The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 242 Good people deserve to live long

"I'm not leaving! You officials are so greedy and rich, you have no idea about our difficulties!"

An old man, wielding a hoe, was aggressively waving it at the two men.

"Sir, since you know we are officials, why would we lie to you?"

"Who knows what you're up to!"

"I'll ask you one last time, are you leaving or not?"

"I'm not leaving! I'd rather die in this house!"

“Alright, but whether your grandson leaves or not is up to him,” Wu Zongyu said gently, looking at the timid boy behind him. “Child, are you willing to leave?”

The troublemaking old man laughed and said, "That's hilarious! What does a greenhorn like him know about right and wrong?"

But the boy, who seemed timid, was surprisingly assertive: "I'll go, I'll go with the adults!"

The old man's face instantly fell: "Xiao Bao, are you going to abandon your grandpa?"

"Grandpa, shall we go together? This official seems like a good man."

Although the old man seemed quite disgusted with his grandson, he fell silent when he heard the grandson's sweet, soft words.

A moment later, tears streamed down his face.

He poured countless efforts into building this magnificent house; this small world built of stones and bricks represents his entire life.

He has his land outside, where the vegetables are growing vigorously, and there's a cherry tree in the yard that's also in bloom at this time of year.

He didn't want to think about what would happen to him if all of this was destroyed, or where his soul would rest after death.

Wu Zongyu waited a while until he calmed down a bit before speaking: "Grandpa, as long as this person is alive, the family's roots remain. Your grandson is still young and needs your care."

He had never lacked food or clothing since childhood. Just over ten days ago, he thought it was nothing more than a house and a few acres of land, and that it was no big deal if the land was destroyed.

But as he went from house to house these days, persuading each person, he suddenly realized that not everyone's life is as easy as his.

Some people toil their whole lives, yet they only hold onto a handful of things. So losing any one of them is an excruciating pain for them.

People are different.

We all have hands and feet, but the differences in this world are so vast that they leave people bewildered and in despair.

Even someone as wealthy as him, who enjoys a level of riches that many people could only dream of their entire lives, seems hypocritical when he says these things.

For the first time, he felt uneasy because he had so much but did so little.

The old man's hands were covered with calluses and cracks, the deep black marks resembling the cracks in his life, a life full of hardships and seemingly endless struggles.

After crying his fill, the old man's back seemed to hunch over a little more: "I'll go with you."

He patted his grandson's head and went back to pack his things.

Wu Zongyu breathed a sigh of relief: "Let's go, to the next household."

Half a month had passed, and less than ten days remained until the earthquake.

The person following Wu Zongyu was one of the people who had volunteered to stay that day. His name was Fugui, and he was in his thirties, in the prime of his life.

"My lord, you said the princess allows you to abandon those who refuse to listen to advice, so why do you still need to go door to door to persuade them?"

Wu Zongyu didn't slow his pace, a ripple appearing in his eyes: "Are you tired?"

"I'm not tired, I just feel sorry for the adults."

Despite being a person of luxury, she lost a significant amount of weight around her waist due to constant travel.

"Think about it, every person you persuade saves a life. Compared to living beings, isn't being tired and suffering a little insignificant?"

After saying these words, Wu Zongyu was somewhat dazed.

He didn't do many good deeds in his life.

Having been muddle-headed for decades, he somehow transformed into a good person in just one day, even doing things he used to scorn.

He was actually quite willing to do it.

The next house they visited was even quieter than the old man's house.

An elderly woman with white hair sat in front of the eaves of a dilapidated mud-brick house.

Beside her lay a stick serving as a walking stick, her eyes covered with a thick white film, as she groped her way to sew a shoe sole.

The old woman only looked up at them when Wu Zongyu and the others got very close.

"Who?"

"Grandpa, do you live alone?"

The old woman had hearing problems: "What do you mean, 'my home'? This is my home."

Fu Gui raised his voice and asked again.

The old woman's movements slowed down, but her expression remained calm: "It's just me."

Where is your child?

"Children? An earthquake is coming soon, they've fled."

Fu Gui was speechless. He didn't know what to say and could only look to Wu Zongyu for help.

"Grandma, we'll take you to escape this disaster!"

The old woman didn't move: "I'm old, I won't live for many more years. Whether I try to escape or not, I can't escape death."

Consider it a relief; she's had enough of this heavy, ailing body.

So be it. This used to be her home, and now it's her grave. Buried in the house that consumed her years, it's a fitting end.

Wu Zongyu knew that this kind of person was the hardest to persuade.

Because she is determined to die, even if you throw a piece of driftwood in front of her, she might not grab it.

“Grandma,” Wu Zongyu carefully examined her appearance and tentatively said, “Live a few more years if you can. If you leave too early, your old man might still be waiting to tie you to his hands in the next life too.”

The old woman was silent for a moment, then picked up a stick beside her and stood up shakily: "Suddenly I feel that it's better to be alive."

Fu Gui: Huh?

Feeling confused, he and Wu Zongyu helped the old lady pack her things.

When they were leaving, Wu Zongyu wanted to carry the old woman on his back, but Fugui quickly took over the task, saying, "Sir, you're getting on in years, take it easy. Let young people like me do the heavy lifting!"

Wu Zongyu: ...

Okay, okay, I know you meant well, but don't do it again next time!

Fugui carried his old woman on his back. His old woman had never been able to eat her fill since she was a child. She was not tall, and she felt light on his back, which always made him mistakenly think that he was carrying a skeleton.

The old woman's ears twitched slightly: "Are you heading west?"

Fu Gui asked in surprise, "How did Mother-in-law know?"

"Because of the wind, listen to the wind."

Wu Zongyu exclaimed in admiration and explained, "Yes, there's a small mountain to the west with hard rocks, which will be safer. That's where we're going."

“You should go a little further northwest; that mountain is safer. The mountain you chose might collapse if there’s an earthquake.”

Wu Zongyu slowed down in surprise, tilting his ear to listen carefully to what she said: "How did Mother-in-law know?"

"The longer you live, the more you know. I experienced an earthquake when I was a child."

Wu Zongyu's heart pounded with fear.

"Mother-in-law..."

“I didn’t mean to say this. My life is none of anyone else’s business, and other people’s lives are none of my business either,” she grinned, revealing a mouth with only one rotten tooth remaining. “You are good people.”

Good people deserve to live long lives.