Chapter 98.
There were four people in the room: Fu Wei and his elder brother, along with two yamen runners.
Yu Ying and Fu Wei, not having seen each other for several days and both wearing face masks, could still see the weariness in each other's eyes.
Fu Wei asked her, “Have you been well these past few days?”
Entering the room, Yu Ying responded warmly, “I am fine.”
The elder brother, who had been worried for many days, felt a wave of relief upon seeing his sister-in-law unharmed, and then anxiously inquired, “How is Ning Ning doing?”
“Ning Ning is doing well now. I estimate she’ll be able to come home soon.”
After updating the elder brother about Fu Ning’s condition, Yu Ying asked Fu Wei, “How is the situation in Lingshui Village?”
Fu Wei, reassured by her well-being, knew this was not the time for concern or reminiscing. He gravely answered, “We’ve managed to isolate all the villagers who contracted the epidemic. It hasn’t spread widely. Currently, we know of twenty-four patients.”
In a village of over two hundred people, twenty-four was a high number. But compared to the usual numbers of epidemic victims Yu Ying had heard about from yamen runners, twenty-four was significantly fewer.
In previous years, villages of one to two hundred people ended up with only about twenty survivors.
In counties of nearly ten thousand, less than five thousand were left.
Despite knowing about the horrors of ancient epidemics, hearing these staggering numbers firsthand still shocked Yu Ying.
“Are there any…” Yu Ying paused before asking, “Any deaths?”
Fu Wei’s expression was grave: “So far, there have been no deaths in Lingshui Village, but as of this morning, reports from other villages indicate five deaths – four frail elderly people and one child who was already in poor health.”
Hearing this number, Yu Ying felt a tightness in her chest.
Fu Wei added, “Uncle He and Aunt He’s family are all safe.”
Yu Ying closed her eyes to compose herself, then, after a few moments, opened them and looked at Fu Wei, “Have all the villagers infected with the epidemic taken their medicine?”
Fu Wei replied, “A doctor visited yesterday, briefly examined them, and then brewed some herbal soup for them to drink.”
Knowing from Fu Wei's description that the doctor’s visit was cursory, Yu Ying frowned slightly but said nothing. She decisively put down her bag, took out an apron, put it on, and changed her cloth mask, “I’ll go and check on them now.”
A yamen runner nearby cautioned, “Some of them are quite agitated, Lady Yu, please be careful.”
Yu Ying nodded, “Thank you, I will.”
Fu Wei said, “I will go with you.”
Yu Ying hesitated momentarily, but considering Fu Wei’s current physical condition wasn’t bad, she agreed.
The villagers infected with the epidemic were housed in makeshift straw huts set up in the village.
Many hands made light work; the straw huts could be completed in an afternoon.
While straw huts weren’t warm, the village was surrounded by mountains, providing plenty of firewood. With fire basins burning inside, the huts were reasonably warm.
The straw huts were drafty, so any smoke wouldn’t cause too much of an issue.
Even before entering, Yu Ying could hear crying and coughing.
Such negative emotions can severely impact the progress of the illness.
Yu Ying first entered the hut housing women and children. Seeing someone come in, they looked up. Before they could see who it was, they scrambled out of bed and hurried towards Yu Ying, dropping to their knees and pleading, “Please save us!”
Yu Ying quickly said, “Please get up first; I will check each of you.”
Someone seemed to recognize her voice and exclaimed, “It’s Lady Yu from the Fu family!”
Fu Wei, following behind, also entered the hut. The yamen runner behind him said, “Quickly go back to your places; don’t hinder Lady Yu from checking your conditions.”
Hearing this, about ten women of varying ages were stunned, with one asking in disbelief, “Can Lady Yu treat illnesses?”
After all, they only knew that Lady Yu could identify herbs, but not that she was capable of treating illnesses.
Yu Ying responded, “I was the one who cured Song Sanlang’s leg. If you trust me, please lie back down.”
Remembering that the Fu family had become wealthy through medicinal herbs and recalling Lady Yu's lineage as a descendant of an imperial physician, they felt reassured.
They reasoned that if Lady Yu wasn’t skilled, why would she risk her life to save them?
Realizing this, someone spoke up first, “If Lady Yu can risk her safety to come here and treat us, she must be capable. I trust Lady Yu.”
Once one person spoke up, others followed suit, saying, “I also trust Lady Yu.”
Everyone then returned to their makeshift straw beds.
Yu Ying had initially thought that convincing the villagers would be more difficult than those at the Jade County quarantine center, but to her surprise, it only took a few words.
The villagers trusted her more than she had expected.
This realization left her somewhat astonished.
Gathering her thoughts, Yu Ying began to assess their conditions.
She described each patient's condition to Fu Wei, who was standing by.
Fu Wei recorded the details with ink and bamboo slips, enabling Yu Ying to prescribe medication based on the severity of symptoms after completing all the examinations.
It had taken the doctor yesterday only a short while to see over twenty people, but Yu Ying spent nearly half an hour.
She treated each person with care and thoroughness, instilling a sense of reliability and reassurance.
After examining all the patients, Yu Ying and Fu Wei returned home, removed their aprons and masks outside, and then boiled herbal water for washing their hands.
Back inside, Yu Ying took the bamboo slips from Fu Wei and began marking them.
After finishing, she called the yamen runners guarding Lingshui Village and instructed, “For those whose names I've circled, halve the amount of the herbs. For the rest, prepare the medicine in the normal amounts. I’ll return in two days to check on them.”
“And what about these with ticks?” asked the yamen runner.
Yu Ying, with a serious expression, replied, “These few are in critical condition. Keep them in separate rooms and have someone specially monitor them constantly.”
The yamen runner nodded and then remarked, “Lady Yu, you really are conscientious. The doctor from Zheng’s medical hall yesterday didn’t even want to stay for a while longer, and left as if running away after dropping off the prescriptions.”
Yu Ying responded resignedly, “At least he didn’t retreat from his duty and did examine the patients, so we still need to be grateful for the doctor’s effort.”
Hearing this, the yamen runner pondered deeply.
It's natural for people to be afraid, and overcoming the fear to interact with those infected by the epidemic already shows more courage than the average person.
“I was too narrow-minded,” admitted the yamen runner, feeling ashamed.
Yu Ying just smiled, saying nothing.
After the yamen runner left, Fu Wei brought her a cup of tea.
“Take this time to rest a bit. I’ll wake you when someone comes.”
Taking the tea, Yu Ying sat down at the edge of the bed, twisting her tired neck: “I still need to visit Chen Family Village later.”
After all, there were only so many doctors, so they couldn't focus on just one place.
Seeing her twist her neck, Fu Wei stepped forward behind her, his broad palms resting on her shoulders and neck.
He spoke softly, “Let me massage it for you.”
Yu Ying nodded in agreement.
His hands were firm and strong, causing a stinging pain in her shoulders, yet it also brought a sense of relief.
It was a mix of pain and comfort.
She took a sip of tea, set down the cup, closed her eyes, and relaxed.
It had been only a few days, but she was already extremely tired.
Despite feeling sore and exhausted, she dared not let her guard down.
As the stiffness and soreness in her neck and shoulders eased, sleepiness crept over her. Unwittingly, she leaned into Fu Wei’s chest and gradually fell asleep.
Fu Wei wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from slipping.
Gazing down at the person in his arms, Fu Wei's eyes were filled with tenderness and concern.
He gently adjusted a pillow from the bed under her head, slowly leaning back to make her more comfortable as she nestled against him.
Once settled, he softly pulled a blanket over her.
Perhaps due to her light sleep lately, she was awakened by his movement and asked in a half-awake state, “What’s happening?”
Fu Wei gently patted her back, his voice soft and soothing, “It’s nothing. Sleep for a while; I'll wake you up later.”
Maybe it was the exhaustion and the warmth, combined with the comforting pats on her back reminiscent of being cared for by her parents as a child when ill, that made her feel relaxed and secure enough to fall asleep again.
Fu Wei held her with one arm, continuing to gently pat her back with his other hand.
Looking down at Yu Ying, now sleeping peacefully in his arms, his expression softened.
Yu Ying slept soundly until she was awakened by the knocking of a yamen runner at the door.
Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Fu Wei's chest, leaving her momentarily disoriented before she came to her senses.
Sitting up from his embrace, she rubbed her eyes and asked with a faint nasal tone, “How long have I slept?”
Fu Wei brushed a stray lock of hair from her ear, tidied her disheveled hair, and replied, “About half an hour.”
Yu Ying suddenly became fully alert, “I slept that long?!”
The yamen runner outside spoke up, “Lady Yu, it’s time to go to Chen Family Village.”
“Alright, just give me a moment,” she responded as she stood up and stretched her arms.
Having her back massaged before sleeping really did make her feel much better.
“I'll go with you and also check on the situation in the other villages,” Fu Wei offered.
After quickly preparing themselves, the two set off for Chen Family Village together.
The situation in Chen Family Village was similar.
The main reason was the approach of the New Year; many people had visited Jade County, leading to the widespread infection.
Fortunately, the situation was controlled well, preventing a large-scale spread.
Having assessed the situation in Chen Family Village, it was already afternoon, and they needed to hurry back to Jade County.
Yu Ying and Fu Wei returned together.
Fu Wei, needing to go out often, was concerned about bringing the infection home, so he had been staying with his elder brother at the yamen during this period.
With his elder brother covering for him, he didn’t have to pretend it was as hard.
They returned together to the deserted Jade County and went to meet County Magistrate Zhou at the yamen.
County Magistrate Zhou, constantly tense due to the epidemic, was not eating or sleeping well. In just a few days, the robust man seemed to have lost weight.
Seeing Yu Ying, County Magistrate Zhou eagerly asked, “Based on the current situation, when can we expect the epidemic in Jade County to stabilize?”
Yu Ying considered the conditions at the Jade County quarantine center, the two villages, and other villages based on what Fu Wei told her.
After a moment, she replied, “The situation is gradually easing. What we need to do now is to start moving some of the improving villagers out of the quarantine center to prevent re-infection.”
Hearing this, County Magistrate Zhou looked troubled.
“We have limited space for quarantine, and we can't send them home yet…” He paused, then added decisively, “As long as we can stabilize the epidemic, other problems are not significant!”
“We are moving in a positive direction. In about five days, we should see the effects of our epidemic prevention measures.”
Yu Ying felt admiration for the local official's attitude.
County Magistrate Zhou felt somewhat reassured by her words.
Leaning back in his chair, he took a deep breath, “This is already very good. In the past, wherever there was an epidemic, at least a hundred would die. In Jade County, so far, only five people have died, and they were already in poor health.”
Saying this, County Magistrate Zhou looked at his subordinate's wife and said seriously, “After this epidemic is over, we will recognize and reward those who contributed. Lady Yu’s efforts have been indispensable.”
Yu Ying, looking down, nodded and said, “The other doctors and yamen runners have also been tirelessly working without regard for their safety. I really cannot claim all the credit.”
County Magistrate Zhou sighed, “Indeed, they too have made indispensable contributions and should be rewarded.”
When he first took charge of this yamen, he was displeased with the lazy and greedy yamen runners, but to make them work, he had turned a blind eye to their greed for silver.
However, when it came down to a real crisis, he realized that they were doing their duties, even taking risks, and only a few had deserted their posts.
Those few who fled, once the epidemic is over, should resign of their own accord.
Chapter 98.
There were four people in the room: Fu Wei and his elder brother, along with two yamen runners.
Yu Ying and Fu Wei, not having seen each other for several days and both wearing face masks, could still see the weariness in each other's eyes.
Fu Wei asked her, “Have you been well these past few days?”
Entering the room, Yu Ying responded warmly, “I am fine.”
The elder brother, who had been worried for many days, felt a wave of relief upon seeing his sister-in-law unharmed, and then anxiously inquired, “How is Ning Ning doing?”
“Ning Ning is doing well now. I estimate she’ll be able to come home soon.”
After updating the elder brother about Fu Ning’s condition, Yu Ying asked Fu Wei, “How is the situation in Lingshui Village?”
Fu Wei, reassured by her well-being, knew this was not the time for concern or reminiscing. He gravely answered, “We’ve managed to isolate all the villagers who contracted the epidemic. It hasn’t spread widely. Currently, we know of twenty-four patients.”
In a village of over two hundred people, twenty-four was a high number. But compared to the usual numbers of epidemic victims Yu Ying had heard about from yamen runners, twenty-four was significantly fewer.
In previous years, villages of one to two hundred people ended up with only about twenty survivors.
In counties of nearly ten thousand, less than five thousand were left.
Despite knowing about the horrors of ancient epidemics, hearing these staggering numbers firsthand still shocked Yu Ying.
“Are there any…” Yu Ying paused before asking, “Any deaths?”
Fu Wei’s expression was grave: “So far, there have been no deaths in Lingshui Village, but as of this morning, reports from other villages indicate five deaths – four frail elderly people and one child who was already in poor health.”
Hearing this number, Yu Ying felt a tightness in her chest.
Fu Wei added, “Uncle He and Aunt He’s family are all safe.”
Yu Ying closed her eyes to compose herself, then, after a few moments, opened them and looked at Fu Wei, “Have all the villagers infected with the epidemic taken their medicine?”
Fu Wei replied, “A doctor visited yesterday, briefly examined them, and then brewed some herbal soup for them to drink.”
Knowing from Fu Wei's description that the doctor’s visit was cursory, Yu Ying frowned slightly but said nothing. She decisively put down her bag, took out an apron, put it on, and changed her cloth mask, “I’ll go and check on them now.”
A yamen runner nearby cautioned, “Some of them are quite agitated, Lady Yu, please be careful.”
Yu Ying nodded, “Thank you, I will.”
Fu Wei said, “I will go with you.”
Yu Ying hesitated momentarily, but considering Fu Wei’s current physical condition wasn’t bad, she agreed.
The villagers infected with the epidemic were housed in makeshift straw huts set up in the village.
Many hands made light work; the straw huts could be completed in an afternoon.
While straw huts weren’t warm, the village was surrounded by mountains, providing plenty of firewood. With fire basins burning inside, the huts were reasonably warm.
The straw huts were drafty, so any smoke wouldn’t cause too much of an issue.
Even before entering, Yu Ying could hear crying and coughing.
Such negative emotions can severely impact the progress of the illness.
Yu Ying first entered the hut housing women and children. Seeing someone come in, they looked up. Before they could see who it was, they scrambled out of bed and hurried towards Yu Ying, dropping to their knees and pleading, “Please save us!”
Yu Ying quickly said, “Please get up first; I will check each of you.”
Someone seemed to recognize her voice and exclaimed, “It’s Lady Yu from the Fu family!”
Fu Wei, following behind, also entered the hut. The yamen runner behind him said, “Quickly go back to your places; don’t hinder Lady Yu from checking your conditions.”
Hearing this, about ten women of varying ages were stunned, with one asking in disbelief, “Can Lady Yu treat illnesses?”
After all, they only knew that Lady Yu could identify herbs, but not that she was capable of treating illnesses.
Yu Ying responded, “I was the one who cured Song Sanlang’s leg. If you trust me, please lie back down.”
Remembering that the Fu family had become wealthy through medicinal herbs and recalling Lady Yu's lineage as a descendant of an imperial physician, they felt reassured.
They reasoned that if Lady Yu wasn’t skilled, why would she risk her life to save them?
Realizing this, someone spoke up first, “If Lady Yu can risk her safety to come here and treat us, she must be capable. I trust Lady Yu.”
Once one person spoke up, others followed suit, saying, “I also trust Lady Yu.”
Everyone then returned to their makeshift straw beds.
Yu Ying had initially thought that convincing the villagers would be more difficult than those at the Jade County quarantine center, but to her surprise, it only took a few words.
The villagers trusted her more than she had expected.
This realization left her somewhat astonished.
Gathering her thoughts, Yu Ying began to assess their conditions.
She described each patient's condition to Fu Wei, who was standing by.
Fu Wei recorded the details with ink and bamboo slips, enabling Yu Ying to prescribe medication based on the severity of symptoms after completing all the examinations.
It had taken the doctor yesterday only a short while to see over twenty people, but Yu Ying spent nearly half an hour.
She treated each person with care and thoroughness, instilling a sense of reliability and reassurance.
After examining all the patients, Yu Ying and Fu Wei returned home, removed their aprons and masks outside, and then boiled herbal water for washing their hands.
Back inside, Yu Ying took the bamboo slips from Fu Wei and began marking them.
After finishing, she called the yamen runners guarding Lingshui Village and instructed, “For those whose names I've circled, halve the amount of the herbs. For the rest, prepare the medicine in the normal amounts. I’ll return in two days to check on them.”
“And what about these with ticks?” asked the yamen runner.
Yu Ying, with a serious expression, replied, “These few are in critical condition. Keep them in separate rooms and have someone specially monitor them constantly.”
The yamen runner nodded and then remarked, “Lady Yu, you really are conscientious. The doctor from Zheng’s medical hall yesterday didn’t even want to stay for a while longer, and left as if running away after dropping off the prescriptions.”
Yu Ying responded resignedly, “At least he didn’t retreat from his duty and did examine the patients, so we still need to be grateful for the doctor’s effort.”
Hearing this, the yamen runner pondered deeply.
It's natural for people to be afraid, and overcoming the fear to interact with those infected by the epidemic already shows more courage than the average person.
“I was too narrow-minded,” admitted the yamen runner, feeling ashamed.
Yu Ying just smiled, saying nothing.
After the yamen runner left, Fu Wei brought her a cup of tea.
“Take this time to rest a bit. I’ll wake you when someone comes.”
Taking the tea, Yu Ying sat down at the edge of the bed, twisting her tired neck: “I still need to visit Chen Family Village later.”
After all, there were only so many doctors, so they couldn't focus on just one place.
Seeing her twist her neck, Fu Wei stepped forward behind her, his broad palms resting on her shoulders and neck.
He spoke softly, “Let me massage it for you.”
Yu Ying nodded in agreement.
His hands were firm and strong, causing a stinging pain in her shoulders, yet it also brought a sense of relief.
It was a mix of pain and comfort.
She took a sip of tea, set down the cup, closed her eyes, and relaxed.
It had been only a few days, but she was already extremely tired.
Despite feeling sore and exhausted, she dared not let her guard down.
As the stiffness and soreness in her neck and shoulders eased, sleepiness crept over her. Unwittingly, she leaned into Fu Wei’s chest and gradually fell asleep.
Fu Wei wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from slipping.
Gazing down at the person in his arms, Fu Wei's eyes were filled with tenderness and concern.
He gently adjusted a pillow from the bed under her head, slowly leaning back to make her more comfortable as she nestled against him.
Once settled, he softly pulled a blanket over her.
Perhaps due to her light sleep lately, she was awakened by his movement and asked in a half-awake state, “What’s happening?”
Fu Wei gently patted her back, his voice soft and soothing, “It’s nothing. Sleep for a while; I'll wake you up later.”
Maybe it was the exhaustion and the warmth, combined with the comforting pats on her back reminiscent of being cared for by her parents as a child when ill, that made her feel relaxed and secure enough to fall asleep again.
Fu Wei held her with one arm, continuing to gently pat her back with his other hand.
Looking down at Yu Ying, now sleeping peacefully in his arms, his expression softened.
Yu Ying slept soundly until she was awakened by the knocking of a yamen runner at the door.
Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Fu Wei's chest, leaving her momentarily disoriented before she came to her senses.
Sitting up from his embrace, she rubbed her eyes and asked with a faint nasal tone, “How long have I slept?”
Fu Wei brushed a stray lock of hair from her ear, tidied her disheveled hair, and replied, “About half an hour.”
Yu Ying suddenly became fully alert, “I slept that long?!”
The yamen runner outside spoke up, “Lady Yu, it’s time to go to Chen Family Village.”
“Alright, just give me a moment,” she responded as she stood up and stretched her arms.
Having her back massaged before sleeping really did make her feel much better.
“I'll go with you and also check on the situation in the other villages,” Fu Wei offered.
After quickly preparing themselves, the two set off for Chen Family Village together.
The situation in Chen Family Village was similar.
The main reason was the approach of the New Year; many people had visited Jade County, leading to the widespread infection.
Fortunately, the situation was controlled well, preventing a large-scale spread.
Having assessed the situation in Chen Family Village, it was already afternoon, and they needed to hurry back to Jade County.
Yu Ying and Fu Wei returned together.
Fu Wei, needing to go out often, was concerned about bringing the infection home, so he had been staying with his elder brother at the yamen during this period.
With his elder brother covering for him, he didn’t have to pretend it was as hard.
They returned together to the deserted Jade County and went to meet County Magistrate Zhou at the yamen.
County Magistrate Zhou, constantly tense due to the epidemic, was not eating or sleeping well. In just a few days, the robust man seemed to have lost weight.
Seeing Yu Ying, County Magistrate Zhou eagerly asked, “Based on the current situation, when can we expect the epidemic in Jade County to stabilize?”
Yu Ying considered the conditions at the Jade County quarantine center, the two villages, and other villages based on what Fu Wei told her.
After a moment, she replied, “The situation is gradually easing. What we need to do now is to start moving some of the improving villagers out of the quarantine center to prevent re-infection.”
Hearing this, County Magistrate Zhou looked troubled.
“We have limited space for quarantine, and we can't send them home yet…” He paused, then added decisively, “As long as we can stabilize the epidemic, other problems are not significant!”
“We are moving in a positive direction. In about five days, we should see the effects of our epidemic prevention measures.”
Yu Ying felt admiration for the local official's attitude.
County Magistrate Zhou felt somewhat reassured by her words.
Leaning back in his chair, he took a deep breath, “This is already very good. In the past, wherever there was an epidemic, at least a hundred would die. In Jade County, so far, only five people have died, and they were already in poor health.”
Saying this, County Magistrate Zhou looked at his subordinate's wife and said seriously, “After this epidemic is over, we will recognize and reward those who contributed. Lady Yu’s efforts have been indispensable.”
Yu Ying, looking down, nodded and said, “The other doctors and yamen runners have also been tirelessly working without regard for their safety. I really cannot claim all the credit.”
County Magistrate Zhou sighed, “Indeed, they too have made indispensable contributions and should be rewarded.”
When he first took charge of this yamen, he was displeased with the lazy and greedy yamen runners, but to make them work, he had turned a blind eye to their greed for silver.
However, when it came down to a real crisis, he realized that they were doing their duties, even taking risks, and only a few had deserted their posts.
Those few who fled, once the epidemic is over, should resign of their own accord.
