A thick layer of snow covered Jiading Prefecture overnight.
The next day, Fang Dingwu mentioned that more than ten thousand refugees were huddled outside the city when he met Ye Beizhi. Government officials were busy trying to maintain public order and distribute food for the refugees.
"And what will they wear?" Ye Beizhi asked.
"Some of the wealthier merchants bought clothing to contribute."
The two were walking in the corridor of the escort agency. Fang Dingwu wrapped his clothes about his body tightly and muttered, "Damn... how did it get so cold so suddenly."
Although Ye Beizhi had a good constitution, the chill was unavoidable. He couldn't help but think of the little girl he met during a caravan escort, so he faced Fang Dingwu directly and asked, "If there’s enough food and clothing... will people still die?"
Fang Dingwu remained silent for a long moment. "People will definitely still die... Although the government is distributing porridge, there are more than ten thousand people... It's better than nothing, in the end."
Ye Beizhi nodded, and the atmosphere became a bit somber.
"It is impossible for the government to directly open its granaries to support all ten thousand refugees," Fang Dingwu continued, "It's already pretty good if each refugee can receive a bowl of porridge a day. However, many merchants in the city are offering help. Our escort agency has also set up a tent outside the city to distribute porridge too." He pointed to two flatbed carts outside the agency.
Ye Beizhi looked over and saw several large barrels secured with ropes and fixed to a cart. Drivers sat at the ready, just waiting to set off.
Ye Beizhi hurried over and took a seat on one of the carts.
Most of the people at the escort agency knew Ye Beizhi by now. Seeing him arrive, they greeted him with smiles, "Is Young Master Ye going outside the city too?"
Ye Beizhi nodded and saw that Fang Dingwu climbed aboard behind him.
Fang Dingwu started complaining as soon as he jumped onto the cart, saying, "Brother Ye, you’re too impatient. I was still explaining the situation, but you left."
Ye Beizhi ignored Fang Dingwu, who then glanced at him and continued, "I heard that Miss Chi left the city early this morning to distribute porridge... Could it be that you knew, which is why you were in such a rush?"
Ye Beizhi turned around to look at Fang Dingwu and said, "I did not know."
Fang Dingwu grinned. "Well, only the heavens know about that."
Before long, the two arrived outside the city.
From a distance, they saw Chi Nanwei standing in a tent that formed a makeshift shelter, serving thin porridge to the refugees gathered around. The area in front of the tent was densely packed with refugees. Inside and outside the tent, members of the Changfeng Escort Agency were busy doing whatever they could.
"Make way, make way! People in front! Please make way!" The young driver shouted as he waved his hand.
A refugee in the way turned around when he noticed the Changfeng Escort Agency's cart. To help clear a path, he joined in with the driver and shouted to the people around him, "Make way, make way! Changfeng Escort Agency is delivering food again!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Chi Nanwei turned around and happened to meet Ye Beizhi's gaze. She smiled at him and slightly tidied her hair, disheveled from the busy work, which added a touch of natural charm.
Ye Beizhi was still staring at Chi Nanwei when suddenly a plaintive voice sobbed from below, "Mister, please give us something to eat!"
Ye Beizhi looked down to see a woman in tattered clothes who knelt by the cart. She held a baby, who only appeared to be one or two years old, to her chest.
Seeing Ye Beizhi look down at her, the woman, with tears in her eyes, continued, "Just a little is enough! I can go without. All I want is something for the baby, please mister!"
The emaciated woman spoke through cracked lips and it was clear she did not have enough to eat for a very long time. Seeing her state, Ye Beizhi jumped down from the cart, helped her up from the ground.
"Why don’t you go over there?" He suggested as he pointed to the Changfeng Escort Agency's shelter.
The woman looked at the shelter, swallowed nervously, and then bitterly said, "I... I can’t get in..."
Ye Beizhi took a closer look and realized that the area in front of the shelter was indeed packed tightly, but the people hiding from the elements were all men. Each man was strong and stocky, more than capable of pushing their way to snatch more food to eat.
Ye Beizhi frowned. "Wait here," he said to the woman as he entered the crowd blocking the way.
Ye Beizhi reached out from behind and grabbed the shoulder of a large man who was pushing his way forward. The man, about to turn around and curse, was directly thrown into the air and landed a fair distance away.
It was as if a grown elephant had charged the crowd; people were thrown out one after another. The crowd grew smaller and smaller until Ye Beizhi finally reached the front.
At the front, three big men blocked the entrance to the tent. They fervently waited for their bowls to be filled, indifferent to the crowd behind them. They only turned around when they saw Chi Nanwei covering her mouth in surprise. When the three turned around, they saw Ye Beizhi approaching and a large number of well-built men sprawled in the distance behind him. They slowly realized that those people were the ones who had pushed through the waiting crowd with them.
Ye Beizhi seized the bowls from the three men, coldly stating, "Wait your turn."
"You fu—" The man choked off as Ye Beizhi grabbed his throat and tossed him aside.
Ye Beizhi turned to look at the remaining two and asked, "Will you wait?"
The two nodded emphatically. Ye Beizhi nodded and returned their bowls to them. The two quickly formed a line, standing one behind the other.
Fang Dingwu, observing from behind, understood the situation clearly. He began working with several members of the escort agency to organize the refugees into a line, and the situation indeed turned more orderly.
Ye Beizhi filled two bowls with porridge, and made his way toward the woman and child he had seen earlier, holding a bowl in each hand. Seeing Ye Beizhi approaching, the woman started crying uncontrollably while hugging her child. She bowed her head to Ye Beizhi.
Ye Beizhi placed the bowls in front of her and simply said, "Eat." He then turned and left without looking at her again.
Inside the tent, Chi Nanwei, who had been working all morning, was now staring at Ye Beizhi, awestruck.
As Ye Beizhi approached, Chi Nanwei started prodding his shoulders and arms with an irrepressible curiosity.
Ye Beizhi nervously brushed away Chi Nanwei’s wandering hands and asked, "What are you doing?"
"You! You! Just now you—Those men just now were so big and tough! How did you just throw them away?" Chi Nanwei asked passionately, wildly gesticulating with her hands.
Ye Beizhi demonstrated a throwing motion. "Like that," he explained.
Chi Nanwei calmed down and folded her arms over her chest. "You don’t look like such a big fellow." Seemingly in deep thought she wondered aloud, "Could it be that you weren’t joking all this time?"
Taken aback, Ye Beizhi realized that Chi Nanwei had assumed he was boasting whenever he said that he was very strong.
"Hehe... I thought you liked to brag." Chi Nanwei giggled, covering her mouth.
Although her face was red and her hair was messy from working in the biting wind, Chi Nanwei was smiling so widely that her bright eyes curved like crescent moons.
Ye Beizhi quietly admired the woman before him.
The ambiguous atmosphere was shattered by the people screaming.
"Murder, there’s been a murder!"
"The government is killing people!"
Ye Beizhi tore his eyes away from Chi Nanwei and he quickly made his way out of the makeshift shelter. Ye Beizhi squinted, looking for the source of the screams. In the distance, a mass of refugees had started rioting. And they were coming this way.