Chapter 206: A Midnight Trip to Crouching Tiger City to Deliver Warmth

The commotion was so loud that Doctor An, who was about to turn in for the night, was startled awake. Upon learning they were headed to Crouching Tiger City, he immediately expressed his intention to go along.

“I’ve told you before why I didn’t go—it was because there was no medicine. Now that the situation has improved, I must go see for myself.”

He climbed directly onto the ox cart, making it clear he wasn’t getting off if they didn’t take him.

His young assistant hoisted up the medicine box and silently followed, climbing onto the cart as well.

Both were lightly dressed. A gust of the chilly night wind had them shivering violently.

Li Xuemei felt a bit troubled.

Her man could wrap himself tightly in a quilt, head and all, and Sanbao could trot alongside on his own. Tucked inside a blanket, sipping ginger soup along the way, they’d be warm all the way there.

But now with these two joining, covering their heads wouldn’t be an option. The night wind was cold—what if they caught something?

Yet she couldn’t very well tell them not to go. They were doctors, after all—compassionate by nature.

“Husband, take the charcoal heater with you.”

That was the only solution Li Xuemei could think of. The charcoal heater wasn’t big; it could be strapped securely onto the ox cart and would provide continuous warmth.

In fact, Yan Yu had an even more brilliant idea.

Sanbao generated heat…

They could wrap Doctor An and his assistant in blankets, and her father could just ride on Sanbao’s back.

But she kept her mouth shut.

No crazy ideas right now!!!

Yan Lao’er nodded, found a rope to secure the charcoal heater, and wrapped it in a thin blanket to keep it stable.

This way, Doctor An and his assistant could hold it in their hands—it was warm and helped keep it in place.

Li Xuemei added another quilt for them to wear.

Yan Yu leaned in to whisper a few words to her father, then watched them depart.

The ox cart set out into the cold night wind.

Doctor An and his assistant were surrounded by masks and the small stash of usable herbs he had picked out.

They placed their hands over the bundled-up charcoal heater. Warmth spread from their palms.

The assistant stealthily edged his feet closer to it, felt the heat, and quickly helped Doctor An move his feet closer too.

The posture was a bit undignified, and under normal circumstances, he’d never agree to it—but the soothing warmth gradually made him relax.

Wrapped in thick quilts, the pair were surrounded by comforting heat.

The assistant began to doze off.

But Doctor An was wide awake, inhaling the faint medicinal fragrance, mentally deducing possible prescriptions from the scant descriptions he’d heard.

He looked up.

The man sitting silently at the front of the cart was completely still, as if the cold wind couldn’t touch the burning fire in his heart.

Perhaps it was because his brother was trapped in Crouching Tiger City—but such exertion, such righteous action, was truly admirable!

As for the unmoving Yan Lao’er: he had discovered that wrapping himself entirely was indeed possible.

He had originally intended just to doze a little, but the steady warmth against his back soon lulled him into deep sleep…

As they neared Crouching Tiger City, Sanbao twitched the it’s tail, which Yan Lao’er left inside the blanket, to wake himself.

No reaction.

Another twitch.

Yan Lao’er groggily stuck his head out from the quilt. One glance—

Whoa! They’d arrived!

He groped for his mask, strapped it on, and jumped off the cart.

Behind him, Doctor An also retrieved the mask Yan Er’s wife had given him and followed suit.

Outside Crouching Tiger City, it was as noisy as daytime.

The refugees in the thatched shelters were nothing like the quiet crowd Yan Lao’er had seen on his previous visit.

There were coughs, cries, and constant calls of “cold”, “hot”, and “it hurts.” There were pleas, the intermittent wailing of children…

Some were clearly feverish and delirious, mumbling nonsense, alternating between clarity and confusion.

Yan Lao’er saw several of the city’s doctors hurrying about, checking pulses and prescribing medicine. Their faces were covered, making it hard to read their expressions, but from their constant head-shaking, the situation was clearly grim.

Around the doctors…

Though their faces were obscured, the all-too-familiar official robes gave him away.

It was Lord Tian from Crouching Tiger City, Lord Tian himself!

Yan Lao’er nearly burst into tears.

Just as he’d expected, a good official led from the front, going wherever the danger was greatest.

He anxiously scanned the area. He wanted to see Elder Yan, yet at the same time, dreaded it—completely torn inside.

And then finally… he saw him!

He wasn’t sure what he felt. Relief, like a heavy stone dropping from his heart, mixed with a sinking weight that made it hard to breathe.

“Big Brother!” he called out hoarsely.

The next shout rang clearer.

“Big Brother! It’s me! Tianyou!”

Not only Yan Huaiwen and Liang Manshan turned around—so did Lord Tian.

Yan Huaiwen could hardly believe his ears.

He slowly straightened his back and turned around. There stood the familiar figure, waving at him with all his might.

The corners of Yan Huaiwen’s mouth curved into a gentle smile beneath his mask.

He took a few quick steps, then stopped, still some distance away.

He said nothing for a long time.

His exposed eyes glistened with unshed tears, never once leaving his brother’s face.

His Tianyou ran toward him, eager to get closer, and closer still.

Yan Huaiwen’s voice held an unfamiliar trace of choked emotion—only for a second.

“Tianyou, stop there!”

The next moment, he gathered himself and spoke gently, “Don’t come over. Just stand there. Let’s talk.”

Even Yan Huaiwen himself hadn’t noticed how soft his voice had become.

Like the first willow buds of early spring, cautiously brushing against the breeze.

“Brother, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?” Yan Lao’er asked anxiously.

He didn’t wait for a reply and continued quickly, “Right, masks! I brought you masks. Big Brother, hurry and change yours—you can’t keep wearing the same one. You’ve got to replace them often. Used ones need to be washed clean before reuse. I brought scented soap—don’t be stingy with it, wash a few more times.

No—actually, forget that! Don’t touch anything. Just set it aside. We’ll talk about it later. I brought you lots of masks, plenty for changing out.”

As the family’s mask supplier, he had only one goal: to make sure Big Yan had a full rotation with no gaps—seamless coverage.

“Leave the masks. You should head back,” Yan Huaiwen said gently. “I’m fine here. If there’s no urgent need, don’t come again.”

“I’ll return home in a few days.”

Yan Lao’er pursed his lips.

Who are you fooling?!

Even his daughter wouldn’t buy that lie!

“Brother, tell me the truth—what’s the situation in Crouching Tiger City now? How many people are sick? Are there enough doctors? Enough medicine?”

His voice was loud enough that even the doctors treating patients paused to glance at him before quickly turning back.

But his questions hadn’t stopped.

“What kind of illness is it? Do you have the prescriptions? Can we take a look?”

“Tianyou!” Yan Huaiwen called out sternly. “Calm down. Speak slowly.”

Yan Lao’er forced himself to settle.

He always talked faster than he could think when he was anxious.

“Brother, this is Doctor An from Huimin Hall in Yongning City. I invited him to make a house call.”

Yan Huaiwen was a bit surprised. A doctor from Yongning City, coming to Crouching Tiger at a time like this…

What was rare was—it wasn’t by government order. He had come on his own.

He saluted with utmost formality, more solemn than usual.

“Doctor An, my younger brother is impulsive. Thank you for enduring the late-night journey. We are deeply grateful for your willingness to come to Crouching Tiger.”

Doctor An returned the salute with equal decorum.

“You flatter me. This is simply a physician’s duty.

But your brother—concerned as he is for Scholar Yan—has shown remarkable righteousness of spirit.

Running between Crouching Tiger and Yongning without sleep, through the night.”

“Not only did he get people to help make masks, he also did his utmost to gather medicines to treat the sick. His sincerity truly moves the heart.”

Yan Lao’er chuckled and called out to his brother.

“Big Brother, come a little closer.”

He had already walked up to the wooden fence, but Old Yan was still being all shy, standing far away, stretching his neck just to talk—really inconvenient.

Yan Huaiwen thought for a moment, then stepped forward a few more paces, but refused to go any further.

Physician An turned back to the ox cart to retrieve his medicine box, which startled the servant boy who had been fast asleep.

The servant looked on in a daze as he saw the medicine box being taken away and the young master turning to leave. He suddenly jolted awake.

“Young Master, where are you going?”

Seeing he was awake, Physician An said, “Don’t come with me. Go back at dawn and report to the family. Just tell them I’m treating the sick in Crouching Tiger City.”

The servant knew he couldn’t stop him. Since they’d already come, he’d been mentally prepared.

“I’ll go with you.” He quickly jumped off the cart and ran over to grab the medicine box. He tugged at it twice, but couldn’t budge it.

“Go back. I can take care of myself.”

The servant instantly understood—his young master didn’t want him tagging along; he wanted to go alone.

But how could that be okay!

The boy was quite clever too. He gave up on the medicine box.

Instead, he clumsily put on a mask, then turned and crawled straight through a gap under the wooden fence.

Now standing on the other side, he looked at his young master with great pride.

Yan Lao’er: …

That move—legendary.

Yeah, enough with the fuss. Just cross the line, and there’s no more dispute.

Physician An shook his head with a smile and walked around the wooden fence.

Once on the other side, he stopped and turned to Yan Lao’er. “Regarding the medicine, I’ll be troubling you, Brother Yan.”

Yan Lao’er nodded solemnly. “I’ll do my best.”

Yan Huaiwen said, “The man is delivered, and the supplies are here. You should return home.”

Yan Lao’er got a bit annoyed. Kicking me out again? Do you know what kind of heavy burden I carry?

“I want to see the Senior Master! I have urgent business to discuss with him.”

“If it’s urgent, just tell me,” Yan Huaiwen said patiently.

“You don’t have the authority. I need to speak to Senior Master Tian directly.” Yan Lao’er raised his voice, shouting louder than even the cries of the disaster victims.

Senior Master Tian heard the commotion and came over.

Seeing the physician with the medicine box now standing on their side of the fence, he adjusted his official hat and sincerely said, “Doctor, thank you for your efforts.”

“You’re too kind, sir.” Physician An returned the salute but didn’t leave.

“What urgent matter do you have with this official?” Lord Tian asked kindly.

Yan Lao’er didn’t know the proper etiquette now—should he kneel to respond? He’d rushed over with his mind full of medicine, completely forgetting about formalities. Now he remembered—bit late.

Oh well, it is what it is.

To avoid bowing, he hurried back to the ox cart and carried over a package of medicine.

“Senior Master, these are the medicines from my family. Physician An has looked over them and said they might be of use to you.”

His delivery was smooth—he’d rehearsed it in his head several times already.

“I thought they might not be enough, so I planned to buy more from the surrounding villages. If that’s still not enough, I’ll go further out.”

He didn’t mention anything about harvesting herbs in the mountains—he was afraid the Senior Master would think he was unreliable.

Yan Lao’er glanced around, then lowered his voice just enough for Lord Tian and his brother to hear.

“Today I went to Yongning City. The city’s medicine shops have all been requisitioned in the past two days and sent to Gufeng. There’s barely any medicine left in the city—what remains is either for personal use or being sold at sky-high prices.”

Lord Tian had been quietly listening, but at this point, he could no longer stay calm.

His brows furrowed tightly into a deep knot.

“Lord Tian, I’m not afraid of hard work. I’m willing to go to more remote areas to buy medicine.” He emphasized the word “remote” and glanced at his brother, thinking that even if Lord Tian didn’t catch the hint, Old Yan certainly would.

“But…” He paused briefly, then quickly added, “I don’t have much money left.”

Lord Tian understood.

Crouching Tiger’s situation had already been reported to the prefecture. The reply from there was: wait a little longer, they’d soon send a batch of medicinal supplies.

But how soon is “soon”?

Today brought cold winds and rain. New illnesses were emerging among the disaster victims outside the city.

Sick numbers increased daily—every day they waited meant more lives possibly lost.

Before, he didn’t know the full story.

Now he did.

Gufeng’s situation must be even worse.

The promised medicinal supplies from the prefecture—who knew when they’d arrive?

If there were no other options, he could only hold out and wait desperately for those life-saving supplies.

But now, Yan Huashu’s younger brother offered another path.

Lord Tian caught the underlying meaning. The news hadn’t spread completely yet—remote places might still be selling medicine at regular market prices.

“The funding for purchasing medicine will be covered by the Crouching Tiger government office. Yan Huashu, you will be in charge of this matter. You may allow a slight markup above market price. Since your brother is taking the trouble to travel and serve Crouching Tiger with dedication… there are still open slots in the militia unit. He can temporarily serve as an agent. You are to write a travel document for this official to stamp.”

Lord Tian hurried away.

Yan Lao’er looked at Old Yan, waiting for him to explain.

He understood part of it, not all.

“Big Brother, Senior Master said it’s fine to pay a bit above market price, right? So where do I collect the money—from you?”

Yan Lao’er was overjoyed.

He had no money but still wanted to do good. This was the best outcome.

Senior Master Tian, what a generous man!

Yan Huaiwen patiently explained to him, “There are regulations for government expenses. You don’t need to worry about the money. Since the Senior Master has given permission, once I complete the paperwork, the funds will be ready.”

“Do you know why the Senior Master asked you to temporarily serve in the militia?”

Yan Lao’er nodded, then shook his head.

He’d meant to only shake his head, but suddenly remembered that he had been hanging around town for years. Saying he didn’t know at all seemed off.

So nod first, then shake. Better to say nothing than say something wrong.

That was the best move for this situation.

“With that status, you’re now acting on official business. The medicine you buy is government-sponsored. No one will trouble you as you travel.”

Yan Lao’er suddenly understood.

He thought, Senior Master really was meticulous—gave him an identity, and it came with all these perks.

Wait a sec—if this is an official trip, does that mean… travel allowances?

Any subsidies?

“But you’re only serving temporarily in the militia. Don’t use that status to cause trouble. Do your duties honestly. Whatever happens… just do your best. When out and about, never pick fights. Be cautious, careful. Take care of yourself. Don’t force yourself…”

Yan Huaiwen unconsciously started to nag.

He was worried. After some thought, he added, “Why don’t you take Qida and the others with you? I’ll report to the Senior Master and have them temporarily registered in the militia as well. You can look out for each other. How about that?”

(End of Chapter)