Meningococcal epidemic

When Zhou Huaiyue curled up on the train back to Yunnan, Shen Roujiao and Hu Zi were rushing to the county town. Shen Roujiao learned about the outbreak of plague in Xiaonanchuan from Hu Zi.

This was his last visit to Hedong Village to collect medicinal herbs before the New Year. After all the goods were loaded, Hu Zi specifically reminded Shen Roujiao not to run around recently, as the situation outside was very chaotic and there were a lot of sick people. Several hospitals were overcrowded with critically ill patients.

In several families, several members of the family fell ill and eventually died.

Although the city government is trying its best to control the disease and the news, word has already spread that the disease is fatal and cannot be cured.

"What? How could this happen?" Shen Roujiao jumped up from the stool, her eyes full of shock. She felt as if a huge stone was pressing down on her chest, making her feel uncomfortable and unable to breathe.

The epidemic should have started after the Chinese New Year, but right now, the Chinese New Year hasn’t even ended yet.

In the original text, this fierce plague claimed the lives of many people, including Shen's father and third brother Shen Tiannan.

The medical team at the time tried every possible means but to little avail. Western medicine was helpless in the face of this type of epidemic encephalitis and could only rely on drugs to barely save the patient's life, but the patient would soon die from organ failure and difficulty breathing.

Finally, it was Zhou Huaiyue's mother, Chen Zhenhua, who used prescriptions for clearing away pathogens and eliminating toxins, combined with methods such as cooling blood and clearing the meridians, to stabilize the patient's condition. The prescriptions were then promoted in the hardest-hit areas, and the epidemic was effectively brought under control.

Although Shen Roujiao knew from the original text how Chen Zhenhua saved people, she did not know the specific prescription. She knew a little about medicinal materials, but she did not know the prescription for curing diseases and saving lives.

Now that Zhou Huaiyue is not around, what should she do?

She couldn't just watch so many people die from the plague. She couldn't wait, she couldn't wait for them to die.

Shen Roujiao, who came from a book, always felt that she could be reborn in this world not only because they had the same name, but more importantly, she had many things to do and many responsibilities to bear.

Although she didn't know the specific prescription, she knew that it was Angong Niuhuang Pills used for comatose patients.

......

Knowing that Shen Roujiao would not listen, Hu Zi kept persuading her along the way. The result was that he himself followed Shen Roujiao to County Governor Gu's house.

Gu Changgeng, who opened the door for them, thought that the senior sister came to play with him and was quite happy. However, he found that Shen Roujiao and Hu Zige had serious expressions. After asking, he found out that they came because of the epidemic.

Gu Jingnian has also been busy with the epidemic recently. Under the instructions of the city leaders, they have just sorted out an emergency site, set up tents, connected electricity, and transferred more than 470 seriously infected people. County Mayor Gu has been busy for several nights in a row and only went home this morning. He is still catching up on sleep.

Gu's mother came out of the room and was surprised to see Shen Roujiao: "Why are you here? The epidemic is so serious now, don't run around. Your master, Zhou Huaiyue, called yesterday and asked about the plague."

"Zhou Huaiyue? Where is he?" Since receiving the telegram that he and his father were returning to the capital, Shen Roujiao had not received any message from him, and she didn't know whether they had returned yet.

"He is in Beijing and is my father's friend." Mother Gu had never expected that the prison cellmate her father had always been talking about was actually Shen Roujiao's master.

"Sister, can you still give him a call? I have something urgent." Shen Roujiao thought all the way about how she could help.

She doesn't know any medical knowledge, so no one would believe anything she says.

She needed Zhou Huaiyue, who knew about medicinal materials and medical skills. Even if he didn't know that much, Chen Zhenhua was behind him. Moving him out would mean moving out a famous doctor, which would mean saving many, many people.

"Then call my dad and ask." Gu's mother walked to the phone and dialed the rotary dial, and the operator also transferred the number to her.

The call was connected to the office of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. After waiting for a few minutes, the old man came down from the third floor to answer the phone. He thought it was Zhou Huaiyue, but it turned out to be his daughter. After a few words, it turned out to be the girl Zhou Huaiyue liked, Shen Roujiao.

"Uncle, is my master with you?"

Young people just fall in love and call their partners "master".

"As for him, he is probably on his way back to Yunnan right now. He is in a hurry to go back to see you." After hanging up the phone yesterday, Zhou Huaiyue left in a hurry, saying that he was going to the train station to buy tickets.

"He's back, Zhou Huaiyue is back!" Shen Roujiao repeated it several times happily. When faced with an epidemic, Master Zhou, who knows the business, is most needed. He is coming back like a timely rain. With Zhou Huaiyue by her side, the plague will surely pass.

Hearing the excited voice on the other end of the phone, Old Man Chen was sincerely happy for his cellmate. Zhou Huaiyue's girlfriend must like him very much. Hearing his voice sound even better after he got back.

"Why are you so happy?" Gu Jingnian came out of the bedroom, his hair was messy and his face was still tired.

Thinking that she had woken up County Governor Gu by speaking too loudly, Shen Roujiao felt quite sorry and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I was speaking too loudly just now and woke you up."

Gu Jingnian waved his hand, took the cup of water handed to him by Gu's mother, drank a sip, and sat on the sofa opposite him. "I have too many things to do and I didn't sleep well. Why are you here? Go back to the village and stay there. Don't run around."

He looked at Hu Zi standing behind him, his eyes full of complaints. Hu Zi shrugged and threw his hands up helplessly: He couldn't control it.

"Brother-in-law, what kind of disease is it? I can boil medicine, take care of patients, and do everything. I want to go to the epidemic area." Shen Roujiao called him brother-in-law to make a request. Not only did she not plan to go back, she also planned to go to the hardest-hit area of ​​the epidemic.

"It's epidemic meningitis, the disease develops quickly, and the key is that there is no specific medicine. You can't go, no matter what you say. Hu Zi can't take care of you, so Chang Geng will take care of her and send her back to the village." Gu Jingnian's expression was stern, and his tone was completely unquestionable.

"Yes, it's too dangerous. Your master also told you to stay in the village. Jiaojiao, go back first." Mother Gu advised softly.

Shen Roujiao was very tactful. County Governor Gu was so tired that he kept frowning. He couldn't let them worry any more. "Okay, I'll go back now. You guys take care of your health. Brother-in-law, sleep a little longer. Let's go, Brother Huzi." She was obedient and considerate.

But Hu Zi knew that she must be planning to think of other ways. Zhou Huaiyue would be back soon, and Shen Roujiao would definitely wait for him.

The two men came out of the county magistrate's house, and Gu Changgeng followed behind them, saying that his father was worried about them and sent him to monitor them before they left the city.

"Go back, or don't come to our village again." Shen Roujiao sent Gu Changgeng back home with these words.

She and Huzi planned to go to Mr. Cui's store to ask him how many Angong Niuhuang Pills he had, but they saw eighteen bodyguards in the store. The transportation of medicinal materials had been suspended before the New Year, and they were now busy with the plague. The epidemic area needed a large amount of medicinal materials and daily necessities every day, and they also had to transport the dead patients in time.

When they heard that Shen Roujiao was going, they all disagreed, "You can't go. Seventeen people died yesterday, fifteen of them were children. It was so heartbreaking to see. There were children ranging from a few years old to teenagers. Every time a dead patient was transported away, the children's parents cried their hearts out."

Each person described the dire conditions in the epidemic area. It was a painful place dominated by death, fear, and despair. It was not a place she should or could go.

But they didn't know that Shen Roujiao wanted to go immediately after hearing this, especially when she heard that most of the deaths were children, she was extremely anxious. She wanted to save people and save people with life-saving drugs.

Boss Cui came out from the backyard and brought over twenty pills. "These are all I have now. If it's not enough, I'll buy you more. I should be able to get a few hundred."

As a life-saving pill, it was a valuable medicine because it contained wild rhino horns and tiger bones. At that time, the price of a single pill was more than 60 yuan, which was half a year's income for many families.

The price is high and there is usually not much sales, so the herbal medicine shops basically have no stock.

"I'll take these first, and the money will be on my account. Uncle Cui, please order some more goods, I think we'll need more." She put the pills in an aluminum lunch box and stuffed it into her bag. Fearing of being infected, Shen Roujiao went home to bring back a lunch box and chopsticks. As someone who has experienced two global epidemics, SARS and COVID-19, she knows how to protect herself.

"No matter if it's money or not, everyone wants to contribute. Look at them," Uncle Cui pointed at everyone in the store, all of whom looked exhausted, "Who wants to give money? Everyone wants to help control this plague as soon as possible. No more people will die. These are all poor children. And remember to wear this."

As they were talking, Boss Cui stuffed another stack of gauze masks into Shen Roujiao's hand. He had recently been cooperating with County Mayor Gu on the epidemic prevention work, contributing money, effort and manpower without a single complaint.

"Thank you, uncle. The goods have arrived and someone will come to pick them up. I'll go with them first." Shen Roujiao took the mask, tore one open, put it on and walked out.

But Hu Zi pulled him back, "I'll go with you." He couldn't stand watching a little girl rush to such a dangerous place while he stood there. He was not a coward.

"Brother Huzi, go to the train station. Tomorrow, tomorrow, my master will be here. Pick him up and then come find us." She patted Huzi's arm as if she was patting her brother, a brother who fought and walked side by side with her.

In fact, Shen Roujiao misjudged the time. The train was much slower than she thought. She thought it would take at least 30 hours to get from Beijing to Yunnan. In fact, the train Zhou Huaiyue took took 60 hours to arrive. Hu Zi waited at the train station for two days before he finally saw Master Zhou who was "unable to walk".

Along the way, Zhou Huaiyue was squeezed in the palm-sized space at the junction of two carriages. The cold wind poured in from the gap. He was wrapped in a thick military coat and sat in a corner with his hands in his pockets. When he got tired of sitting, he stood for a while, and when he got tired of standing, he sat down again.

He dared only take small sips of the steamed buns and pickled vegetables his mother brought him, and the water in the kettle, for fear that he would not be able to reach the compartment for hot water after drinking, and that his toilet seat would be occupied.

I was stuck in the same place for 60 hours, and arrived 10 hours later than expected. I missed the train several times, and had to wait for two or three hours. The train was motionless like a stake stuck in the ground. This was the most torturous time. I would take a nap and wake up to find that I was still in the same place. Time was stretched infinitely, and I couldn't see the end.

By the time he got off the bus, Zhou Huaiyue's legs were numb, as if they were filled with lead. He couldn't lift them or walk. They were too heavy to even bend, and every step felt like walking in a thick quagmire.

When he saw Hu Zi, he wanted to speed up his pace, but his legs were completely out of control and he could only move forward step by step.

"Huai Yue, I finally waited for you." Brother Huzi rushed forward and held his arm.

"Why are you here? Where is Roujiao?" He grabbed Hu Zi's sleeve, looking nervous.

Except for the old man and his parents, no one knew that he had returned to Yunnan. As soon as he saw Hu Zi, he had a bad feeling. Who could let Hu Zi wait here and wait for him to show up? It was no one but Shen Roujiao.

But where is she?