(17)
Listening to the non-stop, the wheels are rolling. In the blink of an eye, everyone left their past feelings behind. What kind of picture will be waiting for them ahead?
The foreshadowing of the suburban cremation before passing through, as well as the changes in scenery along the way, should give people an impression of this place where the plague is rumored to be raging. But in fact, no matter whether it is the purgatory on earth recorded in rumors or classics, or the even more lifeless and desolate situation, people will not be able to empathize with it until they see it with their own eyes.
However, in order to keep their yearning for beauty, people will always weave all kinds of beautiful lies into their thoughts, thinking that this can transform the fear from deep inside into another more intriguing emotion. Among them, naturally included those travelers who were rushing to the center of the epidemic.
They exchanged their thoughts on the epidemic with each other, trying to dispel their worries in a few words. But as the scenery on both sides gradually becomes desolate and decadent, no matter how optimistic you are, you can't help but be touched by such a decaying scene.
The hillside in the distance is no longer green, and the layers of bare rock and sand are displayed unevenly, looking like a death row prisoner with half of his hair cut off. And under the hillside, the dry and cracked field ridges glowed with a sad yellow color, reflecting the sparse withered grass next to them, and they were no longer full of life.
The carriage that could have missed all of this is now heading towards a deeper place. Under the sunlight that used to look golden, everything on the road was tainted with a kind of sadness originating from late autumn. It seems to be foretelling: Maybe some things or even people are destined to never return.
After a while, everyone reached the area near Xiahe Town. After hearing the stone archway in front of them with the words "Xiahe Town" engraved on it, what is even more eye-catching is the figure of countless people pushing under the archway. Unable to find any other way to enter the town, Zhao Kuo had no choice but to go and find out.
I saw thirty to fifty strong men each pushing a wooden cart, with a large jar placed on the cart. The expressions on their faces were surprisingly consistent. They all looked at the group of Taoist priests under the archway waving their "magic weapons" with anger and disdain.
"It's these stinky Taoist priests again. They deceived them badly last time!"
"If it weren't for my parents and officials, I would rather not take this life than cut these liars into pieces!"
"Thanks to Dr. Zhang, if it weren't for him, we would still be kept in the dark!"
An altar was set up under the archway, and a large table was covered with a yellow cloth. On the cloth were placed various fruits, meat and poultry for sacrifice, and several unknown tablets of the Celestial Master were placed in the middle. One Taoist priest chants sutras, another Taoist priest rings the bell, and the low-status Taoist priest can only guard the side. Hundreds of believers knelt down and prayed in low voices for the disaster to pass.
When faced with severe plagues or droughts, some people always blame ghosts and gods for inflicting sin on the world, thinking that this is the punishment that mortals deserve. For this reason, I turned to be in awe, followed the old Taoist priests to pray for incense and worship Buddha, praying that the evil spirits would be driven away and the heaven would bring warmth.
Zhao Kuo sighed in his heart, jumped off the carriage, went to find a driver, and asked: "Brother, why are you gathered here?"
The cart driver glanced at Zhao Kuo and saw that he looked like a foreigner. He couldn't help pouring out the bitter water and said: "We, dozens of people, can only push carts and carry water jars in order to supply water to the town." , to transport water to Huansha River more than ten miles away. Unexpectedly, those people who do nothing but kneel down and pray are blocking the way!"
"I heard that Xiahe Town is adjacent to the Yellow River. How can there be a shortage of water?" Zhao Kuo replied.
"It has not rained here for almost a year! The Yellow River has stopped flowing, and the water is full of sand and mud. You can't drink it at all!" The coachman said to himself: "An epidemic started again a few months ago. It is really difficult for the people to live! Let's get off Hezhen has been working hard for generations, and the villagers are simple and enthusiastic, how could they suffer such a disaster... By the way, sir, what are you doing here?"
Faced with the coachman's problem, Zhao Kuo dealt with it hastily and left in order to avoid causing trouble.
When there are natural disasters and man-made disasters, it can be said that disasters never come alone in Xiahe Town. Now that the hundred or so Taoists are blocking the way, we can only watch them mobilize their troops and complete the practice before they can enter the town.
Therefore, Zhao Kuo could only return to the carriage, explain the cause of the incident to his friends, and sit aside to watch what happened.
After seeing those Taoists pranking themselves for a while, a Taoist who seemed to have the longest experience walked to the middle of the altar. After saying some intriguing words, he ordered the path under the altar to distribute the so-called "Wangyou Wine" to the believers. The believers took the wine and drank it in one gulp, thanking the venerable person on the altar one after another.
The old man with black hair and black beard and stern eyebrows responded to the kneeling believers: "Your sincerity will surely move the heavens. I believe that the evil evil sycophants in the town will be eliminated soon!" After saying this, the ritual ceremony began. Finished.
As the cart drivers around them sneered at the believers and cursed the Taoist priests, everyone crossed the archway that was covered with thick dust and looked for traces of "Zhang Yi".
This place is inaccessible, and except for the people who came to town together, it is not very lively. It was clearly when the sun was high in the sky, and the most noticeable sound on the street turned out to be the sound of horse hooves and chariot wheels stepping alternately across the yellow sand.
No ordinary person would live in such a place for long, let alone the poor people who have been in war for years? They have fled every year and have long lost their homes. It is better to go elsewhere than to stay here and wait to die. Therefore, the vast majority of those who are willing to stay are those who have lived here for generations.
Based on her memory, E Feiying walked through two or three street corners, passing large and small closed shops and restaurants, and led everyone to the "Zhang Family Medical Center". Surprisingly, an unusually large number of people gathered in front of this small medical clinic. Most of them looked sick and skinny, and their dry bodies seemed to be broken when they coughed.
The group of people jumped off the carriage one after another, preparing to follow Miss E Wu into the medical clinic to take a look. When the little medicine boy next to him saw someone rashly barging in, he immediately became unhappy and stopped E Feiying from the left and right.
The little girl on the right said timidly. She saw that the opponent was coming fiercely and was carrying two swords, so she only dared to pretend to block him. The little boy on the left looked like a "newborn calf is not afraid of tigers". He pulled on the other person's clothes and hummed: "Where are you from? Don't you see that there are so many people waiting in front of you?"
"I just want to ask where you are from!" E Feiying felt that these boys were overestimating their abilities and said sarcastically: "I want to see Zhang Yi! When I met him, you were probably still in my mother's belly. inside!"
"So... it's a woman? You... stop looking down on people!" The little boy retorted: "How can a person like you who doesn't know where you come from easily meet my master? Besides, there are so many patients waiting to see a doctor now. , if a serious situation arises, can the girl afford it?"
The friends behind her saw that Miss E Wu was so rude to a child, so they tried to dissuade her, otherwise she would be impulsive and get into trouble again.
E Feiying had no choice but to take out the extremely important "blood letter" and claimed that she was here to deliver the letter. When the little medicine boy saw the master's handwriting, he immediately got out of the way and took everyone to the side hall to wait.
The so-called side hall is just an area surrounded by two screens placed in the pharmacy. There was only a low table and a few straw mats inside, which was very simple. Through the gaps between the screens, one can still see patients coming for medical treatment coming and going from the medicine cabinet. They all went to the same room with frowns on their faces. When they came out, most of their worries were gone. They smiled and thanked the boy for taking the medicine and left.
There is a couplet hanging on both sides of the medicine cabinet, which reads, "Advance will save the world, retreat will save the people." Maybe this is the life creed of the owner of the medical clinic, or maybe it's just a show. Anyway, in the eyes of the visitors, anyone who can show mercy and save people at such a time is definitely a noble person!
Everyone who thought they would just wait a short time to see Dr. Zhang did not expect that they actually sat there and waited for several hours, until the sun set over the western mountains, before they could see his true face. During this period, countless patients came and went, making people dizzy and drowsy. What's more, the doctor who is treating and consulting in that room? After thinking about it, no one will be in awe.
