Chapter 1609: Assault on the City, Eradicate the Plague
Chapter 1609: Chapter 1609: Assault on the City, Eradicate the Plague
Brother Lu saw Brother Xu San staring at his wrist and asked, "Brother Xu San, what’s wrong?"
Brother Xu San: "It’s nothing, just got bitten by a little bug on my hand."
Getting bitten by bugs is a usual occurrence. Brother Xu San didn’t think much of it and continued to help Brother Lu prepare Manager Lu’s body and set up the spirit tent for Manager Lu with Zhong Hou’s family, working until evening when it was finally over.
"Brother Xu San, you’ve worked hard. You should go home and rest first." Brother Lu didn’t want Xu San to stay at the Lu Family long, after all, someone had died in the family, bringing bad luck that could hinder Brother Xu San’s fortune.
Brother Xu San was exhausted and nodded, "Alright, I’ll head home and come back tomorrow."
He then angrily glared at Ms. Lu’s two sons, warning, "Lu Da, Lu Er, behave yourselves! If you dare bully Brother Lu, you’ll be waiting for a beating from your old man tomorrow!"
Lu Da and Lu Er had been beaten by Xu San before and feared him; they immediately nodded, "Rest assured, Brother Xu San, we won’t bully Brother Lu."
After hearing this, Xu San shouted towards the main hall, "Ms. Lu, you’d better not bully Brother Lu, or the Lei Family’s Trading Team will come to settle accounts with you! The matter of falsely accusing Doctor Zhang of causing Manager Lu’s death isn’t over yet!"
After warning, Xu San went home.
Old Lady Xu prepared grapefruit leaf water for him, splashing it on him: "Chase away the bad luck before entering."
She added, "Manager Lu died of a strange disease, you mustn’t go to the Lu Family anymore!"
Xu San laughed, "Mother, that Ms. Lu is not a good one; if I don’t go, Brother Lu will be bullied to death by her."
Old Lady Xu heard this and glared at him, saying, "Don’t go anymore! What if you catch the strange disease?!"
However, Xu San went again the next day and felt unwell the whole day. He originally planned to endure until evening to return home, but ended up fainting halfway through the afternoon.
"Brother Xu San, Brother Xu San!" Brother Lu was terrified and quickly shouted to Lu Da, "Big Cousin, quickly go to the Xu Family to call for help, ask the Xu Family to invite a doctor from the Lei Family’s Trading Team... No, don’t go, quickly bring our cart, we’ll push Brother Xu San to the Lei Family Trading Team Mansion for medical help!"
"Alright, alright." Lu Da was also panicked, stumbling as he went to the backyard to push the cart.
Zhong Hou rushed over with his son to help, placing Xu San on the cart, calling to Brother Lu, and pulling the cart towards the main street where the Lei Family Trading Team Mansion was located.
They ran almost out of breath to reach the main street entrance of the mansion.
The guards at the entrance recognized Xu San. After hearing Brother Lu’s words, they immediately said, "Follow me, I’ll take you inside!"
The crowd quickly cleared the barriers and dragged Xu San to the mansion.
Xu Da heard that Xu San had fallen ill and quickly went to find Housekeeper Liu.
Housekeeper Liu went out with him to bring in Brother Lu’s group and asked Brother Lu, "Wasn’t he fine a couple of days ago? How did he suddenly fall ill and faint?"
Brother Lu cried, "I don’t know either. Brother Xu San has been helping with my family’s funeral arrangements for the second uncle these past two days, he probably fainted from exhaustion, or maybe he was affected by Second Uncle..."
Brother Lu didn’t dare continue, but Housekeeper Liu had already associated this with Manager Lu’s strange disease and urgently said, "Everyone step back, don’t get close to Xu San!
He continued to Xu Da, "Your third brother might have contracted Manager Lu’s strange disease, everyone stay here, no one is allowed to leave; we might have caught the strange disease."
After finishing, Housekeeper Liu ran to the gate, shouting from the entrance, "People, people, quickly report to the Grand Steward, there might be an infectious strange disease appearing in the city. Xu Family’s third boy is likely infected, just like Manager Lu’s strange disease!"
What?
The patrolling brothers outside the garden were shocked, and the leading squad captain quickly came over, asking from a few meters away, "What happened exactly? Housekeeper Liu, explain it clearly."
Housekeeper Liu repeated the events of the past few days, and the squad captain, understanding the severity, personally ran to find the Grand Steward.
Lei Mao turned pale upon hearing, "An epidemic, there’s really an outbreak in the city."
The squad captain frowned, "Grand Steward, Xu San may not have the strange disease yet."
You’re speaking too soon; if this gets out, it might cause chaos in the city.
However, Lei Mao expressed this sentiment because Dr. Fang had already gone out to see patients, and they were family members of the Lei Family’s Trading Team brother. Moreover, there were many people suddenly falling ill in the city.
Some were like Manager Lu, with massive internal bleeding, their stomachs so bloated they were about to burst.
Some appeared to have seizures, constantly convulsing, dying directly from the fits.
These events had just occurred this morning and hadn’t spread yet. However, Ms. Gao Lei had received a warning from Gu Jinli and had been keeping the Lei Family’s Trading Team members vigilant about the sudden outbreak of strange diseases in the city, which is why Lei Mao was quickly informed of these incidents.
"With Dr. Fang not here, have Doctor Zhang go check on Xu San, see if Xu San’s symptoms match Manager Lu’s, record them all, and report to the Old Madam." Lei Mao handed the squad captain an iron plaque engraved with his name and number, instructing, "If Xu San can’t be saved, send a batch of food and medicine over to Xu Da’s family, so they don’t feel too sad."
After all, they’re family members of the Lei Family’s Trading Team brother, they need to be consoled appropriately.
The captain felt somewhat saddened upon hearing this, but with daily deaths in the Northwest, he was accustomed to it. He acknowledged the command and hurried to find Doctor Zhang with the iron plaque.
Doctor Zhang was shocked upon hearing the news and quickly followed the squad captain to the previous small courtyard. He didn’t bring an attendant, fearful it might truly be an epidemic, potentially harming another person; he carried the medicine box himself and went inside.
Upon seeing Xu San, he sighed in relief, "No vomiting blood, the stomach isn’t bloated, much better than Manager Lu."
After comforting the terrified Xu Da and Brother Lu, he immediately checked Xu San’s pulse, but the conclusion was, "Can’t identify the symptoms, seems like exhaustion."
Housekeeper Liu frowned deeply, "The person fainted, how could there be no symptoms?"
"Don’t rush, I’ll inspect Xu San further." Doctor Zhang said, asking Brother Lu a series of questions and learning that Xu San had helped prepare Manager Lu’s body. His expression changed, realizing it was likely Manager Lu’s strange disease.
Recalling the Grand Steward’s instructions given to the squad captain, he said, "You two undress Xu San, I need to examine his body."
"Alright," Brother Lu and Xu Da replied promptly, undressing Xu San.
After examining, Doctor Zhang indeed noticed the red spots on Xu San’s wrist identical to Manager Lu’s, immediately notifying the squad captain through the gate about this detail.
The squad captain, upon hearing, immediately went to report to Lei Mao.
"Damn it, this looks bad," Lei Mao cursed and immediately sent someone to the separate yard to inform Ms. Gao Lei.
...
The separate yard was also chaotic, with Niu Wujin and Lin Er Zuo’s two sons suddenly falling ill, feeling weak, without symptoms, just suddenly fainting.
Lin Daying was even convulsing, it was Qing Pu who saved him with a round of acupuncture.
Lin Er Zuo’s wife was pregnant, and seeing both sons sick, she cried uncontrollably, being scolded harshly by Mrs. Kuang, "What’s all the crying about, if you sob away the one in your belly, you’d better jump into the well then!"
Lin Er Zuo’s wife cried even harder, clutching the still-unconscious Lin Daying, "If anything happens to Daying and Er Ying, I won’t live either!"
She cried in grievance, "I thought things would settle down after arriving in the Northwest; who knew this place isn’t fit for living? Had I known, I wouldn’t have come with the kids."