Mu Shaoling invited her in, and only after their conversation did he learn that the old lady had lost one son to the illness yesterday, and the other was also stricken.
What’s more, Mu Shaoling had discovered new information, that these people, in the end, seed to lose all sensation of pain and hunger. They wouldn’t just be unable to eat; they didn’t even realize they needed to. If no one fed them, they would die sooner. In any case, once afflicted with the illness, they would either starve because no one fed them or be unable to eat and starve to death regardless.
The most noticeable trait of the sick was their visible emaciation.
From the onset of the illness to death, it could be as quick as two months or as slow as four to five months—death was certain.
"Doctor, is my son beyond saving?" The old lady sobbed. She had been widowed her whole life, working hard to raise her two sons. Because they were poor, her elder son didn’t marry until he was thirty, and just as his wife beca pregnant, he died. Her younger son wasn’t even married when he caught this disease.
"Old lady, I’ll try mixing so dicine for him first. I won’t lie to you; there is no cure for this disease yet. We’re blindly trying on a dying horse, hoping that after taking the dicine, it can at least delay the inevitable by a few days."
As a doctor, and a divine healer, Mu Shaoling was reluctant to admit such helplessness, but he could only do so much in the face of this baffling illness.
After Auntie Hong’s death, he had been diligently researching in Quanya, but without any patients to test his dicines, he didn’t know if his research bore any fruit.
"dicine?" The old lady cried miserably. "I’ve sold everything I could in my ho. I spent it all on treating my elder son’s illness. The illness didn’t improve, and the money’s gone. I can’t afford dicine, doctor. Is it expensive?"
Ye Zi’an found her words heart-wrenching and said, "Old lady, rest assured. For all those in Shandong suffering from this disease, the prefecture will cover the cost of dicines and consultations. The common people won’t have to bear it."
"Really?" The old lady’s crying abruptly stopped. "If that’s true, that would be wonderful, just wonderful."
"Of course it’s true!" Ye Zi’an’s voice rose again, "Li’an County Magistrate, Lord Tong, isn’t that right?"
It turned out that upon receiving the news, the County Magistrate of Li’an had already arrived by fast horse.
"This subordinate pays respects to Lord Ye!"
"Rise." Ye Zi’an had a rather deep impression of County Magistrate Tong because among all the counties in Shandong, Li’an County was last in tax revenue. "I said that the governnt will bear the costs of consultations and dicines for all those who are ill; you don’t have any problems with that, do you?"
"Lord, this..." Of course, there was a problem. The county office was so poor; where would the money co from? Besides, these people were all dood; spending money on their treatnt seed wasteful. Nonetheless, he bravely said, "Lord Ye, our county office has no money."
"I know you don’t have money!" Ye Zi’an looked at him coldly, "The money will co from the prefecture. I just want to tell you not to even think of embezzling a penny of it, or I’ll take your life!"
"Yes, yes, yes, this subordinate on behalf of the people of Li’an, thanks Lord Ye, thanks Lord Ye." County Magistrate Tong was kneeling and kowtowing, his behavior so servile that Ye Zi’an couldn’t help but look down on him.
Then, with a wave of his hand, Ye Zi’an said, "Alright, you may leave now. Ye Yi, tell him what I instructed you."
"Yes, Young Master!"
County Magistrate Tong had originally wanted to cozy up to Ye Zi’an and flatter him a bit, but seeing Ye Yi standing in front of him, glaring, he had no choice but to leave with disappointnt written all over his face.
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