Chapter 20: I Have a Way

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Li Fu refused to agree, but Yun was persistently clinging to him, even trying Yige’s usual stubborn tactics for the first time. When Li Fu still did not consent, Yun even wrapped his arms tightly around Li Fu’s leg, unwilling to let go.

Originally, Yun had wanted to imitate Yige’s crying out loud, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to cry. After two pitiful attempts, feeling awkward, he just sulked and fell silent.

Li Fu and the others had never seen Yun like this before. After all, Yun had been an exceptionally well-behaved child since birth.

Seeing him act this way for the first time, they all felt that their demands had been too harsh on him, and both Li Fu and Xin Niang felt a bit guilty in their hearts.

“What if—”

“What if—”

Li Fu and Xin Niang instinctively looked at each other and spoke at the same time. Their eyes met, and they immediately understood each other’s thoughts.

Beside them, Bu Shi was holding Yige and had been hesitating to persuade Li Fu earlier. But since Yun was Xin Niang’s son, she feared that if she intervened and Li Fu took Yun out, Xin Niang might blame her.

Now seeing Xin Niang also inclined to grant Yun’s wish, she smiled and said, “How about this — let Guo Da Niang hold Yun and stand farther away so he can just take a quick look. We won’t get too close; that way, it shouldn’t cause any trouble.”

Guo Da Niang was a warm-hearted and attentive person who liked the two children in the household and would surely take good care of Yun.

Bu Shi smoothed things over, and Xin Niang smiled and fell silent. Li Fu then gently picked Yun up and said, “Alright, but don’t make a fuss later. Just watch from afar, understand?”

Yun nodded eagerly, looking extremely obedient, making it seem worthwhile to grant his simple request.

Soon, everyone at the Li residence busied themselves.

A few days ago, a temporary shelter was set up not far from the Li estate specifically for today’s porridge distribution.

Since Xin Niang couldn’t go out, she dressed Yun in an extra layer before handing him over to Guo Da Niang, carefully instructing, “Stand farther back and watch. There will be many people collecting porridge—make sure no one accidentally bumps into Yun.”

Guo Da Niang held Yun happily.

Yun was already eager. When the old gardener and Zhang Da Niang, who did heavy labor, brought over a wheelbarrow, and with Pan Da Niang placing bucket after bucket of cooked porridge on it, along with several large basins of steamed cakes, the wheelbarrow was pushed out amidst the enticing aroma of food.

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Yun, afraid of being left behind, urged Guo Da Niang repeatedly.

Guo Da Niang held him tight and smiled as she followed.

Yun’s eyes were wide open. When the massive gates of the Li estate suddenly swung open, he immediately leaned out to look.

He noticed that the estate was located on a long street, surrounded by other houses with red walls and green tiles, and the street was quite clean.

This must be the wealthy district of Long County.

Actually, the county government offices in Liang Kingdom were not just administrative centers but also included residential areas. Usually, county magistrates sent from the capital didn’t need to buy their own houses.

But Li Fu was wealthy and desired some private space, so he chose not to live in the county offices and bought a house outside instead. The affluent district was somewhat distant from the government offices, so Li Fu had to rise early every day to make the commute.

Guo Da Niang, protecting Yun, walked a short distance before spotting Gouzi and Bu Hong coming out to help. Li Fu had also arranged for the county captain and his subordinates from the county offices to accompany them.

They weren’t here to do the work but mainly to maintain order.

Otherwise, the vagrants might rush forward recklessly to snatch the food. That would be one thing, but if the food got spilled and people trampled to death, that would be tragic.

Now, three or four of the gang leaders had already taken out specially issued iron measuring rods. With them leading, those vagrants who tried to push forward were forced to stay behind, afraid to advance further.

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Yun watched the weapons with curiosity.

These iron rods were thick at one end and tapered at the other for easy gripping and stabbing. On each side of the main point were upward-pointing branches. This weapon was easy to carry and effective against swords, clubs, and spears by locking or prying them away. It was arguably the best standardized weapon issued by the imperial court.

Once Li Fu had placed all the food on the long tables, the gang leaders shouted for the vagrants and beggars to line up and come one by one to receive their portions.

Yun first thought Long County was nice when he saw the red walls, green tiles, and clean streets upon leaving.

But now he realized there were far too many vagrants, and the news of the Li estate’s annual porridge distribution after the first snowfall had spread widely. The crowd kept growing until it nearly blocked the street.

Even Guo Da Niang was a bit fearful and stepped back several paces with Yun in her arms.

Yet despite this, more and more people continued to arrive.

With the crowd swelling, the air became mixed with various sour, foul, and rotting smells. Thankfully, it was cold now. In summer, the stench would be unbearable.

Yun understood why Xin Niang forbade him from going out.

He frowned as he observed the bustling crowd. He saw families in distress, fathers clutching their emaciated children, pushing past the old and weak, desperate to grab a bowl of hot porridge. Mothers shoved ahead, disregarding their other children just to give their youngest a better chance of survival.

He also saw the severely ill, numb and crushed in the crowd, their senses dulled by pain, surviving only by instinct as they neared death.

“Move! Move!” some cried.

“Move my ass!” others shouted back.

The noise of shouting, crying, and unintelligible murmurs erupted suddenly. Stronger men pushed from behind. They dared not bully the gang leaders at the front but raised fists against those weaker than themselves.

Yun watched helplessly.

A beggar with twisted limbs screamed as he shoved the people behind him with his deformed right hand.

A skinny boy of seven or eight, shirtless, wore a sorrowful expression but kept moving through the crowd, trying to find a chance to cut in line. Occasionally kicked out, he would rub his bruises and keep trying.

The once clean street was sullied by mud and melting snow trampled by these people, and in a short time, the street and its red walls and green tiles seemed shrouded in gloom.

This was the harsh reality of the times.

It was far more shocking than Yun had heard or imagined, laid out plainly before him.

“Porridge is being served!” the county captain’s rough voice shouted.

The crowd’s wailing grew louder as some were pushed backward, and some elderly or weak had already fallen but were ignored.

The desperate trampled over those fallen, and the fallen gradually quieted in their cries until death came. Those who stepped over them only cursed their bad luck at being delayed in the scramble for porridge.

The scene was no utopia where everyone was helped; here, everyone fought to survive.

In this place, people’s darkest natures were brought to the extreme.

It was a living hell on earth.

“Yun, let’s go back,” Guo Da Niang sighed, ready to leave.

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“No.” Yun’s unexpected stubbornness and serious expression made Guo Da Niang hesitate to force him.

Yun just kept watching.

But as he watched, his frown deepened. He noticed some people in the crowd were unusually healthy.

These people were suspicious.

If it had been just one person, Yun might not have noticed. But these strong, vigorous individuals came in groups of three or more.

They held clean bowls and used their strength to push and kick at those behind them in the crowd, then extended their bowls forward.

After Pan Da Niang ladled thick millet porridge into their bowls, these people would quietly leave, but Yun noticed they would soon return.

They relied on their size to easily force their way back to the front.

Li Fu had probably noticed this anomaly too. After a few times, he deliberately ignored them and refused to serve them porridge.

These people stayed in their front positions for a while but, seeing Li Fu’s indifference and with the gang leaders present, they dared not cause trouble and left slowly.

But they did not come in one group. Many such people were mixed into the massive crowd — not only groups of men but also some robust women.

Yun pointed to a woman at the front who was asking Pan Da Niang for another scoop. “She’s very strong, her complexion is ruddy, and though the skin on her hands is rough, it’s clean. She’s not a vagrant.”

Most tellingly, although her outer clothes were tattered, beneath them Yun could see she wore clean, fine garments.

Among the crowd, many were impostors taking advantage of free food.

Yun understood these people well: if there’s a chance to get something for nothing, why wouldn’t they?

Guo Da Niang probably knew this too. After all, she had distributed porridge here in past years without Yun.

Sometimes she even recognized familiar faces.

Since she often went out to buy supplies, she met many people in Long County.

“This won’t do. The truly needy are already too few, and these people are taking half,” Yun said unhappily.

“There’s nothing we can do. It’s the same every year,” Guo Da Niang shook her head. “But the masters know this and try to refuse them once they’re recognized.”

Yun called out to Li Fu’s attendant, Gouzi.

Hearing Yun’s voice, Gouzi immediately dropped Bu Hong and ran over. “What’s up, Yun?”

Yun looked at Gouzi seriously and said, “I have a way to give porridge only to the vagrants and beggars.”

Guo Da Niang and Gouzi both looked at Yun curiously, but Yun did not say more and wriggled out of Guo Da Niang’s arms.

She hesitated but eventually let him go.

Yun whispered something in Gouzi’s ear for a while, then said, “Tell my father this.”

Gouzi didn’t fully understand but nodded and went to call Li Fu at once.