The two passed by large tracts of farmland and people's rice fields under the dikes. The rice seedlings in the fields were already green and had grown nearly a foot deep. The people in the rice fields were removing weeds, cleaning ditches and ridges, and taking care of the rice seedlings.
When they saw Li Hui and others coming, they all greeted Li Hui and others enthusiastically. Some of them even stepped forward to salute.
Li Hui and Zhou Che were tired from walking and sat in the shade of a tree on a hill to rest. After drinking water and wiping their hands, Li Hui sighed with satisfaction when looking at the green green.
"Brother, if you save the seedlings this time, you will save the people's livelihood. From now on, the people of Juchao County will have an easier life. Our lives will also get easier. I don't want to be so hard in the second half of the year.
I just want to sleep with nothing to do every day." Li Huidao.
Zhou Che smiled and said: "Yes, we have worked hard for half a year this year, and the second half of the year should be more comfortable. However, sleeping all day is not your style. I'm afraid you won't be able to rest."
Li Hui smiled bitterly and said, "I have a lot of time to live, but I'm just afraid something will happen again."
Zhou Che smiled and said: "Brother, what are you worried about?"
Li Hui shook his head and said: "I don't know what I'm worried about. I don't say hello when bad things happen. In fact, natural disasters and famines can all be solved. It's just that there are some things that we have no way to decide at all. We can only
Being manipulated is very troublesome."
Zhou Che said: "Brother, don't worry, no matter what it is, we will face it together. Brother, you are resourceful and lucky. I believe that no matter what happens, you will be able to turn disaster into good fortune."
Li Hui smiled and said: "Brother, do you believe this too? How can you believe in luck? The fact that we can get through the difficulties is the result of our own active efforts to find ways to save ourselves. It has nothing to do with God."
Zhou Che smiled and said, "What you said is correct, but not correct either."
Li Huidao: "What do you mean by this?"
Zhou Che said: "Brother, do you know why the water in Jiao Lake receded so quickly this time? Why did we get out of danger so quickly?"
Li Hui said in surprise: "Didn't we respond appropriately? Prepare for a rainy day? Isn't it possible that God can help? God has caused us misery, and it would be a waste to help."
Zhou Che chuckled and said: "Of course we were prepared before and it worked. But there are also other reasons. Brother, do you know that Wujiang County suffered a major disaster this time? The Wujiangdu Dam burst and half of it was flooded.
Wujiang County and Liyang County were almost flooded. The Wujiangdu Dam was the thickest dam, two or three times thicker than our Jiaohu Dam, but it collapsed all of a sudden. When the flood peak came, the Wujiangdu Dam lasted for a long time.
It collapsed, and there was a vast ocean everywhere. So..."
Li Hui said in astonishment: "What you mean is that the Wujiang River crossing dam collapsed, and most of Wujiang County became a flood discharge area, so the flood peak fell quickly. Otherwise, the water level will continue to rise, and we will definitely not be able to sustain it here. That's what you mean
What?"
Zhou Che smiled bitterly and said: "Our Jiaohu embankment may not collapse, but it will have an impact after all, right?"
Li Hui nodded blankly. Although he didn't want to admit it, this was obviously the truth. This suddenly lowered the sense of accomplishment of the successful berm and made Li Hui feel a little panicked.
Zhou Che also noticed this and said hurriedly: "Brother, don't listen to my nonsense. My original intention is to say that brother is a lucky person, and there is absolutely no other meaning. Hey, my bad talk always brings disgrace to the scene. Brother, please don't
If you're not happy, it's because I'm talking nonsense."
Li Hui smiled bitterly and said: "Brother, you don't have to be like this. I'm not unhappy. You're right. If this is really the case, we are indeed lucky. With the polder broken downstream, the pressure here will naturally be reduced a lot. To be honest, I
I also feel that the water receded a little too quickly. It seems that is indeed the reason. My luck does seem to be good."
Zhou Che said solemnly: "Actually, this is also the result of our persistence. If we hadn't been fully prepared before, Jiaohu's dam would have collapsed long ago. Once our dam collapsed, it would be someone else's turn to get lucky. Call it luck.
, In fact, it was my brothers who had made proper arrangements and made complete preparations."
Zhou Che finally finished his words with great effort.
Li Hui had already thought of other things. He frowned: "Brother, I heard yesterday that the surrounding counties were seriously affected by the disaster. I heard that many people died. Now my brother also said so. It seems that this matter is
There is no doubt about it.”
Zhou Che said solemnly: "Of course it is true. Some people have fled to my Juchao County to seek refuge with relatives and friends. This is what they said personally. I also sent people to Liyang County yesterday to inquire about the situation, and the people who came back also said the same
A lot of places near Liyang County east of Ruxu Mountain were flooded."
Li Hui frowned and said: "According to this, wouldn't it mean that a large number of disaster-stricken people will flock to our Juchao County?"
Zhou Che said: "Yes, if you are hit by a disaster, you will naturally have to look for relatives and friends everywhere to find a way to survive. Brother, should we prepare for relief?"
Li Hui pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said: "No, we can't save them. I, Juchao County, have too much to take care of myself, and I have no energy left. Brother, this matter needs to be dealt with immediately. I want you to organize manpower immediately, set up checkpoints, and ban the victims.
Flooded into my Juchao County."
Zhou Che looked at Li Hui in shock and said, "I thought you would help them."
Li Huiqing sighed: "I hope to do that too, but do you think I, Juchao County, still have enough time to help the victims? Although we still have some surplus food on hand, once the news of accepting them spreads, the victims will swarm
If they flood in, our place will be in chaos. Our supplies will soon be exhausted. In Juchao County, we are also responsible for eating grains, and the summer grains are lent to the people under the guarantee of the Yamen."
Zhou Che frowned and said, "Having said that, are you just going to watch the people suffer? Hey."
Li Hui looked at Zhou Che and said in a deep voice: "Brother, is it because he has been homeless that he feels the same way and feels that it is unbearable to do this?"
Zhou Che smiled bitterly and said: "I really can't bear it. How about this? We can set up a checkpoint to prevent them from entering, but we can set up some porridge sheds at the official road checkpoints and give out some porridge and rice. At least when they turn back, it won't be empty.
abdomen."
Li Hui smiled and said: "Brother is really a kind-hearted person. I always thought that I was too kind-hearted, but in fact, my brother is the softest one."
Zhou Che smiled bitterly and said, "I came from a poor family, but I just don't want to see the people suffer."
Li Hui nodded, looked at the mountains and fields under the sun, and said softly: "I will allocate some food to set up some porridge sheds to help them, but they must not be allowed to enter Juchao County. Brother, it's not that I am cruel and refuse to save them.
, but we must understand our own capabilities. Being able to keep Juchao County is already the limit of our capabilities. You and I are just officials of Juchao County. The financial, material, and human resources you and I have are very limited. I have the heart to help the world.
, but I don’t have such strength and ability at this moment, can you understand what I mean?”
Zhou Che nodded and said, "I understand."
Li Hui said in a deep voice: "The relief for this disaster is actually Wang Muzhi's business, it is the court's business. They should find ways to provide relief, not us. If the court ignores the suffering of the people, then we, the people,
What else can they do? As long as the wealthy and aristocratic families have the heart to serve the people, they can help the common people by pulling out their hair. It depends on whether they are willing to do it and whether they have the common people in their hearts. I, Li Hui, have limited abilities and am very content with living in a nest.
The county magistrate can only ensure the safety of his nest, but cannot control the people of the world. If the victims are displaced and starve to death because of this, it is also their fault."
Zhou Che frowned and wanted to say something, but he didn't say anything.
Li Hui's words were actually very indifferent, which was completely different from his previous attitude towards the people. Previously, Juchao County fully accepted the refugees. All the refugees who came from the north were accepted as ordered, and all were provided with relief and settled down.
But now, Li Hui has obviously changed his mind and seems a little cold and ruthless. There are indeed constraints from practical factors, but the situation at this moment is much better than the original situation. Juchao County is fully capable of hosting some disaster victims. Maybe
Li Hui has his own considerations.
Li Hui stood up and walked slowly down the hillside.
After finally saying these words, Li Hui felt a sense of relief in his heart. He was very tired because he had been using the moral standards of later generations to demand of himself in this era. Like the Holy Mother of the White Zuo, he demanded
In this dark age, I was as pure as a white lotus, but it actually made it difficult for me to move forward. I had to put on shackles both mentally and physically, restricting my behavior.
Li Hui thought deeply about this problem and believed that he must change. It was not to give up his moral bottom line, but to adapt to the rules of this era. If he was bound by those completely outdated shackles, it would be difficult for him to achieve great development.
Just like Wang Muzhi and others, they can do things from a perspective that is beneficial to themselves without having to consider the life and death of others and the life and death of the people. Just like Huan Xu, he can use his own name to attack Wang Muzhi without thinking about it.
Their own feelings and self-interest are their morality.
Of course, Li Hui does not want to be like them, but thinks that he needs to change and let himself go. This may be a kind of depravity, but in this era, if he cannot quickly adapt to the rules, he may be like
Like Qu Yuan, he drowned himself in a river, or like the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, he hid in the bamboo forest and drank every day.