Chapter 11 The Plague Outbreak

Chapter 11: The Plague Arrives

Another two or three days passed, and Wu Qiu had made almost no progress in learning to read characters. It wasn't that he was lazy, but simply didn't have a spare moment. Since the flood, more and more patients had been coming to the clinic every day, and over the past couple of days, it seemed even more had arrived. The few clinics and pharmacies in the city had been swamped lately, completely overwhelmed.

When night fell, due to the disaster, a curfew had been temporarily imposed in the city, and the clinic could finally close its main gate, finally bringing the busy day to a close. The family had originally been cooling off in the courtyard, but they hadn't even sat for fifteen minutes before each went off to rest—Cui Nanshan had a bad back, and after a day of hard work, sitting any longer was inevitably taxing, so Lei Xun accompanied him back to their room; the two younger ones, Lei Tan and Lei Li, had also been listless these past two days, yawning as they headed into the western wing; Yang Shu and Madam Liu were both older, and these days all the household chores had fallen to the two of them, so they also went to bed early.

Wu Qiu also felt weary and got up to return to his room, but he noticed Lei Ding was still in the courtyard.

Lei Ding hadn't joined in the conversation earlier; he had taken a reclining chair and sat in a slightly more distant spot, closing his eyes to rest quietly. When Cui Nanshan and Lei Xun left, they told him to go rest early too, and he agreed. But, perhaps because he found the courtyard cool in the evening, he hadn't gone back right away to the eastern wing. Instead, he closed his eyes again, leaning back in the chair without speaking.

Seeing that everyone else had left and Lei Ding still hadn't moved, Wu Qiu was afraid he'd fallen asleep and would catch a chill from the wind. He went over and gently nudged him: "Big Brother? Don't fall asleep out here in the breeze. If you're tired, you should go back to your room to sleep."

Lei Ding opened his eyes, looked at Wu Qiu, and smiled: "Alright, I'll sit for a little while longer and then go back. You hurry off to rest. You've always been a bit frail."

He looked at Wu Qiu. Wu Qiu couldn't hide the worry in his eyes; he was frowning slightly, pursing his lips as he looked at him. This inexplicably softened Lei Ding's heart: "Tomorrow, rest in your room for a day."

Wu Qiu shook his head: "I'm just helping out. Although it's busy, I'm not completely worn out. I'll be fine after a good sleep. It's you I'm worried about these past two days; I'm afraid you'll work yourself sick."

As he spoke, he walked to the table, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it to Lei Ding: "If you really do get sick, not to mention the clinic can't do without you, won't your own body suffer? And then... Master Cui is bound to worry."

There was an old locust tree in the courtyard. It had stood here even before the clinic was built. It was the season when the locust blossoms fell. Some fallen petals had landed on Lei Ding's clothes. Wu Qiu reached out to brush them off for him. Noticing that Lei Ding's collar and lapel were a bit messy from leaning back, he casually straightened them for him.

Lei Ding looked down at him: "Once the current matters are settled, I have some other things I'd like to discuss with you."

Wu Qiu knew what he meant. Too shy to look up at him, he didn't refuse, he just gave a slight nod: "Mm."

Another gust of wind blew, causing locust blossoms to flutter down. The two stood very close. Lei Ding reached his hand around from behind, held it over Wu Qiu's head to shield him from the falling petals. The posture was very much like holding him. Although Wu Qiu usually had many reservations, caught up in the moment, he couldn't think of much else. He couldn't help but lean his body slightly closer. His hand still held onto Lei Ding's lapel, his whole body almost, but not quite, leaning against Lei Ding's chest.

Having been busy all day at the front, Wu Qiu also smelled of medicinal herbs. But at this close distance, Lei Ding could detect another faint, delicate fragrance emanating from Wu Qiu, different from the scent of incense. Unable to resist, he lowered his head and leaned close to Wu Qiu's neck, giving a gentle sniff. Wu Qiu shuddered but didn't pull away. This action was somewhat rash compared to Lei Ding's usual speech and conduct, but Wu Qiu wasn't angry. With a hint of shy reproach, he pushed against Lei Ding's chest: "You startled me."

Lei Ding laughed: "My mistake. I'm sorry."

Wu Qiu looked up at him: "I... I don't really blame you."

Lei Ding's other hand had already risen, seemingly about to wrap around Wu Qiu's waist. Suddenly, they heard someone outside the clinic gate pounding loudly, the door knocker clattering thunderously.

For someone to come seeking medical help at this hour, and with such urgency, likely meant the patient's condition was severe. Lei Ding's expression changed slightly. He patted Wu Qiu's shoulder in reassurance and immediately went to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, they saw a young man drenched in sweat, followed by a Patrol Officer accompanying him at night. Upon seeing Lei Ding, the young man, disregarding formalities, hastily bowed: "Sir, my father suddenly started vomiting and having diarrhea, then developed a fever. Now he's unconscious and not waking up. His life may be in danger. Please, come save my father."

Lei Ding comforted the youth: "I'll come at once." He then looked back at Wu Qiu: "If they ask later, could you please explain for me? I'll be back after seeing the patient. Don't worry. Just close the gate. You should go back to sleep."

Upon hearing the knocking, Wu Qiu had followed closely but didn't go to the door. Instead, he went ahead to pack Lei Ding's medical kit for the house call and brought it out. Now, he handed it over, then picked up a nearby lantern, quickly replaced it with a new candle, lit it, and handed that to Lei Ding as well: "Understood. Go quickly. It's late, be careful of your footing."

He watched until Lei Ding and the young man turned the corner of the alley before closing the gate again. Originally, Madam Liu's youngest son also worked for the Lei family. His room was in the gatehouse, and he usually answered the door at night. But that child had taken leave some time ago to visit relatives. Then the flood happened, roads were blocked, and he couldn't return for the time being, so these past few nights there had been no one to tend to the gate. Wu Qiu sat down on a chair in the main hall himself, waiting for Lei Ding to return so he could open the door for him.

Lei Xun and the others had also heard that a patient had come, but they were already settled in bed. It took a little time to throw on clothes and get up. When Lei Xun came out to check, he also told Wu Qiu to go rest first, saying they could wait for Lei Ding to knock when he returned; at worst, with Lei Ding's skills, he could climb over the wall to get in. Wu Qiu laughed along but shook his head, saying he wasn't sleepy yet, he'd just sit a little longer and then go in. Unconsciously, he also dozed off, slumping in the chair.

Wu Qiu woke up again, actually roused by Lei Ding.

It turned out this had indeed happened a few times before. Madam Liu's child wasn't very old either and slept very soundly at night, not hearing the knocking. So Lei Ding had placed a few stone bricks in the grass at the base of the eastern wing's outer wall; stepping on them slightly allowed one to jump over. Lei Ding's expression was very serious. He told Wu Qiu to quickly go call Lei Li and Lei Tan, while he himself busied finding mugwort, realgar, and other items.

Wu Qiu immediately went to summon them. Before leaving, he asked Lei Ding what exactly had happened. Lei Ding only frowned and shook his head: "I fear a major epidemic is coming."

The clinic was thrown into temporary chaos. Everyone gathered at the front. Lei Xun and Cui Nanshan had also gotten up to hear Lei Ding recount his experience with the patient earlier. It turned out that man had started vomiting incessantly at night, then developed a high fever. The illness came on fiercely. When Lei Ding went to see him, the symptoms resembled those of an epidemic disease as recorded in medical texts. After speaking a few more words with the other family members, he learned the patient had gone outside the city today to visit relatives and friends and hadn't been feeling well since returning not long ago. Lei Ding had also treated patients outside the city and knew the situation there. Putting it all together, he could confirm it was plague.

Recently, life for the disaster victims outside the city had grown even harder. Some who were sick or weak died. Either no one collected the bodies, they were rolled in mats and discarded by the roadside, or they were hastily buried, only for wild dogs to dig up the bones. Coupled with it being summer, mosquitoes and insects were countless, biting the decaying corpses and then biting people. The disaster victims lacked clothing and food, even resorting to catching rats to eat. The government's disaster relief was insufficient, ultimately failing to prevent the major epidemic that follows a great disaster. Now it seemed the plague had likely already spread into Yongning City.

Not to mention the two younger ones, Lei Li and Lei Tan, even Lei Ding had never truly experienced a plague firsthand, having only seen the symptoms described in medical books. To respond appropriately, they needed to report to the authorities as soon as possible, then discuss countermeasures with the people from the other clinics and pharmacies in the city to devise a suitable prescription.

Lei Ding arranged matters: he had Lei Li and Lei Tan go prepare basic epidemic prevention medicines first, then went with Lei Xun into the study, taking down several volumes of medical texts from the shelves. He had had a vague premonition these past few days and had looked up some ancient prescriptions in advance. But today, seeing the patient's symptoms, he still felt they weren't quite suitable. He needed to think of another way, draft a new prescription tailored to the symptoms. This required discussion with Lei Xun. If they could find the best solution quickly, great; if not, they at least needed to find a way to stabilize the patients' conditions.

Tonight was bound to be busy.

Of course, Lei Ding hadn't forgotten Wu Qiu either. When he returned, Wu Qiu had been waiting for him and had dozed off slumped in the armchair. At that moment, Lei Ding was anxious, burdened with the situation. But seeing this scene, he suddenly remembered how Wu Qiu had been critically ill, unconscious and barely breathing in his arms. A fear sprouted from the depths of his heart. He had secretly vowed then never to let Wu Qiu risk contracting the plague again.

So Lei Ding didn't go over to wake Wu Qiu up. Instead, he called out to him from a distance, not letting him come near.

Plague was most easily contagious. He had just been in contact with a patient and hadn't had time to fumigate with mugwort to dispel the sickness. Wu Qiu's health had only recently improved. Lei Ding didn't dare let him take the risk.

Before Lei Xun and the others arrived, Lei Ding told Wu Qiu to go back to sleep. Wu Qiu initially wanted to stay, but Lei Ding said they were only discussing prescriptions and preparing medicines. Wu Qiu hadn't rested well in the first half of the night either; if he got overtired, he'd be more susceptible to illness. He insisted Wu Qiu return to his room. Wu Qiu also didn't want him to expend extra energy worrying about him. He nodded obediently: "Don't worry about me. Big Brother, you... must be careful too."

He didn't say much more, but Lei Ding understood his meaning: "Don't worry."

Before Wu Qiu entered his room, Lei Ding called out to him from behind. The courtyard was too dark. Even when Wu Qiu turned around, he couldn't see Lei Ding's expression clearly, only vaguely make out his figure standing not far behind. But he heard Lei Ding's voice: "Thank you for waiting for me." It stirred an even stronger sense of reluctance in Wu Qiu's heart—

Although he didn't understand medicine, he knew the dangers of an epidemic.

Lying in bed, Wu Qiu couldn't sleep no matter how he tossed and turned. He took out that handkerchief again, placed it over his face, and gave it a gentle sniff. He thought, with the epidemic just beginning, these next couple of days would likely see countless people infected. Lei Ding and the others would be constantly rushing about outside. For the first time, he even harbored a selfish thought: if only Lei Ding weren't a physician, he could stay away from such danger.

And thinking this made him admire Lei Ding even more. He wondered if Lei Ding was afraid. But regardless, he still had to go treat those patients, still had to burn the midnight oil trying to find a prescription.

Unable to sleep any longer, Wu Qiu turned over, got up, lit the lamp, and found needle and thread. Even if he couldn't help with the medical side, he had to contribute in some other way.

Lei Ding didn't sleep all night. At daybreak, he went out, saying he was going to the yamen, then to the other two clinics. That man certainly wasn't the first to contract the plague. Probably there were already many patients both inside and outside the city. The authorities needed to make a decision, allocate funds, and gather the sick together in isolation for treatment.

It wasn't until lunchtime that Lei Ding returned to the clinic. He didn't eat, went to his room to rest for a moment, then came out again.

Wu Qiu waited for him at the entrance to the eastern wing. Seeing him come out, he held out something with both hands. Taking it, Lei Ding saw it was a kerchief-like covering, similar to a face veil. It was made of a very finely woven, lightweight fabric in a pale, off-white color. Strings were attached on both sides so it could be tied over the face, covering the mouth and nose. Looking closer, on one corner, on the inside, was embroidered a tiny leaf—a red maple leaf, something seen only in autumn. This face covering had two or three layers, so this bit of bright red wasn't very visible from the outside.

Lei Ding asked softly: "For me?"

Wu Qiu nodded: "I thought the plague is very easily contracted. Since Big Brother is running about outside, seeing patients, you should protect yourself. So I made a few with Mother. I've already given some to Lord Lei, Master Cui, and the two younger brothers. This one is for you."

Although the situation was urgent, leaving no room for lingering sentiments, Wu Qiu, afraid Lei Ding might refuse to wear it, added: "I made it myself. I know men rarely wear such face coverings, but the circumstances are special now. I chose a not-too-bright color. Please, Big Brother, wear it... to spare us worry."

Lei Ding's fingers brushed over the little maple leaf: "Did you embroider this too?"

Wu Qiu blushed: "Yes. Does Big Brother not like it? It's not visible from the outside. It's not that I'm thinking of dressing up for fun at a time like this, just..."

Maple leaves are also something that appears in autumn. Autumn...

Wu Qiu had hidden this tiny bit of selfishness, as if he himself were accompanying Lei Ding.

How could he tell Lei Ding the truth now?

Lei Ding looked at him, his throat moving slightly, but he didn't speak. He immediately put on the face covering, tying it securely, then said: "This is your thoughtful gift. I will definitely wear it properly. You all shouldn't go out these next couple of days. If you need anything, just tell me; I'll buy it. Don't worry about me. I know my limits."

As he spoke, he took a step forward and gently tucked a stray lock of Wu Qiu's hair behind his ear.

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