Eat in Song Dynasty

Chapter 511 Tasting the Suffering of the People

"Young master, pampered and spoiled, probably doesn't know what it's like to be submerged in a flood and hanging by a thread. Since he doesn't know, how can he understand the immense weight of the word 'saving a life'?"

These words initially surprised everyone present.

Immediately afterwards, Wen Shu grabbed Li Yanei's collar with lightning speed and lifted him up from his seat.

Amid the gasps of the crowd, he was dragged along without hesitation and thrown onto the flooded street outside the government office.

Although the water in front of the county government office was not deep, only up to the ankles, Wen Shu not only suddenly threw Li Yanei into the water, but also grabbed his head and pushed it into the water before he could react.

The murky, muddy water went straight into my nose and mouth.

Li Yanei struggled fiercely, occasionally loosening his head to allow him to lift it and catch his breath.

The cough was incredibly powerful, making him cough until his face turned red and his neck bulged.

The entire county government office was deathly silent. Everyone's gaze shifted from the struggling man in the water to Wen Shu, who stood proudly in the water, filled with terror.

Wen Shu glanced around at the remaining gentry and clerks, and said calmly, "Now, who else wants to go down and accompany him to experience the suffering of the common people?"

"I dare not! I dare not! Please spare my life, heroine!" A local gentryman was the first to break down, his legs buckling and he almost knelt down.

"We'll save them! We're going to save them right now!" The others echoed, their voices trembling uncontrollably.

The advisor's goatee trembled uncontrollably as he pointed at Wen Shu: "You...you...you've gotten yourself into big trouble!"

Wen Shu sneered, completely ignoring him, and said to a dumbfounded constable beside her, "Go, 'rescue' the young master. Let him taste what it's like to be rescued."

The constable was startled and dared not disobey. He quickly ran down and dragged the barely alive Young Master Li out of the water.

When Li Yanei was pulled out of the water, he was limp as a rag doll, all his previous arrogance gone.

Wen Shu walked up to him and said condescendingly, "Now, do you know why you saved people? Your life is precious, and so are theirs."

Li Yanei shrank back, not daring to even raise his head.

Wen Shu stopped looking at him and instead glared sharply at the clerk and the group of gentry: "Find out all the usable boats, rafts, doors, and timber! Send out all the constables, and you lot, bring over all your servants and private boats! Anyone who dares to shirk or cheat..."

Her gaze fell on the limp Li Yanei.

Everyone shuddered in unison and hurriedly replied, "No! No! We'll go right away! We'll go right away!"

Under Wen Shu's absolute military intimidation and swift and decisive measures, the entire county government and local gentry operated with unprecedented efficiency.

The gong sounded again; this time, it was the sound of a real rescue operation being organized.

As Wen Shu watched the crowd rushing about in a panic, her anger subsided slightly, but her sense of urgency intensified.

She knew this was just a temporary measure, and a bigger storm was probably yet to come.

But right now, saving lives is the priority.

Just as she was about to turn around and plunge back into the floodwaters, she caught a glimpse of something coming from the storage basket.

After the initial panic and discussion, the thirty-odd women and children seemed to have reached some kind of consensus. One of the bolder women tentatively called out to the empty copper and iron wall, "Which deity saved us? Could you please show yourself so we can kowtow and thank you for saving our lives?"

Wen Shu paused in her steps.

The mess in the real world needs to be cleaned up, and the "refugees" in these storage baskets also need to be comforted.

She took a deep breath. She had to save the floodwaters and the people! This grand plan of farming in the mountains and seas would officially begin amidst this natural and man-made disaster!
Looking at the anxious yet expectant faces in the storage basket, Wen Shu's mind raced.

Showing up now would inevitably expose ourselves, but if we let them speculate in fear, it could lead to internal strife and make future management difficult.

She acted decisively, finding a secluded spot and using the system to transform her words into an ethereal and majestic voice that echoed within the impenetrable space:

“I am neither a god nor an immortal, but the master of this world. I have come to your aid because you are facing a great calamity and your lives are in danger. Please take refuge here for the time being.”

The moment the sound rang out, everyone in the storage basket fell silent in fright, and then knelt down, saying, "Greetings, Lord of the Realm," and "Thank you for saving our lives, Lord of the Realm."

The woman who had led the inquiry was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes: "Lord of the Realm, have mercy! Lord of the Realm, have mercy!"

Wen Shu maintained the ethereal quality of her voice: "This place is only for your temporary refuge, but I have another territory called 'Mountain and Sea Boundary,' where fertile land stretches for thousands of miles and is in dire need of cultivation."

“When the flood recedes, your homeland will probably be a swamp. If you wish to stay, you can cultivate the land in the mountain and sea area to be self-sufficient and free from the burden of taxes and military service from the outside world.”

"If you are unwilling, I may send you back once things have stabilized outside."

"You can decide for yourselves where to go. Your meal will be served shortly."

After saying that, Wen Shu took some food from the storage basket and put it in.

She did not immediately ask them to express their opinions, but instead gave them hope and choices, while also offering the allure of "fertile lands" and "no taxes or military service".

After doing all this, she quickly withdrew from consciousness, and in reality, only a moment had passed.

Chaos still lingered in front of the county government office, but the rescue forces were finally mobilized.

Without further delay, Wen Shu turned around and plunged back into the vast expanse of water.

This time, her actions were much more methodical.

On the surface, she used her immense strength and superb swimming skills to assist officials, gentry, and servants in rescuing people trapped on rooftops and in treetops, pushing rafts packed with people to higher ground.

Her figure moved through the water like a fish, and she was so strong that she could stabilize a door panel that was being tossed around by the current with her bare hands, winning the grateful gazes of countless disaster victims and the lingering respect of the officials.

Secretly, her storage basket continued to operate efficiently, accurately picking up any items that weren't there.

For those women and children who were caught in the crossfire by officials or struggling on the edge of the rapids and about to be swept away, she would quietly approach, touch, and shelter them.

Prioritize those who appear honest and have family ties, and avoid hiring people with ulterior motives.

She collected everything floating on the water, including wood, furniture, pots and pans, and even struggling livestock and fish.

In particular, those thick beams and rafters were important resources for the future construction of the mountain and sea boundary.

She even found several collapsed grain silos and collected many well-sealed grain bags that had drifted with the current.

Just as the rescue work was in full swing, the sound of rapid hoofbeats and the beating of gongs by officials came from afar.

"The magistrate is back! Magistrate Chen is back!"

Wen Shu had an idea. He leaped from the water onto a still intact rooftop and activated a remote scan to look around.

Magistrate Chen, his official robes stained with mud and looking exhausted, led a dozen oxcarts piled high with sacks and a group of laborers who were clearly conscripted, struggling to wade through the water.

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