Chapter 245: The money's already spent; it's no matter if we lack this

In the evening, Gu Xixi went to find Master Liu.

Master Liu naturally knew about malaria, but this was the first time he heard that eliminating mosquitoes could prevent and treat malaria.

He agreed without hesitation, saying, "Gu Xixi, however much dragon's tongue grass you need, just give it to me; I will surely have it ready by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

As for the subsequent transport, I will also do my utmost to deliver it as soon as possible.

Gu Xixi bowed with clasped hands and said, "Thank you."

She placed down a fifty-tael silver note, paying for the herbs without sparing any expense.

"Liu Xiansheng, take this to buy the herbs; if it's not enough, come back and I'll settle the account."

Master Liu hurriedly declined, saying, "Gu Xixi, you already foresaw this risk for the Northwest Army in advance, sought prescriptions, found solutions, and contributed money and effort; how could I possibly ask you to pay for a mere bit of dragon's tongue grass?"

Gu Xixi replied, "The money has already been spent; it's no matter if this little bit is lacking."

Master Liu still wanted to politely refuse, saying, "Gu Xixi, please don't put me in a difficult position; I'm not paying out of my own pocket—in fact, Commander Mu assigned me this task and had set aside a small fund beforehand……"

He noticed Gu Xixi's expression gradually turning displeased, so sensibly he swallowed the rest of his words and accepted the silver note.

"Then I'll keep it for now, and return any unused amount to you."

Master Liu broke out in a cold sweat, almost forgetting that, in Gu Xixi's presence, he should avoid mentioning that person as much as possible.

Gu Xixi returned to the topic with a calm and pleasant expression.

"Remember, one kind is the prepared herbal mixture, which can be boiled into water for spraying or burning, and has the effect of killing and repelling mosquitoes."

"The second kind is the sewn herbal sachet."

"These are further divided into two sizes, large and small."

"The large sachet is made according to my master's recipe and can be hung in military tents, beside beds, and so on."

"The drawback is that the smell is too strong, making it unsuitable for soldiers to wear."

Master Liu listened attentively, nodding and saying, "Indeed, for reconnaissance, infiltration, ambush and similar operations, if the herbal scent on one's person is too strong, it is easily detected by the enemy."

Gu Xixi said, "So I consulted with my master and changed the formula, replacing it with several kinds of herbs."

"These herbs are not medicinal materials; because they contain mosquito-repelling components, most of them are mildly toxic."

"They must be worn and stored with care to avoid accidental ingestion."

She paused, then said, "Of course, I will also include instructions and taboos in the package."

Master Liu understood, and solemnly said, "Gu Xixi, rest assured; when I send the secret letter, I will certainly repeat your instructions as you said, and I will also admonish the escort personnel to explain everything clearly upon delivery, ensuring nothing goes wrong."

As the sky had just darkened, Master Liu personally saw Gu Xixi off onto the road.

At parting, he bowed with clasped hands, bent his waist, and performed a solemn great salute.

Gu Xixi slightly bowed in return; everything was understood without words.

Master Liu clearly understood that Gu Xixi's preparations were far from being needless worry.

Although he was not versed in medicine, he had thoroughly read historical texts.

The Northwest climate is relatively dry, with frequent cold periods, and historical records of large-scale malaria outbreaks are rare.

But now the army has already left the Northwest and is about to march continuously toward the southeast.

Soldiers accustomed to the Northwest climate, upon reaching a warmer, more humid region, are naturally prone to discomfort from the local water and soil.

Moreover, it is midsummer, with many watery areas in the mountains and fields where mosquitoes rampage, which is quite unlike the Northwest.

Rather than gambling on whether the Northwest Army will contract malaria, it is better to take precautions early.

The next morning, Gu Xixi met the famed matchmaker Zhao Meipo.

She differed from the stereotypical image of a matchmaker.

Zhao Meipo wore nothing flashy or exaggerated; her black hair was simply tied in a bun, she donned a moon-white short jacket, and her waist was belted with a dark lake-blue pleated skirt with rippled patterns.

Although her face bore slight traces of time, it did not detract from her fair and lovely appearance.

Both Gu Xixi and He Jinglan were somewhat surprised.

Is this Zhao Meipo?

Is she perhaps too young?

Zhao Meipo was washing clothes in the courtyard; seeing guests arrive, she put down the scrub board and rose to her feet.

"Older Sister Zhang has arrived!"

She warmly went up to greet and exchange pleasantries with Aunt Zhang.

Gu Xixi observed from the side, thinking, "No wonder she can be at the top of her profession."

At first glance, Zhao Meipo's smile already possessed a unique charm that warmed people's hearts; yet it was just the right amount of warmth, entirely non-aggressive.

Being able to evoke a sense of closeness upon first meeting—what is that if not a kind of talent?

At this moment, Zhao Meipo looked toward Aunt Zhang's side, full of admiration, and exclaimed, "Oh my!"

"Both young ladies look splendid; let me guess."

"Hmm… the one in the bamboo-green skirt is little Boss Gu, and the one in the red skirt is Miss He, who is staying as a guest—am I right?"

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan exchanged a glance, both smiling and nodding.

"Yes."

He Jinglan joked, "You are much younger than we imagined; I think we should stop calling you 'old lady' and call you Miss Zhao instead."

Zhao Meipo laughed, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons, and said, "Miss Zhao is fine; I like this form of address."

She smiled at Aunt Zhang and said, "Being called this by the young ladies makes me feel at least ten years younger!"

Aunt Zhang said, "Miss Zhao, you weren't old to begin with!"

The women chatted and laughed, the atmosphere very lively.

Zhao Meipo said, "This morning before dawn, I already went out to the fields and applied the medicine that little Boss Gu gave me, all over."

The morning air was cool outside; Gu Xixi did not want to delay, so she suggested first going to the fields to check on the buckwheat.

Zhao Meipo's home is not far from the field.

Gu Xixi looked and saw that her judgment was unchanged from before.

She told Zhao Meipo, "The medicine I prepared needs to be used once every three days."

"Observe the new shoots sprouting at the base and the tips of the top leaves; if they don't keep turning yellow, then it's safe."

"If after five days there's still no improvement, come to my house again to find me."

Now conditions are limited; the medicine she made barely reaches half the effectiveness of later industrial pesticides.

Therefore, the medicine must be applied multiple times, and one must diligently observe changes in the seedlings.

Zhao Meipo took careful note.

Gu Xixi also said, "This seedling disease does great damage to buckwheat; the harvest will definitely be affected."

Zhao Meipo, however, didn't care.

"How much the harvest is doesn't matter; as long as there is some, as long as there is some, that's fine."

Gu Xixi sighed inwardly.

From Zhao Meipo's attire and her household situation today, one can tell she has made some money from being a matchmaker these years.

As a single woman, she doesn't need to eat much grain, and without needing to farm, she can live quite comfortably.

But she does not shy from hardship, and has planted those two mu of land.

Is it to help the deceased continue guarding this home?

Is it for the bowl of buckwheat noodles offered each year at the grave?

Returning home, Zhao Meipo brought out a small stool and a pot of drink prepared early for guests, inside which she placed the wild chrysanthemum hearts she herself picked last autumn, plus a little rock sugar.

Having cooled to just right for drinking, the chrysanthemum is fresh, fragrant, cool and moist, with a slight sweetness just right.

She felt a bit embarrassed: "I know Little Gu Boss has a lot of fields; it's a great undertaking for everyone."

"I only planted half a mu of buckwheat, yet I have to trouble you to make a personal trip; this is really..."

Gu Xixi said, "Zhao Niangzi, you need not be polite."

"Whether it's half a mu or several tens of mu, to me they're all the same."

"If one watches the seedlings die of disease and does nothing, wasting one's painstaking effort and seeds without feeling regret, then are we still people who farm?"