Liu Family Village is two hours' drive from Yanling Prefecture.

  She calculated in her heart that before they left the house, the mansion had finished having breakfast, and Seventh Young Miss had been busy for half an hour, it must have passed noon.

  They should be able to arrive at noon, delayed for half a time, and should be back in the afternoon around 3 pm.

  If they spur the horses on and shorten the time spent on the road, arrive half an hour earlier, before the afternoon is over, the possibility of being discovered by the lady will be even smaller.

  The groom's whip cracked with greater force.

  The carriage was originally simple and ran very fast, he and Gu Jin were almost scattered.

  When there were still seven or eight villages from Liu Family Village, they had already encountered obstruction.

  The clan leaders of those villages all dispatched strong men to block the main road at the village entrance. It's easy to get in, but impossible to come out.

  So those people stopped Si Lian and Gu Jinzhi, asking them what they were going to do.

  If it's just visiting relatives and friends, hurry back, life is precious.

  "Master, it's easy for us to go in, but we won't be able to come out again." Xi Zhuan was about to cry. "Look at these villagers, they won't listen to reason with you. This is a matter of life and death..."

  "Go and weigh some silver!" Gu Jinzhi said, then turned around and touched the package he had brought with him. Inside, there was a handkerchief wrapped around a full pack of fragmented silver, all in small grains of one or two taels each, totaling seventy or eighty pieces.

  That was the silver that Grandfather usually placed on the bookshelf, five taels a piece, quite a few of them. Gu Jinzhi took all of it and melted it down with tongs himself.

  The official letter arrived.

  Is this Miss Qi's matter like a divine intervention?

  She really made thorough preparations!

  What's going on? The sky is falling over there, and everyone is running away from it...

  "Silver only fears also..." Secretary Zhang hesitated, wanting to retreat.

  "Fool, this piece of silver is enough for the whole peasant family to eat for a month. Give each of them one and let them turn a blind eye. Let's go quickly and come back quickly." Gu Jin said, "Do I have to personally go and bribe them?"

  As she spoke, she was about to get off the bus.

  Xia Zhen hastily stopped her and let out a sigh.

  All the way, he spent all the two packages of silver coins brought by Gu Jinzi.

  Those farmers were easier to talk to than Shi Zhen had imagined.

  Come to think of it, these strong men all have elderly parents and young children at home who need to be supported.

  They came here to defend themselves, and their families only sent them three or five coins a day, or a few kilograms of rice.

  When Cui Zhen takes action, it's always with a handful of silver.

  How can this be free?

  Arriving at Liu Family Village, it became difficult to get some silver coins.

  Liu Family Village was surrounded by strong men from nearby villages, and no one was allowed in or out.

  On his body, Sī Qiān had two five-tael silver ingots, which were given to him by Gu Jǐn before he came. Anyway, this silver would be impossible for him to account for when he returned, so he simply took it out and gave it to the two leading men.

  Those people agreed to let them leave their carriage outside the village, and the two of them walked into the village on foot.

  Gu Jinzhi walked quickly, and Si Lian's footsteps trembled with each step.

  He was very afraid, but he didn't dare lose Gu Jinzhi.

  "Which young master's family is this, coming here to look for fun?" The leading man held a silver ingot and shook his head helplessly, "Isn't this looking for death?"

  "Let them go to their deaths!" Another one put the silver ingots in his bosom, "Where can we go to rob so much money? We won't take it if it's not free, and we'll be careful afterwards. After they leave, let's keep an eye on their cars, walk on the main road, and never come to our village..."

  Their mission is to prevent these plagues from spreading to their own village.

  As for who goes in to die, it has nothing to do with them originally anyway.

  She's just a young girl, delicate and tender-looking, obviously inexperienced in the hardships of life, thinking she can come and watch the excitement without causing any trouble!

  They're all pretty relieved about this.

  People who come along the way probably think so too.

  Because Gu Jinzhi and Si Lian are both young, they look like they don't understand things and don't seem to have any ulterior motives.

  This put the simple farmers at ease about them.

  "These rich families' young masters are all weird. The one who just went in is like a girl..." someone else said.

  Those sturdy men carried wooden sticks, their eyes fixed on the village, but their mouths were chatting idly.

  I happened to take out a pipe and lit it up, taking turns puffing on it with you.

  Gu Jinzhi and Si Lian went in for almost two hours, those strong men were getting restless, asking why they still hadn't come out?

  When they came out, these strong men were somewhat dazed.

  That young master, holding something in his arms that looked like a broken pot, wearing a dirty and smelly garment, was clearly someone who had contracted smallpox from the villagers.

  That attendant cried and followed far behind.

  The followers cried pitifully and shouted "Young Master" all the way, "You've lost your things..."

  "What's going on?" The strong men were all stunned, this was a strange and unusual matter of seeking death.

  "Hurry up and surround them!" The leading man shouted, "This kid is problematic, afraid it's some kind of ghost thing! Hurry up and surround them, can't let them get out."

  They thought Gu Jin was under a spell and his mind wasn't clear.

  A normal person wouldn't dare to do such a thing that leads to self-destruction.

  Why did she have to drag him into this?

  Those strong men did not dare to surround him.

  They are not doctors and do not understand the cause of smallpox, only knowing that most people who contract it will die. Even if they don't die, their appearance is ruined, and going out can scare others to death, being shunned by those around them.

  They don't want to go around!

  "Throw stones!" someone said.

  The people of Liu Village wanted to run out, and they were beaten back with stones.

  That doll looks like it's from a wealthy family, if it gets broken, who's going to be responsible?

  These peasants all make their living by renting land.

  They didn't dare offend the wealthy and noble families easily.

  Those wealthy families can speak in front of the master, one false accusation can make a peasant family broken and ruined. They have some slave nature...

  "Smash, isn't it inappropriate? Who knows what kind of origin it is? What if it's the Taigong Old Master's family, how can we afford it?" Another leading man said with a trembling voice. He himself retreated two steps.

  The people around him all took two steps back.

  Gu Jing took out a large sum of money and handed it over to them, giving them the impression that this child was from a wealthy family and not to be trifled with.

  "Don't panic!" Gu Jinzhi shouted, "If you make a rash move and surround me, I have half a jar of acne pus in my hand, splash it on you, your skin will rot..."

  The guardian of the village shouted loudly, and most people retreated several meters back.

  Everyone is in danger.

  There were still a few who dared to intercept, Gu Jinzhi said: "I have never had the intention of harming people. My family is the one that opened Baicao Hall, and the newly opened Qin's Baicao Hall in Yangling City is my family's. These things, I am taking them back to make medicine. After eating my medicine, you will never contract this disease again in your lifetime."

  A low murmur emerged from the crowd, it was unclear whether it was surprise or suspicion.

  "Didn't the old man on Zhuangzi say that a lifetime of heavenly flowers only bloom once? Once it's over, they'll never appear again?" Gu Jinzhi continued, "Don't worry, this illness isn't so scary. I'll head straight back to the city and won't stop at any manor..."

  The crowd completely dispersed.

  Tears blurred her vision and covered her face.

  He has given up hope.

  After going back, it's definitely going to be a dead end.

  Miss Qi feared she wouldn't survive either.

  Others would contract the disease just by being near someone with smallpox. But Seventh Sister not only used a handkerchief to wipe up the pus from someone's half-dead body, carefully storing it in a jar, she also took off the clothes of someone whose entire body was covered in suppurating sores and put them on herself...

  She's done for.

  Sai Zhan has been lingering in Zhuangzi for so long and now he's going to rush back to send Seventh Young Miss back, he's done for!

  "Go, go home!" Gu Jinzi got on the carriage by herself. Those strong men kept a distance from them and refused to get close again, each one being cautious. Si Lian's legs were weak and she sat down beside the carriage on the ground.

  Gu Jinzhi called out to him.

  He wiped away his tears and got up to drive.

  On the road, Gu Jingzhou said to him: "I say you're fine, and you'll be fine! When Miss Hu Taiguo was about to die, it was me who saved her. Have you heard of that?"

  Xie Yan's heart skipped a beat as an endless desire to survive surged up: "Seventh Miss..."

  "You won't be in trouble!" Gu Jinzhi said with a smile, "If you're still like this and Madam finds out your weakness, whether there's trouble or not, I wouldn't know!"

  The words shocked Si Lian's heart and she didn't dare cry anymore.

  He is calm and thoughtful, after all, just a teenager...

  ——*——*——*——

  Thanks for the rewards from Reiko, Peri, Peri, Youmei and others! Mwah!