Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

at the same time.

Shi Buji and Yan Xiaoliu were busy shopping in the city.

Meanwhile, in the Yueming Tea House in the city, there are private rooms on the second floor.

The guards delivered today's purchase order to the table without missing a single item.

Xiao Jue crossed his legs, picked up the order form, and read it aloud to Xiao Ye across from him, line by line.

"Ten beams and pillars made of Phoebe zhennan wood, worth five thousand taels."

Xiao Ye remained silent.

"Fifty bronze steamers to be custom-made, three thousand taels."

Xiao Ye picked up his teacup.

"Thirty fine charcoal kilns, four thousand taels."

The teacup stopped at his lips.

"One thousand sets of carved and gilded lacquered wooden boxes, three thousand taels."

Xiao Ye put down his teacup.

After Xiao Jue finished reading the last item, he looked up, and the two brothers exchanged a glance.

The private room was quiet for a moment.

Xiao Ye said coldly, "She used Phoebe zhennan wood to build her pharmaceutical factory?"

Xiao Jue folded the bottom sheet and placed it next to the teacup.

"Perhaps both." He paused. "But Your Majesty, she is indeed building a factory. Two thousand disaster victims have become her workers; there's no faking it."

Xiao Ye stared in that direction, remaining silent for a long time.

……

Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingli left without hesitation, after all, they had a mission to complete.

The two changed into coarse cloth clothes and traveled light, taking only Gong Huo and Tao Zhi with them.

The carriage traveled south along the official road, heading straight for Jiangzhou.

The further south you go, the more shocking the scene becomes.

The fertile fields on both sides of the official road were all submerged in muddy, yellow water, with broken roof beams and rotting crops floating on the surface.

Occasionally, you can see that only half of the mud walls of one or two houses remain, revealing the dark, empty rooms inside.

An old woman sat on the collapsed threshold, clutching a wet bundle in her arms, staring blankly into the distance.

Tao Zhi peeked through the curtain the whole way, her nose turning red several times.

Gu Mingli sat on the other side of the carriage, holding a piece of dry rations in his hand. He took a bite and chewed for a long time without swallowing.

"All five counties in Jiangzhou are flooded." His voice was low. "There are at least three breaches in the river embankment, and the deepest water in some places is above the rooftops."

Gu Mingyue didn't speak, her gaze sweeping over the people who were staring blankly at the ruins outside the window.

Upon arriving in Jiangzhou Prefecture, Gu Mingli frowned as soon as the carriage passed through the city gate.

The main street was muddy and crowded with emaciated disaster victims on both sides.

Everyone stared longingly at the end of the long street.

It was the gate of a government office with peeling vermilion paint.

Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingli stood at the street corner, looking at the two tightly closed doors.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing an indescribable sense of guilt.

Gu Mingli leaned closer to his younger sister and lowered his voice.

"Didn't they say the imperial court had already allocated disaster relief funds and grain?"

"Why isn't the prefect of Jiangzhou opening the granaries to distribute grain?"

Gu Mingyue gave her brother the look of someone looking at an idiot.

"Brother, have you forgotten what our cheapskate dad has been up to?"

"The money hasn't even reached Jiangzhou, how are we going to buy grain?"

Gu Mingli immediately shut up.

He silently shrank his neck, feeling the murderous glares directed at him from the surrounding disaster victims.

They're so devoted to their families; they've really committed a terrible sin.

These starving disaster victims all over the streets are the "masterpieces" of their fathers.

The two walked along the main street.

Not far away is the largest grain store in Jiangzhou City, "Fengnian Grain Store".

Gu Mingli stepped forward and peeked inside through the crack in the door.

You can see piles of sacks inside.

It's all grain.

However, the main gate of the grain store was tightly sealed with thick wooden beams, leaving only a small door on the side.

A dozen or so burly guards stood in front of the gate, carrying sticks and looking fierce.

Anyone who dares to take a step closer will be dealt with by a big stick.

A group of relatively well-dressed people were queuing up to enter the grain store through a small door to buy grain.

This is to prevent disaster victims from looting the grain.

Gu Mingli sighed.

"Jiangzhou's economy is now completely paralyzed."

As they were talking, a dilapidated restaurant on the street corner caught their attention.

The building is crooked and the plaque on the door is so wet from the rain that its original color is no longer visible.

A middle-aged man in his forties was squatting on the steps.

He was disheveled and had a full beard.

He was wearing a greasy, coarse cloth short jacket.

He was hugging his knees, staring blankly at the person opposite him.

Gu Mingli felt that this person looked somewhat special.

While others were starving and staggering, this man, though destitute, was still full of energy.

They were also much stronger than ordinary disaster victims.

"I'll go and find out what's going on."

Gu Mingli straightened his collar and walked over with measured steps.

He squatted down next to the man and struck up a conversation with him familiarly.

"Hey bro, are you a local? What do you do for a living?"

The middle-aged man lazily lifted his eyelids and looked Gu Mingli up and down.

"We cook ducks for customers at their homes."

His voice was rough, with a hint of nonchalant casualness.

Gu Mingli gasped, his eyes widening instantly.

He looked the unshaven, burly middle-aged man up and down.

Has the threshold for the special services industry in the Great Yong Dynasty become so wide?

Seeing his exaggerated reactions, Chen Sandao rolled his eyes in disdain.

Is this delicate-skinned scholar sick?

To ease the awkwardness, Gu Mingli had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue the conversation.

"Brother, I'm disrespectful."

"How many years have you been doing this?"

Chen Sandao extended two thick fingers.

"Twenty years."

"My dad does this kind of work; it's a family tradition."

Gu Mingli was deeply shocked.

This thing can be passed down through generations?!

He swallowed hard, his tone becoming even more respectful.

"So... do you usually have many clients?"

Chen Sandao scratched his stomach, recalling the scene before the flood.

"There are so many! How can there not be many!"

"I receive at least a hundred a day."

"They all make appointments in advance, waiting in line for me to come and serve them."

Gu Mingli was so frightened that he almost sat down in the mud.

One hundred a day?!

Even the strongest kidneys can't withstand this kind of abuse!

This guy's physique is indeed extraordinary!

Gu Mingli gave a thumbs up.

"Big brother, you're in great shape."

"But with this flood, business must be tough, right?"

Chen Sandao let out a long sigh.

"you do not say!"

"There's nobody in town anymore, who would bother ordering me out?"

"I haven't had any business for half a month, I'm so bored my bones ache."

Gu Mingli patted his shoulder with a look of sympathy.

"I understand, I understand. The overall economic environment is bad, and it's tough for every industry."

"Your industry also has peak and off-peak seasons."

Chen Sandao became more and more enthusiastic as he talked.

"You know, this flood is the cause of all this trouble."

"I used to have so many customers that there was a long queue. I would work at one place after another, from morning till night."

"The guests were extremely satisfied."

The sympathy on Gu Mingli's face froze instantly.

What the hell!

Are people lining up to wait for him to do their jobs? And he'll be working from morning till night?!

He took two steps back in alarm, covering his chest with his hands.

The people of the Great Yong Dynasty are incredibly fierce!

Gu Mingyue, who was standing a few steps away, couldn't listen to it anymore.

She stepped forward and pulled up her own brother, who was already on the verge of collapse.

"Bro, what kind of garbage is in your head?"

"He's a chef!"