Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 50: A Visit of Gratitude

Li Xu had just seen out a patient with a cold when the clinic door was pushed open again.

"Doctor Li!"

A booming voice called out. Li Xu looked up and immediately broke into a smile—

Wang the Third!

The man, who was once at death’s door from a tick-borne disease, now had a healthy complexion and was full of energy. He was carrying bags of all sizes, followed by his wife, who was beaming.

"Uncle Wang? What brings you here?" Li Xu quickly stood up.

"Ah, Doctor Li, I came especially to thank you!" Wang the Third strode in and placed the gifts on the table. "I was just discharged yesterday, so I rushed over today! If it weren’t for you, I’d be a goner!"

Li Xu smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "You’re too kind. It’s a doctor’s duty to heal the sick, and besides, all I did was offer a suggestion."

He gestured for the two of them to sit.

He asked Song Sisi to pour them some tea.

Wang the Third’s wife’s eyes were a little red as she said with deep emotion, "Doctor Li, you have no idea. When the men in the Wang Family heard he’d recovered, they all said he’d met a true savior!"

"And Doctor Miao from the District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine said that if you hadn’t provided the treatment method, he wouldn’t have been cured even if we had transferred to the City People’s Hospital."

"You must accept these small gifts!"

Li Xu couldn’t refuse, so he accepted them with a smile.

He looked Wang the Third over and asked, "How are you feeling now? Is there any discomfort anywhere?"

Wang the Third patted his chest. "Great! The hospital tests said the virus is completely gone. My liver is still a little weak, so I just need to rest up for a while."

Li Xu nodded. "That’s good. Just make sure you get plenty of rest and don’t overwork yourself."

Wang the Third grinned. "Don’t you worry, Doctor Li. I’m the type who can’t sit still, but you saved my life, so I’ll definitely listen to you!"

「After chatting for a while.」

Li Xu asked, "Uncle Wang, I remember you live over by Tang Mountain, right?"

"That’s right!" Wang the Third nodded. "Wangjia Gou, southwest of Tang Mountain. That’s where I grow my Daqing Leaf!"

Li Xu said, "Perfect. I have an idea, and I was hoping you could help."

"Just say the word! If it’s something I can do, I won’t let you down!" Wang the Third promised, patting his chest.

Li Xu smiled. "I have a large plot of land southeast of Tang Mountain. In fact, Tang Mountain is mine now. I’m planning to grow some herbs there. However, since I have to be here at the clinic, I can’t go over there often. I was hoping you could keep an eye on things for me. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you market-rate wages."

Upon hearing this, Wang the Third laughed heartily. "And here I was thinking it was something serious! Planting herbs is my specialty. What do you want to grow? I could even plant them for you! No, wait..."

It dawned on Wang the Third. "I remember some company from the city bought the land at the foot of Tang Mountain. How did you...?"

Li Xu explained, "It was bought by the Ding Group. They originally planned to develop a hot spring resort, but they later realized it wasn’t suitable. It just so happens I treated their boss, and he’s letting me use the land to plant for ten years, free of charge."

"No wonder."

Wang the Third gave him a thumbs-up. "You’re amazing. You cure one patient and get to use Tang Mountain for ten years for free. It’s just that..."

His tone shifted, and he frowned. "There’s a lot of gravel at the foot of Tang Mountain, and the topsoil is thin. If you want to grow medicinal herbs properly, you’ll have to do some serious land preparation."

"No need."

Li Xu already had a plan. "I’m not looking for high yields, so there’s no need to prepare the land. We’ll just scatter the seeds and let them grow wild without any tending. You just need to keep an eye on the area and make sure no people or livestock like cattle and sheep wander in."

The four natures and five flavors of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs are closely related to their growing environment.

Wild medicinal herbs undergo natural selection, so their environment is considered the biological optimum.

In contrast, cultivated herbs may grow in different environments, which directly affects their medicinal efficacy and quality.

Sometimes, a difference in efficacy for the same type of herb can greatly impact the effectiveness of an entire prescription.

This is also why many wild medicinal herbs are more prized than their cultivated counterparts.

Li Xu was planting herbs on Tang Mountain partly to conceal that special plot of land.

And partly to have a supply of herbs for his own use.

Wild was naturally better.

"Oh, that’s simple."

Wang the Third readily agreed. "Just scattering seeds? No weeding, watering, fertilizing, or pesticides? If all I have to do is keep watch, it’s no trouble at all. Doctor Li, you don’t even have to pay me. It’s close by, so I can just take a few trips on my electric scooter every day."

"I can’t let you do that. We’ll do this by the book."

Li Xu insisted.

If it were just for a few days, he could let the matter of payment slide.

But this was a long-term job.

He would be helping watch over it for a year, or even ten.

If he didn’t pay, even the best relationships would eventually sour with resentment.

"Alright."

Wang the Third nodded and asked, "Doctor Li, what do you plan to plant?"

"Some common herbs, like Solanum nigrum, motherwort, Huang Qin, dandelion, mugwort..."

These were all common wild Chinese herbs.

They were highly adaptable and not picky about their environment.

And they grew easily.

Most importantly, they were common ingredients in many prescriptions.

Wang the Third was even happier. "These are all easy to grow. I have seeds for some of them at home. I’ll bring them for you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Uncle Wang. I’ll go with you tomorrow." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Even though it was ’free-range’ planting,

Li Xu wanted to be involved in the entire process.

This would give him a more comprehensive understanding of the herbs’ characteristics.

After they had agreed on a time,

Wang the Third and his wife left.

Song Sisi was eager to go. "Boss, can I go with you tomorrow?"

"Did you finish revising your thesis?"

"I sent it to my professor yesterday. It basically passed."

"Alright, you can come along then."

...

「The next morning.」

Li Xu got up and washed his face, only then remembering he hadn’t checked the intelligence report.

The reports that had refreshed over the past two days were of average value, mostly treatment plans for common illnesses.

[Today’s Intelligence: On a cliff near Bailingyu Village in the Northwest Remnant of Niuti Mountain, a small patch of mutated foxtail grass is growing. It can effectively relieve eye fatigue, has a prominent eye-brightening effect, and can effectively treat pseudomyopia.]

’...That far?’

Niuti Mountain was a mountain range on the eastern side of the Eight Hundred Li of Qin Chuan.

It was two hundred kilometers from Feng City.

Coupled with the difficult mountain roads, a round trip would take at least a full day.

’Should I go?’

Li Xu considered it.

Ordinary foxtail grass had an eye-brightening effect.

It was plausible that one growing in the mountains could have mutated due to the terrain, climate, or other factors, resulting in a stronger effect.

’I’ll go.’

He didn’t have anything else to do.

The clinic wasn’t busy.

Following the example of the ancients and gathering herbs in the mountains seemed like a nice idea.

But there was no rush.

The mutated foxtail grass was deep in the mountains; it wouldn’t be picked by anyone whether he went a day sooner or later.

He’d deal with it after planting the herb field on Tang Mountain.

"Boss, when are we leaving?"

Song Sisi walked into the clinic enthusiastically, dressed in a tracksuit and carrying a backpack.

"I haven’t eaten yet. After breakfast, we need to go buy some more seeds..."