Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Every room in the house had collapsed, leaving not even half a mud wall standing. The destruction was eerily complete and uniform.

The family's remaining belongings were piled on a wooden plank in the center of the yard. Next to it, oddly placed, was another blood-stained plank, upon which lay Zhao Er Lai, tightly wrapped in a quilt.

The boy had been carried back by Old Man Zhao and Er Lai's father. Old Man Zhao couldn't bear it; seeing Er Lai's mother's state, he reckoned if Er Lai died, she'd likely turn around and jump in the river. He slapped Er Lai's father awake, then coaxed Er Lai's mother into letting them carry the child to his house. It was a desperate, last-ditch effort. He thought maybe having the child near Little Treasure might transfer some of his good fortune, perhaps buying time until they could find a doctor in town.

As dawn broke, Zhao Dashan, Er Lai's father, and several other young men from the village hurried towards the town. Their purpose was twofold: to find a doctor and to see what the situation was outside—whether only their Sunset Village had suffered, or if the entire Tongjiang Town, or even Guangping County, had been struck by disaster.

Amid heavy snowfall, the group trudged through three feet of accumulated snow, heading towards the distant town.

This day should have been one of family joy. If they had passed it peacefully, the next day would have ushered in a new year.

Yet, on this cusp of the old and new years, the entire Qingzhou Prefecture was struck by a massive earthquake. The area affected was vast; Guangping County was merely brushed by the tail end of the disaster. The true disaster zone was Xinping County. There, it was said rocks had tumbled down from the surrounding mountains, and even the official roads had cracked open in several large fissures. Countless houses collapsed in an instant, and scarcely one in ten living beings survived.

Anping County and Quyang County, bordering Xinping, were also filled with cries of anguish, their roads to the outside world blocked by fallen rocks.

In a single night, the entire Qingzhou Prefecture was plunged into unimaginable hardship.

Countless dispatches raced towards the capital, swift horses straining on slippery official roads, as various parties mobilized upon hearing the news.

The scale of this earthquake was so immense it could no longer be concealed by any single individual. Now, all officials in Qingzhou dared not harbor any illusions. They could only send people to rescue the worst-hit counties while hoping the higher-ups wouldn't vent their anger on them.

Of course, countless sinister schemes were also concealed beneath the disaster, stirring trouble everywhere. And innumerable scoundrels took advantage of the chaos to make a hefty profit, turning their lives upside down.

Zhao Dashan and the others were completely unaware of all these messy affairs. They pressed on without rest, arriving in town by mid-morning.

Along the way, they encountered many others also heading to town to find doctors or gather news. Everyone shared their village's situation. They learned all villages were roughly the same: the earthquake had struck in the middle of the night. Many, caught off guard, were struck and died on the spot. More were later dug out.

Only Sunset Village, thanks to the timely response of the Zhao Family, was different. After the incident, Old Man Zhao immediately took his two sons to organize rescues in the village. Their prompt action managed to dig out many villagers still clinging to life. Other villages weren't so fortunate. After the disaster, people focused only on their own families; by the time they came to their senses to rescue others, it was already too late.

In the face of great calamity, human nature was laid bare. Each household's circumstances differed. Some cared only for their sons, ignoring daughters trapped under walls or beams. Some looked after only their children and grandchildren, not their elderly parents above. Some parents focused only on the eldest or youngest, neglecting those in the middle. These ugly truths were impossible to sum up...

When disaster struck, the selfishness that was usually kept in check could no longer be concealed.

As soon as Zhao Dashan and the others entered the town, they saw collapsed buildings all around. Bodies dug from the ruins lay on the roadsides. Everyone's faces were numb, arms hanging limply, faces covered in blood and lumps, bodies coated in dust—none of the townsfolk's usual tidy appearance remained.

The houses in town were certainly sturdier than their village homes. Yet even those solid buildings had collapsed in swathes. Even the town's only inn, now a pile of rubble, showed no trace of its former bustle.

If before, Zhao Dashan hadn't fully grasped the severity of this earthquake, seeing Tongjiang Town now made his heart sink straight down.

If Tongjiang Town wasn't the epicenter, then that place...

He didn't dare think about it, simply didn't dare. His scalp tingled with dread.

The group headed towards the clinic. From a distance, they saw several employees fighting with a crowd of commoners, the scene utterly chaotic.

"Is there no law anymore? You dare rob in broad daylight before so many people?!" a clinic employee shouted, his face red with anger, pointing at several men. "Put it down! Put those medicinal herbs down now, or I'll report you to the authorities!"

"What robbery? I picked that up from the ground!" The man being pointed at rolled his shifty eyes, full of cunning, completely unfazed by the threat. "Calling the authorities won't do any good! Whoever finds it, keeps it!"

"These are our clinic's herbs, our property! You... you put them down now!" The employee was nearly in tears, looking at the passersby, hoping someone would help. His threat to report was just to scare them. Right now, the officials were all on duty in Xinping County. Their Guangping County had to fend for itself. Even if his pants were stolen today, no official would come to help.

One of the men spotted a medicine case held by an employee. He'd seen that case before when buying medicine at the clinic. It contained ginseng—extremely valuable stuff. A few thick fibers could sell for two taels of silver.

Seizing an unguarded moment, he rushed over, snatched the case from the employee's arms, and turned to run.

"Robbery! Robbery! Catch him!" The robbed employee cried out in genuine panic, giving chase, only to be blocked by the thief's accomplices.

Zhao Dashan and the others were stunned. They hadn't expected such a thing to happen—open robbery in the street? And robbing a clinic's medicine? Weren't these people afraid of being caught by the officials and thrown in jail?!

The ginseng thief happened to run towards their direction. His gaze held a sinister glint, clearly threatening them not to meddle.

Honest man Zhao Dashan couldn't tolerate it one bit. What kind of look was that, daring to threaten him? He charged over and kicked the man squarely in the small of the back. The man had been on guard, but couldn't withstand Zhao Dashan's kick, which came down like a mountain. He failed to dodge, was kicked squarely, stumbled forward a few steps, and fell flat on his face. The medicine case tumbled from his arms.

"You dare kick me?! I'll stab you to death!"

"Come on then! Come stab your granddad!" Zhao Dashan bent to pick up the case, his voice even louder.

The man gritted his teeth audibly, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes. He pulled a gleaming dagger from his clothes and lunged at Zhao Dashan.

Zhao Dashan hadn't expected him to actually carry a weapon. He nimbly sidestepped, then reached out a large hand and clamped down on the man's wrist. No technique, just pure strength. He squeezed until the man howled in pain, feeling his bones might shatter.

"Hero! Hero, spare me!" the man hastily begged for mercy.

"Stealing medicine from a clinic? Don't you know that stuff saves lives?" Zhao Dashan snatched the dagger and kicked the man in the chest, utterly contemptuous. "Get lost!"

The man scrambled away without delay. His accomplices, who had been blocking the clinic employees, had already slipped into the crowd and vanished.

If they couldn't make a fortune here, they'd just find another place!

The clinic employees ran over, their eyes fixed longingly on the medicine case in Zhao Dashan's hand, fearing he might also claim it for himself like the others. Working at the clinic, they were usually respected. But now, with disaster striking, the whole town was in chaos. Since early morning, many people had been wandering the town, ostensibly helping with rescues, but actually looting. Several wealthy families had already been ransacked.

They couldn't stop it at all. There was simply no way.

Their clinic in Tongjiang Town was just a branch. The main establishment was in the prefectural city. The clinic had only seven people total: the doctor, two guards, and four employees who also served as apprentices. One guard was dead, the other now lay half-dead on a plank. The four employees were mostly unharmed, but the sole doctor was dead—his spine crushed by a beam, gone on the spot.

Zhao Dashan handed the medicine case back to them. After stating their purpose and learning the doctor was dead, the group stood there dumbfounded, completely unprepared for this outcome.

"As you can see, our clinic collapsed, the doctor is gone. We can't treat patients," one employee said bitterly. Right now, they just wanted to protect the herbs until people from the main family arrived. As long as the herbs were safe, they wouldn't be punished and would have a place to go later.

Er Lai's father was on the verge of despair. His legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground, clutching his head, muttering to himself, "Er Lai can't be saved... my Er Lai can't be saved..."

The tears he'd held back all journey burst forth instantly. The tall, sturdy man prostrated himself, pounding the dirty ground with his fists, wailing uncontrollably.

The other men also couldn't hold back their tears. They too had family members clinging to life, waiting for a doctor to save them.

And the result? The doctor was dead?

Tongjiang Town had only one proper clinic, only one genuine old doctor, whose skills were exceptional, able to treat all sorts of difficult illnesses. How could he be dead? How could he die?

Er Lai's father felt as if the sky had fallen. A low roar of pain and despair escaped his lips. The blood from his pounding fists mixed with the filthy snowmelt on the ground, a messy, indistinct stain.

Seeing him like this, even though accustomed to life and death, the employees couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow. They too were worried about their own families, wondering if they were safe, if they were even still alive...

"You said the boy was hit on the head by a beam, still alive but unconscious..." The lead employee pondered for a moment, couldn't help but glance at Er Lai's father weeping on the ground, steeled his heart, and said to Zhao Dashan, "Let me be blunt first. If something goes wrong, don't come after me. I'm just an employee. Though I apprenticed under Doctor Lin, I'm not a formal disciple. I just have years of experience preparing medicines..."

Zhao Dashan's heart stirred. He quickly pulled Er Lai's father over. "Brother, we can swear. If anything happens, we absolutely won't trouble you. If we break this oath, may we be struck by lightning the next time we go out in the rain!"

The employee nodded. That was a serious oath, and he believed in such things. Hesitantly, he said, "There was a man before, also hit on the head by a beam. His family brought him to our clinic. That day, I was the one who prepared the medicine..."

Seeing the men's faces light up with wild hope, he hurriedly added, "But let me make this clear first. Patients' conditions differ, so the medicine formula naturally differs. Maybe others need a bit more, yours needs a bit less. I don't have the ability to distinguish that. I'm only telling you this because you helped me get the medicine case back. Whether you dare to gamble is up to you!"

His meaning was clear: everything depended on fate. He remembered the prescription from that case, but it might not suit the person they needed to save. Whether they dared to try was their decision. But whether the child ultimately lived or died had nothing to do with him; they couldn't blame him.

By doing this, he was also taking a risk. He could have easily avoided this extra trouble. But in the end, he couldn't bear it.

"I beg you, brother, prepare the medicine. I, Zhao Yong, thank you!" Er Lai's father knelt on the ground again, tears welling in his eyes, already blurring the face before him.

He wasn't a fool; he understood the employee's implied meaning. Regardless of the outcome, he wouldn't cause trouble for him.

As long as there was a sliver of hope, he wouldn't give up.

He had brought the family's savings from many years. Whether Er Lai could be cured or not, he, as a father, had to try.

Only by trying would he have no regrets.