Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1622: Siege Assault, All-Out Attack [4]

However...

"Aunt Xiong reports, Xiong San and Elder Hong were found with small red spots, but haven’t shown symptoms yet. Doctor Lu is using the insect attractant on them. It’ll take another 30 minutes for results, so you don’t need to worry."

"Elder Hong got infected?" Gu Jinli frowned. He’s Hong Dao’s grandfather, and mustn’t fall ill: "Was it his Fortune Pig that caused trouble? Has the pig been checked?"

Elder Hong brought a piglet to the Northwest, initially planning to slaughter it for everyone during the New Year. However, since they stayed at the Gu Family manor during New Year where meat was plentiful, the pig wasn’t slaughtered.

And Elder Hong bonded with the pig over a few months, keeping it as a pet, often hugging it, while the pig liked to scurry around, likely encountering poisonous insects outside.

Gu Jinli said, "Granny Lei, I need to go see Elder Hong, and have him burn that pig."

Ms. Gao Lei said, "Alright, I’ll accompany you."

The group moved to where Elder Hong was staying. By the time they arrived, Doctor Lu had already lured the poisonous insects out of Elder Hong’s body.

Yet, Elder Hong’s pig couldn’t be saved; its belly had bloated, and the poisonous insects had penetrated its organs, causing severe hemorrhaging: "Brother Hong, you have to burn this pig, it can’t be kept."

Elder Hong, shedding tears, said, "It really can’t be cured? I treated it like a grandson for months, raised it this big, it’s such a pity to burn it."

Gu Jinli, just arriving outside the yard, thought: "..."

What you’re saying, I can’t tell if you’re sad about its death or regret its meat going to waste.

"It’s better to burn it, otherwise wasting medicine is one thing, but it’ll leave a place for the poisonous insects to breed. As the insects mature, they’ll harm more people." Doctor Lu’s words frightened the people living with Elder Hong, who advised him, "Elder Hong, burn it, and don’t delay its reincarnation."

Elder Hong, not wanting to endanger everyone, agreed: "...Alright, burn it, just remember to give it a grave, let it leave with dignity."

Doctor Lu said, "Xiong Er, burn it on the spot, and if you see any insects crawling out, make sure to crush them, don’t let a single poisonous insect escape."

Saying this, he went to save Xiong San.

Outside the yard, Ms. Gao Lei said, "Sounds like it’s handled, no need to check. Let’s hurry and make the poison."

"Okay, let’s go." Gu Jinli, hearing that Elder Hong still had the heart to cry over his pig, felt reassured and left directly for the courtyard where she and Ms. Gao Lei resided, to make poison, skipping the medicine storage yard.

Ms. Gao Lei watched her busy, surprised: "You really know how to make medicine."

"Of course, would I deceive you, ma’am?" Gu Jinli said, also stating: "Please leave, this poison needs to be steamed, it’s a bit dangerous."

This time, the poison she made was potent, and after a session of steaming in a sealed jar, it became deadlier, capable of taking lives in an instant, and even she couldn’t stay in the room. After placing the jar on the stove and heating it with a piece of charcoal, she immediately left.

Ms. Gao Lei nodded and hurried out.

Nanny Tao, Xiao Ji, and Jingzi also rushed out, and a few of the attendants stayed with Gu Jinli...The mistress instructed them, that when the lady takes risks, they must accompany her.

Live together, die together.

"Run!" After finishing, Gu Jinli gathered the attendants and ran out of the room, slamming the door shut with a bang, retreating several meters: "The poison will be ready by tomorrow."

Then, these liquid poisons would be mixed with medicine powder, and once scattered, could kill the Rong people!

By now, it was already late night; after the work, Gu Jinli took a medicinal bath to cleanse any poison present on her body, then returned to sleep.

However, she slept fitfully, having a disturbing nightmare, and upon waking, heard the rumbling sound, the Rong people were bombarding the city with Fire Stones again.

Ji Zhenniang, also staying in the yard, heard the noise, and brought Xie Huaihua and Nanny Xie to knock on the door trembling, saying, "Gu Xiaoyu, Gu Xiaoyu are you awake? Can I come in and sleep with you? The Rong people are attacking the city again, I’m scared."

Ji Zhenniang had been nearly terrified out of her mind these days; when the separate yard was found infected with poisonous insect disease, she fainted in fright, luckily crying alone in her room without bothering Gu Jinli.

Gu Jinli said, "Sanqing, open the door and let her in, keep quiet, don’t wake Granny Lei."

"Alright." Sanqing responded and went to let Ji Zhenniang in.

Gu Jinli emerged from the inner room, pointing to the floor outside, said: "Make a pallet here; sleeping in the inner room will wake Granny Lei."

"Yes, yes." Ji Zhenniang was quite afraid of Ms. Gao Lei, who was even more fierce than Gu Jinli, having been scolded harshly, dared not disdain sleeping on the ground. As Nanny Xie and Xie Huaihua set up the pallet, Ji Zhenniang sat on the ground hugging a quilt, listening to the sound of the giant stones hitting outside.

Each hit made her shudder, causing Gu Jinli to twitch her mouth, whispering: "Now you understand the Rong people’s brutality, don’t complain anymore about Company Commander Xie killing, such beasts deserve a thousand cuts."

She further reminded: "Keep hold of the poison I gave you, use it decisively, don’t fumble like last time against bandits, unable even to scatter poison properly."

Ji Zhenniang trembled as she promised: "I, I understand, I’ll definitely use the poison properly."

But...

"Gu Xiaoyu, if the city breaks, can I take poison? Would it be a painful death?"

Having heard the Rong people treat Great Chu women like livestock, she would rather die than suffer humiliation.

Gu Jinli spat contemplating: "Look at you, lacking spirit...If it ever comes to that, you can take it, but remember to scatter poison first, avenge yourself by killing a batch, shouldn’t die in vain, right?"

Boom boom boom~

Another wave of Fire Stone crashing sounds, Ji Zhenniang shivered at the sound, responding: "You’re right, even in death must take a batch, dying in vain is too weak."

Gu Jinli laughed, finally seeing some progress in Ji Zhenniang.

An hour later, the sound of stones pounding against the city walls finally stopped, and after listening for a full 90 minutes, Gu Jinli relaxed...Another feigned attack, the Rong people had been doing this for days.

"Sleep, the Rong people won’t attack the city tonight." Gu Jinli said, returning to the inner room to sleep.

Before dawn the next day, Magistrate Hao arrived hauling wagons of medicinal supplies, stating upon seeing Ms. Gao Lei, "Old Madam Gao, I’ve brought the medicinal supplies you requested, how much insect attractant is ready? I’ll take it all!"

Last night, he personally sent people to notify every household, ensuring everyone checks for small red spots.

Upon receiving news this morning, he was nearly scared out of his wits; the number of infected within the city was far higher than anticipated.

Some households were unbeknownst of the infection; when officials received no responses to door knocking, they broke in to find bodies devastated by the poisonous insects.

Those bodies were burned on the spot.

During the burning, many poisonous insects crawled out, terrifying the officials.

Ms. Gao Lei intended to save lives, not withholding the medicine from Magistrate Hao and handed over the prepared insect attractant from the medicine storage.

Magistrate Hao immediately hauled it away to save people.

After three days of such busy work, they finally managed to control the poisonous insect disease within the city.

By this time, the Rong people noticed something was amiss. They had released several batches of sparrows, expecting chaos within Xing’an Prefecture due to the outbreak of the poisonous insect disease, but the soldiers on the city walls hadn’t diminished, nor have they heard any uproar within from the Great Chu commoners frightened by the poisonous insects?