Suddenly hearing a call, the few people who had grown a bit sleepy after keeping watch through the long night immediately woke up.
Fearing that something was wrong with Old Master Song, Song Wushen quickly strode into the room.
Song Fengsui had a hurt foot. Although he was anxious, his movements were inevitably slow. Duan Yan was also eager to go in to check the situation. After walking a couple of steps, he turned around, thinking about Song Fengsui, and then stopped.
As an outside man in someone else's house, it wasn't quite appropriate for him to offer physical support directly. Instead, he stretched out his arm and held it out in front of Song Fengsui.
Song Fengsui glanced at him and placed his hand on Duan Yan's arm. The two of them entered the room a bit later. Old Master Song was vomiting badly. Song Wushen and Song Xuemu were busy, one supporting the old master's back to help him catch his breath, the other holding the spittoon. In the panic, no one noticed how Song Fengsui and Duan Yan came in.
"The old master should rinse his mouth with some warm water. The gastric juice in the mouth is acidic," Song Fengsui said and was about to go get the water. But before he could limp over to fetch it, a bowl of warm water was already handed to his hand.
"Be careful that the old master doesn't choke on the vomit and get it into his trachea!"
The group worked together to take care of Old Master Song. After a long while of bustling around, the old master almost vomited out his insides, which was really heart - wrenching to watch.
After vomiting, he leaned on the couch. His once - cloudy eyes due to illness gradually became clearer, and his face, which was originally red from the high fever, now showed a normal color.
"Suisui..." Old Master Song raised his hand and gently grasped Song Fengsui's hand in front of him, softly calling his name.
"Father can recognize Suisui!" Song Xuemu exclaimed in delight. "The medicine Suisui prescribed is really effective!"
Song Fengsui placed his hand on Old Master Song's hand on the back. "Grandfather, it's me. Do you feel better?"
Old Master Song nodded slightly. "I was so muddled from the fever that I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or awake at first. I just felt like I was in a sea of fire."
After saying a couple of sentences, Old Master Song gasped heavily. "I don't feel so hot now, but I just don't have much strength..."
Song Fengsui quickly felt his pulse again. His brows gradually relaxed as he felt the beating of the pulse. He slowly withdrew his hand. "It's working. The prescription is indeed effective! Grandfather's fever has gone down a bit. Vomiting just now was expelling the toxins from the body. If he takes the medicine according to the prescription for another two days, he should get better."
"Thank goodness! Father has suffered so much because of this illness," Song Xuemu quickly said. "It's really thanks to Suisui's excellent medical skills!"
Song Wushen also let out a long sigh of relief, and the tension in his heart eased a bit.
Seeing that the medicine was effective, Song Fengsui also felt a weight lifted off his heart. In his joy, he looked up at Duan Yan on one side. And it seemed that the other man's gaze had been waiting for him. As soon as their eyes met, they locked eyes.
The two of them smiled at each other. Only they knew the hardships and difficulties in getting the medicine to treat the epidemic. And only their joy was comparable now that the medicine was proven effective.
After helping Old Master Song lie down, the group simply tidied up and then left the room.
After all this commotion, the sky was already showing a faint fish - belly white. It would be dawn in a few more hours.
"Duan Yan," Duan Yan, who was standing in the courtyard looking at the distant sky, heard the call and turned his head. He saw Song Fengsui walking towards him in small steps.
He quickly stepped forward to meet him. "Why haven't you gone to rest yet?"
"What about you? What are your plans?"
Duan Yan said, "Since we're already in the village, I want to go to the farmstead and take a look. I'll also get some salt on the way. It's hot these days, and the wild boar meat needs to be salted and smoked to prevent it from spoiling."
Song Fengsui gave a soft hum in agreement.
The courtyard had been simply cleaned, but there was still a faint smell of blood in the morning breeze, reminding people of the perilous moment last night.
He walked closer to Duan Yan. "You fought with the guards and wrestled with wild animals last night. You still have some residual poison in your body. If you don't rest before going to do things, can your body take it?"
Duan Yan waved his hand. "This is nothing. I'm fine. If I really feel uncomfortable, I'll definitely take a rest when I get to the farmstead."
Song Fengsui knew that men like to be tough and save face. They rarely tell the truth when they're hurt or in pain.
However, when he looked at Duan Yan's complexion, he seemed alright, which made him feel more at ease.
"I heard from Second Uncle that when he went to the farmstead to look for me the other day, there was an argument there. It seems that some people on the farmstead have also contracted the epidemic. Now that we can't get in or out of the village, things on the farmstead must be just as difficult. As the owner, you really should go and have a look."
After saying that, he took out several packets of medicine. "These are all pre - prepared medicines. They just need to be decocted and given to the sick.
Grandfather is old and his body was worn out during the exile. He's too weak to withstand the illness, so he needed my acupuncture to assist. For ordinary patients, the medicine should be effective. I've kept the amount needed for grandfather, and you can take the rest to the farmstead."
In addition to the medicine packets he had brought in this time, Song Fengsui also stuffed a prescription into Duan Yan's hand. "This is the prescription for the epidemic. I've written it down in detail. After you've dealt with the matter on the farmstead, you can give the prescription to the town magistrate.
The epidemic this time is a huge problem. The town magistrate must be very anxious about it. If you help him out at this critical moment, you can ask for a favor, whether it's an official position or something else. He should agree.
Of course, giving the prescription to the government isn't just for getting this benefit. There are quite a number of people infected with the epidemic in the Yanzhen area. It's almost impossible for an individual to come up with enough medicinal materials. And it's also difficult to find wild Dysosma versipellis. To solve the problem of the epidemic, we still have to rely on the government."
Duan Yan held the prescription in his hand, which still had a slight warmth from Song Fengsui. He frowned and said, "Right now, the prescription is the most important thing. Since you developed it, why don't you give the town magistrate a big favor yourself? Then your family would also have an easier time. Why are you giving this great opportunity to me instead?"
Song Fengsui shook his head slightly. "Now, our Song family is a family with a crime record. We're insignificant and our words may not be trusted by the town magistrate. Even if he believes us, I may not even have the chance to meet him."
"Rather than taking the risk of the prescription falling into the hands of people with bad intentions, it's better not to take chances and hand it over to a trustworthy person."
After the incident of going to the farmstead to borrow medicine before, Song Fengsui had learned his lesson. In the current situation of the Song family, it was a big taboo to flaunt his talent just because he was in exile.
Seeing that Duan Yan still hesitated, Song Fengsui said, "If things go well for you, I'll naturally be better off too. Why should we still care about these things?
Moreover, the prescription isn't entirely my credit. If you hadn't braved the wind and rain to buy medicine in the county town and risked bringing me in, this medicine might not even have been used."
Hearing this, Duan Yan looked deeply at Song Fengsui. In the morning wind, the young man's face seemed a bit damp, and his body showed signs of exhaustion from staying up all night. But his eyes looking at him were extremely serious.
For a moment, his heart seemed to heat up. This young man was always thinking about him in everything. Afraid that he wouldn't accept it, he even used so many words to smooth things over.
Duan Yan felt rather conflicted. He was truly touched, as few people had ever considered so many things for him. However, amidst the touch, he also clearly realized that he shouldn't take advantage of Song Fengsui's feelings and recklessly enjoy his efforts.
He let out a long breath and carefully put away the prescription. "Okay. I'll go to the town magistrate to handle this. Also, if there's anything your family needs or if you have any personal needs, don't be polite and afraid of troubling me. Just tell me."
Seeing that he finally accepted the prescription, Song Fengsui nodded and said, "You too. Remember to take your medicine every day. And you must come to me for an acupuncture session every three days."
Duan Yan responded. Just before Song Fengsui was about to go back into the house, he couldn't hold it in anymore and called out to him.
"Song Fengsui, after the epidemic situation is over, I have something to tell you."
Hearing this, Song Fengsui suddenly stiffened, and his heart started beating a little faster. Seeing Duan Yan's serious look, he more or less guessed what he was going to say.
He felt a bit annoyed. How could he have misunderstood that he was just being kind because they were on the same side, and got even deeper into this misunderstanding.
However, since Duan Yan was really determined to confess his feelings, he would surely explain things clearly to him at that time.
Song Fengsui couldn't bear to look at Duan Yan. "Yes. Let's talk about everything after we finish our current tasks."
The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Duan Yan's eyes flickered.
"Then go back to your room and rest quickly."
After saying that, he bid farewell to the Song family and headed towards the manor.
The original owner's manor in Liucun was not very large. It had six or seven rooms, looking more spacious than an ordinary peasant household.
There were about a dozen people living in the manor. There were two managers, one principal and one assistant. Some of the rest were women and children in charge of raising poultry and livestock such as chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep. The other part were men engaged in more strenuous physical work like chopping firewood in the mountains, carrying heavy loads, and guarding the manor.
There were about eight tenant - farmer households under Liucun, with a total of about seventy mu of farmland.
When Duan Yan arrived, it was getting a bit dawn. The peasants got up early and went to bed late. When he was near the manor, he could hear the sounds of doors opening and closing and firewood being chopped.
When he reached the front gate, he found that it wasn't closed. He glanced inside, didn't see anyone, and didn't knock on the door or call out. He just walked in.
"Manager Lü, please send a message to Manager Chen again and ask when we can get a doctor in here. My wife is burning up red. She was delirious last night and I could hardly understand what she was saying. If this goes on, how can she stand it?"
"Our lives as tenant - farmers may not be worth much, but over the years, I've been doing my best for this manor. During the autumn harvest every year, didn't I stay awake all night guarding the threshing ground, not even daring to take a nap for fear of someone stealing the grain? In the daytime, I'd get up before dawn to patrol the ridges and fences. Whenever there was a conflict with people related to the manor, wasn't I always the first to rush forward?"
"I'm not asking the manor to pay me more. I just hope that you, Manager, will see how hard my wife and I have worked for the manor in the past and save her life. I'll serve the manor even more whole - heartedly in the future."
Manager Lü, with his hands behind his back, looked worried. "Don't you think I want to get a doctor here soon to save lives? Nowadays, the village is strictly guarded. Butcher Qian and his men are watching the village. I can't even go in the direction of the village exit without getting scolded from afar, let alone go and ask for favors and send a message out."
"That Qian Saner has always been on bad terms with our master. This time, he's specifically targeting our manor, looking for mistakes and loopholes!"
"You're worried about your wife. Don't you think I'm worried about my own father? He's also lying in bed with the epidemic and can't even get up!"
Hearing this, the tenant - farmer's eyes were filled with resentment. "I heard that Manager Chen worked hard to find some medicine and was going to bring it in for us. But it was the master who just took it all without a care and used it all to please his lover."
"People in our manor are falling sick one by one. The master doesn't even think of a way, not even asking a single question. Manager Chen went to plead with him, but he just ignored it. Our lives as lowly as we are, what do we count in the master's eyes? Only Manager Chen cares about us."
Manager Lü frowned tightly. This wasn't the first time he'd heard the people in the manor complaining about Duan Yan. Not to mention these simple - minded tenant - farmers below, even he was a bit disappointed with the master's actions.
Since Duan Yan let Chen Hu manage the affairs of the manor, he'd hardly seen Duan Yan. All the big and small matters in the manor were decided by Chen Hu alone. If Chen Hu could really manage properly, he would naturally obey and recognize his management. But unfortunately, Chen Hu was not a reliable person.
Thinking of the feelings he'd developed since the manor was built, he didn't want to see it become a complete mess. So he privately tried several times to find Duan Yan to tell him that there were some problems with the manor's accounts, but he never got the chance to talk to him alone.
Finally, when he managed to see him and told him about it, Duan Yan just waved his hand and brushed it off, as if he didn't take it to heart at all.
Since the master treated the manor so carelessly and blindly trusted a slippery person, what could he, with good intentions, do?
Over the years, he'd watched Chen Hu embezzle money from the manor to fill his own pockets and win over the people below. At first, he'd tried his best to protect the manor, but after repeatedly hitting a wall with Duan Yan, now he just turned a blind eye and gradually stopped bothering with these thankless things.
Manager Lü never really hoped that Duan Yan would care about the lives of the people in the manor, nor did he think that a person like Chen Hu would really care. He just hoped that the town magistrate could come up with a solution soon.
However, when he heard the tenant - farmer complaining about Duan Yan and praising Chen Hu, he still couldn't stand it.
"Who told you these things? Have you seen him working hard to find medicine for the sick people in the manor? And have you seen with your own eyes that the master took the medicine away to give to someone and refused to give it to us?"
Manager Lü asked several questions in a row, and the tenant - farmer was at a loss for words.
"Seeing that you, Manager, are always on the master's side. Can Manager Chen deceive us?"
Suddenly, a younger tenant - farmer carrying a bucket came over and said, "In the past few years, which matter in the manor hasn't been carefully taken care of by Manager Chen? He treats us as his own people and regards the manor as his own home."
"Now that we're trapped inside, he's also worried outside. He can't just ignore us."
Manager Lü said angrily, "You always speak up for him! If he was really worried, he wouldn't have just talked about being worried after the epidemic hit the village and not actually done anything. Instead, he even told people to guard the manor's grain well and not let anything go wrong."
"Where is he such a good person! If he was really loyal to the master and good for our manor, he wouldn't always be passing messages around."
"After all, this manor belongs to the master. We're just the servants and employees who rely on Duan Yan for a living. What good can a subordinate who lives off the master get by speaking ill of the master?"
Manager Lü said, "You claimed that he instigated you to resent the master and created discord between you and the master. Who will actually benefit from this, the master or you? He has it easy. All he needs to do is wag his tongue, and the master thinks he's efficient while you think he's reliable!"
The tenant farmer was taken aback. He probably had never thought about these things before. Now, hearing Manager Lü speaking so bluntly about the faults of Manager Chen, he was shocked.
Then he lowered his voice and said, "Manager Lü, why do you speak ill of Manager Chen like this? We know you're worried about the epidemic, but you're the backbone of our village. Don't lose your composure. What will the people below do then? Manager Chen sent a message saying he'll continue to find a way. We just need to wait patiently..."
Manager Lü looked at the tenant's simple - minded expression and sighed, "Perhaps you think I'm dissatisfied with Chen Hu because I'm under his control and that's why I'm saying these bitter words today. Look at the current situation in the village. It's as quiet and gloomy as a cemetery. If the local official has no solution, we'll all probably die here."
"At this point, I'm not going to hold back. You can take my words to heart if you want, or just think whatever you like if you don't."
Hearing this, the tenants couldn't help but look at Manager Lü, who usually didn't talk much but always handled things calmly. Now, he seemed to be in a state of recklessness, and they felt a sudden pang of uneasiness in their hearts.
"Manager Lü, why are you saying these things? We've never thought badly of you," one tenant said.
Another tenant, seeing the manager like this, felt as if half the sky had fallen: "Are we all going to die here together?!"
As he said this, he wiped his eyes and sobbed, "If we're really trapped here and die, I'm willing to accept it... but my little girl will only be three years old after this summer..."
Manager Lü also felt deeply distressed.
Everyone in the village had elderly parents and young children. How could he bear to see anyone lose their lives? That's why he had sent messages outside several times, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea with no response. How could he not be anxious?
It wasn't good to say these discouraging words and make everyone panic, but he really couldn't stand it when the villagers were still blindly believing in Chen Hu's false appearance, singing his praises, and not even knowing the truth when death was looming.
Just as the atmosphere was oppressively quiet, a sudden burst of intense barking from a dog temporarily broke the hopeless silence. The three men immediately became alert upon hearing the loud barking.
The men quickly rushed in the direction of the barking. They weren't the only ones. Other villagers in the village who heard the dog barking also rushed over in a hurry. Some people picked up weapons on the way, while others hid behind the back door, ready to observe the situation. If something went wrong, they planned to run out immediately to call for help.
However, after all the commotion, when they reached the courtyard and saw the tall man standing in the yard facing off against the dog, everyone stood still in shock.
"Is... is it the master?"
"Why... why has the master come at this time?!"
