Some people's clothes were wet, there was a little blood on their bodies, and a few had a cut on their foreheads.
The old man grabbed an official and asked: "Brother Officer, these people are all injured, and no doctor has been invited to take a look?"
The official who was held back turned around impatiently. Seeing that the old man was well-dressed and there was a carriage following behind him, he calmed down the expression on his face and said: "We, the county magistrate, have indeed hired a doctor, but seeing these people together requires a lot of money and accommodation. We, the magistrate, are honest officials and are reporting the matter to our superiors. At present, we can only pay for the doctor ourselves, but the doctor hasn't come yet!"
Qibao frowned slightly. It was already past noon, how could the town's doctor have not arrived yet....
"So much time has passed, why hasn't the doctor come yet!" asked the old man.
Replied the official: "Only Leshan Pharmacy sent a doctor over to take a look in the morning. Others said there were too many patients in the store and they needed to be seen before they could come over."
At this time, a woman limped over, with streaks of black ash on her face. When she saw the old man, she asked: "Are you from the Xu family? I recall seeing this young lady at your side last time."
The woman pointed at Qibao.
"I am indeed of the Xu family." the old man replied. "This is my granddaughter. How are you feeling? Are you injured?"
"Many thanks to Benefactor Xu." the woman said. "Aside from spraining my ankle, I'm otherwise unharmed, but some among us were more severely wounded, and now we have nowhere left to go." With that, she began to cry.
"Don't cry." The old man consoled her. "As long as everyone is safe, there's still hope."
The woman nodded.
The old man took Qibao on the carriage and went to Leshan Pharmacy.
Shopkeeper Hong saw the old man coming and asked: "Brother, what brings you here?"
The old man replied: "I was told that the slum house collapsed and many people were injured, so I came over to take a look, and I heard that you arranged for a doctor to attend to them, so I wonder how they are doing?"
Shopkeeper Hong said: "Most of the victims sustained injuries, some catching colds requiring large doses of medicine. The assistant is currently brewing medicine in the rear courtyard, and would deliver it once it is ready."
The old man said: "Brother Hong, you can use whatever medicinal materials you need. I'll pay for the medicine."
Shopkeeper Hong waved his hand: "There's no need for my dear brother to spend his own money. Even if we were short on funds, I wouldn't bear to see so many innocent poor people suffer."
The old man nodded and said: "Young Brother truly has impeccable moral character."
Storekeeper Hong waved his hand again: "My master couldn't bear to see the people suffer, saying that pharmacies and medical centers are supposed to be used for saving lives, otherwise there would be no point in existing if it was only for profit."
The old man said: "I never imagined this child, Jingchen, who doesn't speak much, was actually so warm-hearted."
Storekeeper Hong felt a twinge of discomfort at these words. If the old man knew about his master's identity, he probably wouldn't have been able to refer to him as "this child" even if he tried.
At that moment, one of the attendants from the rear courtyard ran into the main hall. "Shopkeeper, the medicine is ready, filling nearly a full pot! How shall it be delivered?"
"Take clean wooden barrels and fill them, send them over in a wagon, and send it to them to drink while it is hot."
"Yes, I'm going to get the bucket right now."
After loading the buckets of boiled medicine into the carriage, the old man said: "I'm afraid there isn't enough manpower, so I'll go over and see if I can help."
"Since that's the case, we might as well go together!" Storekeeper Hong said.
And so they all headed to the vendor district once more.
As soon as they stepped down from their carriage, they saw the county magistrate also present.
After exchanging greetings, County Magistrate Wu said: "Many thanks to Storekeeper Hong for coming forthwith to provide medical aid, truly befitting your reputation as one who is generous and benevolent."
Storekeeper Hong replied: "County Magistrate Wu, you're too kind. This was simply what should have been done by the healers of our town. The medicine has already boiled, so it must be swiftly given to everyone while hot so they may warm themselves."
County Magistrate Wu ordered several constables to divide the medicine into portions and distribute it amongst the crowd.
Once everyone had drunk their share, those who could moved toward the county magistrate to offer their thanks.
Magistrate Wu exclaimed: "Everyone has thanked the wrong person, this medicine was sent over by Shopkeeper Hong of the Leshan Pharmacy, and the person did not confiscate a single copper plate."
At this, the crowd turned to express their gratitude to Storekeeper Hong with bows, their expressions overflowing with heartfelt appreciation.
Next came the task of treating the injured, applying ointment, and bandaging wounds.
Magistrate Wu said: "It is not an option to continue like this. Many people's clothes are wet, and they have no shelter or quilts at night. It is estimated that some people will get sick again tomorrow."
The old man said: "County Magistrate Wu, I have an idea. We have a large courtyard residence in town with many rooms, it may be cramped, but we can squeeze more people in if necessary. The rest can stay at our restaurant to warm themselves and get some rest tonight, as catching cold again is a real possibility out in this weather."
Shopkeeper Hong remarked: "Older brother won't be able to stay there even if they go to your family's barbecue restaurant, we do have room for them in our pharmacy, or else it would be fine to arrange for some of them to stay in the pharmacy at night."
County Magistrate Wu immediately responded: "Thank you so much, shopkeeper Hong and the old man. I would like to express my gratitude to you on behalf of these people."
"It's nothing, County Magistrate Wu." The old man replied. "Since we're capable of helping, we will certainly do so. My Xu family once experienced similar hardships, so I understand their plight."
County Magistrate Wu nodded his head and said loudly to everyone: "Don't worry everyone, your injuries and illnesses will surely be healed with the help of Leshan Pharmacy, this old man beside me said that he will provide everyone with a place to rest for the night, so wait until everyone recovers from their injuries before making any plans."
Many people in the crowd knew Qibao and knew that they were from the Xu family, so they all said gratefully: "Thank you so much, my benefactor. You have helped us twice. You are such a kind person! We don't even know how to repay you."
The old man said: "Taking care of your health is the best way to repay us. I will arrange for someone to purchase clean clothes for each of you, as these wet garments cannot be worn again—you must not contract additional illness!"
"Thank you so much, my benefactor!" Some people even knelt down to express their gratitude.
When one is in dire straits, having someone reach out a hand to lend assistance is such a fortunate occurrence.
Following this, County Magistrate Wu instructed his men to settle the refugees properly, then the old man sent Kui Wu to visit local clothing shops and buy everyone a set of clothes. They didn't need anything fancy, just something warm enough to keep them from catching colds.
Following this, County Magistrate Wu instructed his men to settle the refugees properly, then the old man sent Kui Wu to visit local clothing shops and buy everyone a set of clothes. They didn't need anything fancy, just something warm enough to keep them from catching colds.
With proper accommodations, these people felt deeply grateful toward the Xu family. After changing into fresh clothes and receiving warm blankets, they seemed to come alive once more. The Xu family had given them the courage to live on, wiping away their previous sorrowful expressions with a single gesture.
The old man had also purchased quite a bit of grain for them to cook with, which was indeed convenient.
Magistrate Wu sighed and said: "At present, these refugees have settled down with the help of the old man, but this is not a long-term solution! Most of these people are women, children and the elderly, and they need to arrange a long-term residence as soon as possible."
The old man said: "Then re-renovate the previous slums."
The county magistrate said: "This so-called 'vendor district' has owners, these were all very old houses after all, and their owners have since moved on to new accommodation. Thus, they rented out this place at low prices to the refugees. Now that it has fallen into ruin, I doubt they would mind letting the refugees continue living there—it was abandoned anyway. However, if we wish to rebuild, we must first purchase the land from those owners. Would you spend money building someone else's house?"