Chapter 90: Sister-in-law, This Might Not Be Appropriate, Right?

Chapter 90: Sister-in-law, This Might Not Be Appropriate, Right?

Three more items were sold in the store over the past two days, resulting in a profit of 980,000 after deducting expenses.

After checking the account, He Zhiran hurriedly began searching for medicinal herbs.

She needed to purchase freshly picked herbs now so that people would believe they had just been collected from the mountain.

Fortunately, Taobao had everything one could possibly need.

He Zhiran was now quite wealthy and could afford to spend without any financial pressure.

In no time, she had purchased all the herbs she required.

Inside the tent, it was pitch black. Mo Jiuye suddenly felt something cover his feet.

Reaching out to touch it, he found it was all grass...

At that moment, He Zhiran's voice rang out, tinged with guilt.

"We'll take these herbs back with us shortly."

"Are you saying that these herbs can cure the plague?"

It wasn't that Mo Jiuye doubted her medical skills; it was just that the plague was too malevolent. If it could be treated so easily, wouldn't that be too straightforward?

"If it's not in the late stages or a severe case, a few doses of the medicine should suffice. But for someone like Li Tiezhu, it must be combined with my silver needles," He Zhiran declared confidently.

Mo Jiuye exhaled deeply.

"Tell me what I need to do, and I'll see it through."

He Zhiran raised her hands. "Now that we have the herbs, all you need to do is help me cover up our actions."

"I can handle that. I'll do my best."

The two fell silent again until an hour later when He Zhiran packed away their tent, and they both carried the herbs back together.

Peng Wang had been standing at the entrance of the cave, eagerly awaiting their return, hoping for some good news.

Glimpsing two figures in the distance, he braved the downpour and headed towards them.

"Brother, did you manage to gather the herbs?" This was their only hope for survival.

"Got them," Mo Jiuye replied in a solemn voice.

Upon reaching the pair, Peng Wang, without hesitation, took the herbs from He Zhiran's arms and pointed to the cave where the villagers were sheltering.

"I saw someone carry a cast-iron pot when they went up the mountain. We'll boil the medicine there."

Peng Wang couldn't wait any longer, hoping that the patients would recover swiftly upon taking the medicine.

As they entered the cave with the herbs, Village Officer Liu anxiously informed He Zhiran that more people had fallen ill after their departure. The current symptoms still consisted of fever and vomiting.

Without suspicion, He Zhiran promptly asked the village officer to have the large iron pot placed over charcoal fires, preparing to boil the medicine.

However, a new problem arose.

There was no water...

As the Village Officer had grown up in this area, he was familiar with the surroundings.

"Head uphill for a bit. There's a mountain spring up there; we can fetch water from there."

But at that moment, it was pitch black outside, with torrential rain pouring down. How were they supposed to fetch water now?

At this point, Peng Wang's top priority was survival.

"I'll lead the way to get the water right away."

He Zhiran had intended to use the same method as before, stepping out for a short while and then retrieving some water from her space.

Now, with Peng Wang taking charge, she was spared some trouble.

Those in the know understood the gravity of the situation and thus moved promptly without hesitation.

Peng Wang borrowed several water-carrying tools from the Village Officer and enlisted a few officials to fetch water in the rain.

Within two hours, just as Mo Jiuye was growing worried and considering checking on them, Peng Wang and his group finally returned with water.

Village Officer Liu arranged for someone to prepare the medicine, while He Zhiran separately examined and inquired about the villagers' current conditions.

The first batch of medicine was ready, and He Zhiran instructed the villagers to consume it first, saving the remainder for the officials.

The second pot was reserved for those who were exiled, like themselves.

The situation at hand was clear: the sick were treated, and the healthy were given preventative measures.

By the time everyone had taken their medicine, dawn had already broken.

Fortunately, the heavy rain had ceased at this point.

Peng Wang promptly sent people down the mountain to assess the situation.

The news the officials brought back was more severe than anticipated.

The village had been submerged by the flood, with houses collapsing and countless corpses floating on the water's surface.

At this, everyone sighed in dismay.

Faced with such a calamity, Peng Wang was utterly at a loss. He now looked to Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran as pillars of support.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, do you have any strategies to deal with this?" he asked.

Mo Jiuye also felt a sense of helplessness.

"Given the current situation, we can only wait for the government to intervene," he suggested.

But He Zhiran had a different perspective.

"After a great disaster comes a major outbreak of disease. There are already cases of plague in the village. If those bodies aren't dealt with promptly, the plague could escalate uncontrollably."

"What should we do then?" both Mo Jiuye and Peng Wang echoed simultaneously.

"The best solution would be to retrieve the corpses from the water as soon as possible and cremate them. That way, we can effectively prevent the spread of the plague," He Zhiran proposed.

In He Zhiran's understanding, this was the most effective means of control.

Peng Wang and Mo Jiuye both widened their eyes. Indeed, they found it hard to accept cremation as a solution.

To these ancients, the deceased held great reverence, and only proper burial could bring peace to the living.

Cremation was seen as the greatest disrespect to the dead, not to mention that their families would never consent to it.

"Sister-in-law, this might not be appropriate, right?"

He Zhiran understood their sentiments. Changing someone's deeply ingrained beliefs was no easy task.

But for the greater good, or rather, for the survival of more people, she had to persist in her persuasion.

"Brother Peng, I understand the desire for your loved ones to rest in peace in the earth.

But consider this: if the infected corpses are not dealt with promptly, besides emitting a pungent stench, they can contaminate the air and water sources, potentially sparking even more epidemics.

Don't you think this poses a significant threat to the living as well?"

Hearing He Zhiran's words, Mo Jiuye's initial thoughts immediately wavered.

"At present, indeed, saving living people is the priority. If the plague spreads widely, the consequences could be disastrous."

Peng Wang was not an obstinate old man; when it came to matters of interest and decision-making, he was equally decisive.

"I suppose this heavy rain hasn't affected just this village. With so many corpses, how can we possibly deal with them all?"

This was indeed a tricky issue. Even He Zhiran couldn't think of a better solution.

What she had just proposed was merely a general suggestion; she had no concrete plan for its execution.

In the end, it was Mo Jiuye who put forward a relatively viable idea.

"It would be best to communicate with the local authorities and have them handle it. Of course, we must first persuade the officials in charge."

Peng Wang pondered for a moment. "I'll give it a try. I'm somewhat acquainted with the county magistrate here; hopefully, he's not too rigid-minded."

Having come this far, He Zhiran felt that she had done all she could.

For now, it seems that the only option is to have Peng Wang intervene and reason with the county magistrate. As for whether the outcome will be satisfactory, that remains to be seen, depending on luck.