CH 26

Chapter 26: Falling Ill

“You should leave first. I’ll catch up when I’m well again.” Zhuo Zhuo said.

“…”

“Hey, central plains person. Why hasn’t that child gotten up yet.” The others in the caravan, impatient to leave, sent someone over to hasten them. Seeing Jiang Ling standing at the entrance, he went to enter, but was halted by Jiang Ling.

“He seems to have a fever.” Jiang Ling had no choice but to disclose Zhuo Zhuo’s situation.

As if coming face-to-face with a plague god themselves, the man swiftly took a few steps back, even putting some distance between himself and Jiang Ling, before saying, “How unlucky,” and bolting away.

Soon, the uneven tinkling of the camels’ bells sounded. Jiang Ling ran over and stopped them.

“Don’t you care that you’re leaving him behind here?!”

“You deal with him, then. We still have business to take care of, and we don’t want him to spread the disease to all of us.” The caravan’s leader said, “Follow us if you want to leave.”

The leader’s words were not without reason. The whole caravan could not stop for only Zhuo Zhuo, but she also could not leave behind Zhuo Zhuo to follow the others.

Jiang Ling took two steps back to let them pass.

“I didn’t think a central plains person would be so steadfast.” The leader took out a packet of medicine from his supplies and gave it to Jiang Ling, “Take this.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Ling’s eyes followed the caravan as it left the village.

Jiang Ling returned to the inn but found that Zhuo Zhuo was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s the one who was staying in this room?” Jiang Ling asked an assistant.

The assistant did not know how to speak the language of the central plains. With his gestures, he was likely saying that the innkeeper, having learned that someone at the inn was infected with the febrile disease, drove him away.

Jiang Ling hurried out of the inn in search of Zhuo Zhuo. She spotted him near an earthen wall not too far away. He was wearing his face covering and leaning weakly against the wall, his fever high.

With Zhuo Zhuo’s current appearance, it was impossible to find somewhere to stay in Yongquan Village. Jiang Ling found the assistant again and gave him a bit of money to help her put up her tent.

“Zhuo Zhuo, the tent is ready. You should go inside and rest.” Jiang Ling called out to Zhuo Zhuo twice. Zhuo Zhuo was not yet muddled by his fever, so upon hearing Jiang Ling’s words, he trotted over and laid down in the tent.

“Jiang Liu, it’s my fault. I’ve gotten you involved.” Zhuo Zhuo’s voice carried a trace of sobs.

“You should rest well, don’t speak. This illness isn’t life-threatening. We’ll follow the next caravan to the central plains once you’re better.” Jiang Ling said patiently, “I’ll give you some medicine.”

Jiang Ling was absolutely vigilant about the amount of contact she had with Zhuo Zhuo. She always kept her face covering over her face, and when she prepared medicine, she would place it by the front of the tent for Zhuo Zhuo to take on his own.

The medicine that the caravan leader had given her was not in large quantity and ran out in two days. Zhuo Zhuo’s fever came and went, but because there were not any more severe symptoms, the both of them felt quite grateful.

“I’ll go buy you some more medicine.”

Jiang Ling ran around Yongquan Village but could not buy any medicine. The apothecary’s owner told her that the village’s supply of this kind of fever-reducing medication had all been purchased by the apothecary and other citizens of Shahai Village. The Manichaens had also purchased a decent amount. There was not much medicine remaining in Yongquan Village, so if she wanted to buy some, she needed to go to Shahai Village.

Jiang Ling wrapped up her belongings and rode on her camel to Shahai Village.

There was a portion of villagers in Shahai Village that had already recovered from the illness and lived their lives as they normally would. Jiang Ling found the apothecary, but the owner shook his head and said: “All of it was just purchased by the Manichaens.”

The apothecary owner also advised her that, as a citizen of the central plains, she ought to leave the village sooner rather than later. About one month prior, a central plains caravan had not even been in Shahai Village for two days before falling ill and returned without purchasing anything. Jiang Ling felt her heart constrict. She thought that the caravan must have been Shen Xiuqi and the others. If they had only gone to Shahai Village and not Yongquan Village, then their mission was probably in vain.

After a half-a-day’s journey under the blazing sun, Jiang Ling felt hot and uncomfortable. She took a rest and drank some water in a patch of shade.

She sat beneath a tree, thinking of what to do next. She did not know which side the Manicheans that had purchased the medicine were on. If they were He Xi’s people, then she could still have a chance, but if they were Na Cuo’s people, then it would be much more difficult.

Just at that moment, a familiar silhouette appeared before Jiang Ling.

“Na Xin!” Jiang Ling called out joyfully.

Beside Na Xin was a person of Xiyu, a tall, bearded man: Ye Qi.

“Jiang Ling!” The two of them exchanged greetings, unsure of how to speak with each other.

“Isn’t that the Saintess’ little toy boy[1]?” Ye Qi leaned over and asked quietly, his mouth covered.

“Ye Qi, can you speak Han?” Na Xin asked.

“I can.”

With Ye Qi as a translator, the two of them could hold a conversation. Na Xin told her that they had come with the Saintess to help the infected villagers. He Xi had everyone bring all of the infected villagers together near the outskirts of the village so they could be cared for as one group. She remained over there.

Ye Qi and Na Xin had come to purchase medicine together. Hearing that Jiang Ling’s friend was ill, Na Xin gave Jiang Ling some medicine and money, for which Jiang Ling thanked her. Na Xin laughed: “Aside from your sword and the clothes on your back, what item do you have that isn’t the Saintess’.”

Jiang Ling felt embarrassed. She scratched her head, “I have a skillset in the central plains and I can earn a lot of money. Once I do, I’ll repay you all.” Who knew if Wang Tianqi would want an escort that couldn’t even use her sword.

Jiang Ling asked Na Xin not to inform He Xi about her arrival and hurried back to Yongquan Village.

…

“Lady Saintess, Jiang Ling was here just now.” As soon as she returned, Na Xin told He Xi about Jiang Ling.

He Xi put down the medicine that she was holding, “Hasn’t she traveled far away by now?”

“She said that a friend she met along the way fell ill. She stayed behind to take care of him, so she came over to buy some medicine.”

“A friend she met along the way. Could you have someone see who he is?” After personally taking care of her for several days, she felt a strange discomfort in her heart.

“How did she look to you?” He Xi asked.

“Good. She looked healthy.”

After hearing this, He Xi continued what she was doing. Even though the ill had been gathered together and separated from the healthy, sick villagers were still being sent over.

Just what was the source of this illness?

…

Jiang Ling returned to Yongquan Village and prepared some of the medicine for Zhuo Zhuo.

Zhuo Zhuo drank the medicine and said from inside the tent: “You’ve been gone all day. You went to Shahai Village to buy medicine, didn’t you.”

Jiang Ling silently admitted it.

“It’s all my fault. You don’t need to care for me, I might be fine in a few more days. The illness is so powerful. I kept my distance, didn’t encounter anyone sick, and still fell ill.” Zhuo Zhuo blamed himself completely; it was his fault that Jiang Ling left the caravan, and it was his fault that Jiang Ling had to go to Shahai Village.

“I’ll take care of myself, don’t worry. Drink your medicine and get some rest. I’ll go back and sleep.”

Under Jiang Ling’s care, Zhuo Zhuo fully recovered within a week. Jiang Ling had not caught the illness, so the two of them readied their things and waited for the next caravan to take them to the central plains. Zhuo Zhuo ran around to a few places to buy some rations and went to find a well, refilling their canteens with fresh water.

They asked around in the village and learned that trade caravans would pass through the village about every ten to fourteen days, but sometimes they would go to different villages. If they were lucky, they could find a caravan heading to the central plains in two days.

The two of them walked around the village, hoping to find a few small things to bring back to the central plains. Under the relentless sun, Jiang Ling felt dizzy, like she had heatstroke. She had Zhuo Zhuo continue on his own and went back on her own to rest.

After returning to the inn, Jiang Ling had a few gulps of water but did not feel any better. Jiang Ling rubbed her forehead, saying bitterly: “Seems like we won’t be catching this caravan.”

Zhuo Zhuo returned to find Jiang Ling looking ill and felt a sense of alarm. Jiang Ling explained that she had most likely caught the disease, so she had Zhuo Zhuo gather her things together and headed into the tent to rest.

Zhuo Zhuo started to cry out of sadness.

“It’s too tiring taking care of you, how about you take care of me instead.”  Jiang Ling pulled the corners of her lips upward. Her cheeks were unhealthily flushed and sweat gathered at her temples.

“You’re still joking around. Quickly, go lay down. I’ll prepare some medicine for you.” Zhuo Zhuo wiped away his tears, supported Jiang Ling as she laid down, then covered her with a blanket.

As Jiang Ling lay inside the tent, she gazed up at the lightly wobbling canvas above her head as the wind jostled it. The hot air from her exhalations made her screw her eyes shut, her eyes veiled in a sheen of cloudiness.

After drinking the medicine for a few days, Jiang Ling showed no signs of improvement. Soon, she started to sleep longer than she was awake, and Zhuo Zhuo paced anxiously, “Didn’t you say you would be fine after drinking the medicine for a few days? Why are you getting even worse?”

“Cough cough!”

Jiang Ling started coughing that night. Zhuo Zhuo, who was sitting nearby with his legs crossed, dozing off, was awoken by this bout of coughing. Zhuo Zhuo became even more anxious. This was a sign of worsening symptoms. If there was no improvement, then they would be sent off by the villagers to some unknown place, left to be buried in the sand.

At dawn the next day, Zhuo Zhuo ran off to find the doctor so they could attend to Jiang Ling. The doctor was old and immediately refused to treat a patient with this kind of illness.

When Zhuo Zhuo returned, Jiang Ling had already woken up. Seeing Zhuo Zhuo crestfallen face, Jiang Ling wagered that Zhuo Zhuo had been met with rejection. She said, her voice hoarse from the coughing, “Don’t make things difficult for the villagers. I’ll be fine after taking the medicine for a few more days, cough…cough…” After speaking two sentences, Jiang Ling started to cough ceaselessly. She shut her eyes, listless.

Zhuo Zhuo sat beside her quietly, accompanying her.

“Jiang Liu, have you seen the sea?” Zhuo Zhuo suddenly pondered aloud, “My older brother said that the sea was like the desert, that you can’t see the end of it. But the sea is also different from the desert in that instead of sand, the sea is full of water.”

Jiang Ling blearily blinked open her eyes. Her muddled gaze flickered. Zhuo Zhuo knew that she had heard his words. He added, “I never thought that water could be so much like sand. My brother also said that the water was as blue as the sky, that it must contain the heavens.” The youth’s deep green irises flashed with yearning and longing, “Once you are better, we’ll go see the sea together.”

“The sea…” Jiang Ling squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming out of their corners. There was someone else who once said they would go to the sea together.

Jiang Ling’s coughing echoed through the village, making the villagers very dissatisfied. Zhuo Zhuo had no choice but to carry Jiang Ling to the outskirts of the village.

With this tossing about and the exposure to the wind and sun, Jiang Ling’s body could not handle it. Her condition worsened. Zhuo Zhuo could not wake her even after calling several times.

“Jiang Liu, hold on. I’ll go get you a doctor!”

Zhuo Zhuo rushed out into the desert on his camel, heading toward Shahai Village.