Chapter 56
The men in the caravan, being farmers accustomed to rising early, caught the scent of herbal medicine and assumed it was another batch of preventive brew ready for them. They got up on their own.
"Are you running a fever?"
"No, everyone in our tent is fine. You can tell just by looking at our faces."
The group gathered and inquired about each other’s health. Seeing that no one else had been infected, they all breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
Without hesitation, they quickened their steps to fetch their bowls and ladle out the medicinal soup.
"Brother Huo, why are you up so early brewing medicine? You barely slept last night."
"Ji fulang’s medicine really works, none of us who were fine have gotten sick so far. We can’t let Brother Huo handle everything alone. From now on, let’s take turns waking up early to brew the medicine."
The crowd gathered around Huo Shu to greet him.
Someone immediately volunteered, "I’ll serve the medicine for everyone."
Just as they reached for the ladle, Huo Shu stopped them.
"This medicine is for Tian Fu and the other two."
Then, he retrieved another batch of preventive medicine that Ji Taoyu had prepared before bed: "Take this and brew it for everyone else."
Ji Wenliang’s eyes lit up. "Has Brother Taoyu already figured out a cure for Tian Fu and the others?"
Hearing this, the others slowly grasped the meaning, their faces brightening with hope.
Huo Shu didn’t give a definitive answer. "We’ll try it for now."
"Last night, I got up in the middle of the night and saw Brother Huo and Ji fulang still awake. They must’ve been working on this all night."
"Whether it works or not, having medicine to take means there’s a way forward. I’ll take this to them."
Seeing how tirelessly Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu had worked, they felt more confident in facing the situation together. No longer shrinking in fear of Tian Fu and the other two, they quickly took over the tasks.
One of the men, sharp-eyed, chimed in, "I’ll start another fire to brew the preventive medicine for everyone else."
The rest ate breakfast and divided the work—some rotated shifts to accompany Ge Liang in searching nearby for doctors and gathering news.
Though there was some progress here, they couldn’t put all their eggs in one basket. Sitting idle wasn’t an option.
[鸡蛋不能放在一个篮子里 (jīdàn bùnéng fàng zài yīgè lánzi lǐ): lit. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; fig. Don’t risk everything on a single venture.]
"Brother-in-law, you didn’t sleep at all last night. Now that everyone’s up, go rest for a while."
Ji Wenliang handed Huo Shu a bowl of hot water. "The medicine’s been given to Tian Fu and the others. We’ll keep an eye on them."
Huo Shu glanced toward the tent.
He didn’t respond to Ji Wenliang but finally stood up.
Pulling aside the tent flap slightly, he saw the young ger curled up under the blankets, brows tightly furrowed.
Ji Taoyu had woken early yesterday, spent the entire day reading, and then stayed up all night.
The mental exertion of intense focus drained a person no less than a full day of hard labor. It was no surprise his body couldn’t take it.
When they fetched the herbs from the cargo boxes after finalizing the prescription, Huo Shu could already tell Ji Taoyu was on the verge of collapse. Yet, he stubbornly held on until the medicine was boiling in the pot before finally giving in.
The saying proved true—every field has its experts. Those truly devoted to their craft develop an iron will, and in front of him was living proof.
Looking at the tightly shut eyes, the occasional flutter of lashes—even in sleep, worry lingered. His rest was far from peaceful.
Huo Shu reached out and touched Ji Taoyu’s forehead. Only when he confirmed the temperature was normal did he withdraw his hand. Then, he rolled up Ji Taoyu’s sleeves to check for any signs of rashes.
Other issues could be handled, but if Ji Taoyu contracted the illness as well, the consequences would be dire.
The others were all strong men—even if they fell ill, they could withstand it. But Ji Taoyu’s frail constitution made survival unlikely.
Finding no abnormalities, Huo Shu finally relaxed.
Seeing Ji Taoyu’s restless sleep, he hesitated for a moment. Though he wasn’t tired at all, he lay down beside him and pulled Ji Taoyu into his arms.
Huo Shu held him close, hoping the familiar warmth might ease him into restful sleep.
In a daze, Ji Taoyu suddenly jolted awake, his eyes flying open.
Once his vision cleared, he realized Huo Shu was holding him.
His heart pounded—not from embarrassment, but from the irregular pulse of exhaustion after a sleepless night.
His entire body felt weak, his head throbbed, and his mind was foggy.
Huo Shu, who hadn’t slept at all, noticed the movement but didn’t speak. Instead, he gently patted Ji Taoyu’s back, trying to lull him back to sleep.
"You didn’t sleep?"
Though exhausted, Ji Taoyu couldn’t fall asleep again now that he was awake.
Huo Shu grunted in response, pulling him closer. "Sleep a little longer. You’ve barely rested two hours."
Ji Taoyu lifted his head from Huo Shu’s chest. "How are Tian Fu and the others?"
Huo Shu studied Ji Taoyu’s slightly reddened eyes, his brows furrowing. He reached out and lightly rubbed his temples. "Someone’s watching them. Just sleep a little more."
Seeing Huo Shu’s unyielding hand about to push him back down, Ji Taoyu tugged at his sleeve. "I’m hungry."
Without another word, Huo Shu sat up. "What do you want? I’ll get it for you."
"I want to eat outside. The tent’s too stuffy."
Huo Shu gave him a long look before wrapping him in his own large cloak. "Fine."
The moment they stepped out of the tent, Ji Wenliang came sprinting over.
"Brother-in-law! Brother Taoyu! Tian—Tian Fu and the others, their fevers broke!"
Ji Taoyu froze. "All of them?!"
"Yeah! They barely slept last night, tossing and turning. After taking the medicine this morning, they finally dozed off. It’s almost noon now, and the tent was completely silent. Everyone was afraid something had happened, so they called out a few times—and when they woke up, they said their heads felt clear, and their bodies weren’t burning up anymore!"
Thank you for the update!!!
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