Chapter 98 [VIP]
Having had a previous experience, Chen Bo instinctively grabbed his weapon as soon as he heard the knock on the door and nervously asked, "Who is it?"
"Officer, come and take a count of the living people in the town."
Chen Bo peeked through the crack in the door and saw that the two men were indeed dressed as government officials. “Please wait a moment, gentlemen, I will go and fetch our young master.”
Before long, Wang Ying came over from the backyard and peeked through the crack in the door. It turned out to be an acquaintance, Huang San, who had helped him before.
He told everyone else to go inside and wait, then opened the front door and said, "Third Master? Are you alright?"
Huang San was also taken aback when he saw Wang Ying, not expecting him to still be alive. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, Manager Wang. I'm fine."
Wang Ying nodded, but judging from his sallow complexion and full beard, he didn't look well.
More than half of the Huang family's dozen or so members perished in the flood, leaving only him and his two children alive.
Living means working. People from the county came and ordered them to count the number of survivors in the entire town. They ran out early in the morning.
Huang San held a booklet in his hand and entered the names, genders, and ages of the surviving members of the Chen family one by one.
"Your family didn't suffer much damage."
"The houses have all collapsed, and we're just making do with what we have now. We happened to be in the village during those rainy days, and we escaped the flood by fleeing to the mountains."
Huang San suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Manager Wang, do you still have any grain at home?"
"There's a little, but not much. With so many people in the family, it probably won't last long. When will the government's disaster relief grain be distributed?"
Huang San paused for a moment, then said, "Just wait and see. Make sure you hide the grain well. If anyone knocks on the door, don't open it. The people in town are starving..."
Wang Ying was startled by his ferocious expression and quickly nodded in agreement.
After everyone left, Chen Bo immediately led everyone to reinforce the gate again, and carefully inspected the surrounding walls, repairing any damaged areas in time to prevent anyone from climbing in.
Qingshui Town originally had a population of over 1,700, but after the flood, fewer than 300 people survived, a truly tragic situation where nine out of ten households were wiped out.
After counting the number of people, Huang San organized the men to come out and clean up the corpses on the street.
People who had drowned were everywhere on the streets. In such hot weather, the bodies would decompose beyond recognition after just two days in the sun. The whole town was filled with a stench of decay that made it hard to open one's eyes.
On the third day of the cleanup, people began to contract the disease. At first, they developed small, itchy rashes on their bodies, and after a few days, the rashes ulcerated and became extremely painful.
The most terrifying thing is that this disease is contagious; if one person gets infected, the whole family suffers.
The city was so short of medical care that no one could cure the sick. People were dying and rotting away, and no one dared to go out anymore. Everyone sealed their doors tightly.
Fortunately, Wang Ying hadn't registered Tian Daniu and the others, which saved her from disaster.
After a long day, Huang San dragged his tired body home, knocked on the door a few times, and soon the two children opened the door.
"Father, you're back! Is there anything to eat? My brother and I are starving..."
Huang San reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag of moldy millet. "Wash it clean and cook some porridge."
"Hey!" The two brothers took the rice and happily went to start a fire to cook.
Huang San squatted on the steps, feeling weak all over. Ever since he came into contact with those who were sick a few days ago, he had felt better. He wondered if he had caught the disease himself.
He turned to look at his two young sons, wondering how they would survive if he died...
He felt an intense itch on his back, and after scratching it a few times, he suddenly tore off a piece of festering flesh!
Huang San was terrified, then burst into tears. He didn't want to die! His son wasn't even an adult yet, he hadn't even grown gray hair... how could he... how could he die...?
The two children were startled by their father's crying and quickly gathered around him, asking, "Dad, why are you crying?"
"Stay away from me, and leave after you finish this meal!"
The eldest son, Huang Baiguan, asked, "Father, why are you sending us away? What did my brother and I do wrong?"
"Your father can't afford to support you anymore."
The youngest son, Huang Qianguan, stammered, "My brother and I won't eat... Father, please don't send us away."
Huang San felt a sharp pain in his heart, but there was nothing he could do. His son would catch this damned disease sooner or later if he stayed by his side. He picked up a bamboo pole from the ground and swung it at the two brothers, yelling, "Get out! Get out of here!"
"Father..." The two children knelt on the ground, embracing each other and weeping bitterly. "You can't send us away! We already have no grandparents and no mother, we can't lose our father too!"
Huang San cried along with him and could only tell the truth: "Father has contracted the plague. He won't live much longer. Rather than stay by my side, he should go out and find a way to survive."
The two children shook their heads, crying, "We won't leave, we'll stay and keep Dad company."
“Don’t be foolish! Baiguan, you’re the older brother, you lead your younger brother and go to… to the Chen family’s house in the east of the city. You can tell by the paper lanterns hanging at their door.”
Huang San took a breath and continued, "When you get to the Chen family, give them my name and kneel at the door to beg them to let you live. Manager Wang is a kind man; if he can save you, he will naturally stay. If he doesn't open the door, you'll have to find your own way to survive..."
The two children still refused to leave, and Huang San had no choice but to kneel down, pleading, "Please, I'm begging you! Don't let my family line end, so that there will be no one to burn paper money for me in the future!"
Huang Qianguan, pulling his younger brother along, kowtowed three times to their father, wiping the snot and tears from their faces. "Father, I'm leaving with my brother..."
Huang San watched the two brothers leave before he stopped crying and smiled, then turned and went inside.
He was exhausted. Ever since the flood started, he had lived in constant fear. Watching his parents, wife, and brothers die before his eyes, the helplessness he felt left him breathless. Now, he could finally rest.
He pulled the covers over himself and fell asleep, never to wake up again...
Meanwhile, the two Huang children found their way to the Chen family's door, gave their father's name, and knelt down to wait.
Uncle Chen told Wang Ying about it, "The two children are not very old, the older one is eleven or twelve years old, and the younger one is like a block of wood."
Wang Ying hesitated. She didn't mind raising a few more people, as there was enough grain in the experimental field. Her only concern was that these two might also contract the disease and spread it to others.
"Let them stay in the next yard for now. Pass food through the door for the next few days and don't have any contact with them."
The house next door is empty. I don't know if the person is dead or has gone to live with relatives. Everything usable in the yard has been taken away, leaving only a few empty rooms.
Uncle Chen relayed the message to the two children, who obediently went to stay in the abandoned house next door.
Li put down her needlework and sighed, "I don't know when this disaster will end. We finally stopped the flooding, and now an epidemic has started, which is making everyone panic."
Wang Ying said, "A great disaster is always followed by a great epidemic. Disasters and epidemics are inherently linked. However, too many people have died in the town, so this epidemic should end soon."
How can it spread if there are no living people?
Chen Rong shook out the altered clothes and handed them to Wang Ying, saying, "Let Yuanbao try them on later. Right now, food and clothing are scarce. Adults can make do, but we can't let the child suffer."
Madam Li patted Chen Rong's arm, "His great-aunt really cares about the children. I wonder how Qiu'er and the others are doing now?"
Chen Rong couldn't help but shed tears when she mentioned Lin Qiu. Seeing Yuanbao reminded her of her little grandson, and she regretted coming back so early and not staying in the county town to spend more time with them.
Wang Ying comforted him, saying, "My brother-in-law is a capable man. He will definitely be able to protect Qiu Di and Xiao Mai. Third Aunt, please don't worry. Perhaps they will come soon."
"I hope so..."
*
Perhaps it's a mother's heart that's connected to her son, because Lin Qiu, who was far away in the county town, was also thinking about his mother at this moment.
Although the county town was also flooded, the city walls were still in place, so the damage was not too serious. Apart from some old and dilapidated houses that collapsed, the rest of the houses were fine.
When the water rose, Cao Kun placed wooden planks across the roof beams and put the family's food and bedding on them. Lin Qiu and her son also stayed on them for a few days. After the water receded, the family continued their lives as usual.
A few days later, Cao Kun learned from the porters that Qingshui County had been severely affected by the disaster, with nine out of ten households gone.
Upon hearing this news, Lin Qiu fainted.
Cao Kun was startled. He pinched the man's philtrum and called his name, finally waking him up after a while.
Xiaomai, who was standing next to her, was also terrified and started crying loudly. Lin Qiu, still half asleep, picked up her son and got up to leave, saying, "I have to go back to find my mother and brother."
Cao Kun quickly grabbed him and said, "A Qiu, don't worry, we can't walk there. Let me go out and borrow a carriage. The carriage is fast and it will take two or three days to get there. You can stay home and pack your things first."
"Hey!" Lin Qiu finally felt reassured and quickly packed her bags.
Cao Kun left home and went to the old house to tell his mother.
Upon hearing this, Cao's mother hurriedly said, "Then go quickly, and take plenty of food with you. They've suffered a great disaster over there, and there's probably nothing to eat!"
"Please take care of yourself at home."
"Don't worry, I have Hui Niang to take care of me."
Cao Kun went straight to the porters' guild. Business was slow there due to the flooding, so he borrowed a horse from the head of the guild and went home.
Lin Qiu had already packed his things. He brought four or five sets of clothes, both thin and thick, and more than 200 catties of millet. The next morning, the couple took their child and headed towards the town.
As soon as I left the city, I was shocked by the horrific scene outside. Hundreds and thousands of corpses were piled up densely at the base of the city wall. Some had rotted into bones, while others still had flesh and skin. They were covered with flies and maggots, and the stench was nauseating.
These corpses were all washed ashore by the flood from nearby towns and villages, where they were stopped by the city walls and piled up.
Lin Qiu couldn't stop vomiting after just one look, and Cao Kun was also terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. It seemed that things outside were far more difficult than he had imagined.
The journey was filled with stops and starts, and several times they were nearly stopped and had their food stolen.
Cao Kun was a man who had seen a lot. He pulled out a large cleaver from the carriage and scared the people away before he could even make a move.
The closer they got to Qingshui Town, the worse the situation became. Almost no houses along the road were intact, and even the post station had been washed away by the flood.
Lin Qiu's heart sank to the bottom. Perhaps her mother and aunt had already met with misfortune...
Cao Kun was so angry that his mouth was covered in blisters, and even drinking water hurt.
Only the young wheat was unaware of sorrow. It ate its fill and slept every day, then woke up and ate again. Finally, on the morning of the third day, it arrived at Qingshui Town.
A note from the author:
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