jdhmnovel Chapter 220 Prepare for a rainy day
Chapter 220 Prepare for a rainy day
Ru Yue stared at Chu Ning'an quietly. Even in that brief moment of eye contact, he could keenly sense that she was harboring some kind of calculation or plan. So, he subtly curved the corners of his mouth, as if conveying a silent understanding to Ru Yue. And in that instant, the two of them, as if in sync, reached a common decision.
Ru Yue turned to Uncle Huo with a serious expression and a determined gaze. She asked solemnly, "Uncle Huo, I wonder how serious the drought situation in Jiaqing Prefecture has become right now?"
Hearing this, Magistrate Huo, whose face was originally filled with worry, could not help but sigh and replied anxiously, "Alas! Now, it has been more than three consecutive months without a drop of rain. Fortunately, the wide rivers in various places have not yet bottomed out, but the smaller rivers have long since dried up beyond recognition..."
At this point, Magistrate Huo's face was full of sorrow, as if shrouded in a thick layer of haze.
He continued, "For now, people can still manage their daily drinking water needs, but the situation in the farmland is truly worrying! Due to the extreme water shortage, the crops are almost dying from drought. If we don't find a solution, we're likely to face a dismal harvest this year."
After hearing these words, everyone present fell into heavy silence again.
Faced with this sudden natural disaster, let alone living in this relatively backward era, even in Ru Yue's past life, with its highly advanced technology, humans still had some means to compete with nature. For example, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project can allocate water resources from abundant areas to those with scarce resources; and artificial rainfall technology uses scientific methods to force clouds to produce precipitation.
But now that the drought had already taken hold, it was clearly too late to mobilize water. As for artificial rainfall, it was simply a pipe dream. Could we really just sit there and watch innocent people suffer the pain of this natural disaster?
Huo Qingwan blinked her clear and innocent big eyes, and her gaze fell curiously on the three people in front of her.
At this moment, her heart was full of doubts and confusions. She knew very well that she was just a girl living in seclusion in the boudoir. Even if she got married in the future, she would only be responsible for taking care of the housework and raising children in the backyard. Why did her father want her to sit here today and listen to them talk about those major issues concerning the family, the country and the world?
However, despite being full of questions, Huo Qingwan did not dare to ask at this moment. She could only sit quietly by the side, trying to listen to everyone's conversation, trying to find some answers from it.
"Uncle Huo, God's will is unpredictable. This long period of dryness is beyond human control. But now that we foresee a severe drought approaching, Ning An has a few ideas that we can prepare for. If the harvest really fails in the fall, we won't have to watch helplessly as the people are forced to flee with their families and become displaced."
When Magistrate Huo heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked anxiously, "Since my dear nephew Ning An has such an opinion, then please tell us quickly. What is the good plan?"
Chu Ning'an took a deep breath. He knew that what he was going to say next might not be perfect, but since he had decided to speak, he no longer hesitated.
He looked at Magistrate Huo with a firm gaze and said, "Uncle Huo, Ning An has a few half-baked ideas about this drought, and I hope you can consider them. First, in this year of severe drought, the people are already living in hardship, and it is difficult for them to bear the heavy tax burden. So, I think this matter requires you to submit a letter to the court in advance to explain the situation and smooth things over with the higher-ups. That way, when problems do arise, you can avoid unnecessary involvement and blame."
Having said this, Chu Ningan paused, and seeing that Magistrate Huo was listening attentively, he continued, "Secondly, the drought is already evident, and we must prepare for it. You should contact the government offices in each county as soon as possible, and use the authority of the government to stockpile grain for future disaster relief. After all, only with food in hand can we guarantee the basic survival needs of the people when disaster strikes!"
Then, Chu Ning'an raised his voice slightly: "And thirdly, we should take the initiative to contact those wealthy merchants. Some of them have money, and some have manpower and material resources. As long as we can mobilize everyone, let those who have money contribute money, and those who have strength contribute manpower, I believe we can prepare disaster relief matters in advance to a large extent."
Finally, Chu Ning paused for a moment, as if remembering something important, and added, "Also, if conditions permit, Uncle Huo might as well contact the governors of the other two prefectures in Annan and exchange information. After all, the three prefectures are adjacent and geographically connected. If something happens in one of them, it will inevitably affect the others. If we can communicate and coordinate response measures in advance, we will be able to better deal with various emergencies when the time comes."
As Prefect Huo listened to Chu Ning'an's clear and well-thought-out speech, he couldn't help but admire him inwardly. This young man, though still young, possessed such a far-sighted vision and meticulous thinking. It was truly admirable.
Magistrate Huo frowned slightly and said with some concern, "This prefecture has some personal connections with Lord Tan of Yingzhou Prefecture. If we discuss this matter with him, perhaps we can try to make it happen. However, as for Magistrate Ye of Suning Prefecture, this prefecture has no dealings with him, so I'm unsure if we can successfully persuade him to help us resist this impending disaster."
Speaking of this, Magistrate Huo's mood became increasingly heavy and he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
Seeing this, Chu Ning'an whispered in a soothing voice, "Uncle Huo, the disaster hasn't officially manifested yet, so your plan is merely a precautionary measure. As the saying goes, do your best and leave the rest to fate. As for the final outcome, you only need to fulfill your responsibilities as a local official. If the disaster isn't as severe as expected, or even if it doesn't happen at all, you might be accused of demagoguery."
When Magistrate Huo heard this, he was stunned at first. He obviously did not expect Chu Ning'an to say such a thing.
But he soon came back to his senses, with a bright smile on his face: "Haha, my dear nephew, what you said is very true! I only hope that the people can live and work in peace and prosperity. If the drought can really be alleviated, even if it allows me to retire and return home early, I will be willing to do it! Hahaha..." The laughter echoed in the room for a long time.
Ru Yue stared intently at Magistrate Huo. His stern and serious expression made it clear that his words were no joke. Magistrate Huo was dedicated to the public good, wholeheartedly striving for the well-being of the country and its people. His sincerity was truly moving. Such an honest and upright official, who loved his people like his own children, was truly a well-deserved official. Not only was he deeply respected and supported by the people, but Ru Yue herself admired him deeply and was willing to lend a hand.
The atmosphere in the room was a bit tense, as two grown men engaged in a heated discussion about political matters. They spoke passionately at times, then dropped their heads in deep thought, completely absorbed in the topic concerning the people's livelihood.
However, this was an unbearable torment for Huo Qingwan who was sitting next to her.
She had simply wanted to invite her close friends over for tea and snacks, to chat about cosmetics, jewelry, and fine clothing...but who could have imagined that her own father would drag her here, forcing her to listen to such boring and meaningless political affairs? Even if her mother were present, she would surely not allow a young girl like her, who hadn't yet married, to get involved in such matters!
As she thought about it, Huo Qingwan couldn't help but yawn, and her head began to droop a little bit...