Chapter 177 An Unsettled Year

The three of them looked at each other, and then burst into laughter.

He Yuping glared at the three of them and went inside. His meal was already prepared; this brat was still thinking of eating outside, wasting food—she deserved a beating…

The three of them exchanged glances and made faces outside for a while before going inside. After all, they were already standing at the entrance of the main room, so they didn't dare to speak too softly, as the people inside should be able to hear them.

Aren't you hungry anymore?

"Hungry...hungry...coming right away, we're coming right away..."

As soon as He Caiwei entered the main room, she saw the table full of dishes and the copper hot pot bubbling away. She immediately became excited. How long had it been since she had eaten hot pot?

This is still using the most traditional copper pot for hot pot, which is absolutely amazing. The table is full of pork, beef, mutton, fish, and some vegetables, all of which he brought back earlier. There are no hot pot meatballs yet, so He Yuping has prepared raw meat.

"Wow, Mom, what's wrong with you today? Why do you suddenly want to eat hot pot?"

"That's because you sent too much meat home yesterday, along with offal and such. We don't have a refrigerator here, and we can't freeze things, so all of these things have to be braised. We'll only keep some for hot pot and some for making dumplings tomorrow."

I was originally thinking of making some dumplings for Qingzhu and the others to take back, but it's not cold here, so the dumplings I made were all soft and mushy, making them inconvenient to carry. I can only make some braised meat or stewed meat for them to take with them.” He Yuping came up with the idea of ​​having hot pot so that we could finish them off faster.

The daughter brought back far too much meat that day. There's no way to freeze it here. Although the weather is relatively cool, it'll be fine for a few days, but that's only for a few days. Even though there are quite a few people in their family, they can't finish it all in a short time.

Having lived in the capital for so many years, this was the first time He Caiwei had returned home for the Lunar New Year, and she was really confused about the north and south, so she hadn't considered the refrigeration of these things.

After all, when they were in the capital, their aunt would buy things in huge quantities and leave them at the door. By the time they brought them back inside the next day, they would be rock hard. The yard was like a natural giant refrigerator.

While things were peaceful and harmonious on this side, over the New Year, Lu Zhining and his wife were delivering relief grain to the people.

The high-ranking leader ordered him to personally distribute the relief grain with his soldiers, and also to send people to keep a close watch to ensure that the grain was delivered to the poor and needy.

This big leader is also in a difficult position. Lu Zhining is all alone. Even if he brought his own team, there was no way to deliver everything immediately. He traveled a long and arduous journey. Even if he drove a truck himself, there were many places where no one dared to deliver the grain before the New Year.

So Lu Zhining mobilized all the soldiers under his command, as well as Nengneng, and all the trucks he had dispatched. Of course, he also had to keep an eye on some people and guard her granary to prevent it from overflowing. What if those people overthrew his reserves?

So he called back and asked his younger brother's two sons to come and help. He sent a military plane carrying food to pick them up.

Before they boarded the plane, He Caiwei prepared 10 dumplings covered with a bamboo mat, which were then carried directly onto the plane.

In order to deliver the grain, all available means of transportation were used. In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, Lu Zhining managed to deliver half of the grain sent by his niece in just two days.

At least half of the disaster victims have enough food to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

With everyone capable of fighting gone, He Caiwei couldn't leave. Her family was old and young, and if everyone who could protect her left, it would be a huge loss if something happened to her family. Therefore, He Caiwei was unanimously agreed to stay.

This year is destined to be an eventful one for the capital, because of the sheer volume of grain and meat.

Lu Zhining left the capital with 15 truckloads of grain. Because he was armed, people were always wary of him and dared not openly rob him during the day. But at night, those who were starving didn't care anymore.

They tried to rob in the dark, but they underestimated the vigilance of the Imperial soldiers. There were so many menacing eyes watching them during the day, they didn't dare to sleep at night.

They quickly subdued the group, which numbered at least a hundred, all young and strong men. Judging from their appearance, they were from the village, their clothes were covered in patches, and they were mostly barefoot. My tools were also agricultural implements like hoes and picks.

“Tell me where you’re from. Why are you traveling around like this? Don’t your local staff care? Why can’t you report problems to your superiors instead of resorting to robbery?” Lu Zhining could see the weariness and despair on these people’s faces, as well as the deep helplessness they felt from the weight of life.

“Sir, we really have no other choice. If there is any blame from the higher-ups, I will take full responsibility. Please, sir, send us some relief grain. We’ve pulled all the grass off the mountain. Several kids in our village stole some clay because they were starving. Now, their stomachs are so bloated they feel like they’re about to burst. The higher-ups said there would be only a few ounces, but we’ve waited for more than half a year and even the seeds are all gone. But when it comes to us, let alone relief grain, we haven’t even seen a grain sack.” The leader, a man in his forties, recounted their plight in a hoarse voice.

"When was the relief grain distributed? Why did it stop when it reached you? I remember the previous two batches were distributed according to population, and everyone who had a registered household received it..." Lu Zhining had emptied his own granary so that one more person among the people could survive.

Why would someone be so hungry that they eat clay?

You know, ever since the drought report came in, he has distributed food free of charge more than once, so why are so many people still being forced into this situation?

"Brother, please register your county and township first. I will send someone back with you to verify. If the situation is indeed as you say, I can make the decision to give you some relief grain first. If you know anything about the situation in the nearby villages, please tell us first. Send those children who ate Guanyin clay to the hospital first, and I will cover their medical expenses in advance."

"This year, the top leader said that the grain seeds will be provided free of charge by the state. I will send two people with you to go back, but you must not harm our soldiers. After verifying the situation, hand the children over to them and let them take them to the hospital. What do you think of this?" Lu Zhining had to ensure the safety of the soldiers he sent down to verify the situation, and he also had to ensure the safety of his dozen or so truckloads of grain. He was sending out too much grain at once, and there were also many people exchanging grain with him. He was mainly worried that the disaster victims on the way might get desperate and try to rob the trucks.