Remarrying Chun Yuan

The heavy snow continued to fall for ten days without stopping.

Besides the refugees who froze to death, there were also people who starved to death.

The heavy snow continued, and the city gates were blocked by snow up to waist height. Not only were they hungry, but they were also freezing cold; even the Imperial Observatory's ritual of bringing out the ancestral tablets of the royal family for eighteen generations couldn't help.

The six ministries held an emergency meeting and decided that they could only open the city's reserve warehouses as a last resort. The stored grain would be supplied to the palace first, and the burning of charcoal would be reduced.

To prevent unrest among the people, government-run grain stores limited the sale of rice and flour. Each household was only allowed a handful of rice or a handful of flour per day.

You will be responsible for your own heating needs.

Even officials and commoners were cutting down the grass, trees, and bushes in their courtyards to burn for firewood, leaving ordinary people to fend for themselves. But even a handful of rice or a handful of flour wasn't something every family could afford, as the price had increased three or four times over.

Only then did the families who received Liu Yuechu's "warmth" realize how precious this gift was. They just wanted to get through the heavy snow and then bring their families to Liu's residence to kowtow to her.

The heavy snow could not cover the sorrow that filled the city, but the Zhenning Marquis's mansion was living a life of great comfort.

Wei Gongming sipped his wine, looking at the servants who had signed agreements to never receive a monthly stipend and only be provided with enough to eat, and gave them a disdainful lecture and warning.

"Don't think that not giving you a monthly allowance is because I'm being mean. In these times of disaster, anyone who can squeeze out an extra bite of food to feed you is a living saint."

"Work diligently and honestly. Anyone who tries to cheat, slack off, or shirk their duties will be beaten to death! But if you work obediently for the Marquis's mansion, I, the young master, will not treat you unfairly."

……

After the pie in the sky was drawn, the lackeys kowtowed repeatedly, too weak to speak from hunger.

Tian Ya-yun volunteered to lead the people to do the work. She had finally turned her bitter days around and just wanted to vent her frustration.

Wei Gongming, too lazy to deal with family matters, slumped back in his wooden chair and drank.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he has nothing in his house; he'll be rich in a few days. He's already braved the wind and snow to deliver grain to the residences of the two vice ministers of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, and also sent a large portion to the Third Prince's residence.

The Third Prince didn't know him, but since someone was taking the opportunity to seek refuge with him, he naturally had to politely invite him into the residence for a few pleasantries...

When Wei Gongming left the prince's residence, he was full of pride and satisfaction.

He rubbed his bloodshot eyes, then thought of Liu Yuechu. Even without the Liu family's tainted wealth, he could still handle things beautifully. He'd already made contact with the influential person he wanted to curry favor with; now all he needed to do was sell all the grain at a high price and he'd be all set.

He had already done the math.

If he sold his stored grain for five times the price, he could pay off the debts owed by the Marquis's mansion and also get his brother out of prison. The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had also secretly indicated that he could fill a vacancy for him once the snow subsided…

What to do after turning over?

Wei Gongming then thought of Liu Yuechu.

That ungrateful woman, even if she had plenty of grain in the manor, it must have run out by now, right?

Was she terrified and afraid, looking at the empty granary? No matter how much silver the Liu family had, they were not worthy to ask for government grain. Right now, only she could help him.

Wei Gongming longed to see her kneel before him, pleading and begging for forgiveness, admitting that she had been blind to his worth and that she had made a grave mistake. Then he would disdainfully indulge her for a while, suppressing her arrogance, before haughtily and disdainfully marrying her.

Reeking of alcohol, he straightened up and tried to sit up, but the loose chair snapped with a "crack," and he plopped down on the ground.

Before he could even call someone to nail it in, the butler rushed in from outside.

"Something's happened, Your Highness! We need to sell our grain as soon as possible, or we won't be able to sell it!"

"???"

"Lady Liu sold 10,000 shi of rice to the Ministry of Revenue at a fair price, and also opened sixteen soup kitchens in the capital to distribute soup!"

"!!!"

Wei Gongming jumped up in an instant!

"How is that possible? Where did she get the food?!"

"It's true! The soup kitchen has already been set up, and it's quite a sight! You should go and take a look!" The butler was so anxious he was practically jumping up and down.

Wei Gongming ran a few steps outside, his steps unsteady. He had drunk quite a bit today, and was disheveled and unsteady. He washed his face with cold water, ignoring the wind that felt like knives cutting his face, and rushed straight into the street.

The capital city has four horizontal and four vertical main streets, totaling sixteen streets.

Every street was packed with disaster-stricken people queuing up.

There were many people, but it wasn't chaotic.

Everyone was holding a bowl.

As the government officials walked along, they shouted for people to line up properly, while eight others pulled carts in all directions. On the carts were eight buckets of freshly boiled ginger soup, which they ladled out to warm those who hadn't yet had their porridge.

"This old servant has inquired. The Liu family provides porridge three times a day. Those who drink the porridge do not need to pay; they only need to help with chores."

"She's openly buying slaves under the guise of a legitimate business, and she even gets a good reputation for it? It's utterly despicable!" Wei Gongming had forgotten that he himself had done just that!

The steward said awkwardly, "It's not about buying slaves. Madam Liu only asked that those who drank the porridge help the street officials clear the snow."

Wei Gongming: "..." Why does my face feel a little sore from the cold wind?

"Sell our grain as soon as possible!"

"What about the price?"

"The price should be double what the Liu family pays to the Ministry of Revenue. We should start selling to minor officials of the sixth or seventh rank, and we must be quick!" Wei Gongming decided immediately.

Those queuing up for porridge were impoverished people who wouldn't buy grain at high prices; even those of officials of the fifth rank or above, who received 10,000 shi of grain from the Liu family to the Ministry of Revenue, wouldn't buy it.

Only officials of the sixth or seventh rank would pay money, because it was beneath them to ask the Liu family for alms, and they wouldn't even get a share of the Ministry of Revenue's 10,000 shi of grain.

This group of people could only swallow their anger and suffer the pain of being stabbed in the back, cursing the Zhenning Marquis's Mansion for its ruthlessness. But Wei Gongming didn't care if they dared to retaliate; the Zhenning Marquis's Mansion wasn't a name to be trifled with.

The butler immediately went to carry out the task.

Wei Gongming walked slowly through the crowd, the cold wind blowing.

He watched as the people filled their stomachs with tears in their eyes, muttering that Liu Yuechu was kind and benevolent, a celestial being descended to earth, a bodhisattva in the world... Wei Gongming was momentarily dazed. How could the plot be different from his previous life?

She not only didn't marry him, but also escaped the snow disaster, earning her widespread praise.

In his previous life, when the snow disaster occurred, he was still arguing with his mother.

He couldn't understand why picking up a kite meant getting married, and why everyone was saying he'd climbed the social ladder by marrying into the Liu family, the richest family in the land! He was the heir of the Marquis of Zhenning; he should be the one choosing a wife, not being chosen!

No matter how prestigious the Liu family's reputation was, they were nothing more than money-grubbing merchants, so he angrily refused immediately, feeling humiliated!

Then came news that his younger brother was starving in prison because he couldn't get food; the Marquis's mansion also ran out of food due to the snow disaster, and his mother fell ill and never recovered...

He was at a loss, with nowhere to turn.

Just then, the Liu family sent people to deliver rice, food, and charcoal for heating.

He felt this was a condition of a marriage deal, which was extremely humiliating, but in order to survive, he had no choice but to abandon his pride and agree to the marriage.

He always kept this unresolved issue in his heart and never forgot it.

Looking back now, his initial thoughts seem ridiculous and laughable.

Whether for him or for ordinary people, Liu Yuechu would always give away a bowl of porridge without expecting anything in return during times of disaster.

She's just a kind person...

However, some people think that Liu Yuechu is extremely vicious and is currently roaring wildly!

"Liu Yuechu, how dare you make me and your third uncle line up for porridge? We are your elders, your own uncles! Do you even know who you are?!" Liu Chen's eyes were greenish, whether from anger or hunger, it was hard to tell.

Liu Shang's fingers were trembling. "If you don't bring us rice today, I'll go to the yamen and accuse you of being hypocritical, unfilial, two-faced, and abusing your elders!"

"You ingrate, you're such an ingrate!"