No one can enter the village without wearing protective clothing. Once Ma Guang put on his protective clothing, it meant he was going to work in the village. Before entering the village, he assigned tasks to his men and, along with two others dressed in the same clothes, followed Chen Zhaoci's group into Zhoujia Village.

Upon hearing Zhou Furen ask about Chen Zhaoci's identity, he scolded in a low voice, "Village Head Zhou, there are some things you can ask about, and some things you can't. A few days ago, the county magistrate ordered that quicklime be spread throughout the village before returning. Did your village not do that? Village Head Zhou, do you know that the epidemic broke out in your village because you didn't lead your people to spread quicklime in the village?"

Upon hearing this, cold sweat trickled down Zhou Lizheng's forehead and into his collar. He had considered many possibilities, but he had never imagined that it was because of a momentary oversight—failing to spread quicklime in the village—that the villagers had contracted the epidemic.

Seeing Zhou Lizheng's appearance, Ma Guang knew he had guessed correctly. He sighed and said, "Zhou Lizheng, you've gotten yourself into big trouble this time. The future of your village now depends entirely on this lady."

Zhou Lizheng kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Yes, yes, I will follow Madam's arrangements. I will do whatever Madam asks me to do, even at the cost of my life. I will do my best to follow Madam's instructions."

Ma Guang nodded and said, "As arranged by Madam Xu, I have sent someone to the county to deliver a letter to the magistrate, asking him to transfer quicklime from elsewhere. You should have the villagers dress like I am, and most importantly, make sure to cover their mouths and noses. Spread quicklime all over your village, and make sure not to leave out any of the village's wells."