Chapter 904 - 803: Forthright

Chapter 904: Chapter 803: Forthright

The yellow-faced man sneered, "Ergou, why are you telling them all this? Those rich people have clothes to wear, meat to eat. Our problems, they don’t know, and won’t want to know, why would they care whether others live or die? If they die, they die, why all the nonsense?"

Although these people were lying on the ground, after hearing the words of the yellow-faced man, they looked at Xia Wenjin and Gu Heng with eyes full of resentment.

Xia Wenjin said, "I know that Shanluo County has suffered badly from the disaster, and you have escaped because you had no other choice. But now the Court has dispatched an imperial envoy for disaster relief, soon things will change!"

The yellow-faced man spat and said, "If it weren’t for the Court’s corrupt officials, would we be in such a miserable situation?"

Many said, "If we could survive, would we need to flee out here?"

"Easy to talk when you’re not suffering; change things? If things could change, would so many people be dead?"

"Year after year, during disasters when the Court’s envoy comes, isn’t it always to enrich their own pockets? Who cares about the common people’s lives?"

"Exactly, they talk about how much relief silver there is, but don’t people still starve to death?"

...

Complaints erupted, and the more they spoke, the more angry they became, almost as if Xia Wenjin was the envoy sent by the Court!

Xia Wenjin listened to their angry rants for quite a while before interrupting, "Who are you trying to save?"

The enraged Ergou blurted out, "Sister-in-law Wen is dying, we want to go find a doctor!"

Though the carriage looked rather shabby, it was still a carriage and was quite clean.

Xia Wenjin smiled, "I’m a doctor, why not let me take a look first!"

Upon hearing this, the men who were angrily swearing were all stunned, then the yellow-faced man suspiciously assessed Xia Wenjin. No blame for his suspicion, as Xia Wenjin looked too young.

At such a young age, even if she studied medicine, how many years could she have learned?

Which patient would dare to risk their life for a novice to practice on?

Xia Wenjin saw the suspicion in their eyes and said, "This place is deserted without villages or shops, and you still want to be picky about your doctors?"

Ergou hurriedly said, "Brother, Sister-in-law Wen is seriously ill, and we’re unfamiliar with this place, where can we find a doctor? Why not let her take a look?"

The yellow-faced man slapped his head, "Are you stupid? We were just robbing, what if she poisons us?"

Xia Wenjin: "..."

She said impatiently, "Would I idle myself to poison you? If you weren’t disaster victims, I wouldn’t care about your matters. Believe it or not, it’s up to you!" She was proficient in medicine, but if others did not trust her, she wouldn’t insist on treating them.

Ergou hurriedly said, "Brother, Sister-in-law Wen won’t last long, might as well try anything as a last resort!"

The words barely left his mouth before the yellow-faced man slapped him a few more times, angrily saying, "That’s not a horse, that’s my sister-in-law!"

After a moment of buffering, several men could stand up, they clumsily got up, still looking a bit wary of Gu Heng.

Maybe Ergou’s words made the group share the same thought, and two more started persuading.

The yellow-faced man looked at Xia Wenjin, struggled for a moment, and finally opened his mouth to ask for help.

Led by the yellow-faced man away from the official road to the west, there was a dilapidated thatched hut where Xia Wenjin met "Sister-in-law Wen", she was over thirty years old, her face ashen, starved and sick, tortured beyond recognition.

When the yellow-faced man brought Xia Wenjin and said she was a doctor, Sister-in-law Wen looked at Xia Wenjin with an apologetic gaze, "Young lady, I’m sorry for shocking you!"

"It seems you know what your brothers have done!"

Xia Wenjin’s expression was indifferent.

Even if survival is hard, and there’s nowhere else to turn, building one’s chance at survival by robbing others of their belongings or even lives, is a sign of moral failing.

Sister-in-law Wen sighed lightly and said, "Ergou brother just told me, my ill health has burdened them! I have shocked you young lady as well. If I say I apologize to you, it’s an understatement! This is our debt to you."

Xia Wenjin saw she was straightforward and sensible. The yellow-faced man and others did a bad thing by ambushing on the road, but they didn’t intend to harm anyone, only wanted a cart to take Sister-in-law Wen to a doctor.

Seeing Sister-in-law Wen tormented by illness, obviously thin and frail, yet calm and collected in speech, Xia Wenjin’s anger from earlier almost faded completely.

She said, "Save those words for later, let me check your pulse first!"

Sister-in-law Wen’s pulse showed the illness had been present for some time, it was an accumulation of chronic distress, her constitution was weak, and she’s caught chill.

The medicines Xia Wenjin had in her carriage were few; these were pills she refined earlier during leisure time, which happened to target this type of illness. Looking at the thatched hut, calling it destitute would be an exaggeration, for it barely has walls, with the hut barely protecting from drafts. She didn’t expect the yellow-faced man and his companions to fetch medicine.

She left a seven-day supply of medicine, enough to cure her illness, and Xia Wenjin did not linger, continuing towards Baoshan County.

About Xia Xinxin chasing after her, she was unaware.

Returning to the official road, she asked Gu Heng to speed the carriage.

On the way, encountering several waves of disaster victims, the fields increasingly desolate, the aftermath disheartening and appalling.

However, Prince Cheng who set off days earlier had already arrived.

Moreover, Prince Cheng was precisely in Baoshan County.

Xia Shi’en thought Prince Cheng wouldn’t be at the epicenter of the disaster, but that’s his lack of understanding of Prince Cheng. Were Prince Cheng like that, how could he blend with the soldiers, enjoy high prestige in the military, and turn a barren borderland into a prosperous city, planting grains on previously barren alkaline soil and sand?

Xia Wenjin arrived in Baoshan County after four days, slower were the people of Feiyun Pavilion and Xue Niang’s people due to collecting medicine and food along the way. She found out Prince Cheng was staying in the county government of Huotai County under Baoshan County, and hurried over to see if there was anything she could assist with.

But Prince Cheng was not in the county government, he had gone on site to inspect the disaster.

He had only arrived three days earlier than Xia Wenjin, and the news she received said, Prince Cheng had brought only a small group, as this wasn’t his Yunzhou territory, officials were feigning compliance.

Upon arrival, Prince Cheng immediately imprisoned the County Magistrate and tirelessly worked among disaster victims, setting up porridge stalls and medicine stalls, though serious manpower shortage persisted.

Huangfu Jingchen had not arrived yet; Xia Wenjin guessed he was overseeing the transport of grain, naturally slower due to his more cumbersome entourage compared to her straightforward journey.

Upon leaving the county government, the street was desolate, gaunt disaster victims were everywhere, though amidst their anxiety, there seemed to be no despair, presumably Prince Cheng imprisoning the County Magistrate gave them hope!