Chapter 104, Medicinal Cuisine at the 104th Inn
Yunyin returned to the inn, and Feng Hai, having finished preparing all the dinner, went up to them and asked, "How are you? Are you alright?"
Yunyin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It was a close call. The cow gave birth to the calf safely. She suffered a lot this time and needs to be well nourished. I'll go ask Doctor Zhang later what to feed the cow to supplement its nutrition."
Feng Hai asked curiously, "Dr. Zhang? Wasn't it Veterinarian Luo we were looking for?"
Yunyin said thankfully, "It's fortunate that we met Doctor Zhang, otherwise we really wouldn't know what to do. I never expected that a traveling doctor who treats people could also deliver calves."
"It was also my oversight that I didn't invite Veterinarian Luo earlier. Ma Hao went to invite him, but he hasn't returned yet."
Just as they were talking about Veterinarian Luo, Ma Hao brought him back. Yunyin hurriedly went to greet him. He dismounted, panting, and was relieved to see that Yunyin was alright.
Yunyin quickly told him to rest for a while. After Veterinarian Luo went to the main hall to rest, Yunyin hurried to the kitchen to cook for the two of them. Veterinarian Luo probably hadn't eaten much dinner since he came over at this time.
Seeing that Dr. Zhang had ordered light meals, Yunyin prepared several vegetarian dishes she had learned from Ciyun Temple. As for Veterinarian Luo, who preferred meat, she also prepared a large pot of mutton stew and several country-style side dishes.
By early February, many wild vegetables had already sprouted. In the past few days, when the children had nothing to do during the day, they would go into the mountains together to find some wild vegetables. They were all experienced, and there was no danger in the nearby mountains. As long as they didn't go too deep, they wouldn't encounter any large animals, so Yunyin felt very comfortable letting them go into the mountains.
Those kids are quite capable; they pick a lot of fresh wild vegetables every day. They picked a lot of fresh shepherd's purse that had just sprouted. It's delicious whether you use it to make dumplings or a cold salad.
Yunyin also plans to grow some herself this year so that she can eat them whenever she wants in the future.
Besides shepherd's purse, there's also dandelion, which is also a great dish for cold salads. Although it tastes slightly bitter, it's very refreshing.
Su Zhai Yunyin made stir-fried bean sprouts with vinegar and stir-fried mushrooms. The fragrant mushrooms were delicious with just a little soy sauce.
Dr. Zhang was very satisfied with the vegetarian dishes and dandelion salad that Yunyin had prepared. He pointed to the dandelion and shepherd's purse on the table and said, "Dandelion clears heat and detoxifies, making it very suitable for people with internal heat. However, it is cold in nature, so people with weak spleen and stomach should eat less of it. Even if they do eat it, they should eat it with warm foods such as ginger."
"Shepherd's purse is suitable for most people. It is known as the licorice of vegetables. It can regulate the spleen and stomach and remove dampness. Eating more shepherd's purse in spring is very helpful."
Not only did Yunyin listen with great interest, but even Veterinarian Luo was very interested. The two of them talked about wild vegetables, medicinal herbs, and finally animal production and care.
After listening to Dr. Zhang's words, Veterinarian Luo raised his teacup and said, "I offer this tea to you. Your words have taught me far more than I could have figured out on my own, and have saved me from many detours."
Zhang Jishun stroked his beard and laughed, "I only learned these things after experiencing a lot."
Yunyin asked curiously, "How does Doctor Zhang know these things?"
It was already dark, and no one came over for dinner. The others were curious about the matter and sat down to listen to Zhang Jishun recount his experience.
Zhang Jishun laughed heartily, "Do you know who's the most popular person in the countryside?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison. He didn't keep them in suspense any longer, saying, "The most popular doctors are those who can treat both people and livestock."
"In fact, whether or not they can be cured is not a concern for people in the countryside. They will mostly endure the illness and bear it, and only go to see a doctor when the illness is really serious. But if livestock get sick, they must be treated, otherwise it will be a huge loss."
Yunyin felt that Dr. Zhang's words made a lot of sense. Her grandmother would also endure minor illnesses and was reluctant to see a doctor. It was only when she got older that she forced her grandmother to see a doctor, saying that the money had already been paid and that not seeing a doctor would be a waste of money. Only then did her grandmother agree to see a doctor.
The countryside in Dazhao was much poorer than when she was a child, let alone providing medical care for those people.
While Yunyin was still pondering the matter, she heard Zhang Jishun praise, "Yunniangzi did a good job. The food she gave them was excellent. I also saw that the children were all practicing martial arts, which made everyone healthier and prevented many diseases from occurring."
Yunyin snapped out of her thoughts and smiled sheepishly. She had thought the same way at the time, feeling that seeing a doctor was difficult, and even more so after Da Zhao fell ill. To help everyone stay healthy, she maintained a balanced diet and exercised regularly, and so far, no one around her had gotten sick.
After listening to Zhang Jishun's explanation, Fu Wang thought for a moment and asked, "Where does Doctor Zhang plan to go next?"
Zhang Jishun: "I plan to work as a traveling doctor in Jiannan Road in the near future. As for what happens after that, we'll talk about it later."
Upon hearing that he planned to become a traveling doctor in Jiannan Road, Fu Wang's eyes lit up. "I wonder if Doctor Zhang would be interested in working as a doctor at my escort agency for a while? Most of the people in the agency are retired soldiers with many injuries and illnesses. We hope to have a doctor to help them recover."
Fu Wang also learned from his previous account that in addition to delivering babies and treating chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep, this doctor was also very good at health preservation and knew a lot about conditioning the body. However, when it came to treating illnesses, he could only treat a few specific symptoms, such as common colds.
For common ailments, Fu Wang could find doctors in Mianzhou, but doctors skilled in recuperating the body were rare. Such doctors were mostly kept in high-walled compounds and were not commonly seen among the common people.
Yunyin was also very interested. She planned to open a martial arts school later. So many people who were just learning martial arts would inevitably have some bumps and bruises. In addition, she also needed a doctor to help the people in the inn to recuperate. It would be even better if Doctor Zhang could stay.
Perhaps she could learn a thing or two from him in the future. She also had a book of medicinal cuisine, which contained many medicinal dishes for nourishing the body. Speaking of medicinal cuisine, her eyes lit up. Oh right, how could she forget about that? She had said before that she wanted to learn about it. If she could learn more about nourishing the body from Doctor Zhang, then that book of medicinal cuisine would also be useful.
Yunyin looked at Fu Wang. Although she also hoped that Doctor Zhang could stay, she could communicate with him if he went to Fu Wang's place, although it would be a little troublesome. However, she also felt that the matter of the wounded soldiers was very important, and it would be good if Doctor Zhang was willing to stay with Fu Wang.
Unfortunately, Zhang Jishun shook his head and said, "I have no interest in staying in Mianzhou, but I will be staying in Long'an County for a while. If you want me to help them recuperate, why don't you have them come over? I can help take a look."
Fu Wang was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, but knowing that Doctor Zhang planned to stay in Long'an County for more than a month, he still nodded and said, "Alright, I'll have someone send them over."
After Fu Wang went to write the letter, Yun Yin stepped forward and asked, "Doctor Zhang, I have some medicinal diet recipes here. I wonder if I could discuss them with you? Could you also help the people in my inn to recuperate?"
Zhang Jishun was quite interested in the medicinal diet recipe in Yunyin's hand. He stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "No problem. You can stay here for the night, right? I'll stay here first and I'll definitely help you take good care of yourselves."
Yunyin was very satisfied upon hearing this. Even if Doctor Zhang could only stay for a month, it was still a win for her. There were quite a few people in her inn who needed recuperation. Not to mention Yinshuang, even Zheng Guilan and those children needed to recuperate. They had been severely depleted before, and even though she was feeding and drinking them well now, they had only gained a little weight and their cheeks were rosier.
To say they're perfectly healthy wouldn't be accurate. Even Zhang Lin, that strong young man, probably isn't very healthy. If they get sick, Yunyin will have to spend a lot of money on their medical treatment.
With Dr. Zhang's help in conditioning everyone's bodies, even if it's only for a month, everyone can improve their health.
Knowing that Zhang Jishun was willing to stay, Yunyin immediately arranged for someone to help decorate the room. When Feng Hai found out about this, he specially reserved his room, while he went to squeeze in with Ma Hao and the others.
Looking at the increasingly overcrowded inn, Yunyin glanced at the ground where foundations were being dug, hoping that the houses would be built soon so that everyone wouldn't have to be so cramped.
With Dr. Zhang's help, Yunyin has recently learned a lot about health preservation. She copied down a few recipes from the medicinal diet book and gave them to Dr. Zhang. As for helping the cow give birth, she also gave him a big red envelope. Of course, Veterinarian Luo was not left out either. It was also hard work for him to make this trip, as he would need to help with the subsequent care of the cow.
The inn became lively again with the new people joining, and Jiang Xiaoyu's motion sickness improved under Dr. Zhang's treatment. She also began to immerse herself in the shrimp and crab ponds.
She carefully examined the ponds and noticed that the crab pond had too much water. She quickly called for help to drain the excess water and said to Yunyin, "The crab pond should have less water than the shrimp pond. Too much water is not good for crabs to grow, and spring is a season when diseases are prevalent, so we need to be extra careful."
She thought for a moment and continued, "What you did before was actually very good. After you took out the sick shrimp and crabs, you changed the water in time. Now the water quality in the pond is quite good, which is very helpful for shrimp and crab farming."
She pursed her lips and said, "I don't actually know much. I've been on the boat for many years, so I know a little about their habits. But I've heard people say that shrimp and crabs need fertilizer, but I don't know how to make fertilizer. I'm afraid I can't help you with that, my wife."
Yunyin waved her hand and said, "It's alright, I know how to do this. I'll tell you in a bit." Yunyin's aquaculture book did mention fertilizing the pond, and the fertilizer ratio was also written. She just needed to follow the instructions. She also hired someone to come back and take care of it so that any problems could be detected in time.
Yunyin was very satisfied as she watched Jiang Xiaoyu go to the shrimp and crab ponds to observe again. She was sure that there would be plenty of shrimp and crabs to eat this summer and autumn.
Meanwhile, Zheng Xi also patrols the orchard every day. She takes this job very seriously. After all, there are hardly any families that would let her take care of such a large orchard. She got this job because Lady Yun doesn't care whether she is a woman or not. As long as she does a good job, she can keep working here.
To keep having work, Zheng Xi worked very hard, asking her brother for advice every day after returning home. Although the rest of the family didn't approve of Zheng Xi learning these things, Zheng Dong did. Plus, his brother now had more say in the family, and their parents had to listen to him. As long as Zheng Dong supported her, Zheng Xi could still learn a lot.
Yunyin took out the account book and calculated it. She found that since Zheng Guilan and Wu Zhuang went to the county to set up a stall, the shop's profits had increased. In addition, there were people who came to listen to Yinshuangniang play the zither every day, passing merchants, and the pickled vegetables she sold to passing merchants. She already had two hundred taels of silver.
Of course, this money does not include the ten taels of gold that Lu Xuan gave her. She had already decided to return the gold to Lu Xuan, and he could only return from Chang'an. However, after the New Year, it was already the beginning of spring, and Lu Xuan still hadn't returned.
Yunyin naturally wouldn't wait for him forever. She used the abacus to calculate the accounts, and only after confirming that the ledger was correct did she put down the abacus and go to see the wounded soldiers that Fu Wang had brought.
Those wounded soldiers were all seriously injured, some even missing limbs. Fu Wang had been supporting them, but they weren't willing to eat Fu Wang's food for free, so they helped the escort agency with some light work.
Seeing that they had only been here a few days, but had become healthy and rosy-cheeked thanks to Doctor Zhang's care, and were no longer as weak as before, Yunyin pulled Fu Wang to a secluded place and said, "How about you leave these people here with me?"
Fu Wang thought Yun Yin wanted to keep them to work, so he shook his head and said, "They can't do heavy work."
Yunyin rolled her eyes at Fu Wang and said irritably, "Of course I know they can't do heavy work. What I mean is, let's keep them as instructors at the martial arts school."
Although these people are all wounded soldiers, they are still veterans who have experienced countless life-and-death situations. If they can pass on some experience to the people in the martial arts school, it will be enough for them to learn.
Yunyin is very concerned about the martial arts school. Since she has decided to do it, she will do her best. She has decided to start preparing the martial arts school after her house is built. By then, Fu Wang should have already found a suitable person for her.
Upon hearing Yunyin's words, Fu Wang clapped his hands and said, "How come I didn't think of that? You're so clever, Yunyin. This is a good idea, and it will make them useful too."
In fact, Fu Wang knew that even if those people were kept to do some light work, they would find it boring. However, they also knew that it was already a great stroke of luck to survive the battlefield and to be able to get food from Fu Wang. If they went back to their hometowns, it would only bring trouble to their families, so it was better for them to stay with Fu Wang.
Fu Wang wasn't unaware of this, but he had no other place to settle these people before. They couldn't do heavy work, and the other miscellaneous tasks of the escort agency were too mentally taxing. The people in his escort agency were all veterans of the battlefield, and training people from scratch would be too energy-consuming and time-consuming. Fu Wang originally planned to do this in another ten years.
Since Yunyin wanted to build a martial arts school, he simply included the training of people for the escort agency in it as well. Now these wounded soldiers have a better place to go, and everyone is happy.
As expected, when they heard that they could stay here to help take care of people, they all accepted it well, and their mood improved a bit. They felt that there was hope for the future. Of course, what they didn't say was that the special meals Yunyin made for patients also made them not want to leave.
Yunyin learned a lot from the old doctor using several medicinal diet recipes. She prepared the meals for the wounded soldiers according to the doctor's list of recipes. The food was light in taste but nutritious. Even Wei Ming came over once and tried it out of curiosity, praising it highly.
It was around this time that Yunyin learned that Wei Ming's family were medicinal herb farmers, growing a lot of medicinal herbs, some of which were found in the mountains. She learned a lot about medicinal herbs from him, and even many of the medicinal meals for the wounded soldiers were bought from Wei Ming.
Many people in the county know that Yunyin has recently been studying medicinal cuisine, and many are planning to take some time to visit her.
Wang Jun was one of them. She was really curious about Yun Yin, and since several other ladies wanted to go, she went along with them.
Yunyin was quite surprised to hear their purpose. She pursed her lips and smiled, "The medicinal meals I made for those people are all for replenishing qi and blood." She looked at the ladies and saw that they had rosy complexions and did not need to replenish qi and blood at all. She shook her head and said, "After all, there are medicinal herbs in the medicinal meals. If you don't have any problems, you shouldn't replenish them casually."
Wang Jun didn't respond. She was just there to join in the fun. Cen Lu, however, covered her mouth and laughed, "Miss Yun, we're acquaintances now, so I'll tell you the truth. We came here because we heard that you know some medicinal cuisine that can beautify and nourish the skin."
Yunyin looked at Cen Lu. This was Song Xuan's mother from Song Shi. She had gained a reputation among the other ladies because she made pastries for Song Xuan's coming-of-age banquet. Later, the chief clerk's wife often asked her to buy pastries, and she made a lot of money.
Even disregarding this point, considering only her relationship with Song Shi and Song Xuan, since Cen Lu asked, she frankly replied, "I don't actually have any beauty and skincare recipes, but I do know which ingredients can help with beauty."
"Moreover, Dr. Zhang also said that beauty and skin care, to put it simply, is about regulating the internal organs and balancing the yin and yang and qi and blood in the body. When qi and blood are good, the complexion will be good and the skin will be good too."
The ladies nodded in agreement, and they took Yunyin's hands, saying, "Does Madam Yun know of any foods that can replenish qi and blood?"
Yunyin glanced outside and saw that there weren't many people yet, so she simply pulled the group of ladies to a private room and chatted with them there.
Seeing this, Yinshuang asked worriedly, "Will Lady Yun be alright?"
Fu Wang, who was standing to the side, shook his head and said, "No, the magistrate's wife is here too."
Yunyin told them about several foods, such as red dates, longan, and white fungus and lily bulbs. Wang Jun listened from the side and felt that her husband's words were more and more correct. This Lady Yun was very knowledgeable. Many things were taught to them from childhood. Many families even had to raise maids and servants who were knowledgeable in medicine.
She had been in Long'an County for several months and knew that there were no established families here. No wonder these ladies and wives came to find Yunyin as soon as they heard that she could cook medicinal cuisine.
Yunyin's throat was dry from talking, and she finally finished telling them about the ingredients to replenish qi and blood. Cen Lu smiled and said, "I only thought that my wife's cooking was delicious and her desserts were even better. I didn't expect that she also knew so much about health care. It's a pity that we don't have someone like my wife in our family. If we want to eat the food you mentioned, we can only order from you."
The lady, who had originally intended to invite Yunyin to cook at the mansion, fell silent. They looked at each other and did not bring up the matter of inviting Yunyin to cook at the mansion again.
Yunyin took a sip of water to moisten her throat and smiled, "I've been so busy here lately that I haven't had a chance to come. If you don't mind, I can make a menu for you. If you like, you can come and eat here."
"Moreover, Lady Yinshuang's zither skills are superb. The ladies can listen to her music after dinner, which is a great pleasure."
Wang Jun spoke up at the right moment: "My husband also said that Lady Yinshuang's zither is quite good."
Seeing that the magistrate's wife also said the same thing, the others could only back down and say, "Then, Miss Yun, please list out the medicinal cuisine menu as soon as possible, so we can come and try it out."
Yunyin nodded repeatedly and said, "I will send a portion to the ladies after it is finished."
After finally seeing off the ladies, Yunyin breathed a sigh of relief when Wang Jun bowed to her and said, "I didn't expect that Madam Yun knew so much. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you during our stay in Long'an County."
Yunyin quickly bowed to her as well, "Madam, you flatter me. I am only just learning about health preservation, and I do not deserve such praise from you."
Wang Jun shook her head and said, "But I saw you speak so eloquently just now. Don't you understand medical principles?"
Yunyin smiled sheepishly and said, "I really don't understand medical principles. I learned all of this from Doctor Zhang. He talked about the medicinal effects of food, and I wrote it down. He also said that food is worse than medicine."
Only then did Wang Jun learn about Zhang Jishun. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Such a capable person should be kept at the county clinic. May I ask where Madam Zhang is?"
Yunyin touched her nose and said, "He went to Ciyun Temple."
Whether it was the vegetarian food at Ciyun Temple that was so appealing, or the Buddhist teachings of Master Huixuan that were so captivating, Dr. Zhang stopped practicing medicine as a traveling doctor after learning about Ciyun Temple. He would frequently go to the temple to eat vegetarian food, and he spent less and less time returning home.
Wang Jun didn't know where Ciyun Temple was. After learning the location, she said, "I'll go back and mention it to my husband. Such a capable person should be given an important position."
Despite his busy schedule, Cui Jing took a day to visit Zhang Jishun. However, being a free spirit, he shook his head upon hearing the magistrate's request and said, "What I know is nothing compared to what you aristocratic families possess. It's only because rural people don't know much that they think I'm so great."
Hearing this from the side, Yunyin quickly said, "Dr. Zhang, I think you're amazing. I've learned a lot from you lately."
There's a lot to learn about medicinal cuisine. Doctor Zhang knows more about food pairings, whether each food is warming or cooling than she does.
It's worth noting that Yunyin had specifically researched and studied the characteristics of ingredients for a period of time, but her understanding wasn't as comprehensive as Dr. Zhang's.
Doctor Zhang glanced at Yun Yin but didn't say anything. When Cui Jing extended the invitation again, he said, "There's no need to go to the county town, but you can set up a stall here at Lady Yun's place. Anyone in the vicinity who needs treatment can come to see me."
Before Magistrate Cui could say anything, Yunyin stood up and asked, "Really? Doctor Zhang, are you going to open a clinic here?"
Zhang Jishun glared at Yunyin: "Who said I was going to open a clinic? I'm just hanging up a banner and setting up a stall."
However, Yunyin thought that hanging banners and setting up a stall was similar to opening a clinic. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, I will definitely tell customers that we have a doctor here now. They can come to you if they want to see a doctor."
Zhang Jishun tried to call out to Yunyin, but couldn't stop her at all. He could only exchange a glance with Cui Jing and smile helplessly.
Cui Jing asked curiously, "Why did Doctor Zhang decide to set up a stall here at Lady Yun's place?"
Zhang Jishun glanced at Yunyin, who was chatting happily with Fu Wang, and couldn't help but smile. "Because Lady Yun is so intelligent. Although she's a cook and I'm a doctor, she's made great progress in using ingredients." He paused, but what he didn't say was that even though they had only known each other for a month, Yunyin had already copied a copy of the medicinal cuisine book she had and given it to him. He wasn't ungrateful, but because she was so open-minded, he had also taught her wholeheartedly.
He looked at Magistrate Cui, stroked his beard, and said, "I'm old, it's the same wherever I go, there's nothing wrong with staying here."
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