Chapter 65: Chapter 63: Payday, Return to the City, and the Huaxia People’s Supermarket (Part 3)
Inside a relatively spacious tent.
Zhao Qianju was holding his four-year-old son in his arms, quietly listening to his wife’s tale:
"Just after Ah Ju left, a group of stewards from the Wei Mansion came over.
They first cleaned up all the... the things on the ground and sprayed some disinfectant, and the smell in the alley immediately got much better.
Then the stewards from the Wei Mansion distributed food, water, and tents to each household.
They repeatedly instructed us not to drink raw water and to fetch hot soup from the boiler at the alley entrance as needed.
Because our family is larger, we got a bigger tent....."
"Wait a minute."
Zhao Qianju suddenly interrupted his wife, asking curiously:
"Is it the Wei Mansion stewards who gave us the food and tents? Not those Huaxia people?"
Wang Qiaoyun brushed away a strand of hair blocking her vision and nodded affirmatively:
"That’s right, it was the Wei Mansion stewards.
Not a single Huaxia person was seen when things were handed out.
If you don’t believe, go out and see, there’s a ’Wei’ character engraved on our tent."
Zhao Qianju pondered for a few seconds, gradually realizing:
These tents, obviously made by the Huaxia people, were engraved with a ’Wei’ character, and the event was managed by the stewards from the Wei Mansion.....
Perhaps both parties have reached some agreement, presumably Chixian City will be led by the Wei Mansion in the future...
Wang Qiaoyun didn’t notice her husband’s absent-mindedness, as she was eager to share her experiences with her family:
"After distributing the tents, the servants from the Wei Mansion specifically instructed everyone to rest assured and live here.
They said that in some time there will be job vacancies... basically means work, and there will be special workers to assist us womenfolk.
Once everyone has money and better conditions, they’ll arrange another area for us to live in.
After the tents were distributed, the Wei Mansion stewards gathered us, the severely ill refugees, together...."
Zhao Qianju snapped back to reality upon hearing the last sentence and asked involuntarily, "What did they gather you for?"
"They said it was for some medical examination."
Wang Qiaoyun’s face revealed a hint of fear:
"At first, we thought they were going to... to kill all the sick people. After all, we are burdens, and I was worried I’d never see you and Little Bao again....."
Zhao Qianju gently embraced his wife’s shoulders, comforting her:
"No, no, this must be arranged by the Huaxia people, they wouldn’t harm us."
Wang Qiaoyun wiped her tears and nodded repeatedly:
"That’s right, it was requested by those Huaxia people.
They gathered us to a place outside the city, called some wilderness... wilderness yard, full of Huaxia people in white coats walking around."
As she spoke, Wang Qiaoyun pulled up her sleeve to reveal a needle mark.
A mixture of embarrassment and excitement showed on her face:
"Those Huaxia people took some blood from me with a strange tube, and not long after, they told me I had... enteritis and ascaris.
They gave me some little white tablets and hung some drip, and then arranged for me to stay at that wilderness yard.
By the next day, I passed... passed out some dirty stuff, all wriggling with worms inside.
I stayed with them for three days, and once I could walk again I returned.
Oh, ’two days’ is the time those Huaxia people said.
They also put up a big clock in the city, saying from now on it will be according to Huaxia time.
Apparently, seven Huaxia days equal one Damo Day. I think it’s quite good this way, now we can know what time we should do things."
Zhao Qianju looked at his wife’s face, still somewhat haggard but with a newfound vitality in her eyes, and instinctively tightened his grip on her hand.
In these short six days, he had gone through an adventure akin to a dream.
Six days ago.
He was still worrying about the family’s livelihood and grieving over his wife’s illness.
He had even prepared two copper coins hidden in the soles of his shoes, planning to buy a bamboo mat for her if she couldn’t hold on.....
But six days later, everything had changed.
He was well-fed and clothed at the construction site, gained five or six pounds, and his family had food and a shelter.
Even his wife’s stomach pain had been treated.
This change made Zhao Qianju feel a sense of unreality, fearing it might be a fantasy he conjured himself.....
Suddenly, he thought of something.
His right hand quickly reached into his bosom.
Upon feeling an envelope, he sighed in slight relief—such a tangible sensation couldn’t be just a dream.
He carefully took the envelope out from his chest, cautiously glanced outside, and said to his wife:
"Ah Yun, let me show you something."
Wang Qiaoyun had never seen her husband show such a cautious look, suddenly thought of something, and lowered her voice in panic:
"What’s wrong?
You wouldn’t have stolen something from the Huaxia people, would you? Let me tell you....."
Zhao Qianju shook his head and interrupted her:
"Don’t think wildly, I didn’t steal anything.
The Huaxia people have been so good to us, would I still be human if I stole from them?
Ah Yun, look, these are the wages given to me by the Huaxia people, worth over 200 copper coins."
As he spoke, Zhao Qianju opened the envelope, revealing several banknotes and a small card labeled in Damo language.
He picked up the card, looking at the illustration by the sunlight outside the tent,
"These three pink ones are one hundred... fifty... twenty... these two are ten... five and one.
Altogether four hundred four equivalent to two hundred two copper coins!"
Wang Qiaoyun’s breath instantly became more rapid.
Over 200 copper coins!
Nowadays, working a short-term job pays just over thirty copper coins, with stewards deducting forty to fifty percent, getting twenty is already good.
And how long has her husband been at the construction site to earn 200 copper coins?
Seeing his wife’s surprise, Zhao Qianju bashfully scratched his head:
"Actually, normal workers don’t get that much, I got appointed as dormitory head and was elected outstanding member, so I got an extra hundred bonus....."
"A bonus is still money!"
Wang Qiaoyun was feeling a bit dizzy. It was the first time in years she had seen this much money.
But she quickly thought of something and asked her husband:
"Ah Ju, this money is a lot, but can it be used?
Since it’s not gold, silver, copper, or iron, what if no one accepts it?"
Zhao Qianju shook his head, not worrying much about this:
"When the money was handed out, Chief Steward Wei from the Wei Mansion was there.
He personally promised us that all businesses under the Wei Mansion could use the Huaxia currency, those not accepting it can be reported!
Furthermore, the Huaxia people established some kind of supermarket, saying all sorts of supplies can be bought there, and it’s located in the west of the city.
There were over four hundred people who received money, those Huaxia people wouldn’t be playing a joke on us, right?"
After saying all this, Zhao Qianju fell silent for a while.
He looked at his wife’s condition and hesitated:
"Ah Yun, can you walk, how about we go check out the supermarket?"