The officials in Shanggu Town are still good. Some people have relatives who escaped from the neighboring town, saying that over there, no one even asks about you. The environment is extremely poor, it's like a living hell. Only those who are ruthless and unite have a chance of survival; otherwise, they may become living food for others.
Because of this, many people with timid dispositions, wanting to survive, fled the town, and a significant number of them came to Shanggu Town. Hence, there are so many people here.
But although people from outside the town can get rations, the amount is half of what the townspeople receive.
This is unavoidable, as grain seeds are too scarce, so naturally, we must prioritize the townspeople; otherwise, there would be no need to painstakingly record everything.
Even so, the county magistrate still went around to the major households to collect a wool tax, though it wasn't for free.
