Jiangtan Refugees

The sky was grand, magnificent, and high-class, with no connection to the earth.

On the banks of the Baiji River, the ground was covered with refugees.

A few frames were put up, covered with thatch, and they became houses.

Dry grass was spread on the ground, and it became a bed.

If there was also some food, this place could be paradise.

But how many people could have food all year round?

In the summer, the mosquitoes on the riverbank were bigger than flies, and in the winter, the cold wind would blow through, chilling you to the bone. It wasn't a place for people to live. Locals would rather live in the deep mountains and old forests than here. Those who lived here were mostly refugees.

Their hometowns had suffered disasters, so they were temporarily staying here. This was almost the common characteristic of all residents of Baiji Plain.

But for some, this "temporary stay" had already lasted for several generations.

Why? When had their hometowns not suffered a disaster?

If there were no natural disasters, there were wars. If there were no wars, there were locust plagues. If there were no locust plagues, there were man-made disasters...

In comparison, Baiji Plain was still better.

Even if there wasn't much to eat, and even if floods inevitably took some lives, there were still benefits. The benefit was that this stretch of mudflat was ownerless, so no one would charge them exorbitant taxes. Moreover, this was the outskirts of Haining, so there were no wild beasts. Of course, having wild beasts wouldn't be bad either; the strong young men could go out and perhaps hunt a few to satisfy their hunger...

At a corner near the river, Xiao Xue quietly watched the flowing water. She was originally a maid at the Marquis of Dingnan's Estate. In the eyes of the villagers, that was a life of luxury. But less than half a month ago, she had returned because her father was ill.

She had invited doctors and bought medicine, but in the end, she couldn't save her father's life.

Her father had passed away. The Immortal Way sects did not allow bodies to be buried here. She could only use a few bamboo poles to tie a raft, cover it with dry grass, and set it ablaze in the middle of the river. Her father turned to ashes before her eyes, while her mother cried herself unconscious in her arms.

"Xue'er, Xue'er..." Her mother called softly from inside the house.

Xiao Xue suddenly woke from her thoughts and pushed open the door made of thatch. "Mom, you must be hungry... I just picked the freshest wild vegetables. I'll cook them for you."

The old woman on the bed had a sallow complexion and was extremely weak, but she still reached out and held her daughter's hand. "Xue'er, you should go back. It's not good to be away from your master's home for so long. They'll be displeased with you."

"Mom, you can't even get out of bed..."

"Who says Mom can't get up? Mom is fine, just a little tired..." The old woman struggled to sit up. "Go, don't worry about me, okay?"

Tears welled up in Xiao Xue's eyes. She didn't dare to tell her mother that she couldn't go back.

Her master's estate had suffered a disaster, and the family could barely afford a meal. Returning to the Lin family at this time wouldn't help them; it would only be a burden.

Suddenly, a voice came from outside: "Xiao Xue!"

Xiao Xue's heart skipped a beat. She recognized the voice. It was Lin Jialiang, the second young master! The most remarkable person in the entire Marquis of Dingnan's Estate.

Why was he here on the riverbank? Could it be that something major had happened to the Lin family? Heavens, please don't let anything happen...

"Xiao Xue, are you there?"

Another voice called out. Xiao Xue's whole body trembled. The third young master was also here? Something must have happened to the Lin family!

"Xue'er, who is it?"

"It's... it's the two young masters from the Marquis's Estate..."

Huh? Her mother got out of bed. "Xue'er, quickly, quickly invite the two young masters in..."

Lifting the door, Lin Su and Lin Jialiang appeared at the entrance, each carrying a bag.

"Xiao Xue!" Lin Su said, "There's some rice and flour in here. My mother sent us to bring it..."

"Madam... is Madam alright?" Xiao Xue's lips trembled slightly.

Lin Su smiled. "My mother is doing very well. She's always at home worshipping the ancestors, thanking them for their blessings. I say, Xiao Xue, when you go back, you should advise her a bit. Worshipping ancestors can be done on the first and fifteenth of the month. Doing it all the time, who can stand it?"

His words were light and playful, but they conveyed a crucial piece of information: everything was fine with the Lin family, and they had overcome their difficulties.

Xiao Xue's heart churned like waves, as if she were in a dream.

As he parted ways with Xiao Xue, Lin Su noticed a bag of Ting Rice in the corner and picked it up. "Xiao Xue, can I have this bag of Ting Rice?"

Xiao Xue was startled. "Young Master, this is Ting Rice. It's not edible."

"I know it's not edible..." Lin Su smiled easily. "But I'm thinking about a question: can it be used to make... wine? Let's go! Goodbye!"

With the Ting Rice slung over his shoulder, Lin Su strode away.

The journey back was uneventful, except for Lin Jialiang, who was full of questions.

"Third Brother, why are you carrying this Ting Rice? This stuff is inedible. It's not even good enough for pigs or dogs. It's only good as fertilizer, and even then, it's not as good as pig or cow dung."

Lin Su told him directly: He planned to conduct an experiment to see if Ting Rice could be used to make wine.

Making wine in a feudal society wasn't as easy as one might imagine.

The raw materials were a major problem.

Commoners were eating husks and wild vegetables; where would they get enough grain to make wine? A cup of wine might mean a commoner starves to death. Wouldn't that weigh on your conscience? The Great Song dynasty and subsequent dynasties all regulated wineries, recognizing the flaw that making wine competed with the people for food.

Therefore, Lin Su was unwilling to use staple grains like rice to make wine.

But Ting Rice was completely different.

Ting Rice had little edible value. By using it to make wine, he wouldn't be competing with the common people for grain.

On one hand, producing good wine and getting rich.

On the other hand, finding a way for the people of Jiangtan to earn a living—wouldn't that be the best of both worlds? Perhaps the All Sages, moved by his great act of kindness, would bestow the Literary World, Literary Mountain, Literary Heart, and all that upon him directly. Wouldn't that be hilarious?

He said it so casually, but Lin Jialiang's heart trembled.

Could it really work?

This path wasn't the Literary Path, but a path to survival for the common people.

The common people were helpless, their lives filled with suffering. So many scholars described it with emotional language, but how many truly cared about people's livelihoods?

Third Brother, however, truly cared!

And he was actively doing something about it!

"Third Brother, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles! Your elder brother truly understands now!" Lin Jialiang said, "If I ever become an official, I will certainly not fail the people of the ten directions!"

Lin Su placed a hand on his shoulder, "Good. One day, I'll make you a high-ranking official."

Lin Jialiang's eyes lit up. "Then you first have to become an even higher-ranking official. Third Brother, it's great that you have this understanding. After we get back, you should shut yourself in to study and focus on the imperial examinations..."

Lin Su slapped himself on the mouth. "Pretend I didn't say that!"