Chickenpox today was not as dangerous as it had been in ancient times. First, children were vaccinated at the age of three or four. Second, with Zhu Yanyi present, it was virtually impossible for children in Ganshan Village to die from the disease.
"Actually, I find it strange," Zhu Yanyi said. "We haven't seen chickenpox for many years. Why is it appearing now, especially in such hot weather?"
Anyone with basic knowledge knew that bacteria thrived less in extreme heat. The fierce sun killed many germs. It was no wonder Zhu Yanyi was puzzled that the disease appeared under these conditions.
"Should we send someone to investigate the details?" Qi Jizong suggested.
Zhu Yanyi turned to Pei Tiandu beside her. "Brother Pei, please go check if children in nearby villages have chickenpox."
"Understood." Pei Tiandu left immediately without hesitation.
"Ani, it’s just a minor chickenpox. Are you afraid?" Xie Zhong looked at Zhu Yanyi’s furrowed brows and felt a pang of sympathy.
Zhu Yanyi shook her head slightly. "No, I’m not afraid. I feel like I’m missing something." She tapped her head lightly. "My brain is silly. It forgets important things but remembers useless ones."
"What nonsense are you talking?" Xie Zhong laughed, amused.
"Ani! Ani!"
Before they could continue, Zhu Shun Yao’s urgent voice rang out. Zhu Lei Yao followed closely behind. A bad feeling rose in Zhu Yanyi’s chest. She walked out to meet them.
"Father, what happened? Why are you so panicked?" she asked.
"Your Uncle Lei Yao just returned from Niou’ou Village. He heard four children there have developed chickenpox," Zhu Shun Yao said directly.
"That’s right. I went to discuss next season’s seeds, but heard about the sick children. I was glad our village was safe. But when I returned, I heard about the Zhang family girl. So I came to find you. Why does chickenpox appear in this season? Usually, it happens in winter-spring or autumn-winter when the weather is unstable," Lei Yao said, looking confused.
Zhu Yanyi paused, then nodded. "That’s it! I knew I forgot something. Chickenpox usually spreads when temperatures are mild and stable, allowing bacteria to grow. Why is it happening in this scorching heat?"
She seemed to understand more now. "Brother Luo, you, Brother Wang, and Sister Qin, go investigate. Find out which other villages have sick children, besides Niou’ou Village. Also, find out where these children have been. My intuition tells me this investigation might reveal something bigger. Please be careful and stay safe."
"Understood. We will investigate immediately," Luo Gang replied and led his team out.
"I’ll prepare some medicine. Regardless of how many people are sick, it’s better to be prepared," Zhu Yanyi said, turning to her work. If people were sick, they would likely come to her for help.
Zhu Shun Yao and the others did not stop her, knowing she was doing important work. At that moment, Yan Aohan returned hurriedly after receiving some information.