Chapter 636 - 487: Inoculating with Cowpox

"How is it?"

"The pulse is stable now, it should have passed the critical stage."

"Keep observing."

"Young Master, that boy named Wang is gone, he couldn’t hold on, massive bleeding..." Yue Mei’Er ran over to inform Lin Miao of the grim news.

"Let’s go, let’s send off this child." Lin Miao sighed. There are some things even he cannot change; after all, the path to the Yellow Springs shows no distinction between young and old.

He had done his best in treating this child.

"Wang’s grandmother probably won’t make it either!"

"How long until the quarantine treatment center can officially go into operation?" Lin Miao’s heart sank, but as a doctor, he’s seen life and death often, and now is not the time to be sentimental.

"At least two more days."

"Speed it up."

...

"How many died yesterday?"

"Thirty-seven people; today it might be more. The number of infected and sick might surge today..." the clerk reported with sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Have we found the source of infection?"

"Not yet..."

"Hurry up and investigate!" Pei Jian felt weary; this was just the beginning, who knows what situations lie ahead.

...

"Now, if one person in a family is infected, none can escape. The price of antipyretic herbs is soaring; even if we transfer herbs from other places immediately, it probably won’t keep up with the consumption!"

"What about the Ye Family’s suppliers?"

"They say the Ye Family is gone, and if we want to cooperate with them to purchase herbs, the price must go up!"

"Those scoundrels, daring to profit from the disaster, who gave them the courage!" Pei Jian was furious; these herbal merchants had deep backgrounds, no matter how much he cursed, he couldn’t conjure herbs out of thin air.

"Your Excellency, Bai Feng from the Su Family requests an audience!"

"Quickly, invite her in!"

"Mr. Pei, our Su Family is willing to donate one hundred thousand taels of silver to Dongshan to combat the epidemic. Moreover, the Su Family is actively procuring herbs from other places. All herbs will only add transportation and labor costs, not a penny more, all used for combating the epidemic. What do you think!"

"Great, the Su Family’s righteousness, our prefecture will remember it, and we will surely report it to the court for commendation!" Pei Jian was very pleased; while some seized the opportunity to inflate prices and make profits from national calamity, others displayed generosity and gave donations to save the people.

"If Your Excellency needs anything, please feel free to ask. Star-Picking Tower can offer free quarantine services during the street ban period!"

"Good, good!" Pei Jian praised loudly, "Mrs. Su’s depth of understanding is truly admirable to this prefecture."

"It’s all for Dongshan. If we can get through this ordeal, we shall emerge anew from the ashes!"

"Well said, reborn from the ashes!"

...

"Your Excellency, the Xu Family is also willing to contribute one hundred thousand taels of silver to support the fight against the epidemic, and the Xu Family’s herbs and drugstores also won’t raise prices!"

"Qingyu Hall donates thirty thousand taels!"

"Sansheng Hall donates fifty thousand taels!"

"Lianyue Hall donates ten thousand taels!"

"Flying Horse Carriage Company donates five thousand taels!"

"Fuwei Escort Agency three thousand taels, Xiangyang Old Shop five thousand taels, Lei’s Silk Shop three thousand taels, Wanhua Tower ten thousand taels, Qunfang Courtyard five thousand taels..."

After opening up donations to combat the "epidemic," in just half a day, over a million taels were raised for anti-epidemic funds, even Shanglin Temple, a place where money only flows inward, took out fifty thousand taels of incense money for the epidemic effort.

Additionally, Shanglin Temple also offered a part of its premises to be used as quarantine treatment for mild cases.

Dongshan City was united, working together to fight the epidemic!

When someone takes the lead, things get easier; if you don’t donate, he doesn’t donate, then naturally no one donates.

Lin Miao took out two hundred thousand taels, with the Su and Xu Families following suit, would the medical halls in Dongshan City dare not to donate?

You must know Lin Miao is also the Deputy Director of the Dongshan Prefecture Medical Bureau, if someday Wen Ruyu leaves and Lin Miao takes over.

These medical halls that didn’t donate during the epidemic, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to face difficulties later on?

The medical industry has donated, and the other industries don’t, what are they thinking? Under the intimidating influence of Pei Jian, who had just cut off the head of the Iron Ring Gang’s leader, would they dare not to spend money for peace?

Now you voluntarily donate for the epidemic, in the future, you may not even have the opportunity to volunteer.

...

Tracing the infection source outside the city was relatively easier, the infection chains were clearer even if Pei Jian had opened the gates and let people out before the street ban order.

That day, only about fifty or sixty thousand could leave Dongshan City, and many more couldn’t leave, and the next day the city gates were closed.

Everyone was driven back home.

Those who refused to leave or insisted on leaving the city were all rounded up at an empty location outside the city.

If they wanted to die, no one would stop them!

Pei Jian’s resolute approach naturally bred great dissatisfaction, but this was no time to be considerate.

For the safety of the majority, only drastic measures could be used.

Lin Miao admired Pei Jian for this; if it were him, he might not have been able to be so ruthless.

Those who couldn’t leave and didn’t want to go home, trying to exploit the law with impunity and drag others in, well, they were left to their own devices; no one would indulge them.

Those who managed to escape the city were basically uninfected, or even if infected, yet to show symptoms.

Otherwise, anyone not foolish would know that the medical conditions inside the city were much better than outside; if you were truly sick, escaping the city greatly increased the chances of death.

These people didn’t know about Lin Miao planning to set up a "quarantine treatment center" outside the city.

If these few thousand people managed to survive the quarantine period without being infected, they might indeed be quite fortunate, but if even one among them was in the incubation period, got isolated, and became symptomatic, then it would cause quite the situation.