Shen Yuan prostrated herself on the ground and said loudly, "This humble woman will obey the orders of the Prefect!"
"Get up!" Magistrate Jiang waved his sleeve. "There are things your teacher's wife prepared in that medicine chest. She has been seriously ill these past few days and could not come in person. She repeatedly asked me to bring these things to you."
Did Doctor Jiang also learn about the events in Chu Family Village?
Shen Yuan was somewhat surprised. It wasn't surprising that Prefect Jiang knew about this. She had Prefect Jiang's jade token in her hand, and Magistrate Sun would definitely go to Jian'an City to inquire about her relationship with Prefect Jiang. Prefect Jiang probably learned about the plague outbreak in Chu Family Village through Magistrate Sun.
But how could Doctor Jiang know?
Shen Yuan suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Xiao Ling.
It was Xiao Ling! She should have realized it sooner!
Meeting Shen Yuan's gaze, Xiao Ling nodded silently.
The plague was like a raging flood, and it wouldn't be easy for him to control it within Chu Family Village on his own. He would have to find some help for Shen Yuan.
Moreover, he also wanted to be the first to inform Magistrate Jiang of what had happened that day before Magistrate Sun.
So after returning to Jian'an City, he first went to the home of Old Master Murong.
After Magistrate Jiang and his entourage left, the guards watching over Chu Family Village carried all the items that had been placed at the village entrance into the village.
Shen Yuan opened the medicine box and saw the special masks and anti-epidemic medicine packs prepared by Doctor Jiang. She also gave some to the guards on duty.
In the past few days, these guards, just like the villagers of Chu Family Village, have been stationed outside the village without leaving it for a moment, and have not been allowed to go anywhere else.
Shen Yuan was worried that they might also contract the plague, so she shared some of the things that Doctor Jiang had prepared with them.
The guards were very grateful for the things Shen Yuan gave them. Magistrate Sun had abandoned them here and left them to their fate. In fact, they were all terrified, afraid that they would catch a disease and die here.
Now, Shen Yuan gave them masks and medicine packs, which put their minds at ease.
The guard thanked Shen Yuan, "Thank you, Miss Shen!"
Shen Yuan nodded slightly, without saying much. She was busy helping Xiao Ling deliver the supplies brought by Prefect Jiang to the Tian family, the clan head's house, and the ancestral hall in Chu Family Village.
Upon seeing the supplies delivered by Magistrate Jiang, the villagers' eyes lit up.
The prefect has not abandoned these people!
Shen Yuan distributed the masks and winter clothes from the box to the villagers, then repackaged the medicinal herbs and handed them over to Tian Shi and the old clan chief's son, who were responsible for decocting the medicine for the villagers living in their homes.
Chu Qiuyue, having received nothing, stormed up to Shen Yuan indignantly, "Why didn't I get anything! Did you embezzle all the things the prefect bestowed upon me?"
When Shen Yuan distributed medicinal herbs, face masks, and winter clothes, she completely ignored Chu Qiuyue, so Chu Qiuyue received nothing.
Seeing Chu Qiuyue's indignant expression, Shen Yuan curled her lips and said, "The Prefect has entrusted me with the disposal of these things. I can give them to whomever I want. If you are not satisfied, you can go and complain to the Prefect yourself."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qiuyue looked utterly defeated.
How could a commoner like her possibly meet the governor?
Shen Yuan was clearly taking advantage of her connections with government officials to deliberately bully her!
Chu Qiuyue retorted angrily, "You're just a petty person who's gotten what you deserve! You're bullying others by taking advantage of your power!"
"So what if a petty person gains power? So what if they bully others with their power?"
Shen Yuan put her hands on her hips and said, "I just love seeing you so defiant yet unable to beat me, like a clown! No matter how much you jump around, you're a laughing stock!"
"You..." Chu Qiuyue couldn't argue with Shen Yuan, so she ran to Chu Yuning and stomped her feet, crying and complaining, "Brother, look at her! She bullied me again!"
Chu Yuning dared not provoke Shen Yuan, so she could only patiently coax Chu Qiuyue, "Don't cry, I'll give you everything I got, and I'll share half of the medicine I drank with you! Is that okay?"
Chu Qiuyue then stopped crying.
For the next seven days, Shen Yuan stayed at the ancestral hall. Originally, there were twenty-one people who came to the ancestral hall with the old clan leader, but the oldest few of them did not survive and followed the old clan leader, leaving eighteen people.
Of the eighteen people, ten have recovered. Shen Yuan told them to return to their own homes and live in separate rooms, and not to visit each other for the time being.
In addition, two more people came from the Tian family and the old clan head's family, so there are now ten people in the ancestral hall.
Among these ten people are Chu Yuning and Chu Qiuyue.
Originally, Chu Yuning and Chu Qiuyue were the first to fall ill, so their illnesses wouldn't have lasted this long.
However, since Shen Yuan cut off Chu Qiuyue's medicine, Chu Yuning had no choice but to give half of her own medicine to Chu Qiuyue.
Neither of them had enough medication, so they never recovered and remained in a state of semi-death.
Chu Yuning had been sick for a full half month. He felt that even if he didn't die from the illness, he would be tormented to death by the prolonged illness.
In the end, he could only bow his head to Shen Yuan and say, "Could you also brew a bowl of medicine for my sister? We are all villagers of Chu Family Village. You promised Magistrate Sun that you would treat every villager of Chu Family Village, and that should include my sister!"
"It was your sister who said that I can't cure you, and the medicine I prescribed is useless. She doesn't want to drink it. Am I supposed to coax, beg, or plead with her to drink it?" Shen Yuan said sarcastically.
Chu Yuning choked, "...What will it take for you to give my sister a bowl of medicine?"
Shen Yuan rested her chin on her hand and thought carefully for a moment, then stretched out her hand to Chu Yuning, "Same as before, ten taels for one bowl of medicine!"
"Ten taels?"
Three bowls of medicine a day, that's thirty taels a day, and almost a hundred taels in three days. Even if it's ginseng, it wouldn't cost that much!
What's the difference between Shen Yuan's asking price and robbery?
No, Shen Yuan is robbing people!
Chu Yuning instinctively clutched his bundle tightly. He had saved that money for the imperial examination next year; it was several months' worth of expenses and needed to last until next autumn. He absolutely couldn't afford to spend it all now!
Can……
Chu Yuning glanced back at Chu Qiuyue, who was lying on the pile of straw and had become pale and thin from the torment in just a few days, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.
On one side was his only blood relative, and on the other was his long-cherished wish after more than ten years of hard study. Chu Yuning was caught in the middle, her heart filled with turmoil.
After thinking for a long time, he finally said, "I'll give you sixty taels of silver. You sell me seven doses of medicine. You don't need to brew the medicine; I'll brew it myself."
Shen Yuan said, "Seventy taels, not a penny less. Pay first, then take the medicine!"
Seeing that Shen Yuan was unwilling to back down even slightly, Chu Yuning gritted her teeth and finally took out seventy taels of silver from the bundle in her bosom and handed it to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan lent Chu Yuning the money and readily gave her seven packets of medicine.
Although they were some distance apart, Chu Qiuyue still saw that Chu Yuning gave Shen Yuan a lot of money.
A full seventy taels!
It would have taken her family seven years to save up this much money, and her brother just gave it all away in one go!
Although she was touched, Chu Qiuyue still felt that her brother was too stubborn!
There were clearly other ways to get the medicine from Shen Yuan, such as stealing or robbing, so why be so foolish as to give her money?
Chu Qiuyue clenched her fists tightly under the covers, secretly determined that she could not watch Chu Yuning spend all the money she had worked so hard to get!
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