Chapter 276: Cannot Rely on Others, One Must Save Oneself
Chapter 276: Chapter 276: Cannot Rely on Others, One Must Save Oneself
The man with the handlebar mustache said excitedly, "It’s me, Young Master! I can’t believe I’m seeing you here."
He then turned and ordered all the refugees.
"Put down your weapons!"
The man was clearly a leader among the refugees, for as soon as he spoke, they all obeyed.
Seeing this, Shen Ningning gestured for him to come inside. "Uncle, you must be exhausted from your journey. Let’s sit down and talk."
As she passed Ye Shangyi, the little one whispered, "Have the servants take all the sweet potatoes to the kitchen and make a big pot of porridge for them."
Ye Shangyi’s eyes widened.
’Serve this crowd of refugees?’
But seeing that Shen Ningning had already led the man inside, she had no choice but to follow the little one’s instructions and give the order.
When the refugees heard there would soon be a hot meal for them, they were overjoyed.
They all obediently found a place sheltered from the wind, sat down, and waited, rubbing their hands together for warmth.
Jiang Zhi followed Shen Ningning into the house, remaining protectively by her side.
The man with the handlebar mustache recounted the hardships of his journey.
His surname was Zhang, and he was a well-known wealthy merchant in Nanzhou. Because he was ranked sixth in his clan, people called him Mr. Zhang Liu.
At first, he and the other merchants who had come to the Capital City brought the fruit they had bought from Shen Ningning back to Nanzhou.
The fruit was well-received and sold extremely well.
So, right after the New Year, he wanted to come back to the Capital City to buy more fruit from Shen Ningning.
But the other merchants had families and were unwilling to set out so soon.
The man with the handlebar mustache had few relatives left at home, so he set off with his merchant ships just after the sixth day of the New Year.
But unexpectedly, just as he neared the Capital in early spring, he was caught in a heavy snowstorm.
For two straight months, he was forced to wait in an inn.
The money he had brought with him was completely spent.
Later, even the inn closed down due to a lack of supplies.
He was forced onto the streets, where he even had to fight with stray dogs for a mouthful of food.
Eventually, he joined a group of refugees heading toward the Capital City, hoping to find a way back to Nanzhou.
But in his current state, how was he any different from a beggar?
Mr. Zhang Liu shook his head and sighed, cradling the hot tea Shen Ningning had handed him.
"When I first started living among these refugees, they were completely disorganized. I was taken advantage of more than a few times."
"Later, I realized they were like a pack of uncivilized brutes in desperate need of a leader."
"So I used a bit of cunning and became a steward they came to trust, at least for a while."
"We all thought that once we reached the Capital City, everything would be fine. Surely the Emperor wouldn’t just abandon us."
"However, just as we reached the suburbs of the capital near the Taiyu Mountain Range, we ran into a group of city guards. They refused to listen to our explanations and insisted on treating us like rioting refugees, determined to round us all up."
"We’re just a group of unarmed commoners, with no food or water, riddled with sickness. And still, we had to face such injustice."
At this, Mr. Zhang Liu slammed his hand on the table in fury.
He said, "We could only flee, but in these vast mountains, we had nowhere to go."
"A little while ago, down at the foot of the mountain, we heard there was a nobleman’s estate up here, so we decided to rush up and try our luck."
"We’ve given up hope of entering the capital. We’re just looking for a place where we can get a meal and stay out of the cold."
Shen Ningning pressed her rosy lips together, her little face etched with seriousness.
She told him the truth. "Uncle Zhang, we are only here temporarily as well."
"We don’t have much food, and we don’t have any spare clothing either."
"Besides, the situation inside the Capital City is grim. Just like out here, people are freezing to death every day."
"Even the noble families aren’t spared. This cold disaster struck so suddenly that no one was prepared. So even if you managed to get into the city, I’m afraid you wouldn’t receive the help you’re expecting."
Mr. Zhang Liu was stunned. "So the court can barely even look after itself."
As he spoke, the memory of the starvation and cold on his journey finally brought the tall, sturdy man to tears.
"I’ll never be able to go back to Nanzhou."
If he couldn’t get into the city, he couldn’t withdraw his silver. And without silver, he couldn’t afford the journey.
Shen Ningning comforted him, "It’s not entirely hopeless."
"I can help you get into the city, Uncle Zhang. But while helping one person is easy... what about all those other refugees?"
The little one’s words made Mr. Zhang Liu fall silent.
’Although I’m a merchant and should cast off burdens when necessary... but throughout this journey, the refugees’ suffering has been my suffering too.’
’I have suffered, but so has everyone else.’
In the end, Mr. Zhang Liu found he couldn’t bear to abandon them.
"Young Master, it’s clear you’re a very capable person. You must have some ideas. Could you offer me some advice?"
Shen Ningning glanced outside.
Ye Shangyi and her servants were busy serving the sweet potato porridge to the refugees.
A few of the other young ladies had also calmed down from their initial panic and were helping to hand out bowls and spoons.
With food in their bellies, the crowd was no longer agitated. Instead, their reason returned, and they knew to be grateful and offer their thanks.
Shen Ningning drew her gaze back inside.
"I can help you, but not by bringing all of you into the Capital City."
"I need you to take them away from here and return to Nanzhou."
Mr. Zhang Liu’s brow twitched. "But, Young Master, you must know that even though Nanzhou is in Jiangnan, it has also been hit with continuous heavy snow."
"While it may not be as severe as the Capital City, the ground is still littered with skeletons, and the snow lies deep."
"My own business is barely surviving. If I take them back, how could I possibly provide for them?"
A bright look appeared on Shen Ningning’s little face.
"Let me show you something," she said, asking Jiang Zhi to bring over her sweet potato vine.
Pointing to the small vine in the flowerpot, Shen Ningning said, "Our hope for survival is right here."
Mr. Zhang Liu had traveled far and wide and seen many things.
He examined it for a moment and said in surprise, "A sweet potato seedling can survive in this cold?"
Shen Ningning nodded. "This is one of my own seedlings, so it’s a little more cold-resistant than a normal one."
"However, the Capital City is just too cold, so they grow very slowly. Nanzhou, by comparison, would be much better."
"I want you to take this back to Nanzhou and train those refugees to become sweet potato farmers."
"Uncle Zhang, once you succeed, you will no longer have to worry about food."
"It’s a good deed that, with some grit, can benefit the entire realm. It will just take time and hard work."
Mr. Zhang Liu was silent for a long moment.
He nodded. "Relying on the court for aid was never a long-term solution."
"I understand what you mean, Young Master. You want me to find my own way forward."
"This path is sure to be difficult, but in all my years as a merchant, what hardship haven’t I endured? As long as there’s a sliver of hope, I’ll take it."
"But what about you, Young Master? Aren’t you afraid I’ll just take this and never return?"
Shen Ningning laughed. "If you were truly that kind of person, Uncle Zhang, you wouldn’t have been unable to abandon those refugees."
Mr. Zhang Liu inwardly marveled at the little girl’s intelligence.
The two of them immediately came to an agreement.
Shen Ningning would give him one hundred sweet potato vines to take back to Nanzhou for cultivation.
She would also provide him with travel expenses for his journey from the Capital City back to Nanzhou.
Furthermore, she planned to ask the Emperor for a decree granting them safe passage on their entire journey.
In return, Mr. Zhang Liu promised that he would succeed in cultivating the sweet potatoes.
Furthermore, for the first three years, he would use the harvest for disaster relief and would not sell them for profit.
They had struck a deal.
As their discussion drew to a close, Mr. Zhang Liu added, "I wonder, Young Master, have you heard the rumors about the Capital City’s blessed girl, Mrs. Shen?"
"If you happen to know her, could you perhaps make an introduction?"