured should form teams and head out."
Time is of the essence; if this drags on any longer, casualties will increase significantly.
Just as County Magistrate Zhou was fervently organizing the rescue efforts, the relief supplies from the court and personnel sent by the Provincial Capital were still sluggishly making their way.
Realizing this fact, they had no choice but to rely on themselves, even though the soldiers from Linyi County could only provide minimal assistance.
Three more hours passed, and as Linyi's soldiers ventured deeper into the epicenter of the disaster, Ten Li Pu's explosive energy and enthusiasm attracted many onlookers.
Fortunately, the village was located some distance away from the mountains; the collapsing rocks did not hit anyone. Otherwise, casualties would have been even worse.
Zhang Wuliang found himself surrounded by several village leaders from other villages: "Brother Zhang, you really need to help us this time."
"Yes, yes, you see, who knows when the court will come? In our village, you are the only one with the most casualties. The houses have already started to be built, and we had no choice but to come to you," said the village head of Song Family Village.
The village head of Yang Family Village continued, "I see not many of you are injured. You don't know; about ten people died in our village!"
At this point, the Old Village Head couldn't help but shed murky tears from the corners of his eyes. Those were vibrant lives that had gradually disappeared right before him.
Some were already unrecognizable when they were pulled out, while others only had time for a few last words with their loved ones.
Familiar faces gradually closed their eyes, filled with longing for their relatives and a desire for life.
What remained were orphans and widows, hungry children, and frail old people.
These village heads truly felt helpless.
Although they were leaders of their villages, they had never encountered such a serious incident before and were momentarily at a loss.
Just then, as despair began to settle in, the bustling scene at Ten Li Pu shocked them.
Upon hearing the news, it was as if they saw the last glimmer of hope.
They gathered in groups towards Ten Li Pu. Regardless of whether their relationships were good or bad, or how much they had interacted before, at that moment, they couldn't care less about face-saving; survival was the most important thing.
Zhang Wuliang was overwhelmed by the noise and shouted with full force, "Stop shouting! Take it slow."
"How can we take it slow? If we take it slow, we won't have lives left! You must help us this time; from now on, we will listen to you."
At this moment, they regarded Ten Li Pu as the leader among the nearby Ten Li Eight Villages. Zhang Wuliang could easily lead them all.
Waving his hand, after a moment, the scene gradually quieted down. "I know you are anxious, but look at our village. Aren't all the kids working together? At this time, we must unite; unity is strength."
"Don't worry about anything else. There must be some people in the village who aren't injured, right? Those who are fine should quickly find a doctor to treat the injured, and those who aren't hurt should work on rebuilding the houses. For now, the officials can't come in, and we can't go out either; we can only take it slow, understand?"
"If anyone can go up the mountain to find some hemostatic herbs, please do so. We will need them in these days."
As time passed by minute by minute, everyone gradually felt less anxious. It was not as desperate as before, and following the methods of Ten Li Pu seemed feasible for them too.
At this moment, they began to feel fortunate that the wheat had not yet ripened. Otherwise, if the ripe wheat fell over, the grains would scatter everywhere, making it even harder to collect.
Although they were facing disaster now, at least there was some harvest; they wouldn't starve. Even if the soup was a bit thin, it was better than having nothing at all.
At this moment, every village was exceptionally united. All past conflicts over water disputes and village rivalries were set aside in the face of this catastrophic blow.
What could be more important than life? Past grievances and conflicts dissipated.
"Hey, Five Grains brother, can we come over to your place and take a look? We want to see how the kids are doing so we can arrange things quickly when we get back."
"No problem! Let's go; I'll show you," Zhang Wuliang said eagerly.
After all, they were neighbors; he would help as much as he could.
Thus, with Zhang Wuliang leading a dozen people, they walked from the south of Ten Li Pu towards the north. Everywhere they passed, people were busy—some leveling ground, some preparing soil or digging, and even children were busy cutting grass.
The bustling scene was completely unlike that of people suffering from disaster; most people's hearts were filled with sunshine and hope.
At this moment, a six-year-old child ran over with a basket. "Grandpa Village Chief, I cut some grass!"
Zhang Wuliang gently patted the Kid's head and said, "Stone Child is really impressive; he can help your mother with work."
The Kid, receiving praise from the elder, broke into a pure smile on his muddy face and happily ran home.
For this Stone Child, Zhang Wuliang felt both pity and sorrow. Life as an orphan and a widow was already difficult, and encountering such circumstances made it even harder to endure.
At home, there was only one woman taking care of a child. Widow Tian would go out to the fields to harvest crops before dawn and wouldn’t return until it was dark, working tirelessly day and night.
What could be done? Without any strong laborers, she had to work herself to the bone.
Even the house needed help from the villagers. Widow Tian was a proud woman; she wanted to finish her work quickly so she could help the big Kid afterward, at least contributing some effort.
The village chief’s advice was of no use; she was stubborn. So be it; let her be. Fortunately, her only son, Zhang Shiwa, was raised well and would be fine once he grew up a bit more.
This scene caught the attention of other village chiefs, who couldn't help but sigh at the different atmosphere. No wonder Ten Li Pu's life was getting better; there were reasons behind it.
In the end, Zhang Wuliang saw off a few people and assured them that he would definitely help wherever he could in the future.
Just then, Liu Qingxi's house was at the village entrance. As they passed by, Liu Qingxi casually greeted Zhang Wuliang.
This caught the attention of all the village chiefs, leaving them with dumbfounded expressions.
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