The scorching sun is high, and the scorching sun in late summer is the most scorching time of the year. It is so scorching that the earth is almost inflamed, and the pale stones are slightly dazzling in the sun.
There has been no rain for nearly a year, the earth has dried up, and everything has withered and turned brown without being nourished by rain. It is difficult to see a trace of green between the sky and the earth.
Yangfeng County is located on the northeastern border of Dali, thousands of miles away from Xieyang City. The total population under its jurisdiction is less than 100,000. This place has many hills and little rain. It is a truly bitter and cold place. In normal times, people's lives are still difficult.
, after another year of drought, people’s lives have reached a dead end.
Standing in Yangfeng County, looking at the continuous barren mountains in the northwest, we crossed the edge of the mountains and reached the territory of the Golden Wolf Dynasty.
After leaving the fantasy land, Yunjing came here. After all, he had been in the north for so long and he was not in a hurry to go back in a day or two, so he stopped by to visit an old friend.
Yangfeng County is a vast and sparsely populated area. It is not an important military location, nor is it a major grain-producing area, nor is it a prosperous place for commerce. Many people may have never heard of this place. It is difficult to find it on the map. If you ask a little further,
It is estimated that not many people can have an impression of this place.
Walking in Yangfeng County, looking at the deserted area, it is difficult to see other people.
Standing in front of a dilapidated residential house, Yun Jing's eyes moved and he secretly said that he was being rude. He opened the door and walked in. It was obvious that no one had lived here for a while. There was a layer of dust in the house and there was no trace of livestock in the yard.
There was no water in the water tank, not a grain of grain in the granary, only cold ashes were left in the stove, the pots and pans were gone, and there was not even anything that could be taken away from the house.
As a 'joke', every time a mouse comes here he has to shed two tears before leaving.
After staying here for a moment, Yunjing turned around and left. He understood in his heart that this family had already fled with their whole family, but there was a severe drought in the world, so where could they escape?
Probably wherever you go, it's better than waiting to die here.
A breeze blew by, and the thatch on the roof floated far and wide with the wind...
Two miles away from the empty house, Yunjing saw another family. Looking at it from a distance, he felt very uncomfortable.
There was originally a family of five, but all the family died in the house, including an old man and a child, who had been dead for about a month. The old man obviously died of hunger and thirst, the child died of enlightenment, and the adults
He hanged himself directly, his body swaying slightly on the beams.
This family is so miserable, but under the disaster, living is more painful than death, and death is the relief.
Digging a hole and burying that family, Yunjing sighed in his heart and turned around to leave.
I would rather be a dog in a prosperous age than a man in troubled times. There are countless scenes like this in every corner of the world.
After going round and round, Yunjing walked on the loess official road leading to the county seat of Yangfeng County, and his mood became more and more depressed. A few miles away on this road, he saw three dead bodies on the side of the road, one of which had been eaten by wild animals.
The food was so deplorable that the scene was so heart-wrenching.
In the wilderness of corpses, the summary of life should not be like this, Yun Jing did it conveniently and buried him.
He saw too many sad scenes along the way. Some people were digging holes in low-lying areas, trying to dig out water, but in the end they exhausted themselves to death without being able to dig out a drop of water. Some people were fighting for a bite to eat, and they were fighting with both hands.
die...
Approaching the county seat, houses and fields began to appear in the surrounding area. Ten rooms in the houses were empty, and the situation in the fields was even more unbearable to look at.
The dry gaps in the field are as wide as the palm of your hand. The crops are no longer than chopsticks high and have long since died. They are swaying and rustling in the wind. On the edge of a field, under a dead tree, an old man stares at the field quietly with his eyes wide open.
He had been dead for a long time, and his dull eyes were filled with sadness and pain.
Jingle bell, jingle bell...
On the road, a little donkey came from a distance. The driver of the donkey was a half-year-old boy. He had no shoes on his feet, and the blisters were mixed with bloodshot eyes. He didn't know how far he had walked barefoot, and his lips were dry and cracked under the scorching sun.
There was a water tank on the donkey's back, and as it moved forward, there was a faint sound of sloshing water.
But while walking, the donkey fell to the ground with a thud, foaming at the mouth and twitching, unable to stand up. The water tank also fell out, and a small amount of water spilled out, moistening the ground, and it was dried to the naked eye.
The young man cried bitterly while holding the donkey's head, and at the same time looked at the water tank in pain, not knowing which way to turn.
"Oh my God, why is this happening!" The young man looked up to the sky and cried bitterly, describing the misery of his fate, but the sun was blazing in the sky and there was no reply.
A little of the water spilled from the water tank reached the donkey's mouth. It instinctively stretched out its tongue and licked it, and gradually it became a little more alive.
The four words "source of life" are vividly reflected at this time. As for Yunjing nourishing the donkey with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, what does it matter?
‘This young man must have walked at least a hundred miles for that little water,’ Yunjing thought in his mind.
Looking at the village not far away, he looked at a well that had dried up outside the village. Yunjing thought about it. Thousands of meters deep underground, there was a hot fireball burning, melting the rock formations, and soon melting directly through the surface.
.
Then, groundwater gushes out and flows in the well. The water flow is not small, and it quickly fills the well and spreads in all directions.
An old and numb figure tremblingly walked past, and occasionally glanced at the situation at the well. He was stunned for a moment, and then opened his eyes wide and screamed: "There is water..."
That shout was like thunder, and soon people gathered there from all over. Some cried bitterly, and some knelt down to thank God. They saw the hope of living.
I guess it won't be long before all the villages from ten miles away and eight villages will converge here. With water, there is hope of survival for the time being. Judging from the situation of the water source below, there is no problem in keeping the wells overflowing for several months.
Just one well can keep people living for dozens or hundreds of miles around.
Yun Jing left silently, and the suffering in the world could not bear to be looked at directly.
Along the way, he didn't even want to remember how many people he had helped to open up underground water and give them hope of living. But the world was so big, how much he could help alone.
In a world cursed by an alien civilization, if you want to save the common people, you still have to break the curse, but Yun Jing has no clue how to do it, and even feels deeply powerless, because even if he knows, he doesn't have the ability.
It is unrealistic to think about solving the curse of a civilization that has paid a heavy price by oneself.
The power of the word survival was extremely astonishing. Less than half an hour had passed since Yunjing dug a well. When he saw Yangfeng County in the distance, the people there actually got the news and came to court.
They were swarming in the direction of the well. They lost their shoes and fell down without even thinking about it.
Looking towards the direction of the county seat, Yunjing's eyes flickered.
There was a well in the county with sufficient water. He could tell at a glance that the well was drilled by an expert and still had the aura of a powerful person with true artistic conception.
It is obvious that the Dali Dynasty has not abandoned the people. Even in remote places like Yangfeng County, they have sent strong men to take action.
But the area to be taken into consideration is too big, and the strong men sent by the dynasty are too busy. They can only guarantee that there is one water source available in one county. No matter how much, there is nothing they can do. After all, other places are still waiting helplessly.
The water wells in Yangfeng County were guarded by police officers with knives, and they organized people to queue up to fetch water. The queues were very long.
There were more than a dozen wooden stakes erected around the well, with corpses hanging on them. A sign on the side said murderously that whoever dared to occupy the water source would be punished.
Yunjing probably guessed that a wealthy family in the city wanted to occupy the well, but was suppressed by the government.
No matter what the situation, there are always some people with dark hearts. If you can occupy the water source, you will be holding the throats of countless people. You can imagine the benefits it will bring.
Originally there was only a water well in the county. Many people queued for a day and couldn't get water. Now there is another well outside the city, which greatly relieves the pressure here. The government has immediately sent people to order after hearing the news.
Otherwise, big trouble may occur if you are not careful.
But even so, as long as it doesn't rain, survival is still an unsolvable topic...
Yangfeng County has a city wall. After all, it is a border county. There is even a garrison of 200 people. The city wall is only high and made of compacted loess.
When Yunjing saw it, there were hundreds of people staring at the scorching sun and busy reinforcing the city wall.
Under the current situation, large-scale construction work is being carried out to strengthen the city wall, which is certainly not to defend against foreign enemies. It is obvious that what Yun Jing and Xia Tao said at the beginning has worked, and the work-for-relief program is already being implemented.
Outside the city is a row of simple porridge shacks, which are guarded by special personnel. From time to time, they advertise that porridge is given twice a day. It is obvious that the relief and relief work of the Dali Dynasty has begun, but the relief is nothing more than a drop in the bucket. There are too many victims, and I don’t know what can be done.
How long will it last?
Radiating out from the porridge shack, thousands of refugees gathered together. Everything that could be used around them had been looted. Even though there were not many simple houses, most of the people were living on the ground, dragging their families with them, one by one.
Numb and hopeless.
Looking around, within ten miles of the surrounding area, the roots and bark of trees have been dug up three feet!
It's not yet time for the porridge soup, but there are still many people queuing outside the porridge shed under the scorching sun, just hoping to get a bowl of food that barely fills their stomachs as soon as possible.
Yunjing didn't know whether he should be happy or not. The victims of the disaster gathered there, but the government sent people to manage the situation. There were people responsible for the sanitation situation. People had to go to designated places for excretion. There were also doctors walking around to observe the situation. If anyone got sick, they would
Provide treatment or isolation as soon as possible to prevent the occurrence of the epidemic.
Regarding this, Yun Jing thought to himself that it seemed that what he had talked with Xia Tao that day was not in vain, and he implemented it accordingly.
This is a good thing. No matter how bad the situation is, there will always be a glimmer of hope if we work together. At least after a series of measures taken by the government, the gathering of victims is still relatively stable, and no major riots have occurred.
As for the occasional fights, once there are too many people, this situation is definitely unavoidable, as long as it doesn't cause a big mess.
Silently observing the situation of the victims, Yun Jing's mood was extremely complicated. There were good situations and sad situations.
For example, some victims of the disaster begged and even bought and sold their daughters in order to have food and drink. Some women had no other choice and were willing to use their bodies in exchange for a few pitiful things. There were also wealthy men in the city who came out to select concubines.
Or slaves, it’s okay to say they are taking advantage of others’ danger, or they are doing good deeds. Under disasters, all living beings behave in various ways...
Walking towards the gate of the county town, Yunjing was dressed in coarse linen clothes. Apart from being clean and tidy and having an outstanding appearance, he was empty-handed and had nothing to be coveted by others. Therefore, no one came to 'trouble' him after passing through the crowd.
Even if someone saw that he did not look like a disaster victim, he had nothing to do alone and had given up the idea of talking and praying. If he was still dressed brightly, he would have been surrounded by people long ago.
As expected, Yunjing was stopped by soldiers at the city gate. The victims gathered. In order to maintain comfort, the inspection of entering and exiting the city gate was particularly strict.
It’s not that the government is unkind and prohibits the victims from entering the city. There are simply too many people. The overall situation must be taken into consideration. The victims outside the city are human beings, and the people inside the city are also human beings. If the victims flood in, they will definitely bring a series of consequences to the city.
It's chaotic. The government is already very busy, so it is natural to try to avoid such things.
Although entry and exit were strict, Yunjing was not challenged and was allowed to enter the city after being interrogated.
Yangfeng County is just a small border town. The overall situation is much worse than that of Niujiao Town. There are low and dilapidated houses and potholed streets. There is no picture of sewage flowing across the country. It has been dried out under the scorching sun. Where does the sewage come from?
oh.
The situation in the city is not much better than outside the city. There are beggars everywhere with numb expressions, and most of them are adults looking at the streets helplessly, followed by children with straw in their heads, selling their children and selling their daughters, which is a pain in the world.
Almost all the shops have been closed, and those who occasionally open their doors are terrified for fear of causing disasters such as looting. When life becomes difficult, human morality no longer cares so much, and they can do anything.
Have people become bad? No, they just want to live...
Based on what he has seen and heard in Yangfeng County, Yunjing knows that the situation in most places in the world is similar to that here, and even the most capable officials are powerless to face this situation.
Police officers and soldiers are patrolling everywhere. Any disturbance may lead to serious consequences. Stability is the top priority. As for how long it can be maintained as long as possible, who knows.
Occasionally, when a teahouse or hotel is open, there are many beggars and refugees gathered around. They watch eagerly, hoping for some leftovers.
No matter when, the people at the bottom are always suffering, and there are still people who enjoy a privileged life. This is how the world is. As long as you don't do evil, it is up to your own ability and freedom to live whatever kind of life you want.
The county town is not big, so after wandering around the clouds and scenery, we quickly arrived at the county government office.
The county government office in Yangfeng County looks really unflattering. I don’t know how many years it has existed. It’s just an old big courtyard. It’s dilapidated and has signs of repairs. It suppresses the footsteps of the clerks who come and go in a hurry. Everyone’s face is full of smiles.
Not many smiles.
Judging from the faces of the police officers, their lives are not easy. Based on this, it can be seen that the officials in Yangfeng County are sincere in their work. Otherwise, no matter how bad the situation is, they can live a good life as officials and officials by getting some benefits.
Not simple yet?
Under the scrutinizing gaze of the yamen servant, Yun Jing stepped forward, handed over the greeting card he had prepared in advance and said: "Brother, Yun Jing is so polite. I have come to pay a visit to Mr. Zhou from your county. Can you convey this to me?"
Seeing that Yun Jing's words and deeds were good, especially the greeting card, which was not a trick for ordinary people to play, it was a courtesy only for people with status, so the yamen hesitantly took the greeting card and said: "Young Master, you are very polite.
, I wonder what your relationship is with Mr. Zhou? I hope you will forgive me, Mr. Zhou is busy all day long. If there is nothing important, I am afraid I won’t have time to see you. "
The yamen officer said it quite politely. If Yun Jing was not familiar with the conversation, he would have driven him away directly. As the parent official of Yangfeng County, can Magistrate Zhou be able to see everyone, especially in the current situation, in case he came to cause trouble?
He can't afford it.
As the disaster became more serious, too many people came to see Magistrate Zhou. Some wanted to seek 'cooperation', some wanted to gain benefits, and some even wanted to take advantage. All of this was very annoying.
But when you serve as an official, you always have to establish a good relationship with some key people under your rule, otherwise it will be difficult. Therefore, if you don’t understand the origin of Yunjing, the Yamen servants don’t dare to randomly send greetings to him, otherwise it will be a small thing to make County Magistrate Zhou unhappy.
, if you lose your job, you will lose more than you gain. Under a disaster, you can imagine how important it is to have a living position, which is related to the livelihood of the family.
"I have become good friends with County Magistrate Zhou, and we are passing by here to visit. If I don't say hello when I pass by, I will be blamed and my friends will have nothing to do," Yun Jing said.
Hearing what he said, the yamen servant was a little hesitant. Yun Jing looked like a scholar. He didn't know whether he was a friend or not, but what if he was a fake?
After a slight tangle, the other party had to say politely: "In that case, please come back first, sir. I will convey your greetings to you. As for whether the county magistrate will see you or not, that's not up to me."
"That would be troublesome," Yun Dingding nodded, then turned and left.
In the greeting note, Yun Jing had already stated that he was passing by this place and that his old friend was an official and came here to pay a visit. Considering the current situation, it would be understandable if the other party could not get away. In the invitation, Yun Jing also explained where he would stay, regardless of whether the other party got it.
You can pay for a meeting after the invitation, or you can send someone to invite you. However, it is only for this day. After that, the other party will really be away and Yunjing will leave. You can't delay other people's business just because you are visiting friends.
After leaving the county government, Yunjing went to a teahouse that was still open and waited patiently.
A pot of bad tea, a plate of fried beans, nothing else, everything he saw, the cloud scenery, how could he enjoy it? It was not that he was pretentious, of course it was his own freedom to live his life behind closed doors, but in this place
In such an environment, one must have some compassion.
Yangfeng County is really too remote, and there are not even a few people in the world of Jianghu. After all, there is nothing to do here. In this area, most of the people who can be related to the word "Jianghu" are just rogues.
However, life is not easy for the gangsters here. Who makes the parents here to be upright and strict people? Whoever dares to cause trouble will be dealt with severely!
The person Yunjing came to visit was Zhou Yu. They met when he went to study in the north the year before last. At that time, Zhou Yu was still a scholar with a reputation as a civil servant. Due to his own conditions, he gave up the imperial examination and took a step closer, and he got the post of magistrate of Yangfeng County.
Unknowingly, they have known each other for a year and a half. Although they have not met each other for more than a year, they have exchanged letters. The last time Yunjing went to Bury Sword Mountain, he received a letter from Zhou Yu. At that time, Yunjing wrote back and said that he would visit on a different day. , this time I came to fulfill my promise.
Yunjing didn't deliberately use his mind to find where Zhou Yu was at this time. He didn't need to think about the current situation to know how anxious he was.
Yangfeng County is originally a bitter cold place, and anyone with some connections does not want to be an official here. Now that there is a drought, you can imagine how difficult it is to be an official here.
Judging from the initial exchanges, Zhou Yu is also a person with ideals and ambitions, but his conditions are limited. Even though he is passionate, he has not been able to bring much change to Yangfeng County for more than a year.
While drinking tea and waiting silently for news about Zhou Yu, Yunjing also paid attention to various situations while the few tea guests chatted.
The situation at hand, and the fact that they were enjoying tea in a leisurely manner were from a good family, but they didn't have much happy expressions on their faces, and they mostly sighed.
Some people say that the business can no longer be run now, and it is not known how long it can last for a long time. If this continues, I am afraid that I will have to leave my hometown and find another way to make a living.
Who is not like this? Some people say that their home has been robbed more than ten times during this period. The thieves were all refugees who couldn't live happily anymore. If they were caught, they would be beaten or sent to the government. They were really torn to death.
After all, they are some people who live a decent life. Talking too much about annoying things affects their mood. Occasionally they will talk about some happy things, such as who in the city has taken in several concubines during this period, how beautiful they are, and they are enviable at the same time. , and said that it was a good thing. After all, the family couldn't live anymore. As a concubine, at least she still had a stutter and could barely take care of the family.
Another example is that someone's family was originally quite prosperous, but a disaster occurred during a trip and their family was destroyed, and their children were forced to beg for a living, which is sad.
Whose family has too many relatives who have defected to them, and it is difficult to take them in, but they cannot bear to reject them, and they are really torn.
There are so many kinds, too numerous to mention.
In a word, everyone's life is difficult during a major disaster. People with better conditions, besides being temporarily short of food and clothing, actually have more worries.
How does that sentence go? When you are hungry, you only have one worry. You try every means to fill your stomach, but after you are full, you have countless worries.
Occasionally, people will mention County Magistrate Zhou Yu. Since his arrival, there have been a lot fewer rogues in the market, and they have been dealt with docilely. This has also made the people in the territory feel better, which is applauding.
After coming to Yangfeng County for more than a year, Zhou Yu really wanted to be a good official, but it was difficult for a good woman to make a meal without rice, and many measures could not be implemented due to various reasons.
If he wants to be a good official, he will definitely touch the interests of the people in the group. Therefore, while some people respect him, others naturally hate him, which creates many obstacles for him. Anyway, every step is very difficult.
It has to be said that Zhou Yu still has some tricks. In more than a year, he has established a firm foothold in Yangfeng County.
However, before he could show his talents, drought followed one after another...
This chapter has been completed!