The next day, after washing up, Shen Yuan went downstairs and saw Haitang standing in the pharmacy talking to Granny Liu while holding several boxes of pastries.
Upon seeing her, Haitang's smile deepened.
"Miss Chen, you're up. You haven't had breakfast yet! This is osmanthus cake that I bought early this morning from Yipinzhai. It's their new product, come and try it!"
The rice cakes inside the box were still warm, emitting an enticing fragrance of osmanthus honey.
Shen Yuan wiped her hands clean, picked up two pieces of osmanthus cake and stuffed them into her mouth. "Mmm... soft and chewy, so delicious! No wonder it's a Yipinzhai pastry!"
Haitang raised an eyebrow and smiled, "If you like it, eat more! These boxes are all for you!"
"Thanks!" Shen Yuan accepted the boxes of pastries without hesitation and popped two more pieces into her mouth. Seeing Haitang staring at her with a smile, she raised an eyebrow at her as well.
"You seem especially happy today. Did something good happen that I don't know about?"
"It's nothing," Haitang smiled and said, "I have to go back and help wash the vegetables!"
After saying that, Haitang went out the door.
Shen Yuan left one box of the remaining pastries for Tian Tian and Granny Liu, and wrapped the other two boxes in a warm cloth. "These rice cakes are soft and easy to digest. I'll take them to Master to try."
This trip to Jinling City took several days, so Shen Yuan hadn't seen Doctor Jiang and Old Master Murong for quite some time.
Shen Yuan took the pastries and went to Doctor Jiang's house.
Upon seeing Shen Yuan, Doctor Jiang said with a stern face, "You're so inconsistent, I don't know why you're always so busy! If I had known I'd taken on such a busy apprentice, I would have..."
At this point, Doctor Jiang picked up Old Master Murong's ruler and tapped Shen Yuan on the head, holding his breath as he said, "I should have hesitated for two seconds before taking you as my disciple."
“Master, I know I was wrong! I promise that once I finish dealing with the pharmacy and the new restaurant, I will stay here peacefully and listen to your lessons!”
Shen Yuan rubbed her head and handed the pastries she had brought to Doctor Jiang.
"Master, try this osmanthus cake, it's from Yipinzhai, it's especially delicious!"
Doctor Jiang snorted, "Trying to shut me up with food again?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a soft, sweet osmanthus cake was placed directly in front of her mouth.
Doctor Jiang lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the osmanthus cake and Shen Yuan's ingratiating smile. He finally sighed helplessly, "You little rascal!"
Although Shen Yuan is busy with business and often misses classes, fortunately, this girl is very talented. She can understand the knowledge points that others cannot grasp in ten days or half a month in a single day, and she can also apply what she has learned to other situations.
Therefore, although Shen Yuan often missed classes, she did not fall behind in her studies.
Moreover, Doctor Jiang also knew that Shen Yuan's busy business was not solely for making money; her affordable pharmacy had genuinely helped many ordinary people.
Having practiced medicine for many years, she understands that no matter how skilled a doctor is, there is only a limited number of people they can save. In the past, she would stay at the patient's home for several months after a single consultation, helping them recuperate.
Those who could persuade her to come to the aid of the capital were all nobles, and the cases she was willing to treat were all kinds of difficult and serious illnesses.
But Shen Yuan's future path is clearly different from hers.
When Murong Jin saw Shen Yuan arrive, he knew she had brought some delicious food again. He went up to the master and disciple, grabbed a piece of apricot blossom cake, took a bite, and smacked his lips while muttering something.
"There are so many pastries, how can the three of us finish them? If Xiao Ling were here, that would be great..."
Upon hearing Xiao Ling's name, Shen Yuan and Doctor Jiang were taken aback.
Murong Jin continued, "That brat has been gone for half a year without a word. I miss him so much, I wonder if he misses me too!"
Upon hearing this, Doctor Jiang sighed softly, "I haven't cured his muteness yet."
Shen Yuan: "..."
After attending two days of classes, Shen Yuan invited an old gentleman in the city who was skilled in cultivating medicinal herbs, and the two of them went to Chu Family Village together.
Tian kept the medicinal seedlings she had brought back in the soil. When she saw Shen Yuan return to the village with her people, she quickly gathered everyone in the village at the rice paddy at the village entrance.
Because of the plague, the population of Chu Family Village has decreased, and it is not as large as before.
Shen Yuan invited the old gentleman she had brought to the center of the crowd and asked him to explain to the villagers the planting techniques for these medicinal seedlings.
Planting medicinal herbs for the first time was a challenge for both Shen Yuan and the villagers of Chujia Village, so Shen Yuan chose seedlings that were easy to grow and had a high return on investment.
This time, they mainly planted three kinds of medicinal herbs: Angelica dahurica, Platycodon grandiflorus, and Isatis indigotica.
Angelica dahurica and Platycodon grandiflorus can only be harvested after a year, while Isatis indigotica can be harvested next spring.
"...Platycodon grandiflorus is generally sown in spring and summer and harvested in the following autumn. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water, then taken out and mixed with fine sand before being sown into the soil, covered and watered."
The old gentleman explained things in great detail.
The villagers of Chujia Village had struggled in the muddy fields for half their lives. Although they had never grown medicinal herbs before, they had grown many crops, so learning to grow medicinal herbs was not difficult for them.
The farmland in the village has been tilled and fertilized as Shen Yuan had instructed, and now all that's left is to plant the seeds.
After listening to the old man's explanation, the villagers took the free medicinal seedlings and seeds they received to their own fields and planted them according to the old man's instructions.
Shen Yuan then went with the old man to the Tian family's fields.
In addition to those three medicinal herbs, Shen Yuan also brought astragalus seeds with her this time. However, astragalus takes at least three years to grow before it can be harvested, and she was afraid that the villagers would not be able to wait, so she did not plant it on a large scale, but only planted it in the Tian family's fields.
Following the old man's instructions, Shen Yuan rolled up her sleeves, picked up a hoe, and followed behind him with great enthusiasm to learn how to plant astragalus.
This busy period lasted until evening.
As the sun set, its warm yellow light shone on the backs of the people working in the fields. Shen Yuan straightened up and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, but ended up wiping her face with mud instead.
She raised her mud-covered hands, a smile playing on her lips.
Farming is really tiring!
Standing on the edge of the field, looking at the neat rows of small mounds of earth rising up in the fields, Shen Yuan felt a great sense of accomplishment.
In a few more months, once the seeds in the soil have absorbed enough nutrients, they will sprout and grow into vibrant seedlings.
Land is an infinite possibility.
In the evening, after the villagers finished their work, they gathered on the rice paddies.
The women brought over several large iron pots, and the men temporarily built a stove out of mud. Soon, the aroma of food wafted out from under the pot lids.
Shen Yuan lifted the lid of the pot. Inside was mung bean noodles made from rolled mung beans. The soup contained shredded meat, greens, and sesame leaves. She also scooped in a large piece of lard, making it so fragrant that it made one's mouth water.
Shen Yuan immediately served herself a large bowl of noodles.
The villagers sat on the straw pile, holding bowls of noodles, and gathered in a circle.
"Miss Chen, you treated our illnesses for free back then, and now you're giving us medicinal seedlings and seeds for free, and even paying for someone to teach us how to plant them. You are truly a great benefactor to our Chu Family Village!"
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