Chapter 119: Traditional Chinese Medicine

The booklet contained only a small amount of content, and just as Xiao Weiguo finished copying it, the elderly grandmother called them to eat together.

Carefully returning the original ancient prescription booklet to Zhang Shanjian, he expressed his gratitude, “Grandpa Zhang, thank you for these prescriptions. Once I prepare the medicinal wine, I will definitely bring some over for you to taste.”

Zhang Shanjian casually put the booklet away and said, “I know you’re a good child, and besides, you saved this old man’s life. A booklet like this is nothing. If you’re willing, I can also teach you the medical skills I have.”

After speaking, he looked at Xiao Weiguo with anticipation.

Zhang Shanjian was truly serious about passing on his medical knowledge to Xiao Weiguo.

His own son had no interest in learning medicine. In the village, a few people initially tried to learn from him but couldn’t endure the early hardships of traditional Chinese medicine and eventually gave up.

Moreover, studying traditional Chinese medicine requires a high level of knowledge; those who have never been educated simply can’t manage it.

Seeing Xiao Weiguo’s neat handwriting while copying the book suggested he was well-educated.

Xiao Weiguo was tempted by the offer. With his own spring water and the addition of medical knowledge, he could treat patients more effectively.

Perhaps there would be no illness he couldn’t cure.

That would be quite extraordinary.

However, learning traditional Chinese medicine takes an incredibly long time, and Xiao Weiguo didn’t have time to waste.

A basic understanding was feasible, but deep study was definitely impossible.

Thinking of this, he said to Zhang Shanjian, “Grandpa Zhang, I’d like to learn, but I’ve already started working and am too busy to study.”

Zhang Shanjian had to withdraw his hopeful gaze. It seemed his medical skills would go with him to the grave.

He invited Xiao Weiguo to sit and said, “Let’s not talk about that for now. We’re all hungry. Let’s eat quickly.”

At the center of the table was a large pot of wild chicken stewed with mushrooms, releasing a unique aroma, with two side dishes as garnish.

Zhang Shanjian then went to the inner room, and soon returned holding a bottle of medicinal wine.

He said, “Weiguo, you said you were interested in medicinal wine. This is a ginseng and lingzhi wine I carefully prepared. The ginseng and lingzhi were all gathered by me in the mountains. Today, it’s for nourishing your body. Each of us should only drink about an ounce or two; the rest you can take with you. Remember, don’t exceed that amount daily, or it might over-nourish you.”

Hearing this, Xiao Weiguo took the bottle with interest, examining it closely. He poured some for Zhang Shanjian and the grandmother, as well as for himself.

Taking a small sip, he felt a warm current flow from his mouth to his stomach, spreading throughout.

His whole body felt extremely comfortable—a fine wine indeed.

Zhang Shanjian then invited Weiguo to eat the chicken.

Xiao Weiguo took a bite; the herbal flavor emanated from the chicken, indicating many medicinal ingredients were used in the stew. It likely had some nourishing effects and tasted quite good.

“Grandpa Zhang, how did you prepare the herbs for this stew? Does it have nourishing properties?”

“This recipe I derived from medical books during my free time. Eating it does help nourish the body. If you’re interested, I can write it down for you. Next time you come, I’ll give you the dietary therapy list,” Zhang Shanjian replied.

“Thank you very much, Grandpa Zhang.” Xiao Weiguo hadn’t expected such a fruitful day.

Grandpa Zhang was truly a treasure.

In this era, there were still many capable elders until the subsequent Cultural Revolution...

Which proved to be a disaster.

The three of them ate and chatted merrily. The grandmother brought over three bowls of millet rice, emitting an enticing fragrance.

Wild chicken stewed with mushrooms paired with millet rice—what a wonderful taste.

Still, Xiao Weiguo didn’t eat too much, consciously leaving some for the elderly couple as their dinner.

This way, they could save a meal’s worth of grain.

After finishing, they chatted a little longer. Glancing at the Shanghai watch on his wrist, it was already 2 p.m. Xiao Weiguo prepared to leave.

“Grandpa Zhang, I have to go now. There are other things I need to attend to.”

Zhang Shanjian thought for a moment and told him not to leave yet. He went back into the inner room and soon came out holding several books, handing them to Xiao Weiguo.

“These are some introductory medical books. You can read them when you have time. If you have any questions, come see me next time and I’ll help explain. Learning medicine is a lifelong endeavor. Don’t rush; take your time and you will learn.”

Looking at these medical books, Xiao Weiguo felt touched. This was only their first meeting, yet the old man was so unreservedly generous.

Although there was a life-saving debt between them, it was clear the old man liked him very much.

He accepted them solemnly and said, “Don’t worry, Grandpa Zhang. I will study diligently. Whenever I have free time outside of work, I will read.”

Zhang Shanjian nodded slightly and added, “I have detailed annotations in these books, which will be helpful for self-study. I believe that with careful research, the basics won’t be difficult. Once you master them, we can move on to more advanced medical texts.”

At that moment, several voices called from outside the yard, “Doctor Zhang! Doctor Zhang! Please come see my son!”

It seemed someone was sick and had come to see the team’s doctor.

Zhang Shanjian still held the position of the team’s doctor.

Xiao Weiguo quickly said goodbye to Zhang Shanjian and the grandmother, carrying the medical books and the half-full bottle of medicinal wine as he headed out of the hillside team’s village.

On the way, he reflected, today had been incredibly rewarding. Not only had he solved the medicinal wine recipe problem and planted fruit trees, but he also had a chance to learn medicine and discovered a mountain base suitable for development.

Clearly, he needed to get out and explore more. Staying in one place wouldn’t bring so many unexpected joys.

No wonder they say, “A tree dies if it doesn’t move; a person thrives if they do.”

Approaching the Xiao family’s team village, Xiao Weiguo suddenly thought of Wangcai in his space.

In just a few days, little Wangcai had grown from a small puppy into a nearly grown native dog.

He couldn’t let it stay in the space any longer—it was growing too fast. If left unchecked, it might grow old and die inside the space in a year or two.

He needed to find a way to block the space’s acceleration effect and try various methods later.

With the thought, Wangcai suddenly appeared in Xiao Weiguo’s arms, so heavy he almost dropped him.

Setting Wangcai on the ground, he petted his head. Wangcai stretched his neck comfortably.

“Wangcai, come with me.”

Wangcai obediently followed Xiao Weiguo toward the Xiao family’s team village.

When Xiao Weiguo ran, Wangcai ran; when he walked, Wangcai strolled alongside, looking very well-behaved.

Returning to his grandparents’ home, just as the grandmother was about to go out, she saw Xiao Weiguo and smiled happily.

But the moment she noticed Wangcai behind him, her smile vanished immediately.