Entering Shandong, Yang Shixiang, who was a light car, strictly ordered not to reveal his identity, he wanted to see Shandong from the perspective of a businessman. The first stop was Jiyang County last year, where the Yellow River broke last summer.

When he inquired about the location of the breach, Yang Shixiang only brought two entourages to see the blocked embankment. Approaching the Longwang Temple, I saw soldiers wearing yellow military uniforms everywhere, and when I inquired, I learned that this was the Shandong Patrol Battalion stationed in Wuding Mansion to organize migrant workers to repair the embankment, and idle people were not allowed to go up the embankment.

Seeing this, Yang Shixiang was very happy. He is most worried about river defense, because in recent years, the Yellow River has become a veritable harmful river in Shandong. And now it seems that the local government and the army have been deployed in advance.

Stopped a middle-aged man who came in a hurry on a donkey, dressed and looked like a man from the yamen, and stepped forward to investigate, the person was a little impatient, "The sand and gravel that the team wants is about to stop, and I don't have time to talk to you." With that, he whipped the donkey under his crotch and hurried away in the direction of the embankment.

There seemed to be no civilians in this area, only soldiers and people covered in mud and water, and it was impossible to see who was in command. Yang Shixiang was reluctant to reveal his identity, so no one paid attention to him. After walking for a while, I saw a material yard surrounded by reed mats, and the gate was facing the road, Yang Shixiang saw a pile of steel bars at a glance, could it be that the river defense was reinforced with steel bars? This was a new thing, and he hurried forward to see what was going on, but was stopped by a soldier who rushed out of nowhere, "Stop! Who are you? Get out of here! ”

The soldier held a rifle with a bayonet in his hand, and the spear stabbed brightly in the sun.

"This military master. Let's ask you about something. Staff member Luo Xiaocai hurriedly explained.

"This is a stockyard, there is no chief! If you want to find our battalion commander, let's go to the embankment. The soldier waved at them and motioned for them to leave.

"Nothing big or small!" Luo Xiaocai scolded in a low voice.

"Let's go." Yang Shixiang's mind is full of steel bars, and the river embankment really uses steel bars? That's great.

If you don't want to show your identity, you can't get close to the embankment. Yang Shixiang had no choice but to turn back along the way he came, and when he encountered a convoy pulling stones, Luo Xiao stopped an old man who was driving livestock, "This old man, borrow the light to ask a question." ”

The old man handed the whip to a young man and saw that it was a few merchants. "Asking for directions or asking people? It was flooded last year. The folks didn't come back. ”

Yang Shixiang stepped forward and said, "Excuse me, excuse me, are these things you pulling are for repairing the river embankment?" ”

"Do you need to ask? Battalion Commander Zhang said that the river embankment should be repaired this time. No more accidents. ”

"Then who will pay your wages and materials? Is it a government? ”

"Of course, the money is from the government. But we don't want it. Just take care of the food. The army built embankments for us. We know what to do. Hey, I don't think you're from the government, so don't delay us. Walk! With a shout, the convoy moved on.

"The Jiyang County Commander is doing a good job, but these troops are ......"

"Let's go." Yang Shixiang turned his head and left.

They joined the brigade and made a detour to the area of the most affected new town. There were finally residents in the town, but he was not allowed to show the governor's guard of honor, and the accompanying domestic servants and guards put on makeup and became caravans to do business in Shandong.

It is said that the new town was originally an extremely prosperous town, with a permanent population of more than 10,000 people, but what Yang Shixiang saw was extremely depressed, and traces of the flood can be seen everywhere. The town's intact houses are scattered with trees, and the empty areas used to be houses, but now they are almost white, and a few broken walls tell the story of last year's catastrophe.

The only thing that made Yang Shixiang feel relieved was that someone had already built a house in the town, and the piles of bricks, tiles, stones, and timber made the new governor feel a little angry.

It was already noon, and the entourage finally found a restaurant to beat.

"It seems that last year was not a small disaster." When waiting for the meal, Yang Shixiang learned about the people's situation by the way.

"That's it. We're in good shape here, but when we got the news, everyone fled from the town, but some houses collapsed, and only one family died in the town. The Dragon King Temple and the Stone Bridge are miserable, and I don't know how many people are dead......" The proprietress wearing a blue cloth apron spoke quickly.

"That's when we're far from the riverbank! When the water reaches this side, it is not energetic. That's it, half the houses in the town collapsed...... Thanks to the help of the army, otherwise we would not have been able to return to our hometown. "The person who interjected looked like the owner of the hotel, but at the moment, because there were many guests, he also played the role of the second guest of the store.

This sentence immediately aroused Yang Shixiang's interest, "Oh? Why didn't I see a soldier? ”

"Evacuate early! They are all building embankments over there. It was such a deep mud in those days! It's all thanks to those who are soldiers, and they dig the town out! The proprietress served the first dish to the table where Yang Shixiang was, and the person who opened the shop had the most poisonous eyes, and immediately recognized that this middle-aged man dressed in ordinary clothes was the head of this group of merchants, "That's not all, the army of people also donated more than 1,000 yuan of silver to the town." ”

"Oh," Yang Shixiang replied.

Waiting for the proprietress to leave, Luo Xiaocai, the master who had been with him for six years, said in a low voice, "It's really terrifying to invite people to buy people's hearts." ”

"It seems that your birth calculation this year has been settled." Yang Shixiang said to the boss who served the dishes.

"It is said that letting the Yellow River soak like this will increase the fertility of the land, but it is troublesome to collapse so many houses." The boss's head shook.

"By the way, you said that a family died in the town, what's going on? According to what you said, firstly, everyone has received a warning, and secondly, the river is boring here, how can it be dead? "It was Master Luo Xiaocai who asked.

"The family was so greedy for their wealth that the house collapsed and was buried underneath. At that time, the town was in chaos, and no one came to save it, but it was a pity. ”

"Have all this year's crops been planted?"

"Do you need to ask? What do we eat if we don't farm? ”

"Last year, there was a catastrophe, and the farm tools and seeds must have been seriously damaged, what should the government do?"

"Oh, you guest officer looks like a patrol lord sent by the imperial court!" The proprietress stared at Yang Shixiang for a while, "This is a question!" An autonomous committee was formed in the township. Specialized in helping villagers with seeds, cattle and farming tools. This has never been the case, and if it weren't for the Autonomous Committee, our town would have had to flee the famine and beg for food this year. ”

Yang Shixiang's interest increased, "Oh, this is really new!" I'd better inquire about the latest news. I'll give you double the money for food, and you can tell me what's going on with this autonomous committee? ”

"Do you really give me double the money for food?"

"There is no evidence. Brother Luo......"

Luo Xiaocai hurriedly took out the money bag, took out a handful of silver dollars from it and spread it on the table.

The proprietress counted three pieces and picked up another one, "That's enough." I'll tell you about it, hey. Boss. You know, you give a good talk to your guests. ”

"Okay, I'll talk to you." The boss had already seen the scene in his eyes and put down the work in his hand. Wiped his hands with a dirty rag. "Ladies and gentlemen, eating. Don't be cold. He sat down on a broken stool and told the guests about the changes that had taken place since the flood broke last year.

Since the flood receded last year, Wuding and Jinan have organized disaster relief. In addition to dispatching troops and allocating silver and taels, an autonomous committee was set up mainly on a township basis, and the villagers elected a respected squire to act as the head of the autonomous committee, and all relief grain, relief silver, medicinal materials, farm tools, clothing, and other disaster relief materials were directly allocated according to the data reported by the autonomous committee, and arranged by the autonomous committee in a unified manner. The slogan put forward is not to starve to death, freeze to death a villager. The prefectures, counties, and the armed forces stationed in disaster relief have jointly set up inspection teams to check the work of the autonomous committees and ensure that there is no corruption or misappropriation. Last year's work was mainly to clear roads and rush to plant autumn grain. A large number of shelters have been built to house the victims for the winter. This year's slogan is to strengthen the river embankment and rebuild the home......

"Does this autonomous committee work?" Yang Shixiang's interest increased greatly.

"It worked! To be honest, if there were no autonomous committees, we would never be where we are today......"

"For what?" Luo Xiaocai asked.

"Needless to say? In previous years, the government also provided relief, but the silver taels and food that were allocated did not know whose pockets they had! This time there was no such thing. Zhang Caidong, director of the Luojiadian Autonomous Committee, embezzled 150 taels of silver and was killed in public by the army! Zhang Caidong's floating wealth was also distributed among the villagers. Who would dare to embezzle? ”

"It's not for nothing. I've heard that others have been shot. But I don't have it in the new town, everyone knows how many things are allocated on it, and the notice with the seal of the county government is posted on the street, and whoever receives how much and whose work is clearly written...... "The proprietress brought a large plate of roasted cakes and interjected.

"Then, is the head of this autonomous committee appointed by the county government?"

"It's not!" is still a fast-talking proprietress "It was chosen by the villagers." The county doesn't care. ”

"Isn't this a mess?" Luo Xiaocai muttered.

"It's not messy! In the past, the government disaster relief was chaotic. The proprietress said.

"Shut your mouth! I don't know how important it is! The boss shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are good officials......

"That's because there's an army watching!" The proprietress muttered unconvinced.

"It's okay, it's okay." Yang Shixiang smiled, "We're just curious." If you talk about it in vain, you will listen to it, and we are not from the government. Listening to you, it's as if this autonomous committee is organized by officers and soldiers, isn't it? ”

"Almost! Those are all bodhisattva soldiers. I have never seen such a good officer and soldier, when the common people are their parents, they are given money for food and accommodation, they are begging for saliva and drinking, and they have to say a few thanks. I don't know how the Dragon Army Gate is trained! If I Jiyang County was the berm of Long Junmen's subordinates, I would definitely not have broken it! The hostess's words were like a cannon.

"Oh? Why is that? ”

"The Wuding Mansion in the east is the Longjunmen who personally led the troops to protect the berm! It's all hanging over there, but as a result, there's no fart over there! Instead, something happened to us. The last thing was that the soldiers of the Dragon Army Gate came up and blocked the mouth desperately, and I heard that several brothers had died. My brother was at the scene, it was the soldiers of the Dragon Army Gate who rescued him from the water, and my brother said that the soldiers of the Dragon Army Gate did not want to die in disaster relief, I have never seen such soldiers! Many of our rescued villagers here want to build a shrine for Longjunmen, but they won't let it. We ordinary people know who is a good official, and I look forward to the longevity of the Dragon Army Gate and the prince of Wandai. ”

"You can't say that." The boss interrupted his wife's words, "Lord Feng's soldiers are not bad......

"Not bad, as soon as the mouth opened, they all fled. In the end, it wasn't the soldiers of the Dragon Army Gate who cleaned up the mess? To say that the emperor still understands things, he transferred Admiral Feng away and let Long Junmen take the seal. Look, this year, the embankment will be fine. ”

"Look, I'm off topic. I'd like to hear about the Autonomous Council. Yang Shixiang pulled the topic back, "Is this autonomous committee in charge of disaster relief?" ”

"No, anything! Eat and drink Lazar. This year, the big households were also ordered to reduce their rents to less than 20 percent and 5 percent, and no one was allowed to exceed them. ”

"What are you doing?"

"Don't do it? Do they dare? The army is in charge. After such a big disaster, it should be reduced......"

Yang Shixiang and Luo Xiaocai glanced at each other, and they were all silent.

This meal lasted more than an hour, and even the dishes were heated twice. Yang Futai finally finished eating, thanked the restaurant owner and his wife, and left the new town with his entourage, heading for Jinan. (To be continued......)