Chapter 19 You are more precious than any herb

At night, after taking a shower, Yuanyuan sat in a chair, holding the small cards given to her by her tutors, and quietly read the key points on them.

Her voice grew softer and softer until she finally leaned back in her chair and fell asleep.

Gu Zheng walked over and carried her to the bed.

Turn off the lights and go outside.

In the next room, several instructors were sitting and discussing feedback from the past two days of teaching.

"We don't have much time, so we'll just focus on the key points. We hope the child will be safe and sound."

"I have compiled a list of common edible plant samples for her to carry with her, so she can refer to it when she can't remember them."

...

Old He stood with his hands behind his back in front of rows of transparent medicine cabinets, and turned around when he heard footsteps.

Upon seeing Yuanyuan approach, a smile immediately spread across his face. "Yuanyuan's here? Come quickly to Grandpa's."

Good morning, Grandpa He!

"Hi, Yuanyuan."

He used all his knowledge to secure this mentor's spot.

"Grandpa He, what are we learning today?"

"If you learn about Chinese herbal medicines, Yuanyuan can collect them when she sees them in the Beast World. These are all good things that can cure diseases and save lives."

The medicinal herbs in the Beast World are all uncontaminated and purely wild, and their medicinal properties and effects are far superior to those of the herbs they painstakingly cultivate.

Old He opened the first drawer, and with a few tweezers, picked up a medicinal herb. Its stem was thin, segmented, and gleamed a pale green under the light.

"This is dendrobium, which is one of the 'miracle herbs' we often talk about."

Yuanyuan blinked, too embarrassed to ask what the fairy herb was.

Old He handed the herbs to Yuanyuan, saying, "Use them to make tea. It's sweet, and if you talk a lot and your throat gets dry, a few cups will do the trick."

Yuanyuan reached out and gently touched the stem. "Grandpa He, aren't herbs bitter?"

"Adding a little sugar won't affect the effect."

Yuanyuan rested her chin on her hand, looking a little troubled. It seemed like there was no candy in the beast world.

Old He then took out a small handful of white, seashell-like things from the drawer.

“This is fritillaria cirrhosa,” he said, picking one up and handing it over. “Don’t underestimate it because it’s small. It’s very effective for coughs. It’s just that it grows slowly and is picky about where it grows, so it’s not commonly seen.”

Mr. He showed her pictures of fritillaria cirrhosa growing, and only continued talking about the next one after she nodded and said she remembered it.

He took out a small, brownish-red "lump" with fine lines visible on it, and it felt hard to the touch.

"This is Panax notoginseng, also known as 'Tianqi'."

If you accidentally cut your hand, grind it into powder and apply it to the wound; the bleeding will stop quickly, and it will heal fast.

Old He paused for a moment, then added, "There are very few wild Panax notoginseng now. If you see any in the future, you can collect them."

"You can use hemostatic herbs! Hemostatic herbs are very effective."

"..."

"What if there's no hemostatic herb where you go?"

"That's true!"

What should we do if Yuanyuan gets injured in the wild or catches a cold and fever, and we can't find any medicine to use?

Yuanyuan was stumped by this question.

She had never thought about that.

"Don't worry, Grandpa will teach you how to use what you have on hand."

He took out a clump of grass with red stems, green leaves, and small yellow flowers from under the table.

"I know that. It tastes sour after it's cooked."

"Does Yuanyuan know what it's called?"

Yuanyuan shook her head honestly.

"This is purslane. If you accidentally cut or scrape yourself and bleed, just pluck off its stems and leaves, chew them up or crush them with a stone, and apply them to the wound. This will not only stop the bleeding but also reduce inflammation."

"Look at the sticky sap in its stem; that's a good thing for helping wounds heal."

If you accidentally get bitten by a mosquito and your skin swells up, applying this can also relieve the itching.

Yuanyuan blinked her eyes, how amazing!

"Which one should I go to for a cold and fever?"

Thinking about how I have to take medicine and get injections every time I catch a cold or fever, what if I catch a cold in the Beast World?

“Look at this,”

Old He bent down and took out a plant with serrated leaves and small yellow flowers.

"This is a dandelion."

"If you have a fever or a sore throat, dig up its roots and leaves, wash them, boil them in water and drink the water. It can clear away internal heat and reduce fever."

"Dandelions can be used as medicine?"

"Of course, this is a great product with no side effects."

If you sprain your ankle and it swells up, crush dandelion leaves and apply them to the swollen area to help reduce bruising.

Yuanyuan's interest grew even stronger.

"And this is Viola yedoensis, which is even more effective than purslane."

If you get a deep scratch from a tree branch in the wild, and the wound is painful and oozing pus, gather plenty of the whole plant, boil it in water to wash the wound, then mash it into a paste and apply it. It's very effective at reducing inflammation. You can also use it to treat red bumps on your skin.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing to the grass that had been brought up along with the grass.

"This is perilla. The leaves have a special fragrance, which is more pronounced when crushed."

If you catch a cold after getting caught in the rain in the wild, pick a few perilla leaves and ginger, boil them together in water, drink it while it's hot, and you'll sweat it out and feel better.

If you get an upset stomach from eating something unclean, boiling perilla leaves in water can also help.

Seeing her interest, Old He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, “This is honeysuckle. If you have a cold and fever with a sore throat, pick its flower buds, boil them in water, and drink the water. It can clear heat and detoxify.”

"But remember, there is a kind of grass that looks a lot like honeysuckle, but that one is poisonous. Honeysuckle has small white and yellow flowers, so don't pick the wrong one."

"Okay, I've got it."

"It's okay if you can't remember. Grandpa has prepared a booklet for you. Take it out and flip through it more often so you won't make a mistake."

As he spoke, he took out a few more items from the drawer. "These are even rarer, so you'd better take a close look."

The first one was a plant the size of a palm, with a short, thick taproot that looked like a chubby little baby, and small brownish bumps on its fibrous roots.

"This is wild ginseng, which we call the 'King of Herbs'."

Old He gently brushed aside the fibrous roots, "Look at the dots on these fibrous roots, only wild ginseng that has grown for decades has them."

If someone is weak after an illness, stewing it into a soup can help them gradually regain their strength.

At this point, he sighed, "But now it's hard to find in the mountains; a good wild ginseng is more expensive than gold."

"I've seen this before."

"Oh?" Old He perked up instantly. "Where have I seen Yuanyuan before?"

"In Dad's treasure room."

"..."

After a morning of talking, He Jing was hoarse, and Yuan Yuan, who had been listening with great interest, was now dizzy from talking.

Professor He finally stopped lecturing.

Before leaving, he took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and secretly slipped it into her hand while bending down to say goodbye.

“This shows what they look like and where they grow. Don’t show it to anyone else; it’s our little secret.”

He lowered his voice, avoiding the surveillance cameras, "If you see this in the Beast World, just pick some."

If you don't see it, don't go looking for it. Safety is the most important thing, understand?

Yuanyuan put the note into her pocket and, mimicking him, lowered her voice, saying, "I understand!"

Old Zhou paused for a moment, then his eyes welled up with tears. He patted Yuanyuan's head and gave her another pep talk:

"Herbal medicines are important, but don't risk your life to find them. You are more precious than any medicinal herb, you know?"

"Uh-huh."

Footsteps came from outside the door, and Old He immediately stood up straight. "You've worked hard today. Go back and get some rest."

Goodbye, Grandpa He.

...

"Did your Grandpa He find you anything?" Gu Zheng asked casually.

Yuanyuan nodded, then quickly covered her pocket and shook her head, "No!"