It's market day time in Pear Blossom Town again!

The usual practice is to check outsiders at the town entrance, but this time it's been more lenient; outsiders can be guaranteed entry.

So the group from Xujia Village, along with Tian Gui and Wu Yang, entered the town.

March is the season for spring planting, and all farmers are busy planting crops and vegetables.

In the town, farm tools such as rakes, carrying poles, bamboo baskets, and wicker baskets are displayed along the street, along with clucking chickens and ducks.

A full year has passed since the chaos of war, and Pear Blossom Town is now noticeably more vibrant.

Having learned from their previous experience, Xiaoman and Li Laoshi arrived at the market early today and found a good spot to set up their stall.

They sell straw sandals and two rolls of dyed coarse linen, made by Xu Dazhu and Xiaoman's grandmother.

Tian Gui, Wu Yang, and Xu Genyou went to the grain store to buy seeds. Although they only had a little over four hundred coins, they bought as many as they could.

Jiang Zhi then took Er Rui with her, carrying a basket on her back, to Baicaotang.

There were four or five people dispensing medicine at Baicaotang today. Although it was a different atmosphere from the bustling market outside, there were many more customers than last time.

Another difference is that today, the shopkeeper Huo Yanjie is not handling medicinal herbs, but is sitting behind the counter, engrossed in using an abacus.

"Young Manager Huo! I'm here to sell medicine again today!" Jiang Zhi walked over and said softly.

Huo Yanjie looked up, dazed for a moment, before recognizing the person: "It's Aunt Jiang, it's been a long time since I've seen you selling medicine."

It wasn't that he had a good memory; it was just that there were fewer people selling medicine during this period, and that large bundle of rush pith was quite special.

“Yes, it’s been a month since I last came. Today I brought different medicine!” Jiang Zhi told Xu Errui to put down his basket.

In the small courtyard behind Baicaotang, winnowing baskets and bamboo curtains are placed everywhere, on which various roots, stems, leaves, bark and herbs are dried.

Huo Yanjie held the bamboo tube in his hand, examining the patterns and words on it repeatedly. Next to him sat an elderly man with gray hair.

Jiang Zhi opened a bamboo tube and poured out brown powder into a fine porcelain bowl.

The old man reached out and picked it up, first examining it closely, then smelling it, and finally licking a little on the tip of his tongue to savor it.

Jiang Zhi remained silent. This old man was the old manager of Baicaotang, and also an expert who had been in contact with medicine for decades.

Old Manager Huo caught a cold after returning to the city on New Year's Eve and has been ill for a long time. Now he has come to Lihua Town to manage the pharmacy.

After tasting the medicine powder, the old shopkeeper didn't say anything. He just rinsed his mouth with the water next to him and then poured the boiling water from the small stove into the delicate porcelain bowl.

Smell the aroma, observe the color, examine the soup... and finally take a small sip to savor it again!

This is a drug testing operation!

Jiang Zhi felt as if she were back in the exams of the past, and couldn't help but feel nervous.

The pills I made for Xiang Dejin and others were accepted and taken without hesitation, which was due to my good character.

Once people trust you, they'll eat anything you give them.

Things are different now. Now it's a professional assessment. Experts only recognize the medicine, not who you are.

Finally, the old shopkeeper drank the medicine in one gulp before speaking: "Prepared medicines are generally divided into: ointments, pills, powders, gelatin, wines, elixirs, teas, and tablets. Your medicine..."

The experienced shopkeeper was at a loss for words. The herb was indeed Isatis root, but he didn't know which category it belonged to.

Jiang Zhi quickly replied, "Infusion, or decoction!"

She knew that the term "powder" did not exist in traditional medicine; even in modern times, it has been replaced with "granules."

Modern tablets, concentrated pills, mixtures, syrups, powders, tinctures, and rubber plasters are all innovations and changes to traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The old shopkeeper probably meant to say "disperse".

However, the "san" in traditional medicine refers to a dry powder made by uniformly mixing one or more fine powders of medicine, which is divided into two types: internal and external use. It is not a concentrated granule after boiling.

"Powder?"

The old shopkeeper thought back to that bowl of medicine... it was indeed a diluted medicinal soup.

"Your Banlangen granules are indeed good, with a strong medicinal aroma and pure taste. The brown sugar inside can also neutralize some of the bitterness, but the effect is not as good as the decoction."

Old Manager Huo astutely pointed out the shortcomings of the prepared medicine.

Jiang Zhi nodded: "That's true. Each prescription is for one person, and the doctor needs to adjust the prescription at any time."

If I use this medicine alone, its therapeutic effect will definitely be less.

However, the fact that it's easy to carry around makes up for the reduced effectiveness, allowing you to treat minor illnesses yourself without having to wait until the illness becomes serious.

The ancients were very particular about decocting medicine to treat illnesses. On the one hand, there were requirements for the medicinal materials. Three bowls of water were used to decoct one bowl of medicine, and the medicine was also added in different orders.

On the other hand, it's also about adjusting your emotions. If you can cook it yourself, it's best to do it yourself and not rely on others.

For example, medication for treating insomnia is taken before bedtime.

The patience required when decocting medicine can stabilize one's emotions and calm one's mind, making it easier to drink the medicine and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Now it's just a packet of powder, you just mix it, add water, and gulp it down. It's convenient, but it's lost its soul.

However, the complexity of traditional Chinese medicine has also limited its development.

Upon hearing Jiang Zhi's explanation, Old Manager Huo nodded in agreement: "This is convenient for travelers to carry and is a good solution for emergencies!"

Although he agreed with the "Banlangen granules", the old shopkeeper did not nod, but instead chatted with Jiang Zhi about everyday matters.

First, they asked Jiang Zhi where she lived, how many people were in her family, and what her family situation was.

This is to get a preliminary understanding of the partners.

Xujia Village is right next door, and I'm still the village head. Everyone knows that I delivered medicine to the medical shed last year. I'm not afraid of being investigated; I'm only afraid of not being investigated.

Jiang Zhi answered each question, but when asked where the method of making medicine came from, Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "This is a secret recipe that I obtained by chance. Magistrate Zhang has also tasted the medicine."

Old Manager Huo's expression turned serious: "Magistrate Zhang also knows?"

"yes!"

She mixed up the medicines, one pill and one powder, not worried that Old Manager Huo would go to the county government to investigate.

At this point, Old Manager Huo stopped asking about the source of the prescription and instead asked about the medicine itself: "Where did you get this Isatis root?"

Although Banlangen is a medicinal herb, it has different varieties in the north and south, and even the plants are completely different.

Jiang Zhi knew this was another drug assessment.

Medicine is for treating illnesses and saving lives; it's not something anyone can just take and put in their mouth simply because they call it medicine.

"I'm using local woad, the root of which is Isatis root, and the leaves can be used to make dye and the medicine indigo."

The Isatis root sold in traditional Chinese medicine shops is usually the Northern Isatis root, which has the root of Isatis root and the leaves of the Daqing leaf.

Old Manager Huo nodded. "Southern Isatis root produces Indigo Naturalis, while northern Isatis root produces Isatis Leaf. These are two completely different medicines."

Only those in the industry would know this, so it seems that this Jiang family member is indeed very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs.

Then I asked about several other medications.

"Okay, but I need to send this Banlangen granules back to the city for testing. I'll give you an answer in three days!"

Leave the first-aid kit behind, you can go now.

Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright! Then I'll await good news! Farewell!"

She felt drenched in sweat and knew she would be covered in sweat if she stayed any longer; she couldn't wait to leave.

As they left the Hundred Herbs Hall, Errui, who had been obediently following beside them, asked in confusion, "Mother, why didn't you sell any medicine? We don't have money to buy grain and seeds!"

Jiang Zhi said softly, "When a new medicine appears, Baicaotang needs to report to the clan and also go to Magistrate Zhang to find out the details. They won't buy medicine casually."

"As for the money to buy the grain..."

She pulled a money pouch from her waist: "There are three taels of silver inside. Just say it's for the medicine!"

Xu Errui nodded, stunned by what his mother had just said inside.

Southern Isatis root, originating from South and Southwest China, is a perennial herb belonging to the Acanthaceae family. It has a slightly sweet and bitter taste and contains indigo.

The image below shows Isatis indigotica, an annual herb belonging to the Brassicaceae family, native to Northwest and North China.