EBE Chapter 181 Strange Things in the Deserted Village
Chapter 181 Strange Things in the Deserted Village
From Zhou Tou, they learned that many of the refugees taken in by Jing'an Prefecture had been assigned to reclaim wasteland, especially in the south of the prefectural city, where there were many mountains and reclaiming wasteland was difficult. They didn't even have to pay for reclaiming wasteland; they only needed to register with the village head.
No matter how well they discussed it, it was useless; everything would have to wait until they arrived outside Jing'an Prefecture.
Meng Fuqing wasn't picky about where he settled, but he was picky about where he lived. With White Wolf and his little brothers around, it would be convenient to have a place to live in the village to raise wolves.
Once everything is settled and there are no unforeseen circumstances, she wants to move to the prefectural city where travel is more convenient.
The large group soon saw the city gate tower of the prefecture. Compared with ordinary prefectures, the city gate tower of the prefecture was taller, about eleven or twelve meters high. The four characters "Jing'an Prefecture City" were neatly hung above, majestic and imposing.
A large open space was cleared out, and rows of simple tents were set up, with officials patrolling among them.
Even though there were more refugees than outside Qingzhou City, it was not noisy and was more orderly.
The officials at the city gate saw the endless convoy in the distance and immediately went forward to inquire.
Zhou stepped forward to explain the situation to them, and they whispered to each other for a while before a person walked in from the direction of the city gate.
The man, dressed like a steward of a wealthy household, was around forty years old and had a goatee. He stepped forward and asked, "Are you the refugees who just came from the direction of Qingzhou City? Is there a man named Meng Fuqing in your group?"
As soon as he spoke, the officials bowed and addressed him as "Manager Qiao".
Manager Qiao simply told the officials, "My master has his own arrangements for these people; you don't need to interfere."
So, apart from Zhou Tou, the other officials dispersed.
Meng Fuqing walked up to Steward Qiao, bowed, and introduced himself.
Manager Qiao sized up Meng Fuqing for a moment, then stroked his goatee. “Since Old Madam Han has personally intervened, my master will certainly not refuse her request. However, you should also know that there are a large number of you, and it will not be easy for all of you to settle down.”
“We know this matter is not easy, and it is our great fortune to have Lord Qiao’s help. Please just tell us your conditions, sir,” Meng Fuqing said.
Upon hearing this, Steward Qiao nodded in satisfaction. "It's a long story. Miss Meng, why don't you let your companions rest here? Those who have influence in the group can come with me to sit over there."
So Meng Fuqing, along with Xie Jin, Du Zhong, Meng Bochang, and Niu Da, went with Steward Qiao to the place where the officials were resting.
The conditions stated by Manager Qiao were almost identical to the information Mu Feng had received, but were more detailed.
Those without household registration in the group can also re-register. There are several places for them to choose from, and he has listed in great detail how many people each place can accommodate and which places are more suitable for settling down.
Du Chong then asked if these people could be assigned to the same place.
It's not that they're obsessed, but rather that they're unfamiliar with the area and don't have enough backers, so they can only swallow their anger when bullied. That's why there's a saying, "Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake."
For people like Du Zhong, who came from mountain bandit backgrounds, living in a village with people they knew well was safer.
Manager Qiao hesitated for a moment when he heard the question, but still said, "You should think it over carefully. If so many people are divided together, they will only be assigned to remote places. You will have to clear and build your own fields and houses."
Du Zhong and the others exchanged glances and then looked at Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin.
Meng Fuqing knew that Xie Jin's current status was only temporary, so she didn't consider him. "It's better to be separated, to avoid trouble."
After a moment of contemplation, Steward Qiao tapped his knuckles on the table. "With so many refugees flooding into Jing'an Prefecture before, there were very few places to settle down for so many of you."
But there's one place that left a deep impression on me: a village in Jiuqu Town, Linan County. It was a strange place; rumors circulated that it was haunted by evil spirits, and some said it was a cursed land where not only did the villagers have short lifespans, but their children also…”
He paused for a moment, then said, “Something’s strange. If you can resolve this matter, choosing to live there wouldn’t be a bad idea. The place is nestled against the mountains and by the water, and it’s not far from the city. It should be highly sought after.”
These words put everyone in a dilemma.
Matters concerning one's descendants should always be approached with caution.
Based on Manager Qiao's description, Meng Fuqing felt that the village was not cursed or haunted by evil spirits, but rather that something was radiating so intensely that it caused adults to die young and newborns to be deformed.
Meng Fuqing's eyes darted around, and he asked Steward Qiao, "May I ask, Steward, if we can resolve this matter, can we...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Manager Qiao already understood what she meant.
He smiled, assuming that Meng Fuqing was just asking casually.
“I can’t make the decision on this matter, but that place is now a forbidden area, and the government officials don’t dare to approach it easily. If you can resolve this, it will be a great achievement. My master might be able to help you reduce some of the settlement fees.”
"We will rest outside Jing'an Prefecture tonight. Please send someone to take me to the deserted village early tomorrow morning."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jin immediately replied, "I'll go with you."
"I am coming too!"
"I'll go see what kind of monsters and demons are lurking in that village!"
"Qing'er, Grandpa Village Chief absolutely cannot let you go alone..."
It won't do for them to be enthusiastic about barbering all by themselves, so Meng Fuqing asked Manager Qiao, "What does the manager think?"
Manager Qiao did not think Meng Fuqing could resolve the matter, but out of respect for Old Madam Han, he did not refuse, only saying, "Miss Meng, just take one or two people with you. If there are too many people, it might disturb something."
Meng Fuqing looked at Xie Jin: "Young Master, will you come with me tomorrow?"
"It is my great honor."
After the matter was settled, Meng Fuqing could see that Lord Qiao took their affairs to heart.
They've done so much for them, they can't leave without showing some appreciation.
So after Meng Bochang and the other two left with the message, Meng Fuqing called out to Xie Jin, "Young Master, please wait."
Upon seeing Meng Fuqing's actions, Xie Jin instantly understood her intention.
Too many people know about the "Twenty Measures for Epidemic Prevention," so it's better to take the initiative and make good relations with the Qiao family if possible.
He stopped and stood to the side without saying a word.
Manager Qiao's gaze fell on him discreetly before quickly shifting away.
Meng Fuqing looked at Steward Qiao and said, "Lord Qiao has done us a great favor. In return, I have a method to prevent and control epidemics. I wonder if Steward Qiao would be interested?"
"Preventing and controlling epidemics?" Manager Qiao's eyes lit up.
"Yes, it was recorded in a medical book I had read before. In addition, there was a doctor in the team. After discussing it, we jointly formulated the 'Twenty Measures for Epidemic Prevention'. It was because our group strictly followed the contents of the 'Twenty Measures' that we suffered very few casualties on our way from the north to Jing'an Prefecture."
Today, Meng Fuqing had already told Doctor Zheng that she might inform the Jing'an Prefecture officials about the 'Twenty Measures for Epidemic Prevention'.
As a doctor, Dr. Zheng was delighted to see this.
"Is Miss Meng really going to tell my master about the methods of epidemic prevention?" Steward Qiao asked again uncertainly.
If an ordinary person truly possessed such a useful method, they would have already tried to offer their advice to Lord Xu and Prince Jing, rather than simply telling their own family.
"We are newcomers, and it is thanks to Lord Mengqiao's help with our settlement that things have gone so smoothly. This is just a small token of our appreciation."
Upon hearing this, Manager Qiao immediately ordered someone to bring pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Xie Jin held the pen in his left hand and wrote down every single one of the 'twenty points' that he had memorized.
Carefully holding the paper, Manager Qiao summoned the officials and instructed them to take good care of Meng Fuqing and his party. After bidding farewell to Meng Fuqing and his companion, he hurriedly returned to the city.
Early the next morning, Manager Qiao, carrying the newly acquired information, went to find Meng Fuqing again.