Sometimes, having low expectations isn't entirely without benefits. The disaster in Chu Country was in fact much more severe than in Tang Country, but because the people of Chu had such low expectations, it seemed as though there was no problem at all.
The people of Chu had grown accustomed to their bureaucratic system, which lacked any governance capability, so they held no expectations for their own country.
Because they had no expectations, they also had no complaints against the nation. Thus, even when they lost their lands, their homes were flooded, and they drowned in the rivers, they could only blame their misfortune on being born into their current plight.
And because there weren't many roads, factories, or other forms of infrastructure, Chu Country's losses in the floods were not significant.
At one point, the King of Chu took pride in this situation, even fostering a bold theory that it was better to let things take their own course than to strive for development.