Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 57: The Old Man

’So, someone *is* here.’

Li Xu had suspected as much when he first saw Da Huang.

He quickened his pace, hoping to ask for a place to stay the night.

As he drew closer, Li Xu got a better look.

The old man wore a traditional front-buttoned tunic, its original color faded beyond recognition. His trouser cuffs were tied with straw ropes, and his exposed ankles were covered in cracks that resembled tree bark.

Da Huang was sitting at the edge of the field. The dog’s ears perked up the moment it saw Li Xu, but it didn’t bark.

And right beside the dog,

was a small pile of chewed-off foxtail grass.

’Is he saving that to eat later?’

The sight of the old man pulling a large leveling rake was both strange and familiar to Li Xu.

When he was a boy, he’d gone with his mother to his grandpa’s house, and his grandpa had used a similar rake to level the fields.

A leveling rake was a tool used for flattening soil. It was built like a ladder laid flat, with tines on the underside.

Iron tines were set into the wooden frame every few inches, designed to break up the large clods of earth left after deep plowing.

This traditional farming tool had long since been phased out in most flatland regions.

He never expected to see one here. It made him feel as if he’d stepped back into the last century.

The rake’s wooden frame was worn smooth with a patina from age, its seven iron tines carving uneven furrows into the yellow soil.

The old man had to stop for breath every three steps, and the bones of his gaunt wrists protruded so sharply they looked as if they might pierce his skin.

When he bent over to pick up loose stones from the field, he looked even more frail and small.

Seeing this, Li Xu felt an unexplainable tightness in his chest.

"Sir! Let me help you with that!" Li Xu said, setting his backpack down at the edge of the field and walking over.

Da Huang trotted over to sniff Li Xu’s pant leg, giving his tail a slight wag.

Hearing the commotion, the old man turned around, revealing a deeply tanned, weathered face.

"Huh?"

Li Xu raised his voice and repeated himself.

The old man finally heard him clearly, but he waved a hand as gnarled as a tree root. "No, no, it’s just a little work..."

With that, he went back to pulling the heavy rake with all his might, like a boat hauler straining against his tow rope.

"Sir, I’m young and have strength to spare. Please, let me."

Li Xu stepped in front of the old man and, refusing to take no for an answer, took the hemp rope from his hands.

The rope was stiff, hardened by years of sweat.

He mimicked the old man’s posture, slinging the rope over his shoulder.

The leveling rake was much heavier than he had imagined.

The moment he pulled, the rope bit painfully into his collarbone.

But Li Xu didn’t back down. ’I already bragged about it,’ he thought, ’I have to finish what I started.’

He put his entire body weight into it, leaning forward and pulling until the rake begrudgingly began to move.

Before long, he was dripping with sweat, and the back of his neck burned where the rope had chafed his skin raw.

The old man walked to the edge of the field, shakily lowering himself to the ground by his knees. He untied a worn cloth pouch from his waist—an old bag polished shiny from use—and took out a copper-bowled pipe. After lighting it, he began puffing away contentedly.

After the initial struggle, Li Xu quickly found his rhythm.

He was young, after all, and had plenty of stamina.

Half an hour later, Li Xu stood panting, having raked the entire small patch of hillside.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, pulled two bottles of water from his bag, and chugged one down. GULP, GULP, GULP. He handed the other to the old man. "How old are you, sir?"

The old man was hard of hearing and didn’t catch what he said.

Li Xu asked again, much louder this time.

The old man held up eight fingers, then hesitated and curled one back. "Seventy-nine..."

"You’re nearly eighty and still doing work this heavy."

"Not much point in sitting idle. I’d rather be working."

"What about your family? Do they still live in the village?"

"No family. Just me."

The old man exhaled a cloud of smoke, obscuring his expression.

A moment of silence passed.

This time, the old man broke the silence. "Young man, what brings you out to the mountains?"

"Oh, I’m a doctor. I came into the mountains to gather herbs."

"A doctor?"

The old man turned his head in surprise and broke into a grin. "A doctor, eh? That’s wonderful. These mountains are a treasure trove, full of medicinal herbs. It’s a shame I don’t know anything about them, or I’d show you where to look."

"I’ve already found what I was looking for."

As they spoke,

the sun dipped behind a distant mountain,

and the light began to fade.

"Young man, are you heading back today?"

"No, I’m not. I was hoping to find a place to stay the night in the village. Is there anyone else around?"

"No one else. Just me. You can stay at my place."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

The old man got to his feet and began to put away the rake. "It rains a lot in the summer. I have to bring it inside, or it’ll get ruined out here."

"I’ll help you."

Li Xu helped the old man lift the rake onto his back, and they started walking toward the village down the hill.

As they left, he noticed Da Huang pick up the bundle of foxtail grass again and trot along behind them, tail wagging.

"Is this your dog?"

"Yes, I’ve had him for seven or eight years now. He was just a little puppy when I took him in."

"Why is he carrying that bundle of grass?"

The old man grinned, revealing the few teeth he had left. "For some reason, Da Huang’s taken to bringing grass home recently. Sometimes he even tries to stuff it in my mouth, thinking I eat grass just like he does."

"Hm?"

A thought struck Li Xu. He tilted his head and took a closer look at the old man.

The old man’s eyes were very cloudy.

"Grandpa, is your vision blurry?"

The old man nodded. "When you get old, your ears don’t hear so well, and your eyes don’t work like they used to. I can still make out shapes in the distance, though."

Li Xu glanced back at Da Huang trailing behind them and sighed with admiration. "That’s a really good dog."

"What’s that?"

The old man hadn’t heard him.

Li Xu said loudly, "I said, you’ve got a good dog! That foxtail grass he’s carrying—it’s for you to eat."

The old man was speechless.

Li Xu explained, "That species of foxtail grass can improve one’s eyesight. It’s good for the eyes. If you make a tea from it, your vision might clear up a bit."

"Is that so..."

The old man smiled and beckoned. Da Huang immediately trotted up, his tail wagging.

The old man patted Da Huang on the head.

Da Huang’s tail wagged even more furiously.

The two men and the dog continued on their way.

Li Xu noticed that the old man’s legs didn’t seem to be in good shape.

He swayed as he walked.

His left leg, in particular, he was clearly hesitant to put much weight on.

"Grandpa, what’s wrong with your leg?" Li Xu asked.

"An old ailment. Rheumatic joint pain."

"Have you had it treated?"

"Went to see a doctor in town the year before last. Used a few medicinal plasters..."

As they spoke,

they arrived in the village.

Most of the houses in the village were dilapidated.

Only a handful still looked habitable.

One, in particular, was built entirely of stone, with elegant, upturned eaves. The compound included not only a main house but also several outbuildings and a large courtyard. The main entrance had a gatehouse, flanked by two stone lions.

It must have belonged to a wealthy family.

They walked a little farther.

Finally, they came to a small courtyard.

The house was made of adobe. Though simple, it was very tidy.

It was clearly lived in.

"You can put it down here."

They placed the leveling rake in another room.

It was filled with all sorts of farming tools.

Several large earthenware jars for storing grain were stacked in a corner.

"You rest up, young man. I’ll go make us some dinner."

The old man started for the kitchen.

Li Xu stopped him. "You rest first, sir. Let me take a look at your leg."

"Oh."

The old man obediently fetched a small stool and sat down in front of Li Xu.

Instead of immediately checking the leg, Li Xu placed his fingers on the old man’s wrist to feel his pulse.

’Pulse first, then diagnosis.’

"Hm?"

Li Xu murmured, concentrating on the rhythm of the old man’s pulse.

Li Xu froze.

He slowly raised his head, studied the old man intently for a moment, then withdrew his hand.

"What is it, young man?"

Though old, the man was still perceptive.

Li Xu forced a smile. "It’s nothing. Now, let me see that leg of yours."