The Lucky Heiress - Chapter 124
Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Second Brother Came Back
Early_i
Translator: 549690339
Some of these families were relatively easy to persuade, while others proved more difficult, but they would all heed Wei Ruo’s advice to some degree.
They recognized that it was Wei Ruo who had advocated for the division of the land, which allowed them to cultivate new land and receive relief grains from the government office every day, giving them hope for survival.
Hence, Wei Ruo’s words held substantial influence over them.
An hour later, the majority of the peasants had been persuaded to leave, leaving only the most remote family.
Seeing the rainfall intensify, Wei Ruo directed the town clerk to proceed ahead with the remaining men:
“Mr. Chen, lead these government officials to escort the people into the city first. I will seek out the last family. We have a carriage so once we manage to bring them along, we can catch up with the carriage.”
“No, I cannot just leave Wei Miss behind, as explicitly advised by the superior!” Chen was unwilling to leave Wei Ruo behind.
“We’re running out of time; the rain is getting heavier, and the weather is growing colder. Those who are weak will not be able to withstand much longer. You go first. If you’re really worried, leave a government official with me.” Wei Ruo suggested.
After some hesitation, Chen the clerk finally agreed with Wei Ruo’s proposal, “Alright, I will leave a government official with you.”
Then, Chen led the people towards the city.
Wei Ruo, accompanied by Xiumei and a government official, walked towards the furthest part.
The three, clad in raincoats, treaded on the muddy ridge of the field.
The water in the rice fields had already reached its capacity, yet the rain showed no signs of stopping.
“Miss, let me carry you,” Xiumei offered sympathetically.
“No need, I may not have martial arts skills, but my constitution is not that frail. A little path won’t hinder me,” Wei Ruo refused.
Although she lacked martial arts skills, living in rural areas, working in fields, and gathering medicine on mountains had granted Wei Ruo better physical health than the typical sheltered young miss.
The last family was situated behind a small hill.
There was a flat piece of land behind it, where the soil was in better condition than other places, making it easier to work on.
However, surrounded by mountains on three sides and being quite a distance away, it posed certain challenges. On ordinary days, however, there were no serious issues, as the government office would send people to deliver rice seedlings and fertilizers. But today seemed to be more inconvenient than usual.
On arriving at the last household, Wei Ruo found a dilapidated thatched cabin swaying violently in the storm.
Inside, a woman cradled a three or four-year-old child.
The sight of Wei Ruo seemed to bring a glimmer of hope into her eyes, and she pleaded, “Please save my child, save my child!”
We Ruo approached, placing a hand on the forehead of the child in her arms. His temperature was scorching.
She felt for a beaded pouch she carried with her, extracting a white bottle from it. She poured out a medicinal pill and began looking around for a bowl and water.
The only available was an imperfect bowl, but no hot water.
Left with no other choice, Wei Ruo gave the pill to the child’s mother, “Chew this pill and feed it to your child.”
The woman hurriedly did as instructed.
Immediately after, Wei Ruo asserted, “We need to leave this place first. When we reach a safe location, we can fully treat the illness.”
This place was both cold and damp, putting it far from conducive for treatment or recuperation. The best Wei Ruo could do was to administer medicine to temporarily alleviate the child’s symptoms.
“Okay, okay!” The woman nodded repeatedly.
“Give me the child,” Xiumei moved forward to lighten the woman’s burden.
She opened her raincoat and sheltered the child within.
Wei Ruo, seeing this, removed her own raincoat and draped it over the woman.
The nearby government official quickly offered his own raincoat to Wei Ruo, “Miss Wei, you mustn’t.”
“Enough talk, we need to move now. If the water rises any further, we won’t be able to escape,” Wei Ruo cut him off, starting back the way she had come.
Seeing Wei Ruo’s determination, the official quickly removed his own raincoat and thrust it into Wei Ruo’s hands, taking care not to touch her directly.
Wei Ruo accepted the hood of the raincoat, “You wear the coat. I’m small, this hood is enough to shield me from most of the rain. No more idle chatter, it will cause delays.”
Wei Ruo didn’t afford the official any chance to protest further.
Putting on the hood, she hurried off.
Just as they left the house, the pathway they had taken was already completely submerged, resembling a swamp.
The soil in the rice field was originally muddy; one could easily sink in upon stepping foot in it. Only the ridges of the field offered some respite.
We Ruo warned everyone to be extremely cautious.
The individuals struggled against the harsh conditions, moving slowly and watching helplessly as the water levels continued to rise…
At this time, two distant figures appeared. Clad in raincoats, it was hard to discern their identities.
Wei Ruo peered at the figures, finding them vaguely familiar.
At that point, one of them came directly towards her, lifted his hat, and revealed his face.
“Second Brother?”
It was Wei Jinyi and Xiaobei, who she hadn’t seen for quite some time.
Wei Jinyi did not respond verbally, instead lowering his gaze to Wei Ruo’s feet.
The icy rainwater had already submerged her ankles.
“I’ll carry you.”
Without waiting for Wei Ruo’s response, Wei Jinyi gathered her into his arms.
“Second Brother, there’s really no need, I can walk by myself. I’m not so weak.”
Wei Jinyi did not respond to Wei Ruo, merely commanding the rest, “Move quickly.”
Xiaobei, who had arrived with Wei Jinyi, wordlessly hoisted up the woman.
At this juncture, there was no concern for gender propriety as survival was the priority.
Wei Jinyi’s pace was significantly faster than Wei Ruo’s. His steps were firm and unhindered even in the muddy fields.
We Ruo found herself somewhat disoriented. This was the first time she’d been carried like this. She looked up, only to see the underside of Wei Jinyi’s chin and neck.
Even from this angle, she found him exceedingly handsome, albeit his facial expression was cold, as if it screamed: ‘No Trespassing’.
Shortly after, Wei Jinyi had carried Wei Ruo to their carriage, parked on the main road.
Xiaobei, Xiumei, and the government official also arrived.
We Ruo, Xiumei, the woman, and the little girl all boarded the carriage, while Xiaobei and the official took the driver’s seat, and Wei Jinyi rode a horse.
In the carriage, while taking care of the little girl, Wei Ruo learned about her and her mother’s situation through the mother’s narrative.
The woman’s husband had been a soldier fighting against the Japanese Pirates, unfortunately losing his life in battle. As there was no man left in the family, their relatives drove them out and seized the land that rightfully belonged to them.
The woman had to resort to begging on the streets with her daughter. It was because of Wei Ruo’s proposal that they could follow other homeless people to settle in the south of the city.
When they were distributing the land initially, others, out of consideration for her situation, gave her a piece of land that was less saline and alkaline, making cultivation relatively easier.
Although isolated, kindhearted individuals would bring them necessities every day. But they didn’t expect a situation like today’s, leading the mother and daughter to be the last ones to leave.
The carriage rushed back to the city, arriving at the county government. The woman and the little girl were settled in a warehouse, cleared by the government office.
The warehouse wasn’t very large, with beds lined on both ends. Everyone who was brought here was arranged to stay in this place.
Small families could fit into one bed, while larger ones took up two beds..
