Finding the Source of the Disease

The fear of smallpox was deeply ingrained in people's hearts, and it wasn't something Chu Qingzhi could easily dispel with just a few words. Shopkeeper Zhu, feigning calm, suggested, "Miss Chu, please check if anyone else here has contracted smallpox. Those who are infected should isolate themselves in a corner to avoid spreading the disease to others."

This responsible suggestion from Zhu won Chu Qingzhi's approval. She put on a mask and began checking the pulses of the farm workers one by one.

After her examination, three more individuals were found to be infected. Shopkeeper Zhu instructed them to rest in a separate room and avoid contact with others.

However, the more pressing issue for him was the infected pigs. Nearly a hundred pigs had contracted smallpox, each worth about ten taels of silver, amounting to a loss of a thousand taels.

Shopkeeper Zhu, looking quite dejected, asked Chu Qingzhi, "Miss Chu, can you cure my pigs?"