As Alou passed by, a swarm of villagers surged forward, their cries tearing through the festive atmosphere of the New Year, each with a solemn expression.
Faint snatches of conversation carried over.
"Collapsed, it caved in. Soone died..."
"Such a pity, didn’t even get a bite of the New Year’s Eve dinner."
Feng Yun leaned against the carriage wall, her body chilled, gripping the hand warr tighter and tighter.
After a good while, Alou returned, panting heavily.
"My lady, a house upfront collapsed and killed soone."
The families that lived there were all refugees who had settled in Andu County back then.
Although everyone received a resettlent fee when He Qia implented the new policies, due to tight finances and the search for convenience, most of their houses were poorly built. So simply found timber and thatch on the mountainside, content with just a place to dwell.
If it didn’t snow heavily, the houses might have lasted through the winter, but the relentless snowfall had crushed the thatched cottages. Over a dozen households collapsed in succession.
Feng Yun instructed Alou to take so n to help salvage belongings from the houses, bring the injured to Doctor Yao for treatnt, and set aside two guest rooms in Changn to temporarily accommodate those who were holess.
"The Village Chief’s wife has it really warm."
"Must be burning a kang..."
"No wonder. How much coal would that take? Just heating throughout the winter, I’m afraid it would cost more than all the oil you could wring out of my entire family’s bones..."
"How could an ordinary family afford such luxuries? Even the firewood for cooking has to be conserved."
The crowd buzzed with talk, a mix of envy and sighs.
Looking out the window again, the blizzard intensified, casting a pall over the mood.
"With this snow falling, will it ever stop..."
"If we make it through this year, who knows how we’ll manage next year."
"We might as well go to the Village Chief’s wife and work for her. There’s a wage, food and clothes, and even a warm kang to sleep on..."
"Changn Village doesn’t hire just anybody, and the Village Chief’s wife doesn’t keep idlers. Look at you—if you had listened to the elder and gone to make adobe bricks earlier, building a couple of adobe houses, would your house have collapsed?"
"You thief of a wife, what nonsense are you spouting? Never mind adobe houses, I want to live in a blue brick and tile house. Do we have the money for that?"
"Stop arguing, stop arguing. We don’t even know where tomorrow’s food is coming from yet."
"What’s there to fear? The Village Chief’s wife is kind-hearted; she won’t neglect us..."
Feng Yun walked past the door and heard the clamorous voices inside. She furrowed her brow for a mont, paused her steps, and had two n bring in hot tea, then turned to leave.
So village chiefs and team leaders were waiting in the hall.
Seeing Feng Yun enter, they drooped their heads, their complexions sowhat ashen.
"Please take a seat," Feng Yun offered them tea and sat upright, saying, "I called you here to discuss how we might address these people’s winter plight."
Village Chief Yang looked at her.
Before he ca to the village, he had thought that only the Village Chief’s wife of Huaxi Village could arrange for these people’s well-being.
Others might have had the will but not the ans.
But now, was she suggesting that she didn’t plan to get involved?
Instantly sowhat panicked, he bowed and said, "Village Chief’s wife, these are all outsiders. When they resettled in Andu, they had no kin or old acquaintances to turn to. Now with their houses collapsed, they have nowhere else to go..."
Feng Yun said, "Then we’ll have to find a way to rebuild their houses. At the very least, we should help them get through this winter..."
Village Chief Yang said, "Building houses isn’t sothing done overnight, and, besides, it costs money, especially with this heavy snow..."
As he spoke, he glanced sidelong at Feng Yun.
The implication of his words was that Feng Yun would have to provide aid to these people.
Ten or so households, each with several family mbers. Food, drink, all significant expenses. So had stocked so food, others were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a quilt to ward off the cold.
Feng Yun pondered for a mont, "To be honest, since last year, my estate has already taken in quite a few people. Even with modest ans, the burden is heavy..."
Seeing Village Chief Yang’s embarrassed expression, she paused, then suddenly suggested:
"Huaxi Village isn’t the only wealthy household besides Changn. Doesn’t the Crown Prince of Yunchuan live across from Huaxi? Village Chief Yang, why not lead so village chiefs and team leaders to pay him a visit? You could talk about neighborly assistance and ask the Crown Prince to lend a hand."
Only then did everyone realize that Feng Yun’s lengthy preface was aid at prompting the wealthy Crown Prince of Yunchuan to offer a little charity and take on so responsibility.
Village Chief Yang thought it over; indeed, it made sense.
With the extensive resources of the Crown Prince of Yunchuan, a re flick of his finger could solve their problems and also earn him a fine reputation. Why wouldn’t he do it?
"Thank you for the guidance, Village Chief’s wife."
They left in a hurry.
Feng Yun led a thorough inspection around the estate; thanks to earlier repairs, her own buildings were unscathed. Only the stable and cowshed had accumulated snow that hadn’t been cleared in ti, leading to leaks—that didn’t look safe...
Xing Bing had the n cut down bamboo and gather timber, shoring up what needed bolstering as they busied themselves with work.
Feng Yun frowned in deep thought, suddenly startled, and called Alou over to inquire.
"Is the Sun Family still living at the foot of the mountain?"
Alou nodded.
The hunter Sun Family was a good sort of people. When Feng Yun initially arrived at the village, they would often bring over any good ga they had caught and exchanged it for grains, sotis even offering extras as a gift. Over ti, they visited more frequently than the other villagers and grew more familiar.
Alou said with a smile, "They are still there. Before the heavy snow sealed the mountain, the young lad from the Sun family brought us wild rabbits, doves, and about ten pounds of deer at. He said they had built up quite a store this year and weren’t short of anything."
He thought Feng Yun wanted to send grain to the Sun family, but to his surprise, Feng Yun said,
"You’re about to go and tell old man Sun to move his valuable belongings and grain out and stay in Changn for a while."
Alou asked with a puzzled look, "Why is that?"
Feng Yun frowned.
She vaguely rembered in her previous life that there had been an avalanche in the mountains during the heavy snow this year, but she couldn’t recall which area it had occurred in or if it had caused any casualties.
"Just tell them that many houses in the village have collapsed. With the blizzard getting worse, and their location at the foot of the mountain posing risks, in case sothing happens, it would be difficult to help them. Besides, they won’t be able to hunt much during winter, so it’s better to move out now and return after the New Year..."
Alou felt sowhat troubled.
The Sun family was a respectable household, and asking them to move out over the New Year and trouble others would likely be t with reluctance.
Feng Yun smiled, "It all depends on how you, Steward Lou, will use your silver tongue."
Alou blushed again.
He called a servant, lifted a lantern, and together they headed into the mountains.
In a blink, it was dark.
Wa Chang returned with a grin, reporting good news that the Crown Prince of Yunchuan had graciously offered to accommodate those in the village who had nowhere to go at his "Yun Village."
But there was one condition: food and lodging would be free, yet they would have to work.
After obtaining agreent from these people, Wa Chang led them away.
Xing Bing breathed a sigh of relief, "The lady is wise, passing the hot potato on."
Initially, everyone had the sa amount of money to settle down, and many had already built new houses in Huaxi Village or at the very least fortified their own hos to ensure they wouldn’t collapse easily.
Therefore, he considered these people lazy.
Feng Yun smiled briefly, "Let’s consider it a grand gift to the Princely Heir. He’s in need of manpower after all."
Xiaoman laughed along, "The Princely Heir sure cos in handy."
After eating supper, Feng Yun was lying on a bed ward by an earth stove, reading, when the doorkeeper ca to announce:
"Crown Prince Chunyu requests an audience, saying he has co to give thanks."
Thanks? Feng Yun squinted slightly, slowly donning her clothes and getting up.
"Let’s see."
A familiar figure stood in the corridor, tall and straight, dressed in a sumptuous brocade red robe, which in the snowy night seed exceptionally splendid. As he turned his head at the sound of her footsteps, the silver-white mask under the night light emitted a cold gleam, adding a chill to his stunning appearance.
Feng Yun greeted him, "I’ve seen the Princely Heir."
Chunyu Yan stared at her without speaking for a long while.
Feng Yun’s cheeks ward slightly under his gaze, and she chuckled softly.
"Surely the Princely Heir isn’t here to take to task?"
Chunyu Yan’s lips curled up slightly, and he motioned for Xiang Zhong to bring up the food box, his voice light and halting.
"It’s been a while since our last eting; Feng Twelve has learned to think of . Would it not be unseemly for , the Princely Heir, not to express my thanks in person?"
How had it been a long ti?
Feng Yun leisurely stepped forward, allowing Ge Guang to take the food box, and offered a smiling bow.
"Then I must thank the Princely Heir."
Chunyu Yan watched her formal and distant deanor, as if she were about to send him away, and asked with a mild tone:
"Won’t you invite inside to sit?"
Feng Yun replied, "It’s late at night, which presents so difficulties. I hope the Princely Heir will understand."
Chunyu Yan said, "Surely you won’t refuse the chance to congratulate you in person? Princess of Yonghuai."
The two exchanged glances, and Feng Yun saw the smile in his eyes, which suddenly stirred sothing in her heart.
This Princely Heir with influence across three countries might know sothing. Moreover, she was waiting for Alou to return and wasn’t planning to sleep right away. Entertaining him for a while couldn’t hurt.
"Then I shall graciously obey. Please, Princely Heir."
Feng Yun ushered Chunyu Yan into a brightly lit guest hall, where he sat down, squinting lazily. Feng Yun ordered a servant to serve tea. Before they comnced formal pleasantries, a clamor suddenly erupted from outside the village.
Imdiately after, several torches rushed into the village gate.
"Disaster, Village Chief’s wife, the mountain has collapsed, burying the Sun family..."
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