Chapter 270: Fellow Villagers Reunited

The man from that household had caught the plague while out searching for food.

When he realized something was wrong, he pushed his wife and children away, keeping them at a distance.

He wasn’t the only one. Several other families had also had someone taken away.

Some had been taken recently, others much earlier. The uncertainty gnawed at Yan Yu.

“Dad, the Divine Water…” Yan Yu reminded softly.

Yan Lao’er quickly explained the so-called Divine Water once more.

Things went smoother than they expected.

No one hesitated. Everyone agreed to try it.

It wasn’t because they believed in the unfamiliar Floating Cloud Temple, or in Yan Lao’er, who was infamous in the surrounding villages. It was simply that, in times like these, there were no other options.

They didn’t even know whether the people who had been taken were still alive.

If drinking the Divine Water could bring them back—even if only to see them one last time—they were willing.

Retrieving those who had been taken was a long and difficult process.

The first time they went to look, no one responded.

The Yan family and the people of Da’an Village were filled with dread.

Could they all be dead?

Chai Tou, on the other hand, remained calm. Each family sent someone to help search.

Only then did the missing people begin to emerge.

A few, unfortunately, were already gone.

Those who couldn’t bring their loved ones back broke down in tears.

Yan Yu’s eyes stung. She tilted her head upward, and out of the corner of her eye, saw her father inching closer. He whispered, “There are still two lying down over there. They don’t look like they’ll make it. Do you think our medicine will work?”

Yan Yu pretended to be afraid and pulled her father farther away. In a low voice, she said, “At this point, we’re treating a dead horse like a living one. Whether it works or not, we’ve done all we can. The rest is up to fate…”

This was all they could do. At the very least, it was a chance at survival.

It all depended on how many people could seize it.

Yan Lao’er looked down at the bottle in his hand.

Inside was a mixture of anti-inflammatory medicine powder and water.

After much discussion, they had decided that while fever reducers and digestive treatments could be substituted with other herbs, this anti-inflammatory medicine was unique. For people who had never taken such medicine before, it could be incredibly effective.

This small bottle held a concentrated dose and needed to be diluted before use.

“Chai Tou, could you help us get a pot? If there’s rice, even better.”

Chai Tou glanced at him, then had someone fetch a separate pot. It wouldn’t do to use their own.

Yan Lao’er didn’t let anyone else help. He scrubbed the pot and ladle inside and out until they were spotless. Then he built a fire and got to work. He was practiced at this, and before long, a small handful of rice had been boiled into a large pot of steaming rice porridge.

The two Doctor Ans had examined the patients and tried to dissuade them, but seeing they were determined to drink the Divine Water, they gave up and left with a sigh.

Yan Lao’er poured the contents of the porcelain bottle into the pot.

As he stirred with a ladle, he said, “This Divine Water wasn’t easy to get. Everyone will get a share. If there’s any left, we’ll let others have a taste of its spiritual energy too.

Even after drinking the Divine Water, you still need to take your medicine. Work both angles, and you’ll recover faster, don’t you think?”

Chai Tou shook his head quietly.

One portion of Divine Water, mixed into a pot of rice porridge and shared among everyone?

Forget it. At least it gave people something to hope for.

The sick helped each other. Each took a bowl of the rice porridge.

It was warm and a little scalding, but as for the taste, none of them could really tell.

For the two who couldn’t sit up, Yan Lao’er thought for a moment and ladled out an extra bowl for each. If they couldn’t drink it themselves, someone would help them.

Their families tried to approach, but Chai Tou and the others stopped them. They quickly wrapped their hands in cloth, pried the patients’ mouths open, and forced the porridge down.

There was still some porridge left.

A few constables found others willing to try the Divine Water.

As soon as they heard it was a miracle cure that could heal all illnesses, even those who had been barely moving scrambled to get a bowl.

From a distance, Yan Lao’er was still chatting with the villagers, “We must’ve taken the wrong road. We ended up settling in Crouching Tiger City. Things are a bit better over there—not as many people sick…

Our village is near Xiqiao Town. You know where that is? It’s just across the bridge from Dongqiao Town in Gufeng. East and west sides. Once you’re settled and get your land, we’ll come find you…

By the way, have you registered your household yet? Where were you assigned?”

Butcher Guan replied, “We’ve registered, but haven’t been assigned land yet. Got caught in this mess and haven’t been able to move on.”

“Don’t worry. I brought some masks with me this time. I’ll give them all to you. Wearing one is better than nothing. I’ve also got some food—take it. Don’t be stingy with it. I’ll come back in a few days and bring more,” Yan Lao’er said as he unloaded the large basket from his back and pulled out masks and the remaining food supplies.

The villagers were deeply moved.

Tears welled up in their eyes.

Auntie Li had been pressing on her husband’s philtrum for a long time before finally reviving him. She handed him over to their son and daughter-in-law to care for, then hurried over to speak with Yan Lao’er.

“Nephew-in-law, you’ve really made something of yourself. You even know the local officials. Could you talk to them for us? Let our whole family go with you?”

Yan Lao’er gave her a once-over, memorizing her features.

“Auntie, I don’t have that kind of pull. These officials were kind enough to help only because they knew how hard it was for me to get the Divine Water. Without that excuse, we probably wouldn’t have even gotten to see each other.

You’re registered in Gufeng City now. That makes you Gufeng citizens. We’re from a different city, and it’s not exactly close.”

Auntie Li wasn’t ready to give up. “Your brother is a scholar. We’ve heard that scholars have some sway here in Guanzhou. Maybe he could talk to someone, ask for a favor. Help us find a way.”

“Besides, if he hadn’t sent someone to pass the message to us, we wouldn’t have come all the way to Guanzhou! Oh heavens, you have no idea how much we’ve suffered on the road!

We barely had anything to eat, couldn’t sleep well, sometimes we had one meal and not the next. We had to count every drop of water we drank.

And now that we’ve finally made it here, just look around—sick people everywhere! Xuemei knows your uncle’s health best. He may look fine on the outside, but he’s weak inside. If we stay any longer, I’m afraid he won’t hold up. What if he catches something too? Then what?

We’re all family here. Xuemei’s uncle is our blood relative. And my Chun-jing, even if I brought him up myself, he’s long since acknowledged the Li family ancestors.

He’s Xuemei’s younger brother by name, and the only remaining branch of the old Li family. You’re so generous to outsiders, surely you won’t turn your back on your own family, right?

We came to this unfamiliar place with no one to rely on but you. Nephew-in-law, you’re capable, well-connected, and resourceful. Auntie believes in you. You’re not heartless—you’ll definitely help us settle down here, won’t you?”

Li Chunjing?

Yan Yu turned to look at the man supporting the old uncle.

If he was mother’s younger brother, he should be younger than her, but he looked… quite a bit older.

The woman beside him was probably his wife.

The two grubby little ones trailing behind must be their kids.

It was hard to even tell if they were boys or girls, they were so dirty and disheveled.

“Auntie, what kind of talk is that? My brother kindly passed on the message to you, and now you’re blaming him for it?” Yan Lao’er frowned, clearly unhappy with how she was trying to cozy up to Old Yan.

He did you a favor and now you’re acting like you’re owed?

“If you and Uncle think Guanzhou is no good and shouldn’t have come, then once this plague passes, just head back the way you came.”

What, did we beg you to come?

“And another thing, Auntie, you’re wrong about that. My wife is married to me now, which makes her part of the Yan family. She has nothing to do with the Li family anymore!

If you really think she’s still part of the Li clan, then ask my late father-in-law—he worked hard to buy property and land, but what did he leave for his own daughter? When she married me, what did she bring with her? Did you and Uncle forget? Want me to list it out for you?”

He curled his lip and said mockingly, “Ha! It was downright pitiful!”

He had no idea what Xuemei had brought with her when she got married, but he was bluffing anyway.

Given the original Yan Lao’er’s personality, no matter how much dowry his wife brought, he would’ve always thought it wasn’t enough.

From what he’d heard about this so-called uncle and step-aunt, they weren’t exactly good people. So why bother being polite? If they behaved themselves, fine, they could go their separate ways. But if they tried to push their luck, why should he hold back?

Xuemei cared about appearances and always tried to cover for her uncle, keeping things under wraps.

The original Yan Lao’er was a rough, careless sort. He didn’t like the Li family either, but he was all bark and no bite, easily swayed by a few flattering words.

If he’d heard what Auntie Li just said, the old Yan Lao’er might’ve gotten carried away, thinking he was some big shot, and started bragging left and right.

Now, Auntie Li was clearly embarrassed, and the uncle who’d been silent the whole time couldn’t keep a straight face either.

These were things best kept behind closed doors. Outsiders might gossip a bit, but if the people involved were confronted directly, no amount of talking could explain it away.

And now this Yan Lao’er wasn’t playing by the usual rules at all!

“We’ll help however we can. If for no other reason, we’re from the same hometown. We won’t just stand by and do nothing.

Everyone here counts, we’re all fellow villagers. In a place like Guanzhou, we have to support each other, put down roots, claim land, plant our own crops, and build a good life.

This is just a rough patch. We grit our teeth and get through it. I told you, I’ll be back in a couple of days. And not just me—plenty of folks from Xiao’an Village will be coming too.

Taking you with us? That’s not possible. Who do you think we are? We don’t have that kind of pull!

At most, we can try to get you some food and supplies.

There’s not much, so don’t be picky. The only advantage we have is that we got here a bit earlier, registered a bit sooner, and already got our land and fields assigned.

You know what kind of background Xiao’an Village has. Others might not, but you do. We’re not wealthy.

Every grain of rice, every bit of flour—we had to scrimp and save to get it!”

Yan Lao’er put on a pitiful face, selling his hardship.

Old Jiang, Madam Cui’s father, finally spoke up. “Yan Lao’er, when you go back, don’t let my daughter come. She’s the type to act on every rumor. Tell her to stay put for once. Just say her father said so—tell her to stay home and behave. Once we’ve got our land, we’ll send word.

And my son-in-law too, don’t let him come either. Tell him we’re all fine. We don’t need him here. There are enough sick people around already, and we don’t need him adding to the mess. If he can’t cure them and ends up getting sick himself, what then?”

“Alright! I’ll make sure to pass on the message,” Yan Lao’er said, impressed by how clear-headed Old Jiang was.

His sister Madam Cui was the type to panic over every little thing. If she heard something, she’d want to rush over immediately.

And her husband—no real medical skills, but a bleeding heart. If he knew his in-laws were here, he’d probably grab his medicine box and come running…

The villagers all entrusted Yan Lao’er with messages.

He agreed to every one of them.

He also reminded them again to take their medicine properly, eat well, cover their mouths and noses, avoid touching things unnecessarily—basically, be as careful as possible.

They’d found the people, delivered the Divine Water, and memorized all the messages.

Now that they’d done their part, Yan Lao’er and Yan Yu were ready to leave.

Just as they were about to go, Auntie Li called out again, unwilling to give up. “Nephew-in-law, could you pass a message to Xuemei for us? We all miss her so much. If she has time, tell her to come visit us.”

Yan Lao’er saw right through her little scheme.

Still thinking Li Xuemei was the same old they could manipulate?

He grinned and said cheerfully, “Sure, I’ll let her know.”

Not a single word would be left out.

…

In the distance, they spotted someone casting a net by the river.

Yan Lao’er perked up immediately.

They were eager to get home, but with all the medicinal herbs piled on the raft, they didn’t dare move too fast. Sanbao kept a steady pace the whole way.

As they neared the village, the father and son finally managed to clear a small spot on the raft for Sanbao to hop on.

Once it was aboard, the two of them put their backs into it, pushing the raft forward with all their strength.

“The raft! Yan Lao’er is back!” someone spotted them and waved excitedly.

Yan Lao’er couldn’t respond—both his hands were numb from steering the raft.

A few good swimmers couldn’t wait for the raft to dock. With a splash, they jumped into the river and swam over, grabbing hold and helping push the raft toward the small ferry landing.

The ropes were tossed up, and the raft was secured.

When the oilcloth was pulled back, bundles of herbs stacked high came into view.

“Whoa! Yan Lao’er, not bad! You pulled this off with just one raft and all by yourself? That’s impressive, brother. Respect.”

“Enough with the flattery. Give me a hand, will you? Move everything over to Big Rock. I’m sending it off to Crouching Tiger City first thing tomorrow morning.”

“You got it!” A few of the men split up the load and carried off most of it. The remaining bundles were picked up by the kids playing by the river—two to a bundle, giggling as they hauled them away.

Yan Lao’er and Yan Yu were completely exhausted.

That last stretch of the river, without Sanbao’s help, had them pushing the raft for real. They finally understood just how tough it was to go upstream.

It was no joke.

As soon as Yan Yu got home, Eldest Sister Daya grabbed hold of her and subjected her to yet another round of scrubbing and washing…

While she washed her, she kept muttering:

“You’re all tanned now. Your little face isn’t soft anymore. And your hands—gloves or not—they’re covered in red marks from the rope…”

Her face was full of heartache.

Yan Yu: embarrassed, sore, but secretly happy…

Such a complicated little mix of emotions!

Yan Lao’er didn’t have time to clean himself up. The moment he stepped through the door, he exchanged a few quick words with his wife, then headed straight to Big Rock, still smelling like the river. There, he told them about the people from Da’an Village he’d found in Gufeng.

When Village Chief Luo heard the news, he immediately sent word for all the families with relatives to come over.

Auntie Li was right about one thing: these people had come looking for them. How could they just stand by and do nothing?

As soon as Madam Cui heard the news, she didn’t even wait for Physician Cui. She took off running.

But when she got to Big Rock, she realized plenty of folks had beaten her there. Yan Lao’er was completely surrounded, three layers deep, with people chattering nonstop, bombarding him with questions.

Her eyes lit up with an idea.

You all can ask Yan Lao’er. I’ll go find Yan Xiao’er.

Author Note:

This part of the story is wrapping up soon. A few plot threads have been laid down, and in another one or two chapters, we’ll be back to our village’s infrastructure and farming life.

Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner—August fifteenth! Of course our dear Old Yan has to come home for the holiday~

I’ll have to think about how we’re going to celebrate. Gotta plan it out properly~ Hehehe~ (*▽*)~

(End of Chapter)