Chapter 7

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The old man was a respected elder in the village, a person of high moral standing, and had considerable authority. Li Su wasn’t quite sure how to address him, but the old man’s words made the Wang brothers change their expressions.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong with my brother? Is it the third or the fourth?” Wang Zhuang’s face quickly turned red with worry.

In those days, medical care was backward, and even minor illnesses required a combination of herbal medicine and fate to heal. The Wang brothers couldn’t help but be anxious.

“It’s the third, he has a high fever and red spots all over his body. He fell ill in the afternoon, and you two good-for-nothings haven’t even gone to check on him.” The old man was angry at their lack of effort and gave the Wang brothers two more hits.

Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi didn’t resist, letting the old man hit them to his heart's content. Then they stomped their feet hard, didn’t bother to greet Li Su, and ran off.

The old man glared at Li Su with a look of disapproval. Li Su gave him a dry laugh and hurriedly bowed, “Sir... Grandpa, I’ll go and take a look too. Goodbye, goodbye.”

“Get lost! You three good-for-nothings.”

...

Running all the way, Li Su arrived at the Wang family’s house, panting heavily. He found the Wang family’s courtyard surrounded by people. Many villagers had come, and they all looked frightened, pointing and whispering about the Wang family’s courtyard.

Li Su’s heart sank.

With so many people gathered and showing such expressions, it was clear that the third son of the Wang family had more than just a fever or a cold.

Several strong men from the village stood side by side outside the courtyard, separating the Wang family’s yard from the crowd. An old man with a cane waved his hand authoritatively at the onlookers.

“Scatter, all of you! What’s there to see? Be careful not to catch the disease. Do you want the whole village to die?”

The onlookers became even more frightened and took several more steps back.

Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi had arrived home before Li Su but were now being held back. The brothers struggled to break free and rush into the house, but the old man hit them with his cane to stop them.

“Do you want to die, you brats? Stay outside and keep the Wang family’s lineage alive.”

Wang Zhuang, with red eyes, cried out, “What’s wrong with my parents? What’s wrong with my brother?”

The old man hesitated for a moment, then scanned the crowd before slowly saying, “Your brother has caught smallpox...”

A murmur of shock rippled through the crowd. The onlookers immediately took several steps back, and a few timid women immediately started wailing. After a couple of cries, they were silenced by a slap from their husbands.

The old man looked at Wang Zhuang with a grim face, unsure whether he was explaining to the brothers or to the whole village. “This morning, your mother took your third brother to visit the neighboring Niutou Village. When they returned in the afternoon, your brother was already ill, with a high fever and red spots all over his body. Just now, Niutou Village sent a message saying that over twenty people there have caught smallpox. Your brother probably caught it too...”

Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi burst into tears, struggling even harder. Wang Zhuang, with a hoarse voice, shouted, “Where’s my father? Where’s my mother? Where’s the fourth? Father, Mother—”

From inside the Wang family’s main house, a despondent male voice came, “Older brothers, don’t cry. Stay far away from the house. Smallpox is deadly. Your mother touched the third, I touched your mother, and the third played with the fourth after coming home. All four of us might be infected. We can’t go out and harm the villagers. You two are safe because you were outside in the afternoon. Listen to Grandpa Zhao. Don’t come back to this house. Leave the village and go to your uncle’s place. Live a good life in the future...”

“Father, Mother—” The Wang brothers cried and struggled to break free, trying to rush into the house. The old man, surnamed Zhao, became furious and swept his cane, making the brothers stumble. He shouted, “Tie these two good-for-nothings up!”

Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi were quickly tied up tightly, their cries continuous. The old man turned to the main house and shouted, “Wang family, you are righteous and won’t harm the villagers. The villagers will remember your kindness. In the future, your house and land will be passed to the two brothers. No matter how bad the harvest, the villagers will give them enough food to grow up. When they marry and have children, the villagers will take care of them.”

A choked voice came from inside the house, “Thank you, Uncle Zhao, and the villagers for your kindness. The Wang family is grateful. We entrust the two boys to the care of the villagers. They are very mischievous, and if they cause trouble next year, please bear with them. We will repay you in our next life.”

The old man’s face was grim, and he sighed heavily before turning to give orders.

“Send someone fast to the county office to inform the officials that there is an epidemic in Niutou Village and Taiping Village. Ask them to send people quickly. Also, go to Chang’an City and invite two doctors. Be polite and honest. If the doctors are willing to come, let them. If not, don’t force them. Also, each household should take their wives and children back home. No one is allowed to visit others. If anyone runs around, they will be punished! Arrange for a few people from each household to guard outside the Wang family’s courtyard. If anyone approaches, beat them to death.”

The old man had considerable authority in the village. After he spoke, the villagers took their wives and children back home, some by force. A few people ran out of the village to inform the county office and Chang’an City.

Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi were carried away, crying and struggling. They still couldn’t believe that their poor but warm home had been destroyed so suddenly.

In the crowd that dispersed, Li Su stood still, quietly watching the most humble people in the world experience the pain of separation and death. Sighs, pity, fear, and sorrow... all kinds of expressions showed that the family’s separation was now a certainty.

Someone tugged at his ear and then kicked him on the buttocks.

Li Su turned around and saw his father, Li Daogeng, staring at him fiercely.

“You good-for-nothing, what are you still standing there for? Get back home quickly, or I’ll break your legs!”

Li Su pointed to Wang Zhuang and Wang Zhi, who were being carried away, “The Wang brothers...”

Li Daogeng’s face was grim. He glanced up and sighed, “The Wang brothers will stay at Grandpa Zhao’s house for now. We’ll see what happens after the epidemic. The Wang family... is finished.”

He turned his head and looked at the Wang family’s main house again, hearing the faint sobs inside. Li Daogeng’s eyes were cold but showed a hint of pity, as if he were looking at a solitary grave.

************************************************************

The disaster struck without warning.

In less than five days, smallpox quickly spread to five villages in Jingyang County and showed signs of further spread.

The county magistrate was frantic, sending for doctors and reporting to the imperial court. Jingyang County was only sixty miles from Chang’an City, and the news of the epidemic spread, causing panic among the 108 wards of Chang’an City. The imperial court acted quickly, sending a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau, two deputy physicians, and over forty doctors with a full load of medicine to the countryside. At the same time, the Jinwu Guard sent a general to lead troops to isolate the villages of Jingyang County, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.

More terrifying than the epidemic were the panic and rumors, which were even more devastating than the disease itself.

The villagers of Jingyang County were afraid and fled with their families, not caring where they went, as long as they left their devilish hometown and saved their families, even if it meant becoming vagrants or beggars.

The entrance to the village was tightly guarded by the Jinwu Guard. The villagers couldn’t leave, and the general, with tears in his eyes, ordered them to be driven away with sticks. The county magistrate knelt behind the soldiers, crying and apologizing to the villagers, asking them to stay in their homes to prevent the epidemic from spreading further.

Heart-wrenching, touching, sad, and helpless scenes played out outside Chang’an City. The disaster, like a mirror in the sunlight, revealed the true nature of human hearts, clear and transparent.

...

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