Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 173
Chapter 173
And it was just as he thought. The next day, upon hearing that the new Governor had arrived with medicine from the capital, the townspeople were surprised. Many villagers gathered early in the morning. Some severely ill were even carried to the front of the Governor’s manor, fearing they wouldn’t receive any medicine, despite the announcement that it would be delivered to their homes.
With the villagers gathering early, Mu Heng had to start the distribution and seek his wife’s help early in the morning as well.
Since Yueqian was responsible for making the medicine, she had to lead the villagers in its preparation. When the villagers heard that the medicine was insufficient but that the Governor’s wife had the knowledge to make it from the capital, they respected and admired her greatly. As soon as volunteers were called to help make the medicine, everyone eager for treatment quickly stepped forward.
They feared that if they didn’t show goodwill, they wouldn’t receive any medicine at all, which felt like a suicide!
"I can’t believe a new Governor has been sent to help us like this."
"It’s true. They came with over 500 soldiers. At first, I thought they were here to kill us all to eradicate the epidemic."
"If I had known they were here to help, I would have laid out a path for them myself."
"My daughter, who is in love with one of the Governor’s soldiers, said the soldiers received the medicine. As soon as they took it, they felt better the next day. However, it seems the pills require a lot of herbs, and making all the medicine into pills wouldn’t be enough to treat everyone. So, the Governor’s wife suggested making liquid medicine so we could all be treated."
"That’s good news, but I’m still worried if the liquid medicine can really cure us?"
"Why wouldn’t it be?! Don’t doubt the Governor’s furen! If anyone hears you, you might be the one who doesn’t have a chance to get treated."
"That’s true. After all, the pills were also furen’s handiwork."
"Huh?! Did you say the pills were made by the Governor’s furen? I thought they came from doctors in the capital."
"How could that be! If they were from the capital, the doctors would have come here by now. I heard that the Governor’s furen made the pills during the journey. They rushed here to help us, so she used their rest time to make the medicine."
"Oh! The Governor’s furen is truly our goddess."
"From today onwards, if anyone speaks ill of the Governor’s furen... I’ll make sure to silence them!"
Many people were talking about the medicine that Yueqian had prepared, spreading the word. Earning the villagers’ love and respect was beneficial. Since she had made the medicine, it was important to speak well of her. Additionally, the achievements of her husband were numerous.
Not to mention that there’s a belief that a wife is a husband’s treasure; having a strong wife reflects well on the husband. It’s seen as his accomplishment too. Nonetheless, Yueqian didn’t plan to keep all the fame for herself. In the future, under Mu Heng’s name, he might become a deity.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down," Yueqian said, not in a humble manner. She maintained her usual proud demeanor, unwilling to converse intimately with anyone.
Such a demeanor might easily invite disdain, but as the Governor’s furen, she couldn’t afford to be easily disrespected. This authoritative display made her appear truly powerful.
The villagers were first stunned by her beauty, but when they saw her queenly demeanor, they all averted their gazes.
Usually, a Governor sent to a remote place like this held a status not much different from the villagers. They deserved respect for being the Governor, but their wives were often ordinary women whom they met during their work. However, Yueqian had established her own image from the first day.
Well...She enjoyed portraying the role of a villainess. Unless someone was truly naive, most would keep their distance from her, unlike Liu Sun, who wanted to be friendly with everyone. As the heroine in the novels Yueqian had read, she would attract numerous troubles and manipulative people, leading to various dramatic encounters.
If compared, Liu Sun might now be acting like an earthly angel, being friendly with everyone, hugging someone, and promising to take good care of them. This would easily make the villagers fall in love with her, but it would also make her too accessible and potentially annoying. So, to ensure a distant first impression, Yueqian didn’t smile even a bit.
With her stern expression, her regal face made the villagers so fearful they barely dared to breathe.
"I’ve heard that you volunteered to help. So, let’s not waste any time. The medicine we need to make is urgent. The official report states that over 300 residents of the border city are ill, and they all need treatment. Soon, the soldiers will gather the names of all the patients. I must tell you, the task you’ve volunteered for is not easy," Yueqian said, looking around.
There was no response, not even the sound of breathing. Yueqian pointed to the task before them.
"There are 30 large medicine pots, each producing 30 bottles of medicine. It takes three bottles to cure one person. So, if there are 300 patients, we need 900 bottles, which means 30 pots. This means one day’s production will be enough to treat the entire village."
"However, the actual number of residents isn’t just 300. According to the information, there were over 3,000 people before the outbreak. I believe you’ve heard of the mass exodus recently, haven’t you?" Yueqian asked. The people nodded but still did not dare to speak up.
"So, to prepare enough medicine for 3,000 people and welcome our residents back, we need to make more than 30 batches. I haven’t even included the people from other towns who might come for help or wish to move here for treatment."
"Some of you might think this isn’t your problem, not something you need to help with. However, if the people in the capital thought like that, they wouldn’t have sent me and my husband here. If the Wang thought the same, then what you’re afraid of today might have become a reality."
"If they didn’t treat you, they’d just kill you to cut off the source of the epidemic."
"Does everyone understand what I’m saying? In such a crisis, I hope you won’t be selfish. Without this medicine, you’d just be lying at home doing nothing, right? Worse, you might die tomorrow. So, after you recover, I expect everyone to continue cooperating," Yueqian said seriously.
In truth, she emphasized their importance to make them feel valued. Once they recovered, they could do whatever they wanted. News of effective treatment would spread by itself, and people would come to their city for medicine, willing to volunteer in return.
The thirty or so large pots weren’t provided by Yueqian, so she had no qualms about using them. They belonged to the former Governor and the military camp, with some borrowed from villagers. In fact, she could have taken more cooking pots. If it weren’t for the fact that all the ingredients had to be prepared by her... Yueqian
Nevertheless, this was already sufficient. The medicine she prepared should be enough for 5,000 people. The current number of infected in the city could surely be treated. The real fear was if the epidemic spread further.
Imagine people learning there was a cure, but by the time they arrived, the medicine had run out. What chaos would follow?
It would certainly lead to panic!!
Yueqian couldn’t handle such chaos alone. However, Mu Heng had already sent a request to the capital, asking for medicine instead of the usual annual request for dried food.
The city’s budget was limited, so requests had to be carefully considered. Normally, with many advisors, the Governor’s decision would be opposed. Fortunately, most of the officials were either bedridden with illness or had fled. Thus, Mu Heng’s work progressed quickly.
He aimed to help as many people as possible. Of course, he wasn’t doing it out of pure kindness. This aid came with conditions. Mu Heng could use it to negotiate food aid from neighboring cities or even encourage villagers to move to the border city.
The more people there are, the higher the tax revenue. It’s clear that Mu Heng expects positive outcomes. Changing manor isn’t difficult, but the rule is that once moved, residents must stay for at least five years. Otherwise, they face hefty fines. This discourages frequent relocations.
Who would want to live in the border city under normal circumstances? It’s harsh and has poor living conditions. Only a situation like this would lead to a significant increase in population.
After assigning tasks, Yueqian instructed the villagers to form groups and start working at their respective cauldrons. Making medicine required careful attention, so they couldn’t pause for long, or the medicine would burn and lose its efficacy.
"The fires are already set by the soldiers. Fill the cauldron halfway with water. Once it boils, add the primary herb, which is black with curly leaves like this," Yueqian knew that she couldn’t just mention the herb’s name, so she gave them an example. ƒrēewebnovel.com
The herbs were neatly arranged in baskets, one set per cauldron, making it easy for them to understand. The process went smoothly and quietly.
Even the men didn’t dare challenge Yueqian’s commanding presence. After 75 minutes of non-stop stirring, they were exhausted. While it seemed simple, it was quite challenging since they couldn’t stop stirring. Each group of 2-3 people took turns, ending up with sore arms.
However, seeing Yueqian calmly working without even wiping sweat from her forehead, they felt a deep respect for her.
It turned out that Furen Mu didn’t just give orders; she was stirring the medicine herself alongside everyone else. However, what the villagers didn’t know was that she had a little help.Using a mechanical mixer, she was able to stir the hot cauldron. Fortunately, there was a charcoal-powered model available in the department store, so she bought it and put it to immediate use.
