Early the next morning, people in the county learned that yesterday they had received a group of disaster-stricken common people and settled them in a remote area on the outskirts of the city. They had no clothes, so the county hoped everyone would donate some unwanted clothing.
As soon as this news came out, many people enthusiastically donated clothes.
“These are clothes my eldest son and second daughter wore when they were little. They’ve all been washed – let the children wear them.”
“These are clothes my mother-in-law sorted out from my sister-in-law. Such bright clothes can’t be worn out, so they’re perfect to give to you.”
“These clothes – official sir, don’t mind that they’re old. I’ve checked them, and they have no patches!”
Everyone was quite enthusiastic. He Zifeng said: “I thank everyone on behalf of the disaster victims.”
These ordinary people were very simple. It was fine when they weren’t thanked, but once thanked, their faces actually turned red.
They said: “Times are hard. If they weren’t at their wit’s end, they wouldn’t have left home and abandoned their livelihoods.”
This snow disaster exceeded everyone’s imagination. The local people’s lives had just improved, and they were already helping others.
The county received quite a lot of clothing, and some thoughtful people even brought wash basins, bamboo baskets, and such.
These things weren’t valuable, but they could all be used in daily life.
Everyone’s enthusiasm for donating clothes was so high that one room in the county couldn’t hold it all.
Since they weren’t careful enough for this kind of work, they hired someone to do it.
The person they hired was a ger in his forties with a limp. It was said that he had married when he was young, but after his husband went to war, he never returned – reportedly killed in battle.
He had no children and was somewhat disabled. He could only make a living by weaving grass crafts and such.
He Zifeng only discovered him when reviewing the county’s population survey.
This work was easy and perfectly suited for him. They provided food here, and after working for a full month, he would also get a cotton jacket. This cotton jacket could be sold for three hundred wen if resold.
But he didn’t plan to sell it – he happened to need such a thick garment.
Since he had taken this job, he had to do it well. First, he sorted all the clothes by category – separating men’s, women’s, and ger clothing.
Some clothes needed to be washed again. He first prepared five hundred pieces of clothing to take over there.
It was said that the clothes there were so dirty they couldn’t be washed clean – the clothes seemed to have grown onto their bodies!
The doctor said this was also unsanitary. They needed to change all their clothes, shoes, and pants to clean ones.
The old clothes had to be piled up and burned to prevent bringing in filth that could cause illness.
Sorting out over five hundred sets of clothes in one day wasn’t easy, but with no one to help, he managed to get it done, packed everything up, and went with the cart to distribute clothes to them.
Hearing there were new clothes to wear, the disaster victims were very happy.
Previously it was for survival out of desperation, but now that they had work, wearing tattered clothes made them feel somewhat inferior!
They joked that even the beggars in the county dressed more respectably than them.
Who would have thought the authorities here were so thoughtful, even remembering about clothing?
These were the loving kindness of the county’s common people, making them even more meaningful.
All along their journey, they had received various cold looks. Now even a little bit of love was enough to make them tear up.
Changing clothes was done in a separate place where there were also wash basins so they could simply clean their bodies.
Originally the wash basins contained clear water, but after they washed, it also became dirty.
However, after cleaning their bodies and hair and changing into clothes, their spirits returned. They no longer looked like when they first arrived.
They also tidied up their living quarters, all showing different signs of vitality.
After tidying up for a while, food arrived.
In recent days, the doctor said their bodies were weak, so it had always been mixed grain porridge and mixed grain steamed buns. These days their spirits had recovered, so today they made mixed grain bean rice and stir-fried vegetables.
The stir-fried vegetables had a wonderful aroma. Although it was just the most ordinary stir-fried melon slices, they could still smell that oil had been added, and even meat.
When getting their rice, vegetables were layered on top of the rice. When mixed together, the vegetable broth soaked into the rice, giving it the flavor of the vegetables. One bite of rice, one bite of melon – crisp, refreshing, fragrant, and sweet. It was a deliciousness they had never imagined before.
From starving to now being able to eat stir-fried vegetables really felt like a dream.
The county giving them such good days made them uneasy.
Recently many people kept asking when the brick kiln factory could start operating – they wanted to start working quickly.
Otherwise, eating and being supported for free every day like this made them feel bad about it.
Although they were anxious, the county wasn’t. The County Magistrate now had business from the warming house every day. Selling vegetables in winter had earned quite a lot.
Supporting the food and drink of these newcomers was more than sufficient.
The kiln factory work was exhausting. Once it started operating, it was no joke. Their bodies hadn’t fully recovered yet.
They planned to let them rest a few more days before starting.
He Zifeng had several matters on hand recently. By the time he wanted lunch, it was almost evening.
He Zifeng moved a chair in the government office rest room and leaned back to rest with his eyes closed.
Once tired to a certain degree, he didn’t even want to eat.
Soon he heard slight movement at the door.
He Zifeng’s rest was disturbed, but he wasn’t annoyed, thinking the County Magistrate was calling him for something again. There had been too many miscellaneous matters recently.
He Zifeng had just opened his eyes when he was somewhat surprised. The visitor wasn’t someone else – it was Qiu Yu. He was carrying a food box, and seeing He Zifeng awake, he felt somewhat embarrassed and said: “Did I wake you up?”
He Zifeng immediately stood up, took a few quick steps forward, and quietly touched his wife’s hand while taking the food box. If he couldn’t feel the warmth from his fingers, he would have thought he was dreaming.
Seeing Qiu Yu, He Zifeng’s mouth corners lifted up as he said: “How did you come?”
Having not seen him for many days, his eyes carried gentleness.
Qiu Yu said: “I had nothing to do at home and happened to stew chicken. Try some.”
He had also missed He Zifeng and could only use this excuse to come.
The other government officials at the county office recognized Qiu Yu and immediately let him in. They also said many good things about He Zifeng, saying he was now so busy he couldn’t even find time to eat.
Qiu Yu had entered quietly, afraid of disturbing him. Who would have thought He Zifeng was so alert and woke up immediately?
He Zifeng’s smile became even more cheerful. This was truly his dear wife – when making something delicious, she thought of him.
But at this moment, He Zifeng was more concerned about Qiu Yu. He got up and latched the door to the rest room.
Qiu Yu pretended not to know, but his slightly reddened ears still betrayed him.
After He Zifeng closed the door, he directly embraced Qiu Yu from behind. Both probably missed each other’s warmth. They had done more intimate things on ordinary days.
Now it was just an ordinary embrace, yet it instantly made both of them dizzy.
Qiu Yu usually had the most cautious personality, but somehow stimulated by something, he actually put his arms around He Zifeng’s neck and actively gave him a kiss.
He Zifeng was made to lose his composure by his wife offering a kiss, his mind completely blank.
He had only one thought – he wanted him, right now.
