Chapter 480: Chapter 480
The flood had destroyed people’s homes, and it took over two months. Many cattle and sheep perished, and even after the floodwaters receded, one had to constantly guard against an epidemic. Therefore, Tangyuan particularly reminded Rong Heng to be wary of the rampant disease. All carcasses (including humans, livestock, and poultry) were best incinerated, but the people of this era found it hard to accept such practices, so they could only resort to deep burial. However, Tangyuan was also concerned about the quality of groundwater from deep burials. Shallow burial was not an option either, as it could lead to the spread of viruses. After careful consideration, it was decided that while deep burial was necessary, any food that passed through one’s mouth had to be thoroughly cooked, and water must be boiled before drinking to eliminate the possibility of consuming anything raw.
Yet, Tangyuan had still underestimated the poor living habits of the people at that time. Her worry was that the flood would carry the bacteria from dead livestock and garbage into every corner of people’s lives. Although the government publicized prevention measures, the local people did not adopt them; some even thought this was making a big deal out of nothing. It wasn’t until a small group of people started showing symptoms of the epidemic that panic began to set in. The source of thɪs content is novèlfire.net
"How did you know that an epidemic would break out after the flood?"
Qingfeng Mingyue was shocked by her quick response, but Tangyuan replied, "It’s not that I knew, it’s that you hadn’t noticed the relevant information."
"Actually, if you just look up some historical records following floods, you’ll find that epidemics always follow floods. This is not baseless speculation; it’s well-documented."
"Is it because of those dead people, livestock, and poultry?"
Tangyuan nodded, "That’s part of it, but mainly it’s because people’s resistance to germs decreases due to drastic changes in lifestyle while dealing with natural disasters. Famine, scarcity of drinking water, and so on can diminish the immunity of affected populations, making them susceptible to germs and causing widespread outbreaks of epidemics or infectious diseases. Additionally, floods typically occur during seasons with high rainfall, and these seasons usually have stronger air circulation, which facilitates a wide transmission range and fast spread of germs, further contributing to the outbreak of epidemics or contagious diseases."
Whenever Qingfeng or Ming Yue didn’t understand some professional terminology, they would point it out, and Tangyuan would translate and explain it for them. After listening to her, they were once again deeply overwhelmed. What particularly shook them was that after the epidemic broke out, Tangyuan was not at all anxious, but instead set down in writing various methods for treating and preventing the epidemic, including prescriptions. When these documents reached Rong Heng’s hands, he couldn’t help but blurt out.
"Who exactly are you? And where did you learn all this? As far as I know, no teacher was ever hired for you when you were in the women’s quarters, meaning you never had formal education. It’s even more unlikely for you to have such good handwriting. A woman who has been sheltered all her life could not possibly have such a wealth of life experiences or knowledge in dealing with natural disasters, let alone experience in farming or irrigation. So, have you thought about how you’re going to answer me?"
The corners of Tangyuan’s mouth revealed a helpless smile, "I am not Yuan Yuan; I am Tangyuan, you already know this, right? As for these matters, I can tell you responsibly that I indeed learned them from books. As for reading and writing, do you think that if the Yuan Family doesn’t hire someone, I can’t learn on my own? Couldn’t I hire someone myself? Though they deliberately ignored me in terms of education and upbringing and specifically raised me to be the way I am today, what do you think their reasoning was?"