Chapter 255: Raw or Cooked
The faint, yet extremely obvious strange smell made him unable to help but ask.
Gu Yuexuan paused slightly, then nodded and replied, "Yes, the doctor's prescription does contain Aconitum. What's wrong?"
"The herb Aconitum can't be underestimated. When you picked it up, were you sure it was raw or cooked?"
Before Gu Yuexuan could answer, the visitor said seriously, "Cooked black fungus is indeed a precious medicinal material, but raw black fungus is highly poisonous. You must not make a mistake, otherwise it may be life-threatening if eaten by mistake."
Sister Liu didn't understand these things very well, and fearing that Gu Yuexuan might think her brother's words were vulgar, she quickly reached out and pinched him, angrily scolding him, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"These herbs were carefully selected in the clinic according to the doctor's prescription. How could there be any mistake? How could the doctor not be able to tell the difference between raw and cooked black fungus?"
The man who was pinched was in a good mood. He rubbed the back of his head with a silly smile and said honestly, "It just suddenly occurred to me, so I just wanted to remind you. I didn't mean anything else."
Gu Yuexuan's heart was slightly shaken, but her expression remained calm. She smiled and said, "There's no point in talking too much. When it comes to things like medicine, it's always better to be cautious."
"I'll pour you some water. Let's sit down and talk."
Mrs. Liu is naturally kind-hearted, and her brothers from her mother's side are also very reliable.
When Yu and others heard the voices, they went out to check. Seeing that the Sichuan Fritillaria in his hand was of high quality, they immediately bought a large amount. As a result, when Sister Liu and her brother left the Tu Su family's gate, their faces were filled with joy.
Sister Liu did not forget to comfort the Tu Su family with a few words before she left with her brothers.
The medicine was already boiled, and the clear broth was placed aside to cool. The old lady, who had been silent all this time, came out with a small piece of cloth and said in a cold tone, "Pour in the dregs."
Gu Yuexuan was a little surprised: "Why are you pouring out the medicine residue?"
The old lady glanced at her impatiently, and Xi Lanfang quickly stepped out to smooth things over: "Xuanxuan, you are still young, don't you know that this is the custom of the older generation?"
"If someone in the family is sick, the dregs of the boiled medicine should be wrapped up and thrown away far away, which means to throw away the disease as well as the illness, and pray for the family member to recover quickly."
Xi Lanfang was worried that Gu Yuexuan would anger the old lady without knowing the truth, so she gently pulled her over, carefully poured the blackened residue from the medicine pot into the cloth, and wrapped it up meticulously.
The old lady decisively snatched the medicine bowl away and left with a dissatisfied grumble, blaming her for not knowing etiquette.
Gu Yuexuan frowned slightly, remained silent, slowly squatted down, and carefully examined the emptied medicine jar, with an inexplicable anxiety in her heart.
She knew that the herb Aconitum must undergo a unique processing technique before it can be used for medicinal purposes, otherwise it would be highly toxic.
She had also checked it carefully when she was making the medicinal soup. The aconite in the medicine bag had a unique smoky color and seemed to be normal on the surface.
However, she could only identify the color, and felt unable to distinguish the specific differences between processed and unprocessed aconite.
Xi Lanfang was worried that Gu Yuexuan would feel depressed because of the old lady's reprimand, so she whispered to comfort her. Gu Yuexuan smiled slightly, her eyes fell on the medicine bowl in Xi Lanfang's hand, and suddenly said, "Grandma, let me help Grandpa take the medicine."
Xi Lanfang did not suspect anything and handed the bowl of medicine to her.
Gu Yuexuan carefully carried the medicine bowl into the room and gently tapped Tu Su Minyang's forehead: "Minyang, do me a favor."
Tu Suminyang was lying on the bed chatting with his grandfather. He looked up and asked in confusion, "Sister-in-law, what do you need me to do?"
"You go out and guard the door. No one is allowed to come in unless I call you. Okay?"
Tu Suminyang's clear eyes were filled with doubts, but Gu Yuexuan pretended to be mysterious and whispered: "Grandfather and I have something private to say, please keep an eye on it for me."
Children of this age are always curious about participating in such mysterious events. Tu Suminyang jumped up without hesitation and agreed readily.
When Tu Suminyang went out, he did not forget to carefully close the door tightly.
The old grandfather was half lying on the bed, covered with a quilt, with a playful look on his face. He originally thought that Gu Yuexuan was going to secretly give him some pocket money again, and was about to tease her, but he saw Gu Yuexuan quickly put the medicine bowl on the table, then turned around and looked for the medicine bag in the cabinet.
Gu Yuexuan squatted on the ground, carefully opened the medicine bag, took out the aconite that had been cut into slices, gently crushed it, and observed it carefully under the dim light. The corners of her mouth were tense, revealing a bit of nervousness.
For many days, the old grandfather's eyes had always seemed a little cloudy, but at this moment, his eyes suddenly gathered a hint of coldness, and a deep look flashed in his eyes. With a sense of inquiry, he asked in a low voice: "Girl, what happened?"
Gu Yuexuan didn't avoid her grandfather's scrutinizing gaze. Instead, she held the broken Aconitum slices in her hand, approached gently, and asked in a low voice, "Grandfather, can you tell whether this Aconitum is raw or cooked?"
The old grandfather had been a learned man throughout his life, and he was well aware of the difference between raw and cooked crows. He smiled calmly and replied, "I know a thing or two."
Gu Yuexuan then asked, "Then, Grandfather, do you think the piece of Aconitum in my hand is raw or cooked?"
Compared with her not-so-accurate identification ability, the old grandfather could still identify clearly even though he was bedridden.
He took the aconite leaf, examined it carefully, sniffed it gently, and said, "This is cooked aconite, what's wrong with it?"
"Roasted black?"
Gu Yuexuan seemed a little surprised. She gently moved the remaining fragments in her palm with her fingertips. After hesitating for a moment, she finally mustered the courage to discuss this with her grandfather: "Grandfather, your illness has lasted for a month, but the medicine doesn't seem to be working. Perhaps we should temporarily stop taking the medicine for two days. What do you think?"
The scene she had seen before kept appearing in her mind, like a barbed hook, piercing her heart from time to time.
She did begin to doubt.
But now is not the time to reveal the truth.
Gu Yuexuan was filled with worry. If her grandfather pressed her on the reason, how would she come up with an excuse? However, the grandfather simply smiled and said, "Just remember to come back three times a day to bring me medicine. I'm afraid your aunts won't approve of me throwing away the medicine behind their backs."
Gu Yuexuan was surprised and delighted, her eyes widening: "Grandfather, do you agree?"
"Why not?"
The old grandfather handed the Aconitum powder back to her and, with great effort, gently ruffled her hair with his hand. His eyes were full of love: "Since I raise you as my granddaughter, I naturally have to listen to your opinions."
"Just be careful when pouring the medicine and don't let anyone find out. Otherwise, I won't help you explain."
Gu Yuexuan breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders, and exclaimed in admiration. However, a wave of emotion welled up in her heart as she recalled the fate of the dregs of the medicine that were carelessly discarded by the old lady after the medicine was brewed every day.
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