"Since you know this, why don't you leave immediately!"

The guard brandished his knife, threatening Shen Yuan.

Ordinary people would either keep their distance or shrink back when they saw them, fearing that they would be killed by them with a single blow.

But the girl in front of them only glanced lightly at the knife in their hands, and didn't even take two steps back. Could she be an idiot?

Shen Yuan's mind was in a bit of a mess at the moment.

According to her memories from her previous life, no one in Chu Family Village had ever contracted the plague.

On New Year's Eve, she and Granny Liu rolled out dough and made dumplings with the villagers. They gathered at the rice paddies at the village entrance, set up a bonfire, and watched the firecrackers being set off while warming themselves by the fire.

At that time, everyone in the village was healthy and no one was sick.

How could I have contracted an epidemic now?

In the previous life, the plague clearly broke out within Jian'an City and didn't affect Chu Family Village at all. But what's happening now is completely the opposite of the previous life. Could it be... that the people who should have been in Jian'an City have come to Chu Family Village?

It's Chu Yuning?!

After the girls at Zuichunlou realized they had been deceived by Chu Yuning, they all wanted to report it to the authorities. However, the authorities said that since they had voluntarily borrowed the money and had no proof that Chu Yuning had borrowed it, they were unwilling to accept the girls' appeal.

Haitang, accompanied by the girls from Zuichunlou, searched Jian'an City but could not find Chu Yuning, so they had to give up.

It turns out that Chu Yuning had already returned to Chu Family Village!

They even brought the epidemic back to Chujia Village!

Shen Yuan remembered very clearly that Chu Yuning had contracted a plague in her previous life.

When she learned of the epidemic in Jian'an City, her first reaction was to rush there, because Chu Yuning was studying in the city and she was worried about his safety. She carried several bags of herbs and went to Jian'an City alone.

At that time, Jian'an City was a city where one could enter but not leave.

The people inside the city wanted to get out, but they couldn't.

People outside the city were allowed to enter, but no one dared to go in except for Shen Yuan.

Carrying a medicine basket, she walked to Jian'an City, knelt outside the city gate, and said to the soldiers guarding the city: "I have some medical knowledge and am willing to enter the city to save people."

The soldiers guarding the city opened a side gate for her, and she entered the city. The heavy city gate closed behind her, cutting off all hope of survival. She could not escape unless she died.

Shen Yuan followed the soldiers to Shan'an Hall in the city. Shan'an Hall was a temporary residence built by the government for refugees. It consisted of three courtyards: a men's courtyard, a women's courtyard, and a courtyard for government officials to rest.

Now, due to the epidemic, the government has arrested all those who have contracted the disease and brought them here, dividing them into three groups according to the severity of their illness, and placing them in different courtyards.

Shen Yuan was taken by soldiers to the outermost courtyard of Shan An Tang, where people with mild symptoms were kept. Many of them had recovered from their high fever but still had some coughs and could not leave Shan An Tang for the time being.

Because there are too many people imprisoned at Shan'an Hall, there is a severe shortage of doctors and pharmacists.

Shen Yuan was assigned to the ward for patients with mild symptoms as a pharmacy assistant, responsible for helping doctors treat the people confined in the ward.

She stayed inside for three days, busy every day helping the doctor decoct and prepare medicine, washing the bedding soiled by the patients, and fumigating with moxa for disinfection. She learned quite a lot in the process.

But she did not find Chu Yuning in the courtyard.

Hearing from the students of Ziyun Academy that Chu Yuning had also contracted the plague, Shen Yuan was very anxious. On the third night, she asked the doctor for permission to go to the two back courtyards to take care of the patients.

The old doctor frowned, puzzled: "Young lady, more than a hundred corpses have been carried out from the two back courtyards. Don't you see that every day? Why do you still insist on going to the two back courtyards? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

No one is unafraid of death, and Shen Yuan was no exception.

But with death looming over her, there were people she cared about, so no matter how afraid she was, Shen Yuan had to go in.

Seeing that Shen Yuan was determined, the old doctor did not continue to stop her. He did need someone to go into the backyard to relay the patients' conditions to him.

The government had set up gates between the three courtyards of Shan'an Hall, preventing people from moving between them. Once Shen Yuan was led into the back courtyard, she could no longer come out.

Fortunately, she found Chu Yuning in the innermost courtyard.

Chu Yuning was sick for seven days. When Shen Yuan found him, he was emaciated, so thin that his cheekbones were bulging, his eyes were sunken, his face was ashen, and he had no energy at all.

Seeing Shen Yuan, Chu Yuning was somewhat surprised, "Yuan Niang, what brings you here?"

“I heard from your classmate that you have also contracted the plague.”

"Since you know I have the plague, why did you come... cough cough cough, why did you come to see me?" Chu Yuning lowered her head dejectedly, leaning against the wall, not daring to look at Shen Yuan. "I'm a dying man!"

"The plague will kill many people, that's true. But not everyone infected with the plague will die. Since the government hasn't given up on you, don't give up on yourselves. Surely someone will survive this plague, so why can't it be you?"

Shen Yuan was saying this to Chu Yuning, but also to everyone in the courtyard who had contracted the plague.

Because of the plague, all the doctors in the city were summoned to study prescriptions for treating the disease, and wealthy merchants in the city also donated money to ensure the food supply of Shan An Tang.

Government officials stood guard outside Shan'an Hall day and night.

Everyone is working hard to treat and save lives, and the patients at Shan An Tang should not give up on themselves.

"Are you telling the truth? Can I really survive?" Chu Yuning asked Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan nodded vigorously, "It can definitely be done!"

"Girl, don't be silly! Anyone who enters this courtyard is destined to die! The prefect has long abandoned us. He's imprisoned us here, using the water from washing pots as medicine to trick us into drinking it! Once we die, he'll just carry our bodies out and throw them away!"

"We originally had over two hundred people, but now only thirty or so are left. Once we're all dead, they'll have achieved their goal! Cough cough cough... We were all going to die sooner or later anyway!"

Those who had contracted the plague all sat against the wall, looking at Shen Yuan as if she were a fool. They didn't believe Shen Yuan's words and thought she was talking nonsense.

Shen Yuan calmly retorted, "If the governor doesn't want to save you, why not just imprison you here, set a fire, and burn all those infected with the plague to death? Wouldn't that stop the epidemic? Why bother sending you food and medicine?"

Upon hearing this, the people in the courtyard fell silent.

Shen Yuan then continued, "There are clearly simpler and more efficient ways to deal with the plague, but the prefect did not do so! Since he is compassionate and willing to save you all, you should trust the prefect, cooperate with the government, take your medicine and get treatment as needed. If you can get through this, we can get out alive!"

"Get out alive?"

Those who had become numb and haggard from the disease suddenly had a glimmer of life in their eyes.

Chu Yuning looked at Shen Yuan, her eyes red-rimmed.