The Transmigrated Farm Girl Has a Cheat Code

Chapter 138: Not an epidemic?

Through the old clerk's words, the three learned that this was where the epidemic first appeared and where the number of people affected was the largest.

So later, he settled everyone here, some sick and some healthy. They were usually watched over and not allowed to go out.

The yamen runners would usually leave their meals outside the wooden fence and run off quickly. Some senior doctors would diligently go inside to treat patients, but they were not allowed to leave again; they could only have medicine delivered in through the yamen runners.

The old clerk stopped at the place where the yamen runners were guarding and said, "I... I won't go in."

Lin Yan nodded, not taking it seriously.

She patted Li Zhongwei and Fu Bo twice, and a faint green light appeared and then disappeared.

Neither Li Zhongwei nor Fu Bo felt anything.

The three of them put on a mask that smelled strongly of medicine. Li Zhongwei said, "This was soaked in medicinal liquid; it can prevent illness. Wear it and let's go!"

Once inside, the three of them saw that many of the thatched huts in the village had collapsed, and corpses were scattered everywhere on the ground. Occasionally, a few coughing people would drag the bodies away or find a place to bury them.

Soon, someone noticed the three of them. After all, it was quite remarkable that three people dressed neatly and cleanly stood out among this group of ragged and sickly people.

"Who are you people?" A thin, pale-faced boy looked at them warily.

“We are doctors.” Li Zhongwei glanced at him. Although the child looked unwell, he didn’t seem to have contracted an epidemic.

"Doctor!" The child finally showed some joy and exclaimed excitedly, "Are you imperial physicians sent by the court?!"

Li Zhongwei shook his head. Just as the child was about to feel disappointed, he heard the old man say, "I am more capable than the imperial physician!"

The child was somewhat skeptical. "What nonsense are you spouting? If you're better than the imperial physicians, why don't you become one? But since you're willing to come in and help patients, you must be good people too."

Fu Bo noticed that the child was quite clever. "Take us to a place with many patients, and let Doctor Li take a look at them."

"Alright, follow me!"

The child led the three to a courtyard. The house was quite large, and there were many people in the courtyard. Many refugees were gathered together, and two old doctors were brewing medicine. There were also some people who could move freely and were taking care of others.

Some of the seriously ill were lying on the ground, barely clinging to life, awaiting their final death sentence.

Li Zhongwei squatted down next to a patient and began to take their pulse, but he frowned.

Fu Bo asked worriedly, "Dr. Li? How is he? Can he be cured?"

Li Zhongwei remained silent, frowning as he continued treating other patients, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"What does this mean?" Fu Bo asked Lin Yan softly, but Lin Yan didn't answer him.

He turned around and found that Lin Yan was also squatting on the ground taking someone's pulse, wearing a hood so he couldn't see her face.

He silently turned his head. "Hey. I'd better shut up!"

"Bastards! These bastards!" Li Zhongwei became angrier and angrier as he looked at them, and he cursed out loud.

"No, what exactly happened?" Fu Bo was even more confused.

“Some people are not the disease at all.” Lin Yan’s cold voice came from behind.

Fu Bo was startled. "What does this mean!"

Lin Yan sighed and took off her hood. Fu Bo then noticed that Lin Yan's complexion was not much better, and her eyes were cold and menacing.

“These pulse patterns are not consistent. Some pulses are floating and tight, indicating that the cold evil is drawing them in and the disease is on the surface. Others are soft and slow, indicating that the cold and dampness are obstructing the flow of qi.”

"No, I don't understand! What's the difference between these two?" Fu Bo was extremely anxious. Do all doctors talk like this? Even Lin Yan, who is a beginner, talks like this.

"The difference is that some people do have infectious diseases, while others just have a cold," Lin Yan said coldly.

Fu Bo paused for a moment, then realized, "What! A cold!"

“Then these people…” Fu Bo recalled what the old registrar had said: ‘Those who initially had a fever were all gathered in one place and burned to death.’

He felt the hairs on his body stand on end, and a terrifying hatred welled up inside him.

Li Zhongwei was indeed somewhat surprised by Lin Yan's words, and his expression softened a bit. "It seems you really do have a talent for studying medicine."

Lin Yan certainly couldn't say that she didn't rely entirely on pulse diagnosis but on her special abilities, otherwise it would be a bit of a blow to the elderly.

Li Zhongwei found the two elderly doctors who were brewing medicine and examined the medicine they were using. "Is it for treating colds?"

The old doctor nodded. "Who are you?"

“I’m a doctor too,” Li Zhongwei replied, then asked with some emotion, “Can you tell that not all of these people have the plague?”

The old doctor paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something, and said in a hoarse voice, "I did have my doubts. I don't know how to treat this epidemic, but some people can get relief from it with this medicine."

“At first, we diagnosed two different pulse patterns and even argued about it. I thought some people just had a common cold, but we didn’t know what the pulse pattern should be for an epidemic.”

"But even if it starts as a cold, some people can develop an epidemic. Even if people are separated, it won't help. As soon as someone starts to have a fever, the others will keep them away."

Looking at the elderly doctor in front of him, who could barely stand, Li Zhongwei sighed helplessly, unable to vent his anger. He realized that these two old people had no way to alleviate the situation. They were willing to risk their lives to enter the epidemic area, enduring hardship day after day at their advanced age; it was already quite remarkable.

If the imperial court had sent an experienced imperial physician sooner, or if the magistrate of Wutai County had been more reliable, many people would not have suffered such a tragic death. But things just didn't turn out this way.

"It must be the water source. If there's a problem with the water, treating the illness alone won't be enough," Lin Yan guessed.

Li Zhongwei nodded, "That's right, I think so too. If a body isn't disposed of promptly after death, a large number of germs will accumulate. Water sources are the easiest to be contaminated."

"What should we do now? Doctor Li, have you thought of a way to treat these diseases?" Fu Bo asked.

“I need to think about it some more. I’ll try using medication,” Li Zhongwei said.

"Then I'll go and disinfect these people first. The water they use also needs to be treated," Lin Yan said.

Li Zhongwei nodded in agreement, indicating his satisfaction.

Seeing that the master and apprentice had already finalized their plan, Fu Bo hurriedly said to Lin Yan, "Then I'll go help you."

Lin Yan found the child who had led them the way, "What's your name?"

"My name is Stone."

"Okay. Stone, gather all of you who are still able to move around and help us bring all the patients here. I'm going to teach you how to prevent the spread of the virus."

Hearing Lin Yan's gentle yet firm voice, Shi Tou felt a surge of confidence, obediently nodded, and ran out to call for help.

"We need to separate the patients with colds from those with epidemic diseases, disinfect the water source and environment, and prepare medicine for the patients with colds. Fu Bo, go to the gate and ask the yamen runners to bring all the medicinal materials we brought, as well as lime and wine."

“Okay.” Fu Bo nodded and immediately went out to find someone.