A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Gu Xixi stood behind the door with her eyes closed. Suddenly, she raised her hands and slapped her cheeks...

Snapped!

A sharp crack startled Zhao Niangzi.

"Young lady, what's wrong with you...?"

When Gu Xixi opened her eyes again, the fear she had felt earlier had completely vanished, leaving only decisiveness.

She took a deep breath and strode towards the bedroom. "It's not time to panic or despair yet. We still have a chance."

Zhao Niangzi was inspired with immense courage by Gu Xixi.

She calmed herself down and asked, "What can I do?"

Gu Xixi braided her long hair into a plait in front of the mirror and tied it tightly with a cloth strip.

This hairstyle is simple and not cumbersome; even if you run or jump, your hair won't easily come undone.

Gu Xixi glanced at Zhao Niangzi in the mirror and pondered, "I'm not familiar with the village's terrain and the local customs, so it would be best if we split into two groups."

"Go find Village Chief Zhao. First, bring out all the herbs, no matter where they are. Second, make sure everyone stays calm; absolutely no one is allowed to force their way through the checkpoint, and no one is allowed to clash with the officials. Also,"

She thought for a moment and said, "It would be best to find out who came to seal off the village. Are they from the Qingtian County government or the nearby garrison?"

Zhao Niangzi said seriously, "Okay, I've got it."

Gu Xi continued, "I'm going to find my uncle. Only by containing the plague as soon as possible can we save ourselves."

The noisy people outside have dispersed, and I wonder where they've gone.

Two women went out together.

Zhao Niangzi gave the only oil lamp with a roof beam in her house to Gu Xixi, and used a torch to light the way for herself.

The two looked at each other and nodded firmly.

Zhao Niangzi said, "No matter what, we'll meet at my house again tomorrow morning."

It was already past midnight.

The old doctor, his face covered with a veil, walked back and forth in the courtyard, holding a large ladle that emitted a strong medicinal smell.

There was no moon tonight, and the courtyard was pitch black, but the old doctor didn't need to light a lamp anyway.

Hearing the door open, he turned and asked, "Is that Xixi?"

Gu Xixi stepped over the threshold and smiled, "How did you know it was me before you even said anything?"

The old doctor sighed, "As soon as people heard about the plague, they all ran away."

"Only you insist on going in there, and we can't stop you."

Gu Xixi wanted to laugh, but couldn't manage it.

No wonder that as she walked along, she could hear faint noises coming from other directions of the village, but this area was very quiet.

Gu Xixi carried the lamp to the old doctor's side, looked around, and asked, "I didn't hear any coughing. Is that patient feeling better?"

The old doctor shook his head, "Although the needles were inserted and the medicine was taken,..."

"At this point, all I can do is help him reduce his cough and let him rest well."

"As for the efficacy of the medicine, we will have to wait until we take two doses tomorrow to see the effect."

Gu Xixi looked at the other rooms again, "Where are the others? Have you seen them too?"

The old doctor said in a low voice, "I haven't found anything wrong yet."

“I brewed a preventative herbal tea, and I drank it with them.”

"I knew you were coming. There's some left in the kitchen. Go and drink it quickly."

Not only that, Lao Qian also notified the other members of the family to go home and quarantine.

The old doctor then directed the whole family to do a thorough cleaning.

Find all the tableware, water containers, and items in the kitchen and granary that may have come into contact with rats, and either burn them or boil them to disinfect them.

Shortly before Gu Xixi arrived, the whole family had just finished their work and gone to bed.

After the old doctor finished fumigating the medicine, he poured the remaining medicinal soup at the base of the wall outside the house.

The master and apprentice squatted in the most ventilated spot in the middle of the courtyard and talked.

Gu Xixi held a full bowl of herbal tea, frowning as she took a sip.

"I didn't expect the village entrance to be sealed off so quickly. The little bit of medicine we brought won't even last until tomorrow."

"I have asked Village Chief Zhao to search for medicinal herbs in the village as much as possible, hoping to find some useful ones."

The old doctor had lived in Stone Village for many years and was well aware of the difficulties involved.

Although Stone Village is built on hilly terrain, it is not backed by a range of mountains like Huachidu Village, making it difficult to source materials locally.

The old doctor said, "Medicinal herbs will definitely be in short supply; we can't afford not to prepare early."

Gu Xixi asked, "So, have you decided what to do?"

The old doctor looked up at the sky, as if trying to feel the distant place he couldn't see.

"I'll go find those constables at the village entrance tomorrow morning. The plague hasn't broken out in Stone Village yet. They want to stop the plague here, so they should give them some medicine."

"However, their approval and allocation processes will take time, so this matter should be handled sooner rather than later."

Gu Xixi hesitated and said, "But you don't like dealing with government officials, so let me go in your place."

The old doctor said solemnly, "Human life is of utmost importance; we cannot concern ourselves with these matters."

Meanwhile, the people of Stone Village found themselves trapped and had no choice but to settle down and follow Village Chief Zhao's instructions.

In addition to continuing rat catching and extermination, new measures have been added, including guarding, spraying pesticides, and preparing medicinal herbs...

Everyone in the village who was able-bodied was divided into groups and worked in shifts, day and night without stopping.

Two burly men were already stationed outside the house where Gu Xixi was staying.

According to Village Chief Zhao's order, no one is allowed to enter or leave except for Gu Xixi and the old doctor, or with their personal permission.

The old doctor and Gu Xixi were naturally extremely cautious.

After being fumigated with medicine all over their body, they must immediately remove their face covering and wash their hands and face after stepping over the threshold.

To minimize contact with other people, they decided to return to the old doctor's residence on the mountainside.

Gu Xixi said to the guard, "Please pass on a message to the village chief's wife for me. Tell her that I won't be going to her house for the time being. If there's an emergency, just call out near the big elm tree."

"If it's not urgent, let's talk outside when we meet during the day."

The two guards covered their noses in fear and dared not speak, so they just nodded vigorously.

The old doctor's house was so remote that the lamp oil almost ran out before we got there.

Looking again, the eastern horizon was already faintly showing signs of light.

There was no time to waste, so the old doctor told Xixi to go inside and rest, while he himself simply lay down on the table in the outer room.

The situation in the village could change drastically at any time, so I'd better get some sleep while things are still calm for now.

Otherwise, even someone made of iron wouldn't be able to endure it.

Because she had something on her mind, Gu Xixi only slept for about an hour before waking up.

However, this hour was very effective; she felt and her strength had recovered, though she was a little hungry.

The old doctor was still snoring. Gu Xixi tiptoed out, hoping to find something to eat.

A calico cat jumped down from the tree and rubbed against Gu Xixi's skirt, meowing.

Gu Xixi recognized it too, bent down and touched it, "Little Flower? Long time no see, you're still so plump."

When the old doctor left last time, Little Yellow and Little Gray lost their reproductive ability after trying the medicine, and Little White Rabbit's injury also healed, so the old doctor released them all, leaving only Little Flower.

Little Flower nudged Gu Xixi's hand with its head, then turned around and meowed twice.

Gu Xixi followed Xiao Hua to a wooden shed with a pot on a clay stove. This must be the old doctor's simple kitchen.