The Lucky Farmgirl-Chapter 2105 - 2080: The Plan

Manbao had never witnessed the inner conflicts within a grand mansion, but Bai Shan had personally experienced them; they were no easier than the battles outside.

Ms. Cui, who was able to defeat so many rivals to marry Yang Heshu, could not possibly be a foolish person.

Bai Shan said, "She used to keep a low profile simply because she didn’t need to show off."

Manbao, being intelligent, quickly understood and asked, "So who made her so angry that she revealed her sharp edge?"

"I know!" Bai Erlang raised his hand and said, "Some time ago, our senior brother cleaned up the inner quarters. Although there was no evidence, it was suspected that several families had meddled, including the Chen Family, which replaced Brother Qi’s Little Clothes."

Both Manbao and Bai Dalang became interested, with the latter curiously asking, "So was Madam Yang’s smallpox infection really intentional?"

Bai Erlang scratched his head and said, "That I don’t know. I only know that my scholarly sister-in-law discovered many things then burned them all. But she later contracted smallpox, maybe because she was accidentally infected at that time."

With smallpox, if someone sneezes in one spot, ten days or half a month later, someone passing by might get infected. So, it’s uncertain.

Who knows if Ms. Cui got infected when she checked those items then?

Bai Shan knew a bit more and hesitated before saying, "No."

Everyone looked at him.

He said, "Someone swapped a fur piece in the storeroom. At the time, it was cold. Yang, our scholarly senior brother, was running around outside daily, and Madam Yang worried about him, intending to make him a knee protector."

"After the smallpox outbreak, she dismissed many servants in the house, sending them home, leaving only trusted ones from the capital," Bai Shan said. "Lacking manpower, she went to the storeroom herself for the fur. The knee protector wasn’t done when she fell ill, so everything she had touched was put away. A maid thought the fur’s color had a slight difference."

After the city lockdown, Ms. Cui felt the hostility from the local clans in Xiazhou towards their couple. She also knew that many people fell ill at the time, and with limited medicine in the city, many wished the gates could open so they could seek medical help outside. So she didn’t dare underestimate human nature.

After the lockdown, she dismissed several county government office workers, keeping only those she trusted more.

Later, they still found someone tampering with items in the county government office’s backyard, from clothing Yang Heshu brought back to goods for the children.

Ms. Cui dared not slack off, especially since Brother Qi was still small. She stayed extremely vigilant, sending more people away and keeping watch day and night, uncovering many problematic items sent in.

During that time, she kept Brother Qi confined indoors, surrounding him tightly like an iron barrel. Yang Heshu also tried to stay away from the backyard, resting mostly in the county government office’s study. When he needed to talk to her, they spoke from a distance through a door...

They guarded like that for a month; who knew the issue arose in the rarely used storeroom.

Bai Shan said regretfully, "Later, the doctor found a bit of filth inside that fur piece, likely smallpox pus, but unfortunately, during that period the county government office’s backyard was short on manpower, and somewhat chaotic. By the time they found out who put it there, the person was gone."

He added, "That person died of smallpox."

The others were taken aback, unable to hold back commenting, "What a vicious scheme."

Bai Shan nodded, "Very vicious. Had that knee protector been finished, not only Madam Yang but our scholarly senior brother Yang would have been in great danger."

Although Yang Heshu visited medical tents and other courtyards where sick people were, he was actually very careful, seldom directly contacting patients, preparing clothes to switch anytime, and cautious about what he consumed. Being in good health saved him from infection.

But if he had carried a personal item containing smallpox pus...

Even Brother Qi might not have been spared. If not discovered early, and Madam Yang, after falling ill, went to hold Brother Qi...

Bai Shan lowered his eyes and said softly, "That’s why our scholarly senior brother Yang isn’t keen on leaving Xiazhou."

After returning to the capital, whether he was credited or blamed, it would be easy to transfer him from Xiazhou. The emperor would probably consider moving him due to offending most of the local powerful clans, for his safety and future regional affairs.

But leaving like this always felt like leaving in disgrace.

Bai Shan lifted his eyes toward the desk not far away, filled with documents, and said softly, "If he doesn’t leave, there is much work to be done."

After a moment of silence, Manbao said, "I wish to discuss the inoculation method with Imperial Doctor Lu. If feasible, I want to request to study in the Western Regions, searching for the true method of inoculation."

Bai Shan’s eyelid twitched violently. Others might not know, but he did: that method wasn’t transmitted from the Western Regions. It was transcribed by them from scattered phrases within a pile of books.

Thinking of the ten or so pages they copied down, he asked, "Do you wish to try the human inoculation method first?"

The book indeed mentioned once or twice that cowpox was safer than human smallpox, but compared to the detailed human smallpox method, the cowpox method was truly just a few words, appearing only when compared, without specific comparisons, merely saying cowpox is safer, less toxic, and easier to cultivate...

Whether Manbao was worried, Bai Shan didn’t know; he certainly was. How could they search based on scant phrases?

Bai Dalang casually asked what inoculation was, then grew increasingly serious, finally exclaiming, "If successful, this would be a boundless good deed."

He was tempted, but after some excitement, he suppressed the thought.

If Manbao and his cousin went to the Western Regions, his foolish little brother would surely go too. With only two brothers in their family, joining them would seem inappropriate.

So Bai Dalang sighed at last and asked, "How do you plan to go? Have you figured out where the method originated? Weren’t you thinking about going to Gaochang? Is it far from there?"

Bai Erlang stared at Bai Shan and Zhou Man. Other people might not know, but he surely did. The inoculation method wasn’t something they heard about after arriving in Xiazhou; clearly, it was copied from some book while in the capital, he had seen the draft!

Wait, from what book did they copy it?

No matter, with Zhou Man owning so many medical books, who knows where they copied it from?

Bai Shan braced himself under their gazes and said, "As luck would have it, it seems to have originated from somewhere around Gaochang."

Even Bai Dalang couldn’t help but look at them suspiciously, "That’s such a coincidence?"

Bai Shan and Manbao both nodded, then looked at Bai Erlang.

Under their gazes, Bai Erlang had to nod, pouting, "Isn’t it? Quite a coincidence."

Bai Dalang: "...Alright, as long as you can back it up."

Yin Huo on the side seemed thoughtful.