Chapter 561: The Wolf Pack is Coming

He Yuzhu smiled and said modestly, "The land has been cleared, but the construction of the houses has been delayed time and again, and everyone is still squeezed into tents and Earth Pits. I would like to ask Section Chief Lv for a favor: hire some people from the county to get the barracks built."

After hearing this, Lv Hong agreed readily: "No problem. Actually, the Earth Pits you are living in can also get you through the winter."

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Most of our workers came from the city. Although they aren't wealthy, their lives were better than this. I can't let them keep suffering like this. I want to ask you to help find some master builders. I won't skimp on the wages, and I'll provide meals too."

Lv Hong's eyes lit up, and she immediately replied: "Factory Director He, leave this construction job to our county Water Conservancy Bureau Engineering Team! I guarantee that before winter sets in, I will have all the houses built for you."

He Yuzhu followed the flow: "Then I'll leave it to you."

Early the next morning, as soon as He Yuzhu stepped outside, he was stunned on the spot.

Lv Hong had actually brought over a thousand people, men and women, old and young, a massive, swarming crowd.

Erkui hurried over to He Yuzhu's side and complained in a low voice: "Zhuzi, we've been tricked by Section Chief Lv! These aren't a construction team at all; they are clearly refugees fleeing from famine!"

He Yuzhu laughed, raised his hand, and patted Erkui on the shoulder: "You, your perspective is still too narrow, not even as good as a woman's! We don't care who they are, as long as they get the houses built on time."

Erkui looked at him with a blank expression.

He Yuzhu explained: "Many places inside the pass suffered disasters this year, and the fellow villagers are all running to Beidahuang, trying to find a way to survive. With the weather about to turn cold, these people can't find work in the county, and the county saw that our conditions were relatively well-off, which is why they let Lv Hong bring them over."

Erkui suddenly realized, and said with difficulty: "Zhuzi, the food for over a thousand people will take a lot of grain!"

"What are we clearing land for? Isn't it so that more people can have a full meal? Arrange the food as it should be arranged. If we are short on grain, meat, or vegetables, I will find a way."

"Understood!" Erkui ran off to make arrangements.

Lv Hong walked up to He Yuzhu. Seeing his expression was normal and he wasn't the least bit displeased, she felt a warmth in her heart and said solemnly: "Factory Director He, I've brought the people. Don't look down on them; they are all very capable and will definitely not delay your schedule."

He Yuzhu smiled faintly: "I trust your work."

Lv Hong bit her lip: "Although not all of them are strong laborers, they are definitely not sloppy when it comes to work."

He Yuzhu laughed: "You don't need to explain. We will provide all the materials. Build forty houses according to my blueprints, and I will give you ten thousand yuan. Just deliver the work on time. As for how you distribute the money to them, that's your business. We provide the meals, and they can sleep here at night; we have tents too."

After hearing this, tears instantly fell from Lv Hong's eyes. Over the past two months, she had suffered many grievances trying to find food for these refugees, and she had never seen someone as generous as He Yuzhu.

"Factory Director He, I won't say anything else. Before winter, I will definitely build the houses beautifully for you!"

When it was time for lunch, the group of workers looked at the food and were all stunned.

On the tables were white flour steamed buns and roe deer meat stewed with vermicelli, all-you-can-eat, as much as they wanted. Many people's eyes turned red while they ate.

Why was it roe deer meat?

This area was originally an uninhabited wilderness with many wild beasts that weren't very afraid of people. Every time He Yuzhu went into the mountains to hunt, he would carry back dozens at a time.

Lv Hong leaned over to He Yuzhu and teased: "Factory Director He, I don't even want to work at the Water Conservancy Bureau anymore; I want to work for you. The food here is just too good."

He Yuzhu was amused by her: "Section Chief Lv has a bright future ahead. My place is at best a Farm, it would be a waste of your talent."

Lv Hong was silent for a moment, then asked: "I brought so many people over at once, don't you have any resentment at all?"

He Yuzhu looked at the crowd and said softly: "When poor, one keeps oneself virtuous; when successful, one helps the world. I don't have that much ability, but I can still take care of the people around me. When the houses are built and the original Earth Pits are cleared out, if these people don't mind, let them live there for now. Next spring, the corner plots that the large machines can't plow will all be distributed to them."

Upon hearing this, Lv Hong felt a lump in her throat, and her voice choked up: "Back in the summer, a large number of refugees came to the county. After the floods, our water conservancy department was repairing river embankments and bridges, and we could still use some people to let them earn a meal. But with winter approaching, I was truly at my wit's end..."

He Yuzhu gently patted her shoulder and laughed: "You shouldn't be called Lv Hong; you should be called Lv Xia, the 'xia' of a chivalrous hero."

Lv Hong wiped away her tears and smiled.

"If you think I'm doing alright, help me apply for another piece of wasteland from the county. When the time comes, I can settle even more refugees," He Yuzhu said.

Lv Hong's eyes lit up: "I actually do know of a place! That place is flooded for most of the year, but as long as we dig a river, it can become fertile land."

"That's great, take me to see it another day!"

"No problem!" Lv Hong agreed readily.

Over twenty days passed, and forty neat and impressive wooden barracks stood in a row on the wilderness.

On the day of completion, Lv Hong distributed money to every one of the refugees, even the children who had helped with the work got a share.

Holding the money, many of them were moved to tears.

Lv Hong said loudly: "Fellow villagers, if you have somewhere to go, you can leave; if you don't, you can stay. You can continue to live in the Earth Pits, and those willing to keep working for the Farm will still get paid! Next spring, you can all go plant the land that the machines can't reach..."

After hearing this, out of the thousand people, besides the 200 from the Water Conservancy Bureau, the others chose to stay—a full eight hundred people.

Erkui hurriedly registered those who stayed, divided them into groups, had them elect their own leaders, and then distributed all the Earth Pits.

Watching all this, He Yuzhu finally felt a sense of relief.

The next day, he called Erkui and a few other core members together.

"Starting today, we will divide the six hundred people into three teams. The First Team will continue to go into the mountains to chop wood; before the heavy snow seals the mountains, we must store enough firewood. The Second Team will go to the city and villages to purchase vegetables for the winter. The Third Team will come with me into the mountains to hunt."

Erkui quickly said: "Cadre Lv just asked me if we could arrange some work in the canteen for the women who know how to cook?"

He Yuzhu nodded: "No problem. I will also establish a carpentry workshop, a clothing shop, a weaving workshop as soon as possible... as long as they are willing to work, they will absolutely not go hungry."

Once He Yuzhu's words spread, everyone who stayed felt at ease.

Early the next morning, He Yuzhu took over two hundred strong men into the mountains.

This forest hadn't been visited by anyone for a long time; wild boars were in herds, roe deer darted out from time to time, and sika deer and red deer watched the crowd from afar.

He Yuzhu's marksmanship was extremely precise; every time the gun fired, a wild beast would fall.

The other team members also got their fill of shooting.

Three days later, the game in the camp had piled up like a mountain, a full tens of thousands of catties—roe deer, wild deer, wild boars, wild wolves... everything you could imagine.

Lv Hong came over again, and seeing over a thousand people busy processing the mountain of game while fragrant meat stewed in large pots, she couldn't stop smiling.

"Factory Director He, if you keep hunting like this, the wild beasts will be wiped out by you!"

He Yuzhu laughed: "It's not that exaggerated. With the heavy snow about to seal the mountains, if we don't store enough meat, what will we use to fill our stomachs in the winter?"

That evening, there was stewed venison and white flour steamed buns, all-you-can-eat.

The refugees held their bowls, eating with tears in their eyes.

Lv Hong also carried a bowl of braised venison and walked to He Yuzhu's side, her eyes red: "Seeing the fellow villagers able to live a good life following you, I'm happier than if I were living a good life myself."

"Section Chief Lv, with your character, you should be an official of higher rank," He Yuzhu laughed.

Just then, several mournful wolf howls suddenly came from the distance.

Erkui ran out to take a look, then immediately ran back in a panic: "Zhuzi, it seems a pack of wolves has approached the camp! They are going to eat the cattle we are raising!"

He Yuzhu put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and his gaze instantly turned cold.