Chapter 406: Is There Something Wrong with the Water?

Li Yiyi smiled and thought for a moment before asking, “By the way, where does your village usually get its water from?”

Dazhu answered honestly, “We live near the mountains, so we use the mountain spring water that flows down. It’s all unpolluted—yes, clean and safe. In fact, it tastes a little sweet when you drink it directly. Not just our village, but folks in the nearby villages all like to drink it straight from the source.”

As he said this, Dazhu’s eyes suddenly widened in realization. “Dr. Li, are you saying the kids in the village might’ve been poisoned because of the water we drink every day?”

“It’s possible. If it’s a case of mass poisoning, it’s almost always related to what people eat or drink. If it’s not the water, then it’s the food. But to determine exactly what it is, we’ll need to conduct a proper investigation. That said, don’t panic. Although it’s poisoning, it’s not instantly fatal and it can be treated.”

Dazhu immediately ran his hands through his hair in frustration and said anxiously, “Dr. Li, how can I not be worried? The kids have been poisoned! Everyone in this village is related somehow—if something happens to any family, it affects all of us.”

Li Yiyi had to step in to calm him down. “I understand. But worrying won’t help right now. If you really want to help them, the best thing you can do is to find the source of the poison as soon as possible.”

“You’re right! I’ll take you to the village chief right now. He’s a smart man—he’ll definitely know how to handle this.” With that, he quickened his pace.

Seeing this, Li Yiyi had no choice but to hurry after him.

The two of them walked along the small path in the village for about two minutes before they arrived at the nicest house in the area.

“Dazhu’s here. And this is?” As they entered the courtyard, a woman who had been feeding someone looked up and saw the man and woman approaching. Her expression instantly turned playful and teasing.

Dazhu saw the look in his aunt’s eyes and immediately understood she had misunderstood the situation. His face turned red as he explained, “Auntie, this is Dr. Li. She’s part of the research team. We’re here because we need to speak with Grandpa Village Chief. Is he home?”

The woman’s expression shifted to a sheepish smile after realizing she had jumped to the wrong conclusion. She gave Li Yiyi an awkward smile and then replied to Dazhu, “He’s home. Grandpa Village Chief is inside resting. You two can go in and find him yourselves.”

“Okay, I’ll take Dr. Li to see Grandpa Village Chief then.” With that, Dazhu made a polite gesture to Li Yiyi, and the two of them headed toward one of the inner rooms.

When they entered the room, they saw an elderly man lying on a recliner near the window.

Li Yiyi instantly recognized him—it was the same elderly chief who had greeted them at the village entrance earlier.

“Our village chief is over eighty now. Because of his age, he naps a lot when there’s nothing urgent going on,” Dazhu whispered to Li Yiyi.

“Dr. Li, wait here for a second. I’ll go wake him up.” With that, Dazhu walked over to the reclining old man.

“Grandpa Village Chief, it’s me, Dazhu. Are you awake?” he called softly as he approached.

Moments after he spoke, the old man on the recliner slowly opened his eyes. “Who is it?”

“Grandpa, it’s me, Dazhu. I’ve got something important to tell you,” Dazhu leaned in and spoke loudly near the old man’s ear.

“Dazhu, what is it?” the old chief shouted back.

“Grandpa, this is Dr. Li. She has something she wants to talk to you about,” Dazhu said loudly while pointing at Li Yiyi, who stood not far away.

The old man followed his finger and quickly spotted the young woman standing at the door.

“Come in and speak,” he said after looking at her for a moment.

Li Yiyi walked in and soon stood respectfully in front of the elderly man. “Hello, Grandpa Village Chief. My name is Li Yiyi. Dazhu brought me here because I need to tell you something important. The reason the village children have been complaining about stomachaches these past few days… is because they’ve been poisoned.”

The village chief, who had been listening somewhat casually, immediately opened his eyes wide. The cloudiness in his aged eyes vanished as a sharp, serious look replaced it.

“Dazhu said you’re a doctor. Are you really a doctor? And did you just say the children are poisoned? Is that true?” the old man asked, his tone now sharp and focused.

Li Yiyi found her impression of the old man improving. Clearly, someone who could serve as the village chief for so long wasn’t some senile elder.

“I am a real doctor, without a doubt. And yes, what I said is true. At least, when I examined Ergouzi’s son from your village, I found clear signs of poisoning. If you don’t believe me, send someone to check. By now, after taking the medicine I gave him, that child should no longer be complaining about his stomach.”

The old chief’s expression turned solemn.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked after a brief pause.

Looking at the shrewd village chief, Li Yiyi smiled and continued, “If you want to resolve this poisoning issue, I think we need to find out the cause first. One kid being poisoned could be a coincidence, but multiple kids having the same symptoms? That’s definitely not a coincidence. Don’t you agree?”

The old man lifted his calm, steady gaze and looked at her.

After a moment, he let out a sigh. “You’re right. This isn’t just a coincidence. Now that there are poisoning cases in the village, we need to look into it properly. Dr. Li, tell us—how should we assist you?”

Li Yiyi shook her head. “It’s not about helping me. This is about saving yourselves. First and foremost, your village needs to figure out how those children got poisoned.”

Just then, a beam of sunlight from the window landed on the chief’s face, and Li Yiyi’s eyes suddenly widened.

“Chief, may I check your pulse too?” she asked quickly.

The old chief met her gaze for a moment, then slowly extended a hand—gnarled and weathered like the bark of an old tree.

Li Yiyi placed her fingers on his wrist, and the longer she took his pulse, the more serious her expression became.