Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

The heavy rain continued to fall, and finally, the bad news came.

In the low-lying areas of the Yangtze River, water surged up like a wild beast in many places, submerging houses and crops, and filling the streets with water.

Xie Shiyuan's mansion was located on a higher ground, but the accumulated water in the courtyard almost submerged the foundation.

The house was in chaos, especially the kitchen, where the situation was worrying.

Lighting a fire and cooking every day is a necessity, but if the firewood and charcoal are damp, it would be difficult to even have a hot meal.

Some of the houses near the river were submerged by the flood, while others were washed away. Fortunately, everyone had evacuated yesterday before the flood came, and only their belongings were damaged.

In contrast, those who lived a little further away from the river had not made adequate preparations and the flood had already reached their waists.

By this point, there was no time to pack up food, firewood, or household items. Some houses, whose structures were unstable, were even collapsed by the flood, and some people were killed before they could escape. Even those who survived were physically weak and were swept away by the flood.

Everything happened so suddenly that it caught us off guard.

Fortunately, before Shen Zhiyi returned home yesterday, a special rescue team had been organized, which enabled the rescue work to be carried out in an orderly manner.

Tao Jiuxi has become extremely uneasy in the past few days. In ancient times, facing such floods, it all depends on manpower, and the solutions available are indeed not very effective.

Xie Ningqiu couldn't care less about Xie Shumei at the moment. She had trouble swallowing her food all day, fearing that something might happen to Shen Zhiyi.

When Shen Zhiyi came back again, it was two days later, and he was extremely tired.

After returning home, he took off his wet clothes and slept for two hours, then went out with Jiang Shun and Jiang Qu again.

Tao Jiuxi looked at Shen Zhiyi who was rushing back and forth, and said worriedly: "Ayi, I don't know when this rain will stop. If it continues like this, in a few days, I'm afraid that food, medicine and charcoal will be in short supply."

Shen Zhiyi responded, "Today, Jiang Shun and Jiang Qu will lead their men to the cities and counties upstream to collect these supplies. You can stay in the mansion and don't worry too much."

"Then you have no one around you, is that okay?" Tao Jiuxi's face was full of concern.

"We are extremely short of manpower now. We will be fine after these few days of hard work." Shen Zhiyi looked a little tired.

"Is there anything I can do?" Tao Jiuxi asked anxiously.

"Only when you are in the mansion can I go out to do my work with peace of mind. Moreover, the post-flood governance methods you wrote are very detailed. Although the handwriting is ugly, it is very useful. I will take it out and ask local officials to copy it and distribute it." Although Shen Zhiyi was anxious, he still did not forget to comfort Tao Jiuxi.

"Ah Xi, however, I do have something that I need your help with."

After Shen Zhiyi left, Tao Jiuxi thought for a while and decided to find Xie Shiyuan.

When she came in front of Xie Shiyuan, Xie Shiyuan's face was full of surprise.

"Miss Tao, is there anything important that brings you here today?" Xie Shiyuan's tone was very polite, with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"Uncle, you can just call me Jiuxi. The rain is getting lighter today, so I came to you specially to discuss opening a porridge stall at the gate of your house." Tao Jiuxi asked softly with a sincere look on his face.

Generally speaking, it is common to set up soup kitchens after a disaster.

However, the downpour was so heavy this time that Xie Shiyuan couldn't help but look troubled. The family had indeed stored a lot of food while Shen Zhiyi was busy dealing with the flood, but if they were to use the food to distribute porridge at this time, wouldn't that mean a huge loss of wealth?

Moreover, he also had to consider everyone in his family. There were sixty or seventy people in his family, and there were many people eating, so he needed to prepare enough food.

"Jiuxi, we don't have much surplus food at home. It would be better to wait for two days before setting up the porridge stall." Xie Shiyuan frowned slightly and expressed his concerns. He was really afraid that if they set up the porridge stall now, there would not be enough food later.

"Uncle, I came to see you today because Ayi asked me to come. He knew that you were foresighted and had prepared enough food and charcoal early on." Tao Jiuxi looked at Xie Shiyuan and said in a firm tone.

When Xie Shiyuan heard that it was Shen Zhiyi's request, he couldn't help but feel more serious.

After all, Shen Zhiyi holds a very important position in his heart, and his request naturally cannot be ignored.

Xie Shiyuan frowned slightly and said, "I did prepare some food, but if I set up a porridge stall, with so many people suffering in the city, I'm afraid there won't be enough food to go around. And if there's no food left, the victims will start rioting in front of my mansion. I encountered something like this during the drought a few years ago, and it still scares me when I think about it now."

Tao Jiuxi took a step forward and said solemnly, "Uncle, your concerns are not without reason. But think about it, the people are displaced and hungry due to the flood. They are in dire straits. If we lend a helping hand at this time, it would be like sending charcoal in the snow. Let's not talk about whether there will really be a shortage of food. Even if that situation really comes to that, we can find other ways. Since Ayi has sent people to other cities and counties to transport food and grass, he must be fully confident that the food will be supplied in a few days. Moreover, if we hesitate and wait for others to take the lead, we will lose this opportunity."

Tao Jiuxi paused and continued, "Uncle, you are a well-known figure in Jiangning Prefecture. Everyone sees your every move. If you are the first to open a porridge stall, you will set an example for everyone. Other wealthy families who store grain will surely follow your example. Jiangning Prefecture already has a granary, and now that you are opening a porridge stall together, the impact cannot be underestimated. In the future, when the people and officials in the city remember this, you will be the great philanthropist who took the lead. If this reputation spreads, it will be of great benefit to you and the entire family."

Xie Shiyuan understood all this, but he remained hesitant. He believed that while opening a porridge stall offered many benefits, it also carried risks. If food ran out, it would be a disaster. Furthermore, he worried that other wealthy families might not follow suit. If he was the only one to open a porridge stall, the pressure would be too great.

"Others may hesitate after hearing this, but since you are Ayi's uncle, the information you receive will be the fastest and the most reliable. By then, even if there is not enough food in the mansion, additional food will be sent over. Then in the future, when others think of your uncle, they will no longer think of him as just a businessman, but as the leading role model in Jiangning Prefecture." Tao Jiuxi spoke sincerely, his eyes full of expectation.

"Uncle, you may not know this, but other officials have already gone to persuade those families with abundant food to open soup kitchens. Everyone is working together to improve the welfare of the people. At a time like this, if you take the lead, you will be more likely to be remembered as the first to act."

After hearing this, Xie Shiyuan was deeply touched.

He also has three sons. Although he has no talent for studying, his sons have all been well educated.

If he could be known in Jiangning Prefecture as more than just a wealthy businessman, but also as a person with a certain influence, then his children's paths would definitely be easier, whether they could become officials in Beijing or stay in the local area to develop.

Moreover, this was Shen Zhiyi's suggestion, which made him even more excited. He had already offended Shen Zhiyi last time because of Mei'er's incident. If he handled this matter well, Shen Zhiyi would not be estranged from him.

If he could exchange these for just some food, he would be more than willing to do it. If there was not enough food after a few days, he could also find some reasons to stop distributing porridge.

"Jiuxi, what you said makes sense. Let's open a porridge stall today." Xie Shiyuan finally made up his mind.

"Uncle, if we can raise some money for post-disaster reconstruction, the court will definitely pay more attention to this matter. Maybe there will be other rewards."

For a wealthy man like Xie Shiyuan, there was no shortage of money, but because merchants were not highly regarded, they did not have much say and were subject to the wishes of local officials. If he could succeed this time, his status would naturally be different.

Xie Shiyuan glanced at Tao Jiuxi and a hint of admiration flashed across his mind.

No wonder my nephew likes this woman so much, she is really smart.

To encourage Xie Shiyuan to be even more dedicated, Tao Jiuxi added, "If this matter goes smoothly, I will personally go and bring the second young lady back after it is concluded. The second young lady went up the mountain this time to pray for the elders in her family."

Children's behavior often has a certain impact on their mother, and the efforts of parents can naturally be fed back to their children accordingly.

If the people in the city no longer suffered from hunger and homelessness, then it would not matter much to Tao Jiuxi where Xie Shumei was.

But I can’t be around Shen Zhiyi, it’s an eyesore.