mtl008 Chapter 254: Reading Ten Thousand Books Is Not as Good as Traveling
Chapter 254: Reading Ten Thousand Books Is Not as Good as Traveling
Shen Nanzhi told him about some of his disaster relief experiences in his previous life. The good thing now is that all the supplies are in the county town, so there is no need to worry about corruption by the upper levels.
In other words, it is not that difficult to put an end to corruption among low-level staff, supervise each other, and strictly check warehouse expenditures and other links.
However, the officers' salaries are not much, and they have to do so much hard work without any benefits. Shen Nanzhi proposed giving bonuses to the officers, which can be regarded as a way to maintain integrity through high salaries.
However, although the houses of the people were crushed, they were not without the ability to work. They could not just sit there and wait for help from the government. They had to be organized to work, repair their houses, cook porridge, and light fires. They had to do whatever they could.
People have to find something to do when they have free time. They have to keep busy. The government helps with disaster relief, and they also have to save themselves instead of opening their mouths like baby birds and waiting to be fed.
Shen Huai'en wrote down everything and kept asking questions. The answers given by Shen Nanzhi were very innovative and enlightened. The two of them chatted for a long time without realizing it.
They were all hungry from chatting, so Shen Nanzhi cooked a packet of instant noodles on the stove in the house. It was some leftover noodles from the space, but she hadn't eaten it yet.
People say that instant noodles have no nutritional value, but if you don’t eat them, you’ll miss them a lot.
"What kind of noodles is this? It's so delicious."
Shen Huai'en ate a big bowl and drank up all the soup. It was the first time he had eaten such delicious noodles.
"I fried the leftover noodles. After they dried out the moisture, they are easy to preserve and will not go bad for half a year. I add some meat sauce and it can be a meal for when I feel lazy.
If you like it, I'll prepare some for you later."
"Okay, then I won't be polite to you."
"Why are you so interested in disaster relief? You've offended the county magistrate, who is a mean person. What if he comes back to trouble you after the incident?"
Don’t be fooled by the smiling and obedient appearance of County Magistrate Cao now. Who knows if there will be revenge after the incident?
Shen Nanzhi thought, that would definitely happen, he didn't look like a broad-minded person.
"By the time he wants to settle the score, I am no longer someone he can afford to offend. Disaster relief is a task assigned by the teacher. No matter how good the idea is, it is better to do it yourself to find out the problems.
Next year, right after the New Year, I will take the boy's exam, then the prefectural exam, the state exam, and after that, I will go to the capital to take the provincial exam. As long as I can pass the exam and get a good reputation, County Magistrate Cao will only befriend me and will not retaliate against me."
"You will definitely pass the exam."
If Jiang Chen was so confident, Shen Nanzhi would sneer at him, thinking what the hell are you thinking. But Shen Huai'en is different. He was taught by Mr. Yuan, and he is humble and steady, with restrained talent. If he fails, it would be unforgivable.
This disaster relief is also an experience for him to care about people's livelihood, which is very beneficial to the imperial examination.
Shen Nanzhi never liked scholars' empty talk. Reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. He smiled and said, "If you become a high-ranking official, I won't be afraid of being ripped off by others when doing business. I'm waiting for you to support me. Study hard."
"Well, I will make you the most noble woman in the world."
Shen Huai'en's eyes were full of tenderness, and he spoke domineering words in the gentlest tone.
Unfortunately, I met Shen Nanzhi, who loves to pour cold water on me. "Ha, what are you talking about? You haven't even landed yet, and you're already thinking of painting a rosy picture for me?
I am a person who doesn't eat empty cakes. No matter what, if you have a good heart, live your own life well, it will be worth it for me to save you."
Shen Huai'en was unhappy: "You are also responsible for whether my life is good or not. If you are not with me, I will not be happy no matter how good the day is. Nan Zhi, I will give you an explanation after this snowstorm."
"Well, what do you want to tell me?"
She didn't ask Shen Huai'en to promise her. Shen Huai'en got up to wash the dishes: "You will know when the time comes."
Shen Nanzhi was extremely tired. Without thinking much, he went to the space to check the inventory, put some food into the warehouse, and went to bed early.
The next day, disaster relief efforts began in full swing. Shen Nanzhi's kang began to be promoted, and every household had a kang. The cold and deserted county town became lively and more vibrant.
Magistrate Cao was in charge personally, and scholars such as Fang Cheng, Xie Jin, and Song Bojian also came to help. Shen Huai'en served as Magistrate Cao's deputy, and even Master Mao could not get involved.
Magistrate Cao felt that he was being sidelined. Shen Huai'en was so bold that he felt very unhappy.
Shen Nanzhi came to him quietly, "County Magistrate Cao, don't be angry, my Huai En is Mr. Yuan's disciple, this disaster relief is the homework given to him by Mr. Yuan, he must do it himself to do it well.
I will donate another 20,000 kilograms of grain to you to fully support your disaster relief efforts. You can also be happy to have some free time and just pick peaches. Isn't it good to get political achievements?"
After hearing what she said, County Magistrate Cao also came to his senses. "Okay, young people like to show off, and I support that. Miss Shen, I'm just doing it for your sake, so I won't argue with him."
"Thank you, County Magistrate Cao, you are very generous and have a bright future. When you get promoted, I will give you another generous gift."
"It's not that great. I'll be satisfied if I can be promoted one rank. Thanks for your good wishes. By the way, I sent people out to ask, and the nearby counties have also been hit by disasters. This winter will be difficult."
"Doesn't this highlight your ability? Magistrate Cao, take advantage of this opportunity to go to the higher-ups more often. Isn't promotion just around the corner?"
"You are so smart. I will listen to you."
Magistrate Cao asked his legal advisor to assist Shen Huai'en, and he made all the decisions while he himself was busy smoothing over relationships with higher-ups. The next year would be the once-in-three-years official assessment, and he definitely wanted to move up a level.
Even if I were transferred to a wealthy county, it would be better than here.
Without Magistrate Cao's obstruction, the relief work went smoothly. In just one day, all the snow in the city was cleared. The victims lived in vacant houses, had two meals of thick porridge and pickles every day, and would not be exhausted.
Some of these disaster victims were dissatisfied. In the past, when a disaster struck, the county government would gather people together and provide them with two meals of porridge. They would just wait obediently for the porridge to be distributed. But this year they still had to work, and if they didn't do a good job, they would have no food. Many people went on strike and instigated others to be lazy and refused to work.
Shen Huai'en didn't indulge them. Those who didn't work had no food to eat, so they could starve to death. Those who were alive could still have a full meal. His cold attitude made those who were making trouble feel uneasy. When he really didn't give them food, they became afraid and had to work obediently.
It is the young people who are lazy. Shen Huai'en also saw what unruly people are.
There are also professionals to deal with the unruly people. Shen Nanzhi asked Hei Wuye to come forward. Once those professional thugs took action, all their tricks and deceptions would be gone.
The runners of the county government still have concerns when doing things, but not the men of Hei Wuye. He has now replaced Ning Wuye and is the top leader of the underworld in the county government. He is more terrifying than the county magistrate among the people, and they instantly become extremely obedient.
Shen Huai'en didn't expect that people could be used in this way. These hooligans used to be the targets of the government's crackdown, but now they are used to maintain order. They are simply too useful.
Sure enough, no matter who they are, they all have their uses, it just depends on whether they are placed in the right place.