Treating intellectuals well was a tradition throughout the dynasties, and it was no exception for Gu Qingcheng. Talented individuals always managed to acquire more resources than others.
"Thank you, Young Master Gu!"
Gui Xiang was so touched that tears streamed down her face.
Gu Qingcheng smiled, patted Xiao Jun's head, asked his name, and then poured them a cup of freshly brewed Foshou tea.
As Gui Xiang was about to leave, Gu Qingcheng grabbed a handful of colorful spherical granules and put them in a paper bag for Xiao Jun to take home, calling them fruit candies.
Gui Xiang and her son walked out of Gu Qingcheng's residence, still feeling a bit dazed, hardly believing what had happened.
"Xiao Jun, we really made the right decision coming to Phoenix Village. From now on, Mother will work hard, and you won't have to worry about being displaced again."
Gui Xiang couldn't help but say excitedly, speaking her heart out.
Gu Qingcheng, listening from inside, couldn't help but smile.
Being able to change someone's despair and helplessness, their lack of support, was something she had never imagined she could do.
"Gui Xiang, where are you going? Hurry up and go get your rice and meat. If you're late, they might be all gone!"
At this moment, He Hua, who had climbed the mountain with her yesterday, saw her and quickly reminded her.
"Can we get rice and oil now? Where do we go?"
"The supply and marketing cooperative. Do you know how to get there? No? I'll take you."
He Hua was a warm-hearted woman. Her husband was also gone, and she only had one daughter, Xiao Lian, to rely on.
Although she looked strong and sturdy, her daughter Xiao Lian was very delicate, fair-skinned, introverted, and polite.
He Hua often said that Xiao Lian's disposition was like her deceased father's, not good at handling things.
But Gui Xiang liked her very much, saying it was good for a girl to be quiet and gentle.
When the two women talked about their children, they had endless topics to discuss, so they quickly bonded and, upon arriving here, became neighbors, seeming like old friends in no time.
He Hua led them to the supply and marketing cooperative, where there were already about twenty people in line.
"He Hua, are the rice and oil given for free? We don't have to pay a single copper coin?"
Gui Xiang couldn't help but ask.
She was afraid it would be awkward if they had to pay, as she didn't have a single coin on her.
"Don't worry, you don't have to pay. I've already collected mine and moved it back to my shack."
As they spoke, it was Gui Xiang's turn without them realizing it.
For the mother and son, they could receive 40 jin of rice, two pieces of cured meat, half a jin of oil, and two liang of salt.
Qin Yue was distributing the supplies. She was very patient, knowing the feeling of holding an umbrella for someone because she had experienced rain herself, and she was always courteous to everyone.
This morning, a flood of people had come to collect supplies. Liu Cui had been helping earlier, but now that there were fewer people, she had disappeared somewhere.
He Hua was very friendly and in no time had struck up a conversation with the people here. She already knew that two of the people distributing supplies were named Qin Yue and Cui Hua.
Since she would be coming to the supply and marketing cooperative to collect supplies frequently in the future, He Hua felt it was naturally important to get along well with them.
Seeing so much grain, meat, oil, and salt, Gui Xiang's mind went blank.
Was this really the supply they were going to receive?
And without paying a single cent?
"Gui Xiang, let's go home. I'll help you carry it; it's quite heavy."
He Hua said warmly.
Gui Xiang looked like she came from a well-to-do family and was very delicate. He Hua, being strong and sturdy herself, picked up the 40 jin of rice for her, letting Gui Xiang carry the cured meat and oil.
Gui Xiang said sheepishly, "He Hua, please put it down. I can do it myself!"
"Oh, we're all people from the same village now, and neighbors at that. What's the need for politeness? I've already collected my rice. Today, let's have a hearty meal of cooked rice."
On the way, He Hua spoke of her lunch plans, involuntarily swallowing hard.
"Cooked rice? I'm a bit reluctant to cook it. This is the first time the village is issuing rice, so we should save more. What if they don't issue it again later and we go hungry? Save for a rainy day when the sun is shining; my father always told me that."
Gui Xiang pondered and said.
Having starved for so long, she couldn't help but be cautious.
"Haha, I know, but the villagers here are all telling us to eat our fill. They issue rice every 20 days, 20 jin each time. That's a jin per day, and if you cook congee in the morning and evening with just three liang each time, you still have four liang left, which is enough to cook rice!
Besides, these villagers have been living here for over two months. I asked, and they really do receive rice every 20 days, and the clan adds a meal every three days. The village also has a hunting team, and the game they hunt is distributed to the villagers."
"Is it really that good?"
Xiao Jun, with his tender, childlike voice, asked.
He Hua, who already doted on Xiao Jun, was even more fond of him when she saw him clean and rosy, looking like a delicate carving after his bath. She said with affection:
"It's true. Tell your mother to cook the cured meat and rice together for lunch. It's so fragrant! The cured meat here is made from streaky pork. When it's steamed with rice, the meat becomes tender and delicious. The taste is absolutely amazing!"
Saying this, He Hua swallowed hard again.
As they reached Gui Xiang's shack, they heard a commotion nearby. It turned out the young men from the village's hunting team were about to go out hunting.
The young man at the front was very spirited, with a sweatband tied around his head, a bow on his back, and a knife tucked into his waist.
"Oh, these are the hunting team's young men. They all look so energetic. Too bad I'm not a young lady anymore, or I'd find myself a hunter to marry."
He Hua muttered.
Gui Xiang's face blushed at this, and she chuckled, scolding:
"You've only been in the village for a day, and you're already thinking about getting married?"
Gui Xiang couldn't help but quickly think of herself. Her husband had been gone for more than half a year, and they had relied on each other throughout their journey. She hadn't really considered whether she would remarry in the future.
What she was thinking about now was how to keep her job, maintain her standing in Gu Qingcheng's eyes, and then raise Xiao Jun.
"Haha, it's natural to have desires. It's normal for me to want to get married."
He Hua burst into laughter, her nature being frank.
He Hua placed the rice in front of Gui Xiang's shack. Since it was a shack that someone had lived in before, the basic living facilities were all complete.
A stone box was built at the entrance to put the rice in, so it wouldn't get wet if it rained. Next to it, a simple stove was built for cooking.
"Will the rice, flour, grains, and oil be stolen if they're left outside?" Gui Xiang worriedly asked.
"Don't worry. The village has a patrol team. Anyone caught stealing will be immediately expelled from the village.
According to the villagers here, even if they are beaten or scolded, or fined to work in the fields all day, it's fine. What they fear most is being driven out of the village.
You won't find a village with better treatment than this within the entire Wangchun City."
He Hua was like a social butterfly. In a short time since arriving, she had gathered so much information. If it were up to Gui Xiang alone, she would never have found out so much.
"That's true. What village would give people food and drink?"
Gui Xiang sighed at her good fortune.
They didn't know that Gu Qingcheng had already regarded this village as her undertaking. On the one hand, it was to complete the main storyline of the system, gain points, and satisfy her sense of security; on the other hand, it was also to save some lives before the ultimate natural disaster struck.