No one had expected that the source cow belonged to another herdsman's family.
Miao He was beside herself with excitement and immediately wanted to buy the cow from the merchant.
The merchant was terrified. He immediately wanted to kill the cow and slaughter and bury all the cattle and sheep in the tribe.
Tao Yanbai stood in front of the cow and spent a great deal of effort explaining that it had already recovered and would not infect anyone again.
They could inspect the remaining cattle and sheep to confirm whether any had pox marks.
The merchant was unwilling. It was only when Batu Mengku and the tribal chief arrived that they told him, "Once people recover from pox, they no longer infect others, and they become good people. Cattle and sheep must be the same. It has recovered on its own and will not infect anyone again."
"If it is alive, it will not infect anyone—but what about eating its flesh, bones, and blood?" the merchant said. "It had smallpox. No one has ever eaten cattle or sheep with smallpox. What if it can still infect people?"
Tao Yanbai immediately promised, "We will not kill it, much less eat its meat."
Of course, the merchant knew they did not want the meat. Even now, he did not understand why they were looking for this cow.
Neither the tribal chief nor Batu Mengku understood.
Miao He told them, "Batu Mengku's symptoms were mild. The number of pox eruptions, the duration of his fever, and its temperature were all lower than those of ordinary smallpox patients. So we need to find the reason and trace the source."
She said, "Only by finding the source and the cause can we replicate this success. We may even be able to reduce the harm