Chapter 106 Collecting Herbs for Experiments
It's a hot summer day.
The mountain was shaded by green trees, but the walk up made me sweat profusely.
Cheng Wanwan walked towards a secluded spot where few people went. When herbs appeared within a meter, the shop would alert her.
I did encounter many common medicinal herbs, such as dandelion, wild hemp seeds, and salt aconite, which are Chinese medicinal herbs that grow like weeds on the roadside and hillsides. When the people of Dahe Village have headaches, fevers, or injuries, they initially try to tough it out. When they can't bear it anymore, they find these herbs to use as a temporary solution. If they can't cure themselves, they will eventually go to Dr. Zheng for a pulse diagnosis and prescription.
“This is Lysimachia christinae.” Cheng Zhao suddenly stopped. “This herb seems to be able to kill insects. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the chicken coop and duck shed. Second Aunt, should we pick some to try?”
Cheng Wanwan looked at him with some surprise: "You know about pharmacology?"
Cheng Zhao shook his head: "Nanfu Academy has a library. I once borrowed a book on herbal medicine and read it. In order to improve my memory, I memorized the medicinal properties of herbs, but I don't understand the pharmacology."
Cheng Wanwan pursed her lips.
These weren't tested in the scientific expedition, but he still went to learn them.
This eldest nephew grew up in an environment like the Cheng family's, was spoiled by everyone in the Cheng family, and was highly regarded by the entire Cheng family village, so it's rare that he didn't go astray.
He didn't wallow in self-pity after falling from a height.
She asked softly, "What exactly happened that led to your expulsion from Nanfu Academy?"
Cheng Zhao lowered his eyes. He had never told anyone about this, not even the old scholar who had taught him.
He didn't want anyone to worry about him; he wanted to get out of this predicament on his own.
But now, when his second aunt asked, the grievances in his heart inexplicably welled up.
His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "I didn't cheat, but the sir has found evidence of cheating, including witnesses and physical evidence. Faced with the evidence, the headmaster is powerless to protect me..."
Cheng Wanwan pressed further, "Do you know who framed you?"
“One is the son of the magistrate of Phoenix Town, and the other is the brother-in-law of a wealthy merchant in Baiyun Town. The two of them acted as accomplices in the academy, trying to win me over several times. After I refused, they became enraged and framed me…” Cheng Zhao clenched his fists. “One has power, and the other has wealth. I have no power or influence. How can I fight back… Perhaps, this is the end of my life, Cheng Zhao.”
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Since you think you'll stop here, why are you studying so hard late at night?"
These past few nights, when she was sleeping in the inner room, she could hear Cheng Zhao muttering to himself in the main room. He wasn't talking in his sleep; he was reading.
In the darkness without light, Cheng Zhao couldn't possibly take out a book to read. He was probably reading from memory. He seemed resigned to his fate, but in reality, he still hoped to continue down this path.
She said, "The fact that Nanfu Academy expelled you does not mean that you have lost your qualification for the academy examination. As long as someone vouches for you, you can still participate in the imperial examination."
Cheng Zhao smiled bitterly.
There are two ways to guarantee someone's participation in the imperial examination. The first and most common way, which was also the method he initially planned to use, is for five candidates to vouch for each other. If one candidate is found to have committed fraud, the other four will also be implicated.
With a history of cheating, who in the entire academy would be willing to vouch for him?
As for the second method, it involves having a student from an official school serve as a witness. But how could a student from a village know anyone from an official school?
Both of his paths were blocked.
"There's still more than half a year until the provincial examination, no rush." Cheng Wanwan patted his shoulder. "Since you're so familiar with the Complete Book of Herbs, then help me find more insect-repelling herbs, all kinds."
Cheng Zhao nodded and joined in the careful search.
They ventured deeper and deeper into the wilderness, unafraid of the bright sunshine, as the wolves didn't usually come out to hunt at this time of day.
However, a wolf cub appeared silently where she had passed. The wolf sniffed the scent in the grass, stared at Cheng Wanwan's back, then suddenly turned around and ran wildly into the depths of the forest.
More than an hour later, Cheng Wanwan and Cheng Zhao returned with their loot.
The two baskets were full of all kinds of herbs. She said, "Write down all these herbs with paper and pen, as well as my process."
Cheng Zhao nodded and immediately went to do it.
Cheng Wanwan called Wu Huiniang over, and they first sorted the herbs, then boiled them separately to make a decoction.
"Dashan, go to the field and cut some rice ears."
Zhao Dashan was taken aback: "Mother, the rice isn't ripe yet, why are you cutting it?"
Cheng Wanwan, busy with her work, said without looking up, "You'll find out soon enough."
Zhao Dashan picked up a sickle and walked into the rice paddy. He soon returned with a small handful of rice.
She divided the rice into several portions, soaked them in different herbal waters, and had Cheng Zhao record the process at any time.
Zhao Sidan returned from herding the ducks and asked curiously, "Mom, what are you doing?"
Cheng Wanwan pinched his increasingly chubby cheeks and said with a smile, "In a moment, you can throw these rice grains into the basket."
Zhao Sidan's big eyes were filled with doubt: "Mom, the basket is full of locusts, why are you feeding them rice?"
Cheng Zhao had already figured it out. He said, "Second Aunt wants to test what effect these herbs will have on locusts. If we can find a herb that can control locusts, we won't have to worry about the crops being destroyed anymore."
Cheng Wanwan gave him an approving look.
The book mentioned many medicinal herbs, but only three or four could be found in the mountains. She would only know if they were the same as those in the book after she finished the experiment.
She selected four kinds of medicinal herbs, each corresponding to one of the four baskets. After soaking the rice in the medicinal solution, she threw it into the baskets and waited for a quarter of an hour.
The first basket contained rice soaked in wormwood.
The locusts were still buzzing around, but they dared not approach the rice.
Cheng Wanwan said, "Artemisia argyi can drive away locusts, but only drive them away."
The second basket contained rice soaked in lantana.
Half of the rice inside had been eaten, and all the locusts had died—they had been poisoned.
Cheng Zhao wrote on the paper that locusts that ate Lantana camara died suddenly.
Next came the second and third baskets. The locusts would still eat the rice, but those that had eaten the poisoned rice were still buzzing around, though they weren't feeling well. They were estimated to last another hour or two before dying.
Cheng Zhao recorded them all.
Hearing the commotion, Old Mrs. Zhao, who was busy in the inner room, came out and saw Cheng Wanwan feeding locusts with rice. Her old face immediately fell: "Eldest daughter-in-law, have you lost your mind? Rice is a precious thing that people are reluctant to eat, how can you waste it like this..."
Cheng Wanwan interrupted her mother, "Mom, have you finished your work? If you have, could you please ask Uncle Village Head to come over? I have something very important to discuss with him."
Grandma Zhao immediately agreed, saying, "Okay, I'll go and call the village head over right away."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
