Chapter 118: Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen: The Cold Winter (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Translator: 549690339
Tang Ming wore an awkward expression as he walked onto the stage, taking over the three wooden crates.
As one of the representatives of the branch clans, he had never imagined things would escalate to such a degree.
He wanted to say a few words in explanation because he knew that most people were only provoked and didn’t really have any complaints with Tang Zhi.
“Sect Head, in reality…”
Tang Zhi waved his hand, cutting off his intended speech. In an indifferent tone, he said, “I know what you want to say. I was the one at fault in this issue. I made the original promise of these lands. You’ve distributed them based on contribution, now, you may leave. The singing and dancing shall continue.” Tang Ming had no choice but to nod and salute, leading several stewards off the main stage and toward his own seat.
“The Sect Head is carving off his own flesh.” Tang Luo watched Tang Zhi declaring this year’s dividends on stage. He said lightly.
Xu Shuhui was confused and asked him, “What do you mean?”
“Clearly, the land was just bait Sect Head released then. The purpose was to encourage the branch clan leaders to gather the grain with all their strength. Even if they received the land, it would be after the Sect Head’s plan succeeded. The impeachment by the branch clans made the Sect Head feel people’s hearts were deviating, he had no choice but to appease them with the land.” Tang Luo shook his head regrettably. “But Xiling City has been peaceful for a long time. Where could there be so much vacant land in North City? Therefore, I think all these lands originally belonged to the Sect Head’s lineage.”
Listening to Tang Luo’s comments, Xu Shuhui’s eyes lit up with admiration. Although she already knew her son was smart, she had not expected him to be this insightful.
Even Tang Sen nodded in approval. He was curious about Tang Luo’s opinion because it seemed that gathering the refugees was not the entirety of Tang Zhi’s plan. This piqued his interest, prompting him to ask: “What do you think is the Sect Head’s plan?”
Tang Luo’s brows furrowed in deep thought. After a long silence, he said, “It’s hard to say. But I feel that the only opponent in Xiling worth his long-term plotting is the Mi Clan. But as for the specifics of his plan, I still have no clue.” The martial strength of the Tang Clan and the Mi Clan was far superior to the other clans in Xiling. There might be hundreds of thousands of refugees, but the number of fighters who had transcended the Mortal Realm was at most in the thousands. Fierce Realm fighters, there probably wasn’t even one.
Facing this struggle with such forces, what happened if the Mi Clan received such an impact? It was remarkable that the family had a few more fighters, but this was not a decisive force. Therefore, gathering refugees was definitely not Tang Zhi’s objective. This kind of plan that would only yield results after a hundred years was not one that he would possibly commit to.
Listening to Tang Luo’s words, Tang Sen was taken aback. As the First Head of the Martial Hall, he understood part of Tang Zhi’s plan. But the fact that Tang Luo could guess parts of it based on speculation truly made him look at his son in awe.
It seemed that his son was not only a martial arts genius but also adept in strategy and governance.
Wealthy households are filled with wine and meat. Yet on the streets, there are bodies frozen to their very bones.
During the lavish festivals of the nobility, the common people of Xiling were caught in the coldest winter.
For two full months, there was no grain for sale in Xiling. All the rice shops on the market brandished ‘sold out’ tags, making the civilians accustomed to Xiling’s low grain prices panic, unsure of what to do.
For the beggars, this winter was insurmountable. They would usually be able to buy stale grain with copper coins, but this year, even stale grain was unavailable. On the market, only expensive vegetables and even more expensive meat were available.
The beggars of Xiling were mostly controlled by local ruffians, who would take away a large part of the money they begged for.
During past winters, the ruffians would still give them a full meal. But with this year’s grain prices, all the ruffians chose to ignore the lives of the beggars. After all, who would buy such expensive food for a bunch of beggars?
This winter depended on them. If they could survive, then it was their own luck. If they did not, it was simply because life was unfair.
Fengqing Alley
Inside an abandoned courtyard, a group of children in ragged clothes gathered around a small fire.
They were boys and girls, the oldest no more than seven or eight, and the youngest only three or four, huddled around the fire, warming their hands. “Brother Bai isn’t here yet?” A little girl with braids asked timidly, looking to the oldest child.
The seven or eight-year-old boy wore an oversized jacket, his childish face filled with determination, “Big Brother Bai will definitely come!”
“Yes, little Ya, don’t worry.”
“Yes, Big Brother Bai will definitely bring us a lot of food.”
Hearing his words, all the other children echoed their agreement, their mouths watering from anticipation. They were obviously starving.
While they were talking, the wooden door of the abandoned courtyard was pushed open. The children exchanged worried glances and scattered, some hiding behind columns, others under tables.
In places like Fengqing Alley, there weren’t only kind people like Big Brother Bai. There were also many frustrated ruffians. If they were caught, they would become slaves to those people.
Some would be groomed into thieves, others might be maimed and made to beg on the streets. Before meeting Big Brother Bai, many of their friends had already been captured.
Outside the courtyard, a young man carrying a large pot scanned the area for a while, making sure no one was following before pushing open the courtyard door.
Upon entering the now-deserted courtyard, he set down the pot and clapped his hands, announcing, “Children, it’s me. Come out.”
The man’s voice was soft, bringing a sense of warmth to the chilly winter.
Hearing this familiar voice, the children came out from their hiding places. The little girl with the braids was the first to rush out, wrapping her arms around the young man’s leg tight.
The young man smile was kind, as he squatted down to gently cup the little girl’s cheek asking, “Little Ya, are you cold?”
Little Ya responded sweetly, “I’m not cold, I really missed you.”
The little girl’s smile was sweet, but the young man couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Her usually soft cheeks were frostbitten, showing an unhealthy deep red hue with several cracks on her cheeks. This winter was just too cold.
“Brother Bai brought you some good food. After you eat, you won’t feel cold anymore.” The man carefully held Little Ya’s frostbitten hand, leading her to the bonfire.
The children were all well-behaved. No one rushed to get to the pot first. Instead, they each took out small bowls from God knows where, sitting around the fire quietly waiting, causing no commotion.
Every time he saw these well-behaved children, Mi Bai felt a prick in his heart. They were all good kids; they shouldn’t be starving and freezing, living in fear.
Knowing they were all starving, Mi Bai walked forward and removed the lid from the pot, letting the hot steam rise.
In the pot was thick porridge, alternating yellow and white grains of rice with some green and yellow vegetable leaves; that was everything in the pot.
But seeing this simple meal, the children couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, their stomachs grumbling loudly.
Mi Bai dipped the ladle into the pot serving a full ladle into each of their bowls.
This pot of thick porridge was their New Year’s Eve dinner..
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