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In the provided passage:
"Hongshan Village residents settled in Yucun like this. They were relatively well-behaved, mostly staying indoors during the day, rarely wandering around, and causing no trouble.
"This Hong Ming seems to be someone who knows his boundaries," said Yu Feng.
Yu Su: "Let's not worry about them for now. How is the situation in the horse stable and on the east bank?"
Yu Feng: "The horse stable has been reinforced, and all the drafty areas have been sealed. The thatch is replaced every two days, and there are people cleaning every day. Currently, those horses haven't encountered any problems. As for the east bank, the buildings in the workshop and trading market are all sturdy and haven't faced any issues. The only thing is that some cold-resistant vegetables left in the fields are now buried under the snow and difficult to dig out."
Yu Su: "Leave the vegetables alone. Currently, the food we have stored is sufficient. The main concern is clearing the snow from the roof and the accumulated snow on the roads in front and behind the houses."
If the snow isn't cleared in time, the roof is likely to collapse.
Ground snow also needs to be cleared promptly for easy travel.
Yu Feng nodded: "Understood."
He added, "I don't know how the situation is at the salt lake salt field. People there have all retreated, and no one is clearing it. I'm worried that the roofs there will collapse."
Yu Su: "The stored salt has been transported back. If the roofs collapse, so be it. We can repair them in spring. With the current weather, it's not suitable for soldiers to run back and forth; it's too dangerous."
Yu Feng nodded, then went to organize people to inspect the structural integrity of houses throughout the village.
...
In the afternoon, a majestic eagle flew in from the northern wilderness.
It was the messenger eagle from Zhutie Village.
In the letter, Zhutie Village Chief Tieying explained that heavy snow had collapsed several villages, and the surviving residents were temporarily residing in Zhutie Village.
The originally prosperous grain supply in Zhutie Village suddenly became scarce. Chief Tieying asked if Yu Su had any surplus grain to sell to them, as they would arrange their own transportation.
Referring to Yu Su's sleds, Zhutie Village also crafted sleds to navigate through the snowy terrain.
Yu Su had the warehouse's grain inventory checked, and their village had substantial reserves of rice and beans. Selling some to Zhutie Village was feasible.
"Tieying needs 300 pounds of grain. Should we sell them the full amount?"
At the village council meeting, Yu Su shook his head and suggested, "Give them 200 pounds."
"But our village has a large storage capacity; giving them 300 pounds should be fine."
"Yeah, we can't eat that much ourselves."
After hearing everyone, Yu Su added, "The disaster caused by this heavy snow is widespread. More villages nearby will likely seek to buy grain soon. We might have to sell more. Moreover, winter hasn't ended, and who knows what challenges we might face. Our food reserves must be sufficient."
Providing Zhutie Village with 200 pounds was already a generous offer. Yu Su wouldn't have given even 200 pounds if it were someone else.
After hearing Yu Su's reasoning, the others agreed. The village chief spoke, "Yu Su is right. In this situation, every village is likely struggling. We need to stock up on food, just in case."
Everyone concurred, following Yu Su's suggestion.
Soon, representatives from Zhutie Village arrived with five sleds pulled not by snow wolves, but by forest dogs. Though smaller than snow wolves, these dogs, with considerable effort, were trained to pull sleds for Zhutie Village. Snow wolves were no longer a feasible option.
"Our village has already sold a portion of the grain. What remains must be reserved for emergencies. Currently, we can provide you with approximately 150 pounds," Yu Su informed Tieying upon their arrival.
Tieying urgently pleaded, "Lord Yu Su, please find a way to share a bit more. We have too many refugees in our village, and 150 pounds won't last us through the winter."
Yu Su, looking troubled, replied, "This..."
Tieying insisted, "Lord Yu Su, please help us. We are willing to pay more."
Yu Su shook his head, "It's not about money. Okay, in consideration of our good relationship, I'll give you an extra 50 pounds. We can't offer more than that."
Tieying expressed gratitude, "Thank you, Lord Yu Su. Another 50 pounds is already generous. Thank you!"
As they loaded the sleds with four sacks, each filled with grain, Tieying and his team were cautious, securing them tightly to prevent any issues.
After watching them leave, Yu Su summoned an eagle and instructed it to follow Zhutie Village's convoy and report back if any issues arose.
...
Two days later, the weather worsened again.
Villagers cleared the roofs twice in one day, and the snow in front of the doors was almost higher than the door frames.
After the snow stopped, as Yu Su predicted, several more villages sought help from Yucun.
These villages, from the northern wilderness, faced the same plight as Hongshan Village. Entire villages were homeless, and they were experiencing a shortage of food.
Unlike Hongshan Village, these villages were somewhat closer to Yucun, allowing them to seek assistance. They hadn't suffered the fate of Hongshan Village, where most residents died on the southern journey.
"Do we really have to take them in?" In the council chamber, the villagers gathered once again.
The displaced people from other villages were temporarily accommodated in the trading market.
Fortunately, Yucun's trading market was spacious and constructed as an indoor market from the beginning—sturdy enough to provide shelter from the wind and rain. With some modifications, it could serve as a temporary refuge for these displaced people.
The issue now was feeding so many people, and the grain supply was a concern.
It would be heartbreaking to give away the stored grain, but Yu Su said, "Helping is a must, but it shouldn't be for free."
Providing both shelter and food to the displaced people meant they couldn't take advantage of the situation. There had to be some form of repayment.
"What's your plan?" The others looked to Yu Su for guidance.
Yu Su: "Those who have money should contribute, and those who don't should sign labor contracts to exchange their labor after the spring for this winter's grain."
Jian Yunchuan: "The contract is fine, but what should they do after tomorrow's spring?"
Yu Su: "There's plenty to do. We need to continue reclaiming land to the west. Besides hemp, we plan to plant three times more cotton next year than this year. We not only need land but also manpower."
Speaking of cotton, everyone now understands its benefits, so there's no longer any questioning of whether it's worth planting.
"That should work. Let's go with that," the village chief said.
Others had no objections.
Representing Yu Su, Yu Feng went to negotiate with the displaced people from other villages.
Initially, some opposed.
"The trading market was originally empty. We're just temporarily staying here. Why should we pay and work?"
"Yeah, your village is so wealthy. Do you really lack this bit of money?"
"We're already in such a miserable state!"
Yu Feng's initially mild expression immediately turned cold as he surveyed those who opposed.
A powerful oppression made them break into a cold sweat, and they dared not speak.
Yu Feng coldly stated, "Why? Because you're living on the land of our Yucun village and eating the food we provide. You're living in our village, eating our food, and you want to contribute nothing? There's no such good deal in the world."
"Let me tell you, our village is willing to take you in to spend the cold winter here, and that's thanks to Lord Yu Su's kindness. Don't take Lord Yu Su's kindness for granted. If anyone dares to cause trouble, immediately get out of Yucun village!"
After Yu Feng finished speaking, a group of soldiers with iron spears emerged behind him. Each had a bloodthirsty aura, staring at those who caused trouble.
The people who wanted to take advantage just a moment ago immediately shrank their necks, not daring to look.
"Lord Yu Feng, please don't be angry. We're not with those people."
"Yeah, we're willing to sign the contract."
"They don't want to survive; we do."
Yu Feng glanced at the soldiers behind him, and those soldiers nodded.
Walking into the crowd, he pulled out those who had spoken earlier.
"What are you doing?"
"Do you want to drive us out?"
"You can't do this!"
"Wait, I'm willing to sign the contract. I'll sign it; don't drive me away!"
Yu Feng didn't want to hear another word from them. After making a gesture, the soldiers grabbed them and dragged them out of the trading market, throwing them into the snowy area outside.
Those who wanted to rush back to the trading market were immediately stopped by iron spears.
"Take one more step, and we'll kill you."
The soldiers' words scared them into silence, kneeling down and crying, begging to be allowed back.
Yu Feng: "Silence them."
Soon, the mouths of those people were sealed shut. They were driven out of the trading market and not allowed to return.
Seeing this, the others dared not speak a word. They followed Yu Feng's instructions: either contribute money or sign a contract to work for Yucun village for a period.
Most chose to sign a contract, with only a few able to contribute money.
After they all signed, Yu Feng had goods for warmth and food brought in and distributed to everyone.
Seeing the warmth and food, these displaced people finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Knowing that Yucun village would keep its promise, allowing them to survive this winter.
As long as they could survive, working for Yucun village for a period as an exchange was quite fair. Yucun village did not intentionally oppress them.
Some who had tried to take advantage before now lowered their heads.