As the rain continued for two days and nights, Qin Sang felt a hint of chill when she got up on the morning of the third day.
Calculating the days, it was already autumn. Before the rain, it wasn't noticeable, but now the autumn cold was truly felt.
She had everyone in the family put on an extra layer of clothing. More and more clothes were piled over the brazier, and the air was thick with the scent of damp moisture.
At the riverbed embankment, Tian Yougen and his two brothers took turns leading a few men on night watch, fearing the embankment might collapse.
Fortunately, the families with leaking roofs had been settled, squeezed into houses that were still in good condition. Having experienced so many disasters, the people of Tianjia Village were now very united.
However, Er Fu didn't want to wait any longer; she wanted to go to that Cave to take a look.
Qin Sang didn't refuse again. It had been two days; if they didn't go now, the people there would run out of food.
"Mother will go with you."
Tian Erfu was a bit worried but also knew her medical skills weren't proficient enough:
"Alright, I'll go pack right now."
Qin Sang couldn't just take Er Fu alone. Wearing a raincoat made of oilcloth and a bamboo hat, she went to find Hei Zi and had him go along with San Gui.
Qin Sang wanted to bring more people, but there weren't enough straw or oilcloth raincoats. However, in such heavy rain, the mountains were relatively safe.
Riding a Horse or a mule was much faster. Da Huang insisted on following, so Qin Sang had no choice but to bring it along.
When they reached the Cave, a woman immediately ran out and knelt before Qin Sang:
"Sister-in-law, I beg you to save my son! He has a fever, and his body is so hot."
Qin Sang dismounted and immediately walked inside carrying her medical box.
San Gui helped Er Fu off the mule while Hei Zi took the reins, leading the Mules and Horses to the Cave entrance to unload the firewood, Medicinal Herbs, and dry rations they had brought.
The light inside the Cave was dim. Qin Sang lit a candle, and the scene inside was grim. It wasn't just one child with a fever; three women also looked unwell, though they were still conscious.
"Er Fu, put on your mask."
Even if it was just made of cloth, it provided some level of protection.
Qin Sang checked the wound of the child with the most severe fever. The wound showed no signs of redness or swelling, so it wasn't caused by the injury. Qin Sang suspected it was likely a cold from the wind and chill.
In ancient times, a small cold could be fatal. Fortunately, she had the Mall. She first took out some prepared fever-reducing medicine to give to the child.
"Er Fu, come and feel his pulse. Da Zhuang, give each of them a bowl of the medicine we brought."
Qin Sang had considered that brewing medicine in the Cave would take time and be inconvenient, so she had brewed the cold medicine at the camp and brought it over.
She went to check on the other children. Their conditions were similar; some of the whip marks on their bodies were already scabbing, but they were weak from fever.
After checking the two women who looked off, Qin Sang's brow furrowed tightly.
Once the medicine was administered, Qin Sang stood up and said:
"You cannot continue living mixed together like this. I suggest those of you who aren't sick find another place to stay as soon as possible."
The women asked in confusion:
"It's raining so hard outside, where else can we go?"
"I don't want to be separated from my child."
"If we leave, who will take care of them? Are we supposed to just leave them here to die?"
Qin Sang said with a somber face:
"Have you ever heard that a great plague follows a great disaster? I suspect they have contracted an Epidemic disease, and it's likely contagious. Therefore, you must be separated and quarantined. Otherwise, everyone might get infected."
Hearing the word 'Epidemic,' everyone in the Cave froze.
Er Fu stood up straight in surprise:
"Mother, is it really an Epidemic?"
Qin Sang's heart was heavy; she didn't want it to be either:
"It's possible. We must prepare for the worst and not leave things to chance."
After saying this, Qin Sang instructed:
"Hei Zi, are there any other Caves nearby that you saw while patrolling?"
Hei Zi also knew the situation was serious and nodded:
"Yes, there are quite a few Caves in these mountains. There's one not far from here, but I don't know if it's flooded. I'll have to go check to be sure."
Qin Sang nodded:
"Then be careful. Take the Horse."
"Alright."
Hei Zi was very efficient; he immediately mounted the Horse and disappeared into the curtain of rain.
Qin Sang then said to Da Zhuang:
"Da Zhuang, start a fire and light a mugwort stick. The mugwort stick can disinfect the air. Scatter the plant ash from the fire into this Cave; it can kill bacteria."
Tian Da Zhuang nodded and immediately walked toward the woodpile at the Cave entrance.
Qin Sang looked at the other women:
"Clean up the Cave as quickly as possible. This place must be kept as clean as possible. After you move over there, you must dig pits in a designated area for excretion."
Qin Sang had smelled an odor as soon as she entered the Cave, knowing that their conditions over the past two days certainly weren't as good as the Tianjia Village camp.
No one questioned her. Qin Sang had saved their lives, brought them food, and treated their illnesses. They now looked to her as their backbone and their hope for survival.
The women began to work, and it was finished in no time. The fragrance of the mugwort stick lingered in the Cave, providing a sense of peace.
Hei Zi also returned on his Horse:
"Aunt, there's no water in that Cave; it's habitable."
Qin Sang nodded, told him to warm up by the fire, and then turned to the women:
"Anyone who feels unwell must step forward now. My daughter and I will do our best to treat everyone.
Those who feel fine will go to that Cave with Hei Zi in a moment. However, three people must stay here to care for the sick. All firewood and food will be split into two portions—one to stay here and one for you to take with you."
As soon as Qin Sang finished speaking, a woman immediately stepped forward:
"I'll stay. My son is sick, so I can take care of the others too."
"Me too..."
"I'll stay as well."
Qin Sang nodded, and once the candidates were chosen, she sent the others to the other Cave with Hei Zi. Da Zhuang also went along to smoke out insects and disinfect the Cave.
Back in this Cave, it felt much more spacious. Candlelight illuminated an area, enveloping several patients in a circle of warm light.
Qin Sang observed them. The child who had taken the fever medicine first was already starting to sweat.
Qin Sang gave a handkerchief to a woman to help him wipe his sweat, while two other women helped the children change clothes. Their clothes were too dirty, which wasn't conducive to recovery.
Qin Sang had specifically brought mats and cotton quilts so they wouldn't catch another chill.
Er Fu was boiling water with mugwort leaves to wipe their bodies down.
Two women with mild symptoms were drinking hot porridge. A cold is always an illness that relies on the body's own regulation, so replenishing nutrition was also important.
After finishing these tasks, before Qin Sang and Er Fu could rest for a moment, several more people arrived at the Cave entrance. Qin Sang recognized them; they were refugees who had come here to trade for grain before.
"Sister-in-law Qin, help us!"
The other party called out for help as soon as they saw Qin Sang.
Qin Sang saw the sick people they were carrying on their backs and hurriedly said:
"Come in first. What happened?"
After the men brought the four people in and set them down, they realized there were only a few women and children in the Cave. After a brief moment of surprise, they immediately replied:
"After we went back, people in the village started falling ill one after another. Everyone remembered trading for Medicinal Herbs with you, Sister-in-law Qin, and wondered if you could treat illnesses. We thought we'd come here to try our luck, and we didn't expect you to actually be here."