With the hut completed, Qiu Yan, with the help of Xue Ning and the others, moved all her experimental items into the hut before dark.

Then, she had Xue Ning and the others join the soldiers in distributing gunpowder.

After finishing all that, she called Ling Ba and went to the nearby desert area to see what edible wild vegetables were available to feed the soldiers.

As they walked, they discovered some wild vegetables.

Qiu Yan and Ling Ba worked together and dug up a whole sack full.

During this time, Qiu Yan also dug up some asafoetida and safflower.

Although it wasn't much, it was still a worthwhile experience.

They walked further and further away, until they reached the edge of the desert.

The deserts and Gobi here are countless.

Just as Qiu Yan was about to turn back, a peculiar plant caught her attention on the soft sand in a saxaul forest.

"Desert ginseng?" she exclaimed, overjoyed.

"Xiaoyan, this is not ginseng," Ling Ba corrected.

He did know about ginseng.

Qiu Yan smiled and nodded:

"This is Cistanche deserticola, which parasitizes the Gobi Desert."

If she remembered correctly, from what she knew of history, Cistanche deserticola was a precious tribute from the ancient Western Regions to the Central Plains.

According to legend, Cistanche deserticola was a divine gift given to Genghis Khan by a divine horse sent by the gods.

Ling Ba: "What does this Cistanche deserticola treat?"

He had never heard of this medicine before.

Qiu Yan: "It tonifies kidney yang, benefits essence, and moistens the intestines. It also has certain therapeutic effects on uterine cold and anti-aging."

Ling Ba smiled at Qiu Yan; she knew so much.

Looking at the lone Cistanche deserticola plant, Qiu Yan's eyes were full of smiles.

She has now become a true healer, and her favorite thing is herbs.

With Ling Ba's help, after digging up the only remaining Cistanche deserticola plant, they began their return journey.

Ahead, they went further and further into the desert, and after crossing the desert, they had no idea what country it was in next, nor did Qiu Yan and Ling Ba care to know.

By the time Qiu Yan and Ling Ba returned to the mining area, it was already dusk.

After Qiu Yan finished collecting the herbs she had dug up, she began preparing dinner for the soldiers.

Cooking every day, Qiu Yan developed a feeling...

She spends her days either cooking or on her way to cook.

Even pharmaceutical manufacturing became a sideline.

Before they knew it, the sun was setting, and the soldiers' dinner was ready.

For dinner, Qiu Yan cooked two large pots of millet porridge.

Rice porridge with naan bread is not bad.

After dinner, the soldiers continued to pack the last of the gunpowder.

As for Captain Yuan, he followed Qiu Yan and Ling Ba out of the mining area and headed to the inn.

On the way to the inn, the tail followed me like a shadow.

In order to shake them off, Qiu Yan and her two companions took many detours.

During the journey, Commandant Yuan took the opportunity to change into Western Region attire, making his tail behind him dizzy with confusion.

They followed for a long time, but eventually lost track of them.

Qiu Yan and the other two had just arrived at the inn.

The inn was bustling with customers at night.

At this moment, Qin Susu was bored and listening to Mayi tell stories about the Western Regions.

Mayi's story was boring, but Qin Susu wouldn't let it go.

Honestly, she's bored.

She felt a little unaccustomed to not having Qiu Yan around.

Qiu Yan left her at the inn and then left for most of the day, leaving her with nothing to do.

She knew that Qiu Yan and Ling Ba were going to repackage the gunpowder, so it wouldn't be appropriate to bring Mayi along. Therefore, she could only pester Mayi to relieve her boredom.

Listening to Mayi tell her story, Qiu Yan's first impression was that this princess was very down-to-earth.

Upon seeing Qiu Yan and Ling Ba, Ma Yi stopped talking.

"You've arrived." Mayi stood up to greet them. Finally, Qin Susu no longer had to bother her.