Chapter 60 The Reason for Not Saving People

Chapter 60 The Reason for Not Saving People

Jiang Yutang was startled when she heard Cheng Lanzhou's words. She subconsciously looked up at him and met his gaze.

In the darkness of night, his eyes were deep, filled with emotions that were easy to misunderstand.

Silence fell between the two once again, with only the faint shouts of the yamen runners directing the refugees coming from not far away, and a subtle tension permeated the air.

It wasn't until the thin constable on the other end started loudly directing the refugees, "Those who are fine, stand on the left; those who have vomited or defecated, stand on the right," that the two seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding, and simultaneously turned their heads to look at the chaotic crowd.

Jiang Yutang had considered going back to the modern world to get the medicine.

Modern antibiotics and antidiarrheal drugs are hundreds of times more effective than ancient Chinese medicine or folk remedies in treating cholera, and can even quickly control the disease.

But she suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into her head, because the risks involved were too great.

The effects of modern medicine are too remarkable. In this era, cholera was a "disease" that could easily take the lives of people in a village or even a county. If a woman who seemed "unknown and only knew a little about medicine" could easily cure a large number of patients with a few packets of unknown "powder", it would definitely cause a huge uproar if the news got out.

On a smaller scale, some people might suspect that she is a "demon" who uses some kind of evil method.

On a grander scale, if this were to reach the capital and the emperor's ears, her family might not have to continue their exile. The emperor would simply think she possessed "extraordinary abilities" and might even summon her back to the palace, where she could then focus solely on researching elixirs of immortality.

If things didn't go as planned, he would have successfully landed ashore and become a "civil servant" in ancient times.

But by then, the problem they would face would be that, let alone protecting their families, their entire family might be in even greater danger, and even freedom would become a luxury.

It was precisely because she had too many concerns that she couldn't make up her mind.

She understood the principle of "concealing one's shortcomings." Rather than revealing her secrets out of momentary "good intentions" and risking her life, she preferred to stay with her family and ensure they were not infected.

As for the other refugees...

Jiang Yutang closed her eyes, her heart filled with helplessness. She was no saint; in this chaotic world of exile, simply keeping herself and her family alive was already a tremendous effort.

The fate of others may have been predetermined from the moment they embarked on this path; she couldn't control it, nor dared to.

Before dawn, Jiang Yutang's worst fears came true.

Some of the refugees did not survive the night and died silently.

She crouched on the ground, her head in her hands, her fingernails digging deep into her hair, feeling both guilty and uneasy.

I thought that even if a patient contracted cholera, they could at least survive for a day or two. As long as they could find a place to stay and a doctor during the day, there was always a chance of recovery.

But she forgot that most of the people in this group of refugees were already malnourished and extremely weak. When they encountered this highly contagious disease, they didn't even last a night.

"We can't delay any longer! If we don't leave now, even more people will die!" The fat constable came out of the tent, looked at the corpses on the ground, his face turned pale, and all his former arrogance was gone, replaced by fear.

He shouted orders for the refugees to dispose of the corpses while urging everyone to hurry on their way.

This time, without the need for yamen runners to chase them with whips, the able-bodied refugees followed along on their own. Driven by the instinct for survival, they wanted to find a way to live, even if there was only a sliver of hope.

But those displaced people who contracted the disease, dragging their ailing bodies, collapsed on the roadside after walking only a short distance, too weak to even stand up.

Some people could no longer hold back and sat down on the ground, crying as if resigned to their fate. Their cries were particularly jarring in the desolate morning wind.

"This can't go on."

Jiang Sumin frowned and said to everyone, "Instead of letting those patients wait to die by the roadside, why not send a few people to look around for villages or doctors? Maybe there will be a glimmer of hope."

Upon hearing the suggestion, the yamen runners agreed without much hesitation.

They were also afraid that more people would die in the ranks, and even more afraid that their own illnesses would become incurable if left untreated.

The short constable pointed at Jiang Huaiyu and Cheng Lanzhou: "You two go."

Jiang Yutang quickly stepped forward and said to the constable, "Brother, could you please remove the chains from their feet first?"

The constables exchanged glances, still hesitating.

What if they run away after the chains are unlocked?

"What time is it now!" Jiang Huaiyu said urgently. "Even if it's just a delay of an incense stick's time, it could mean another person dies! If I really wanted to run, I would have run long ago, and I wouldn't have waited until now."

The constables thought about it and agreed; in this desolate wilderness, even if they ran away, they might not survive.

The fat constable gritted his teeth, took out a key from his waist, and stepped forward to unlock the chains on Jiang Huaiyu and Cheng Lanzhou's feet.

"You'd better come back right away! If you dare to run away, we'll hold your families accountable!"

Jiang Huaiyu stretched her ankles and smiled at her family: "Don't worry, we'll be back soon."

After saying that, he looked at Jiang Yutang with a reassuring look in his eyes: "Take good care of your family. We will find a doctor as soon as possible."

The two turned around and walked quickly toward the path in the distance.

The refugees watched the direction the two had gone, and all they could do now was wait anxiously.

The atmosphere in the camp became increasingly oppressive, and everyone lost their appetite.

Now that there's no water, Jiang Yutang can't swallow any of the dry food and biscuits she prepared beforehand; the hard, dry food only makes her throat ache.

She secretly regretted that she had only thought about bringing more food to fill people's stomachs, but forgot to consider the palatability of food in the case of water shortage, and also forgot to bring something that could quickly replenish calories and energy.

If she had known she would be in such a desperate situation, she should have bought more nutritional fluids, chocolates, or even just a few pieces of candy.

Just then, a loud thud came from ahead, accompanied by the exclamations of the constables.

Jiang Yutang looked up and saw that the horse responsible for dragging the things was lying on the ground, its limbs twitching and foaming at the mouth, clearly beyond saving.

It seems that the yamen runners had drawn well water, which they not only drank themselves but also fed to the horses, and the horses had contracted cholera.

She gave a mocking smirk, her heart filled with contempt: These yamen runners usually treat human life like dirt. When they were seizing the well water, they didn't think to leave any for the other refugees, only caring about themselves and their horses. Now they've harmed this horse instead. They really brought this upon themselves.

Without horses, the constables looked even worse, but they had no choice but to accept their fate.

All the refugees sat there like zombies, their eyes vacant as they waited for news from the scouts.

But even as evening approached and the setting sun painted half the sky red, the two figures still hadn't returned.