Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1243: Chapter 1245: Save the Youngest Child_1

The soldiers were delighted upon hearing this, even one of them said, ”It’s good that you’ve come, could you check us out later as well? We’re still young and don’t want to get infected.”

Bai Ruozhu didn’t think they were afraid of death, for it is human nature, she nodded to them and said, ”You wait outside, I’ll take a look at you later, but you all look healthy, so don’t worry.”

Upon hearing this, the four men thanked Bai Ruozhu profusely.

Bai Ruozhu walked straight into the quarantine zone, which was an open drying ground that was spacious and airy, with the sun able to shine through. However, there were hardly any rooms, and patients were almost all lying within the drying ground on beds made of piled straw, covered with worn-out blankets.

In just an instant, Bai Ruozhu’s eyes reddened. Lying here were patients young and old, of varying ages. The eldest had white hair and beard with a face full of red rashes, while the youngest was a five- or six-year-old girl, who kept crying for her mother.

At that moment, a person wearing protective gear similar to the guards outside, with a mask covering their face, came in carrying a bucket. Seeing the two, he was startled and asked, ”Who are you? You can’t just come in here!”

Jiang Yichun looked at the newcomer and asked, ”Who are you? Did the Government Office arrange for you to come here?”

”My name is Sun Jia, I’m a local doctor. I volunteered to come here to take care of the patients, otherwise the Government Office would have just left them to die,” Sun Jia said as he sniffled and rubbed his eyes which were wrinkled at the corners.

Sun Jia appeared to be over fifty, with a slightly hunchback. Taking care of so many patients by himself was clearly a strain for him.

Bai Ruozhu looked at Sun Jia with admiration, ”Doctor Sun, you have worked hard. We are sent by the Imperial Court to treat the plague.”

Before Sun Jia could reply, the eldest old man suddenly stood up, pulled the youngest girl next to him, and rushed over, frantically asking, ”You’re sent by the Imperial Court? Please save my granddaughter, Xiuxiu. She’s so young and can’t die. Just let this old man die in her place!”

The old man started crying as he spoke. Weakened by his ailment and having walked too briskly, he fell to the ground before reaching Bai Ruozhu.

”It’s all my fault, it’s all because I always went to help at neighbor Liupo’s house. She infected me with the plague, and then I passed it on to Xiuxiu. It’s all the sins of this old wretch,” the old man cried bitterly, tearing open the sores on his face, causing pus and blood to ooze out.

Not far away, a young man who wasn’t severely ill laughed softly, saying, ”Old Zhang always been courting Liupo, everyone knows you’re looking for a companion. It’s not the helping that passed on the disease, is it?”

It was remarkable that he still had the spirit to tease others.

The old man named Zhang blushed, but due to the red rashes on his face, it wasn’t noticeable to others. He glared at the young man, ”Xie Er, then how did you get infected? Tell us, huh?”

”Alright! You’ve all got the illness and still have the energy to bicker. Drink your medicine soup first,” said Sun Jia as he began to serve the medicine soup to each person, handing it over one by one, paying no further attention to Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun, as if he didn’t trust them for being too young.

The little girl Xiuxiu went to help her grandpa and was also looking nervously at Bai Ruozhu, probably curious to see an auntie.

Seeing Xiuxiu looking at her, Bai Ruozhu immediately responded with a kind smile, feeling pity for such a small child, but her face was covered, the smile unable to convey itself.

But Xiuxiu was clearly a clever child. Seeing her eyes curve downwards, she also returned a sweet smile to her, ”Madam, could you take me to see my mother? I miss her.”

Bai Ruozhu’s heart felt as though it had been struck by a hammer. In an instant, she thought of her own son, Dengdeng. He must have often cried and said to others, ”Can you take me to see my mother? I miss her.”

As a woman, and especially a woman who had become a mother, she couldn’t bear to see children suffer. Her eyes warmed with tears, and she wept, ”Xiuxiu, be good. Auntie will cure your illness and send you home.”

Xiuxiu brightened upon hearing this, ”Then you must also cure my grandpa, okay?”

Bai Ruozhu nodded, ”You are a filial child.”

Her thoughts then turned to Xiuer, who had once ordered a small hat from her. Their names sounded quite similar, but their circumstances were worlds apart.

Coming back to her senses, she closely observed Xiuxiu’s condition. Xiuxiu was not in a severe state; the red rash had only appeared as a very faint spot, and Xie Er, who had previously made cynical remarks, was also not in a serious condition. Both were still in the early stages.

”Doctor Sun, have the new patients with minor illnesses been separated from those with severe illnesses?” Bai Ruozhu asked.

Sun Jia was busy and somewhat impatiently said, ”They’re all here, all infected with the plague. What’s there to separate?”

Bai Ruozhu was shocked and quickly said, ”Gather all the patients who were sent here after yesterday noon, and make it quick!”

Sun Jia paused his work, ”What for? Don’t you see I’m the only senior doctor here? No one will listen to you. If you want to give orders, bring more people in.”

”You...” Jiang Yichun glared, but Bai Ruozhu quickly held him back. She was displeased with Sun Jia’s attitude as well, but she respected him as a good doctor who disregarded his own safety to care for patients. Therefore, she was willing to bear his temper, as long as it did not affect the subsequent treatment.

”Doctor Sun, the initial symptoms of the plague are not severe. During this phase, some patients might develop different types of plague symptoms, but some can also fight it off and improve naturally. However, if we now mix those in the early stages of the disease with those in critical condition, cross-infection will occur, and those not severely ill might not be able to recover,” Bai Ruozhu explained.

”Nonsense! Plague cannot simply improve on its own. Once contracted, it spreads to others. I’ve never heard of your theory. Who is your master? Have them come and speak,” Sun Jia said discontentedly, as he dropped the ladle he was using to scoop medicine. He had assumed Bai Ruozhu was a disciple of some imperial doctor.

Bai Ruozhu sighed. Being too young was a disadvantage indeed.

”I’m Bai Ruozhu. My medical skills have been recognized by the emperor, and I have been granted the fourth-rank imperial edict. I am here on the emperor’s orders to treat the epidemic. I’ve just arrived and have much to learn from Doctor Sun. I hope that Doctor Sun can work with me to treat the patients, to control the plague, and to help the sick recover as soon as possible,” Bai Ruozhu said earnestly.

Sun Jia saw Bai Ruozhu’s sincere attitude and warmed up a bit, but when he heard the words ”recover as soon as possible,” a scornful smile appeared on his face.

”Recover as soon as possible? My only son died from the plague without cure!” With that, Sun Jia threw down the medicine barrel and turned to leave the drying yard.

Those who were ill heard everything, and their eyes dimmed as if they had lost all hope. The sounds of painful moans and cries grew louder...