Chapter 30

The Little Ice Age, as the name suggests, was a relatively cold period, though warmer than the true Ice Age, hence it is called the Little Ice Age. Generally speaking, the Little Ice Age mainly refers to the colder period from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Unfortunately, the period during which Zhou Chong lived, the Zhengde era, fell right within the Little Ice Age.

In fact, when Zhou Chong first arrived, he immediately felt the impact of the Little Ice Age. He originally lived in Shanghai, and was very familiar with the local climate. Ice was rare in winter, and snow was so uncommon that it would make the news. However, in the land of the Ming Dynasty, winters were extremely cold. The ice on the ponds was so thick that people could walk on it, and it was hard to break even with a large hammer. If one did not cover themselves with two layers of quilts at night, they would be frozen awake. Snow was a common occurrence.

Although the Little Ice Age would reach its peak in the 17th century, the Ming Dynasty was already significantly affected. Disasters frequently occurred, and grain production drastically decreased, especially in the northern regions with higher latitudes. The climate was particularly abnormal, with reduced precipitation leading to drought and decreased crop yields. The severe cold in winter caused countless people to leave their homes and seek refuge, hoping to find a way to survive.

In the southern part of Shandong near Andongwei in the fourth year of Zhengde, from the beginning of the year to late autumn, there was almost no rain. Rivers and wells dried up, and crops in the fields yielded nothing. The local people not only struggled to find food but also had difficulty accessing water. Additionally, winter came unusually early, and by September, the north was already frozen. In such a state of hunger and cold, the disaster-stricken people in Andongwei had no choice but to gather their meager belongings and flee south with their families.

Songjiang Prefecture, administratively part of Nanzhili, bordered Shandong. Therefore, these disaster-stricken people quickly entered the territory of Nanzhili. Although Songjiang was a small place, it was known as a land of fish and rice, famous for its Songjiang cloth, making the lives of its people relatively prosperous. Moreover, Songjiang was directly south of Andongwei, so at least half of the disaster-stricken people flocked to Songjiang.

"Master, these disaster-stricken people have no choice. In their hometowns, even the tree bark has been stripped clean, and there are even reports of cannibalism. To find a way to survive for themselves and their families, they walked for three months, finally reaching our place. However, the government fears that these disaster-stricken people might cause trouble, so they immediately closed the city gates upon discovering them. Now, most of the disaster-stricken people are blocked outside the city. The family of three we just saw was lucky to enter the city before the gates were closed. They can find a sheltered place to rest tonight and won't be frozen to death!" Manager Xu sighed and explained the situation of the disaster-stricken people to Zhou Chong.

Zhou Chong felt a sense of melancholy after hearing this. From literature and films in his previous life, he had seen many accounts of disaster-stricken people fleeing. He knew the dire conditions they faced. Whenever a disaster occurred, these people fled their homes with their families, embarking on an uncertain journey. Many died on the way, and many more sold their children or even themselves into slavery, losing all freedom for life.

Thinking about this, Zhou Chong could only sigh inwardly. If the Zhou family were still in a strong position, they could organize food to help the disaster-stricken people outside the city. Although they couldn't feed everyone, they could provide some life-saving food, potentially saving many lives. Unfortunately, his family was barely managing now and could offer no real help. He could only wait to see how the government would handle the situation.

Pushing the cart home and unloading the coal balls into the new kitchen in the inner courtyard with Wu Shan's help, Zhou Chong's mood was heavy due to the encounter with the disaster-stricken people. He seemed distracted during dinner.

"Brother, what's wrong? Are you troubled by something?" Zhuo'er, the most perceptive, quickly noticed Zhou Chong's unease and asked with concern.

"Miss, you may not know, but on our way back, we encountered disaster-stricken people from Shandong. Master, being compassionate, saw them shivering in the cold and felt very sorry for them, which is why he has no appetite," Manager Xu interjected before Zhou Chong could respond, trying to praise him.

Manager Xu's description of Zhou Chong's compassion was a bit exaggerated. His experiences in his previous life had taught him the coldness of human nature, and he had learned to approach everything rationally. While he felt sympathy for the disaster-stricken people, he knew his current power was too weak to help them. He wouldn't be sad because he couldn't help, but he couldn't help thinking about the events of his previous life.

Zhou Chong knew something about the Little Ice Age. From the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it had been affected by the Little Ice Age, leading to frequent disasters and extremely cold climates in the northern grasslands. The nomadic tribes, driven by survival, often raided the south, causing continuous border troubles in the northern regions of the Ming Dynasty, consuming a great deal of national strength.

Furthermore, due to policy errors, a large amount of tax revenue was lost, and corrupt officials were rampant. Eventually, the Ming Dynasty fell to the Manchus, and the great Han civilization was ruled by a foreign race for over two hundred years, experiencing a significant regression. Later, the country was forced open by Western powers with opium and cannons, plunging China into a new era of darkness.

Thinking about the tragic history of his previous life, Zhou Chong's rationality told him that he was just a small figure and could not change the course of history. However, he felt a nagging discomfort, as if a voice in his heart was telling him that since he had been transported to this time, he should do something for the people of the future. But he had no idea how to start or what to do. This was what troubled him during dinner.

"Is it true that more disaster-stricken people have come to the city?" Lady Wang, hearing Manager Xu's words, asked with urgency.

Seeing Lady Wang's concern, Manager Xu recalled some past events and said with a bitter smile, "Lady Wang, I know you have a kind heart, but you can see the situation at home. We are truly powerless to help the disaster-stricken people outside the city."

Lady Wang was a devout Buddhist who often said, "Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda." She was particularly enthusiastic about doing good deeds. When Zhou Chong's father, Zhou Hai, was alive, he supported her, and the Zhou family would set up soup kitchens to help disaster-stricken people. Lady Wang usually took charge of these efforts. Therefore, she was very concerned when she heard about the new disaster-stricken people.

Lady Wang's concern was a momentary burst of kindness, and she soon thought about the family's situation. She sighed, "In this cold weather, I don't know how many disaster-stricken people will freeze to death outside. I hope the government will show mercy and provide them with food and clothing to help them survive the winter."

"Mother, don't worry. Prefect Xu is a clean and upright official, a rare good man. Every time there is a disaster, he organizes the wealthy families in the city to help. I believe he won't stand idly by this time, and the disaster-stricken people outside the city will soon be properly taken care of," Zhuo'er, who understood her mother's nature, comforted her.

Hearing Zhuo'er mention Prefect Xu, Zhou Chong also recalled the high regard for the prefect in Songjiang.

Speaking of the low salaries of Ming Dynasty officials, they were almost unprecedented. These salaries were fixed during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang and remained unchanged despite rising prices. If all officials relied solely on their salaries, many would starve.

For example, the model clean official Hai Rui, decades later, took no extra money beyond his salary. When he bought two pounds of meat for his mother's birthday, it became news, and even his superiors were amazed.

However, Hai Rui was an exception. Most Ming officials were ordinary people who worked hard for years to pass the imperial exams and become officials, hoping for a better life. Many could not endure the meager salaries and began to take the wrong path. Initially, they might have just used their positions to earn a little extra money to improve their lives, but corruption is like addiction; once the desire is unleashed, no amount of money can satisfy it.

Due to this situation and the lack of oversight, corruption was rampant in the Ming Dynasty. Officials had countless ways to enrich themselves, such as firewood and grain taxes, which became common practices. Even new officials had to accept these practices to maintain their positions, as their colleagues, subordinates, and superiors would not tolerate a non-conformist.

Once the corrupt culture took hold, it was hard to change. The increase in gray income made many officials more open to accepting bribes, facilitating widespread corruption. One could say that almost no Ming official was free from corruption; the only difference was the degree.

Prefect Xu's father, Xu Guan, was a relatively good official, known for his self-discipline. He accepted the gray income in the officialdom but did not actively seek it. He was also a capable administrator who accomplished many practical things for Songjiang during his tenure, earning him a good reputation. This was one reason Zhou Chong was willing to associate with Xu Shen. However, with the disaster-stricken people surrounding the city, it was unclear how Prefect Xu would handle the situation.

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End of the chapter.