Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 116: The Effects Begin to Show

Li Xu stood on the ridge of the field, stunned by the sight before him.

In the morning, the sun’s rays were not yet too intense.

It was the perfect time to work.

The still-vibrant green leaves of the Aconite plants swayed in the wind, forming a rolling wave of green.

The villagers worked in pairs. One person was responsible for digging, the other for gathering.

A gentle pry of a hoe turned over the soil, revealing clusters of Aconite tubers beneath. They resembled small radishes, with dark brown skin.

"Watch closely. There’s a proper way to dig up Aconite."

Elder Ma was also digging up Aconite. When he saw Li Xu, he greeted him warmly and demonstrated. "You have to place the hoe about ten centimeters from the plant and go in at an angle so you don’t damage the tubers."

With a practiced scoop and pry, he unearthed five or six whole Aconite tubers.

"Aconite is poisonous. If the root hairs break, the toxic sap seeps out. It’ll make your skin go numb and itchy if it touches you, so you have to wear gloves. Sigh... Back then, Ma Rui got a mosquito bite. He scratched it open and got the sap on his skin..."

Not far away, the harvested Aconite was packed into bamboo baskets and carried by strong young men to the washing area.

A dozen or so women sat around a trough, meticulously scrubbing the dirt off the Aconite with brushes.

The cleaned Aconite was sorted and arranged—the large, plump ones were set aside to be used as seed tubers for next year.

The medium-sized ones were used for processing into black and white Aconite slices, while the smallest would be made into ordinary Aconite slices or Aconite powder.

"Our village has been growing Aconite for over a thousand years."

Elder Ma explained to Li Xu as he worked, "It used to be all done by hand. Now we have washing machines and slicers, so it’s much more efficient. But the crucial steps still rely on the skill of the old masters."

The washed Aconite was sent to the processing area, where over a dozen large iron woks were set up, billowing steam.

Li Xu noticed that Sato, the Japanese representative from Tsumura Pharmaceutical, was holding a thermometer and a timer, strictly monitoring every step of the process.

"The processing of the black Aconite slices is about to begin," Elder Ma said, pointing to a work shed. "This is the variety the Japanese value most."

Under the shed, the old masters poured the Aconite into boiling water, and Sato immediately started his timer.

"Boiling it until it’s cooked through to the core is key," Elder Ma continued to explain. "The water temperature must be kept between 98 and 100 degrees, and the time must be exactly 15 minutes—no more, no less."

Li Xu moved closer to watch and saw the old masters using bamboo skewers to test if the Aconite was cooked through—if a skewer could easily pierce the largest tuber, it was ready.

The boiled Aconite was scooped out and quickly placed into steamers.

During the steaming process, the old masters would occasionally lift the lids to check, waiting until the surface of the Aconite developed an oily sheen.

"This is called an ’oily surface,’" Elder Ma said, pointing at the gleaming Aconite. "It means the active ingredients inside have been properly transformed."

The steamed Aconite was then taken to a drying room, where the temperature was controlled at around 60 degrees.

Sato would periodically take a sample, cut it open, and inspect the cross-section.

"It must be completely dry, or it will mold and spoil," he said sternly.

Meanwhile, the production of the white Aconite slices was also underway.

This batch of Aconite had to be soaked in fresh water for 24 hours first, then boiled until cooked through.

The most skill-intensive part was the peeling—the old masters used special bamboo knives, and with a light flick, the brown outer skin would peel off completely, revealing the snow-white flesh inside.

"You have to peel them while they’re hot. Once they cool down, the skin is hard to get off," one of the old masters said, showing Li Xu his calloused yet exceptionally nimble hands. "I’ve been peeling Aconite for thirty years. I could do it with my eyes closed."

The peeled Aconite was cut into uniform, thin slices and steeped in a flowing stream for three days and three nights to remove any residual toxicity.

After a final steaming and sun-drying, they became snow-white Aconite slices.

"The Japanese are very strict," an auntie who was turning the Aconite slices to dry whispered to Li Xu. "Every slice has to be about the same size, and the color has to be uniform. They toss out any that have the slightest flaw."

The Aconite harvest and processing continued at a feverish pace.

For the time being, Li Xu couldn’t leave either.

He called Song Sisi and told her to keep resting.

He decided to relax and focus on learning the Aconite processing techniques.

...

「Meanwhile.」

In the courtyard of Ma Jinhua’s home, behind the village committee building, dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves of an old locust tree.

Ma Rui squatted in a corner, focused on molding clay as usual, humming a tuneless children’s song under his breath.

His fingers were covered in mud, yet he skillfully shaped the clumps into various forms—a crooked little dog, a rabbit with a missing ear.

"Rui, let’s wipe your face."

Aunt Wang, who was looking after him, handed him a damp towel, her heart aching as she looked at the once-bright young man.

Ever since being poisoned by Aconite, Ma Rui had the mental capacity of a three-to-five-year-old child.

Hearing her voice, Ma Rui looked up with a foolish grin, but then he suddenly froze.

His fingers stopped in mid-air, the mud slowly slipping through them.

Just as Aunt Wang was about to step forward to wipe his face, she saw his pupils contract slightly. His gaze gradually cleared, like a lake when the dense fog lifts.

"Auntie..." Ma Rui’s voice was no longer muffled; it had regained the distinct clarity of a young man.

He looked around his family’s courtyard. "Where’s my dad?"

Aunt Wang answered instinctively, "Your dad’s in the fields, busy with the Aconite harvest..."

She stopped mid-sentence, as if she couldn’t believe her own ears. Her eyes widened, her voice filled with astonished joy. "R-Rui... You... you’re better?"

Ma Rui slowly stood up and brushed the dirt from his knees.

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the woodpile in the corner, the swallow’s nest under the eaves, the shirt fluttering on the clothesline—as if confirming long-lost memories with each sight.

Finally, he looked down at his own mud-caked hands, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly.

"I’m better..." he said softly, his voice thick with an emotion that couldn’t be unraveled. "It was all a dream..."

Tears instantly streamed down Aunt Wang’s face.

She stumbled forward and grabbed Ma Rui’s hands, her rough palms caressing the young man’s long fingers. "The heavens have opened their eyes! I knew this day would come!"

She tremblingly caressed Ma Rui’s cheek as if to confirm this wasn’t a hallucination. "You wait here, I’ll go get your dad right now!"

Aunt Wang turned and ran out. It was the first time in years she had run so fast.

But what she didn’t know was that not long after she left, as Ma Rui turned his head, his mind clouded over, and he once again broke into a foolish grin.

"Little bunny... hehe... little bunny hop hop..."

Ma Rui squatted back down in the corner, holding the freshly molded clay rabbit in his hands.

He happily held the clay rabbit up to his eyes, giggling vacantly at the sunlight as drool unconsciously dribbled onto his collar. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

...

「The mountain fields outside the village.」

Village Chief Ma Jinhua was directing the villagers’ work.

The harvesting was simple; the processing was the hard part.

Besides the black and white Aconite slices, the villagers also made some prepared Aconite slices—they sliced the Aconite, boiled it with auxiliary ingredients like licorice and black beans, then stir-fried it until lightly yellowed.

This processing method reduced its toxicity and enhanced its effect of warming and tonifying the spleen and stomach.

"Brother Ma, Brother Ma..."

Aunt Wang shouted as she ran, "Brother Ma, come home quick! Rui is better!"