I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

After the relief work for the Huanghuai floods achieved phased results, Chen Jia and Chen Jue did not stop. They knew that it was far from enough to just solve the problem of food and clothing for the victims, and helping them rebuild their homes and resume production and life was the long-term solution. Therefore, the two focused their attention on house repairs, and were determined to further promote work-for-relief by increasing the work of house repairs, so that the victims could regain shelter from the wind and rain through their own labor.

On this day, sunlight shone through the window into the study room of the Chen Mansion. Chen Jia and Chen Jue sat opposite each other, with the table piled with information about the disaster in the Huanghuai area and preliminary plans for house repairs. Chen Jia frowned slightly and spoke first: "Husband, although the Huanghuai disaster victims now have basic living security, their houses are severely damaged and many people are still homeless. I think we can include house repairs in the scope of work-for-relief and let the victims participate in it, which can not only speed up the reconstruction process, but also increase their income."

Chen Jue nodded slightly, looking at the information attentively, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "My wife, your idea is very good. However, the house repair project is huge, and the funds required are by no means a small amount. We must not only consider how to organize the victims to participate, but also determine the source of funds. The proportion of funding from the Ministry of Works and donations from wealthy people is the key."

Chen Jia said seriously, "What you said is absolutely right. Let's first sort out the various expenses needed to repair the house, including the purchase of building materials, tools, and the salaries of technical instructors. Based on this, we will discuss with the prince the ratio of the Ministry of Works' funding and the donations from the rich."

Chen Jue responded, "That's right, ma'am. We also have to formulate a detailed work-for-relief plan and break down the work into every link. For example, how to provide skills training to the disaster victims who participate in house repairs, how to ensure the quality of the project, and how to reasonably arrange the work progress and remuneration. "

In the next few days, Chen Jia and Chen Jue devoted themselves to the formulation of the plan. They consulted a large amount of previous construction project data and consulted many experienced craftsmen, striving to make the plan scientific, reasonable and feasible.

After the plan was initially completed, Chen Jia and Chen Jue went to the palace to meet the prince. In the prince's study, the three of them sat together in a serious and solemn atmosphere.

Chen Jia first bowed to the Crown Prince, and then said, "Your Highness, after careful consideration, we believe that we can include house repairs in the work-for-relief project to help the Huanghuai disaster victims rebuild their homes. Now that we have initially drawn up a relevant plan, we have come to report to Your Highness and discuss the source of funds."

The prince nodded slightly and said, "Chen Jia, Chen Jue, I am very pleased that you care about the victims and are actively planning. However, this house repair project is a major one and requires a huge amount of funds. Please tell me in detail the plan and your ideas for raising funds."

Chen Jue took over the conversation and said respectfully, "Your Highness, we have estimated the cost of repairing the house, which mainly includes building materials, tools, and craftsman guidance fees. As for the source of funds, we think it can be shared by the Ministry of Works and donations from wealthy people. It's just that the proportion of the two contributions still needs to be determined by Your Highness."

The prince thought for a moment and asked, "In your opinion, how should the investment ratio be determined?"

Chen Jia replied, "Your Highness, as the department in charge of engineering construction in the imperial court, the Ministry of Works should bear part of the main responsibility. Considering the wide range of disasters in the Huanghuai region and the large number of houses destroyed, we believe that the Ministry of Works can allocate about 60% of the funds. The wealthy people in Jiangnan and other places have shown a certain enthusiasm in donating to disaster relief before, and this time they can be encouraged to bear the remaining 40%. Of course, the specific proportion can be adjusted according to actual conditions."

The prince frowned slightly and said, "Although the Ministry of Works has a certain amount of funds in reserve, other projects of the court also need financial support. The 60% allocation may bring great pressure to the Ministry of Works."

Chen Jue said hurriedly, "Your Highness, we understand the difficulties faced by the Ministry of Works. We may allocate funds in stages according to the urgency of the housing destruction in the Huanghuai region and the order of reconstruction. This will not only reduce the financial pressure on the Ministry of Works, but also ensure the orderly progress of the project. For donations from wealthy people, we will also formulate a detailed fundraising plan, explain the reasons and appeal to their emotions, and strive for their strong support."

The prince nodded in approval and said, "This plan is feasible. Then tell me how to implement this work-for-relief program in detail to ensure the smooth progress of the project?"

Chen Jue cleared his throat and said, "Your Highness, we plan to first provide skills training for disaster victims who are willing to participate in house repairs. We will start with simple basic work such as wall building and material handling. For disaster victims who have a certain foundation in construction, we will arrange more complex skills training such as carpentry and masonry. We will hire experienced craftsmen as trainers to ensure that the disaster victims can master practical skills."

Chen Jia went on to say: "During the implementation of the project, we will set up a strict quality supervision mechanism. After each part of the project is completed, it will be inspected and accepted by professional craftsmen to ensure that the quality of the house is solid and reliable, so that the victims can live in peace. At the same time, according to the progress and difficulty of the project, the work tasks and remuneration of the victims will be reasonably arranged. For example, the remuneration for basic work is relatively low, but the work intensity is also low; the remuneration for work with high technical content is correspondingly increased, so as to encourage the victims to actively learn skills and improve work efficiency."

After hearing this, the prince said with satisfaction: "You have considered it very carefully. However, there may be various problems in the implementation process, and you must have a response plan."

Chen Jue said: "Your Highness, rest assured, we will set up a special coordination team to promptly handle various emergencies that arise during the project. For example, if there is a shortage of material supply, we will contact multiple suppliers in advance to ensure timely replenishment; if bad weather affects the progress of the project, we will adjust the work plan and give priority to indoor work or carry out some preparatory work."

The prince smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, in that case, I agree with your plan. I will discuss the Ministry of Works' funding with the Minister of Works and implement it as soon as possible. You should also hurry up and prepare for matters related to fundraising and the start of the project."

After thanking the prince, Chen Jia and Chen Jue returned home and immediately took action. Chen Jia was responsible for organizing the fundraising work. She once again wrote to the wealthy merchants and gentry in Jiangnan and other places, elaborating in detail the significance and plan of house repair and work-for-relief.

"Dear people with lofty ideals, the houses of the Huanghuai disaster victims were destroyed and they were displaced. This house repair and work-for-relief program will not only help them rebuild their homes, but also lay the foundation for the long-term development of the disaster area. I hope that everyone can lend a helping hand again and join in this good cause," Chen Jia wrote sincerely in the letter.

Chen Jue arranged skills training and project preparations, and gathered many experienced local craftsmen to discuss training plans with them.

"Masters, this house repair is a heavy responsibility that concerns the vital interests of the victims. I hope that you can impart your skills to the victims without reservation, so that they can master the skills as soon as possible and devote themselves to the reconstruction work." Chen Jue said to the craftsmen.

An old craftsman said, "Don't worry, Master Chen, we will do our best. However, there are so many people to train, so we need a lot of space and tools."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Master, what you said is very true. As for the site, we will contact the idle factories and vacant land in the local area. As for the purchase of tools, I will arrange for someone to be responsible for it and ensure that they are in place as soon as possible. I also ask all the masters to develop detailed training courses, from basic to advanced, to gradually improve the skills of the victims."

However, the fundraising work was not smooth sailing. Some wealthy businessmen and gentry responded to the letter, expressing their concerns about the use of previous donations.

Chen Jia immediately wrote another letter to explain: "It is natural for you to have concerns. For previous donations, we have set up special accounts to record the use of each amount in detail and publish them regularly. This house repair project will also be open and transparent and subject to everyone's supervision."

After Chen Jia's patient communication, most of the wealthy merchants and gentry expressed their willingness to donate again. At the same time, Chen Jue's skills training and project preparation work were also progressing steadily.

After the training started, Chen Jue often went to the training site to check on the situation. He saw a young disaster victim who was not very good at bricklaying, so he went up to him and asked, "Young man, do you think bricklaying is difficult? If you have any questions, feel free to ask the master."

The young disaster victim said shyly, "Master Chen, I think it's a little difficult, but I will work hard to learn. Once I learn it, I can earn more money for my family and repair the house sooner."

Chen Jue encouraged, "Okay, it's good to have this kind of enthusiasm. The masters are experienced, and you will definitely be able to learn well if you follow them and learn well."

As the training progressed, the skills of the disaster victims gradually became more proficient. At the same time, Chen Jia and Chen Jue began to purchase construction materials based on the donations received and the expected funding from the Ministry of Works.

"This batch of wood must be of good quality. We cannot lower the standards just because it is a disaster relief project. The firing of bricks must also be strictly controlled to ensure that they are strong and durable." Chen Jue instructed his subordinates in charge of procurement.

The subordinate said seriously: "Don't worry, sir, I will strictly control the quality."

After everything was ready, the house repair project officially started. Chen Jia and Chen Jue rushed to various construction sites every day to coordinate the work of all parties and supervise the quality of the project.

At a construction site, Chen Jia saw a craftsman instructing the victims to lay roof tiles. She walked up to him and asked, "Master, how are these victims learning? The tiles must be laid carefully and there can be no carelessness."

The craftsman smiled and replied, "Don't worry, ma'am. These disaster victims are very hardworking and learn quickly. We will strictly follow the standards to ensure that the roof will not leak."

However, when the project was halfway through, a problem arose: a timber supplier that had been contacted was unable to supply timber on time due to its own reasons, which hampered the progress of the project.

After Chen Jue learned about it, he immediately discussed countermeasures with the coordination team. "Everyone, think of a solution. We can't let the wood supply problem delay the progress of the project. We will contact other suppliers to see if we can transfer wood as soon as possible." Chen Jue said.

A team member said, "Mr. Chen, I heard there is a timber mill in the neighboring county. It's quite large. Maybe we can contact them."

Chen Jue immediately said, "Okay, go contact them right away and see if they have enough wood and what the price is. In any case, make sure the wood arrives as soon as possible."

After some effort, we finally contacted a new wood supplier, solved the wood shortage problem, and the project was able to continue smoothly.

As time went by, brand new houses were built in the Huanghuai disaster area. The victims looked at the houses they had helped to build with their own hands, and their faces were filled with happy smiles.

One disaster victim said to Chen Jia and Chen Jue excitedly: "Mr. Chen and Madam, thanks to you, we have hope of starting a new life. We will definitely build our home well and live up to your hard work."

Chen Jia smiled and said: "We are very pleased to see that you have been able to rebuild your home. If we work together, our lives will surely get better and better."