Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Chapter 299: If I Were a Man, I Wouldnt (1/2)
Chapter 299: Chapter 299: If I Were a Man, I Wouldn’t
Lose to Your Elder Brother 1
Translator: 549690339 |
Wei Ruo sensed Yun’s gaze, but pretended not to see it.
She could refuse the monthly allowance from the Wei Residence, but she wasn’t generous enough to pay out of her pocket to support the family.
As long as she didn’t initiate the topic, Yun would find it hard to bring it up. In highborn families, it wasn’t a respectable thing for parents to take their daughter’s private money, unless no one knew about it. Otherwise, the shame was no less than pawning.
Ignoring Yun’s look, Wei Ruo acted as if nothing happened and asked Wei Mingting about the refugees: “Father, what is the government office planning to do with the refugees who have recently fled to the city?”
Wei Mingting sighed: “There is no good solution. I initially planned to conscript them, but not all the refugees are adult men. Most are elderly and children. Even if there are able-bodied men, most of them have families to support. If only men are conscripted, the family left behind wouldn’t know how to survive in this famine. The government office would like to accommodate them, but there is no good place to do so.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Yichen asked: “What about arranging for them to reclaim wasteland like we did in Xingshan County before? At that time, Ruoruo and the county government arranged for the refugees to participate in the reclamation of wasteland in the south of the city, achieving great success Not only were the refugees resettled, the wasteland was also improved, leading to a bountiful wheat harvest this summer. It was a win-win situation.”
Wei Mingting considered this and said: “The number of refugees in Xingshan County last year was smaller. This year, the scope of the disaster has expanded further, and the number of refugees is increasing. Not only are there the current refugees in and out of the city, but many more are pouring in from other places. But regardless, if the court could arrange for some people to reclaim wasteland and be self-sufficient, it would be better than doing nothing and could alleviate some problems.”
As he spoke, both Wei Mingting and Wei Yichen turned to look at Wei Ruo.
If they were to accomplish this task, Wei Ruo would play a key role.
Because not everyone could manage this, Wei Ruo was the only one who had done it successfully so far.
If not, the seventh prince wouldn’t have made a special trip to the Wei Residence to invite Wei Ruo, and even after being refused, he still sent people to deliver gifts to Wei Ruo and sweet-talk her multiple times.
Wei Ruo replied: “This is a major issue. Organizing refugees to reclaim wasteland now would be many times more troublesome than it was in Xingshan County. Firstly, there are more refugees involved and the range of wasteland to be reclaimed is wider, hence more government personnel will be required. Moreover, the Yuan Residence and the seventh prince may also be involved, so at that time, I, as a mere woman, will not be able to make decisions alone. Therefore, further discussions are needed.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Mingting nodded in agreement: “Ruoruo makes a valid point. This is indeed not a simple matter and careful thought must be given.” Wei Yichen asked Wei Ruo: “What are the things that you think we can do currently, Ruoruo?”
Wei Ruo responded: “Let’s first wait and see how things develop, partly to see what plans the court has, and also to observe the actions of other prominent families in Taizhou prefecture. After all, the Wei Family is relatively weak in Taizhou prefecture. Furthermore, as our father is a military officer, disaster relief should not fall upon us in any way.”
Even if Wei Ruo was concerned about the people and wanted to set aside her prejudice against Chu Lan to work with him again, she dared not get involved rashly under the current circumstances.
Wei Yichen also agreed: “Ruoruo makes a very good point.”
Wei Mingting couldn’t help saying: “If Ruoruo were a man, she would be no less capable than your elder brother.”
Wei Yichen agreed: “My elder sister is indeed a very talented person.” While Wei Yichen disapproved of some of the things Wei Ruo did as a woman of the inner quarters, he was fully appreciative of her talents and abilities.
At this time, Wei Qingwan interjected: “Father, I heard that the wealthy families in the city have abundant grain reserves. I think if they are willing to help, they should be able to relieve the pressure of the famine to a certain extent.”