The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 709 - 698: Poaching

Chapter 709: Chapter 698: Poaching

Apart from taking a fifteen-minute break to wash their hands and eat lunch, the doctors virtually had no rest, tending to patients the whole time. Despite that, the line in front of the medical tent didn’t seem to shrink; no sooner had they seen one patient than another would join the queue.

Manbao’s pace was slower than Doctor Ji and the others, not only because of her experience but also because she particularly liked to administer acupuncture to patients.

If someone needed special attention, she would bring them into the medical tent, have them undress for the procedure, and if it was possible to only needle the arms and legs, especially just the wrists, she would do so once they agreed, and then have them wait to the side.

In fact, the women seeking treatment didn’t have such high demands, and thus were willing to bare their arms since their clothes were already ragged.

As a result, they didn’t leave after Doctor Zhou had given them acupuncture, nor did they vie for the few available stools; they simply sat down on the ground nearby.

And Manbao’s tent was the most secluded, with a row of open ground to the left, beyond which was the queue for collecting medicine.

So, as Manbao ate the lunch brought by the County Governmental Office, quite a few women with needles still in them sat down next to her.

With her meal in hand, Manbao sat beside them and asked, "What are you having for lunch?"

A woman smiled and replied, "Some kind-hearted folks have set up a porridge stall not far from the city gate. After we pick up our medicine, we’ll go there to get a bowl of porridge. Even if that’s not an option, we still have a handful of rice at home."

Manbao nodded in relief and said, "Many ailments stem from not eating enough or not eating well, so when you go back, you don’t need to eat a lot, but it’s best to have three regular meals a day. Medicine can cure diseases, but the body needs grains to thrive."

"Little doctor, you speak the truth. Those who are free of sickness and disaster, well, their homes certainly aren’t lacking in food," another woman added.

Yet another woman, close to tears, said, "To have a full belly, it’s not that easy. Without land, the best we can do is wash clothes for others. Even when our men work themselves to the bone during the busy spring season, it’s only enough to keep us from starvation."

Manbao inquired, "Didn’t County Magistrate Tang allocate land to you all?"

Wiping away tears, the woman responded, "We registered late, and by our turn, there was none left."

Stunned, Manbao blurted out, "Then, what will you do?"

Looking around and judging that Manbao seemed kind-hearted, the woman lowered her voice and said, "We’ve confided in you, little doctor, please don’t spread this around."

Manbao nodded.

The woman whispered, "We plan to get our treatment, take the medicine, accept the charity of the porridge givers, and then relocate, leaving behind our registration."

So, they were to become refugees again.

Internally sympathizing with County Magistrate Tang for a moment, Manbao then quietly asked, "Have you decided where you will go?"

"We’ll head north. It’s closer to the capital, the place is more spacious, and there are many nobles. Maybe we’ll encounter some kind-hearted people again. After the New Year, when things have quieted down, we’ll come back."

Manbao: "... You’re planning to return?"

"Of course, we have to. Our ancestors were from Yizhou, and we’re most familiar with this area. Away from home, one is undervalued, and though we don’t have land for now, back here at least we have kin. People help each other out, and during tough times, we can still survive," the woman explained. "Besides, maybe next time County Magistrate Tang has wasteland available, we might get a share?"

Unable to help herself, Manbao gave her a thumbs-up.

The woman smiled until her eyes squinted, "Little doctor, you think our plan is good, don’t you?"

Manbao asked, "Is that what all the people who didn’t get land are thinking?"

"More or less, though some can’t bear to leave," the woman replied. "After all, County Magistrate Tang said that for the first two years, registered refugees don’t have to pay taxes, but it’s still uncertain whether we’ll get land after those two years."

"Haven’t you considered claiming a piece of wilderness land for yourselves?"

"Ah, it’s not that easy," the patients chimed in, "The wildlands, though barren, may actually belong to some noble’s estate. I had a great-aunt whose brother-in-law’s nephew was killed for cultivating just over three points of wildland at the foot of Dafu Mountain."

"Dafu Mountain was full of mixed trees, and no one ever mentioned it belonging to a certain family before. Who would’ve thought it was privately owned? So his death was in vain. His family couldn’t even dare to report it to the authorities; they just wrapped the body in a straw mat and buried it. His kin were almost crying themselves to death."

Aghast, Manbao asked, "Who owns Dafu Mountain? Even if they cultivated the wilderness, they could have just been chased off. Was there really a need to kill?"

"It’s said to be the land of a high-ranking official, someone who serves in the prince’s palace. Think about it, who is the prince? That’s the dragon’s offspring. Anyone serving alongside a dragon’s offspring is surely a high official. Who’d dare offend him?"

Manbao fell silent, mulling it over for a while before saying, "You might consider traveling together to Luojiang County to see for yourselves."

"Luojiang County?"

Manbao nodded, also looking around nervously. No longer naive, she knew the importance of the population to a county, an official, and so she felt a bit guilty. But seeing that only her patients were around, she whispered, "I’m from Luojiang County. Our County Magistrate Yang is very good at settling refugees. Although our place is remote, with more hills than fertile land, the population is small. If you go there, I can’t promise you twenty or thirty mu of land, but plots of five or ten mu shouldn’t be scarce. And County Magistrate Yang is kind-hearted; he also likes to exempt refugees from taxes. You might be able to settle down there."

The patients around her remained silent.

Manbao continued, "Though Luojiang County isn’t as prosperous as Yizhou, it’s stable. And the distance isn’t far. Even on foot, it only takes two days to get there. During festivals, if you want to come back for visits, it’s just a two-day journey. If you’re willing to spend money, for a few dozen wen, you can hitch a ride with a passing merchant’s caravan and be back in a day."

A few of the women were tempted and couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, "Is your county’s magistrate really that good?"

Manbao nodded and whispered, "Even better than County Magistrate Tang."

Several patients who didn’t get land were stirred by her words, exchanging glances before looking away.

They had been fleeing calamities for three years, escaping to distant lands and then returning home after much effort. They hadn’t encountered many officials, but they could sense where the good officials were, and where they were not so good.

In their eyes, County Magistrate Tang was already a fine official.

Yet, there were officials even better than County Magistrate Tang...

They were somewhat skeptical, "You’re not deceiving us, little doctor?"

Manbao replied, "What would I gain from deceiving you?"

Indeed, what could she gain from deceiving them?

Invigorated, they changed the subject, "Little doctor, can you cure my ailment?"

"Yes, just take your medicine on time and get plenty of rest, and you’ll recover," she affirmed.

The patient smiled happily upon hearing this.

Indeed, Teacher Mo was right, psychological comfort is also crucial for patients.

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