The Lu family and their daughter had once lived in a dilapidated temple at the east end of the village.
Now that the mother and daughter had moved to the county town, that dilapidated temple had also been abandoned.
Old Man Yun grunted, "Alright, I'll go ask the village chief tomorrow morning..."
Their family was not the only one in Dashui Village suffering from the disaster.
Some villagers had their homes flooded, so they simply dismantled their old houses and built thatched huts on the spot.
Others were also looking for a place to rebuild their homes.
If they didn't secure a spot soon, good locations would be snatched up by others.
Little Xi Tian slept soundly, her chubby little feet sticking out from under the quilt, occasionally twitching...
She was having a beautiful dream.
She dreamed of living in a large, spacious house.
That mansion was even more magnificent than the Yun family's current home.
All her life, her mother had held her while she slept.
But in her dream, she had her own boudoir...
"Hehe, this is great!" Little Xi Tian giggled aloud.
Seeing this, Madam Gu covered her little feet and smiled helplessly.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Old Man Yun walked towards the village chief's house with his hands behind his back.
Before he could even enter, he saw a throng of people crowding the courtyard.
"Village Chief, the gable wall of my house has cracked. Hurry and tell the yamen to give us some disaster relief money!"
"That's right, we don't even have money to build houses now. The house could collapse with a gust of wind. What if someone gets killed?"
"Village Chief, I'm not asking for much. Just give us some timber and grain, and I'll build the house myself!"
"..."
The village chief frowned, his head throbbing from the noise of the crowd.
He pointed to his own house, "Look for yourselves, my house was also flooded. Why aren't you giving me money to rebuild?"
He was the village chief, not a Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering...
What was the use of only coming to him?
Old Man Yun stood outside for a while, sighed, and went home.
It seemed useless to ask the village chief about this matter.
Last night, there had been another light rain, and the loose stones and mud accumulated on the back mountain were in danger of collapsing at any moment.
The immediate priority was to get the family out first, and then think of other solutions.
Houses couldn't be built in a day or two.
So, during this period, they needed to find a place to stay...
"Er Man, go to the county town immediately and talk to Prefect Chen about this matter. See if he can help!"
Old Man Yun instructed.
Yun Er Man nodded, "That works!"
Prefect Chen had been very busy lately. The torrential rain had caused floods in villages and towns for miles around.
Prefect Qin knew about this and had instructed him to settle the people as quickly as possible...
He was acting as both county magistrate and prefect, so busy that he had no time to rest.
When Yun Er Man arrived at the county yamen, he didn't see Prefect Chen but ran into Advisor Zuo.
"Alas, the Prefect is quite unlucky. The court finally assigned a county magistrate, but he turned out to be a sycophantic official who relied on others' power!"
"Now that Magistrate Jin has been driven away, all these responsibilities have fallen onto the Prefect. His legs are about to run off..."
Advisor Zuo caught Yun Er Man and complained at length.
He was about to go to Shuo'an City with Prefect Chen to enjoy himself, but who knew that Magistrate Jin would be such a useless good-for-nothing.
He had dragged Advisor Zuo down with him.
Yun Er Man asked curiously, "Is the court not planning to send a new county magistrate?"
Prefect Chen was holding two positions, which was tiring and worrying...
Advisor Zuo sighed, "In my opinion, this matter is hopeless!"
After all, Dashui Village was home to a young prince, who was sharp-eyed and loved his people like his own children.
If the court sent another corrupt official, Prefect Chen wouldn't have to deal with him; the young prince would drive him out of the county.
"Er Man, I heard that your village also suffered from a flood?" Advisor Zuo asked.
"Of course. I came today precisely to report this matter to the Prefect!"
Yun Er Man explained their situation, and Advisor Zuo expressed his deep sympathy.
"You'll have to find your own way to deal with this. The Prefect probably can't help!"
Advisor Zuo patted his shoulder.
Recently, Prefect Chen had been going out early and returning late, working diligently and even skipping meals, unable to find any time...
Yun Er Man returned to the village dejectedly.
At the dinner table, Old Man Yun solemnly announced, "Starting tomorrow, we will be moving out of here."
"Eldest and Second Son's wives, help your mother pack. Take out the tables, chairs, benches, pots, and pans!"
"Huai Hua and Xi'er, help pack too. Bundle up the bedding and sleeping mats, and don't get them wet..."
He hadn't yet decided whose house they would borrow.
Fu Daqiang's and Du Lao San's families were possibilities, but their families were too large, and he was afraid they wouldn't fit.
Madam Liu Cui heard this and was somewhat reluctant, "Father, aren't you just scaring yourself?"
"In my opinion, those loose stones on the mountainside won't fall. Let's not make a fuss!"
The Yun family's mansion was located on high ground, so even if the village flooded, it wouldn't reach their house...
Old Man Yun glared at her, "Then you can stay here by yourself. We don't want to be buried alive!"
Madam Liu Cui rolled her eyes and went back to her room to pack her hidden candies and melon seeds.
The luggage could be left behind, but these snacks had to be taken.
Yun Da Man said, "Father, why don't we set up a tent outside first, and then move in?"
He was concerned about his sister, worried that she might catch a cold from the wind and sun...
Madam Gu hugged her little daughter in her arms and shook her head, "Let's move out first. This mansion is no longer safe!"
The Yun family, except for Madam Liu Cui, were all capable of enduring hardship.
When they were fleeing famine, they had slept in the wilderness, dug for wild vegetables, and eaten grass roots, without a single complaint.
"Alright, I'll go pack things now!"
Da Man and Er Man went out.
The brothers carried the rice and flour jars from their home onto the cart and transported them directly out of the mansion...
No matter what unexpected situations arose, grain had to be kept safe.
Next, they moved furniture like tables, chairs, and benches.
The miscellaneous items from the granary were also moved out one by one, all piled up in Fu Daqiang's courtyard.
"Daqiang, take this!" Yun Da Man handed him a silver ingot.
"I'll trouble you and your wife during this time!"
He knew that Fu Daqiang's family had an empty house.
That was the house he intended to keep for Fu Xiaoqiang to marry a wife.
"Oh, why are you giving me money?" Fu Daqiang refused the silver.
"I always come to your house to freeload. If I take money again, am I still human?"
Fu Daqiang grinned foolishly, then pointed to the empty house, "You can have your family live in that house freely. No need to pay, you can live there until you're old!"
Fu Daqiang was more than happy that Little Xi Tian from the Yun family had come to their house willingly...
Fu Xiaoqiang pouted, "Dad, then where will I live when I get married?"
Fu Daqiang heard this and hit him on the back of his head, "You little rascal, you haven't even grown a full beard yet, and you're already thinking about wives?"
Fu Xiaoqiang said aggrievedly, "You said you wanted me to marry Sweet Baby and live in the big house!"
"Hmph! When did I ever say that?" Fu Daqiang kicked him again.