Chapter 33
Doubts
Little Ah Yu shook her head. “No.” She’d only given them soy milk, which was filled with Myriad Spirit Water.
If a skilled person were to boil a catty of soybeans into ten catties of soybean milk, it would be an easy task without losing the taste of the beans.
Old Madam Wang took out more than ten catties of soybeans and brewed nearly 300 catties of soy milk.
These three large pots of soy milk were distributed to various houses. Almost everyone drank a mouthful.
Naturally, they all had bad diarrhea.
Village Chief Hu had also taken a few sips. He really wanted to hold on. At the very least, he could not underestimate the officials who came to help with the disaster relief. But in the end, he really could not hold on anymore.
With a green face, he said, “Officers, I’m really sorry!” Then, he held his stomach and ran away in a hurry.
The officials’ expressions were very interesting. What was going on with this village?
Were they poisoned?
“Sir—Mr. Zhang, what do you think?” The head official’s expression was ugly. There was something strange about this village.
When Zhang Zhan saw them like this, he recalled some things he did not want to recall.
“It’s fine. They don’t look like they were poisoned.” Their expressions were not painful, indicating that they were not having a stomach ache.
Old man Wang’s family members were still around. They had already completely emptied their bowels once because they had drunk the Myriad Spirit Water. They could still tolerate it now.
The Myriad Spirit Water was used to restore vitality. The effects of drinking it were very obvious for those with damaged bodies. If people whose bodies did not suffer much damage drank it, the effects would only be a strengthening of their bodies and it could make their ears and eyes sharper.
“Officers, are you tired from walking? Come, rest first. I’ll bring you some soy milk.”
The villagers had all run away, so Old Madam Wang could only go forward to entertain them. Thinking that there was still half a bucket of soy milk at home, she immediately pointed at a boy and let him carry it over.
Zhang Zhan wanted to say that there was no need, but the officials behind him were indeed tired.
Moreover, that was soy milk. It was a rarity this month.
During disasters, there was very little food that could be stored for a long time.
Old man Wang’s family of seven watched as Wang Chuan brought over the soy milk and watched as the officials drank it each with a wooden ladle.
Wang Wulang asked suspiciously, “Sister Ah Yu, did you pour water into the soy milk?”
Little Ah Yu smiled and nodded with an admiring expression. “Fifth Brother, you’re amazing!”
He was actually the first to think of it.
The seven brothers of the Wang Family: !!!
Then, they watched helplessly as the group of officials looked for a latrine pit.
Only Zhang Zhan was still barely standing. He asked uncertainly, “Your soy milk—it’s not cooked?”
Old Madam Wang: “…That shouldn’t be the case.”
She clearly remembered that it was boiling—
At this moment, Old Madam Wang looked at the confused Ah Yu and immediately reacted.
His eyes widened before returning to normal.
She recalled that after her family had diarrhea previously, their bodies felt much more relaxed, especially Second Brother, who was lying on the bed, and the old man at home. They all said that their legs felt much better.
Could it be that they were not talking nonsense and it was true?
Old Madam Wang pondered in her heart and calmly walked towards Little Ah Yu.
She pulled the child to her side and forced a smile. “I think it’s cooked. It was boiling. Perhaps the officials are a little tired from the long journey and after drinking hot soy milk, their bodies can’t take it.”
Zhang Zhan had an expression that said, “I think you’re lying to me.” Was he that easy to fool?
“Sir, I’m really sorry!” Coincidentally, Village Chief Hu returned from his long diarrhea run.
After getting everything out, he felt relaxed and his footsteps were light.
They were different from ordinary people who had diarrhea. They did not eat much and didn’t have much in their stomachs either. They were basically empty.
It was only a quarter of an hour.
The other villagers also returned one after another. Everyone had renewed thoughts.
“I haven’t felt so brisk in years!”
“You don’t say. I was hungry a few days ago and felt that my stomach was damaged by starvation. Now, it doesn’t hurt so much.”
“The strength in my wrist has recovered a little. It’s strange!”
“Now that you mention it, it’s true. Previously, I couldn’t get up unless I squatted on the toilet for at least 15 minutes. But it’s only been a while this time…”
Zhang Zhan silently took a step back.
This was a group of villagers with a smell.
Fortunately, the officials returned very quickly. They also felt much more relaxed, but the effect was slightly worse than the villagers.
The officials still wanted to discuss this matter, but Zhang Zhan waved his hand. “Alright, distribute the food!”
If they continued standing here and talking, he was afraid that he would vomit.
If those guys in Wanning City knew about this, they would probably laugh at him to death.
According to Zhang Zhan’s allocation, all the families received the food they deserved. As the Wang Family had a lot of people, they received an especially large share.
However, Little Ah Yu was not registered in Hu Family Village’s register yet.
Village Chief Hu hurriedly said, “Sir, this little child is also from our village. Because she’s young, we haven’t had the time to register her name yet. Look—”
Actually, very few people in the village registered their children with the household register, especially children before the age of seven. They often could not be raised well and might not live to adulthood. Although there was a little more protection after registering their children with the household register, they still had to pay a little more taxes. Most of the families could not afford it.
It was even more impossible for them to register a girl. Girls could only wait until her family entered her name into a household register after marriage, or have her name registered with her in-laws’ family.
Old man Wang’s family was a special case in the village. Their children were all registered as soon as the mothers were out of the confinement period.
“Let’s follow the register first.” Zhang Zhan was unwilling to make an exception, but he still reminded them kindly, “The snow on the official road will melt in two days. At that time, go to the county city to register.”
Wang Chuanman hurriedly said, “Alright, alright.”
The food they brought was limited. They had to ensure that most people could get some food, especially the ones in the official register.
After that, he would see if there was any surplus. He would then count the people who were not listed in the household registers and distribute this portion to the population.
After distributing the food in Hu Family Village, Zhang Zhan brought the people and the remaining food to Shanyang Village.
There was a fork between the two villages. Normally, the relief should have arrived in Shanyang Village first, but Zhang Zhan wanted to help Hu Family Village more, so he came here first.
Zhang Zhan left three officials behind and asked them to wait here first. They were going to investigate the matter of the cannibalism of the children. If this matter was not handled properly, it would always remain a hidden danger.
After the villagers received their food, they all returned happily. No matter what happened tomorrow, they had to eat their fill today!
Old Madam Wang also pulled Little Ah Yu tightly and let her sons and grandsons carry the food back.
“Mother, we received food for disaster relief today. Let’s cook dry rice to eat!” Madam Zhang lay in the house and started shouting from afar.
“Eat, eat, eat!” Old Madam Wang shouted at her angrily. “You just think about eating all day long. It’s not your turn to eat dry rice. Drink your porridge obediently!”
Madam Zhang: “…” Patients no longer had human rights.
Although she said that, Old Madam Wang still turned her head and said to Madam Feng, “Cook a pot of coarse rice tonight.”
The younger grandsons immediately cheered. “Yay!”
Little Ah Yu imitated her brothers and clenched her fists, raising them to her head. “Yay!”
Old Madam Wang was not in a good mood at first. Seeing her like this, she could not help but smile. However, she still held it in and kept a straight face.
“You little brat.” Old Madam Wang tapped her forehead and turned to enter the house. “Come into the house with me.”
She had to ask about the strangeness of the soy milk.