Chapter 458 – The First Winter (5)
The first snowfall of early winter came down in a flurry for three days and three nights.
The city of Xiangyang was getting along alright; so far, there had been no tragic incidents of common people freezing to death in their homes or houses collapsing under the weight of the snow.
Dressed in thick sweaters and pants, with two more substantial layers on top, taking a short walk outside was enough to warm up.
Which of them hadn’t been working since childhood?
With sturdy physiques and strong resistance to the cold, this winter was blissful with the magical warmth of sweaters and pants.
However, despite Jiang Pengji’s diligent efforts, some unpleasant incidents still occurred.
“Ugh—this is the fourth child this month, isn’t it…”
While patrolling, a soldier heard a baby crying in an alley and went to investigate, finding an old swaddling cloth lying in the snow.
“It’s a girl—those shameless old folks!!”
The soldier slightly lifted the swaddling cloth and, sure enough, it was a little girl.
Feeling a pang of pity, he loosened his collar and tucked the child inside to keep her warm.
The child, driven by survival instincts, didn’t know how long she had been crying in the snow; her little face was already turning blue.
The soldier glanced around and noticed a gate slightly ajar, with a pair of murky eyes watching this corner.
“Damn old beast!”
The soldier spat in that direction, clenching his gun tightly, and the gate shut immediately.
“The county magistrate now forbids family members to harm infants, and even prohibits pregnant women from being maliciously aborted; the crime is equivalent to murder. They just want to toss the children out and let them freeze or starve to death.” Another patrolling soldier poked him, saying, “Let’s take the child to the nursery, it’s freezing out here.”
If they really didn’t want the child, sending her to the nursery was a good option. He just couldn’t understand why those old geezers were committing such atrocities.
Having been through intense conflict, these soldiers had come to see life from a different angle and couldn’t stand such cruel treatment of the innocent.
The county magistrate was kind; as long as households weren’t lazy and willing to work, they could support their families.
But, no matter how good the policies were, they couldn’t change the fact that some people preferred to lie around, waiting for pie to drop from the sky.
Let’s not even mention that just this winter, by selling sweaters and pants, a family could earn two hundred coins in two to three days; by spring, they would be assigned land, and life would only get better—how could they not afford to raise a little one?
How much could such a small child eat, anyway?
Some people, despite struggling, never reflect on their own laziness; they just blame their mouths for being too many at home.
The soldier cast a cold glance at the gate, spat in disgust, and continued his patrol.
That evening, Jiang Pengji received the news, and her previously pleasant expression instantly darkened.
“A bunch of hopeless trash.” Jiang Pengji sneered, her eyes filled with uncontrollable disdain and contempt, “Find out whose children those are! Who abandoned them, and throw them into the county jail for a little reflection. Do they really think if a child freezes or starves to death in the snow, they won’t be held accountable for murder?”
Qi Guanrang and Feng Jin, both fathers of daughters, were equally horrified by this phenomenon.
“Lord, doing this is a band-aid solution, not a remedy.”
Qi Guanrang, not putting down his feather fan even in the freezing winter, contemplated, “Even if new laws are enacted, if they don’t want to raise those children, they’ll find other ways. This is simply policy at the top and countermeasures at the bottom; in the end, it’ll just lead to more suffering children.”
At least things weren’t too bad now; there were only a few kids being abandoned. What Qi Guanrang had seen as a child was far more brutal.
Li Yun stroked his chin and suggested, “Why not let families that can’t afford to raise children send them directly to the nursery?”
Meng Hunyun quickly opposed him, shaking his head, “This won’t work; if those lazy, irresponsible people keep having children, what then? Do we want the Lord to bear that burden? Is the county really going to raise them? There are plenty of fools like that.”
One family could raise a hundred people; while some common folk were simple and kind, others were sharp-tongued and vicious.
Jiang Pengji sat at the head, indifferent, “That solution works.”
Li Yun’s eyes lit up; was his suggestion accepted?
Jiang Pengji added, “However, the parents of any child sent to the nursery must sign a severance agreement. From now on, they are not allowed to meet for a lifetime. No matter how each party’s circumstances change in the future, they cannot interfere with one another. If caught secretly meeting, there will be strict penalties. When the children grow up, they can be told however they want; there’s no need to mention blood ties. Do they really think just because they sporadically release their desires and give birth to children, they are qualified to be parents? If the county discovers anyone deliberately abusing a child, they will face severe punishment!”
Her words were quite harsh.
She had already established laws that forbade relatives from recklessly endangering the lives of young children, yet there were still people breaking the law.
If she had no accountability, what authority would she have as the county magistrate?
Jiang Pengji paused for a moment, saying, “I will ensure these children have skill and not be reduced to ants in this chaotic world.”
The nursery housed not just newborns but also children of all ages who had been discarded or sold, the vast majority of whom were girls.
Jiang Pengji had seen them; each looked like injured little beasts, silently licking their wounds, eyes filled with confusion.
If this blooming Xiangyang County was like this, how were things elsewhere?
She couldn’t protect these people for a lifetime, but she could teach them how to protect themselves and become strong.
“Cough cough cough—”
A series of coughs emanated from the simple wooden house, with a strong medicinal aroma wafting slowly.
“Mr. Zixiao, the medicine is ready.”
A slender young boy held out a bowl of dark medicine, whispering, and an raspy response came from inside.
Stepping inside, the dim light revealed a young man lying on a bed who looked quite ill.
This was Wei Ci, who had yet to reach the border of Xiangyang County after wandering for half a year.
Honestly, his luck had been quite terrible, reaching a point where even drinking water could get stuck in his teeth.
“Mr. Zixiao looks pale; are you still feeling cold?” the boy asked. “Should I bring another blanket?”
“No need…” Wei Ci swallowed the nauseating medicine down, furrowing his brow, and weakly said, “It’s just the same old problem of being cold; it’s normal for it to flare up in such a cold winter… It’s alright, if I wait a while, I’ll recover on my own… How’s the setup outside? Are there any other issues?”
“Don’t worry, the village chief is organizing things with everyone. With the heavy snow sealing the mountains, those beasts can’t get in.” The young boy, sensing Wei Ci’s exhaustion, subconsciously lowered his voice, quietly collecting the medicine bowl and exiting, carefully shutting the door to keep the cold wind out.
“Zhang Ping was chewing on some wild grass when he asked the boy how Mr. Zixiao was doing.”
“The fever has subsided, but the cough hasn’t improved at all; he’s as cold as a block of ice, it’s concerning.” The boy sighed, noting there was only one unreliable barefoot doctor in the village, and the herbs were all self-collected, leaving them unsure of the medicine’s effectiveness. “How’s Mr. Xiheng’s arm?”
Zhang Ping smiled, his eyes squinting, “He’s fine; at least he can still walk and jump, unlike the sick beauty in there…”
