Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 268 Turning decay into magic
Suzhou government office,

Sun Yicai sat weakly in the lobby, his heart still restless.

He is like a puppet, achieving the goals of various people.

Looking at Mei Niang who was serving him, Sun Yicai felt that he was deeply involved and unable to extricate himself.

"Sir, the flood passed through and 60% of the farmland was submerged. The wealthy families seemed to have known the news in advance. This year, the ditches were dug very deep and the embankments to protect the farmland were also built very high, so the losses were minimal."

A young yamen runner reported to his superiors.

Sun Yicai sighed, "Okay, I understand."

After accepting the order, the yamen runners saluted for a long time and showed no intention of leaving. Sun Yi couldn't help but frown and asked, "What? Is there anything else?"

The yamen runner tried to hold back, but couldn't help but bow and say, "Sir, the city has suffered a serious disaster. You haven't given any orders on how to provide disaster relief yet."

"Outside the city, groups of people are fleeing to Xuanmu Mountain. They are trying to save themselves. But without the relief grain from the court, I'm afraid they won't be able to hold out for a few days."

Sun Yicai was startled and said, "Yes, it is time to provide disaster relief. How long will the grain in the government treasury be enough to provide relief?"

"According to my understanding, it may only last for more than ten days."

Sun Yicai's mind regained some clarity. He realized that the current situation was not the time for him to continue to sink into despair.

"It'll take at least ten days to distribute it. I will communicate with the wealthy families in the city and ask them to provide some financial support to help them get through the disaster."

The method of providing relief to the disaster victims that Sun Yicai mentioned was the method of buying land that he had agreed upon with Xu Yaozu and others early on. He would buy the people's land at a low price and only leave enough food for the winter for one year.

It is now July. Until the ice and snow melt and spring comes next year, a family will need about ten dan of grain. If the people are more hard-working, they will have to dig wild vegetables and catch fish and shrimps in the river to fill their stomachs. The price of land can be reduced to less than ten dan.

Moreover, by the second year, the people had lost their land and became refugees, and could only work as temporary workers for the wealthy families at low prices.

It really reduces costs to the lowest level and makes profits unlimited.

The yamen runners at the lower level had no idea what Sun Yicai and his group were up to, so they nodded repeatedly and said, "There is a group of people in the charity society outside the city who are helping the people on behalf of the government. As for them..."

Sun Yicai never paid much attention to civilian organizations. He waved his hand and said, "The people can save themselves. There is no need to pay too much attention to them."

The yamen runner cupped his hands and said, "Yes."

The bailiff walked out of the door, feeling very confused.

The situation is critical now, but Lord Sun, the acting prefect, is still so calm. I don't know whether we should say that he remains calm even when faced with a catastrophe, or that he is too clueless.

On the contrary, the disaster relief methods of private charity organizations sound closer to reality than the rich saving the people.

……

At the foot of Xuanmu Mountain, there was an endless stream of people going up the mountain.

Outside the ranks of the people, a small shed was set up with the two big words "Cao Bang" written on it, and rice was being distributed.

Not much, just three days' rations.

But three days' food was also the people's hope for survival, which attracted a large number of people to collect food.

But when collecting food, I heard even more bizarre news.

The Cao Gang wanted to hold a duck banquet, but there were so many people in the Cao Gang that the ducks they needed were not just a few, but they had nowhere to feed them.

The people's rice fields have now been submerged by floods. Even after the floods recede and the accumulated water is drained, the rice fields cannot be restored to their original state, and crops can no longer be grown in them. The fields are also facing constant attacks by pests.

Such fields are suitable for raising ducks.

Whether it is the rice seeds that were washed away or the insect eggs that grew in the fields, pests are food for the ducks, so there is no shortage of food.

Moreover, after a flood, the soil in the rice fields tends to become compacted, and the ducks paddling back and forth can make the soil loose, increase soil aeration, and improve its structure.

Furthermore, duck droppings are natural fertilizers. When scattered in the fields, they act as natural guardians of rice fields.

Nowadays, if you get a license from Caobang, a family can get hundreds of ducks depending on the population and acres of land.

After receiving the ducks, people could also receive ten dan of grain. The ducks had to be returned after they were out of the pens. The eggs laid by the ducks or the ducklings that hatched from them would not be kept by the Cao Gang and had to be kept by the people.

This was a profitable business with no investment, and it became a hot topic among the victims once it was announced.

Word spread from one person to ten people, and from ten to a hundred, and Xuanmu Mountain became even more lively than before.

As for the government's policy of allowing large households to buy land, it was also in full swing at the same time, but its popularity was far less than that of Xuanmu Mountain.

……

On Xuanmu Mountain,

Many people kneel down here to worship the Buddha statue and pray for blessings.

When people lack a sense of security, they hope to find spiritual comfort and sustenance.

The hardships in this life are sowing the seeds of good deeds for the next life, which will bring blessings.

Only such Buddhist temples are respected by people.

There was no longer enough space to accommodate more victims in Sheng'en Temple, and people were kneeling inside and outside the main hall.

The people, who had nowhere to go, had no choice but to follow the narrow path, feeling their way up the mountain against the stones, to find solace in Panxiang Temple.

But today, due to special circumstances, Panxiang Temple, which had not opened its gates for a long time, also opened its gates.

At present, most people in Suzhou have just seen Panxiang Temple for the first time. Compared with the Shengen Temple at the foot of the mountain, which is full of incense, this place is extremely plain and pure, which seems to cleanse people's hearts and make them feel inexplicably at peace.

Until the front of the main hall, every place was clean and there was no trace of dilapidation as originally expected.

The beams of the house were crisscrossed without any dust, and the golden Buddha statue in the center had not lost any of its gold paint, as if it had not been long since it was last repainted and repaired.

Led by the little nun from the mountain, a group of believers knelt on cushions, struck wooden fish, and chanted softly.

A peaceful and tranquil scene.

Suddenly, the Buddha statue shone with golden light, emitting a dazzling brightness. The people who were facing it did not dare to look up and could not get up.

The little nun was also frightened by the scene. She fell to her knees and trembled violently.

"Little Master, what's going on?"

"I've never seen anything like it."

Golden light lingered around the body for a long time, until the light dimmed, and then a piece of silk with golden words on it slowly fell from the Buddha statue.

The people were terrified and thought it was a miracle that the Buddha appeared.

The silk was brought in and someone who could read it was found to be translated into four words in Sanskrit: "Destroying dikes and flooding fields, sitting in office without doing anything, hated by both humans and gods, and beyond redemption."

The people were shocked and couldn't help talking about it.

"What? The dam was destroyed by someone, not by water?"

"You're talking about the government, right? Was this done by the government?"

"This has angered the Buddha, how could it be false? They will surely be doomed to eternal damnation and will never be able to reincarnate!"

"Little Master, please give us an explanation, what is going on?"

The little nun looked even more terrified, tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head repeatedly.

"There was no such thing in the old days."

Everyone was even more furious. Panxiang Temple had not opened its gates for a long time. This time it was opened. It was the first time that the Buddha appeared. His purpose was to enlighten the suffering victims. The friendship between them was witnessed by heaven and earth. How could it be false?

"No wonder the government is so slow in providing disaster relief. It's even slower than the Cao Gang outside. It turns out they just want to destroy our farmland and force us to sell it to the rich at a low price!"

"Damn it, tear down his office!"

Everyone thought they had received the Buddha's will and were now infinitely powerful, so they immediately went down the mountain to spread the message, gathered people, and went to the government office to seek an explanation.

Outside the hall, Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyun, who were sitting on a tree trunk, put away the large mirrors they had just used and looked at the rioting crowd below, feeling frightened.

"Sister, if this continues, won't the people commit crimes against the government? If they are forced into a desperate situation, what will happen if they riot?"

Miaoyu replied, "The news of the Marquis's appointment will probably reach Suzhou soon. Now that everyone has a place to appeal, they will not easily rebel. It will just put pressure on the government, and it will probably be more difficult for the big families to buy land."

"In fact, changing rice to mulberry is indeed a national policy, which is to make up for the deficit in the national treasury. An Jinghou is now in a dilemma. He must protect the rice farmers' fields to prevent the big families from annexing the land and exploiting the people, and he must also find a way to make up for the deficit in the national treasury."

“It’s really hard.”

Xing Xiuyan looked at Miaoyu in surprise and said, "When did you start to worry about Marquis Anjing's affairs? Shouldn't you be worried about your father's vindication?"

"Or do you think that with Marquis Anjing here, your father will definitely be cleared of wrongdoing, so you are starting to think about how to repay the Marquis?"

"Are you still the sister I know? Are you really going to return to secular life for Marquis Anjing?"

Miaoyu just blurted it out without thinking. Now, after listening to Xing Xiuyun's argument, it seemed that there was some truth in it. She felt her cheeks getting hot, and a hint of pink appeared on her cold face.

"Stop... stop talking nonsense. Marquis Anjing does everything for the people, so why can't we consider Marquis Anjing? You are like a housekeeper, gossiping all day long. If you talk nonsense again, I will not let you off easily."

Miaoyu climbed down the ladder nimbly and pretended to take the ladder away.

Xing Xiuyan said angrily, "No, no, I won't say it again, dear sister, please forgive me this time."

Without the ladder, Xing Xiuyan would really have to hang herself.

"I heard this morning that your parents have also come up the mountain, and they are probably here to look for you. So stop fooling around and go back home to check on them."

When her parents were mentioned, Xing Xiuyun's expression darkened, completely losing the spirit she had when she was with Miaoyu.

Seeing her appearance, Miaoyu couldn't help but ask, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Xing Xiuyan shook her head, "No, it's my family's business, if I ask my sister to go, she will just be a laughing stock."

Miaoyu pursed her lips helplessly, "It's hard to tell who is better off between the two of us, so how can we laugh?"

Xing Xiuyan lowered her eyebrows, shook off the dust on her skirt, and turned to the house outside the temple.

Just as Miaoyu said, when Xing Xiuyun arrived at the small courtyard, the gate was already open and the sound of people talking could be heard inside.

Xing Xiuyan's background was not too bad, it was just that her family had fallen on hard times and her parents were still as extravagant as before.

The couple only had one daughter, but they didn't like her, so they arranged for her to live in a temple when she grew up.

My parents are still making a living in the city and rarely come to visit me, so our family ties are quite thin.

And every time I come, nothing good happens.

Xing Xiuyan pinched the hem of her skirt, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then walked in.

　Chapter 2 will be updated later.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)