The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Chapter 1055 Find It

Seeing that they hadn't bought much, the merchant left reassured.

Unlike the chieftains and merchants, the herdsmen were not as cunning. They liked Miaohe and Tao Yanbai because of their kindness. When Miaohe and Tao Yanbai left, the herdsmen bid them a reluctant farewell, and the children even took out all kinds of treasured toys to give to the two of them.

The most numerous items were various beautiful stones.

Miaohe also liked them very much, and accepted a few pieces, but declined the rest.

They didn't meet the young man, who had unfortunately contracted smallpox but was lucky enough to survive, until they reached the third tribe.

On the grasslands, every smallpox outbreak was a major disaster, but this time was an exception.

He discovered he had smallpox while herding livestock, and without hesitation, he refused to have any contact with people. He simply took his tent and left with ten days' worth of provisions.

He hid alone in a tent on a hill. Thirteen days later, he appeared with a pockmarked face and was emaciated, and his illness was cured.

He managed to get through it all on his own.

Moreover, the water source was not polluted, and the wind did not carry away the smallpox from him and spread it to other livestock and people.

The young man returned home safely, and the entire tribe regarded him as a god. He has been designated as the next leader of the tribe.

The herders believed that he was blessed by God and possessed both courage and wisdom, so he would surely be a very powerful leader.

His name is Batu Mengku. He has a round face and a round head, and he looks very honest.

He smiled warmly at Miao He and Tao Yanbai, who came to visit, and welcomed them very much.

As soon as Tao Yanbai opened his mouth, he skillfully recounted his experience of getting smallpox, having a fever, and surviving.

He often tells this story, even though he doesn't really want to. But when he first came back to life, his family wanted to hear it first, then his neighbors, the chief and the shaman came and wanted to hear it, then other people in the tribe came and wanted to hear it, and finally, when guests came to the tribe, he was dragged out to show off.

So Batu Mengku has become accustomed to it and numb to it.

He can now tell his stories vividly and captivatingly.

But that wasn't what Tao Yanbai and Miaohe wanted. They were going over the details. Just as Batu Mengku started talking about how he bravely decided to go to the mountains alone to fight against the smallpox, Tao Yanbai interrupted him and asked, "Where did you first notice the pimples? How many did you get? Did you have a fever? Did you feel unwell? What did it feel like?"

Batu Mengku paused, racking his brains to recall a few things before finally remembering. Pointing to his wrist, he said, "I found three on my wrist when I discovered them, but before that, I felt an itch on my neck and touched a few more. At the time, I thought they were mosquito bites and didn't pay any attention to them..."

Tao Yanbai then inquired about his diet, daily routine, and itinerary during those two days, who he had met, the weather, the wind, and any unusual behavior from the sheep and cattle...

Even after he moved to the hillside, they didn't ask him how he mustered the courage, or about his inner turmoil and pain. Instead, they asked him how many times he defecated a day, how much water he drank, what kind of dry food he ate, and what herbs he chewed...

Batu Mengku: ...

Oh, their questions pulled Batu Mengku out of his numbness, as if he had returned to that time.

How many times a day did he poop back then?

By the time Tao Yanbai and Miaohe left his tent, it was already dark.

Batu Mengku wiped the sweat from his forehead. If they hadn't promised to provide free medical care to the tribe members and treat their frostbite with the superior medical skills of the Han people, he wouldn't have recalled such an embarrassing incident.

Tao Yanbai and Miaohe seemed to still have plenty to say, and they made an appointment with Batu Mengku to visit his cattle and sheep the next day so that they could give them a check-up.

Batu Mengku: ...Thinking about how he was almost stripped naked and examined in the tent just now, I had a bad feeling. Although these two Han doctors were strange, they were really capable. After applying the ointment they brought, the frostbite on their bodies stopped itching, and after sleeping for a night, they really showed signs of improvement.

Not to mention those patients who caught a cold; after taking one dose of medicine, their spirits improved significantly, and they have recovered.

The herders in the tribe immediately had a better impression of the two of them, and their attitudes improved considerably.

Tao Yanbai and Miaohe also wanted to stay here for a few more days, so they wanted to decline the caravan's offer to go back together.

The merchant smiled and said, "I promised Zhao Shizhu that I would definitely bring you back safely. I am a merchant, and I value integrity above all else. I cannot break my promise."

The merchant also used them to gain favor with several tribes. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's stay for two more days and set off in two days."

He said, "We can't wait any longer. If we wait until the end of the month, there's a high chance of heavy snow. We need to get back to the city before the snowfall."

At this moment, the snow outside the tent was only ankle-deep. If it snowed again, based on their experience, it would probably reach their calves. At that point, it would be difficult for vehicles to move, and they would be trapped outside, which would be terrible.

Miao He and Tao Yanbai exchanged a glance and agreed.

Over two days, the two of them treated the tribe members while searching for cattle and sheep in Batu Mengku's cattle and sheep pens.

They searched through each one, but there was nothing they could do. Batu Mengku couldn't remember if any of the cattle or sheep in the herd had been sick with smallpox at the time, and besides, he had sold cattle and sheep twice this autumn, this was the third time.

It is unknown whether any of the cattle or sheep that were sold had contracted smallpox.

After searching but finding nothing, the two had no choice but to go to the merchant and begin inspecting the cattle and sheep he had bought from Batu Mengku.

The businessman's lips twitched slightly; if they didn't have real skills, he would suspect they were crazy.

Tao Yanbai frowned and withdrew his hand: "No."

Miaohe frowned and said, "Smallpox must have a source of infection. He hasn't been in contact with any outsiders. It's impossible that he was just unlucky enough to come across a smallpox seed left over from the past, right? Their entire tribe's pastoral areas are not far apart. If that's the case, how did the others avoid this scourge?"

Tao Yanbai thought for a moment and then shook his head: "It can't possibly be the original strain. The infectivity isn't that strong, which means the toxicity has been diluted. It is indeed very similar to the smallpox strain we have. I still think the source of infection is in cattle and sheep."

Miaohe: "He sold them twice. If that cow or sheep had been mixed in, they would have become beef soup and mutton soup by now."

Tao Yanbai had no choice.

As the two were walking out, a caravan worker brought them a bundle of hay. A cow suddenly burst out from the herd, raised its head, and squeezed through to snatch the hay. As it passed Miaohe, it even flicked its tail high.

The stench hit her face, and Miaohe took a half step back in disgust, about to pat the impolite cow, when she suddenly noticed the faint pockmarks on its rump.

Miao let out a loud "Awoo!" and excitedly pointed at the cow.

Tao Yanbai was startled and turned to look, his eyes widening in surprise.

It really takes no effort to get it without trying to find anywhere.

The two men rushed towards the cow, hugged her, and laughed heartily, frightening not only the worker but also the cow.

It tilted its head back in fear and mooed.

(End of this chapter)