I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 148: Chapter 64: Composed (3)

The somewhat reputable Physicians in the city had all been conscripted by the Taiping Bandits, taken away to focus on developing a cure for the plague. Not many Physicians were left, and Fang Rui was one of them—the closest one, at that.

Even though they didn’t have much faith in Fang Rui’s Medical Skill, they had no choice but to come, as if clutching at the last straw.

Fang Rui didn’t open the door, lest they bring pathogens into the house and put Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Sister, Fang Ling, and Nannan at risk. He simply spoke through the window, politely refusing. ”Uncle Dashen, the Rebel Army confiscated all the medicinal herbs from my Caozhi Hall. Even if I wanted to take a look, I can’t. Why don’t you try asking the Rebel Army?”

This was a lie, of course—he only said it to let the other man save face.

True, the Taiping Bandits’ governmental officers had officially left him with a small supply of herbs. If he opened the door to treat the man, he could have used his Medical Skill to prescribe a specific remedy.

But earlier that morning, this same Da Muzi had—to put it nicely—made snide remarks. To put it bluntly, it wasn’t much of an exaggeration to call it a curse.

So, why on earth should Fang Rui risk his family’s health, open the door to treat Da Muzi, and use up the already scarce medicinal herbs he had left?

Repay malice with kindness? Then with what do you repay kindness?

If Fang Rui weren’t so rational and didn’t want to completely tear away all pretense, he would have asked: ’What kind of relationship do our families have? Why would you think I would risk myself and my family contracting the plague to treat your Da Muzi?’

”Brother Rui...”

Uncle Dashen opened his mouth, wanting to say more.

But Fang Rui cut him off. ”Uncle Dashen, your Da Muzi seems quite ill. You should notify the Rebel Army immediately. You might be able to get some medicine from them. Any later might be too late.”

With that, he turned away from the window, making it clear he wouldn’t get involved.

”Sigh!”

Watching Fang Rui’s back disappear from the window, Uncle Dashen sighed. His shoulders slumped as he helped his son turn around, and they dejectedly walked back home.

...

”Brother Rui, what was that about?”

”Uncle Dashen’s son, Da Muzi, has fallen ill. It looks like the plague. He wanted me to treat him, but I didn’t open the door and convinced them to leave.”

”That was the right thing to do! Our family isn’t close with theirs; there was no need to take such a huge risk by opening the door.”

Worried that Fang Rui might be too soft-hearted, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family added, ”Honestly, other than Third Sister, our family isn’t particularly close to anyone else in this alley. Even with those we have some connection to, we should help, but not at the expense of our own safety.”

”Yes, Brother Rui, Auntie is right,” Third Sister chimed in. ”At a time like this, it’s already a struggle just to keep ourselves safe.”

”Don’t worry, Mother, Third Sister. I know.”

Fang Rui readily agreed.

He was no soft-hearted pushover. He would never agree to something impossible just to avoid embarrassment.

...

After lunch, another family from the alley came by. They said they were feeling unwell and, not knowing if it was the plague, wanted him to check.

Fang Rui turned them away as well, speaking to them through the window without letting them inside. He used the same excuse: his Medical Skill wasn’t good enough, and besides, the Rebel Army had confiscated all his medicinal herbs.

He did, however, verbally teach them how to make a simple mask and suggested they sprinkle plant ash in their home for disinfection.

There was a proper way to make the masks, too. It wasn’t enough to just cover one’s face with a piece of silk. It had to be at least double-layered, with something like absorbent cotton in between.

As for the plant ash, its disinfectant effect on the rat flea pathogens was certainly far weaker than his Insect Repellent Liquid, but it was better than nothing.

Fang Rui shared this information partly out of a sense of neighborly duty. But there was another reason: by imparting this knowledge and reducing the number of cases in Willow Alley, the overall situation would improve. Consequently, the risk to his own Fang Family would be significantly smaller.

This family was reasonable, and after hearing the techniques Fang Rui shared, they left, thanking him profusely.

...

In the afternoon, another four or five families from the alley came by. Some already showed symptoms of the plague, while others just felt unwell and weren’t sure if they were infected. All of them wanted him to take a look.

Fang Rui didn’t let a single one in, persuading them all to leave by speaking through the window.

...

Night fell, and the moon rose above the treetops.

After dinner.

Unlike the usual sounds of laughter and joy, the atmosphere in the Fang Family home was oppressive. Even Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family had no heart for her needlework.

Third Sister was slightly better off. She wanted to offer some words of comfort, but felt that anything she said would ring hollow, so she didn’t know where to start.

During the day, they had all peeked through the window, watching the plague victims. One by one, they saw pale faces, uncontrollable shivering, and people clutching their heads in agony...

’How could they not be worried? What would they do if this befell their own family?’

The two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, sensed the tense atmosphere and had lost their usual cheerful energy. They sat bolt upright on their little stools, side by side, glancing from Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Sister to Fang Rui.

”You two little scamps!”

Fang Rui patted the two girls on the head and sat down beside them. His expression turned serious. ”Mother, Third Sister,” he began, ”as you’ve seen, while the plague’s mortality rate isn’t high at the moment, it is extremely contagious. It also develops incredibly quickly from infection to the onset of symptoms...”

His words undoubtedly cast yet another shadow over the hearts of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Sister.

Of course, Fang Rui wasn’t trying to frighten them intentionally. He was only stating the facts.

His purpose?

It was simply to make them both realize the gravity of the situation and be more on their guard.

”However, while we must take it seriously, there’s no need to be overly anxious. Our family’s preparations are already very thorough—we have the masks, the Insect-Repelling Medicine Pouches, the Insect Repellent Liquid... As long as we remain vigilant about hygiene and maintain healthy habits, the risk of infection is actually quite low.”

”Besides,”

Here, Fang Rui paused, his voice filled with a calm confidence, as if he had everything under control. ”Mother, Third Sister, to be perfectly honest, even if the worst should happen and one of you gets infected, I am very confident I can cure you!”

He was composed amidst the chaos. With something to fall back on, he was naturally fearless.

’If worse comes to worst, I’ll just add some points to my Medical Skill. If the Mastery Level of Fang’s Medical Skill isn’t enough, I’ll just raise it to Great Success...’

’Oh, right. I don’t have enough Tribulation Points for Great Success in Fang’s Medical Skill yet, but I’m close!’

Hearing this, both Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Sister looked at him. When they saw he wasn’t joking, they finally started to calm down.

”Brother Rui, we’ve made you worry!”

”Yes, Brother Rui. We won’t anymore.”

”Mother, Third Sister, what are you talking about?” Fang Rui shook his head. ”It’s my fault for not explaining everything sooner.”

Afterwards, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Sister resumed their needlework, chatting quietly.

Fang Rui played nearby with the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan.

It was as if things had returned to normal.

They continued like this until late at night, when they all washed up and retired to their rooms.

As always, the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan, slept with Fang Rui. He told them a story, as he usually did, and quickly lulled them to sleep.

The night was quiet. A crescent moon hung high outside the window, casting a frost-like glow by his bed. In this serene setting, Fang Rui drifted off to sleep.

...

「In the middle of the night.」

A panicked voice suddenly shouted from outside the door: ”Brother Rui?!”

...