Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Before long, he had dug a dozen holes in the pit. He found the mouse hole, but there was no worm. He did find the wormâs excrement was in the mouse hole mixed in the soil.
If one didnât look carefully, it could easily be overlooked. In fact, even a sensible person would not see if they didnât what they were looking for in advance.
Wang Yao was now almost certain that Professor Linâs guess was correct. Some of the mice did have some special relationship with the worms. He was very eager to follow these mice holes.
He dug in four places and found mouse holes everywhere. It was like a line connecting the different locations.
While he was engaged in his task, he heard someone shout, âXiao Yao, what are you doing? Come out!â
He looked toward the direction of the sound and found someone was outside the death of place. It was Wang Fengming. âUncle, why are you here?â
âI came over to have a look,â Wang Fengming anxiously said. âI was afraid that something would come over again and be infected. I saw that the pit was deep. I was very worried. I didnât expect you to be here. Come out, it is dangerous!â
âOh.â Wang Yao came out.
âHurry and pat the dirt on your body, then go back to take a bath,â Wang Fengming said.
âNo worries, I am fine,â Wang Yao said. âI am not afraid of this thing. Did you drink the medicine earlier?â
âYes,â Wang Fengming said. âDonât stay here. No should come up. I even feel strange and scared when I stand here.â
âOK, letâs go.â Wang Yao accompanied him down the mountain.
âWhat are you looking for?â Wang Fengming asked.
âIâm looking for what is going on below. Iâm trying to figure out why these pieces of grass are not growing,â Wang Yao said.
âHave you found the reason?â Wang Fengming asked.
âYes,â Wang Yao said.
âWhy?â Wang Fengming asked.
âMice. And, there are special worms, which I burned. The mouse did not die,â Wang Yao said.
âThatâs easy. Go back and find some rat poison. Then, just sprinkle it on these areas,â Wang Fengming said.
âOK,â Wang Yao said.
As they parted ways, Wang Fengming said, âIf you feel any uncomfortable, go to the hospital early.â
âI see. Did you forgot that I am a pharmacist?â Wang Yao asked.
âI know. Just donât be so rash,â Wang Fengming said.
Wang Yao returned home with a shovel.
âWhat are you doing?â his mother asked.
âDigging for treasure.â Wang Yao smiled.
âDid you find some?â she asked.
âI really did,â Wang Yao said.
After making a few jokes with his mother, Wang Yao entered the room. He did not have much dust on his body. When he was on the mountain, he was surrounded by an invisible wall of Qi, which kept the dust off him.
âYour sister and brother-in-law will come back tonight,â Zhang Xiuying said.
âReally?â Wang Yao was surprised.
During the period of martial law, Wang Ru was particularly anxious. She made several phone calls to her family every day. She was worried that something was going wrong at home. She wanted to come back but was refused by Zhang Xiuying and Wang Fenghua. She came back after the martial law had been just lifted. After only a few days away, she was already missing her family.
âWhat do I need to do?â Wang Yao asked.
âNothing. I bought everything in need,â Zhang Xiuying said.
âThen, I will give you a hand preparing dinner,â Wang Yao said.
âNo, thatâs OK. You just get some rest,â his mother said.
Du Mingyang and Wang Ru arrived around 5 p.m.
âUncle, aunt, Xiaoyao.â Du Mingyang pleasantly greeted everyone.
âCome on, come in quickly. Every time you come with so many gifts. Since we are almost family, you donât have to be so polite,â Zhang Xiuying said with a smile.
âDad, Mom, how are you?â Wang Ru asked.
âThey must be fine since I am here,â Wang Yao said.
âTake a seat in the room. Xiaoru, come to help me,â Zhang Xiuying said.
The three men sat in the room and drank good tea. Wang Fenghua and Du Mingyang were both smokers, but, this time, Du Mingyang did not smoke.
âWhy donât you smoke?â Wang Fenghua was somewhat curious.
âHey, I quit smoking because Xiaoru doesnât like the smell,â Du Mingyang said.
Wang Yao smiled. He was happy for his sister. It reflected that his future brother-in-law loved his sister very much.
The women were talking in the kitchen while they prepared the meal.
âAre you getting used to living with him?â Zhang Xiuying asked.
âItâs OK,â Wang Ru said.
âHow does he treat you?â Zhang Xiuying asked.
âGood,â Wang Ru said.
âOh, thatâs good!â Zhang Xiuying smiled. Parents hoped that their children would have a good marriage and be comfortable. After all, marriage was a lifelong matter. âWhen are you going to have children?â
âDepends on god,â Wang Ru said.
The meal was soon ready. They all sat and ate happily together. Wang Yao even drank a few glasses of wine.
âDo you still go up the mountain at night?â Wang Ru asked.
âYes,â Wang Yao said.
âTomorrow, I will take your brother-in-law to go and see,â Wang Ru said.
âOK,â Wang Yao said.
That night, Wang Yao went up the mountain very late. He went to sleep shortly after arriving.
The next day, Du Mingyang and Wang Ru did not go up the mountain because Wang Yao came down early. There was a friend at the clinic.
âMr. Sang, why have you come here?â Wang Yao asked.
Sang Guzi was with a man in his 30s, looked very handsome and seemed to be a student.
âIâm going to Ji for business, so I thought Iâd pop into see you. I heard that a terrible disease just erupted here not long ago. Is it still under martial law?â he asked.
âOh, now itâs over,â Wang Yao said.
âThis is my son, Sang Jimin,â Sang Guzi said.
âHello!â Wang Yao was a little surprised. He knew Sang Guzi was in his 70s, so he figured he would have much older son.
âHello, Dr. Wang, I have heard about you since you are so famous,â San Jimin said.
âI donât know about being so famous,â Wang Yao said. âDo you need to rush off soon?â
âNope,â Sang Guzi said.
âThen, how about staying to have a meal?â Wang Yao asked.
âGood,â Sang Guzi said.
The three people continued talking in the clinic. It inevitably led to discussing the disease since they were all medicine practitioners. They were naturally concerned about this kind of thing, especially Sang Jimin.
âThe microorganism has never appeared before?â he asked.
âYes. It is a pathogen that has never been recorded,â Wang Yao said.
âThe bug is a variant of mole cricket, really?â Sang Jimin was shocked.
âWell, I asked someone to go to Jing to find an expert in the research of insects. That was his finding,â Wang Yao said.
Sang Jimin asked a lot of questions. âDoes the disease attack quickly?â
âVery quickly. The poison goes into the viscera, and people will lose consciousness and go mad,â Wang Yao said.
âWhat medicine can cure it?â Sang Jimin asked.
Wang Yao also told him the prescription. There was no need to keep it confidential.
âI never knew that foxtail had such a role,â Sang Jimin said.
When they are talking, someone started knocking on the door.
âPlease come in,â Wang Yao said.
It was Wu Tongxing from Jing. âHello, Dr. Wang, and you are Mr. Sang.â
âHello, Secretary Wu,â Sang Guzi said.
âHey, you donât have to be so polite. Call me Tongxing or Xiaowu,â Wu Tongxing said.
âPlease sit down and have some tea.â Wang Yao poured him a glass of water. âIs there something I can help with?â
âOh, itâs my fatherâs illness,â Wu Tongxing said.
âIs it unstable?â Wang Yao asked.
âItâs still stable. He said his chest began to hurt so bad that he could not rest well at night,â Wu Tongxing said.
âThat is normal. After all, it is that kind of disease,â Wang Yao said. âWhy donât you come back again in two days. I will give you a medicine that can relieve pain.â
âOK, then sorry to bother you,â Wu Tongxing said.
Wu Tongxing stayed around 20 minutes and left.
âHim coming here is beyond my expectations,â Sang Guzi said.
âDad, who is this director?â Sang Jimin said.
âHe is from the family of Wu in Jing, who is handling the power of the National Security Supervision Department,â Sang Guzi said.