Chapter 245: Relocate (1)

And Wei Ruo was worried that the next rain would be heavier and the temperature would continue to drop.

"Okay, Miss. I have no problem with it. Wherever you go, I’ll go as well!" Xiumei answered without hesitation.

"And about a batch of charcoals I purchased earlier in Huzhou Prefecture, I remember that aside from coal and the higher-quality silver-bone* charcoal, there was also a batch of low-quality black charcoal that we bought at a low price."

*silver-bone refers to a type of high-quality charcoal made from wood. Name "silver bone," which likely refers to the appearance or quality of the charcoal. This type of charcoal is usually more expensive and is commonly used by wealthier families.

Coal was suitable for burning kang and boilers, while in the south, wood charcoal was generally used for heating homes. Silver-bone charcoal and black charcoal both belonged to the category of wood charcoal, but because there was a huge difference in the smoke produced, their price was also significantly different. Silver bone charcoal was usually used by wealthy families, while ordinary families mostly used black charcoal.

 

-coal

 

"That's right."

“Send a message to the nanny and ask her to keep the black charcoal. I'm going to give this batch of charcoal for free to poor families in need. We didn’t spend much on it when we bought it, but according to the current situation, even the price of poor quality charcoal is unaffordable to a lot of families.” Wei Ruo said.

"Miss, I heard that the Madam is in a hurry to buy charcoal. The cold wave came early this year, and the mansion, like many other families, has not had time to buy it."

"Don't worry about them for now. No matter what, the Wei family will always be one of the better-off families in Xingshan County. For the Wei family, it just means a tougher time and a tighter budget, but for many common people, it's a matter of life and death," Wei Ruo said.

Wei Ruo and Xiumei quickly prepared to head out.

Before leaving, Xiumei added several layers of clothing to Wei Ruo. Fortunately, the clothes they brought back from the village were thick and comfy. Although simple in style, they were very warm.

Wei Ruo came to the magistrate's office, and because of her work at the south of the city, most of the officers in the magistrate's office knew Wei Ruo, so they invited her in and went to inform the County Head Magistrate Qian.

County Head Magistrate Qian was also very busy these days, but when he heard that Wei Ruo was asking for an audience, he put aside everything and came to meet her.

"Miss Wei, what brings you here today?" County Head Magistrate Qian didn't have time for small talk and got straight to the point. 

He figured that for Wei Ruo to come in such heavy rain, it must be something urgent.

“It's for the people who are cultivating the land in the south of the city. They now live next to the fields. Those thatched huts they’re living in are leaking badly because of rain, with a serious risk of flooding or collapsing. I hope Lord Qian can quickly relocate them to a safer place," Wei Ruo said.

County Head Magistrate Qian suddenly slapped his forehead, "How could I have forgotten about them!"

In the past few days, County Head Magistrate Qian had been overwhelmed with various issues—overflowing lake waters, collapsed bridges, and countless other problems—so much so that he had forgotten about the people who live in the south of the city.

Those were human lives!

“I'll send someone right away to relocate them to the government office! There's a warehouse in the government office that can accommodate them!”

With these words, County Head Magistrate Qian hurriedly called his legal advisor and instructed him to immediately relocate the people in the south of the city.

"I'll go with them," Wei Ruo said.

"Miss Wei, this might not be a good idea. The southern part of the city is very muddy due to the continuous rain, and with such heavy rain and cold weather, it will be bad if you catch a cold," County Head Magistrate Qian advised.