Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 379: Chapter 379 How could he be unwilling_1

Wang Youbao really didn’t believe that Li Wuyu could help him protect his home. After all, her skills were as meager as a kitten’s, hardly any better than his own, but he still politely thanked her, ”Miss Li’s goodwill is deeply appreciated, but as a young lady, it’s more important for you to protect yourself.”

This was his way of telling Li Wuyu that he appreciated her kind intentions.

Without waiting for Li Wuyu to say anything, Wang Youbao turned to An Jing and Xiao Changyi and said, ”Had it not been for Changyi’s warning, I would have been utterly oblivious to the refugees’ potential threat to my home. Now, if the issue with the refugees entering Sixteen Town isn’t resolved, I will find no peace of mind.”

As long as the issue remained unresolved, his peace of mind would elude him.

An Jing laughed lightly and said, ”Now you realize that having too much wealth can be a curse, don’t you?”

Wang Youbao chuckled dryly in response.

After a long pause, Wang Youbao finally said, ”I wonder how the Lord County Magistrate plans to deal with these refugees. I can only hope that he resolves the issue with the ones on Sixteen Town soon, so I can sleep peacefully.”

An Jing sighed and said, ”The rupture at Shi River has brought so much devastation to Jing Tian County that it’s no wonder the refugees have chosen to leave. They most likely do not wish to return.”

Now, with the breach still unfixed, even if it were repaired, the Shi River might break its banks again in the future. Naturally, people would want to seek a safer place for their livelihoods.

Wang Youbao grew more anxious, ”If those refugees don’t return to Jing Tian County, what then?”

An Jing thought for a moment before responding, ”We can only hope that the Imperial Court allows each county to take in these refugees and provides them with proper settlement.”

However, Wang Youbao still looked deeply troubled, ”But this situation could lead to trouble at any moment...”

With so many refugees in the town, all displaced, an incident was indeed highly likely to occur.

It could even escalate into unrest.

An Jing was aware of this too and before she could voice her concerns, she heard Wang Youbao sigh once more, ”If only these refugees could be settled sooner. I’d be willing to contribute some Silver Coin if it can hasten the process.”

Spending a little money for peace of mind was something he was certainly willing to do.

Xiao Changyi suddenly asked, ”How much are you willing to contribute?”

His friend always had a way of startling him with such abrupt questions—caught off guard, Wang Youbao was momentarily stunned before he replied, ”At most thirty thousand taels. Any more, and I’d be too reluctant to part with that much money; it’s not like it falls from the sky into my lap.”

Xiao Changyi said, ”If you’re willing to offer fifty thousand taels, I can go to the Lord County Magistrate right away and get him to settle the refugees.”

Under normal circumstances, Wang Youbao would have considered fifty thousand taels too great a sum to part with, but at that moment, it was not the amount that caught his attention but the bold statement from Xiao Changyi that surprised him, ”You... you... you have the influence to compel the Lord County Magistrate?”

Xiao Changyi remained silent.

Li Wuyu wanted to say that this gentleman could summon not just the minor figure of the Lord County Magistrate but even the Emperor himself rarely paid him any mind. However, considering Xiao Changyi and An Jing’s earlier warning not to reveal their identities, she forced herself to hold back and said nothing.

Instead, it was An Jing who smiled and said, ”Youbao, stop joking around. How could my husband possibly command the Lord County Magistrate? It was just that the last time the Lord County Magistrate came to confer upon me the title of First-class Good Citizen, he said this title has brought a lot of prestige to Hecheng County. If we ever encountered any difficulties, we were welcome to seek his help, and he would surely assist us where he could.”

”I see,” said Wang Youbao, nodding with an air of understanding. After calming his startled heart, he hesitantly added, ”But that fifty thousand taels... it’s quite a sum...”