Pampered by the Toughest Man After Divorce
Chapter 871 Heading North (2)

Chapter 871: Chapter 871 Heading North (2)

Ye Ge nodded, "Indeed, the court has clear instructions for post-disaster reconstruction, with the most fundamental being to solve the common people’s basic needs for food and warmth, followed by the reconstruction of the city, and then the economic recovery."

"Now," he continued, "the Yamen of Tiandu City does distribute congee every day, but opening the granaries like this every day isn’t a solution. It’s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. I think the best method is to provide work for these people, to help them solve the problem of feeding themselves."

"Yes, any citizen with a bit of dignity doesn’t like to accept the Yamen’s charity every day. Let’s settle down first and then take a closer look into these issues."

"Alright," Lu Jianxi nodded.

...

Two hours later, Ye Ge and Lu Jianxi went out onto the street in casual clothes.

Lu Jianxi casually stopped a middle-aged man and asked, "Are you from Tiandu? Where were you during the war? Were you displaced?"

The middle-aged man looked at Lu Jianxi, then at Ye Ge.

Lu Jianxi explained, "We are inspectors sent by the court, specifically to supervise the post-disaster reconstruction. My surname is Lu, and his is Nangong. You don’t need to worry; speak freely. Whatever needs to be solved, we’ll solve it for you."

The middle-aged man was half-doubtful but still said, "I was displaced, went to the south, and only returned two months ago after hearing the court encouraged everyone to return and rebuild their hometowns. They also mentioned that the court would provide subsidies, but since coming back, I’ve found it’s not quite so. My former house is now a wreck, and I’ve spent all my savings on the journey. Naturally, there’s nothing left. I could plant wheat, but wheat takes time to grow, doesn’t it? I can’t just plant it today and expect to eat it tomorrow. Meanwhile, the officials are saying they’ll redistribute land, and it seems connections are needed to get anything done. We have no choice but to come here for food, eating porridge every day. Who can stand this?"

Ye Ge interjected, "Redistributing land also requires connections?"

"The official statement is that many died in the war and many who went south haven’t returned, so the land must be redistributed. I’ve asked around, and yet there’s still no resolution regarding the land."

Ye Ge then asked, "So, you don’t know who to go to for this land, don’t know who is the main person in charge?"

"Yes, that’s exactly it," replied the middle-aged man.

Ye Ge glanced at Lu Jianxi.

With that look, Lu Jianxi knew Ye Ge was wondering if she had any ideas.

Lu Jianxi looked at the middle-aged man: "You go back first. We’ll ask a few more people."

After all, they couldn’t take the middle-aged man’s word as the whole truth.

They questioned several people on the street, and everyone said the same thing: it was very hard to reclaim land, as there was no direct person to contact.

They then went out of the city and found the local gentry, Xiang Kun, led by one of the peasants, while Ye Ge and Lu Jianxi posed as if they had just returned from the south.

The gentry’s home was in a small town. When Ye Ge and Lu Jianxi arrived, several people were already waiting there, all seeming to be honest and humble peasants.

These peasants had been displaced, enduring indifference and discrimination in foreign lands, so even after returning home, they still acted in a lowly manner.

Ye Ge’s innate great compassion was born of his nature; he couldn’t bear to see people living so subserviently. He believed that the peasants’ miserable condition was due to those drawing salaries not performing their duties well, leading to such a situation.