Meng Chijian heard about these things on his way to fetch water.
Farmers certainly can't just stay at home all day; they still have to go to the fields every day. Otherwise, a poor harvest next year would be a slow death for them.
However, a rumor spread from who knows where, and a craze for catching mice swept through every household, with many families even considering keeping a cat as a pet.
"How could something have happened to Wangwang? The shop closed a long time ago!" A-Mian was very worried. Wangwang was her good working partner, the one who used to help her kill and fillet fish. "...And I used to spend all my time with Wangwang!"
She became a little paranoid, and that night she took her bamboo pillow and went to sleep in the woodshed: "What if I get it too, and then you get it?"
Anyway, there's Adou in the woodshed, and lots and lots of dry straw piled up there.
Meng Chijian held the child's arms from behind. A-Mian's feet twitched a few times in the air. He found it amusing, but quickly put on a stern face: "You've been together for so many days. If something was going to happen, it would have happened long ago."
"Also, don't try to use this excuse to avoid taking a bath."
Ah Mian's scheme was exposed.
Taking a bath in the countryside is such a hassle. From boiling the water to washing my long hair and drying it, it takes at least an hour. Before, I could take a full bath every three or four days, and only need to wipe my body and wash my feet every day or two, which was tolerable. But now that it's not hot, I have to take a full bath every day. Even a pig could get two layers of skin rubbed off!
These were her inner thoughts, which she dared not voice aloud.
Her loose black hair had grown to her waist, and it was thick and black with slightly curled ends that gave it a glossy sheen.
Meng Chijian said, "I'll go and boil some mugwort water. If you soak in it, you won't get sick."
Ah Mian had no choice but to nod.
She dashed to the kitchen, first grabbing a basin of rice water, then a handful of soap beans and a basin of cucumber slices.
After the man boiled the water and removed the stone blocking the drain, she began to take a bath carefully.
The areas behind the ears, the back of the neck, and the elbows are always key areas to examine.
Next, she used bath soap and rice water to wash her hair. When it was almost dry, Ah Mian dried it with a towel and changed into a clean shirt and underwear.
Only then did he call someone in to dry his hair.
When Meng Chijian came in, he saw Ah Mian looking strange, lying on a wooden stool with many cucumber slices stuck to her face.
Are you hungry?
Ah Mian said, "I heard from my employer that this is very good for the face, as it can keep it moisturized and make the skin fair."
Actually, she didn't know if it had these effects, but after hearing about it, she really wanted to try it herself.
"I'll put two on for you too, I cut two of them!"
"..." Meng Chijian, with several cucumber slices on his face, inexplicably began to wipe the child's hair.
It has to be said that Ah Mian was very thirsty after taking a shower, so she couldn't help but eat the remaining cucumbers in the bowl...
After staying at home for five or six days, Ah Mian had nothing to do, so she could only play jump rope with Meng Jing at home every day.
After the initial chaos, some different news gradually emerged.
“The chaos of the first three days has resulted in many deaths. Yesterday, an ‘isolation point’ was set up outside the city, and people with high fevers have to be sent there.”
This practice has existed before. Once residents discover someone is infected with the disease, they will try to drive the sick person away as quickly as possible. If the patient refuses to leave, they will not hesitate to use force. If the infected person dies, they will not dare to care about "burial for peace" at this time, and will be hurriedly taken outside the city and burned.
"What about Wangwang? She...she's been driven out of the city, isn't that a death sentence for her?!" Amian racked her brains. "Let's go and bring her some medicine and food. Just throw a bundle over from a distance, she'll be fine."
Meng Chijian said, “It’s not like that. Unlike before, when they were simply driven out to fend for themselves, it’s said that that wouldn’t control the epidemic and would only spread the disease… So, two rows of small rooms with earthen walls and thatched roofs were temporarily built, and the patients were all locked inside. Every day, someone would deliver medicine and food to them. There was also a latrine with lots of quicklime piled up, which was specifically for those who were infected.”
"This must have been Dr. Mo's idea."
In the beginning, there was no manpower available. Only doctors risked their lives to brew medicine outside the city and then leave. Patients with milder symptoms could take their medicine and then take a bowl back to give to the more seriously ill. Even so, usually only one out of two patients would survive.
But those patients who survived were usually in good health before, and they were immediately given short-term jobs, earning 250 coins a day, to care for the seriously ill or to help collect corpses and cremate the deceased.
More than half a month passed, and when the "quarantine site" was empty, everyone who was still alive breathed a sigh of relief.
Only those who are intelligent and quick-witted can perceive the many subtleties involved.
Why do outbreaks of disease often result in continuous deaths and injuries?
In the past, when epidemics broke out, people often panicked and resorted to all sorts of crooked and evil methods. When things got out of control, they would try to appease some kind of "divine wrath" through sacrifices.
This time, a message was circulating secretly and quickly among the people from the very beginning.
—The disease comes from rats and fleas.
This single sentence was enough to save countless people from suffering!
About a month later, people gradually realized that everything was alright. Slowly, the shops in the city reopened, the city gates opened again, and farmers busily carrying their loads of vegetables entered the city to sell them. The blacksmith's shop also reopened.
Ah Mian, who was almost bored to death at home, was finally able to run around and listen to people talking about important events in the teahouse.
"Let me tell you, the source of this epidemic in the prefectural city is the prefectural governor's office! Have you heard of that young master Zheng?"
"What, what does this have to do with him?"
"He's killed someone! It's said that his sweetheart has a rare, incurable illness, claiming to have chest pain. However, she's not actually sick; she's just jealous of his womanizing and resorted to this drastic measure! But that young master Zheng actually believed it and searched far and wide for miracle doctors and folk remedies..."
One of the waiters said bitterly, "I remember him! He came to our county and caused a huge scene, demanding human blood!"
"Yes. After that, he listened to the words of many 'miracle doctors' and tried every means to obtain bat blood, roe deer blood, and even rat blood! Things got to this point, and his wife dared not reveal the truth anymore. A few days later, all the servants in the mansion developed high fevers! At first, they tried to conceal the news, simply transporting the servants outside the city and burying them hastily..."
Ah Mian was horrified when she heard this; she had no idea that such treacherous and dark things existed in the world.
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