Eat in Song Dynasty

Chapter 513 The floodwaters have receded just like that?!

When the prefect's entourage arrived in the west of the city, they were not met with the expected scene of widespread devastation and complete loss of control.

Although the floodwaters were still widespread, the water level was visibly receding slowly, revealing parts of the previously submerged rooftops and roads.

To his surprise, the rescue work was proceeding in an orderly manner, with officials, gentry and servants ferrying boats to evacuate the people, and Magistrate Chen, covered in mud, standing on a high place directing the operation.

Even his usually arrogant brother-in-law was wrapped in a blanket, covered in dust, but unusually obediently following behind Magistrate Chen to help count the number of people.

Upon seeing him arrive, she even managed to force a smile that could be described as submissive.

Magistrate Chen hurried forward and, before the prefect could ask any questions, preemptively reported, "Greetings, Your Excellency Prefect! Thanks to your great fortune, the upstream water level inexplicably dropped significantly, allowing me to organize a full-scale rescue operation! Young Master Li was especially exemplary, leading by example and risking his life to save people!"

As she spoke, she secretly winked at Li Yanei.

Remembering the benefits promised by Magistrate Chen and Wen Shu's cold gaze, Li Yanei shuddered and quickly echoed, "Brother-in-law... oh no, sir! It was all thanks to Magistrate Chen's decisive command; I only did my bit."

He said this with a sense of frustration, but to outsiders, it really seemed like he had suddenly realized something after experiencing a disaster and was now considering the bigger picture.

The prefect was full of doubts. When he received the news, it was clearly said that the situation was critical. How could it be brought under control in the blink of an eye?
Moreover, they became more like brothers, respectful to each other, and united in purpose.
His sharp gaze swept across the scene, and soon landed on Wen Shu, who was helping the elderly and infirm board a raft in the distance.

The woman was agile and had an extraordinary bearing; she was not like an ordinary woman.

"Who is that...?"

"Your Excellency, that is Lady Wen. She also contributed greatly to this rescue."

Magistrate Chen answered cautiously, his heart pounding in his throat.

Just then, another unexpected change occurred: the water level, which had been slowly declining, suddenly accelerated its retreat!
It's like there's a giant funnel underwater, and the floodwaters are rushing towards low-lying areas and river channels at an irrational speed, quickly exposing large swaths of submerged land, leaving only a mess of silt and debris.

Everyone was stunned, including Wen Shu!
She subconsciously looked at the tortoise perched on the beam in the distance.

The little turtle seemed to move impatiently, as if to say, "I'm tired of watching this, it's boring, let's end this already."

Wen Shu: "..."

This guy was clearly just here to watch the show; once he'd had his fill, he fast-forwarded through the episode.

But the fast-forwarding effect is amazing!

Within just two incense sticks' time, the floodwaters had receded by a large margin, leaving only some low-lying areas with standing water.

This miraculous sight caused all the disaster victims and officials to cheer and kneel down to thank God for his protection.

The prefect was also stunned by this "divine will," and his doubts and thoughts of using the situation to his advantage had to be temporarily suppressed in the face of such "obvious" divine blessing.

He cleared his throat and said some words to appease the people and praise Magistrate Chen and Young Master Li, then his advisor went to stay at the county government office.

After all, it was already quite late when he arrived, and it was too late to rush back to the government office now. Moreover, there were still many follow-up matters that he needed to decide, so it would save him the trouble of running back and forth.

The flood was ultimately brought to a forced end in this almost brutal manner.

The prefect's entourage departed, leaving behind a scene of devastation and the slowly receding floodwaters.

Magistrate Chen's mind, which had been on edge, relaxed a little, but his body felt even more exhausted.

She approached Wen Shu and expressed her gratitude: "Young lady, thank you very much for today."

"You're too kind, sir. It was just a small favor, and I'm sure anyone else would have done the same."

Magistrate Chen nodded, his gaze firm: "I won't say any more words of thanks. If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, young lady, I, Chen Wan, will certainly not refuse to help you." It's always good to have another friend.

"Okay," Wen Shu replied without hesitation.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two parted ways and went their separate ways.

On the way back, Wen Shu used her divine sense to probe the storage basket and ask the refugee she had picked up casually if he had thought about where to go.
After a brief silence, half of the people chose to go to the Mountain and Sea Realm, while the other half chose to return to reality and reunite with their families.

Wen Shu remained silent, and released those who had chosen to return in a secluded spot.

At the same time, he quickly hid in the bushes on the side.

Those people hadn't yet recovered from the shock of being instantly brought back to reality, so they didn't notice Wen Shu hiding in the shadows.

Only after they all left and the place was empty did Wen Shu emerge from the shadows and return to the inn to reunite with Old Man Wen and the others.

This flood lasted a full day and a half from its sudden occurrence until it receded.

At night, Wen Shu entered the Mountain and Sea Boundary Garden and released those who had chosen to stay from the storage basket.

The sight of the peach orchard laden with fruit and the overflowing fragrance of the fruit once again stunned them, leaving them speechless for a long time.

"Although this is a garden, it is surrounded by a barrier. Apart from the pheasants on this ground, no other ferocious beasts or people can enter. You can rest and recuperate here in peace, and cultivate the land."

As she spoke, Wen Shu conjured up some food and vegetable seeds and distributed them to everyone.

At first, everyone felt that Wen Shu was different from the immortal they had imagined, and wondered if they had been deceived.

But when Wen Shu revealed this skill, their doubts vanished instantly, leaving only shock.

It can't be wrong, it can't be wrong.

Everything else can be faked, but the ability to conjure things out of thin air must be that of a deity.

Although this young lady doesn't look like a deity, it's said that deities often transform into mortals to travel the world and enlighten all beings.

Yes, that's definitely the case.

So they'd better not expose them.

The group exchanged glances, their minds racing, a tacit understanding forming between them.

They were all homeless women, either or whose parents had passed away and who had no land to rely on, or children who were unloved by their fathers and mothers and whose lives were filled with hardship.

Or they are people who are bullied by their husbands and mothers-in-law and are powerless to fight back.

In short, they were unwilling to return to the real world, preferring instead to cultivate their own fertile land with their own hands in this world where no one knew them.

Everything seemed to be on track.
Wen Shu stayed in Fuliang County for another day, and under the instruction of Magistrate Chen, he "picked up" another group of people, this time a total of 100 men and women.

Just as she was having Old Man Qin pack his bags, preparing to leave Fuliang early the next morning, the prefect sent someone to invite her over.

Although it was said to be an invitation, the messenger's tone was unfriendly, clearly indicating that it wasn't anything good.

Old Man Wen looked at her worriedly, wanting to go with her, but Wen Shu stopped him: "Dad, don't worry, I'll be right back, it'll be fine."

After comforting Old Man Wen with a smile, she left with the officials.