Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1201 Improvement of Daoist Farming Areas: Medicine and Martial Arts Go Hand in Hand (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

Is someone cultivating it?

That would be great!
Since it can be cultivated and has been produced annually, it proves that the variety has the characteristic of being replantable.

That would allow for the expansion of planting areas within specific regions and environments.

"I'll have someone contact them in Shaanxi later," Fang Yan said.

"Do you want to expand the planting area?" Hai Deng asked Fang Yan.

Fang Yan nodded:

“This high-quality mugwort should be promoted. Without leaving their local area, we should expand its cultivation in similar environments so that more people can use it.”

The dialect is quite cautious. These plants may not grow back to their original form after leaving a specific environment; otherwise, there wouldn't be the concept of a "traditional producing area."

Upon hearing this, the monk Haiteng, fiddling with the cuff of his robe, gazed at the crowd setting up the scene in the distance and slowly said:
"Young friend Fang's idea is good, but it may be a bit difficult to implement. You don't know, the value of mugwort in Zhongnan Mountain is precisely because of the strong nature of that mountain."

Judging from the dialect, the old monk must have inquired carefully, and perhaps he had even considered expanding the cultivation, otherwise he wouldn't have put it in the book.

“Let’s talk about the terrain first,” Monk Haiteng gestured with his withered fingers and said in Mandarin with a slight Sichuan accent, “The people over there have tried it and concluded that it must be on a slope at an altitude of 800 to 1200 meters. Too high and the wind is too strong, and the mugwort won’t grow strong. Too low and it’s too damp, and the leaves will easily rot. It has to be a south-facing slope, exposed to the sun for at least six hours a day, so that the smell of the mugwort is strong enough… You can tell by smelling the dried leaves. If the sun is strong enough, you can crush them and make people sneeze.”

Old Fan chimed in from the side:

"Will we still need water?"

"Water is necessary, but not too much," said the monk Haiteng.
"It has to be fresh water seeping from the mountain stream, flowing down the cracks in the rocks, just enough to moisten the roots. If you use stagnant water from the fields, the stems of the mugwort will grow bloated and weak, and the medicinal effect will be far less."

"Have you not seen the mugwort in the mountains? Its roots are all embedded in the piles of rubble. The cracks in the rocks can drain water and retain some moisture. It's a good place given by God."

He paused and then continued:

"The soil is strange. It looks black, but when you grab a handful, you can squeeze out sand. It's mixed with decaying leaves and rock fragments. It's neither compacted nor loose."

“I saw an old Taoist priest picking mugwort in Zhongnan Mountain. He said that the soil should be moist but not soggy. When it is dry, it should crack a little so that water can seep in when it rains. When the sun shines, it should quickly absorb the moisture. Mugwort that grows in this way has thick leaves and lots of hairs, and its medicinal properties are locked inside.”

The dialect sounds a bit like coconut coir soil, but of course there is no coconut coir on Zhongnan Mountain.

Later generations studied soil conditions extensively in order to grow crops, and these methods could be quickly replicated. The old monk's use of dialect didn't seem like a major problem; this is one of the benefits of living in the internet age.

Then, Fang Yan recalled the passage in the book about "collecting mugwort at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival" and asked:

"Does that mean it also depends on the season?"

“That’s quite a lot of complicated stuff,” Monk Haiteng laughed.
"In early spring, we have to wait until the snow in the mountains has completely melted and the earth's energy rises before we can plant the seeds. If we plant them too early, they might freeze, and if we plant them too late, we won't catch the rainy season. We also have to be careful when we harvest them. It has to be noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, when the sun is at its strongest. It is said that the mugwort has the most 'yang energy' at this time of year and can suppress evil spirits."

"Actually, I've heard scientists say that the mugwort is at its half-person height right now, the leaves haven't turned yellow yet, and the essential oil content is at its highest, so the dried mugwort floss is the most potent."

Fang Yan was surprised that he had also consulted scientists.

At this opportune moment, Hai Deng pointed to the mugwort specimen tucked inside the book "Taoist Moxibustion Classic":

"Look at the leaves with serrated edges, they grow in a pile of rocks. If the leaves are round and plump, they probably grow in a flat area, and their medicinal effect is much weaker."

“There are only a few slopes in Zhongnan Mountain that meet these requirements. There are really none more. The old Taoist priests in the mountains say that it is nurtured by the spirits of the mountains and the earth, and it cannot be rushed.”

Fang Yan listened and nodded, understanding that the difficulty in promoting this mugwort must be due to its demanding growing conditions: the slopes of Zhongnan Mountain, the crevices of rocks, flowing water, and sunshine—all of these are essential for its growth.

But it doesn't matter, even if it's slightly inferior, it's still better than the ordinary mugwort we have now.

It might be difficult to select only the best varieties, but improving the overall quality of mugwort is certainly achievable.

So I still need to write a report when I get back and have someone investigate the feasibility of the project.

Fang Yan looked at the book "Taoist Moxibustion Classic" and suddenly laughed:

“The intricacies that Master Haiteng mentioned sound difficult, but I think if you change your perspective, you can actually figure out a way to do them.”

Monk Haiteng looked up at him: "Oh? Young friend Fang has an idea?"

“Look,” Fang Yan pointed to the mugwort specimen in the book, “we can first find a few plots of land in the Zhongnan Mountains with the most similar conditions, next to the original wild mugwort plants, and see if we can absorb some of their spiritual energy.”

"As for the soil, regarding the sand mixed with decaying leaves you mentioned, we can learn from the methods used in the mountains. We can collect dead branches and leaves for composting, and then mix them with gravel to simulate the principle of 'wetting when the soil is dry.' People at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences love to work on this now; it's called soil improvement."

Old Fan, who was listening nearby, suddenly interjected:

"What about the water? We can't just bring mountain stream water into the fields, can we?"

“No need to divert water,” Fang Yan explained. “We can use drip irrigation, like watering vegetables, letting it seep into the roots little by little. This way, we can control the amount of water and let it flow down the soil, just like water seeping from a mountain stream.” “Drip irrigation?” Old Fan looked bewildered.

He said in dialect:

"We introduced this technology four years ago. It was even reported in the newspapers at the time. We got it from Mexico. We've tried it in Dazhai in Jinzhong, Shanxi, Shashiyu in Zunhua, Hebei, and Miyun in Beijing... We've grown fruit trees, vegetables, and grain crops."

"Back in 1975, the newspapers said that the experiment was very successful, saving water and increasing production."

"Especially in Shashiyu, Hebei, we were the first country in the world to use drip irrigation for grain because of this technology for irrigating wheat. This technology has been mature for a long time, so you don't need to worry about it at all."

Monk Haiteng stroked his beard, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "These methods sound novel, can they really work?"

“We’ll have to try to find out,” Fang said confidently. “Even if the cultivated ones are slightly inferior to the wild ones, as long as they’re better than ordinary mugwort, it’s worth it.”

"Think about it, how many people in these places can't even find good mugwort these days? Even if we grow 80% good quality, it can still help a lot of people."

He paused, and before Hai Deng could ask, he added:

"As for the harvesting season, that's the simplest thing. We just need to remember the days around the Dragon Boat Festival and follow the rules in the mountains. We should cut the mugwort when the sun is at its strongest at noon. We should also follow the method for drying the mugwort as described in your book. These old customs cannot be forgotten."

Seeing the earnestness in his eyes, the monk Haiteng smiled and said:
"Young friend Fang, you are more open-minded than this old man. I used to always think about preserving the original flavor, afraid of disturbing the nature of the mountain, but I never thought of modifying it to suit the nature of the mountain."

Fang Yan also laughed:
"Actually, it's the same principle; we all want to pass on good things."

Hai Deng nodded.

Fang Yan continued:

"If it really works, I'll send you some freshly harvested mugwort floss as soon as possible so you can check its quality."

“Then I’ll be waiting,” Monk Haiteng nodded, picking up the book “Daoist Moxibustion Classic” and handing it to him:
"This contains the exact locations of those slopes in Zhongnan Mountain, as well as the planting incantations passed down by the old Taoist priests. You can take it; you might find it useful."

Actually, I had memorized all the dialects, but the fact that they gave me the book was just a gesture.

Fang Yan nodded and accepted it without hesitation.

Next, Fang Yan and the old monk talked about the other books in the book. Fang Yan and Hai Deng were only mediocre in their medical skills, so they were excluded first. They talked about some content about monastic medicine and Taoist medicine.

The old monk knew some things about the dialect that the other person knew more about in ancient books. The two of them chatted back and forth, and each of them learned a lot from the other. With Lao Fan asking questions from time to time, the three of them chatted all the way until lunchtime.

It was lunchtime, and the three monks certainly couldn't eat with everyone. Old Hu had done a great job with the meals this time, serving only meat dishes, so Fang Yan and the others had to find a place to eat vegetarian food.

They didn't go anywhere else, but took Master Haiteng directly to the Yanjing Hotel, the official partner restaurant of the dialect!
Then, in this dialect, they directly used foreign exchange to hire a state banquet chef to prepare a table of vegetarian dishes.

This is to show respect for Master Hai Deng.

Accompanying them were Lao Fan, his second senior brother Ding Jian, Tang Maoqian, as well as Xiao Li, Huo Fuguan, and Wenwu.

In the second film, Xiao Li brought along his good friends, since they were all champions. Apart from their less-than-ideal looks, Huo Fuguan and Wen Wu were equally sharp in action. The director already knew that their approach would work, so this time he used them without any reservations.

During the meal, Fang Yan and his friends shifted their conversation from traditional Chinese medicine to martial arts movies. Master Hai Deng has a deep passion for promoting Chinese martial arts culture, which is no less than his passion for traditional Chinese medicine.

He wasn't particularly interested in the exquisite food prepared on the table; only his two accompanying apprentices ate their meals in silence.

He then smiled and said to Xiao Li:

"Young friend Li, before dinner you said that the story of 'Once Upon a Time in China II' was novel and the action was beautiful, making it exciting to watch."

"Making films like this, letting children understand the merits of Chinese martial arts, is truly a great deed!"

Li was a little embarrassed by the praise and scratched the back of his head: "Master, you flatter me. We just wanted to make the martial arts films more exciting, and... we also wanted to let everyone see the power of kung fu and the spirit behind it. Besides, both the first and second books were written by my junior uncle."

"Not only that, even the investment in filming was initiated and funded by their company."

As he spoke, he pointed to the dialect.

Hearing this, Hai Deng was taken aback and looked at the young man who had been chatting with him all morning and seemed to be a refined gentleman. He didn't expect that this was written in dialect and that he was also Junior Uncle Li.

"Young friend Fang also knows kung fu?" Hai Deng asked.
Fang Yan smiled and nodded:

"Medicine and martial arts are inseparable!"

PS: I got another 100 monthly votes, so after finishing this chapter, I still owe everyone 29000 words.

There will be more this afternoon.

(End of this chapter)