Wind and snow in the courtyard hadn’t stopped, and the windows had been closed again.

Lin Danqing sat before Lu Tong, frowning slightly as she took her pulse.

After a long while, she withdrew her hand and looked at Lu Tong with puzzlement: “Strange, there’s nothing wrong.”

“Don’t worry,” Lu Tong said. “Perhaps I’ve been sleeping too late these past few days.”

Lin Danqing shook her head: “I thought you had contracted the plague just now.”

When she entered the room, she saw Lu Tong sitting by the window lost in thought, with blood trickling from her nose tip, which gave her quite a fright. Though the medical officials wore medicine pouches and used plague-prevention incense daily, and took plague-prevention medicinal soup every day, several medical officials had unfortunately contracted the plague during this period.

The elderly, those with weak constitutions, and those with pre-existing conditions were most susceptible to the plague. Lin Danqing, Ji Xun, and Lu Tong were all still young, making them among the least worrisome of the plague-relief medical officials.

“It won’t happen,” Lu Tong said, seeing her serious expression. She voluntarily rolled up her sleeves to show her: “I have no peach blossom spots on my body.”

In Sunan’s great plague, those infected would gradually develop red patches on their bodies and hands, shaped like peach blossoms, hence called “peach blossom spots.” When the spot color changed from red to purple, gradually becoming “purple cloud spots,” the patient would have little chance of survival.

Cuicui’s mother had been covered in “purple cloud spots” before her death.

The extended arm was pale without any trace of spots. Lin Danqing breathed a sigh of relief, but her brow furrowed again as she grasped Lu Tong’s arm.

“How did you become so thin?” she said. “I can encircle this arm with one hand.”

Lu Tong had always been slender. Previously, Lin Danqing thought this was the delicate beauty of southern women, but looking carefully now, she was indeed excessively thin.

“Your complexion also looks poor,” Lin Danqing examined her. “Much weaker than when in Shengjing.”

Lu Tong withdrew her hand and lowered her sleeves: “That’s not the case.”

“Lu Meimei, don’t neglect your own health,” Lin Danqing shook her head. “Patients are important, but you must also rest. If you collapse first, how can you treat the plague for those Sunan people? Nosebleeds for no reason—even if it’s not contracting the plague, it’s definitely physical discomfort.”

“I’ll go tell Medical Director Chang shortly that you shouldn’t be called for pest house duty tonight. Rest more at the lodgings for the next couple days.”

“There’s no need…”

“What do you mean no need? Listen to me.” She took a cloth and wiped the blood stains on Lu Tong’s dress. After two wipes, the bloodstains became more mottled—a shocking red patch.

“Rest more, eat more,” she said. “Anyway, Pei Yunying brought medicine and grain, so we’re not going hungry now. Understand?”

Her words were firm. Lu Tong remained silent for a while, then nodded: “Mm.”

…

Perhaps Lin Danqing had said something to Chang Jin, because for the next two days, Chang Jin wouldn’t let Lu Tong go to the pest house anymore.

With the pest house being busy, when Chang Jin found time to see Lu Tong, he was very serious. Not only did he personally take her pulse, but he also had Ji Xun take her pulse once, only relaxing after confirming she hadn’t contracted the plague.

Chang Jin believed her sudden nosebleed was due to overwork and physical weakness, ordering her to rest well at the lodgings. During this time, Duan Xiaoyan came once, bringing much dried food and provisions—the best possible under current circumstances. He also hinted indirectly that she must eat more to nourish her body, and if she lacked anything, she could ask him for help.

Lu Tong knew on whose behalf he brought these words and thanked him earnestly.

Without going to the pest house or needing to make medicine pouches, Lu Tong began writing plague prescriptions while at the lodgings.

Currently in Sunan city, they relied on rashes to confirm plague infection, but when rashes appeared, it was already too late. Initially, the plague caused no pain, then gradually began with body aches, fever, and severe chills, affecting the exterior but not the interior.

The medical officials now treated both interior and exterior first, but the medicinal soup only delayed the deepening of rashes—the effect wasn’t obvious.

Lu Tong looked at the prescription, frowning as she crossed out the medicinal materials listed above.

Still not right.

While she was thinking, Lin Danqing entered from outside.

She brushed off the snowflakes on her body and, seeing Lu Tong’s written prescription, read: “Three Elimination Drink… Origin-Reaching Drink with ascending and dispersing three yang meridian Bupleurum, Kudzu Root, Notopterygium, Rhubarb…”

“Ascending and dispersing prescription,” she pondered. “This prescription is quite similar to the new prescription that Medical Official Ji and Medical Director Chang wrote.”

Lu Tong raised her eyes: “New prescription?”

“Yes,” Lin Danqing said. “The plague hasn’t improved, so everyone discussed changing prescriptions. But this prescription is somewhat bold. Big Brother Ding volunteered to test the medicine. He began taking one dose last night.” She looked puzzled, “I thought Medical Official Ji had already told you about this.”

Lu Tong’s brow furrowed.

Ji Xun had indeed mentioned this matter to her before, but she had also clearly expressed her disapproval. She thought it wouldn’t happen so quickly, but unexpectedly Ding Yong had already begun taking it.

She suddenly stood up, shouldered her medical box, and prepared to leave.

Lin Danqing grabbed her: “Where are you going?”

“The pest house.” Lu Tong paused, then said: “I’m going to see Ding Yong.”

…

Lu Tong went to the pest house.

Having stayed at the lodgings for these two days without going out, Cuicui was delighted to see her and came to chat.

“Medical Director Chang said earlier that Sister Lu, you were ill, so you didn’t come. Are you completely better now?”

Lu Tong said: “It’s nothing.”

“That’s good.” Cuicui smiled. “I was worried for so long.”

Lu Tong raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping around the pest house until she finally spotted Ding Yong. Ding Yong had just raised his hand to drink down a bowl of brown medicinal soup, wiping his mouth. The bowl for the medicine wasn’t the usual white porcelain bowl. Beside him sat Ji Xun, who was lowering his head to write something on paper.

Lu Tong walked to the two of them.

“Medical Official Lu has come.” Seeing her approach, Ding Yong quickly stood to greet Lu Tong.

Lu Tong nodded slightly and looked at Ji Xun: “Medical Official Ji, I have something to discuss with you.”

Ji Xun was startled, looking at her with some surprise. Without saying anything, he set down the empty bowl and followed Lu Tong to the grass shed outside the pest house.

Under the grass shed were bamboo baskets containing medicine pouches. Several guards watched the pest house entrance. After the assassin incident at the pest house, Pei Yunying had assigned people to take turns on duty to prevent sudden accidents.

Light snow was falling outside. This winter in Sunan was particularly cold, and the snow seemed never to stop. The accumulated snow on the ground grew thicker each day. Looking into the distance, heaven and earth were all white.

“Why did you let Ding Yong become a test subject so early?” Lu Tong stood still and spoke directly.

“Test subject?”

Ji Xun was momentarily stunned and explained to her: “He’s not a test subject…”

“An untested new medicine being used on a patient—if that’s not a test subject, what is it?”

The woman’s gaze was sharp. Under her pressing stare, Ji Xun persisted for a long time before finally conceding defeat.

“Saying it that way isn’t wrong,” he said. “The peach blossom spots on Ding Yong’s body have gradually begun turning purple. The previous medicinal soup was useless for him. If we don’t quickly change to a new prescription, he definitely won’t survive seven days.”

“The Medical Director and I believe that rather than hopeless delay, it’s better to try another possibility.” He looked at Lu Tong. “Moreover, you’ve also seen the prescription Ding Yong is using.”

New prescriptions had to be examined by every plague-relief medical official. Only after confirming that no more flaws could be found at present would they be used.

Ji Xun said: “Previous prescriptions were conservative, but now it appears that with both exterior and interior transmission, evil qi lurks in the membrane origin. Half-exterior, half-interior—we should switch to a stronger prescription. Didn’t you once say that Aconitum and Evodia are violent poisons among medicines, but good physicians use them to save lives. Diseases change in myriad ways, medicines also change in myriad ways.”

These were words Lu Tong had said to Ji Xun when they were at the medical academy. At that time he didn’t think much of them, but now gradually accepting the principle within, she was unwilling.

“But for Ding Yong, everything is still unknown.”

Ji Xun: “The Medical Director and I have already informed him of all possible consequences. It’s Ding Yong’s own choice—he knows what he’ll face.”

Lu Tong suddenly looked up: “He doesn’t know.”

Ji Xun was stunned.

“What a test subject will suffer—setting aside the results of new medicine—perhaps he’ll experience unbearable pain throughout his body during the medication process, perhaps he’ll go blind or become disabled, perhaps he’ll lose his sanity and become a senseless pile of flesh… No one can guarantee these results won’t happen. He knows nothing at all.”

Wind blew, snow swirled in the vast heaven and earth, falling flake by flake on people’s bodies.

Ji Xun looked at her: “Medical Official Lu…”

A voice suddenly came from behind: “I know.”

Lu Tong paused and turned around.

Ding Yong stood behind her, his hands anxiously clasped together. He stepped forward and courageously spoke to Lu Tong: “Medical Official Lu, I know everything.”

“Medical Official Ji told me that no one knows what the results will be after using the new medicine. But even without new medicine, I won’t live much longer.” He rolled up his sleeves, exposing the spots on his arms. The red patch marks were gradually deepening, much more intense than when Lu Tong had last seen them, gradually trending toward purple.

“Since I’m going to die anyway, I might as well try the new medicine. I still want to accompany Cuicui for more days.”

Ding Yong looked toward the pest house entrance where Cuicui was poking at charcoal in the brazier. Seeing him looking, she waved at her father. Ding Yong also smiled and waved at his daughter, then turned back to look at Lu Tong.

“Even if it fails, at least it will provide some experience. When you research antidotes in the future, it might be helpful, and Cuicui might be able to use it.”

Ding Yong smiled heartily: “I’m not as remarkable as Medical Official Lu thinks. To be honest, it’s just for Cuicui.”

His tone was sincere as he bowed to Lu Tong: “Medical Official Lu, I’m truly willing.”

The snow grew heavier.

More snowflakes fell on Ding Yong’s head, making it impossible to distinguish snow from white hair.

Silence surrounded them, only the soft sound of falling snowflakes touching the ground.

Lu Tong looked at the man in the snow for a long time, then lowered her eyes and said: “I understand.”

“Wonderful!” The man became happy, gratefully bowing to her several more times, as if finally able to breathe a long sigh of relief. He also cast a grateful glance at Ji Xun.

“Dad—” Cuicui called from over there. Ding Yong said goodbye to Lu Tong and Ji Xun, then walked toward the pest house entrance. Lu Tong watched his retreating figure for a while, then turned and left without a word.

“Medical Official Lu.” Ji Xun caught up with her.

“Do you have something on your mind?” he asked.

Lu Tong didn’t stop walking: “What does Medical Official Ji mean?”

“You’re particularly cautious about trying new medicine. But the prescriptions you made at the medical academy were always bold. This behavior differs from your usual self.”

Lu Tong said: “People always change. Didn’t Medical Official Ji previously advise me that practicing medicine requires conservatism?”

“But trying new medicine is an expedient measure. With your rationality, you shouldn’t oppose it so strongly.”

Lu Tong stopped and faced him.

“Medical Official Ji,” she spoke: “No matter whether the plague evil affects exterior or interior, or spreads between exterior and interior, it might fluctuate repeatedly. In this new medicine, a dose of Magnolia bark has been added. This substance is toxic. None of us colleagues have found a way to counteract Magnolia bark’s toxicity. Even if the new medicine can temporarily suppress the peach blossom spots on Ding Yong’s body, once it relapses, with both Magnolia bark toxicity and plague toxicity occurring simultaneously, he simply cannot endure it.”

“Even if he temporarily endures it, repeatedly using it will damage his body. Ding Yong has never been a test subject before. Is it really appropriate to use something whose medicinal effects even the medical officials don’t know on him?”

Ji Xun was speechless.

Lu Tong rarely spoke so much.

Previously at the medical academy, most of her time off duty was spent quietly reading medical books alone in a corner.

Even after coming to Sunan, she maintained an attitude of indifference to everything. Patients at the pest house had secretly told Lin Danqing that they often felt Lu Tong was cold toward people. Even when clerks daily carried away new corpses, she only showed indifference, as if accustomed to it.

She was like a thin fallen leaf floating in water, drifting with the current.

Only regarding this matter was her attitude intense.

Silent snow fell on both of them. In the vast snowy ground, they faced each other in silence.

In the distance, someone else approached, suddenly stopping upon seeing the two.

Duan Xiaoyan grabbed Pei Yunying’s sleeve: “Brother, it’s Ji Xun and Medical Official Lu!”

Pei Yunying: “I see.”

“Their expressions seem off,” Duan Xiaoyan observed their faces. “They seem to be arguing. Should we go add fuel to the fire?”

Pei Yunying said impatiently: “Shut up.”

Duan Xiaoyan prudently closed his mouth.

He stood in the wind and snow, calmly watching the distant figures.

Farther away, Ji Xun’s expression moved slightly as he stared at the person before him and tentatively spoke: “Medical Official Lu.”

“Are you… hiding something from us?”

“If you have something difficult to speak about, you can tell me. I won’t tell others,” he said.

Ji Xun always felt something wasn’t right.

If a person’s behavior differs from usual, there must be a reason. However, he understood too little about Lu Tong. Thinking about it now, except for knowing she had once practiced medicine on West Street, he knew nothing else about her.

Lu Tong paused and said: “No.”

“But…”

“Medical Official Ji.” A voice suddenly interjected from the side. Ji Xun turned his head and saw Pei Yunying walking over unhurriedly from another direction.

Pei Yunying walked to the two of them. After glancing at Lu Tong, he turned away and said lightly to Ji Xun: “Guard Duan suddenly feels unwell. Since you’re here, please examine Guard Duan.”

Duan Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly cried “Aiya!” while clutching his stomach: “Yes, yes, I’ve had a terrible headache since early this morning.”

This exaggerated act made Ji Xun frown involuntarily. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Tong had already nodded to the two of them and turned to leave.

Ji Xun wanted to follow, but Pei Yunying shifted slightly, blocking his path, and smiled: “Medical Official Ji?”

But he had blocked him.

Watching Lu Tong walk farther and farther away, Ji Xun withdrew his gaze and looked at Pei Yunying.

The other man’s lips held a smile, but his eyes were indifferent.

After a moment of standoff, Duan Xiaoyan came forward and stuffed his arm into Ji Xun’s hands: “Medical Official Ji, come, please check my pulse first.”

…

Lu Tong returned to her lodgings.

The new medicine controversy quickly passed, and over the next few days, she became busy again.

Ding Yong had switched to the new prescription, but that dose of Magnolia bark in the medicinal materials always made her feel uneasy, so she spent day and night reading medical books, hoping to derive some new methods from them.

However, surprisingly, Ding Yong’s plague condition actually improved day by day.

On the third day of taking the new medicine, the red spots on Ding Yong’s arms stopped deepening. On the fifth day, they looked lighter than the previous few days. By the seventh day, the fading red marks were quite obvious. By the ninth day, the peach blossom spots had only a faint red color remaining.

Cuicui was overjoyed, hugging Ding Yong’s neck and expressing gratitude to all the medical officials.

“The peach blossom spots on my dad’s body have faded so much! My dad is almost better! Medical Director Chang told me earlier that when dad gets better, they’ll give the new medicine to all the patients in the pest house. County Deputy Cai also said that the plague god of our Sunan is about to leave—the plague will end!”

All the patients in the pest house were happy about Ding Yong’s improvement.

The new medicine working meant everything had hope. No one wanted to wake up and become a corpse under the execution ground. The day-by-day deepening spots on bodies and hands always caused anxiety.

Cuicui hid in Ding Yong’s arms, smiling with curved eyes, and handed Lu Tong a newly woven grasshopper.

“I’ve learned to weave grasshoppers from dad. When spring comes and Sunan’s riverbanks are full of green grass, I’ll use fresh grass to weave them. Green grasshoppers can even jump! I’ve already told all the uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas in the pest house that when that time comes, I’ll set up a stall at the temple entrance to sell grasshoppers, and everyone must come support me!”

She spoke clearly with delightful laughter, making everyone in the pest house unable to help being amused by her.

Ding Yong also smiled, looking at the medical officials gathered around everyone, and said softly: “Thank you all for saving my life. If there’s an opportunity in the future, the Ding family will definitely repay you.”

The medical officials all said it was their duty, then dispersed to continue their unfinished tasks.

Lu Tong also felt relieved.

She had been worried that the new medicine’s effects were unclear and might cause other harm to Ding Yong. Now it seemed everything was improving. After observing for more days, they could try giving this medicine to other patients in the pest house.

With progress made, patients were comforted, and medical officials had new motivation. Cai Fang was even more energetic, planning to add several more wells for throwing medicinal soup after the new medicine succeeded.

At night, with no one in the lodgings, Lu Tong sat under the lamp and drew out a booklet from her medical box.

Since the day Lin Danqing caught her having a nosebleed, Lu Tong told Chang Jin she had been sleeping lightly recently and wanted to sleep alone. Chang Jin arranged a separate room for her.

At this moment, both inside and outside the room were quiet. Lu Tong spread the booklet on the table.

The booklet wasn’t thick, already half-written. By the dim lamplight, she picked up her brush and carefully added several strokes to the booklet.

After writing, Lu Tong set down her brush and picked up the booklet, flipping forward several pages. As she flipped, she gradually became lost in thought.

Until “Bang—” came a sound as the door was violently knocked. Lu Tong was startled and quickly closed the booklet with swift hands, stuffing it into the wooden drawer beneath her hand.

“Lu Meimei!”

It was Lin Danqing returning. She seemed to have just rushed back from outside, covered in snowflakes on her head and body, speaking breathlessly: “Something’s wrong!”

Lu Tong asked: “What happened?”

“Ding Yong! Something happened to Ding Yong!”

Lin Danqing’s face looked terrible: “He was fine during the day, but when he slept at night, Cuicui called that her dad was convulsing. The night-duty medical official went to look—Ding Yong started vomiting blood.”

“The peach blossom spots that had originally been on his body… turned purple! In just a moment, they became purple cloud spots!”