Chapter 14 Isatis Root, a Cure-All
Because of its proximity to water, the vegetation along the stream is particularly lush, with verdant green branches and wild trees layered together, resembling an oil painting interwoven with countless shades of green.
"There are so many weeds here!" Su Yun couldn't help but exclaim. This area, especially near the water's edge, was densely packed with weeds and shrubs, leaving almost no place to step. The only way to get through was to clear a path with a sickle.
Actually, if it weren't for the fact that she often walked this path while washing clothes, and would occasionally use a sickle to cut the weeds and break off the protruding branches, this path would be easier to walk on. Otherwise, in this season, within a few days, dense green buds would suddenly sprout, and after being nourished by the spring rain, in the blink of an eye, green would cover the yellowish-brown earth, and everything would be submerged in green leaves.
The magic of spring is truly astonishing; in places where no humans live, plants grow exceptionally freely.
Su Yun looked at the lush greenery and thought to herself.
The path along the stream was lined with lush vegetation. To avoid wild animals or venomous snakes basking in the sun, she first took a stick and scouted ahead. After confirming there was no danger, she slowly followed the path, looking for useful herbs and cutting some of the dense weeds to make sure they didn't grow too fast, so there would be a path to walk along.
The streambed is sunken, with a gentle slope below the water's surface, and on the other side of the slope are abandoned farmland overgrown with weeds.
These abandoned fields are very close to water sources, making it very convenient to fetch water to irrigate vegetables.
If you dig a ditch in a low-lying area, the water can be diverted into the fields, making it convenient for irrigation or drainage. The location of the farmland here is simply blessed!
Looking at the long-abandoned farmland, Su Yun slapped his forehead and began to think about whether to choose a low-lying place, dig a ditch, and divert some stream water to grow vegetables.
Or should we simply choose a field near a water source and use buckets to fetch water to irrigate the vegetables?
Su Yun pondered for a moment. Actually, there was also wasteland near where she used to wash clothes, but the water source was a bit far away.
The steps for washing clothes were laid under the bridge. The stream there was quite deep and the slope was very steep. The cement stairs were also laid for quite a long time. Looking at the bottom few steps, there were faint traces of moss. It is estimated that a few more steps will be added during the flood season, which will make watering much more convenient.
If the cultivated land is close to that place, it's very convenient to fetch water to irrigate the vegetables. When you come over to do laundry in the morning, you can also water the vegetables at the same time. This is a win-win situation and is ideal.
The sweet potato vines in the backyard seem to be growing well these past few days. Once they become a bit denser, they can be transplanted after the first spring rain.
Drought-resistant chili peppers can be placed further away, and it's okay to water them less.
The cabbage has already flowered and will probably produce seeds in a few days. Then, there won't be any problem placing the delicate cabbage and sweet potato vines near water.
Su Yun pondered for a while, walking downstream along the stream for about ten meters. The water surface gradually became calm and wide, the current slowed down, and the slopes on both banks became much gentler. Looking into the distance, many round pebbles, washed smooth by the flowing water, were exposed on the riverbed.
In this area, there are even more abandoned farmlands on both sides of the river. However, most of these fields are covered with weeds, and from a distance they look like a continuous grassland. Only the ridges between the fields are faintly visible, revealing their former function.
Upon seeing the water flow and terrain, Su Yun's eyes lit up. After careful observation, he indeed found a shallow path in the dense weeds, leading directly to the stream. It was clear that this was a trace left by someone who used to fetch water from the stream.
If you look closely, you can still find a few old, long water ladles left among the weeds on the ridges of the fields. They have been exposed to the wind and sun and are almost integrated with the soil under your feet.
"This is it!" Su Yun cheered. Looking at the not-so-lush weeds around him, he immediately cleared them by hand, pulling out all the weeds on both sides of the path through the water. Otherwise, when summer comes, the weeds will probably be even denser, making it impossible to walk.
It took about half an hour to clear the path, making it wide enough for two people to pass at a leisurely pace. Su Yun also unexpectedly discovered a small clump of short perilla leaves on the muddy bank near the stream. The leaves had just sprouted and were densely packed together. In Su Yun's eyes, they were absolutely adorable.
They are still too small now. After a few days when they grow a little bigger, we will try to transplant some of them into the vegetable garden at home. So Su Yun just carefully cleared away the weeds around them.
This is so that they won't have their nutrients stolen by the surrounding weeds, allowing them to grow tall and large quickly.
Su Yun tidied up the weeds around Zisu, carefully washed her hands on the stones, and with her sharp eyes, she noticed that there were quite a few small crabs crawling under the stones. They looked grayish and were covered with a layer of river mud. They hid quietly in the crevices of the stones, pretending to be small stones. Unfortunately, they were too small to be of any interest. They were not as interesting as the silly fish upstream.
Su Yun simply washed her hands and left.
Meanwhile, Ye Feng, holding a stick, was keeping watch, but she didn't know where he had gone. She stood on a roadside stone, searching for Ye Feng's figure.
On a mild early spring afternoon, the sun was not too strong. The vegetation along the stream was lush and moist. The breeze carried away some of the heat from their work. Su Yun squinted as she walked to a raised rock, stood on it, and gazed into the distance, searching for the figure of Ye Feng.
Not far away, amidst the dense green shadows, a dark figure could be seen faintly, its back to her, head bowed as if picking something, looking very serious.
The kitten has learned to hunt wild game too! It looks so serious; I wonder what good thing it found—maybe some wildflower? What a silly kitten.
Thinking of this, Su Yun slightly curved the corners of her mouth, her voice containing a hint of laughter, and called his name in a drawn-out tone: "Night Wind, what are you picking?"
Ye Feng was struggling with what he was holding. The branch was covered with fine thorns, and it would take some effort to remove it. Just as he was struggling with the branch, he suddenly heard someone call his name. In the wilderness, a gentle, smiling voice made the name Ye Feng sound long and soft, as the spring breeze caressed his ear.
It was a wonderful experience.
It wasn't a lab number, nor was it a vulgar swear word; it was his name.
On a warm spring day, in the newly green fields, for the first time someone called his name so clearly and gently.
In the vast universe, he was the only one who truly belonged to himself; this feeling was as if his existence was being affirmed for the first time.
The night wind's heart also fluttered slightly at that call.
On the other side, Su Yun could only see the top of a dark head. The ears, which had been drooping, suddenly stood up, and then the head turned towards her, responding with a "Hmm!"
Su Yun waved at him.
Then, from a distance, I saw his figure flash by, emerge from the grass, and walk back this way, holding a green branch with yellowish-white specks in his hand, his tail swishing back and forth, seemingly in a very good mood.
He walked briskly to Su Yun, handed her the yellow and white green branch, scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and said, "Um, I don't know what it's called. Here, take this. It's very pretty..."
As he spoke, he handed the branch, from which the thorns had been carefully removed, to Su Yun.
Su Yun's eyes widened slightly as she stared in surprise at the green branch in her hand. It turned out that the yellow and white stripes were not leaves, but a long string of flowers.
That green branch turned out to be a beautifully blooming honeysuckle.
Large clusters of yellow and white flowers lay on the green leaves, blooming profusely like twinkling stars among the leaves. They were truly beautiful, no wonder Ye Feng picked them for her.
However, when faced with honeysuckle, the foodie Su Yun was completely oblivious to romance, and her first thought was: "Wow! Honeysuckle! Now I can make tea."
Honeysuckle is a treasure; it clears heat and detoxifies, reduces internal heat and removes dampness.
Night Breeze: "What? This is called honeysuckle? For making tea?"
"Yes, honeysuckle is great, you can eat it!" Looking at the lush honeysuckle, Su Yun's eyes lit up, and she said succinctly, "Where did you pick these? Let's go pick some more!"
Guided by the night breeze, the two quickly found the honeysuckle tree. The honeysuckle grew very close to the riverbank, with almost half of it lying on the water's surface. It was covered in a vibrant display of golden flowers, attracting many bees and butterflies that buzzed around it.
The flowers are located in a very tricky spot. To pick them, you have to go through dense bushes and then slowly pluck the useful petals and buds from the thorns of the honeysuckle branches.
Huh? I really don't know how Yefeng managed to pick it.
Su Yun looked at the flowering tree and was puzzled. "There's so much grass here."
"It's alright, I'll pick them for you," Ye Feng volunteered.
"No, no, the grass is too tall here. What if there are snakes?" Su Yun was a little worried.
"Then let's add more dishes?" Ye Feng scratched his head, his tone serious, with a hint of anticipation in his expression.
Su Yun couldn't help but chuckle. They were both foodies, never forgetting to think about food.
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you. Be careful, you can use this to clear the way. It'll make it easier to walk." Su Yun handed the sickle to Ye Feng.
He had Ye Feng use a sickle to cut the bushes aside and clear a path for one person. Then, under Su Yun's thoughtful guidance, he carefully picked the honeysuckle. This time, he didn't pick it along with the branches and leaves, but instead specifically pinched off the clusters of flower tips.
Su Yun said that this is edible.
Is it safe to eat?
Looking at the golden flowers, they looked delicious. Many bees were flying around collecting nectar. He remembered that bees produce honey, and honey tasted sweet. This thing called honeysuckle…
It shouldn't be too bad, right?
So, Ye Feng looked left and right, and taking advantage of Su Yun's inattention, he directly stuffed a small honeysuckle flower he had picked into his mouth, "So bitter—"
Night Breeze wore a pained expression as he spat out the chewed honeysuckle. His handsome eyebrows furrowed, revealing a look of feline doubt, as if to say, "Can this really be eaten?"
Su Yun, who was hiding in the distance, saw this scene and secretly covered her mouth and laughed. Silly cat, so cute.
Of course, the silly cat didn't stop working just because the honeysuckle didn't taste good; instead, it continued to diligently pick the flowers.
Su Yun continued to observe the nearby fields and collect herbs. The roadside vegetation was really abundant; she picked a large handful of wild mustard greens alone.
Observing more closely will always yield unexpected results.
And sure enough, she found a wild Isatis indigotica plant by the edge of the field!
Actually, wild isatis root and wild mustard greens are quite similar. They both grow on the ground like a green round umbrella. The difference lies in the shape of their leaves. Isatis root leaves are denser and flatter, while wild mustard green leaves are mostly serrated, and the roots are also thinner and more tender.
Isatis root, also known as Banlangen, is a common herb that grows in fields and wild areas. However, few people know that this unassuming wild plant is the famous medicinal herb Isatis root.
The most important point is that the medicinal part of Banlangen is actually its root. Its root is thin, long and thick, somewhat like ginseng. After being dug up, dried, and sliced, it can be used as medicine. The essence is in its root, so most people just call it Banlangen and forget that the whole herb is actually called Banlangen.
Its roots are the essence, and they are buried in the soil, so it's normal that most people don't recognize what it looks like.
Generally, only the elderly in the village recognize Isatis indigotica, but they only occasionally pick its leaves in the spring to eat as wild vegetables. In the autumn, when they have a headache or fever, they dig up its roots, boil them into a decoction, and use it to treat the illness.
When Su Yun was little, she was weak and often had headaches and fevers. Her grandmother often gave her this to drink. Because she was afraid it would be bitter, her grandmother would add some white sugar. The freshly made soup, with the sugar added, was warm, sweet, and had a faint herbal aroma. Su Yun loved to drink it and often helped her grandmother pick these wild herbs to make herbal tea. She even drank too much of it, which caused her to have diarrhea a few times because of the excessive cooling effect. Her grandmother finally stopped her from drinking it.
Although it's been a long time since I've had it, I still miss that refreshing and cool herbal tea flavor. The herbal tea from my childhood was truly made from herbs and paired with rock sugar. The taste was bittersweet, which is incomparable to the saccharin-added herbal teas in the city.
Although it had been a long time since Su Yun had drunk it, he still missed it very much.
However, in the end, they didn't find much Isatis root. Su Yun picked all the Isatis root plants nearby, intending to wash them clean and boil the whole plant for Ye Feng to drink as medicine.
Isatis root cures all diseases!
It's not a big problem.
After walking a while longer, a sharp-eyed person spotted several withered corn stalks near the ditch. They looked pitiful, with one end lying in the soil, and several large bulges could be vaguely seen among the withered yellow leaves.
Su Yun was overjoyed and hurriedly went forward. He poked at the corn with a stick a few times to make sure there was nothing wrong before picking it up. He then parted the withered husks and saw that several corn kernels that had broken free of the husks and were close to the soil had already sprouted tender shoots.
The tender shoots stretch out their delicate hands, struggling to lie on the ground to absorb nutrients. If left to grow naturally for a while, a few will be lucky enough to grow into corn stalks, and in the autumn, a few more will grow into large, plump ears of corn. Some will be carried away by mice, some pecked by birds, and some gnawed by insects. The last ones will continue to fall to the ground, sprout, and painstakingly nurture the next generation.
However, they have now fallen into Su Yun's hands.
Su Yun smiled and assured them that they would all grow strong and healthy and continue their bloodline.
In the future, this area—no, this entire area—will be a cornfield.
Su Yun was delighted and collected them all, intending to carefully cultivate the seedlings when she got back.
Reaching out to rummage through some of the other neatly wrapped items, I found that some had dried out and others had become moldy.
Su Yun picked and chose, collecting the dried ones for intensive cultivation.
As for the moldy ones, they were thrown into the still-damp ditch, and then left to their own fate.
After finishing all this, Su Yun clapped his hands, turned around, and went back.
At this time, Ye Feng also picked half a bag of honeysuckle. Combined with the herbs that Su Yun had picked along the way, today's harvest was quite plentiful.
The first thing Su Yun did upon returning home was to find a short earthenware jar, fill it with water, and insert the bouquet of flowers that Ye Feng had given her earlier, along with the honeysuckle she had picked at the beginning. After arranging them for a while, the green leaves, scattered with small yellow and white flowers, paired with the old earthenware jar, had a unique charm when viewed from afar.
Su Yun clapped his hands in satisfaction, very pleased with his artwork.
I poured myself a glass of warm water and enjoyed the view while sipping it.
At this moment, Ye Feng put his things down and went into the house. As soon as he entered, he saw the flowers and plants placed in the center of the table. They were wildflowers and weeds that he had picked that morning. When he was helping Su Yun wash the herbs, he belatedly realized that he seemed to have misunderstood Su Yun's intentions. She was not just picking wildflowers to play with, but was working with something called herbs.
He felt embarrassed when he thought about how he had foolishly picked some useless weeds and wildflowers and handed them to her. But to his surprise, Su Yun brought them all back, put them in a bottle, and carefully arranged them into a beautiful shape.
"This—" Ye Feng was momentarily surprised, then lowered his voice apologetically, "These are useless..."
"Isn't it beautiful!" Su Yun interrupted him before he could finish speaking, and laughed.
Suddenly asked this question, Ye Feng, who always had a simple mind, blurted out without thinking, "Very beautiful."
"As long as it looks nice, that's fine. Having some flowers and plants in the house makes people feel happy." Su Yun happily described the beauty of flowers and plants: "People in my hometown used to spend money to buy flowers and plants to put in their homes, but I think natural ones look better."
Night Breeze was completely confused, his mind filled with questions: Spend money? Buy? Before? Although he couldn't quite understand what Su Yun was saying, he could see her emotions. Her eyebrows were curved, her eyes were smiling, and she was cherishing and happy when she looked at the flowers and plants. Her actions and words were telling him that those wildflowers and weeds were not useless, but had value.
Feeling the other's cherishing and love, the night breeze happily swayed its tail gently where no one was watching.
Su Yun squatted under the eaves, carefully picking out the herbs, discarding all the weeds and impurities, and then spreading them out on a winnowing basket in a well-ventilated place to let them air dry naturally.
For herbs like dandelion, centella asiatica, and honeysuckle, washing them with water will dissipate their medicinal properties, so it's best to just spread them out to dry. After all, the sun provides natural ultraviolet rays, making it a free natural sterilizer.
The plantain leaves are thick and have an oily film that seals them in, so they are not afraid of being washed by water. The night breeze helped to clean them, and they were then placed in the sun to dry.
The isatis root that we're going to boil tonight has also been washed clean and placed in the sun to dry for a while to disinfect it.
Next, Su Yun had to quickly process the corn seeds. She selected a fertile plot of land in the backyard to use as a seedling nursery. Anyway, the backyard was spacious and sparsely populated, so there was plenty of space. It was just a small plot of land for seedlings.
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After selecting the location, Yun first loosened the soil with a hoe, then shoveled a thick layer of wood ash from the stove and sprinkled it evenly on the soil. Finally, she used a small hoe to mix the wood ash with the soil and turn it over evenly. Then she found some tools and poked small holes in the ground to serve as seedbeds.
The seedling trays that were originally placed in the storage room had long been weathered and damaged, so Su Yun had no choice but to manually poke holes in them to use as seedling beds. She just hoped that the results wouldn't be too bad.
With one hand making a hole, Su Yun painstakingly poked a row of small holes. Then, she carefully placed the corn kernels one by one into the holes, covered them evenly with a layer of soft soil, and then sprinkled water to keep the soil moist.
Finally, a few bamboo strips were placed on both sides of the seedbed, and some plastic film was found earlier to make a seedling shed to maintain the temperature and humidity inside.
After a busy afternoon, Su Yun finally finished setting up the seedling base as the sun was about to set.
"Phew—" Su Yun wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a long breath. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart, "Farming is really not easy. Every grain is hard-earned. To eat corn, you have to look forward to it from spring to autumn, from a single corn kernel to a corn stalk, and then to a corn cob. And you don't even know if the seedlings will be successful this time. Sigh, if God gave her a chance to do it all over again, she would definitely cherish every grain of rice that she wasted in the past."
After reflecting on the hardships of farming and the struggles of farmers, Su Yun carefully collected the remaining corn cobs. This time, she didn't plant all the corn seeds, but left half behind in case the seedlings failed and the entire crop was lost.
Night Breeze, who had been observing her for a while, finally couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "What are you doing?" He turned his head and pointed curiously to the few remaining ears of corn placed by the window. "Isn't this for eating? This is called corn? I think I've eaten it before, it tasted pretty good, although this looks a little different. This seems a bit dried out... Are we having this tonight?"
Su Yun was both amused and exasperated. She explained, "These aren't for eating. These corns are too tough to eat anymore; they're not tasty. They're only good for growing vegetables. You just bury them in the soil like this, and in the fall, even more corn will grow back."
"More corn?" Ye Feng's eyes widened slightly, and he immediately showed great enthusiasm, asking expectantly, "How much is 'a lot'?"
Oh, that's what makes a good foodie.
Su Yun was well aware of each other's foodie nature, but Corn was still an infant. His ideals were lofty, but reality was harsh. So she decided to give the kitten a pep talk to give him something to look forward to.
"It's about piling up the entire riverbank; our goal is to conquer the riverbank!" Su Yun, with lofty ideals in mind, gave the kitten a strong dose of medicine for its future.
After hearing her words, the kitten seemed to imagine something, its eyes narrowing slightly. A few minutes later, its eyes widened, almost shining. "Really? Are there really that many ears of corn?"
Su Yun nodded, her face serious, and finally concluded: "If it can sprout smoothly, not be eaten by birds or insects, and grow up smoothly all the way." Then she left, leaving Ye Feng staring at the nursery with a conflicted expression.
Dinner was braised fish with fresh bamboo shoots. The fresh river fish was first pan-fried until golden brown on both sides, then water was poured in, tender bamboo shoots were added, and the soup was simmered over low heat until the fish soup turned white and was bubbling with steam. Then a little salt and chopped garlic were added, and it was ready to serve!
This braised fish with fresh bamboo shoots has a delicious and flavorful broth. The tenderness of the fish and the freshness of the bamboo shoots blend together perfectly. The two ingredients work together to bring out their individual essences to the fullest, creating this delicious dish.
Su Yun took a bite while it was still hot and felt that her tongue was about to explode with deliciousness. It was so good!
Then he looked at Ye Feng, taking a bite of fresh bamboo shoot, and kept saying, "These bamboo shoots are really delicious. They were delicious at noon, and they're still delicious now."
Orcs have a limited vocabulary. The rabbit stew with bamboo shoots that they ate for lunch was delicious and full of rich meaty aroma. The fresh fish stew with bamboo shoots that they ate for dinner perfectly brought out the freshness of the bamboo shoots. No wonder it's her favorite bamboo shoot. It's so versatile and tastes good no matter what.
Both of them were very satisfied with the meal.
After a satisfying meal, Su Yun washed the small earthenware pot used for stewing meat and began to simmer Banlangen (Isatis root). This was a simple task requiring little skill; she simply chopped the Banlangen into small pieces, poured in water, and started boiling. Once the water boiled, she removed a little wood and simmered it slowly over a low flame. During this time, she waited for Ye Feng, who had just finished showering, to come and help watch the fire while she took her turn showering. After each shift, the Banlangen was almost ready. Su Yun took out a sealed jar of rock sugar from the cupboard, picked up a piece of rock sugar, and threw it into the earthenware pot. Once the rock sugar melted, the decoction was almost ready.
She poured a bowl for herself and for the night breeze, then sat by the door, gently blowing on it and taking sips now and then. The sweetened Chinese medicine didn't taste like Chinese medicine at all; it tasted more like herbal tea.
The sweet herbal tea slowly spread in her mouth, leaving a refreshing aftertaste of herbs. One sip was unforgettable. If it weren't for the fact that this was Ye Feng's medicine, Su Yun would have wanted to have another cup. However, the herbs were precious, and it had been a long time since she had found them. Su Yun, with the aim of strengthening her body and also because she was really craving them, only tasted a small bowl and then stopped drinking.
Ye Feng was quite satisfied with the sweet medicine. He gulped down several bowls by himself, looking cheerful and showing no signs of having any difficulty taking the medicine.
Watching Ye Feng treat the medicine like dessert, Su Yun couldn't help but sigh, "The world of foodies is so simple."
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