Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

After leaving Granny Gu's house, Liu Xiangyang glanced at the sky. It wasn't even noon yet. He turned and headed towards the clinic at the east end of the village.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door of the clinic, the familiar scent of herbs mixed with the smell of old wood wafted out. Dr. Han was sitting at an old table by the window, carefully slicing a dried root with a small cleaver in the light. Hearing the noise, he looked up, his gaze still clear in his deep-set eyes.

"Master," Liu Xiangyang called out, closing the door behind him.

"You're here." Dr. Han put down the guillotine, pointed to the stool opposite him, and said, "Sit down." He looked Liu Xiangyang over and said, "You look good. You seem to be doing well with your breathing exercises."

"Thank you, Master. Since I started practicing the guiding exercises, I do feel lighter." Liu Xiangyang sat down.

"Well, as long as it works." Dr. Han's gaze fell on Liu Xiangyang's trouser legs, which were covered in mud and bits of grass. "Have you been into the mountains recently?"

Liu Xiangyang smiled and said, "I went into the mountains a few days ago."

Dr. Han nodded slowly, tapping his fingers unconsciously on the table as if he had made up his mind. He opened the table drawer and took out a thick notebook carefully wrapped in kraft paper, the edges of which were worn and faded.

"You often go into the mountains, only thinking about a few bites of meat and a few pieces of skin. Your vision is too narrow." Dr. Han's voice was not loud. "The white mountains and black waters under our feet are poor, but they are also an inexhaustible treasure trove. The essence of our health preservation school lies in half of practicing Qi cultivation and regulating the body; the other half lies in understanding the spirits of plants and trees in this world and using their power to make up for human deficiencies."

He pushed the notebook toward Liu Xiangyang: "These are some things I wrote down in my early years. They mainly describe which herbs in the old forests of Northeast China can save lives, which roots can nourish people, where they grow, when to harvest them, and how to identify them."

"I was planning to give it to you after you mastered the guiding technique, but I didn't expect you to master it so quickly."

Liu Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat. He took the notebook with both hands. The kraft paper felt rough and heavy. He didn't open it immediately, but looked at Dr. Han and said, "Thank you, Master."

"Take it." Dr. Han waved his hand, interrupting him. "This is all I have to give you. You're young, quick-witted, hardworking, and you often go into the mountains, so this is perfect for you."

He coughed twice to catch his breath and continued, "Today I'll tell you about the most important things, the first one being 'clubs'."

Liu Xiangyang's expression turned serious, and he sat up straight.

"Ginseng, the king of herbs, is from the Changbai Mountains, the home of the best ginseng. To find it, remember these words: 'A shady slope with thick humus, often found under linden and pine trees; three flowers and five leaves with a red top, and few birdsong is a good omen.'" Dr. Han spoke slowly but clearly. "Don't believe those mystical claims. Look for its leaves; palmate compound leaves with five leaflets are 'five-grade leaves,' indicating maturity. The fruit at the top is bright red when ripe, like beads, and you can see a little bit of it from afar. There's a ginseng bird with a distinctive call; it eats ginseng seeds. Follow it, and you'll find it."

As he spoke, he gestured the shape of the famous leaves on the table with his withered fingers, and then took out a flattened plant specimen from the drawer. It was a five-petaled ginseng compound leaf, which was already withered and yellow, but its shape was intact.

"When you see something like this, don't rush to do it. First, tie a red string with a copper coin attached to it to the stem. This is an old custom, and it also helps to keep it in place and prevent it from running away. When digging, you need to be calm and steady. Use bamboo sticks and wooden chips to carefully remove the soil little by little. The roots are more valuable than gold. If you break one, the medicinal properties will be reduced. After digging it out, wrap it in moss, then wrap it in birch bark, and take it down the mountain."

Liu Xiangyang listened intently, his eyes following Dr. Han's gestures and the specimen closely.

"The second thing is astragalus. This stuff isn't rare, but wild astragalus that's been around for a long time is a top-grade tonic for replenishing qi and strengthening the exterior. It likes sunshine, so find sunny hillsides with sandy soil. It has small yellow flowers and leaves that look like feathers. Dig up the roots, but don't pick the ones that are too thin."

"The third thing is Schisandra chinensis. It's a vine that twines around shrubs, with clusters of fruit that turn bright red when ripe. This stuff is good for your qi and helps you generate fluids, which will aid your training. Harvest the fruit in autumn, dry it in the shade. If you find it in the mountains, remember the location, and you can go there every year."

Dr. Han rattled off several items, each accompanied by a simple description of its characteristics, habits, and value. He then opened the kraft paper notebook, which contained plant illustrations drawn in neat small regular script, with dense notes next to them on the growing environment, harvesting season, and processing methods. Some pages also had his later additions and insights.

"The pictures are more accurate than my description; you can refer to them." Dr. Han flipped to the first few pages of the notebook, where, in addition to ginseng, astragalus, and schisandra, there were also pictures of other medicinal herbs such as Acanthopanax senticosus, Paeonia lactiflora, Atractylodes lancea, and Saposhnikovia divaricata. "There are many treasures in these mountains, but also many poisonous plants. If you don't recognize them or are unsure about them, it's better not to touch them than to eat or pick them indiscriminately."

Liu Xiangyang carefully examined the meticulously drawn diagrams and annotations page by page, as if he had opened a door to another world. Before, when he went into the mountains, he only saw animals, but now he realized that the entire forest itself was a huge and valuable treasure trove.

"Master, these... if we collect them, they'll be useful to your health, right?" Liu Xiangyang closed his notebook and looked at Doctor Han.

Dr. Han glanced at him, her gaze deep: "It's no use. I've tried everything. I'm like an old man whose oil lamp has burned out, waiting to die."

"No, Master, you're still waiting for me to avenge you."

"Good boy, I'm waiting for your good news," Dr. Han murmured.

"Don't worry, Master. I'll find you some old ginseng when I go back into the mountains. Let's get you back to health first." Liu Xiangyang carefully wrapped the kraft paper notebook and put it into his satchel.

"Talk is cheap." Dr. Han seemed to have exhausted himself, leaning back in his chair and breathing slightly heavily. "Next time you go into the mountains, bring your eyes and compare them. Start by looking for the easily recognizable Astragalus and Schisandra. As for Ginseng... it's all about fate, you can't rush it. But remember, the trick to finding ginseng is to first learn to look at the mountains, the soil, and the trees."

"Okay." Liu Xiangyang replied, got up and poured Dr. Han a glass of warm water. "Master, you rest. I'll go back now. I'll come see you whenever I have time these days. If you have any questions, come and ask me."

Dr. Han took the cup, took a small sip, and waved his hand: "Go ahead, but be careful in the mountains. Some things might be guarded by local deities, so don't just focus on finding treasures."

"Okay, I've got it."

Liu Xiangyang left the clinic; the afternoon sun was shining brightly.

His pace quickened unconsciously as he headed home. He needed to study the atlas carefully and plan his next trip into the mountains, including the timing and route.

Judging from Dr. Han's appearance, he does seem to be in poor health. Let's see if we can find some good ginseng to help him recover.