Chapter 162: Rare and Excellent Medicine

Many residents in this village shared the surname Niu, leading Li Banfeng to believe it was called Niu Family Village. He later learned that the village was actually named Pancake Village, home to over a hundred households and more than five hundred people. In Sandaoling, it was one of the few villages where people still had enough to eat.

For a village to have food despite the severe insect plague, three main conditions had to be met. The first condition was the ability to cultivate crops. Li Banfeng met their cultivator, a man in his forties named Niu Jingchuan. He had developed special seeds that could be sown in the dead of winter and harvested within the same month.

Li Banfeng was astonished. "With this method, could you harvest twelve crops a year?" he asked.

"No, that's not possible!" Niu Jingchuan shook his head. "These are fast-growing crops; the soil gets depleted after just a few harvests. Usually, we only plant two rounds of fast-growing crops, then the land needs a full year to recover. Even with the fertile soil of Sandaoling, we can get a maximum of three crops a year, and then the land still needs a year of rest." Niu Jingchuan said no more, heading into the fields to inspect each plant individually. This cultivator was Pancake Village's most valuable asset, enabling their continued survival.

However, having the means to grow food wasn't enough; they also had to protect it. The second condition was the ability to defend, and the people of Pancake Village were truly exceptional at it! When mosquitoes completely ravaged their autumn harvest, the cultivator immediately sowed the fast-growing seeds. Mosquitoes began to infest the fields as soon as the grain started to head. The first fast-growing crop yielded less than 20% of its potential. By the second fast-growing crop, the villagers had learned from experience. They used smoke and scattered repellent. Once the grain began to head, the entire village, men, women, and children, guarded the fields day and night, managing to save half the harvest. After harvesting, the grain was immediately taken to the cellar. The cellar entrance was guarded by rotating shifts. Every hour, someone would go down to inspect, killing any mosquitoes they found. They wouldn't emerge until all mosquitoes were gone. This was their fierce will to survive.

The third condition was knowing how to distribute the food fairly. The distribution method was simple: each household received rations calculated per person, enough for only two days. They were told not to store food at home, as it would otherwise be fed to the mosquitoes. While the method was simple, its implementation was anything but easy. Those who knew the distributors would naturally want a larger share. If one person received extra, others would also demand more. With too many people seeking extra, some would inevitably lose out. If too many people suffered, some might not wait for their rations but resort to stealing.

Pancake Village put significant effort into food distribution. Each family sent one member to bag the rations. Once the bags were filled, they could not be taken away immediately, nor could the person who bagged them leave the granary. All the food was piled at the granary entrance for another family member to pick up. Families received as many bags of rice as they had members, with additional allocations for those with food cultivators. All the rice bags were made by the village and looked identical, so no one could tell which bag belonged to whom; they simply picked one. Cheating methods still existed, such as marking the grain. However, cheating was difficult and carried severe consequences: anyone caught would be expelled from the village. With fair food distribution, the villagers were united, suggesting Pancake Village should have been able to weather the insect plague.

But an unexpected incident occurred a few days prior. A rogue cultivator from outside the village attempted to steal grain. His methods were so skillful that he managed to trick all the village guards. While losing a bit of grain to him might have been manageable, the rogue cultivator's unethical act of leaving the granary doors open allowed mosquitoes to enter, spoiling more than half of the remaining grain. Left with no choice, the cultivator had to sow a third round of fast-growing crops. Harvest was still five days away, and the grain was about to head. The number of mosquitoes nearby was increasing, and the effectiveness of their various repellents was dwindling. Niu Jingchuan was very nervous, having already spotted mosquitoes near the crops. The appearance of even a single mosquito could mean a complete loss of the crop, rendering all their previous efforts futile. If this crop couldn't be protected, Pancake Village would face starvation. Villagers would either die of hunger or transform into man-eating fiends, ultimately leaving the village as desolate as others.

Li Banfeng observed the various colored smokes drifting across the fields, watched the mosquitoes hovering within them, and listened as Niu Fuzhi recounted the village's struggles. "These medicines were all brought by the peddler," Niu Fuzhi explained. "We know him, but we didn't know you, that's why we fought at the village entrance. The peddler is truly our benefactor. At first, his medicine was incredibly effective, though now it's losing its potency. Still, we'll never forget his kindness; he's a truly good person. You were sent by the peddler, weren't you? Why aren't you saying anything? Even if you haven't been educated, you have cultivation. You must recognize the peddler, right?"

Li Banfeng was taken aback. The peddler supplied medicine to Pancake Village? Wasn't he just a merchant? Perhaps his identity was more complex than it seemed. As Li Banfeng pondered, Niu Fuzhi interjected, "I've been talking for ages! Where's your medicine? Hurry and take it out!"

Li Banfeng was about to produce two packets of prepared medicine but, after observing their surroundings, he shook his head. "I can't use the medicine here."

"Why not?" Niu Fuzhi asked, utterly confused.

Li Banfeng replied, "I'm afraid it will attract the mosquitoes."

Niu Fuzhi frowned. "We need medicine to kill mosquitoes, not attract them! See, I told you, you clearly haven't had any schooling."

Li Banfeng scowled. "You're the one who hasn't had any schooling!"

Niu Fuzhi puffed out his chest. "I haven't, actually."

There was no way to explain it to him. Li Banfeng chose a spot three hundred meters away from the farmland to administer the medicine. Following the prescription's instructions, he had Niu Fuzhi prepare a large pot and some firewood.

"Your medicine needs to be boiled into a soup? Are you planning to feed it to the mosquitoes? We always use smoke."

"You haven't had any schooling, and you're asking so many questions! Just get the stuff here!"

Shortly after, Niu Fuzhi returned with the large pot. Li Banfeng added water and began to boil the medicine. Once the water boiled, he poured in a packet of the powdered medicine, and a strong medicinal aroma wafted into the air. Niu Fuzhi sniffed the scent, remarking playfully, "Well, I must say, this smell is quite invigorating. Can people eat this medicine? I'll try a sip..."

Before he could finish, a dense black swarm of mosquitoes converged on them. Some plunged directly into the pot, while others circled nearby. Niu Fuzhi yelled, "You fool! You actually attracted the mosquitoes, just like you said you would!"

While Niu Fuzhi cursed, the cultivator, Niu Jingchuan, working in the fields, began to smile. All the mosquitoes that had been lingering in the rice paddies were gone. Following the direction of their flight, he saw they were all heading towards Li Banfeng. Mosquitoes from all directions gathered into a thick cloud, enveloping Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng calmly stirred the spoon in the pot, watching as the mosquitoes around him fell to the ground in droves.

Elder Yao's medicine could both attract and kill mosquitoes. Even a faint scent would draw them in, and a touch of the mist rising from the pot instantly killed them. Niu Jingchuan approached, a joyful expression on his face. "This medicine is truly miraculous!" he exclaimed.

Niu Fuzhi, however, was a little scared. "If it can poison so many mosquitoes, can it poison people too?" he asked.

To be honest, Li Banfeng shared his concern. But his wine gourd reminded him, "Before he left, Elder Yao said this medicine wouldn't harm people." Had Elder Yao really said that? He probably had. Elder Yao wouldn't use medicine to hurt anyone.

A thick layer of mosquitoes piled up around the pot. One pack of the prepared medicine could be boiled for a full day and night. After Li Banfeng had boiled it for two hours, Niu Fuzhi found someone to take over for him.

"Benefactor," Niu Fuzhi said, "come to my house and have a meal first."

Another meal? Hadn't he just eaten? But Li Banfeng realized he was genuinely hungry. For this meal, they served Pancake Village's specialty: pancakes. After eating at Old Niu's house, the hostess seemed a little displeased, though she didn't voice it.

After the meal, Li Banfeng checked the medicine's efficacy. Walking over a kilometer from where the medicine was being boiled, Li Banfeng could still see numerous mosquitoes flying steadily towards the pot. After walking another one and a half kilometers, he found an area where mosquitoes were practically absent; the medicinal scent had drawn them all away. A little further on, mosquitoes reappeared. The medicinal scent didn't reach this far. Using his "Hundred Tastes Exquisite Skill," Li Banfeng carefully discerned the scent, confirming there was no medicinal aroma in the air. Elder Yao's medicine was truly potent. Within a two-and-a-half-kilometer radius, all mosquitoes would be drawn to the pot and poisoned. This created a protective barrier that could safeguard Pancake Village's grain supply.

The grain would head within five days, and harvesting would be completed within three. Threshing and storing it would take a few more days. Leaving them a dozen packets of the medicinal powder should be sufficient. Pancake Village was effectively saved. Li Banfeng wondered if there were other villages still holding on, living with dignity. There surely were. If he could reach them just a little sooner, perhaps one more village could be saved.

He was about to give the prepared medicine to Niu Fuzhi, but then a thought struck him — something felt off. They had survived this time, but what about the next? As long as these mosquitoes weren't eradicated, Pancake Village would forever teeter on the brink of survival. To truly save Pancake Village, there was only one way: give them the prescription. But the prescription was meant for Pan Dehai. Giving it to these villagers would go against Elder Yao's original intention, wouldn't it? Besides, this formula was highly toxic. If given to ordinary people, might they alter it and use it for nefarious purposes?

As he pondered, Niu Fuzhi caught up with him. "Benefactor, where are you going?" he called out. "It's mealtime! Come quickly to our house to eat!"

Mealtime again? Li Banfeng followed Niu Fuzhi inside. Niu Fuzhi's wife was counting rice grains to put into the pot. She scooped an extra handful into the bowl, hesitated for a moment, then put some back. With only two days' worth of rations for the entire household, and this being Li Banfeng's third meal there, the hostess was clearly pained.

"What are you doing?!" Niu Fuzhi snapped at his wife. "Our benefactor is here; why are you being so stingy?!" His wife bit her lip and added two more handfuls of rice to the pot. Niu Fuzhi ducked into the cellar, fumbled around for a long time, and emerged with a jar of wine.

"Benefactor, please don't mind," he said. "We don't have any good wine here; it's just homemade. With the disaster this year, we only brewed this one jar. We were saving it for New Year's, but Benefactor, today you must taste it."

Li Banfeng felt a sharp pang in his chest. It was a deep ache. Not from poison or injury, but from overwhelming guilt. He wanted to hand over the prescription, right then and there.

Niu Fuzhi poured the wine. "Benefactor, what's wrong? Why aren't you drinking? If this wine isn't to your liking, I'll go out tomorrow and find better. I heard there's still wine in Rice Soup Village, and my wife even has a bracelet I can pawn to get you some!"

Another pang hit Li Banfeng's heart.

"Just have one bowl first, give it a try!" Niu Fuzhi lifted the wine bowl. Li Banfeng picked up the bowl and took a large gulp. The wine was mellow yet potent, and Li Banfeng felt a warmth spread through his body. Niu Fuzhi then called out to his wife, "Stew that piece of pickled pork for our benefactor!"

The hostess couldn't help but respond, "That's the only piece left! Even the child wouldn't eat it."

"What are you talking about?" Niu Fuzhi retorted angrily. "Just stew it as I told you!" The hostess fell silent. Li Banfeng was speechless.

Niu Fuzhi took another sip of wine and turned to Li Banfeng. "Benefactor," he began, "I know your medicine is special. Could you possibly give us two more packets? We won't take them for free; we'll pay for them. We'll give you... anything we can. Benefactor, I beg you, I'll kowtow to you!" As he spoke, Niu Fuzhi began to kneel.

Li Banfeng took a deep breath. "Stand up," he commanded, "you mustn't kneel!"

"But I'm being sincere," Niu Fuzhi insisted.

Li Banfeng frowned. "Even sincerity doesn't permit kneeling. Old Pan, come out now. Don't exploit this honest man."

Niu Fuzhi looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? Who's Old Pan?"

Li Banfeng explained, "Niu Fuzhi, you are blessed and principled. Such a person should not kneel. This time, Old Pan forced you to. Never kneel again in the future. Old Pan is already here. Tell your wife to put away the pickled pork; he won't get any. You go find a place to hide for a while. I need to have a word with Mr. Pan."