Chapter 91: Just Won't Marry

After returning to the Su residence in the evening, Ning Yi took out paper and a pen and began to write down regulations and clauses related to disaster relief and epidemic prevention. He had already thought about these issues many times over the past few days, so writing them down was not difficult.

Modern disaster relief strategies naturally differ from ancient ones and cannot be directly copied. However, it was undeniable that modern approaches offered more robust oversight and checks, better organization of priorities, and greater foresight in many areas. These concepts needed to be adapted to the realities of the Wu Dynasty before they could be applied. While they included many methods for epidemic prevention, they also outlined a hierarchical structure and system for commanding, deploying, and managing disaster victims. This type of management philosophy was something Ning Yi excelled at, so he wrote it all down.

One reason for formulating these clauses might have been a certain sense of compassion. As a modern person, even someone accustomed to the darker aspects of society, it was still somewhat distressing to imagine many people dying from illness or starvation in just a few months. He wasn't truly cold-blooded; it was simply that a powerful intellect often allowed him to see things clearly and suppress many emotions. Of course, compassion was only one part; the other part involved his plans for other matters, which would be the second item he'd give to Elder Qin the next day.

He was busy writing all night. He only paused when Xiao Chan brought in iced white fungus soup and urged him to drink quickly, saying, "Master-in-law, if you don't drink it, the ice will melt..." Normally, Xiao Chan wouldn't disturb him when he was concentrating, but ice was particularly precious in summer, which was why she spoke with a slight hint of grievance. After finishing the soup, he resumed writing with full concentration. Xiao Chan quietly sat in a corner of the room, sewing a shoe sole. Su Tan'er also visited once; seeing him quietly absorbed in his work, she smiled at Xiao Chan and left.

The next morning, when he ran to Nie Yunzhu's small pavilion, she was drinking tea and began to talk about Yuan Jin'er's recent affairs.

"Jin'er has actually been mentioning you for quite a while," Nie Yunzhu said. "I can't believe your first meeting turned out to be like yesterday's. Haha, Jin'er is too mischievous; Li Heng shouldn't blame her."

"Not at all, she's very straightforward," Ning Yi replied with a smile. "Does she visit the store often these days?"

"Not really, she doesn't have that much free time. I occasionally go to see her, but lately, her mood seems low."

"What's wrong? Is she unhappy because Qi Lan won the courtesan queen title?"

Yuan Jin'er actually had a good personality; Ning Yi had a favorable impression of her because of the preserved eggs incident. He began thinking of poems and verses to help promote her reputation. Nie Yunzhu, however, shook her head.

"No, Jin'er never wanted to win the courtesan queen title. Her low mood is probably due to what happened recently with Feng Xiaojing. Li Heng, you were still outside the city those few days, so you might not be very clear. After the courtesan competition, Chen Yong, the commander of the Wulie Army, went to harass Feng Xiaojing again... This kind of thing had happened before; when Feng Xiaojing was the courtesan queen, she was almost forced to jump from a building. This time it happened again, and what's worse, Chen Yong's wife thought Feng Xiaojing was always seducing her husband. So she brought some guards and attacked Feng Xiaojing, chasing her around. It was said that she was almost beaten to death on the street. She is now bedridden, recuperating, and there are rumors that she's disfigured and crippled, though it's still unclear. The Yueran Pavilion, where Feng Xiaojing resided, had filed a complaint with the authorities, but then withdrew it a few days later, letting the matter drop. The reasons were self-evident. Jin'er apparently happened to pass by and witness it that day, so perhaps... she felt a little self-pity."

"Oh," Ning Yi nodded. "No wonder she wants to be a server at Zhuji... If she really goes to be a server, I think we could pay her double, or even triple, to ensure she doesn't get beaten."

Nie Yunzhu laughed. "Only you would think of that."

"Haha, let's just hope she marries soon."

Nie Yunzhu smiled, lowering her eyes slightly.

Soon after, as daylight broke, Ning Yi left the small pavilion. Nie Yunzhu watched his figure disappear, then gently sighed and picked up the tea tray to return inside. Inside the room, Hu Tao was looking at her plaintively. "Miss, do you know that if this continues and Su Tan'er from his family comes looking for us, we'll be beaten to death too! Miss, you talk about a gentleman's friendship, but if they truly misunderstand, they won't care about such distinctions!"

Nie Yunzhu glanced at her, then smiled happily, even a little mischievously. "Fine, let her beat me to death. If I were truly beaten to death, he would definitely come..." She thought for a moment, then sighed again and put down the tea tray. "But if it truly came to that... it would make things difficult for him."

Hu Tao was heartbroken. "Miss, don't be crazy! Men are all like that. Don't look at how charming he is now; if his legal wife really comes knocking, he won't show up! Besides, he's married into that Su family, and their young mistress is so formidable, Miss!"

"Don't you dare speak of him like that," Nie Yunzhu retorted with a glance back, though without any real anger. She was imagining what would happen if she were beaten to death. Hu Tao pulled a long face, still worrying. A moment later, Nie Yunzhu took a deep breath, turned back, took a peasant-like headscarf from nearby, and wrapped it around herself. As she passed Hu Tao, she pinched the maid's cheek.

"Hu Tao, you're so cute and getting prettier... it's time for you to marry!"

She said this cheerfully, but as she walked out of the room, she lowered her head and, in her heart, muttered something mischievous and willful about certain matters. *I won't marry...*

After finishing classes and eating lunch, Ning Yi went to the Qinhuai River, where Kang Xian was already waiting. Kang Xian was quite interested in the things Ning Yi produced, but he hadn't expected a manuscript like this. For both Qin Siyuan and Kang Xian, poems, novel yet unconventional ideas, chalk, and preserved eggs, though interesting, were still considered minor pursuits. Most of the time, they might have considered Ning Yi talented and believed that if he were truly put in charge of something, he would live up to expectations, but these were all assumptions, yet to be truly proven. However, after this document was presented, their view changed somewhat.

At that time, the Wu Dynasty also had similar disaster relief and epidemic prevention policies, but they differed significantly from Ning Yi's writings, mostly prioritizing stability. When problems arose, the army would forcefully suppress, or disaster victims would be left to fend for themselves, and so on. In short, the main principle was to avoid harming the foundational structure. The group had initially been chatting and laughing, but they became serious after opening the booklet and seeing the title. Their expressions grew solemn. After finishing reading, they remained silent for a long time before Kang Xian asked Lu Agui to fetch the Wu Dynasty's disaster relief regulations for comparison. Then, he began questioning Ning Yi about the text, starting with health aspects, and Ning Yi explained by the Go board.

"Epidemics often start and spread from unsanitary conditions, so the first priority is to resolve related issues as much as possible... Given the available resources, there are often not enough management personnel. When an entire region is affected by disaster and in chaos, officials at all levels should delegate authority downwards, selecting one or two layers of managers from among the disaster victims and quickly informing them of their tasks... It's still summer now, so find open, well-ventilated areas, quickly erect shelters for shade and rain protection, and try to maintain order. Dig trenches at suitable spots around the area to establish unified latrines and drainage ditches. Any available quicklime should be quickly transported to the disaster area and scattered inside and outside gathering points for disinfection. Arrange for dedicated personnel to spread awareness: rats, dead fish, dead shrimp – these absolutely must not be eaten. If dead rats are found, find a place to burn and bury them... Designate a separate area. Anyone showing signs of illness – headaches, fevers, coughing, excessive phlegm, diarrhea, etc. – must be immediately sent there, separated into severe and mild illness zones, and strictly isolated. I know many places lack resources, so I've listed the priorities to ensure behind this. As long as cloth can be found, doctors must wear masks. Clean water sources are crucial. Dead fish, dead shrimp, and dead rats are absolutely impermissible... As long as order can be maintained, then arranging for officials to be selected at each level is simply a matter of human resources. People are needed to publicize the dangers of spoiled food, the dangers of rats, and the dangers of excessive filth – a little dirtiness can't be helped, but try to ensure it doesn't get into mouths. As long as clean water sources can be found, washing hands is always an option. Arrange for people to publicize the court's measures, how much disaster relief food and funds are on their way, and so on... Of course, all of this must be based on them receiving the minimum food allowance. Most areas in our dynasty probably haven't reached that level yet..."

Ning Yi spoke a bit, and Kang Xian nodded. "Most places do have some reserves of disaster relief grain; we can always scrape some together."

"That's good then. If we ensure they don't starve to death and receive one or two bowls of porridge daily, they won't riot or resort to eating rats or carrion. If the first stage is handled correctly, subsequent stages can be controlled. But if a major disaster combines with an epidemic, it will become uncontrollable; they'll basically be left to their own devices, and nothing can stop it..."

"Therefore, for subsequent personnel management and the allocation of disaster relief funds, simple record-keeping methods should be used. Find literate and numerate individuals, strictly implement these procedures, and establish a hierarchy... The workload shouldn't be large. With this data, post-event investigations will be straightforward. Of course, settling accounts later is one part, but the most important thing is to ensure the most efficient distribution immediately. If the higher-ups are truly corrupt officials, and at someone like Brother Shaohe's level not a single grain can be obtained, then there's nothing to be done; no one can conjure food out of thin air. But as long as there's a certain amount of grain, everything is manageable. If the top cannot be guaranteed, the bottom must be. Identify a few exemplary cases, and it's fine to execute a few more as a warning to others. Using this record-keeping method, trustworthy individuals should be assigned to audit accounts daily or every few days. I've already written down several key auditing points. For problems found at these points, based on severity, those who can exploit this method in the short term should be few, and even if some do, the issue won't be significant. We must ensure the highest utilization efficiency..."

In the afternoon, a gentle breeze swept across the Qinhuai River. Ning Yi spoke fluently and calmly, using Go pieces to illustrate his points, demonstrating with rapid movements. In front of him, Elder Qin, Elder Kang, Lu Agui, and others watched silently, comprehending, and contemplating. No one spoke, and the atmosphere felt somewhat unusual. At a nearby tea stall, the owner and his daughter whispered to each other, occasionally peeking over, unsure what these people were discussing now... *Looks like Master Ning is setting up a new kind of Go game,* the tea stall owner thought.

The leisurely afternoon, and the world, continued as usual.