Chapter 415: Fighting for a Chance of Survival
The villagers, who had been stunned like wooden carvings and clay sculptures just now, gradually lost the confusion in their eyes after being yelled at, and were replaced by a tide of panic.
"How can this be possible?" Old man Zhang, standing in the front row, took a half step forward, the veins in his neck throbbing, his face filled with anger. "The dead are the most important. How can you burn a body? How can we bury them in peace like this? We can't even explain to our ancestors!"
Aunt Li, clutching her little grandson, was trembling all over, looking around helplessly. Finally, her gaze settled on the village chief. "It's just a cold. Zhuzi at the west end of the village also caught it a few days ago, and he's fully recovered in just two days. His family hasn't been in any trouble. Why are we separating? We can't even see each other, and someone might die! Did you make a mistake?"
The crowd's voices clashed with questions and arguments. Some raised their arms and shouted, "Don't burn people." Others stamped their feet and cried, "This must be a mistake." Chen Ahda's brow furrowed in knots from the uproar, and the several times he tried to speak were drowned out by the clamor.
But there is no time to waste, as the three surrounding villages are waiting for him to deliver the message.
Chen Ahda gritted his teeth, raised his wrist suddenly, and swung the whip at his waist out with a sound of breaking through the air.
There was a crisp "pop" sound, and the young man who was dancing the most excitedly in the crowd stumbled back, holding his arm. When everyone looked closely, they saw dark red blood oozing from his cuffs.
The whip that Chen Ah Da had just used hit his arm hard.
"Shut up, everyone!" Chen Ahda roared, his voice tinged with anger. "The county magistrate has confirmed that this isn't just a cold, but a highly contagious plague!"
He glanced at the silent villagers, his voice unmistakably cold and hard. "If you listen to the magistrate and stay home, you'll be given the right medicine when it's developed! If you disobey? Oh, your death will be in vain! The government won't accept the bodies of those who refuse to change their ways!"
"When your entire family is dead, you won't be able to do anything about it, even if you want to burn or throw away your official uniforms!"
Everyone hurriedly helped the young man who was beaten back, and the mud under their feet was crushed into pieces.
Many people clenched their fists, their cheeks puffed up, and their eyes were full of fear.
Chen Ah Da had come to the village several times before, and he was always friendly and affable, which made them forget his identity.
No matter how friendly he is, it cannot change the fact that he is a lackey of the government!
The sound of the whip hitting flesh was still ringing in my ears, but in the end no one dared to say a word.
Seeing that these people finally quieted down, Chen Ahda loosened his grip on the whip a little.
Only then did he understand what the adults meant when they said "we can suppress them by force when necessary" when they left, and he also understood why he was asked to bring more than 20 yamen runners with him.
At times like this, using force is indeed more effective than reasoning.
He turned to look at Gu Jiayue, who was standing outside the crowd, and his tone softened. "Miss Gu, my master asked me to escort you to Juzhou City. There's no news of the plague there yet, so he said he could take you out for shelter first!"
He looked at the sky and saw that the sun was already setting.
"I have to go to the neighboring villages to deliver a message. Miss, you can go back and pack your things. I will be here to take you away in half an hour."
In fact, he felt that the adults' decision was a bit risky. At present, the counties were either experiencing an epidemic or were still in the midst of drought. The roads were full of refugees and patients, and the roads might not be safe.
But he was just a yamen runner, so how could he have the qualifications to question the county magistrate's decision?
Anyway, if the sky falls, there are adults to support it, so it’s not his turn as a small fry to worry about it.
Gu Jiayue lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, then please, Brother Chen, come back later. I'll be waiting at home."
Chen Ah Da replied "Okay", jumped on his horse, whipped it, and the horse's hooves kicked up a cloud of mud as it headed out of the village.
"You want to follow them?"
Gu Jiayue turned around and looked at Gu Yuchuan with a faint smile on her face. "Guess?"
After saying that, he turned around and walked straight towards the village chief. "Uncle Village Chief, we have to thank the county magistrate for helping us make the decision. Let's just follow his instructions."
The village chief sighed deeply.
But in just a few minutes, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened a little, and his steps, which were originally steady, now seemed a little staggering, as if all his strength had been suddenly drained away.
"My dear fellows, you all heard what I just said." The village chief cleared his hoarse throat, his voice full of fatigue. "The whole of Annan County is now stricken by the plague. Our village is not immune."
The villagers were frightened by Chen Ada's cruel look just now, and when they heard the word "plague", they subconsciously shook their heads.
"How can it be a plague?" Wang Laowu squatted on the ground, holding his head in his hands. "It's just a cold from the rain. It will be fine after taking two doses of medicine! My wife had the same problem last year!"
"That's right! Where did this plague come from? My son has been sick for three days. My wife and I have been watching over him day and night, but he's still fine, isn't he?"
"We have to separate. My child is only five years old, so young. How can he take care of himself without us?" A woman in a blue shirt said as tears fell. "He's still sick. What should I do if he cries for me at night?"
More and more women began to wipe their tears. The low sobs mixed with the coughs that came one after another drilled into Gu Jiayue's ears, like a blunt knife cutting her heart.
She took two steps forward and wanted to say something, but her arm was grabbed by Gu Yuchuan.
"Aren't you going to Juzhou City? Go back and pack your things, leave this to me." Gu Yuchuan's voice was deep, with unquestionable determination.
"But..." Gu Jiayue wanted to say something.
"You still don't believe in my ability?"
That's not possible. If a former powerful official can't even handle such a small matter, how can he be qualified to be the hero of a rebirth novel?
Gu Jiayue did have things to do, so she could only nod and leave for the time being.
Gu Yuchuan looked at the uncles and aunts in front of him, some crying and some angry, and took a deep breath. "Everyone, listen to me."
His voice was a bit louder than usual, with some penetrating power, and most people looked over in the direction of the voice.
"Come down, you have no right to interrupt when the elders are talking!" Uncle Zhao from the east end of the village had a cold face and his eyes were full of impatience. It was obvious that he was not willing to listen to a junior pointing fingers at him.
Gu Yuchuan had no expression on his face, but he knew in his heart that what his uncle said was right.
He is young and a junior, so he really shouldn't say too much here.
According to his previous temperament, he would not bother to care about such things.
These people were just casual acquaintances to him. What did their life or death have to do with him? Anyway, he had the system to support him. No matter how severe the plague was, he would be safe and sound.
But during the time he spent with Gu Jiayue, he seemed to slowly understand some things.
What is mutual help among neighbors, what is teaching and educating between teachers and students, and what is mutual appreciation among friends.
He didn't understand before why all the people around her were kind and loyal.
He sometimes wondered why Gu Jiayue was so busy running around for these people every day.
If it's for money, she has invested a lot of money in the past two years; if it's for fame, many things are not done in her name.
He really couldn't understand.
So I became curious about her and wanted to see what she was up to.
But the more I get to know her, the more stupid I think she is.
Pure stupidity.
It seems that I really like the eager look in the children's eyes when I teach, and I like the smile on other people's faces after I help them solve problems.
This was the first time in his life that he had seen such a pure person.
Looking at the despair that could not be hidden in the eyes of these villagers, Gu Yuchuan suddenly didn't want them to die.
If anything happened to these people, Gu Jiayue would definitely blame herself again.
She is always like this. Even though many things are not her fault, she always likes to take the responsibility on herself.
Just give her a hand.
Anyway, he still has the system as his trump card. When he is really in a desperate situation, he can always find a way.
"This uncle is right," Gu Yuchuan said calmly, "I'm a junior, so I really shouldn't interrupt at this time. But don't you want to know how to protect your family?"
He glanced at the crowd. "Although what the County Magistrate said was unpleasant, it was true. If we don't control this plague and allow it to spread, how many people will die? Have you forgotten the plague thirty years ago?"
As soon as the word "plague" came out, the crowd fell silent instantly.
Almost all the older people present had experienced that period; the younger ones had also heard about it from their elders since childhood. The descriptions alone were enough to make one's scalp tingle.
In fact, thirty years ago, only the Gu family lived in Taohua Village.
Later, the plague suddenly broke out. The county magistrate at that time was a corrupt official. Not only did he ignore the situation, he also used the plague to make money. He raised the prices of food and medicinal materials very high, and even implemented a policy of closing the mountains. People were not allowed to go up the mountains to collect herbs, and could only buy them in the pharmacies controlled by him in the county town.
Later, a widespread plague broke out, killing nearly two-thirds of the people in Annan County, with only a handful of survivors. Many villages were completely wiped out, and those that survived had only a few left.
The plague was not revealed until it spread to the neighboring county.
Later, the corrupt official was beheaded by the imperial envoy sent by the court, and then porridge and medicine were distributed to save the remaining people.
After the plague was over, the new county magistrate brought the survivors together and merged several scattered villages into the current Taohua Village.
This can not only improve production but also facilitate management.
That’s why Taohua Village has so many people and families today.
"Do you have a solution?" someone asked in a trembling voice, with a hint of hope in his voice that he himself didn't even notice.
That memory was too horrific, and no one wants to experience it again.
In their minds, the plague is unavoidable, and if it really comes, they can only wait for death. That's why they are so afraid of being separated from their families, and even more reluctant to cremate the bodies of their loved ones.
In their view, if a person is burned, there is no afterlife. They cannot be reborn as a human being. Therefore, burial has always been the norm in the southwest.
"We have found the source of the plague. Doctor Lin is already working on a prescription. I believe we will have a conclusion soon."
"When I was away taking an exam, I received a prescription for plague prevention. As long as we drink that medicine, those of us who haven't been infected yet will greatly reduce the possibility of infection. Then we can allocate more people to take care of the patients and eliminate the source of the plague. All of this requires our joint efforts."
"The county magistrate is right not to let us leave the village. As long as people move around, the plague will spread, and the scope will only get larger and larger, and more people will die. So we can't leave the village, and we can't let people from other villages in!"
Gu Yuchuan said a lot.
In his previous life, he had held the position of Prime Minister and had naturally encountered several plagues. Before he became famous, he had also participated in epidemic prevention. Therefore, he agreed with the county magistrate's arrangements and admired the young man even more.
With a firm expression, he explained the whole story to the villagers in a clear and logical manner.
At first, some people frowned, but later the voices of doubt gradually died down, and finally there was no rebuttal at all.
"So, what should we do now?"
Gu Yuchuan's expression grew serious. "Now, go home and bring all your sick family members to the academy. We'll treat and care for them together. Then, wait for Doctor Lin to brew the medicine. After you drink it, we'll make arrangements for the rest of the matter."
It started raining again.
The rain was not heavy, just a fine drizzle, which was almost unnoticeable when it fell on the head. But before we knew it, everyone's clothes and hair were wet, sticking to their bodies and feeling cold.
A vast expanse of white mist began to form in the mountains, enveloping the entire Taohua Village. The roofs and trees in the distance became blurred, as if the village would be swallowed up by the mist and disappear at any moment.
No one spoke, and no one took action.
Everyone stood there in a daze. The mud under their feet became softer and softer due to the rain. The soles of their shoes sank into it and it was difficult to pull them out.
The village chief stamped his feet anxiously, his cloudy eyes filled with anxiety. "What are you still standing here for? Now that things have come to this, if we don't do as the county magistrate says, we'll all die! Instead of standing here wasting time, why not take action? Maybe we can still have a chance of survival!"
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