Chapter 622 - Chapter 622: Chapter 622: The Solution (1/2)

Chapter 622: Chapter 622: The Solution

Liu Sisi stepped onto the high stage, turned to face everyone, and then slowly scanned the crowd.

Finally, she sighed, “Ladies and gentlemen, although the idea of distributing porridge was proposed by my husband, the grain for this porridge is in fact procured from the earnings of my dowry shop. It is used to fill in the gaps here.”

As soon as Liu Sisi finished speaking, the crowd queuing in line discussed in hushed whispers, yet nobody stepped forward.

“Everyone should know that the price of grain is currently on the rise. A stone of grain that originally cost 3 taels of silver now costs 4 taels and 3 maces. The reason for this significant increase is closely related to the significantly reduced yield of early rice this year, and I believe everyone present understands that.”

Liu Sisi’s gaze swept across the crowd, “Every day, Sisi uses the silver earned from her dowry shop to supplement everyone’s food. Just now, someone said they saw Sisi herself and went so far as to say that the fat on Sisi’s body and the gold and silver ornaments on her head weigh the same. I’m standing right here, so everyone can clearly see the clothing I’m wearing and the clothing of the maids and woman-servants behind me. See if I am indeed, as he claimed, clothed in gold and silver and living in luxury!”

She is actually not worried about these idle and scatterred gossip, but now the position of Macheng County Magistrate is vacant, and during Di Yelei’s temporary takeover during this special period, there mustn’t be any issues.

The murmurings around her gradually grew louder, and finally, someone stood up.

“Could someone impersonating Mrs Di have come forward?”

“No, not a chance! I’ve had the privilege of seeing the lady from afar, this is indeed the genuine Mrs Di.”

“So who are the bastards spreading rumors and tarnishing the reputations of Lord Di and Mrs Di?”

“Find him! Beat him to death!”

“Yes, find him, drag him out here, and kill him!”

The shouts of the crowd grew louder and more resonant, each person scrambling to find the old man who had previously slandered their reputation. That old man, being cunning, had already sneaked away the moment Liu Sisi started speaking. The crowd was riotous for a long time, yet nobody could capture him.

Liu Sisis looked up at the sky, not wanting to waste any more time here.

“Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, please hear me out! Everyone!”

Liu Sisi tried hard to quell the agitation of the crowd, “Everyone is aware that the price of grain is becoming more and more expensive. Sisi is but a humble woman, and there won’t be any good fortune like manna from heaven falling onto my head. Therefore, we have made a painful decision.”

She suddenly stopped talking, looking up at everyone around her.

Everyone’s eyes were wide open, looking up at her, she wasn’t going to cancel the distribution of porridge, was she?

“Everyone knows that recently, locusts have run rampant, eating crops and ruining many seedlings. Therefore, starting from today, anyone who brings in 1,000 locusts can come here to exchange them for a small bowl of coarse grains! There is no limit. As to when to cease these exchanges, I will inform everyone separately!”

Liu Sisi solemnly looked at everyone, “After everyone catches the locusts, put them in a bag first, and then pierce the locusts with a bamboo stick. Make a string of 50 locusts. It will not only be convenient to pick up, but also to count. Then you can bring them.”

“Exchange coarse grains with locusts? These locusts can even be exchanged for coarse grains? This is simply incredible.”

“Really strange. These locusts eat our crops year after year, causing no harvest in the fields. What is the lady going to do with these bought locusts?”

“What does it matter what she does with them? 1,000 can be exchanged for a bowl of coarse grain. There are locusts everywhere on the mountainside outside, let’s hurry and catch them!”

“Yes, there are locusts all over the mountains, and they are easy to catch. In one day, we might get several bowls of grain, which is enough for my family to get by.”