Princess Lin'an pouted and looked around, saying, "Why is this place so weird?"

They are so poor that they can’t even afford to light a lamp at night, and yet you’re not willing to make money from them?

Shihu stole a glance at Rongxiu's expression and added, "I paid the woman five taels for the night's lodging!"

Even if they went to the county town and stayed in an inn, it wouldn't cost them more than five taels of silver!

"It seems that something is really wrong with this place." Princess Changle said thoughtfully. If it were an ordinary time, she would be able to use her power to force the village manager to come out and explain the situation.

But now, of course, we should keep a low profile as much as possible!

Shihu led a few people to the end of the village. There were said to be two houses there, but they looked more like dilapidated houses that no one had ever lived in.

A thatched shed was built outside the house, which served as a kitchen.

When you stand in the house, you can look up and see the stars above your head!

There is thick straw and bedding in the corner of the room, which is where the owner sleeps at night.

When Hua Yuanzhao and others arrived, the woman Li was taking her daughter to spread out the straw in the corner, trying to make enough space for eight people to sleep.

Her daughter looked only five or six years old, with a pale and thin face, and looked extremely pitiful.

Li was also skinny and bony. Although he was clearly under 30 years old, his temples were already gray and he looked as old as a man in his 40s.

Princess Changle glanced at the straw-covered ground with disgust, already regretting listening to Rong Xiu.

Even though her legs were aching, she was unwilling to sit on the ground and asked Li: "Why don't people in this village want to let outsiders stay overnight?"

It would be nice to change rooms! At least find a bed! The floor is so hard, how can I sleep?

Li looked at Princess Changle blankly. After a long pause, she said, "Wushan Village was not originally like this..."

"What do you mean?" Princess Lin'an had a sullen face and looked at the straw on the ground with resistance.

She would rather die of sleep than sleep in such a place!

But Li was unwilling to say anything, and only said dully: "No one in the village is willing to take in outsiders, so you guys should just put up with it for one night..."

"Hey, tell me something!" Rong Xiu raised his eyebrows and threw a piece of silver over: "During our parade, what we like to hear most are local stories."

Li took the silver coins and squeezed them, her eyes gradually brightening up.

——This piece of silver weighs two taels!

She tidied the hair around her ears and spoke awkwardly under the gaze of everyone.

"Wushan Village was originally a simple village..."

Everything began to change until the beginning of the year when a foreign family came to stay in the village.

The man with the surname Outdoor claimed that his family had met with disaster and that they had come to seek refuge with their relatives.

The villagers are simple and honest. Even though the relatives of the outsider family who had taken refuge there had passed away, the villagers did not drive them away. Instead, they helped the outsider family settle down.

Everything was fine at first, but in less than half a month, the man from the outdoor family fell ill. Although he got medicine from the barefoot doctor, it was just a waste of money.

"The man held on for a month or so, but he couldn't stand the pain and passed away, leaving behind an orphan and a widow..." Mrs. Li's voice was hoarse and she spoke slowly. Her daughter hid in her arms, quietly wiping away tears.

Hua Yuanzhao looked at Li with regret. He wanted to express his condolences but didn't know how to start.

"But what does this have to do with the situation in this village?" Princess Lin'an asked in a hurry.

Li was silent for a long while before continuing, "Not long after the man died, people in the village began to fall ill one after another..."

At first it was just a simple fever and cough.

It was the time of season change and the villagers didn't take it seriously. If they could resist it, they would endure it. If they couldn't, they would go to the barefoot doctor to buy typhoid medicine.

Who would have thought that within just over a month, seven or eight people had died. Except for five elderly people, all the others were young and middle-aged.

These people are the backbone of the family. If they fall, the whole family will fall.

"Later, the villagers drove that outsider to the end of the village, and they no longer dared to take in outsiders..." Li spoke with difficulty.

If it wasn't for the money, why would she expose her scars?

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Who would have thought that there was such a secret hidden in this village?

"But... this wouldn't be..." Hua Yuanzhao considered it again and again and used words that were easier to understand.

"…Plague?"