Natural disasters in books: I stockpiled goods to escape famine in ancient times

The village chief stared at the cakes. Farmers had never seen cakes packed in boxes before. They looked very expensive and he immediately refused.

Receiving the master's look, Zhang Wu stepped forward and said with a smile: "It's just ordinary snacks. The main thing is to settle down. Thank you for your trouble. My sister and I will live here in the future. We may have to trouble the village chief. If the village chief doesn't accept us, my sister and I will not be able to come to his house if we have any problems in the future."

The words are sincere and heartfelt, without any falsehood.

The village chief's smile deepened a little, and he stroked his beard and nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll be thick-skinned today. As for the village head's copy, I'll bring it to him later. You don't have to worry about settling down. As long as I have no objection, it's settled. You just have to come to my house early tomorrow and go to the government office to finalize it so that you can settle down earlier."

The village chief paused for a moment, drank a sip of boiled water, and then continued: "There are only about 20 households in our village now, and the population is not large. Everyone is easy to get along with. You will know it when you visit each other in the future. In addition, there are no vacant houses in the village now, so you may have to ask the village to borrow your place for a while."

"Every family has a lot of people, so they probably don't have any extra rooms. We can only squeeze in one or two rooms for you brothers and sisters. But it's not free. Of course, you don't have to pay for the room. We are all from the same village. At most, I'll give you a few eggs. It all depends on your willingness."

The village chief dug into the matter and said that everything should be discussed in advance so that things can be explained clearly to others when the time comes to avoid gossip. Besides, the brother and sister were new residents and were still young, so they probably hadn't thought about this aspect of their interpersonal relationships.

Wu Dahai, who was standing by, hadn't said anything for a long time. When he heard the village chief talking about borrowing a place to stay, he immediately slapped his thigh and said, "Why do we need to borrow a place to stay? Didn't Quan Gui's family go to the city to live with relatives some time ago? They won't be back for a while, so it's a good opportunity for Xiao Wu and the others to stay here."

The village chief suddenly understood what he said and nodded with a smile: "I actually forgot about his house. Now it's good. We don't have to ask the village to vacate the house. You and your sister are lucky. There is no one at home. You can stay at his house and move in after the house is built."

Zhang Wu and Song Shiwei looked at each other, and when he saw her nod, he bowed to the village chief again and said, "In that case, I have to trouble you again. My sister and I won't live here for free. Let's see what kind of rent they charge. Whether it's money or food, we're fine with it."

"Since you've thought so carefully, it's just right that you'll be moving to the city tomorrow and come with me to find that family. You can discuss it by yourselves then. As for tonight, Dahai, since you brought them here, can you spare a room in your house? If not, let them stay with your family for the time being."

Wu Dahai grinned and said, "It will be fine for one night. I will take Xiao Wu and the others back soon. Uncle Village Chief, don't worry."

Zhang Wu saw his master frowning, and his heart tightened. He quickly interrupted the two of them and said, "It's only one night. My sister and I won't bother Brother Dahai and his family. People can sleep in the carriage. If it doesn't work, there are tents in the carriage. We can just find a place to set it up and live there."

After spending so much time together, the two of them came to understand Zhang Wu's stubborn character. They knew that he didn't want to trouble others too much, so they had to give up after hearing what he said.

After leaving the village chief's house, Wu Dahai talked to Zhang Wu for a while, and finally went home with the two eggs that Song Shiwei forced into his pocket.

"Master, would you like to go to the city and find an inn to rest tonight?" Zhang Wu had said before that he would set up a tent in the village for the night, which was also an excuse he made up. The Damao Village was only ten miles away from the city, and if conditions allowed, he naturally hoped that the master could have a better rest, so he brought the carriage over to ask this question.

Song Shi smiled and shook his head: "In the past, it was common for us to sleep outdoors. It doesn't make sense that we can't do that now. You still have to go to the city with the village chief tomorrow morning, so you should rest in the village tonight."

Zhang Wu agreed with a smile, then drove the carriage directly to the homestead. After Song Shiwei got off the carriage, he began to set up the tent, build a stone stove, collect firewood, and cook rice in a clay pot. He did all the work smoothly, showing that he was used to it. If Wu Dahai and the village chief saw this, they would probably be extremely surprised.

"Master, what would you like to eat tonight?"

Song Shiwei really thought about it and was silent for a moment: "It's a mess here, just do something casually. There should be some pickled meat, so just stir-fry it casually."

Zhang Wu let out a sigh and got on the carriage to pickle the meat.

It was just a coincidence that the two of them came at a time when everyone in the village was staying at home to avoid the heat. If it were any other day, when strangers came to the village on weekdays, they would definitely come out to watch the fun, so at this moment, the master and servant were not noticed by anyone.

After dinner, Song Shiwei felt tired, so he said hello to Zhang Wu and went into the tent to sleep.

On the second day, Zhang Wu got up early, prepared breakfast for his master, and went to find the village chief. The village chief then led the way to the head of the village. When no one was paying attention, Zhang Wu slipped two taels of silver into the head of the village. Then the three of them went to the government office to register their settlement and paid the silver for buying land. At this point, the settlement in Damao Village was finally settled.

The three of them walked out of the government office, and Zhang Wu greeted them and said, "I am sorry to bother you, Village Chief Wei and the head of the village today. It is almost noon now. I see a restaurant not far ahead that is doing good business. I think the food is good. I hope you will do me a favor and give me a chance to host you."

The village chief and the head of the village looked at each other, and smiles appeared in their eyes.

The village head said with a smile: "Since Xiao Zhang invited you, then Village Chief Wei and I will not refuse. But you will have to pay for it today."

The village chief stood behind the headman, looking at Zhang Wu with helplessness in his eyes. He couldn't help but worry about him. He had just given him a lot of silver and money at the government office, and now he wanted to treat him to a meal, and he had to go to that expensive restaurant.

The village chief sighed, this child spends money too lavishly. Even if he has a lot of wealth, he can't afford such spending. How will he live in the future?

Alas, after all, people who are not married do not know how to be thrifty and manage their household.

The village chief wanted to refuse, but the head of the village was the most powerful one and he had already agreed to it, so it would be embarrassing for him to say anything else.

Zhang Wu led the way and after entering the restaurant, he ordered a table of delicious dishes and a pot of good wine. The head of the village was so happy that the smile on his face never disappeared from beginning to end.

After eating and drinking, Zhang Wu and the other man said goodbye to the head of the village. The village chief got on the carriage but still did not get into the carriage. He simply sat outside with Zhang Wu.

"Xiao Zhang, you shouldn't have spent so much money today. The village head lives in the city, so it won't take him long to walk back home. Why would he need to spend that much money to eat at a restaurant?"

Zhang Wu's expression remained unchanged, with a smile on his face: "I am happy today, so I will just celebrate. The village chief and the head of the village have been busy for me today, so it is only right that they invite you to dinner. Besides, even if I don't invite the head of the village, I will still invite the village chief. My sister and I are still young, and we will need the village chief to take care of us in the future. Just think of this meal as a bribe to you."

Zhang Wu said this half-jokingly, causing the village chief to burst into laughter.