mtlumby2d Chapter 1455 Herb Gathering
Chapter 1455 Herb Gathering
"No!" Zhan Yan immediately objected. "The wind and snow are fierce in the mountains, and the plague is rampant. What if something happens to you?"
“We are now in a desperate situation. If we don’t take the risk, everyone will die.” Lin Yiwan raised her eyes, her gaze calm yet resolute.
“I am a doctor, saving lives is my duty. Besides, there are Youyi, Miao'er, Ziyu, and this human-like snow wolf here. I can’t just stand by and watch everyone get hurt.”
Looking at the determination in his wife's eyes, Zhan Yan felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he could no longer utter a word of objection.
He knew that Lin Yiwan was telling the truth; it was a dead end, and only by taking a gamble could they have a chance of survival.
Princess Youyi said softly, "Don't worry, Aunt Wan. I'll go into the mountains with you tomorrow, and bring a few more guards. They can gather herbs and protect you. Zhan Xiaobai is intelligent and has a keen sense of smell; he might be able to help find herbs and avoid dangerous places."
Zhan Miao reached out and stroked Zhan Xiaobai's smooth fur. The snow wolf gently rubbed against her palm, its eyes bright.
She watched her mother risk her life to save others, feeling both respect and worry. She knew she didn't know medicine and couldn't help with complex treatments, but she didn't want to just stand by and wait to die.
She stepped forward and said softly, "Father, Mother, although I don't understand complicated medical techniques, I can help with decocting medicine, taking care of patients, cleaning and fumigating the house, and doing what I can to help you. I will keep a close eye on Zhan Xiaobai and not let it get too close to the patients to avoid it getting infected."
Looking at her sensible daughter, Lin Yiwan's eyes showed a hint of relief, but also worry: "Miao'er, this epidemic is highly contagious. You must never touch the skin of patients directly. Every time you come into contact with a patient's place, you must wash your hands with strong liquor, wear a linen mask, and be careful at all times."
"I remember, Mother." Zhan Miao nodded vigorously, a surge of unprecedented pride welling up in her heart.
She felt useful and could share her parents' burdens.
In the following days, the entire village was plunged into a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
Lin Yiwan would get up before dawn every day, leading Princess Youyi and several of her personal guards, as well as Zhan Xiaobai, who followed closely behind Zhan Miao, into the mountains to gather herbs.
The wind and snow were biting, and the mountain road was wet and slippery. Zhan Xiaobai walked in the lead, his snow-white figure shuttling through the snow forest. He would stop from time to time to sniff the air, or let out a low howl to warn people at dangerous slopes and ice cracks. He actually avoided danger several times and even found a few hard-to-find medicinal herbs.
The group often returned covered in snow and looking disheveled, bringing back baskets of herbs covered in ice and snow.
Upon returning to the village, Lin Yiwan, without taking a break, immediately sorted out the herbs, weighed and mixed them, and personally oversaw the decoction process at the stove.
The medicine furnace gurgled and hissed, and the bitter aroma of medicine filled the air, barely suppressing some of the pungent smell of the plague.
Zhan Miao stood by and assisted, adding fire, fanning, and filtering medicine, doing everything meticulously.
Zhan Xiaobai lay on the ground not far from the medicine furnace, his eyes always fixed on Zhan Miao. Whenever a stranger approached, he would immediately prick up his ears and show some vigilance, but because of Zhan Miao's reassurance, he never made any excessive noise, just silently guarding his small safe place.
After the medicine was decocted, Zhan Miao carried the medicine bucket and followed Lin Yiwan to the empty house at the east end of the village where patients were isolated.
The room was filled with a foul, stagnant atmosphere, a mixture of coughing and wheezing from high fever, and painful groans. Many patients' skin had begun to ulcerate, with pus mixed with sweat, creating a nauseating stench.
Most of the accompanying maids and servants turned pale and dared not approach, but Lin Yiwan remained calm, holding silver needles and administering acupuncture to treat the symptoms one by one. Her movements were steady and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.
Despite his discomfort and fear, Zhan Miao followed his mother's instructions and brought bowls of medicine to the patients, feeding those who could get up to drink it and carefully administering it to those who were unconscious.
She made sure not to touch the patients' skin directly. Every time she handed over a bowl of medicine, she would wipe her hands with strong liquor. The cold liquor seeped into her fingertips, making them turn red from the cold, which also reduced the risk of the disease spreading.
Zhan Xiaobai was left outside in the snow. The snow wolf seemed to know that there was danger inside. It obediently lay down at the door with its head on its paws, but its ears were always perked up. Whenever Zhan Miao's voice came from inside, it would gently wag its tail and wait quietly.
However, the spread of the epidemic was much faster and more ferocious than anyone had imagined.
At first, only villagers and a few soldiers were infected, but within three days, maids who served the patients began to experience dizziness and fever. Lin Yiwan increased the dosage of medicine and performed acupuncture treatments day and night. Her eyes became bloodshot and she grew thinner day by day, but she still could not stop the spread of the epidemic.
She repeatedly examined the pulse and symptoms, and finally discovered the clue: this epidemic was not a simple seasonal epidemic, but rather caused by the contamination of water sources with decaying matter. Coupled with the lack of ventilation in the winter, it spread rapidly from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.
"We've found the source." Lin Yiwan said in a hoarse voice, holding a grass root covered in mud.
She said in a deep voice, "The well in the west of the village is contaminated by the rotting carcasses of wild animals that died of disease in the mountains. The well water is poisonous, and anyone who drinks it will get sick. From today onwards, everyone will only drink water boiled from melted snow in the mountain stream. The well water will be completely sealed off, and then repeatedly disinfected with lime and Atractylodes lancea."
Upon hearing this, everyone was startled and immediately followed the instructions.
Zhan Yan personally led people to seal the well and carry out disinfection. His personal guards cut bamboo to divert snowmelt from the mountain stream into the village, which finally cut off the source of the epidemic temporarily.
But those already infected were still struggling on the brink of life and death, and medicinal materials were becoming increasingly scarce. Lin Yiwan could only use all her knowledge to keep them alive with silver needles and suppress the disease with herbs.
Zhan Miao continues to help deliver medicine, clean, and tidy up items used by patients every day.
She dared not slack off in the slightest, but gradually felt tired.
After days of hard work and lack of sleep, coupled with constantly moving in and out of places surrounded by the epidemic, even with strong liquor and mugwort for protection, my body gradually began to show abnormalities.
That evening, as usual, she carried the medicine into the isolation room. Just as she bent down to hand a bowl of medicine to the old woman by the bedside, she suddenly felt dizzy. A layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out on her forehead, and her whole body felt hot and cold, with waves of soreness and weakness coming from all over her body.
She struggled to stand firm, and when she touched her forehead with her fingertips, it was shockingly hot.
"Miss Miao, what's wrong?" A maid who was helping her saw that her face was flushed and she was swaying, so she quickly stepped forward to support her.
Zhan Miao waved his hand, his throat dry and tight, and even his voice sounded weak: "It's nothing... I'm probably just tired, I'll be fine after a rest."
She forced herself to finish distributing the remaining medicine before staggering out of the isolation room.
Outside, the wind and snow were fierce. As soon as Zhan Xiaobai saw her come out, he immediately got up to greet her. His usually agile steps were now hurried. He gently nuzzled her hand with his head, pressed his nose against her forehead, and let out a low whimper.
Its eyes were full of anxiety. It noticed earlier than humans that her body temperature was exactly the same as that of the sick people in the room.
Seeing Zhan Xiaobai's worried expression, Zhan Miao forced a smile and reached out to pat its head: "Xiaobai, I'm fine..."