Chapter 1533: Disaster Relief

At this time, Prague.

Liu Zheng and Teresa set off for Prague, carrying five hundred thousand shi of grain.

Along the way, they saw that because of the war, some places were suffering from famine.

Many refugees emerged, but the situation was quickly quelled.

This was because every time Teresa arrived at a place, she would set up porridge stalls and distribute grain.

She allowed these disaster victims to barely have enough food to get through the end of the year; once the year ended, the grain harvest would arrive in the spring.

By then, there would be things to eat.

Liu Zheng told her: "From a merchant's perspective, what you are doing only solves the immediate problem; it cannot solve the permanent problem."

Because when they passed through, they often saw those Nobles and wealthy merchants still eating meat in large mouthfuls and drinking wine from large bowls.

Among them, there were even Nobles colluding with wealthy merchants.

The Nobles lent their titles, and the wealthy merchants used their money.

They used coercion and bribery, wanting to make Teresa sell the massive amount of grain in her hands to them at a low price.

Teresa would not sell.

They even used local troops to surround and attack them, but every time these Nobles or wealthy merchants who launched the attacks would suddenly die of various causes.

With their financial backers dead, these local armed forces did not make things overly difficult for Teresa and Liu Zheng.

The two of them arrived in Prague just like that.

Prague was originally a prosperous city; it was close to Saxony, and the two countries often had trade dealings.

Moreover, Prague possessed fertile fields, suitable for farming.

Agriculture here was very developed; at the very least, a famine should not have occurred here, but after Teresa arrived.

She boasted to Liu Zheng about how prosperous this place was.

Wheat seedlings were everywhere here.

"Is this what you call wheat seedlings?" Liu Zheng pointed at the vast expanse of wasteland and asked, puzzled.

Teresa was stunned; she walked over to look at the abandoned fields, which were overgrown with weeds—where were there any wheat seedlings left?

"This, this shouldn't be... When I came here a few years ago, wheat seedlings were everywhere during this season."

Teresa wanted to refute this, but she could not refute the scene before her eyes, and she said despondently: "It shouldn't be this desolate..."

Liu Zheng patted her on the shoulder.

"If there were no problems here, why did you ask me to purchase so much grain to bring here?"

Teresa was stunned; she had been a refugee, but she had never been to Prague.

She only knew of Prague's miserable state from the mouths of others; now it seemed Prague had truly become a Hell on earth.

"Let's go, let's go provide disaster relief." Liu Zheng stretched and said indifferently.

Seeing his relaxed appearance, Teresa's heavy heart could not help but relax a little.

She looked at the city not far away, a smile appearing on her face: "Let's go provide disaster relief."

Liu Zheng was pulled along by her to provide disaster relief, setting up simple porridge stalls.

And other familiar tasks, but this time Liu Zheng told her.

"For these disaster victims, it is best if you do not give them grain directly."

Teresa frowned: "Why?"

"They are all disaster victims; if I don't distribute the grain to them, who should I distribute it to?"

Liu Zheng shook his head: "These disaster victims are different from the previous ones; those people still had crops that hadn't been abandoned."

"If they hold out through the disaster year, they can still survive on the grain harvested next year."

"But what about these people?"

"The fields have been abandoned; if we give them grain, they only care about having something to eat now, and by next year, these people will still be disaster victims."

After hearing Liu Zheng's words, Teresa fell into silence.

She looked at Liu Zheng, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing: "Liu Zheng, sometimes I feel like you aren't a merchant."

"Instead, you seem like an experienced official."

Liu Zheng rubbed his nose, avoided her gaze, and laughed: "Is that so?"

"Perhaps it's my talent; I can't help it, I'm just that excellent."

Teresa let out a laugh and ignored this guy whose face was sometimes as thick as a city wall.

After careful consideration, Teresa decided to set up the porridge stalls at the edges of the farmland and sent people to publicize the fact that she had set up the stalls.

Soon, a large group of refugees was attracted.

Most of the refugees, in order to have something to eat, agreed to work, clear the fields, and restore the irrigation channels.

After a few days, the results were surprisingly good.

Of course, only a few people among them were unwilling to work and left.

Teresa did not try to keep them.

The news of their charity porridge soon spread into the city, attracting a large number of refugees.

Teresa and Liu Zheng had no choice but to build more porridge stalls.

During this period, some refugees even took the initiative to maintain order and help them build the porridge stalls.

Seeing this scene, Teresa was happy from the bottom of her heart.

But for some reason, when asked why Prague had become like this, these refugees would repeatedly refuse to speak about it.

"Miss, Mr. Liu, you had better not ask."

Teresa and Liu Zheng looked at each other and shook their heads one after another.

It seems no information can be obtained from the mouths of these refugees.

A few days later, a priest wearing a white robe arrived here from the city of Prague.

After inquiring about Liu Zheng and Teresa, the priest walked over and performed a salute.

Teresa is a believer in Catholicism, and this priest is also a person of Catholicism.

Therefore, Teresa performed the etiquette of Catholicism.

The priest glanced at Teresa, cast a look at Liu Zheng, and said indifferently, "Young lady, are you also a believer in the Lord?"

Teresa smiled and replied, "Yes, I believe in the Lord."

The priest nodded, looked at her kindly, and said again, "Now our Lord is in trouble; as a believer, may I ask if you are willing to offer everything for the Lord?"

Teresa was stunned and asked, "What does the Lord need me to do?"

"The Lord needs your current food."

Upon hearing this, Teresa's expression changed drastically; she is a devout believer in Catholicism and generally would not refuse a request from the Lord!

But this food is what she begged for to save lives!

Without this food, these people of Austria will have no more food, and Prague will become a living hell.

"What, are you unwilling?" the priest asked coldly.

Teresa squeezed out a smile: "Although I am a believer in the Lord, I can only offer the handful of food in my hand to the Lord; the rest of the food is needed by all the refugees of Prague."

Hearing this, the priest let out a laugh: "A clever answer."

Teresa handed over the food in her hand.

The priest did not take it, but instead looked at the five hundred thousand shi of grain behind Teresa, then turned to look at the refugees of Prague and asked.

"Are you willing to offer your food for the Lord?"

Hearing this, Teresa's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Prague is the place with the most Catholics in Austria, and also the most devout place.

The refugees were silent about this, and their eyes were complex as they looked at Teresa.

Some refugees, upon hearing the priest's request, had fanatical faith flickering in their eyes and immediately bowed their heads, saying, "Lord, I am willing to offer everything I have!"

Many devout believers said in unison, "Lord, I am willing to offer everything I have!"

Teresa's expression changed; the priest looked at her with a smile, extended a hand, and waited for Teresa to hand over the food.

Just at this moment, Liu Zheng blocked the way in front of Teresa, grinned at the priest, and said indifferently:

"Priest, I am also a believer in the Lord, and this food actually all belongs to me."

"Why don't you ask me?"