Chapter 97 of 1000 Urban New Farmers: Purple Jade Sand and Snake Spirit Pill Recipes
The tiny grains of sand, as clear as jade, were incredibly sparkling. They greatly impressed Zhang Guodong. The jade bucket he had taken, including the lid, was quite large and could hold ten kilograms of purple jade sand.
Elder Yi explained, "This is Purple Jade Sand. You saw Xiao Hu and I carrying small cloth bags at Qingshuiping before; it's that tiny clump that can keep you warm in winter and cool in summer—it's truly magical. If you're going to use it to refine one batch of pills, a small cloth bag is more than enough; anything more would be wasteful."
Zhang Guodong nodded repeatedly, but his eyes shone brightly.
He saw different kinds of purple jade sand; each grain seemed to come alive, as if water was moving within it. Master Yi called it spirituality. Zhang Guodong believed it was spiritual liquid, a liquid of spiritual energy!
Although each grain of sand contains very little spiritual liquid, the abundance of purple jade sand makes it quite substantial when added together.
Zhang Guodong swallowed and said with a wry smile, "Elder Yi, if you could find so much purple jade sand, you must have already gone to a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers, right?"
I thought to myself, "This old man is indeed very cunning. There's something untrue in what he said."
Doesn't the area where Purple Jade Sand is produced have abundant spiritual energy? Absolutely beyond imagination! It's an excellent place to cultivate medicinal herbs!
Instead of blushing, Na Zhiyi laughed heartily.
"You've guessed wrong. The place where this purple jade sand is located isn't a source of spiritual energy; it was only obtained by chance. To be specific, it was found in an underground waterway. Unfortunately, only this much has been accumulated over the years; it's very difficult to collect the rest."
Zhang Guodong's interest was immediately piqued.
"Want to collect purple jade sand? It's possible, but it's too dangerous there, and most people wouldn't go." Old Yi said, shaking his head.
"Why?" Zhang Guodong asked immediately.
“The purple jade sand is in the underground riverbed. To collect it now, you have to dive down, but the underwater caves there are very complex, and the groundwater is extremely cold. If you're not careful, you won't be able to get out,” Old Yi said. “My grandfather and father spent a tremendous amount of effort collecting this purple jade sand, day after day, for several years. More importantly, they collected it all on the bare rock; they didn't go down.”
This really hit Zhang Guodong hard.
What Elder Yi described is likely something like an underground river whirlpool; it's indeed very dangerous there, and you might not be able to get out.
This shows just how precious this purple jade sand is!
Old Yi put away the purple jade sand. Zhang Guodong took a deep breath and withdrew his greedy gaze.
"When you leave the mountains, I can give you a pound of purple jade sand, enough to aid in the making of thousands of pills," Old Man Yi chuckled and glanced at him.
Zhang Guodong also smiled, but it was a bitter smile. Few people could resist this temptation, right?
"Thank you, Yifeng! I'm really envious of this treasure of yours, hehe!"
After reading the explanation, the old man in purple sand robes generously shared the eighteen ingredients for refining the Snake Spirit Pill with Zhang Guodong.
Overview
"The main ingredient is Lobelia chinensis, with seventeen auxiliary ingredients including Paris polyphylla, Paris polyphylla, dandelion, Hedyotis diffusa, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Paeonia suffruticosa, and Chrysanthemum indicum. Purple jade sand is the blending agent. This is the simplest pill formula. Most pill formulas are much more complex than this. However, there are not many requirements for the order of pill refining. The main ingredient and the blending agent should be added first, followed by the other auxiliary ingredients. After adding them, the lid should be closed and not opened in the middle."
How can I tell if the elixir has been successfully refined or failed?
"The furnace will hum the moment the alchemy is successful; you can tell if you pay close attention. If it fails, there will be a popping sound from the furnace!"
A novel method of alchemy!
Zhang Guodong wrote them all down.
As for the selection of the eighteen medicinal herbs, that depends on the individual's ability to identify herbs, selecting the appropriate herbs for alchemy and cleaning and removing impurities.
Some medicinal herbs only require their leaves, roots, stems, fruits, or flowers; these must be carefully distinguished.
Master Yi taught Zhang Guodong to study very carefully.
At the end, Zhang Guodong grinned lewdly and asked, "Elder Yi, what if we need to refine other kinds of pills?"
He wondered where he could get other elixir formulas.
According to Master Yi, the medicinal materials used for preparing general medicines and refining elixirs are different. The latter requires more and more complex types of medicinal materials than the former; this is a basic principle.
Just like the Snake Spirit Pill, if prepared according to traditional Chinese medicine principles for detoxification, it only requires Snake Spirit Grass and a few other herbs. But the Snake Spirit Pill requires eighteen ingredients!
"Don't worry about greed. I have some more pill formulas, but I haven't refined them myself; they're just family heirlooms. If you have the chance, you can try refining them. But once you've successfully refined them, let me see the pills too," Elder Yi said with a helpless smile, but his tone was decisive. "Remember, try not to pass on these formulas to outsiders."
Zhang Guodong immediately made a guarantee.
He knew in his heart that although Old Yi was generous, it wasn't without its price. He had to solve the problem of the children of Shiya Village studying and living outside the mountains; this was something he absolutely had to do.
He also has to consider the cost of schooling for children in mountain villages.
Asking Old Yi to pay this amount would be a bit of a burden for him. It's true he has a lot of good stuff, but for people in the mountains, turning it into money is really not easy.
It would be better to have Zhang Guodong, this peculiar young man who seems somewhat agreeable, do the work. That's the nature of the exchange.
Time flies when you're discussing elixirs and medicines.
Zhang Guodong, a studious old man, was actually quite experienced in traditional Chinese medicine. When Xiao Hu came to call them for lunch, they realized how quickly time had passed; it was already noon.
However, Zhang Guodong felt he benefited greatly.
He learned that many prescriptions could actually be converted into pill formulas, but determining which medicinal materials to use would require hundreds of experiments.
The transformation process is just a bit difficult. It's not just difficult, it's incredibly difficult.
At noon, the Yi family treated Zhang Guodong and others to a very special meal: steamed buns, porridge, rabbit meat, cold pig's head meat, and wild game and vegetarian dishes such as wild mushrooms and wild herbs gathered from the mountains.
Food cooked in a large pot by steaming or boiling over a wood fire is very delicious.
Everyone gathered together, the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for a meal.
When Zhang Guodong and Old Yi arrived, everyone was already in a daze.
Du Wenqiang's complexion improved, and his gaze towards Elder Yi softened; clearly, the traditional Chinese medicine was working. However, when Li Ningguang woke up, his complexion was worse, and he looked listless.
"The lingering poison has not been cleared, causing palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath, excessive sleepiness, and lethargy. I can't take it anymore," Old Yi said, glancing at Li Ningguang before even sitting down.
"Is Elder Yi talking about me? Please help me, Elder Yi!" Li Ningguang became anxious upon hearing this.
He felt weak all over and wanted to sleep, hoping that he would feel better after a good night's sleep. But after only a few hours of sleep, he felt worse.
On the contrary, Du Wenqiang initially didn't want to drink the Chinese medicine, but after drinking it and waking up, everyone noticed that his complexion had regained its color and become much rosier; clearly, the Chinese medicine had taken effect.
The medicine prescribed by Master Yi contained herbs that replenished blood and qi, reduced inflammation, and promoted wound healing. These were all effective and appropriate remedies.
But Li Ningguang couldn't bring himself to ask Old Yi for medical treatment again.
He'd already thrown away the pills others had given him. Where could he find another one? Just then, Elder Yi spoke up...
superior.
"Elder Yi, don't you have those pills? Could you give me another one?" Du Wenqiang hurriedly asked.
"Naive! You think those pills are like candy? You can have as many as you want? Do you know how precious those pills are? You couldn't buy them even if you offered 100,000! Don't glare at me like that, hey, it's you. Eating, drinking, recuperating, and getting medical treatment back in Yi's hometown all cost money. Don't act like this is your own home!" Zhang Guodong sneered.
I thought to myself, "Why didn't you do this sooner?" Using random snake venom antivenoms is a miracle no one has died. Even when they used the correct antivenom later, the side effects still appeared.
It's generally best not to mix different types of snake venom antivenom!
Zhang Guodong felt indignant on behalf of Old Yi. Did he really think everyone in the mountains was kind and that he could take advantage of everyone? He'd even given away some good stuff when exchanging medicinal herbs.
This is a rare opportunity. It would be a shame not to squeeze some money out of everyone.
“Guodong is right, that pill is very precious. I don’t have many more, but the residual poison can be removed with traditional Chinese medicine, so we don’t need the Snake Spirit Pill,” Elder Yi said calmly.
Li Ninghao forced a smile and glared at Du Wenqiang.
This subordinate is indeed loyal. However, what he said was truly shameful. But Zhang Guodong's tone was very off, putting him in an awkward position.
"Thank you, Mr. Yi!" Li Ningguang said gratefully.
"It's delicious! It's much more fragrant and sweet than the sweet potatoes grown outside the mountains!" Zhang Guodong nodded to Yi Xiangyun and her husband, and without any hesitation, picked up a piece of sweet potato and ate it without peeling it, praising it highly.
"Hehe, the food in the mountains is simple, I hope everyone likes it. Xiao Hu, bring Guo Dong some raw meat after dinner," Old Yi said with a smile.
"Thanks, hehe. Sweet potatoes are good stuff. This variety is good, I can plant them when I get back," Zhang Guodong said.
Everyone laughed, while Xiao Hu looked reluctant. However, for the sake of the money, he reluctantly agreed.
After the farm-style meal, Old Master Yi fetched the medicine for Li Ningguang; it had already been prepared and he just needed to take it out. Li Ningguang then took out 50,000 yuan to give to Old Master Yi. Old Master Yi initially wanted to refuse, but Xiao Hu acted quickly, saying, "Grandpa, if you don't accept it, they'll be unhappy."
Li Ningguang's face stiffened for a moment, then he quickly agreed.
Heaven knows why Xiaohu would say that; it's all thanks to Zhang Guodong.
Let Xiaohu know how many bags of salt can be bought with 10,000 yuan, how many with 50,000 yuan, and how many with 100,000 yuan. Li Ningguang was forced to take out 50,000 yuan in cash. Xiaohu followed Zhang Guodong's advice and it worked.
Fifty thousand yuan was nothing to Li Ningguang. But he was definitely frustrated. Now everyone's relationship had become that of trading parties. In the side room, Li Ningguang was a little annoyed. He was a little envious of Zhang Guodong's meat-shaped Ganoderma lucidum. But unfortunately, Zhang Guodong had kept it and never let anyone see it.
He usually carries his travel bag with him at all times. It's currently stored at his residence.
"Boss, let's head into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning. Any delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances!" Ji Zhen cautioned. In his view, nothing was more valuable than money; each herb was worth tens of millions.
He was worried that his boss might get carried away and waste time, which would be a loss.
Why would Bai Jiawei and the others come to Shiya? How did they know about this place? Wang Zhen felt uneasy.
Li Ningguang was jolted awake by the reminder. He thought to himself, "I almost messed up something big!" In his imagination, there were also green fruit trees around the cave. He could dig up some at once and sell them for hundreds of millions, or even more.
The group stayed at the Yi family's house for one night.
The next morning, as soon as everyone woke up, they heard Xiao Hu running up, panting, saying, "Grandpa has another group of people coming into the village! There are about ten of them."
Upon hearing this, Li Ningguang exclaimed in alarm, "Those bastards, Li Hongbo and his ilk, must be the ones who got it! Get out! Get out!"
This is the second update since the previous update! Thank you so much for your support with your monthly tickets! I'm really grateful for all the votes. I'm very happy, hehe. So I've decided to add an extra chapter. This is posted at [original number] points to express my gratitude!
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