Chapter 663: Chapter 226 IOU_3
Upon arriving in Su Nan to aid with the plague, formalities were no longer a concern.
"Can’t sleep."
Ji Xun set aside the branch he was fiddling with in the brazier, stood up, looked at the snow dancing in the courtyard, and spoke softly.
"These days, fewer people are getting sick, but we still haven’t found a cure for the disease. Patients in the Plague Hospital continue to die. If this continues, we’re just delaying the inevitable. Sooner or later, they will be buried in the execution grounds behind the temple."
Lu Tong remained silent.
"I used to be arrogant about my medical skills, looking down on others at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Only by delving deep into this place have I realized that all my knowledge is but a drop in the ocean. Medicine is ever-changing, and the sick are difficult to heal. To see patients suffering without being able to help is to be ashamed of calling myself a healer."
Lu Tong glanced at him.
The young medical officer no longer had his usual lofty pride, showing signs of fatigue instead.
It was the first time she had seen Ji Xun so disheartened.
"Doctor Ji," after a moment of silence, Lu Tong said, "We are doctors, not bodhisattvas; we can only do our best to save lives. The difficulty of treating the plague is not your fault. Rather than blaming yourself, you should focus on researching to the best of your ability."
"I believe that there will be a way."
Ji Xun looked at Lu Tong.
During her time in Su Nan, she had been moving through the Plague Hospital distributing medicinal soup, discussing ways to combat the epidemic with Chang Jin, and making medicine pouches late into the night.
She always seemed indifferent and somewhat aloof in her manner, yet she never failed to do what needed to be done. It seemed as if she always had a staunch confidence that no matter what happened or how dire the circumstances, after brief moments of silence, she would quickly think of a solution to tackle the next problem without dwelling on irrelevant matters.
He had always found Lu Tong very unique, and now, it seemed he had come to understand her a little better.
A flicker of emotion crossed Ji Xun’s heart.
"I’m going to deliver medicine to the Plague Hospital," said Lu Tong. "Doctor Ji, would you like to go as well?"
After a moment of thought, Ji Xun nodded: "Let’s go together."
Lu Tong then shouldered her medical box, and left the house with Ji Xun.
They had just reached the door when Ji Xun suddenly remembered something, glanced at Lu Tong, and said, "I’m going to get something, wait for me at the doorway."
Lu Tong nodded, watched him turn back into the courtyard, then pushed open the doors.
"Creak—," a sound.
The lodging’s gate was pushed open, and as Lu Tong was about to step out, she suddenly paused.
The cold and harsh day was heavy with falling snow, and someone was passing by the entrance.
Pei Yunmeng was walking toward the direction of the Plague Hospital with a few Imperial Guards. Hearing the noise, he looked over.
Standing amidst the swirling snowflakes and the arctic wind, cloaked in a dark overcoat, his beautiful, pitch-black eyes looked toward her, their depths inscrutable.
Before Lu Tong could speak, she suddenly felt a warmth envelop her. A furry cloak was draped over her shoulders, and Ji Xun came to her side, saying, "It’s snowing today, and you’re dressed too lightly."
After speaking, he seemed to notice the others at the entrance. Ji Xun paused, then bowed respectfully: "Marshal Pei."
Pei Yunmeng’s gaze shifted between the two of them, expression inscrutable and revealing no emotion, then left with his guard without a word.
Ji Xun furrowed his brows, looking at Lu Tong: "He... "
Lu Tong lowered her eyes: "Let’s go."
...
The outside of the Plague Hospital was bustling.
Today, there was heavy snowfall.
"The Collection of Interpretations for the Seventy-two Pentads" states that "at this point, the snow becomes heavy."
In the southern region of Su Nan, aside from the mountains, it was rare for the city to see snow. The last heavy snowfall happened six years ago during the Great Cold.
Unexpectedly, after the locust plagues and famine had just passed, and with the epidemic at its peak, heavy snow suddenly arrived.
The gate of the Plague Hospital was half-open; inside, charcoal braziers had been lit. Pei Yunmeng’s people had brought warming items, and the temple gate had also been refurbished, making the inside of the Plague Hospital much warmer than when Chang Jin and his party first arrived.
As soon as Lu Tong arrived at the Plague Hospital, Cuicui ran up to her.
The little girl was dressed in a brand-new light pink cotton frock today. Perhaps because she had been nourished by soups these days and was no longer going hungry, her complexion looked much improved.
Lu Tong asked, "Where did this new dress come from?"
In resource-scarce Su Nan, such a pretty dress for a little girl was rare to see.
"Lord Little Pei gave it. One of Lord Little Pei’s men, Brother Duan, distributed new warm cotton clothes to everyone in the Plague Hospital. He found a beautiful dress and, knowing I was here, specifically kept it for me," Cuicui said, pointing outside.
Lu Tong turned around.
Outside the temple, Pei Yun was talking to Chang Jin, and near him, a few guards were unloading supplies from the horses.
In these days, Pei Yun’s arrival had been a great help.
After the theft of medicine and grain from the County Office, Pei Yun caught the bandits, removing a great concern for Su Nan. The supplies and herbs he brought from Qi Shui greatly alleviated the distress of the Medical Officer Institute. At least for now, there was enough medicine to throw into the wells daily, and when making Plague-Preventing Incense and medicine pouches, there was no longer concern about the lack of medicinal materials.