Chapter 183: Chapter 183
Chapter 183
Seeing the young boy’s face contorted as if he had witnessed a horrible scene in his imagination, Yueqian sighed softly. If she hadn’t found him first, who knows how far the epidemic would have spread by now? She believed that this boy wasn’t the only one sent here. The changes in Red Earth City had made the surrounding tribes feel unsafe.
In the current situation, Yueqian couldn’t do much. If she had enough herbs, it would be a different story. But if they were scarce, it could lead to war instead.
"Little one, when will you leave my city? I can’t let you wander around after catching you. Also, I must have you searched to see if you’ve stolen any secrets of Red Earth City. After all, your tribe and Red Earth City aren’t allies. Just as you are suspicious of Red Earth City, we are equally suspicious of you."
Yueqian crossed her arms. The boy had no choice. Even if the other party let him return home, wouldn’t that mean bringing disaster to everyone?
The boy furrowed his brows, considering what he could negotiate with her. If he couldn’t, he would have to accept dying here. No matter how they beat him, he wouldn’t return to his homeland now.
"My tribe doesn’t plan to interfere with your city. It’s the people of the Bai Region who want to attack us and take us over."
"Really? Is your tribe so valuable that the Bai Region would go to such lengths?" Yueqian sneered, looking at the boy with disdain.
"What do you mean? I’m just speaking based on past events. The Bai Region is greedy. Didn’t they send 500 soldiers here to find an opportunity to deal with us?" The boy argued further.
"Is that so? That’s what you think," Yueqian sighed, smiling wearily at the thought of people holding such beliefs.
Seeing the beautiful woman in front of him, the young boy raised his eyebrow in confusion. Her demeanor suggested that he was overly confident about the importance of his tribe.
"Well, now that you’re likely infected with the epidemic, I’ll give your strong tribe some face. I’ll inform my husband that you’re here as an envoy, to study how we live. This way, you can see for yourself why the Bai Region wouldn’t be interested in a small, insignificant mountain tribe. Meanwhile, I’ll consider it a charitable act to let you stay and recover before you return. Does that sound good?" Yueqian proposed her opinion.
She didn’t act very friendly, and her tone was laced with a lot of disdain. However, because Yueqian was like this, the young boy from the tribe, who considered her an enemy, found it understandable.
If Yueqian had acted overly affectionate towards him, despite him being there as an enemy, it would have been much stranger.
"Fine, I’ll see what you people are so capable of." Although he was being looked down upon, the boy had no other choice now. He had to follow this formidable woman to receive treatment.
It wasn’t that he really wanted to see what was supposedly great about the Bai Region, Red Earth City, which seemed poor, with weak people foraging in the forest and lacking combat skills. And yes! He didn’t believe there was anything worthy of boasting about here. It was all just a plan to stay for treatment.
Yueqian understood the boy’s thoughts but didn’t care. Treating him wasn’t charity; it was about stopping the spread of the epidemic. At least his tribe would be spared and wouldn’t become a burden to Red Earth City. Additionally, Mu Heng’s duties were closely related to these tribes. Having the boy here meant she could learn something from him and showcase the strength of Red Earth City under her and her husband’s rule to the surrounding tribes.
“What’s your name?” A clear voice asked. The boy thought for a moment, realizing that sharing his name wasn’t harmful, so he complied.
“My name is Yapo. And what should I call you?” The little Yapo asked.
“Just call me ‘Governor’s Furen like everyone else. Which tribe are you from?” When Yueqian inquired, Yapo’s expression changed slightly at this question.
"I don’t want to say the name of my tribe," he said seriously, but Yueqian just laughed.
"Is that so? So Yapo from the Kuya tribe doesn’t want anyone to know he’s from the Kuya tribe?" Hearing these words, the boy panicked immediately.
"You, you, how, how do you know this?!" The boy stepped back two paces in shock.
"Don’t you all mark yourselves? What’s the point of those markings if not to let others know which tribe you belong to?" Yueqian raised an eyebrow and pointed to the boy’s upper arm, which bore a symbol of a leaf, a sacred emblem for his people.
The Kuya tribe’s beliefs were not a secret. They revered a sacred tree, believed to give them life. When someone died, their spirit was said to inhabit the tree, becoming a force that protected the Kuya tribe. Yueqian understood this belief well. In her world, even in modern times, such beliefs were still prevalent.
Humans and nature are inseparable. No matter how much time passes, people live and ultimately return to nature.
When Yapo heard what Yueqian said, he then realized. His slender eyes looked at the symbol they took pride in. He was now confused about whether to proudly reveal it or keep it hidden. But ultimately, wasn’t the woman in front of him too knowledgeable?
She even understood the various tribes and their symbols? Actually, these matters were usually the domain of men. If the Governor of Red Earth City had this knowledge, he himself wouldn’t be surprised at all. But why did the person in front of him...
Yueqian no longer paid attention to the child’s thoughts. She turned and led him into the infirmary. There weren’t many people there at the moment. Therefore, when everyone saw Yueqian, they started to put down their tasks, but she told them to continue caring for the other patients. She would take care of Yapo herself.
The boy, lost in his thoughts, soon realized he had entered an unfamiliar place.
This place had a pleasant scent and was quite large. Several vents helped circulate the air, and just being there gave a sense of sanctity.
Even though he was sent to gather intelligence in Red Earth City, Yapo wasn’t tasked with exploring the city. Most of his time here was spent gathering information within the military camp. Of course, Yapo observed that they were constructing residences for newcomers, and the plans he saw were nothing more than for self-defense forces.
Battle plans or even maps of their tribes did not receive much attention. The maps indicated where they were building sturdy wooden fences and which areas had been completed. He learned that Red Earth City wanted to remain independent, avoiding interference from other tribes and discouraging its citizens from meddling with them.
This was good news for his tribe. They could relax knowing Red Earth City wouldn’t start a conflict. With no intentions to fight the Bai Region, they could focus on the surrounding tribes without constantly looking over their shoulders. However, he couldn’t relay this good news to everyone because he had contracted the epidemic, which he considered a major mistake on his part.
"This place is called a hospital. In the future, the people of Red Earth City will come here for treatment at an affordable cost. Even those without money can trade labor after they receive treatment," Yueqian introduced.
Just like when the company opened for recruitment, the welfare of life was also an important factor in making people decide whether to join or not. Therefore, Yueqian planned to show Yapo the benefits of Red Earth City first.
"Hmph, a rotten hospital. At first, you might treat people for free or in exchange for labor, but you don’t understand the real situation. Many people will come for treatment without paying. Do you really think you can handle all that labor?"
"In the future, this hospital will either close down or raise prices and change its policies. It’s all just a scam."
Yapo didn’t believe any of this. Though he was just a young boy, it did not mean that he was not knowledgeable. Ah... saying he was knowledgeable would be incorrect, but he was certainly experienced.
He had traveled to various tribes and entered Red Earth City countless times to gather information on their activities. Whether it was the arrival of a new governor, the departure of an old one, changes in water routes, or anything else, it was he who infiltrated and gathered all that intelligence.
So, he knew exactly how difficult life was in Red Earth City. The population was small, but the land was vast, mostly barren and unusable. It was truly a wasted area. Most people relied on luck to survive, searching for herbs with no certainty of how much they would find. Then, they had to travel to sell these herbs, had to accept being undercut, and then return to buy overpriced food.
And his city with such hardships would have the money for treatment?
Of course not, which meant they would use their labor to pay for treatment. There were no age restrictions either, so this didn’t need to be discussed further.
"Is that so? In the past, labor might have been wasted, but I’ll show you how it won’t be wasted now. As the Governor’s furen, I can’t say I want people to be sick and use their labor to pay for treatment because that would tarnish my reputation. But as an ordinary person, I do want that because what I lack now is labor," Yueqian said with a smile.
She prepared medicine for Yapo. It was a three-day course, so the first day’s medicine was sent to Yapo.
"Drink the medicine. Then I’ll show you the next place," Yueqian ordered. Yapo glanced at the medicine. Seeing it was the same type that the townspeople had been given earlier, he steeled himself and drank it.
"I’ve drunk it," the boy wiped the residue from his lips, trying to hold back his words like a strong man despite the bitterness lingering in his mouth. Yueqian pretended not to notice, not even offering him a sip of water.
Sorry, as an intruder, she wasn’t going to take care of him too well."Drank the medicine? Then use your labor to pay for it," Before Yapo could recover from the bitterness in his mouth, he felt that the bitterness had already seep into his heart!!
