Chapter 305 - 305 Dispersing The Refugees
“Let’s just go all out. Otherwise, we’ll be skinned alive if we’re caught, if we don’t die from the beating.”
After he finished speaking, the thieves put the white potatoes aside and rushed over.
When the patrol team saw this, they were stunned. When they came back to their senses, the leader of the patrol team, Qian Jiaxi, cursed, “Motherfucker, a bunch of white-eyed wolves. Don’t let any of them go.”
After saying that, the two sides clashed and started fighting.
There were screams soon after, which quickly attracted the attention of the other two patrol teams and officers. Not long later, they surrounded the thieves.
A moment later, the refugees were pressed to the ground.
Qian Jiaxi heaved a sigh of relief. “Everyone, check on each other. Those who are seriously injured, go to Doctor Gu and get your wounds bandaged. The rest of you tie them up and bring them to the ancestral hall with the white potatoes over there.”
“Alright, let’s split up.” Gu Chengyu responded and rushed to Gu Chengrui’s place with the injured personnel.
When Gu Chengrui was woken up, he was shocked to see the group of people outside. “Second brother, what are you…?”
“People came down from the mountains to steal sweet potatoes and met the patrol team. Blood was spilled when they clashed.” Gu Chengyu pointed at his forearm.
“Hurry up and come in. I’ll bandage everyone up.” Gu Chengrui brought them to the kitchen after he was done.
After lighting the lights, he told them to wait inside and said, “There’s water in the jug. If you need a drink, pour it yourself.”
After he finished speaking, he went to the west room to get his first aid box and began to bandage them.
After Gu Chengrui was done, he gave them a few instructions and sent them back.
The next day, early in the morning, Tian Jingzhong and the village chief brought all the soldiers and patrol officers to drive down the refugees from the nearby mountains. They then arranged for them to stay in the empty houses in town.
As for the people who were caught, they were all arranged to work in the mill, including their family members.
In the afternoon, a deputy general brought over the grains the Third Prince had promised. However, rice made up only a tiny part of it, while taro and sorghum were the majority.
But this was enough to make Tian Jingzhong very happy.
After that, he collected the white sweet potato vines that were almost dried, then some dried vegetables, which he mixed with the grains and ground into a flour-like powder.
After that, the flour and taro were distributed to the grain stores controlled by various officials. They were to be distributed in limited quantities.
With the sale of the flour, the underground water slowly recovered, probably due to the flood in the south. Most of the wells began to produce water once again.
The number of refugees gathered in the vicinity decreased significantly, especially from the neighboring Qingshui town. Besides those from other places, most of them were preparing to go home.
The refugees from other places had gathered in the warehouse again, but there were much fewer than before.
The village suddenly got lively. Early one morning, Zhou Ying was drying her sweet potatoes in the courtyard when Sixth Aunt Gu came in with a smile. She commented, “You sure are busy.”
“Sixth Aunt Gu, you’re here? Why don’t you take advantage of the good weather to dry the sweet potatoes? Oh, how’s it going at your house?” Zhou Ying asked as she brought her a stool.
“As you said, most of them were sun-dried, and the rest were buried in a hole to keep them from rotting.” After she sat down, Sixth Aunt Gu said.
“It’s good, but it’s been too cold recently. You guys have to keep an eye on it; otherwise, it’ll be inedible once it’s frozen.”
“I will,” After that, she helped Zhou Ying wash some sweet potatoes as she said, “Over the past two days, many people have come to the village to buy white sweet potatoes. I heard that your manor still has some in stock. Do you want to sell some?”
Zhou Ying shook her head. “The white sweet potatoes in the manor are the seeds of our county next year. If I dare to sell them privately, County Magistrate Kong will throw me into a pot of oil and fry me..”