The commotion outside the courtyard had also alerted the elderly Madam Yan. She was still tidying up clothes for Yan Liangfei and couldn't spare any attention until she stepped out of the room Zhang Yang had occupied the previous night, just as she ran into him.

Zhang Yang helped the elder woman out of the house. In the courtyard, Tang Xiaolan had already opened the main gate. A burly farmer was carrying a child into the yard, and beside this sturdy man stood a woman constantly wiping her tears, along with an anxious old man whose face was etched with worry.

This old man was the Old Man Sun that Tang Xiaolan had mentioned, from the east side of the village. It seemed his child had fallen gravely ill, and he had come to the Yan family seeking medical help.

“Madam Yan, is your mother still inside? Quickly, ask her to come out and save my child!” The old man clutched Tang Xiaolan, his eyes bloodshot with desperation.

Tang Xiaolan was suddenly at a loss, unsure of what to do. She turned around and saw Zhang Yang escorting the elder woman out. She hurried to say, “Mother, please come take a look! What illness has afflicted the Sun family’s child!”

Madam Yan saw that the ailing child was Old Man Sun’s beloved grandson and quickly instructed, “Xiaolan, don't let the child freeze; bring him inside first.”

The burly farmer, hearing Madam Yan’s command, didn't argue further. He carried the child toward the house, saying as he went, “Aunt Guozhi, you absolutely must save our Gouzi! I’ve already taken him to the hospital in our county seat, but the doctor there said he couldn’t be cured, and they wouldn't even let me take my boy elsewhere for treatment! We’re truly out of options now, Aunt Guozhi, you can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

After the man finished speaking, the old man beside him quickly added, “Yes, Fei’er’s grandmother, though the old doctor of the Yan family has passed, you were once a famous doctor at our North Suburb County Hospital! We beg you, please save our grandson!”

“Let’s get inside first and see what ails the child.”

Saving a life was paramount. Madam Yan said nothing more, only allowing Tang Xiaolan to lead the Sun family inside. Since the room Zhang Yang had stayed in the previous night was the closest, the child was placed there.

Madam Yan spared a slightly apologetic glance for Zhang Yang over this arrangement, but Zhang Yang simply shook his head, indicating he didn't mind at all.

Lightning and Shadow, the two little ones, were already awake. They stared wide-eyed at the sudden influx of people, still unsure what was happening.

Once the child was settled on the bed, Madam Yan’s gaze turned to Zhang Yang. This prompted the three members of the Sun family to look at Zhang Yang blankly, unable to comprehend why Madam Yan would focus on such a young man.

Only Zhang Yang understood Madam Yan’s intention: she wanted him to help treat the child.

Zhang Yang walked over, intending to examine the boy’s condition, but he was blocked by the burly farmer.

“What are you doing! Stay away from my child!” The man looked at Zhang Yang with intense vigilance, positioning himself in front of him, absolutely refusing to let him near his child.

“Exactly! You, young man, don’t meddle in such a grave matter concerning life and death!” the old man chimed in, shouting loudly!

“What are you yelling about!” Madam Yan was instantly enraged to hear Old Man Sun and the farmer speaking to her benefactor in such a manner. She declared loudly, “If even the county hospital won't take on your child’s illness, then the only person who can save your child is the one standing right before you!”

When Madam Yan was at the doorway, she had overheard that even the county hospital refused to admit the child. She knew immediately that the illness could not be ordinary. Although she had been a doctor at the county hospital in her earlier years, she had resigned after marrying into the Yan family to dedicate herself to caring for the men of the house. Her medical skills had grown rusty long ago. However, with someone like Zhang Yang, a descendant of the medical sage Zhang family, here, she felt secure in allowing the Sun family to bring the child in, because she knew precisely who could save this boy.

“What!!!”

Upon hearing Madam Yan’s statement, the Sun family members’ eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at Zhang Yang.

The Yan family was a highly respected traditional Chinese medicine lineage in North Suburb County. Many villagers preferred seeking remedies from the Yan family rather than the county hospital, partly due to expense, but often because they faced condescending looks from the county doctors. Thus, people in the vicinity still favored consulting the Yan family, though this practice had gradually diminished after Yan Liangfei’s grandfather and father passed away. Now, however, Madam Yan was placing such faith in a young man, which the Sun family found utterly unacceptable.

“Fei’er’s grandmother, this is our precious grandson! You, you mustn’t be reckless!” Old Man Sun looked at Madam Yan, still struggling to believe what he heard.

“The one who can save your grandson is him!” Madam Yan stared directly into Old Man Sun’s eyes and stated with absolute certainty, her tone brooking no argument.

Old Man Sun met Madam Yan’s gaze for a few seconds, then grit his teeth fiercely, turned, and ordered the burly man, “Er Dan, move aside for that young master!”

Hearing his father’s command, the farmer, whose name was Er Dan, scratched his head, reluctantly making way.

Saving the patient was crucial. Zhang Yang couldn’t afford to quibble with the villager. He strode to the bedside and meticulously examined the child.

The child appeared outwardly fine, yet his breathing was shallow, and his body was ice-cold, though beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Zhang Yang frowned, then quickly unbuttoned his clothes. Despite being layered with garments, the child remained frigid, yet his inner shirt was slightly damp, clearly from the perspiration.

Zhang Yang’s focus shifted to his face, specifically beneath his ears, where he saw a dense patch of small, red bumps resembling goosebumps. He instantly startled, quickly flipping the child to the other side. On the other half of the face, beneath the ear, he found an identical patch of red bumps.

The cause of the illness was here. Zhang Yang straightened up, a confident smile forming on his face. He was certain he could treat this child’s ailment.

“How is my Gouzi!” Seeing Zhang Yang smile, the sturdy man felt a surge of hope and asked anxiously, even forgetting that he had just moments ago prevented Zhang Yang from approaching his child.

Zhang Yang did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked below the ears of the farmer. He noticed a similar patch of red rash there too, though less pronounced than the child’s. Then, Zhang Yang scanned Old Man Sun and the woman; neither of their faces bore this rash.

This child was clearly suffering from an extremely contagious disease. Even a slight mistake could trigger an epidemic.

“When did your child’s illness begin?” After surveying the scene, Zhang Yang looked toward the farmer and asked, “And before this, did you eat anything unclean?”

The farmer replied nervously, “It was last night. After finishing my work in the fields, my Gouzi called me home for dinner. On the way back, my Gouzi found a dead wild pheasant—it must have fled the mountain after the fire on Yanming Mountain broke out. My Gouzi insisted I roast it for him to eat. Since it was still early, I roasted that pheasant.”

As expected!

After hearing this, Zhang Yang was certain. The Sun family child was infected with a pathogen from eating that wild pheasant, and if the condition was not managed properly, it could easily cause an epidemic in the North Suburb area. Fortunately, only the father and son in the Sun family exhibited symptoms, and it hadn't been long; the condition wasn't severe, nor had it spread. Treatment was possible.

“Bring paper and a brush,” Zhang Yang instructed immediately.

Hearing Zhang Yang’s request, as Tang Xiaolan turned to fetch the writing materials, Lightning and Shadow, who had been observing from the side, slipped down from the table. Each carrying a writing implement—one a brush, the other paper—they scurried to Zhang Yang’s side.

The performance of these two little creatures once again stunned everyone in the room, especially the Sun family. They had never witnessed such intelligent, perceptive wild beasts; their mouths hung open, unable to believe their eyes.

Zhang Yang took the paper and brush and immediately wrote out a prescription. He handed it to Madam Yan, saying, “Prepare medicine according to this formula. The herbs listed here are common; the Yan family should have them, correct?”

The elder woman took the prescription, glanced at it, and immediately nodded, saying, “Yes, yes, I will fetch the herbs and prepare the decoction right away.”

“Mother, let me,” Tang Xiaolan said, stepping forward when she saw the elder woman accept the prescription. Madam Yan smoothly handed the paper to her, not forgetting to caution, “Be extremely careful, don’t lose this prescription.”

“Can my boy be saved?” Seeing the situation unfold, the burly man realized his child had hope, and a look of joy instantly spread across his face.

Zhang Yang nodded, then said to the farmer, “This medicine isn't just for your child; you must take it as well.”