Wan Shu knew that Sishui County would be in dire straits after the plague.
But she never imagined things would turn out this badly.
Corpses lay everywhere, the bodies of those who had died from the plague scattered about.
Many of the corpses were already rotting, attracting countless flies and rats to gnaw on them.
Some of the unattended corpses were even infested with maggots.
"vomit--"
Wan Shu had never seen such a hellish scene before. She finally couldn't take it anymore and vomited by the oxcart.
"Mother, stop looking and drink some water!"
Sam-soon quickly took out a water bottle from his bag and handed it to Man-soo.
After taking a couple of sips of water and feeling a bit better, Wan Shu quickly took out three clean, soft pieces of fabric from what she pretended to be her bag, but actually from the system shop.
One was handed to San Shun, and the other to Uncle Er Niu.
As she wrapped the cloth around her head, she instructed, "San Shun, Uncle Er Niu, you two quickly wrap up your mouths and noses."
Sam-soon asked in confusion, "Mother, didn't you say that this plague wouldn't be contagious just by smelling it?"
"That's how it was supposed to be, but... the situation outside is worse than I imagined. With so many corpses and no one managing them, there's a high chance of other, even more serious plagues spreading. We must take good precautions."
Wan Shu's expression was grave: "It seems we must find the prefect as soon as possible, otherwise the entire prefectural city will be doomed!"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Erniu quickly sped up the pace of herding the cattle.
The journey to town normally takes an hour each way, but today it only took a little over half an hour.
The county town was managed by government offices, so it looked better than the area outside the town, but it was still a desolate place with wailing everywhere.
Wan Shu took out two hundred coins and gave them to Uncle Erniu.
Uncle Erniu was also a little confused: "Weren't we supposed to be going to the prefectural city? We've only just arrived in the county town. Why are you giving me money, Fugui's wife?"
"I have never met the prefect before, and I am just an ordinary village woman. It is almost impossible for me to meet the prefect and gain his trust."
Wan Shu said, "So before we go to the prefectural city, we need to go to the county magistrate to explain the situation, and then the county magistrate will take us to the prefectural city."
This means that we won't need Uncle Erniu anymore for the rest of the journey.
Uncle Erniu also felt that it would be safer for the county magistrate to send Wanshu to the prefectural city, but...
“If it’s just from the village to the county town, it doesn’t cost this much money. Give me twenty cash.”
Uncle Erniu handed the extra money to Wan Shu.
Wan Shu refused to accept it: "Uncle Erniu, you took a great risk to come and deliver this to me. This is the money you deserve, so please accept it."
After saying that, Wan Shu and San Shun, carrying their luggage, walked to the entrance of the yamen.
The constables at the gate didn't recognize Wan Shu. Seeing her carrying so many bags, they assumed she was fleeing from the plague.
He immediately frowned and shooed them away: "Go away, go away, get out of the way! We've also suffered a disaster here. Even if you come to the county magistrate, it won't do you any good!"
“Sir, I am not a refugee. I am from Qingshui Village below the county town. My name is Wan Shu.”
Wan Shu explained with a smile, "I have important matters to report to the county magistrate. Please inform him of them."
The constable said, "Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be a problem, but now, because of the epidemic, the county magistrate is already overwhelmed with work and has no time to see anyone..."
Before the constable could finish speaking, San Shun took out a silver coin and stuffed it into his hand.
In an instant, the yamen runner's impatient expression turned into joy.
"Oh dear! Look at this, it's such a small matter, there's no need for this!"
Even so, he was incredibly fast at taking the money.
"I'll go and report to the magistrate right away!"
Wan Shu believed that the county magistrate would definitely see her just because of her previous contribution in finding the potatoes.
Sure enough, a short while later, the yamen runner came out beaming.
"The magistrate is in a good mood today and wants you to come in with me. Let's go!"
Before long, Wan Shu met with the magistrate of their Sishui County again.
The county magistrate was still quite fat, but compared to when they first met, he had lost a lot of weight.
He was scratching his head in distress: "So many people have died, and even more are seriously ill. What will we do if they all keep dying like this!"
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
It wasn't until Wan Shu and San Shun greeted him at the same time that the magistrate noticed they had entered. He quickly waved for them to stand in front of him and asked them questions.
"I wonder if Madam Wan has found any good ideas to promote agriculture today?"
Wang Lizheng was a smart man. After leading the people of Qingshui Village to raise crayfish, he did not forget to tell the county magistrate about this good thing, which brought a lot of benefits to Qingshui Village.
Wan Shu's discovery of potatoes and his invention of a rice-crayfish co-culture method led the county magistrate to subconsciously believe that Wan Shu only had talent in agriculture.
And naturally, they assumed that Wan Shu's visit today must also be about agricultural matters.
However, what Wan Shu said far exceeded his expectations.
“Your Excellency, I am not here today to discuss agricultural matters, but rather the epidemic.”
Wan Shu didn't keep anyone in suspense and spoke directly.
"Under the guidance of a wise man, the woman learned how to make a miraculous medicine called allicin, which has already been proven in Qingshui Village to be effective in treating the current plague."
Upon hearing this, not only the county magistrate, but also the clerks and constables standing to the side all widened their eyes.
"What?! It's that powerful in curing the plague?!"
"Doesn't that mean we can save the other people in the county who have been infected with the plague!"
"Not only that! Besides our Sishui County, other counties are also experiencing the spread of the plague. This is enough to save the entire prefecture, which is a rare and great achievement!"
The magistrate had clearly anticipated this situation, and his eyes lit up as he slammed his fist on the table and stood up.
"Madam Wan, are you telling the truth!?"
Wan Shu: "Before the magistrate, this humble woman dares not lie."
"I also believe you wouldn't lie; you truly have that ability!"
The magistrate, hands on his hips, laughed heartily: "Tomorrow I'll lead you all to the prefectural city to treat the people of the entire city. This time I'm definitely going to get a promotion!"
Wan Shu: "..." He said it to her face. This magistrate is really frank, or perhaps a little stupid.
No wonder he was so diligent in his duties and managed Sishui County so well, yet he never got promoted.
She suggested, "Your Excellency, would you like to try the effects of allicin first?"
"No need, there's no need to test it. I trust you completely." The magistrate was still smiling, but what he said next sent chills down everyone's spine.
"And if you dare to lie to me, your whole family will be dead!"
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