Chapter 21: How Is Brother Yun's Mind Wired?

Yun-geer saw Gouzi run up to Li Fu and say something loudly, after which Li Fu squatted down. Yun-geer had keen eyesight and could clearly see Li Fu’s brow knitting together, his expression turning rather grim.

"Sigh," Yun-geer exhaled.

Yun-geer had already discerned much of Li Fu’s character; he possessed the integrity of a scholar and was quite reasonable, but he also placed great importance on his reputation. Such a person was not inherently bad, and one need not worry about him causing harm behind one’s back, but he could sometimes appear overly pedantic and indecisive.

A moment later, Li Fu walked over to him. Upon seeing Yun-geer, Li Fu took him from Mother Guo’s arms. "Yun-geer, your method is indeed effective, but it seems rather unkind. Moreover, the original intention of our ancestors was to treat all people equally and provide universal relief. According to your suggestion, we would be categorizing the porridge distribution into different tiers, which might invite gossip."

This was precisely why Li Fu had given food to the robust individuals who crowded to the front the first time. It was only when they repeatedly extended their bowls that Li Fu intentionally ignored them.

"Father, I believe our ancestors distributed porridge to do a good deed, to help more people survive. But even setting aside the issue of those who are cheating to get extra portions, within the crowd of genuine refugees, several people have already been trampled to death." In the area where the refugees gathered, the ground was not only covered in filthy slush, but wisps of dark red blood were beginning to mix into the snow, a sight that was truly chilling.

Li Fu remained hesitant. He wanted to send Yun-geer back; such chaotic scenes were not meant for a child to witness, and he feared Yun-geer might be frightened. Furthermore, the idea Yun-geer had just proposed left his own mind in turmoil.

"Father! Listen to me! I’ll learn two characters and write two characters every day from now on!" Yun-geer secretly rubbed his small hands, looking as though he were putting everything on the line. At such a tender age, he was already being forced into the "rat race."

Li Fu was amused by Yun-geer’s grim, determined expression, and after a long while, he sighed and agreed.

Yun-geer watched as Li Fu patted his head and summoned the county lieutenant to give instructions. A moment later, the lieutenant’s booming voice rang out: "Listen up, everyone! Stop the porridge distribution! Stop the distribution!"

As he shouted, the crowd grew even more chaotic, showing signs of a riot. In the bitter cold, the lieutenant felt his scalp prickle under the gaze of those starved, red-eyed people. If these refugees were to surge forward all at once, they might soon break into groups and begin looting homes.

Yun-geer shook his head. His father had chosen the wrong spot for the distribution. How could he have chosen the wealthy street of Long County? If any of these refugees were stirred to anger and one person started a riot, these poor souls could easily turn into demons and begin attacking the nearby homes of innocent citizens.

Fortunately, the lieutenant was not a fool. He immediately shouted again, "Magistrate Li is kind-hearted and has decided to distribute porridge for three consecutive days! Everyone will get some! You are all too chaotic. Those in the back, line up again! Anyone who strikes another person or kills someone will be thrown into the jail!"

As he spoke, several local headmen used iron rulers to strike those who were shouting the loudest for porridge. Once injured, the headmen dragged them out and broke their hands and legs, leaving them to wail on the sidelines. In such chaotic circumstances, violence was a highly effective tool.

Combined with the lieutenant’s constant reassurances that the distribution was only paused and Li Fu’s promise to extend it for three days—a mix of carrot and stick—the crowd gradually settled down.

Once the area was quiet, everyone saw a headman leave for a moment, and shortly after, several maids and gardeners from the Li estate entered, carrying out bundles of firewood and two large iron cauldrons.

The Li estate had few people and rarely used such large pots. Moreover, Long County was located in Liang Prefecture, where daily necessities like tea, iron pots, and salt were extremely expensive to transport from the Central Plains. These two valuable iron pots were not for daily use; they had been purchased specifically for the annual porridge distribution day.

What was this? The starving people watched as the items were brought out, and a small stir rippled through the crowd, though this time it was quieter, consisting mostly of hushed whispers.

Right in front of them, Mother Pan and Mother Zhang began setting up the pots and starting a fire. The lieutenant shouted again, "Those who can read, step forward! If you can't read but know how to count to five, step forward! Those who can will not only get a larger portion of porridge, but the Magistrate will also give you a small reward!"

He repeated this several times. Most refugees lacked such skills, but given the large number of people, eight stepped forward. Yun-geer looked over; there were two old men, one young man who looked quite ashamed, four other dull and nervous refugees, and even a half-grown child. The child, in particular, was trying to maintain a calm facade, but was actually trembling with fear.

The lieutenant glanced at Li Fu, then went over to speak with the eight to verify they weren't just spouting nonsense. It turned out they were acceptable. The two old men were crafty and had worked in shops in their youth; one had even learned some accounting. The young man was a scholar, and though he hadn't studied well, he was still far more capable than the rest of the refugees. The other four were sharper-minded; they couldn't read, but they could count. The child was also capable—not only could he count, but he could recognize a few simple characters.

"Alright, you eight will do."

The lieutenant whispered with them. As Mother Pan and the others set up the fire, the headman who had left earlier returned, accompanied by the county's libationer, several clerks, and the county assistant. Such a display was only possible because Li Fu was the Magistrate and Long County was far from the reach of the Emperor. Otherwise, if this were merely a wealthy merchant without official rank distributing food, the situation would have long since spiraled out of control.

"Listen clearly! From now on, you are to distinguish between refugees from outside Long County and those from within, then register them in groups of fifty. Our Long County is not very large; some people are mixing in with the refugees just to take advantage, but your greed harms the Magistrate's benevolent heart. If you are registered and it is discovered what your true situation is at home, none of you will fare well!"

The lieutenant’s voice was loud, echoing repeatedly through the refugee crowd. Someone quietly watched Li Fu, seeing his dark expression, and deliberately raised their voice to call him a hypocrite, saying if he couldn't afford the food, he shouldn't be distributing it. The lieutenant ignored this. He simply picked one person as an example, and without a word, had the headmen beat him, then bound him up to be sent to the yamen.

Well, this time everyone realized Li Fu was serious. No one had expected this Magistrate, who usually favored leniency over harsh punishment, to be so determined today. The crowd grew slightly chaotic as many began to hunch over and quietly slip away. It wasn't worth being beaten and thrown in jail for a few days just for a bowl of food.

The county assistant and his men acted quickly. Once the people were divided, they assigned a leader to manage each group of fifty. The eight volunteers were all assigned as leaders, and for the remaining groups, they simply picked the best among the rest. Several people attempting to sneak through were caught and beaten on the spot by the headmen. With Li Fu taking responsibility, the headmen were striking with full force.

Back at Mother Pan’s station, they had brought out not only firewood but also a fair amount of wheat bran and rice husks. Soon, half the cauldron was filled with wheat bran, and after it boiled, Mother Pan added the remaining millet porridge to the mix. Even with the wheat bran, the porridge was much thinner and less viscous than before.

Li Fu’s face flushed slightly. His ancestors’ intent in having him provide relief was out of kindness, yet here he was, mixing half bran and husks with only a little good rice. He felt it was not entirely honest.

Sure enough, some curses emerged from the crowd, though no one dared to let Li Fu hear them as they had before, given that those with broken limbs were still wailing nearby. Amidst the insults, several people from the already divided groups quietly slipped away, ashamed. After all, standing in the freezing cold, risking a beating, and facing the threat of jail for a bowl of unappetizing porridge just wasn't worth it. Aside from those truly starving, others could hardly bring themselves to eat it.

"Father, do not worry. Those who are truly starving only care about filling their stomachs, not the taste. Besides, by mixing in the wheat bran and husks, the grain you prepared is enough to sustain the relief for three days. However, after today’s registration, these refugees will likely spread the word of your charity, and there will be even more people tomorrow. This location is no longer suitable; it would be better to choose a spot outside the city walls of Long County."

Li Fu held Yun-geer tighter, his emotions complex and unspeakable. Soon, the wheat bran porridge began to boil. Mother Pan and the others called for the team leaders to arrange for their groups to come up and receive their food in an orderly fashion. If a pot ran out, the next group would wait patiently for the next batch to boil, and the chaos unexpectedly gave way to order.

What surprised Li Fu most was that some of the refugees had calmed down. In groups with more young, strong men, they actually let the groups with more elderly and weak people go first. Others, lacking bowls, would lend theirs to someone else once they finished eating.

"Yun-geer," Li Fu found himself at a loss for words. He had originally felt that letting the headmen use violence was too cruel, and that the porridge mixed with bran and husks was a false display of benevolence. Yet, through these actions, the scene, which had resembled a living hell, was gradually returning to a state of human dignity.

"Father, tell them to have the team leaders maintain order well. If anyone performs well among the refugees today, make them team leaders tomorrow when more people arrive. With such heavy snow this year, the roads and rooftops of Long County will surely be covered in snow. You can hire these people to clear the streets and repair houses. If the yamen and the local victims provide them with some food and a little money, they will surely be very willing."

Yun-geer was worried that there would be too many people tomorrow and it would be hard to maintain order. But as long as he gave them hope, today’s refugees would be the ones maintaining order tomorrow.

Li Fu couldn't help but look at Yun-geer. He marveled at how his son’s mind worked—he was truly too intelligent. But the most crucial part was his way of handling people, his grasp of the human heart, and even his decisiveness. Was this truly his son?