The Lucky Farmgirl-Chapter 2083 - 2058: The Separate Compound

Yang Heshu held the pill in his hand and asked, "Is this useful?"

Manbao said, "Not much use, it’s just to drive away foul air, better than nothing."

Yang Heshu put it in his mouth, held it for a while, and soon felt a trace of sweetness, after a moment the... medicine melted in his mouth.

Yang Heshu: ...if it weren’t for that faint medicinal taste, he wouldn’t believe this was a pill. Even with the medicinal taste, he still didn’t quite believe it.

He looked at Zhou Man slightly helplessly, thinking she was still a child. But this is also a way to find joy in hardship.

Once confirming his son was fine, Yang Heshu handed him to the nanny to carry away, then asked the three of them to wash and change clothes.

Traveling diligently, if not for wearing cloaks, they might have dust even in their hair.

During the time spent washing was considered a rest, soaked in hot water Manbao exhaled.

There was a fire basin in the room, still quite warm, Manbao dressed and sat on the wooden couch, a maid carrying a large towel entered to dry her hair.

Manbao was very tired from riding a horse for five and a half days, only after bathing did she feel the heat wave of drowsiness, she half-closed her eyes and asked, "When did the madam fall ill?"

The maid paused for a moment and then replied respectfully, "Started burning four days ago, at first we couldn’t be sure it was an illness, thought it was fatigue, a day later rash appeared, yesterday endured a day, early this morning was sent to the Third Villa."

Manbao opened her eyes wide awake.

In fact, adults getting the rash is more dangerous than children, even a strong adult may not endure.

It’s strange, similar to people having a fever, a child’s fever seems common, although dangerous, they burn until accustomed;

Unlike adults, rarely have a fever all year round, suddenly burn high, chances of death and injury are much greater than for children.

And the step before a rash from smallpox is a fever, this symptom may persist until it ends.

Therefore, under the same medical condition, the death rate for adults is actually higher.

Manbao couldn’t bother with her hair still wet, got up and said, "Bring my outerwear, let’s go to that Third Villa right now and check."

The maid quickly went to fetch clothes, serving her while dressing said, "Miss Man, your hair hasn’t dried yet, going out in the cold wind like this will cause illness."

"Bring my cloak." Putting on a cloak will solve it, after all, we will enter a house there, no wind.

When Manbao came out wearing clothes, Bai Shan and Bai Erlang had also washed, they were talking to Yang Heshu in the main hall.

Seeing Manbao like this they understood she wanted to go out.

Yang Heshu stood to lead her to the villa, he said to Bai Shan and Bai Erlang standing up, "There are many patients there, you two better not go."

Bai Shan shook his head, "Scholarly Senior Brother Yang, we came to help, didn’t you say there are few doctors in town? Although neither of us is a doctor, we can still help with sorting medicine."

They all took pills, actually safer than others.

"Call Daji and the others." He said to Yang Heshu, "Outside affairs we can’t help much now, let’s start with the villa’s patients."

Yang Heshu pondered for a moment, seeing his determined expression, sighed and nodded, "Alright."

Hence they took a carriage to the villa, along the way Yang Heshu introduced them to these three villas.

"These three villas are borrowed to house patients, some patients in the city don’t want to leave home but staying home may infect family, some patients don’t listen to advice, unwilling to isolate at home and seek medical help everywhere..."

This is one of the main reasons why smallpox spread quickly in Xiazhou City.

"They dislike the simple medical tents we set up, unwilling to stay at temples, thus we have these three villas, each villa has two doctors, considered the most skilled among thirteen doctors here, yet five or six people are carried out of the villa daily."

Being carried out means death.

Those who catch smallpox cannot be buried underground, must be burned to ashes before handed to family.

Although already explained, Yang Heshu insisted on doing so, dissatisfaction in the city remained, initially only the gentries expressed discontent.

In recent days, ordinary commoners have been stirred, even though Yang Heshu always has people working on thoughts in the crowd, he also rushes to the frontline by himself, still unable to suppress the situation.

Therefore city defense is stricter these days, fearing someone might charge the pass.

Just...

Yang Heshu rubbed his forehead, told the three, "That now the military has smallpox too, infected soldiers increasing these two days, Junior General Gong and I can’t be sure how many days we can hold."

Manbao said, "Imperial Doctor Lu has a prescription for treating smallpox, developed during a major epidemic in Jinzhou, it’s the best formula we know so far, given proper medical supply, there’s a sixty to seventy percent chance."

Yang Heshu was visibly buoyed, "Really?"

Manbao nodded.

Yang Heshu meditated, after a while said, "I’ll spread this news, for success rate, won’t say it first."

Manbao understood, he wanted to reassure the military and civilians, therefore concealing this a bit or enhancing it.

During this talk they reached the Third Villa, not far from the County Governmental Office, Manbao put on her hat, supported by Bai Shan to get off.

Guarded by soldiers at the entrance, quite a few, up to ten people, clearly unrestful inside and outside the villa.

Seeing Yang Heshu bringing people, they bowed, checked a little then let them in.

Only the people inside have stricter checks when exiting.

Once inside, Yang Heshu said, "East courtyard houses male patients, west is for females, divided by the middle hall, which side do you want to see first?"

"See the sister-in-law first?"

Yang Heshu walked straight ahead without turning, nodded, "Okay."

Clearly aimed for the west from the start.

The villa was still clean, only cries echoing, adult cries, child’s cries.

Many people carrying water walked around the courtyard, Manbao looked at their clothes, saw they were uniform, looked at Yang Heshu.

"These are the attendants from families, some are servants, some are family, each can bring one caregiver, I have them wear uniform clothes, easier to identify when coming and going."

They serve closely, possibly spreading smallpox, hence cannot come and go easily.

Manbao nodded, followed Yang Heshu inside, he said, "Some have had rashes before, but most haven’t, recently caregivers still catch rashes, so prevention is crucial, but doctors can’t bring out a good formula."