y it was Wang Qiusheng and Zhao San's turn. Wang Qiusheng is careful; every time new disaster victims arrive, he inquires about their household registration. This time, by chance, he found out that th...Xu Huaiyi said that, but his heart was pounding. His daughter-in-law wasn't easy to fool. No matter how righteous he sounded, she might not agree.

Indeed, Gu Huaxi frowned and thought for a moment before shaking her head in refusal. "You don't need to worry about the tofu workshop anymore. There's no rush to expand channels. The workshop's production capacity is limited at present. Tofu is not at all worried about selling out. Just the villagers can digest it. Besides, there's still Mr. Liao, didn't he introduce several customers Even if we have more orders, we don't have that much tofu to sell."

Xu Huaiyi said stubbornly, "That's easy. We can just hire more people from the village. If we produce a few more tofu boards every day, wouldn't that solve the problem We have plenty of money anyway."

Gu Huanxi said with an impassive face, "Do you think we're the only ones making tofu Those restaurants and inns in the city all have fixed partnerships. You go to steal their business, aren't you afraid of retaliation Even a strong dragon doesn't bully local snakes, let alone us! We're not even strong dragons. We have no foundation at all. The fact that we've managed to survive in this cramped space is already good enough. Do you think your appetite matches your abilities"

Xu Huaiyi smiled and said, “You’re right about that, but you misunderstood me, my wife. When I said expand sales channels, I didn't mean selling ordinary tofu. Where would I get the guts to steal business from others I meant our homemade five-spice bean curd, fermented black beans, and thousand layers of bamboo shoots. In the future, we'll also develop spicy noodles. These things are all unique, so it's not like we're stealing anyone’s business, right”

Gu Huanxi hummed in response, "There's Gao Zhuang too, he's eloquent and good at talking. Let him run his mouth for a while. We have enough money earned now to support our family, so there's no need to rush."

Huai-yi Xu conceded defeat, "Alright, alright, I'm not in a rush. I'll do as you say. Let's cultivate slowly and quietly surprise the world..."

"Let's face it, you just want to procrastinate going to school, don't you" What's the difference between this and those kindergarten kids who come up with all sorts of ridiculous excuses not to go to school

"Absolutely not!" Xu Huaiyi insisted, enthusiastically suggesting, "How about we go now You can supervise me as I sign up"

Gu Huaxi hadn't planned on going out at first, but upon hearing this, she became interested. "Alright, I might as well go to the bookstore and see if my novel is selling."

I've been refining it again these days, just in case I can't hold it out.

Xu Huaiyi was blindly confident about her, "Don't worry, it's definitely possible. As long as the bookstore owner isn't blind, they'll definitely buy the book."

"I hope so..."

This time when going out, I didn't bring along Weici. Instead, Wei Liang drove the car. When they reached the city gate, Gu Huaxi pushed open the window and saw the scene outside. Her eyebrows furrowed immediately.

There are more and more refugees.

Moreover, entering the city has become more difficult as identity checks have been tightened.

A family of four got out of the carriage. Xu Huaiyi heard the impatient grumbling from the front and the scolding of the officers, so he simply told Wei Liang to wait for them in a spacious place outside the city. He rushed into the city with the mule cart. There were even more troubles inside the city, especially for those who brought large carts like them. They had to be searched both inside and out. The worst part was that these people were rough and clumsy, damaging any valuable things. It felt like they were stripped of all their rights and dignity.

Unless you're high enough up the ladder, you have to swallow your pride and put up with these little nuisances.

Both husband and wife were very calm, getting used to it. People under someone else's roof have to bow their heads, don't they

That is Gu Xiaoyu. She has already been able to face this calmly. Holding Xu Huaiyi's hand, she looks at the people coming and going with a blank expression. The myriad aspects of life are all within it.

Only A Li was excited, her big eyes rolling back and forth as if she found everything strange and interesting. She would occasionally let out little "aaah" sounds, which made the nearby villagers smile when they saw her. She even grinned toothlessly at them.

Beautiful children are always endearing, and a smiling one is even more so. Soon, the people queuing outside the city gates noticed Ah Li.

Being in the spotlight like this was a pain for Gu Huaxi, an introvert. She patted her daughter's shoulder comforting her, "Behave yourself."

To be honest, it's impossible to be honest. A-Li will only become more lively, shouting "Ah, ah," with her tiny arms and legs kicking hard, eager to run down.

Gu Huanxi, "…"

Unable to control her daughter, she had no choice but to divert her attention. She glanced around and said in a low voice, "Has the Jingzhao Mansion not settled the refugees yet Why do they all linger at the city gate and refuse to leave Aren't they afraid of causing trouble"

Xu Huaiyi explained, “The relocation is still happening, but some disaster victims are unwilling to go. They fled their homes to here with nothing left. How can they settle in a village Where would they live What would they eat and drink Here at the city gate, they can at least get two bowls of porridge every day. See those sheds in the distance When it's cold, they go inside to take shelter.”

"In a few days, it will snow. What use will that shed be then"

So they are also looking for opportunities, either to sell themselves into slavery or to work as tenant farmers on the estates of wealthy families. Those with no other choice can only wait here for those who are charitable and well-meaning to come to their aid. When things get really desperate, I reckon that even for the sake of their reputation, the Jingzhao Mansion wouldn't simply ignore them altogether.

Gu Huanxi looked at the ragged and emaciated refugees, her heart aching. "You're talking about this manageable situation now. What happens when there are more and more refugees The Jingzhao Mansion won't be able to handle it all Even those wealthy families who are giving out porridge will have to weigh their costs. If they give too much, they'll find an excuse to withdraw."

Xu Huaiyi sighed, "There's nothing we can do about it..."

Gu Huanxi unexpectedly glanced at him, "I thought you'd find a way."

Xu Huaiyi wryly smiled, "I'm aware of my limitations. With so many refugees, unless the imperial court steps in, no matter how capable an individual is, they can't take the lead. That wouldn't be doing good deeds; it would be inviting trouble."

Gu Huan nodded with a pleased smile, "Well, now that you understand this, I can rest assured."

Xu Huaiyi quietly squeezed her hand. "I definitely know what can be done and what can't. But..." He paused, then changed his tone and sighed deeply, "If we completely ignore it and turn a blind eye, wouldn't our conscience hurt Wouldn't we feel guilty"

"Were these disasters caused by us"

Of course not, but...

Xu Huaiyi didn't continue, but Gu Huan understood. As two people who had traveled through time from the future, facing natural and man-made disasters, it was difficult to remain indifferent. This had to do with their living environment and their education since childhood. They refused to be saints, but they also hadn't been stingy about donations in their daily lives, though not much, a few hundred taels at a time, which was considered a meager effort.

Gu Huanxi frowned and said, "The little silver we have at home, even if we throw it all in, it's just a drop in the bucket. We don't have the weight to call upon others, we only have good intentions but what can we actually do"

Xu Huaiyi's voice was hoarse, "I know all of this, daughter-in-law. I just can't bear to see the children suffer. Adults can still find a way out for themselves, but children who are sold will most likely end up in misery. And those who have lost their parents... I don't even know how they'll survive..."

The two people spoke in hushed tones and slowly made their way into the city with the flow of people.ou're in charge, I rest assured.”"You and Huaiyi, you are both great people..."Gu Huan smiled, but said nothing. Did she want to be a good person No, after shutting out the people of Old Xu's family,...