The thing Qin Sang feared most still happened. Eighty percent of the villagers in Zhang Family Village had already started coughing. When Heizi brought his men over, the village chief of Zhang Family Village was planning to flee with grain and medicinal ingredients, but he was caught red-handed by Heizi and the others.
When the villagers of Zhang Family Village learned that the village chief had known how to prevent the epidemic long ago but chose not to tell them out of greed for those medicinal ingredients, leading to their families falling ill, the few remaining who hadn't shown symptoms beat the village chief half to death.
If Heizi hadn't said he would send him to the authorities, the village chief would likely have been beaten to death on the spot.
Qin Sang could only do her best to treat the sick villagers brought back. Even so, the old man who was sent first didn't make it and breathed his last that night.
The Cave was filled with the smell of blood, which, mixed with the strong scent of mugwort, made the air feel thick and heavy.
Qin Sang couldn't leave. The Medicinal Herbs were sent out by a team led by Tian Yougen, Da Zhuang, and Heizi, and the village chief of Zhang Family Village was also taken away with them.
Lin Qi knew the ins and outs of the matter and immediately organized another epidemic prevention assembly.
No great call to action was needed; as long as it was said that every person in Songbai Town could receive a bowl of hot porridge daily using their household registration, the refugees flocked to it.
The village chief of Zhang Family Village was forced to describe the miserable state of being infected by the epidemic. Among the onlookers, no one knew who spat the first mouthful of phlegm, but immediately after, everyone crowded forward to spit at him.
Before, no one believed it, but now everyone did.
This village chief was hung in an open space by Lin Qi, and no one pitied him.
The letters Lin Qi wrote to the various County Magistrates were sent out through various channels, a thick envelope of them. Songbai County had the relief grain he had requested, so the commoners didn't starve to the point of being unable to survive. If anyone felt slightly unwell, they consciously came to receive decoctions to drink; some who weren't sick even came to receive a bowl.
Not enough, it still wasn't enough.
Lin Qi turned and gave orders to the people beside him:
"Spread the word: from now on, to receive porridge, one must bring three rat carcasses.
Over ten, one can receive half a catty of Millet.
Over a hundred, one mu of fertile land will be rewarded."
As soon as this political decree was issued, the rat tribe suffered a total catastrophe. The commoners dug three feet into the ground, even pushing down walls and digging holes to catch them and exchange them for grain.
Using fire, smoke, water flooding, and traps, they didn't dare eat the birds they caught, instead turning them into bait for catching rats. Since the people had no meat to eat, they prioritized the rats first.
They wanted grain, they wanted land, and they wanted to survive.
Five days passed, and half of the sick villagers from Zhang Family Village in Qin Sang's Cave were gone.
Even being laid to rest in the ground wasn't possible; they could only find an open space to burn them all.
The sound of crying near the ashes shook the heavens, and a continuous fine rain began to fall from the sky.
They originally didn't have to die.
Qin Sang was also in a bad mood. Even with early treatment, the survival rate wasn't even half, and this was even with her having antibiotics.
She didn't dare imagine how high the death rate would be once an epidemic broke out in other places.
Qin Sang could only force herself to think about the good news.
No one in the Tianjia Village camp was sick, and in other refugee camps, nothing like a village chief concealing information had happened.
Lin Qi had Da Zhuang bring back the land deed; they were going to start mining coal.
Chen Family Village had already become a masterless land. Qin Sang had people notify the refugees that they were recruiting workers to mine coal for half a catty of rice a day.
This was Lin Qi's request.
Only by giving these refugees a bite to eat could they avoid eating rats or contaminated grain.
The villagers of Tianjia Village were not very willing at first because they also wanted the grain, but when they saw how emaciated the refugees who came to apply were, those dissatisfied words were swallowed back down.
The people of Tianjia Village were now firing bricks. The bricks, which had coal cinder added to them, were difficult to break even with an axe. Yellow earth was available everywhere in the mountains. In a month's time, the villagers made tens of thousands of bricks and stacked them into high brick walls. The weather also grew colder.
After another autumn rain, Qin Sang put on thick cotton-padded clothes.
Over this month, a total of eight shipments of Medicinal Herbs had been sent to Lin Qi, and the tent had become completely empty.
The camp had also emptied out quite a bit, as many people had been sent to Chen Family Village to manage things.
Aside from the patrol team, those remaining in the camp were basically women, the elderly, and the weak.
They couldn't stay in the mountains anymore. After several rains, the wooden houses showed signs of mold and couldn't block the wind. If it weren't for the coal briquettess for warmth, everyone would have been unable to stay much earlier.
Qin Sang left the mountains with some Medicinal Herbs she had recently collected.
Lin Qi knew today was the day for delivering Medicinal Herbs and had been waiting in the reception tent. Seeing that the person led in was Qin Sang, Lin Qi stood up in surprise:
"Sister-in-law, you came in person? Please, have a seat."
Qin Sang saw the joy on his face and sat down, asking curiously:
"Seeing you like this, has something good happened?"
Lin Qi said while pouring tea for Qin Sang:
"There is indeed something good. This great epidemic should be over now."
Qin Sang was not surprised. Although she hadn't gone down the mountain during this time, Lin Qi had been keeping her informed of the progress.
Some commoners did indeed get the plague, but because the isolation and disposal were handled properly, the survival rate was quite good. No tragic events like village closures or family exterminations occurred.
Although nearly a hundred people died in Songbai Town, compared to the thousands or tens of thousands who usually died, this was already a great fortune.
Qin Sang knew this was the best outcome: "So I plan to come to the Town to open a coal briquettes shop. I came this time just to ask you if it's okay to leave the mountains. It's much colder in the mountains."
Lin Qi nodded:
"It should be no problem now. Everyone knows to pay attention to hygiene, the rats are mostly exterminated, the temperature has dropped, and there is some output from the fields. Basically, a major epidemic won't occur anymore."
"Sister-in-law leaving the mountains to sell coal briquettess at this time is a wise move. With the cold weather coming soon, there's no need to worry about the market for coal briquettess."
Qin Sang also felt much more relaxed:
"That's good then."
Lin Qi looked at Qin Sang, and his tone suddenly became more serious:
"Sister-in-law, regarding the epidemic prevention, the Imperial Court sent a commendation two days ago."
Qin Sang looked up and happened to see the shame in his eyes. She probably guessed what he meant and smiled:
"This is a good thing. Did you get a promotion?"
Seeing Qin Sang's relaxed expression, the guilt in Lin Qi's heart deepened:
"This credit originally belonged to you, sister-in-law. I... I truly feel ashamed to receive it."
Qin Sang immediately reached out her hand:
"Don't. You were the one who took the risks in execution. Fortunately, it's a commendation; if it were a punishment, don't expect me to stand up and claim that I did everything."
Qin Sang spoke humorously, and Lin Qi gave a bitter smile:
"Sister-in-law is truly wise. It really could have been a punishment."
Qin Sang was very curious:
"Oh? What happened?"
Lin Qi explained:
"After my letters were sent out, some believed them and some didn't. Among them, the County Magistrate of Wan County didn't take it seriously and even sent my letters to the Central Secretariat."
Qin Sang said in surprise:
"He reported you?"
Lin Qi nodded:
"That Wan County Magistrate is considered a political enemy of my General of the North Commandery Residence. He reported me for spreading rumors to deceive the public and interfering in local government affairs, which is an overstepping of authority."
In the Daxing Dynasty, military and civil administration were separate. If it weren't for suppressing the rioters, it wouldn't have been Lin Qi's turn to manage the local area.
"That's no small charge."
Lin Qi nodded:
"Fortunately, that Wan County is some distance from us. By the time he wrote the memorial to impeach me and it went back and forth, almost seven days had passed. The Central Secretariat was planning to remove me from my post and imprison me, but before the decree was even written, they received an urgent report from Qi County saying an epidemic had broken out there, and they hoped the Imperial Court would provide support with doctors and medicine."
"And that Wan County, because they didn't take my letter seriously, a serious epidemic broke out under their jurisdiction, resulting in countless deaths among the commoners. The Wan County Magistrate was stripped of his office and beheaded to appease the public's anger."
Qin Sang couldn't help but sigh that it was indeed a series of twists and turns.
And Lin Qi hadn't finished yet.