Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Unprecedented and Unrepeatable

“Right! We can’t take them all with us!”

Mrs. Qi wholeheartedly agreed with her daughter-in-law’s words, “We’ve already been generous by giving them food and a place to stay. How can we bring them along for business too? They wish!”

Qi Zheng and Qi Quanjin exchanged a glance, their eyes full of helplessness.

The matter hasn’t surfaced yet, and they’re already thinking about making money.

However, the two of them tacitly chose not to point it out.

Yi Meng’s suggestion received unanimous approval from the other three, and they prepared to blow out the candles and lay down to rest.

But just as the two elders lay down, and Qi Quanjin was about to blow out the candle, they suddenly heard a knocking on the courtyard door.

The sudden noise startled everyone.

“You all stay put, I’ll go out and take a look.”

Qi Quanjin said, as he threw on a coat and walked out.

It wasn’t long before Qi Quanjin returned with an unpleasant expression, “Dad, Mom, wife, you all rest. I’ll go check the front courtyard.”

“What’s wrong with the front courtyard?”

Qi Zheng asked quickly.

Qi Quanjin sighed, “Someone has come down with a high fever. Mr. Yin and Mr. Qin are gathering their things to go take a look.”

“I’ll go have a look too.”

Qi Zheng was worried.

They had known that someone might get sick, but now that it’s actually happening, it’s hard not to feel anxious.

Qi Quanjin stopped him, “Dad, it’s cold outside, don’t exert yourself. You might catch a cold, and that’d be trouble too.”

Yi Meng got up to put on a coat as well, “Yes, Dad, you and Mom stay here with the kids. I’ll go with Brother Jin.”

Actually, Qi Quanjin didn’t want his wife to go along either, but seeing the situation, if she didn’t, his dad would insist on going.

Given the choice, it was better for his wife to go. At least she had some space there, and that spring water might come in handy.

Mrs. Qi also didn’t like the idea of the old man going out in the middle of the night, so she chimed in to help persuade him.

In the end, Qi Zheng didn’t argue, but after watching the couple head out, he couldn’t fall asleep. He couldn’t even lie down and instead sat by the edge of the plataforma near the door, filling a pipe with tobacco leaves and began puffing away.

Mrs. Qi, concerned about the smoke irritating the grandchildren, thought of what Manbao had said earlier, and ultimately refrained from asking the old man not to smoke.

Yi Meng followed Qi Quanjin to the front courtyard, only to discover there wasn’t just one person with a fever.

The thirteen people brought in from the city gate were all feverish, even the elders and young children from three other families had developed fevers.

In less than a cup of tea’s time, some were already burning up and speaking nonsense.

“Quickly, brew the fever-reducing herbal soup!”

Yin Cheng, with a stern face, urged, “Once it boils, bring it over immediately.”

At this point, they couldn’t afford to wait for the soup to reduce to one third; it needed to be served as soon as it boiled to save time.

In the kitchen assisting with the herbal decoction, Yi Meng asked urgently, “Mr. Yin, if we don’t let it brew enough, won’t the potency be insufficient?”

“By the time it fully brews, they might be beyond saving!”

Yin Cheng retorted sharply before turning to leave.

Yi Meng didn’t take it to heart, understanding that he was worried about the patients’ wellbeing.

After handing her task to a junior wife nearby, Yi Meng followed Yin Cheng out of the kitchen, “Mr. Yin, we need to rapidly reduce their fevers. Even if the hot decoction is rushed over, it needs to cool before drinking. Why don’t we help lower their temperatures first?”

“Lower their temperatures how? You’re not thinking of stripping them and throwing them outside, are you?”

Yin Cheng was anxious, and wasn’t really targeting Yi Meng specifically.

Yi Meng replied, “We have some high-proof alcohol left; rubbing it on their bodies can help absorb some heat.”

“Will it work?”

Yin Cheng looked at Yi Meng uncertainly.

Yi Meng nodded, “I remember when I was young and had a high fever, my family did it that way. The decoction takes time, so we should try it!”

Yin Cheng thought for a moment, then called out loudly, “Qi the Fourth, come over!”

Upon hearing, Qi Quanjin hurried over, and before he could speak, Yin Cheng commanded, “Bring over the remaining high-proof alcohol.”

After speaking to Qi Quanjin, Yin Cheng turned to Yi Meng, “Do you remember how to do it? You’ll demonstrate it to everyone.”

There were too many people with high fevers, and they couldn’t expect Yi Meng to cool everyone down.

Yi Meng had no objections and quickly agreed.

Qi Quanjin, although unsure of the details, didn’t question much upon seeing his wife’s nod and hurried back to the back courtyard, bringing back the jar of Tiger Bone Wine.

Yi Meng looked at the wine jar, feeling both pained and a bit anxious.

Using Tiger Bone Wine for physical cooling—such a wasteful act—it was likely unprecedented.

Pained as she was, anxious as she was, Yi Meng wasn’t hesitant in executing the task.

Among the feverish were both males and females, so no adults were suitable to demonstrate on; Yi Meng chose a young boy instead, while those who weren’t sick gathered to observe the cooling technique.

“First, soak a towel in cold water and place it on the forehead, which is something everyone knows. Watch carefully as I demonstrate the next steps.”

Drawing from her past life’s memory, Yi Meng explained as she executed the physical cooling method.

The onlookers were intrigued, saying, “Wouldn’t rubbing someone all over with alcohol get them drunk?”

“I don’t know if rubbing with alcohol makes one drunk, but if I were doing it, the smell alone would make me tipsy.”

These words drew laughter from everyone, slightly alleviating the tension brought by the illness.

“After the alcohol rub, don’t cover them with blankets immediately. Check after a while to see if the temperature has dropped.”

After rubbing the child’s body with the alcohol, Yi Meng washed her hands of the leftover alcohol in a nearby basin: “Everyone should try this. Remember not to open and close the doors during this process.”

Although you shouldn’t cover them, you also shouldn’t let cold air in.

After hearing this, everyone nodded, each carrying away a small bowl of Tiger Bone Wine.

Once everyone dispersed, Yi Meng uncovered the cloth over the child, staying with the family to monitor the fever reduction.

Time passed slowly as Yin Cheng and Qin Minglang began checking on the feverish patients’ temperatures.

Upon examination, several people had indeed seen a temperature drop.

“If it’s still high, rub them down again. Even if this method doesn’t succeed in reducing the fever completely, the decoction should be ready by then.”

Yi Meng wasn’t a professional doctor, so her advice was limited to what she knew.

Yin Cheng looked at Yi Meng, pondered for a moment, but said nothing.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep