Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 1242 - 1244: How Could This Happen?_1

Chapter 1242: Chapter 1244: How Could This Happen?_1

Bai Ruozhu glanced at Jiang Yichun with a hint of mischief in her eyes and whispered, "The person behind this has quite the knack for stirring up attention, indeed capable of deceiving people."

Jiang Yichun also smiled, "The common folk do spread rumors upon hearing the slightest news; our journey should be much safer as a result."

The two found it amusing that everyone else was still so absorbed in discussing the plague, and after purchasing some items, they headed back to the rendezvous point.

However, it wasn’t long before they couldn’t laugh anymore.

As the group approached Guangqi Town, Jiang Yichun sensed something was amiss; he sniffed the air, detecting the strong scent of medicinal herbs. Such a potent odor could only mean that multiple places in the town were brewing medicine.

Jiang Yichun thought to himself that the person responsible for this task was very thorough, but he soon felt that something else was off; there was an indescribable atmosphere around, a sense of desolation.

That’s right, not a single person was coming out of the town’s main gate!

At that moment, Bai Ruozhu pulled back the carriage curtain and said to him as he rode, "Achun, something’s wrong!"

Jiang Yichun nodded slightly at her, indicating that he had noticed as well and that they should not rush.

Just then, a small squad of soldiers emerged from the town entrance. The leader, upon seeing Jiang Yichun and his party, was startled at first, then a look of excitement crossed his face.

The man trotted over to Jiang Yichun to salute, "Doctor Jiang, you have finally arrived!"

Jiang Yichun raised an eyebrow; according to the protocol, shouldn’t he be the one to show his token to prove his identity? This person seemed to be in quite the hurry.

Noticing Jiang Yichun’s confusion, the man quickly produced his own token, and with an embarrassed look, said, "I am Zhou Shu, sent by the Emperor. I have met Doctor Jiang before, so I recognized you at a glance."

Jiang Yichun still presented the token given by the Emperor to prove his identity, and after putting it away, he asked, "What exactly is happening here?"

At this point, Bai Ruozhu, having heard the commotion, also dismounted from the carriage. She remembered that the man sent in advance by the Emperor was also a member of the Shadow Guard, but unlike those who protected the Emperor closely, he was among the guards stationed outside, a trusted agent for handling the Emperor’s affairs.

Zhou Shu saluted Bai Ruozhu upon her approach, then looked around and said to the two, "Could we speak further inside?"

Bai Ruozhu looked at Jiang Yichun, feeling that something was off about both Guangqi Town and Zhou Shu.

Jiang Yichun returned her gaze with one that reminded her to be cautious, then agreed, following Zhou Shu to the side.

"If you had not arrived soon, I would have had to seek reinforcements from Jinshui City," Zhou Shu said, apparently used to handling tasks outside and not as cold and serious as the Shadow Guards. He added with a worried frown, "The Emperor commanded me to create a facade, but five days ago the plague really broke out!"

"What?" Bai Ruozhu was shocked; were the rumors they had heard in Jinshui City actually true? They had even joked earlier that the work of the person behind this seemed quite realistic.

But could this be such a coincidence that their deception turned into reality?

"How did the plague break out, what are the specific symptoms?" Bai Ruozhu asked urgently.

"We didn’t use anything unclean when faking the scene, yet a plague somehow erupted. The local doctors say it’s a legacy of the plague, incurable," Zhou Shu explained with a heavy sigh, "I’ve already sent people to isolate the patients with red rashes to the west side of town; knowing that you would be coming from the east, I was afraid it would affect you. I’ve already sent an urgent report to the Emperor, but it will take time for a response. How to handle this situation will be up to you two to decide."

The plague? Bai Ruozhu’s eyelids twitched, isn’t that leprosy? How could this happen? It was supposed to be a cover-up, so why did a real outbreak of the plague occur? During this period, medical records on plague were indeed scarce, and the disease was contagious. In former times, methods like isolation were the only way to prevent the spread of an epidemic.

"I’ll go take a look first," Bai Ruozhu said as she headed towards the Town’s Main Gate. Zhou Shu, somewhat anxious, caught up and said, "Is Madam Jiang really going just like that? What if you contract the disease?"

"Don’t worry. I am a Doctor; I have my own methods of prevention. You go ahead and arrange for a large quantity of sulfur and vermilion. If it really is the plague, we need to thoroughly cleanse the Town," Bai Ruozhu said.

Jiang Yichun caught up and took Bai Ruozhu’s hand, "I’ll accompany you."

Bai Ruozhu, not afraid for herself, didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about Jiang Yichun. She immediately shook her head, "I deal with poison all year round and am almost immune to all toxins, so naturally I’m not afraid of the plague. But it’s too dangerous for you; we have children."

It was true she had ways to treat the plague, but Jiang Yichun must not fall ill now, otherwise how would they complete the tasks that lay ahead?

"It’s all right, I will be careful. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease about you going alone," Jiang Yichun insisted.

Bai Ruozhu thought for a moment, took out a Detoxifying Pill and gave it to both him and herself, then tore strips from their clothing to cover their noses and mouths.

"Don’t come into contact with patients’ droplets and avoid being touched by the patients," Bai Ruozhu instructed seriously.

"Okay," Jiang Yichun’s eyes hid some concern.

How did the plague outbreak happen? How could it be such a coincidence? He wanted to ask more, but clearly, the most important thing now was to control the epidemic and treat the patients.

"The rest of you don’t need to follow; we’ll go by ourselves. Later take clean cloth to cover your noses and mouths, and together with Zhou Shu’s team, disinfect the Town," Bai Ruozhu instructed the Shadow Guards.

The term "disinfect" seemed somewhat unfamiliar to Jianqi and the others, but they roughly understood what Bai Ruozhu meant.

Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun walked hand in hand towards the west side of the Town; Guangqi Town was not large, about half the size of Anyuan Town, so it didn’t take long to get from east to west. However, as they came closer, their footsteps grew slower and slower.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to walk fast; it was just that their steps felt increasingly heavy.

The Quarantine zone felt like a prison, from inside there came desolate cries, agonized screams, and despairing moans. These sounds intertwined as if it were a living hell on earth.

Bai Ruozhu’s palms began to sweat; she started to feel afraid, not of contracting the plague, but of seeing those agonized faces.

In her previous life, she studied Traditional Chinese Medicine with Grandpa and then went to Mi Country to study dentistry, but she had never encountered a large-scale infectious disease Area; she didn’t know if she would be so frightened that she couldn’t even walk.

Her hand was gripped tightly, warmth spread from his palm, as if giving her courage and strength.

"Don’t be afraid, I am here with you." He looked at her, most of his face covered, the eyes that showed were all the more brilliant, anchoring her with a sense of calm.

The guards posted at the Quarantine zone, four soldiers clothed in hazmat suits, stood there skittishly with their noses and mouths covered, looking utterly listless.

"Who goes there? This is the sick area; you’re not allowed to get close!" One of the soldiers spotted the two and called out to stop them.

Jiang Yichun raised the Token, "We’ve been sent to deal with the Epidemic Area, open the gates."