When the village head heard that quicklime was to be added to the well, he quickly waved his hand and said, "Brother Ma, if quicklime is added to the well, how will the villagers drink the water? This won't do, this won't do."
Ma Guang sneered and said, "Zhou Lizheng, where do you think the illnesses of these people in the village came from? They came from this well. When the flood came, the water in the well was contaminated by dead cats and rats. Did you disinfect it in time? People drank it and that's why they got sick."
Xu Zhi explained all of this to Ma Guang, who then used it on the spot to explain it to Zhou Furen. Zhou Furen listened in a daze, which gave Ma Guang a sense of satisfaction.
Zhou Lizheng's face turned pale, then he finally gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Brother Ma, then we'll do whatever you say. We'll do whatever you tell us to do."
Where in the county could one find readily available quicklime? Ma Guang sent someone to the county to ask the magistrate for quicklime, but the magistrate's advisor scolded him and sent him back to Zhoujia Village, seething with anger.
After hearing Ma Guang's words, Chen Zhaoci was not in a hurry. He comforted him, saying, "Then wait a little longer. I sent someone to Miaozhou to report the news. I estimate that someone will bring it to us soon."
Seeing Chen Zhaoci's calm expression, Ma Guang felt more at ease. He led his men, dressed in protective suits, and wandered around the village, preventing anyone from drawing water from the village's wells.
Fortunately, there was a river near the village. The water was shallow but flowing. Chen Zhaoci had the water filtered with charcoal and then boiled before it could be drunk. It was troublesome, but everyone was afraid of dying. Seeing that the people around them were falling ill and about to die, they heard that this method could prevent it. So, those who had complained about the trouble stopped complaining.
After the county magistrate's advisor chased away the bailiff, he went to the back residence of the county government office.
The county magistrate, surnamed Li, saw his clerk approaching and asked, "Has the person been driven away?"
The clerk nodded and said, "They've been driven away, sir. The people of Zhoujia Village can't be allowed to stay. If they get infected with the plague and it spreads, how many people will die?"
Magistrate Li shook his head and said, "Didn't the prefecture send a doctor here? Since that doctor dared to bring people to stay in the village, he must be able to cure this epidemic. Besides, didn't that doctor also have people quarantine the village, allowing entry but not exit? Let's just stay here and watch them make a mess of things."
The advisor continued to persuade him, "My lord, you only know one side of the story. I heard from my grandfather that after the flood in my hometown, there was also an epidemic. The entire county was almost wiped out. Later, the imperial court sent people to surround the entire county and burned everything, whether infected or not. That stopped the spread of the epidemic. Otherwise, who knows how many more people would have lost their lives."
Magistrate Li was somewhat afraid. Who isn't afraid of death? But he was still an official appointed by the imperial court. Even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't. If an epidemic broke out in the county and he, as the magistrate, secretly ran away, not only would he fail the Ministry of Personnel's assessment, but he might also be charged with dereliction of duty and desertion.
Magistrate Li looked at his advisor with a questioning expression. Seeing that Magistrate Li's expression had softened, the advisor continued to persuade him, "Sir, you are not only the official in charge of the few hundred people in Zhoujia Village, but also the official in charge of the people of the entire county."
Magistrate Li said, "But we don't have enough manpower. All the constables have been taken away by Constable Ma. Where do we have any other people we can use?"
The clerk quickly said, "Sir, as long as we pay the money, isn't it easy to find the person? Sir, please make a decision quickly."
Magistrate Li gritted his teeth and said, "In that case, you can take the money from the account to prepare for this matter. I will first submit a memorial to the court. We must have a legitimate reason for our actions. Otherwise, I will also have to bear the responsibility of disregarding human life."
The clerk was relieved and went to the county government office. After looking at the money in the accounts, he began to think about where to find someone to do the job.
Zheng Boyuan quickly received the message from Chen Zhaoci, knowing that the county had sent a constable and a group of constables to help. He still did not let his guard down and prepared some epidemic prevention supplies, which he sent with his guards. After returning home and telling Wu Muyue and Xu Zhi about it, Wu Muyue pondered it for a while and asked Zheng Boyuan, "Boyuan, do you know much about this magistrate of Yunshan County?"
Zheng Boyuan frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "I've only met him a few times. I've heard Lord Feng mention him; he's rather mediocre."
Wu Muyue placed his right hand on the table, his index finger lightly tapping the surface. After a long while, he said, "Send more people over there. The epidemic is no small matter. Although your mother-in-law can handle it, we still need to prevent others from treating human lives as a joke and only thinking about a quick fix without taking any action."
Zheng Boyuan's expression suddenly changed as if he had thought of something. He turned and walked out. Xu Bai heard this and quickly went to Wu Muyue's side, asking anxiously, "Uncle, is my mother in danger?"
Looking at his nervous young disciple, Wu Muyue reassured him, "I'm just used to trying to understand people's hearts from the worst possible perspective. Don't worry."
Xu Bai wanted to go and stay with his mother, but Wu Muyue stopped him and said, "Ah Bai, don't go. You have to believe that your mother can solve the epidemic. She only sent people to ask for supplies, she didn't say anything else. Don't you trust your mother's medical skills?"
Xu Bai thought that if he went, he would only cause trouble for his mother, so he said, "Uncle, then I'll go with my brother-in-law, but I won't go into the village. I'll just stay outside and keep watch. Is that alright?"
Wu Muyue shook his head and said, "Abo, when there is danger, children are the first people we adults want to protect, because you are the future and the hope. You stay in Miaozhou with peace of mind, and your mother can save people without worry. If you go with her, your mother will have to worry about you outside the village. So, don't go anywhere. Stay at home. I will have Ayin take good care of you. Go back and copy the Analects from the beginning."
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