The village was small, far from any town, and didn't even have a proper name. If the government hadn't been afraid of villagers spreading the virus, they probably wouldn't have bothered with it. The government's approach was to rely on the doctors, who were overwhelmed with work and had no energy left for isolation, ultimately leading to the current chaotic situation.
"Would using the Prime Minister's mansion's influence affect my father?" Nie Qingyue hesitated, tapping the token that had brought her great convenience.
"How many people in the village do you think truly understand what the Prime Minister means? Three or five?" Yan Shu held up a finger and waved it in front of her.
Nie Qingyue slapped his forehead. For the villagers, the most direct and pressing authority was still the local government. "But with the mountains sealed off and villages burned, can people still have any trust or respect for the government?"
“Under special circumstances, force and deterrence are enough.”
Even so, she still hesitated. Popular support and public sentiment couldn't be salvaged in a short time, but things always go to extremes. The more desperate people were to be pushed by excessive violence and coercion, the more terrible the backlash would be. Unfortunately, she didn't realize at that time that this backlash would soon befall her.
"Let's put that aside for now. What if the magistrate refuses to cooperate?"
Yan Shu smiled, his tone matter-of-fact: "This is not a question that the county magistrate can choose to answer."
Then, Doctor Yan disappeared for a day. That same evening, Nie Qingyue saw the county magistrate sleeping soundly in the woodshed, looking like a dead pig, and finally understood the meaning of Yan Shu's words.
"How...how did you manage to bring him back?"
"Just do it this way." Yan Shushang, dressed in a soldier's uniform, made a chop-and-knock motion, avoiding any mention of how he went in and out.
Nie Qingyue stopped asking questions and suddenly shoved the person in front of her. She really hadn't figured out how to handle it.
Yan Shu slowly took out a bottle of medicine, put it into the magistrate's mouth, lifted his chin slightly, and murmured, "This is a priceless medicine, and it's being wasted like this."
"...Husband, what is your definition of a good medicine?" Nie Qingyue felt a strange sense of unease enveloping her.
Yan Shu clapped his hands clean, stood up, and softly uttered two words: "The effect of the medicine."
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Needlework?
History has shown that, whether in modern or ancient times, those engaged in the medical profession are not to be easily offended, unless you are prepared to have your life in someone else's hands.
Nie Qingyue looked at the county magistrate with a pitiful expression. His face was flushed and his body was swollen and painful, yet he still stood trembling at the village entrance, instructing the soldiers outside the village on their tasks for the next few days. She silently came to this conclusion in her heart.
Meanwhile, the doctor Yan, who had single-handedly brought the county magistrate here and made him mistakenly believe that he had contracted the plague, was calmly spreading out herbs he had gathered from the hills behind the village in the open space at the village entrance, with a gentle and harmless smile always on his lips.
Under the warm winter sun, the fresh herbs released a faint, slightly astringent aroma from the gentle warmth. The man with dark hair and a blue robe slowly and methodically arranged the herbs one by one, his expression serene and leisurely, showing no sign of being at the scene of a plague outbreak. Nie Qingyue looked at the county magistrate, whose head was swollen like a pig's head, then at Yan Shu, shaking his head and sighing that comparing people was indeed like comparing a dead man to a dead man.
Whether in modern or ancient times, neighborly relations in rural areas have always been much closer than in cities, whether or not this closeness is what you expect.
From how many chickens the Wang family at the village entrance raises to how many pancakes the Li family's second son stole yesterday at the village end, whatever you want to know, just ask anyone and you'll find a ton of gossip and everyday tidbits about other people's lives. It's less like a village and more like a large family with many houses—a little tedious, yet incredibly welcoming.
Therefore, it is even easier to find out something as simple as the number of people in each household.
Nie Qingyue knocked on the small wooden door of the village chief's house and explained her purpose.
The village chief, who had received a few years of schooling, wrote with more fluency than he could write his own name, and proceeded to write down the list almost without thinking. Before long, Nie Qingyue received the sheet of paper from the village chief, filled with the number of people in each household, arranged in order of location.
"Can this piece of paper really help?" The village chief, who was in his forties and had yellow teeth and a heavy local accent, looked at Nie Qingyue with suspicion, his eyes full of cautious hope.
"It's been a great help." Nie Qingyue didn't dare to say anything definitively, but she also wanted to comfort this honest and simple middle-aged man. Almost every afternoon, she would see the village chief running to the clinic to inquire about the situation, his anxious and helpless expression making him wish he were the one who was sick.
"Then I'll have to trouble the village chief with what happens three days from now." "No trouble at all, I'm glad I could help." The village chief nodded and saw Nie Qingyue out, a simple and gratified smile on his face.
In ancient rural areas where houses were built independently, there was no competitive mentality. The criteria for determining the size and space of houses were very practical, usually closely related to the number of people in the household. With paper documents at hand, it was easy to calculate the amount of sulfur needed by each household.
Nie Qingyue returned to the clinic with the papers. Sacks of sulfur were already quietly placed in front of the clinic door; the officers and soldiers were indeed efficient. After a quick lunch, they began preparing for the calculation and distribution.
After a long, tedious afternoon of simple calculations, Nie Qingyue's mind started to race. She recited the multiplication tables several times, but different answers kept popping out. Just then, Yan Shu returned carrying a large bamboo basket. The three doctors in the clinic took the herbs from his basket and gathered together to discuss and study them in hushed tones.
Yan Shu sat down beside her and took the paper with the number of people, space, and sulfur content written on it. He saw the letters, units, and Arabic numerals that Nie Qingyue had drawn: "These characters that Madam wrote..."
"Characters?" Nie Qingyue leaned closer, yawning and scratching her head. "These are simplified notes for easier calculation. I'll change them later." Since arriving in this village, she has almost lost her habit of taking afternoon naps. Actually, she hasn't done much strenuous work; most of her time has been running errands and doing odd jobs. It's just that she feels anxious and restless when trying to fall asleep, and seeing the doctors trying to stretch every minute of their time into two, she feels embarrassed to sleep.
"Here, it's like this." Seeing Yan Shu's rare interest, Nie Qingyue took out a piece of paper and wrote down the Arabic numerals and the capitalized numerals.
"Simple and practical." Yan Shu looked at the corresponding numerical evaluation with interest.
"Hmm, of course." Nie Qingyue was dazed by the medicinal scent on Yan Shu. Doctors all had some medicinal smell on them, and after being surrounded by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for the past few days, her nose was getting dizzy from distinguishing them. Some were bitter, some were sweet, and she often confused them. Only the medicinal scent on Yan Shu was the most unique and pleasant. It had the calming astringency of herbs mixed with a light sweetness, making people unconsciously relax.
The result of Nie Qingyue's relaxed mind was that when she opened her eyes, it was already completely dark. She was so surprised that she looked up and tried to rummage through the manuscript papers, only to find that there was only a bowl of rice and a plate of shredded vegetables and meat left on the table.
"Let's finish eating first, then we'll get ready," Yan Shu said, smiling as he watched her flustered expression from across the table.
Thinking back to her disheveled appearance, Nie Qingyue glanced at the suspicious water stains on the table where she had just rested her head, then looked up, trying to smile calmly. She had once heard someone say back in modern times that in situations like this, all she had to do was smile.
Under Yan Shu's ambiguous gaze, Nie Qingyue calmly finished her dinner.
When she retrieved the unfinished paper, she found that the blank spaces had been filled with flowing Arabic numerals. Nie Qingyue randomly grabbed a few spots to check; the proportions of people, space, and sulfur were all correct. She even circled the incorrect answers she had jotted down earlier with a brush. ...How embarrassing! Behind the unfinished paper lay a sheet of Chinese regular script, all the corresponding numbers replaced with smooth, elegant strokes.
"Is there a mistake?" Yan Shu asked, turning his head as he saw her examining the object for a long time.
"That's right." Nie Qingyue shook her head slightly, smiled and squeezed the paper in her hand, feeling grateful but unsure what to say.
Yan Shu seemed relieved and smiled faintly, "It has already been packaged in batches. If Madam is wrong, I really don't know what to do."
"..."
"Husband, please feel free to ask Qingyue for any chores you need, such as washing clothes, cooking, sewing, drying medicine." Nie Qingyue said earnestly, almost offering to go through fire and water for him.
"...Hasn't Madam been doing these chores all along?"
"..."
Having resolved the sulfur issue, Nie Qingyue, citing an official order, requested the doctors to prepare a large quantity of flea and insect repellent powder the following morning. Although the doctors knew she was a woman, they genuinely considered her an assistant sent by the Prime Minister's office, given the authenticity of her token. Regarding the medicine preparation, they merely inquired about the reason without pressing for verification, saving Nie Qingyue considerable trouble.
To be on the safe side, Nie Qingyue divided the village into two parts according to the location and carried out the extermination over two days. The weather was very good on the day of the first rat extermination, and the sun was still gentle.
Upon receiving the village chief's notice, the villagers in the first half of the village voluntarily left their houses early on. In modern terms, the village chief was a good cadre, diligently and conscientiously managing village affairs and working for the benefit of the people, and was well-loved. Therefore, even if there were sick people in the house and it was inconvenient for them to leave, the villagers still couldn't bear to refuse the village chief's persuasion. In addition, this rat extermination was organized by the government to slow the spread of the plague, so even if they were unwilling, they reluctantly vacated their houses.
The soldiers, divided into groups, carried sheets of paper with the quantities for each household written on them by Yan Shu, along with packets of sulfur marked with different amounts. They began entering houses, closing windows, and lighting sulfur to shut off doors. The sulfur dioxide produced by burning sulfur irritates the throats of rodents, causing them to become paralyzed and suffocated. While the ancients may not have fully understood this chemical principle, the method of using smoke to kill rats was well-documented. However, sulfur was not readily available in the mountains and fields, and the pungent smell of burning it took a long time, which is why small villages became breeding grounds for diseased rats.
During those long, three or four hours of homelessness, the doctors and another group of soldiers were at their busiest. The flat ground outside was filled with men, women, and children, many of whom were seriously ill and lying on simple cloth carrying poles. Since the outbreak of the plague, the once bustling and harmonious village, where every household had closed their doors, had truly become isolated and isolated. Today, Nie Qingyue was finally able to see most of the village's population.
Another purpose of the unified rat extermination was to forcibly isolate patients who had previously stayed indoors. Of course, this was done without informing the villagers; otherwise, no matter how much the village chief tried to persuade them, they probably wouldn't have cooperated.
Those who develop painful lumps, whose standing and walking postures are unusual compared to ordinary people, who have difficulty breathing and show symptoms of poisoning, who cough up blood, or who have abnormal body temperature, will all be forcibly taken back to the newly established isolation ward.
The villagers, of course, resisted, some cursing, some hiding, some crying, some pleading, but they were no match for the intimidating presence of the soldiers with swords. The doors and windows of the ancient houses weren't sealed, and the pungent smell of burning sulfur wafted through the air, unpleasant and mingling with the various expressions of anguish and parting before Nie Qingyue, giving him a strange and unsettling feeling. Children crying out not to leave their mothers, elderly people grieving separation from their children, wives watching their husbands depart—the scene was chaotic. Although he had expected it, Nie Qingyue's mood still felt uneasy.
After hearing her plan that day, Yan Shu asked her if she wanted to come out on the day of the rat extermination. She nodded without thinking much about it at the time. Later, thinking about the possible scenarios, she had already stepped out of the house.
Nie Qingyue sighed softly, feeling her fingers getting a little cold.
"Do you regret it?" Yan Shu stood beside her, his voice coming through the mask she had sewn, most of her face was covered, only her dark eyes blinked slightly, making it impossible to tell her expression.
"No." Nie Qingyue pursed her lips; she just lacked the courage.
This rat extermination and quarantine, ostensibly organized by the government, was actually orchestrated by her. Besides her reluctance to explain the reasons, Nie Qingyue couldn't deny that the current situation was also a contributing factor. She dared to do it but lacked the courage to step forward and plan for alleviating the plague while enduring the resentment and tears of the village's simple, honest people.
After the fumigation time was up, the officers and soldiers went into each household to open the doors and windows for ventilation and sprinkle pesticide powder.
At this time, Nie Qingyue, Murong Luo, and three or four girls from the village had been entangled in needlework on white cloth for two or three hours.
While ancient times involved wearing protective aprons for disease prevention, Nie Qingyue was still somewhat uneasy about the pill pouches around her neck. She trusted the profound knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine and also appreciated the clear distinctions between Western and traditional medicine. Germs, being invisible, colorless, and ubiquitous, could not be taken lightly; wounds, blood, breath, and saliva could easily lead to infection if one wasn't careful.
The girls were only brought back to help by Nie Qingyue and Murong Luo during the rat extermination effort, half-invited and half-dragged them back. Needlework was a perpetual source of pain for Nie Qingyue. That time, she worked through the night making simple masks for a room full of doctors. After finishing them, she repeatedly reminded them of the precautions to take during consultations. The doctors listened, but few actually wore the masks consistently.
Yan Shu always wore a mask properly when he went to the ward to keep watch. Nie Qingyue ran to ask the old doctor in frustration, "Why don't you wear them?" The old doctor chuckled and took out a folded mask from his sleeve. Nie Qingyue took a closer look and saw that several threads were dangling and the strap on the side looked like it could be easily pulled off.
In her memory, the stitches were very sturdy when they were finished… Nie Qingyue later recalled how embarrassed she must have looked at the time, and a wave of sadness washed over her. That's why she asked the village girls for help. Firstly, more people meant more efficiency, and secondly, the quality was better than hers. At first, the girls were heartbroken at parting from their families and didn't want to go back with her. But after Nie Qingyue explained things to them, the girls, hearing that it was for the villagers, wiped away their tears and readily agreed.
Nie Qingyue spent the entire afternoon cutting cloth, her hands nearly cramping. The girls' skills were indeed excellent; their stitches were dense, neat, and the finished products were sturdy and beautiful. Nie Qingyue carried a finished product out, but Yan Shu was still nowhere to be seen among the group of doctors. It seemed that since arriving in this village, the only things she had seen Yan Shu do were gather and dry herbs and keep watch at the ward. Even inside the house, he would sit quietly to the side, listening to the doctors' discussions and research, but he never participated.
Pushing open the gate and fence, I saw him standing in front of the medicine shelf, a brown herb in his hand, his head slightly furrowed.
"Here you go." Nie Qingyue smiled and handed over the mask in her hand: "Freshly made."
Yan Shu put down the herbs, took the white cloth mask and examined it carefully, then looked up and said, "There's already one."
“It’s different. It was made by the third daughter of the Zhang family. It’s sturdy and durable.” Nie Qingyue scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “The one I gave you before… can I take it back?” Having witnessed the needlework skills of the village girls, Nie Qingyue decided to make her defective products disappear from now on.
Yan Shu nodded, searched his body for a while, then spread his hands and smiled apologetically: "It seems I left it on the mountain behind the village when I was gathering herbs."
"Then forget about it." Nie Qingyue patted Yan Shu on the shoulder, relieved, and ran back into the house to help.
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Don't meddle in other people's business
Doctors used realgar, orpiment, cinnabar, and alum to make pills and powders.
The girls worked through the night, using needles, thread, and white cloth to make masks and medicine bags.
With the help of government supplies and manpower, in addition to isolation, traditional ancient epidemic prevention measures were implemented on a large scale. Two days later, large quantities of cloth bags containing pills and simple masks were delivered to every household, including the tents where the soldiers were stationed. Then the soldiers carefully instructed the villagers again on the methods taught by the doctor and the precautions given by Nie Qingyue.
The unified quarantine led to a surge in the number of patients in the wards, and the doctors were extremely busy, spinning around like tops. Each time they returned, the sterilization and disinfection of clothes was changed to burning realgar and using smoke to fumigate collars, cuffs, and straw sandals, which was faster and seemed to be more effective.
The clinic already had these medicine powders and pills hanging on the bed curtains and door beams, and now with a large batch being prepared in a short period of time, the air was filled with a strong medicinal smell. Nie Qingyue felt that the bitter smell of the pills was even worse than the hospital disinfectant, and she felt an allergic reaction every time she ate, as if even the food tasted bitter.
She carefully reviewed the basic epidemic prevention knowledge she had learned in her previous life, sharing everything she could to tell and remind others. After the work was implemented, new patients were still arriving every day, but the number was clearly decreasing. Nie Qingyue felt that she could finally continue her previous life of assisting and running errands with complete peace of mind.
As for treating illnesses, just teach the doctor what Dr. Yan said.
Life began to return to a small peace. Nie Qingyue was diligently cooking a large pot of vegetables in the kitchen, while Yan Shu added firewood to the stove. The burning firewood made a soft, crackling sound, and the small kitchen was filled with a warm, smoky aroma.
Nie Qingyue closed the large wooden lid, turned to look at Yan Shu who was still diligently working on his task, and after a moment of hesitation, finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind: "Why hide your identity?"
Every time she heard the doctor in the room address Yan Shuzhong, she felt something was off. At first, she thought it was just a doctor's unclear pronunciation and didn't think much of it. But the longer she listened, the more she realized it was Doctor Yan, not Yan. Based on the principle of non-interference, Nie Qingyue silently skipped over this big question mark. But as time went by and she heard it several times a day, she finally couldn't help but ask.
The villagers might not know Yan Shu, but the doctors certainly had. This should at least calm their anxieties, shouldn't it?
The orange-yellow firelight reflected in Yan Shu's eyes, creating a flickering, dancing light and shadow. Yan Shu put the last piece of dry firewood into the stove, stood up, and turned to look at her with an inscrutable expression: "Does Madam really want to know?"
"...You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Hmm," he responded slowly.
Nie Qingyue spread out a rough, greasy rag, lowered her head, and waited silently for a long time without a reply. Usually, in a conversation, if you don't want to talk, you don't have to answer; shouldn't the next thing be a response? Is that really all there is to it—just a simple "hmm"?
Just as she was crumpling the small rag into a ball, considering changing the subject, Murong Luo appeared at the kitchen door with a frown.
"Dr. Li just went to the clinic to check and found that one patient is missing. The soldiers are searching for him, you..." Murong paused, thinking of the right words: "...be careful."