The heavy rain eased a little at noon on the second day, but new problems arose.
This era did not have the logistical support that would be available in later generations.
The straw raincoat cannot block the heavy rain, the shack cannot block the strong wind, and the hot rice cooked by burning fire will soon be cooled by the rain. There is even no time to make a fire, and people can only eat dry food with cold water.
The laborers huddled in the shack, and even around the flickering fire, they were unable to completely dry their wet clothes.
Even though Li Bing arranged shifts and let the servants take turns to rest, by the second day, the servants no longer had the strength they had the day before and their physical condition had deteriorated too much.
As a county governor, Li Bing had much better logistical support than the laborers. His tent was large, the fire was strong, and he could change into clean and dry clothes after returning to the tent, and get a full night's sleep.
But even he felt a little exhausted the next day.
It was unknown how many days the flood peak would last before leaving the river. The anxiety of not knowing what the future would bring was gnawing at his heart like an ant.
Li Bing was the spiritual pillar of the dam. No matter how anxious he was, he could not show his true emotions, and he had to keep telling the workers that the flood peak was about to pass and everything would be fine in another day.
And the sky was still pouring rain, as if mocking the futile struggles of the ant-like humans on the ground.
The next day, Zhu Xiang patrolled the city in the heavy rain and left Chengdu in the afternoon.
When heavy rain comes, we must not only guard the levees, but also rush to collect the property of the people affected by the rain and protect the millet in the fields that has been washed away by the rain.
Although Zhu Xiang had already taken protective measures, such as covering the millet with grass to prevent the ears from being knocked off by heavy rain or washed away by mud and water, he was still worried. While Li Bing and Li Mu guarded the dike, he patrolled the important grain-producing areas in the Chengdu Plain to check for deficiencies and make up for them.
Once Li Mu decided to abandon the dike, he would be able to lead the people to harvest the immature millet as soon as possible.
Even though immature millet was difficult to preserve and could not be used for seed, at least the farmers could rely on the immature millet to have a full meal for a month or two, which was better than having nothing at all.
Not all people in Shu knew that there was a "Changping Jun". They only knew that Zhu Xiang was an official of Qin.
Zhu Xiang would not deliberately reveal his identity.
He was like an ordinary Qin official, sometimes patiently instructing farmers, and sometimes punishing those who took advantage of the chaos with severe means.
In some places, floods or canals and rivers caused farmers to climb onto rooftops and helplessly call for help. Zhu Xiang would row a small boat to rescue farmers from the rooftops and send them to higher ground.
He brought some food and temporarily settled the farmers.
Although the farmers were rescued, they often squatted in the mud and cried in despair, without any joy of being alive.
Zhu Xiang didn't know how to comfort them.
He could not guarantee that the dams would not burst, that the fields would not burst, or that the rescued farmers would not starve to death in the cold winter.
He can only do what he can do now and not look to the future.
As Zhu Xiang walked, he came to the dam where Li Mu was and greeted Li Mu.
Li Mu's face immediately changed, and he cursed: "I told you to stay in Chengdu! If something happens to you, what will happen to Zheng'er? What will happen to the people of the world?! Even if the Chengdu Plain is flooded, your death is more important to the people of the world!"
Zhu Xiang wanted to say that no one’s life was more important, but he couldn’t say it.
He also knew that if he lived to see Zheng'er ascend the throne, it might be better for the people of the world.
But knowing is one thing, and staying in Chengdu and doing nothing is another. He couldn't use the excuse of "I am important to the people of the world" to sit in Chengdu and watch.
"Don't worry, I have ginger soup with me. I'll take a hot bath when I get back. I won't get sick." Zhu Xiang showed his arm and said, "I applied garlic oil and waterproof grease on my body, and tied several pieces of cloth. The parasites can't do anything to me."
Li Mu took a few deep breaths and said in a muffled voice, "Go back quickly. We don't need you on the dam."
Zhu Xiang nodded repeatedly and left the dam at Li Mu's urging.
He stopped at a village, took a hot bath, drank hot soup with onions, ginger and garlic, and worked up a sweat. The next day, he smeared garlic oil and grease on his body again, tied it up with cloth, and continued patrolling the Chengdu Plain.
This time he passed by the dam guarded by Li Bing and saw Li Bing, who was leaning on a cane and had a hoarse voice.
Li Bing also scolded Zhu Xiang, who carefully apologized and then built a shed and helped boil hot ginger soup for the servants to drive away the cold.
Another day passed, and the rain finally stopped, but the flood peak still did not recede.
However, without the heavy rain, the laborers were able to move more freely. Their exhausted physical strength could be sustained for a while by their spirits and the hope that the weather would clear up.
Zhu Xiang got busy.
The flood peaks of the big rivers have not yet receded because of the water from upstream, but the water in the small canals and rivers will recede quickly after the weather clears up, allowing farmers to return to their homes.
Taking advantage of the rain stopping, they did not have time to repair the houses damaged by the flood and devoted all their efforts to saving the fields.
Digging ditches to drain excess water, straightening fallen millet stalks, and clearing away rotten weeds. Farmers were constantly busy in the fields, and many of them could not eat a single bite of food all day.
Zhu Xiang's heart sank when he saw the snails sticking out of the mud, but he swallowed the words that wanted to stop it.
Sure enough, the heavy rain caused the plague to spread again. A great disaster is followed by a great plague.
But he had seen the signs of a major epidemic, but he could do nothing. He could not stop the farmers from cleaning their millet from the mud and their family's hope of survival, nor could he make the farmers prepare for the prevention of schistosomiasis.
Because he couldn't provide so much garlic, so much oil, and so much cloth, and it was impossible for him to ask the farmers to replace them on time.
The farmers had very little clothes, and to prevent them from getting soaked by the rain, most of them wrapped themselves in mud and went into the fields naked. If they were women, they might tie some grass around their bodies to cover themselves.
Some women don't care about these things. They work in the fields just like the men do. No one judges their bodies.
This scene is not because this era is so enlightened and friendly to women, but because this era is too hard, so women who work in the fields are no more considered human beings than men.
Even in the late feudal period, an era with heavy shackles of ethics and morals, the same was true for women working in the fields.
After observing the busy farmers, Zhu Xiang came up with a compromise solution.
He taught farmers to wrap their bodies in mud from the relatively dry ground where no living things existed, which could barely keep out some parasites.
But there was nothing he could do with his feet and legs stuck in the mud, he could only leave it to fate.
Zhu Xiang could only ask people to prepare herbs and wait until the flood receded and the crops were harvested before controlling the epidemic.
Even if he knew that treatment at that time would basically be a placebo effect and would not be of much use.
Another day passed, and most of the old, weak, women, children and farmers on the high ground returned to the fields, and the water in the river gradually receded.
This year, God did not seem to force the people into a desperate situation. Li Bing finally withstood the pressure and, with the help of Li Mu, defended the two important dams, which not only protected the city of Chengdu, but also protected the main grain-producing areas of the Chengdu Plain.
But except for the rich people in Chengdu, there were no smiles on the faces of other ordinary people.
Because they saved two dams, and only two dams.
In addition to the Chengdu Plain, the Sichuan Basin also has many hills and mountains, all of which have been abandoned.
The Fucheng city where they stayed temporarily and the place near the Chengdu city, later known as Jintang, all turned into a vast ocean.
Zhu Xiang thought that perhaps they could hold the levee, but their efforts were actually very small and God did not open his eyes. Instead, the water from other rivers spread to other places and served as a flood discharge.
Because they can only defend two important dams.
The important grain-producing areas in the Chengdu Plain did not suffer a total harvest, and about eight to nine tenths of the grain were able to be harvested.
These are six words that often appear in "Spring and Autumn Annals" and now appear in Shu County.
"I'm going to Ba County to borrow grain." Li Bing said, "Zhu Xiang, you will temporarily take over the position of county governor."
Zhu Xiang said: "Ba County may have also suffered a flood."
Li Bing smiled bitterly: "The main city of Ba County is on the mountain, they will be much better off. Moreover, there are many powerful people in Ba County, and there is basically no place for ordinary people to stand. So they will have a lot of food."
Zhu Xiang pondered for a moment and understood what Li Bing said.
Ba County is located in the mountains and is rich in mining, so it is more isolated than Shu County. Although Ba County has also abolished the state and established counties, it is more like an independent kingdom than Shu County.
In such an independent kingdom, even if there was a flood, Li Bing could still borrow food, because their civilians were equivalent to slaves, not human beings at all, and did not need to eat food.
Li Bing's move was to only care about the civilians in Shu County and ignore the civilians in Ba County who might be worse off than those in Shu County.
Zhu Xiang disagreed in his heart, but he couldn't say the words to stop it.
It is good enough for people to take care of the present. Even though they are both Qin citizens, Li Bing is an official in Shu County, so he has to give priority to preventing the civilians in Shu County from starving to death.
What's more, Li Bing led his troops to rebel and seize the food of Ba County.
He just went to borrow grain and asked the governor of Ba County to help him and the powerful people in Ba County to save face. As for whether others would give grain or not, and how much grain to give, it was up to others to decide.
But Zhu Xiang knew that Li Bing would definitely be able to borrow some food.
Even though the Chengdu Plain did not have Dujiangyan, it was still the most prosperous place in the southwest. Among them, Shu brocade and goods traveling between the north and the south were all luxuries desired by the powerful people in Ba County.
If they please Li Bing, Li Bing will give them convenience on the trade route.
There was an official from Ba County in the prefectural government, who introduced Li Bing to the main powerful people in Ba County.
The powerful people of Ba County had Ba as their surname and were once honored by the King of Qin as the leaders of the Ba people. Now that the county has been established, although they have lost this honor, they are still as honorable as the king in Ba County.
After they discovered the cinnabar mine, they had more financial resources. Two-thirds of the people in the county where the Ba family lived were their clansmen, and the rest of the people depended on them for survival. They had independent armed forces and built towering fortresses, and the county where they lived basically became their fiefdom.
If you want to borrow grain, it would be most appropriate to borrow from Mr. Ba.
When Zhu Xiang heard the official introduce Ba, he felt familiar with her.
When Li Bing was about to leave, he remembered the familiar reason.
The Ba family might be the family of the famous Widow Qing of Ba County. Widow Qing's family was just like this. After monopolizing the cinnabar mine, they quickly became wealthy, established their own armed forces, and turned the county into their own "fiefdom".
This is also the reason why Qin Shihuang commended the widow Qing.
Qin Shi Huang commended two merchants, one was the widow Qing, and the other was a livestock merchant named Wu. The common feature of the two was that they already had independent armed forces, and the places where they were located were like independent kingdoms.
In the name of commending them, Qin Shihuang allowed the two of them to go to Xianyang to receive rewards, and then moved their clansmen to Xianyang.
After the two of them went to Xianyang, the obstacles facing Qin Shihuang in moving local tyrants into Xianyang were basically removed.
There was no further record of the families and properties of Widow Qing and the merchant surnamed Wu. Apparently, their properties were probably bought by the generous Qin Shi Huang.
Part of the mercury in Qin Shihuang's tomb was extracted from the cinnabar mine of the widow Qing family.
Zhu Xiang lowered his head to glance at Zheng'er, who had a frown on his face and looked filled with resentment.
Ying Xiaozheng said dissatisfiedly: "Uncle, what are you looking at?"
Zhu Xiang said with emotion: "I was thinking, Zheng'er, you are really amazing."
Ying Xiaozheng pouted: "Even if you praise me, I won't forgive you."
Zhu Xiang smiled bitterly: "Uncle is wrong, Zheng'er, please forgive uncle quickly, otherwise uncle will cry in front of you."
Ying Xiaozheng's expression froze and he turned his back in disgust.
The conflict between Ying Xiaozheng and Zhu Xiang was because Zhu Xiang had redness and swelling on the back of his hands even though he was wrapped in leather when he went out. According to Zhu Xiang's judgment, he might have encountered the pervasive schistosomiasis while helping with the work.
That night, Zhu Xiang applied high-concentration garlic oil to the red and swollen areas, and drank water soaked with Artemisia annua. He then prepared allicin, applied it to the affected area, and drank it with difficulty.
The redness and swelling subsided after a few days. Even if there might be schistosome eggs left in Zhu Xiang's body, it should not cause disease.
In this day and age, it is very difficult to avoid parasites, so he can only make sure he stays as healthy as possible. His immune system will help him live a long life.
But Ying Xiaozheng was not comforted at all by what Zhu Xiang said.
It was the first time that Zhu Xiang saw his nephew, who claimed to be mature, sitting on the bed, kicking his legs and crying loudly. He was so scared that he didn't know what to do.
After finally coaxing Ying Xiaozheng to stop crying, Ying Xiaozheng began a cold war with Zhu Xiang. It was not until Zhu Xiang promised that he would not go to the epidemic area again that Ying Xiaozheng forgave him.
But the epidemic area is equivalent to the grain-producing area, and Zhu Xiang has no way to guarantee it to Ying Xiaozheng.
Li Mu was speechless: "Can't you just lie to him? Zheng'er knows that you have no choice but to go to the fields, he just wants to feel at ease."
Zhu Xiang smiled bitterly: "I don't want to deceive Zheng'er. Although he is young, he is very smart. I am worried that any deception will have a bad impact on him."
Li Mu didn't know what to say.
He shook his head, sighed, and relayed Zhu Xiang's words to Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng took the initiative to find Zhu Xiang to reconcile, but asked Zhu Xiang to promise not to get into the water as much as possible.
He had seen people with water-borne schistosomiasis, and even though Zhu Xiang told him that only patients in the advanced stages would become like this, most people looked healthy and coexisted with schistosomiasis. After vomiting, Ying Xiaozheng was determined not to coexist with schistosomiasis.
Li Mu held the Artemisia annua tea in his hand and sighed continuously.
He and Li Bing also had redness and swelling on their bodies, but Zheng'er was no longer anxious after the swelling subsided. Zheng'er's feelings towards his uncle and teacher were completely different.
Li Bing went to Ba County to borrow grain for disaster relief, Li Mu maintained order after the disaster, and Zhu Xiang borrowed soldiers from Li Mu and led them to help farmers harvest and replant everywhere.
This is where the benefits of millet come in. Millet is resistant to lodging, has thick shells, and has a high survival rate after experiencing floods.
Even though their homes were destroyed and their family members fell ill after the floods, smiles appeared on the faces of the farmers in the Chengdu Plain.
Farmers in the hilly areas were in a very miserable state. Their fields were basically washed away, and they could only dig out unrotten food from the mud with great difficulty, dry it in the sun, and hope to eat it for a month or two.
Although Zhu Xiang brought some potatoes, it was almost impossible to provide them for replanting for the victims in the disaster-stricken areas of the entire Shu County.
Fortunately, Li Bing's favorability quickly soared to three hearts after the flood. Two hearts of favorability were given to Zhu Xiang's rice, and three hearts of favorability were given to Zhu Xiang's pumpkin. Pumpkin is also a famine relief food, which can help Zhu Xiang temporarily make up for a certain food crisis.
Pumpkins are harvested every six months and can be planted twice a year. Autumn is the best time to plant pumpkins. After pumpkins are harvested in winter, farmers can get through the winter.
However, it was very difficult to ask farmers to grow crops they had never seen before. Fortunately, the Qin soldiers had many military farms. Li Mu took charge and planted potatoes in the drier areas of the mountains, built racks on the ground to plant pumpkins, and beans could be planted under the pumpkins.
Zhu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief.
The victims may only have to eat moldy food, grass leaves, roots, twigs and tree bark for half a year.
(End of this chapter)