Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The two then poured the liquid from the filter into a large porcelain basin, allowing it to settle naturally. This year's liquid was clearer and more transparent, with a pure and lingering aroma, free of any impurities, clearly indicating a much higher level of purification than last year.

"The heat is just right, and the equipment is fine," Xingbao said in a low voice, his tone full of confidence. "The new equipment doesn't cause any flavor transfer or leaks, and the purity is much higher than last year. This time, the borneol is of excellent quality."

Looking at the clear medicinal liquid in the basin and the clean, white borneol in the filter, Gui Xiang's eyes were filled with excitement, and her joy was undisguised. She immediately suggested, "Xing Bao, since the tools and methods are all fine, let's strike while the iron is hot and steam the other batch of leaves too!"

"Okay!" Xingbao readily agreed. Taking advantage of the clean utensils and the stable heat control, he purified the other pot of camphor leaves, which had slightly weaker medicinal properties.

After they finished speaking, the two carefully removed the sealing cloth from the edge of the pot, neatly folded it, and put it away. They then took a clean cloth to put on their hands and were about to lift the heavy ceramic distillation hood to clean the equipment and prepare for the second round of distillation. Just then, a series of light and quick footsteps came from outside. The eldest brother, carrying a large basket of leaves on his back, was the first to enter the kitchen. The father, following closely behind, placed the solid wood A-frame ladder steadily against the wall under the eaves. The two had just returned from harvesting the remaining camphor leaves.

Father immediately noticed the two siblings reaching for the scorching hot ceramic lid and quickly stepped forward to stop them, his tone full of gentle admonition: "Xingbao, Guixiang, don't touch it. This ceramic lid is heavy and hot; you could easily burn your hands and feet if you're not careful. Let your father and your older brother do it."

Without saying a word, the eldest brother put down his basket and deftly took the rag from Xingbao's hand. The father also took the cloth handed to him by Guixiang. The two of them carefully wrapped the rag around the handles on both sides of the distillation hood to insulate against heat and prevent slipping. With gentle force and steady lifting, they moved the heavy ceramic hood to the wooden shelf next to them and placed it properly. They handled it with care throughout the process, without bumping or damaging the glaze at all.

Then, Dad picked up a bamboo strainer and slowly moved to the stove. He carefully cleaned the remaining camphor leaves in the pot, which had lost their medicinal properties after steaming. He scooped out all the soft and rotten leaves and neatly placed them into a bamboo basket to dry and use as firewood later. He was well-versed in the art of distillation. The murky liquid remaining in the pot did not need to be cleaned or replaced; he could simply add new leaves and continue boiling. If he thoroughly washed the pot and changed the water every time, it would not only be time-consuming and laborious, but also waste firewood. The sudden temperature changes could easily cause the heavy earthenware pot to crack and break.

The three people beside them were also busy but orderly, each performing their duties. Although the ceramic condenser was glazed and smooth, the inner wall texture was still slightly rough. After the first round of distillation, a lot of condensed ice flakes had adhered to the tube wall. If not cleaned in time, they could easily accumulate and clog the tube opening, affecting the next round of condensation. Xingbao held the condenser firmly in place to prevent it from shaking or shifting. The eldest brother took a clean, thin wooden stick and gently scraped off the ice flakes adhering to the tube wall. Guixiang held a clean porcelain bowl below the tube opening, steadily catching the falling ice flakes without wasting a single one.

After cleaning, Gui Xiang carefully moved the porcelain basin containing the pure borneol and concentrate to the clean cutting board in the kitchen, gently stabilizing it. She then took a dry gauze and covered it tightly to prevent dust and ash, and to isolate any odors, carefully protecting this hard-won and precious medicinal material. Xing Bao then neatly assembled the condenser and filter devices one by one, carefully checking the gaskets and gaps at each joint to ensure there were no loose parts, leaks, or water seepage, guaranteeing that the equipment was in good condition and ready for direct use in secondary distillation.

In the blink of an eye, the entire distillation apparatus was cleaned, inspected, and reassembled, then neatly put back in place. Xingbao remained by the stove, maintaining the same steady heat and rhythm, adding firewood in small amounts frequently to keep the fire burning gently. This allowed the remaining liquid in the pot to heat up evenly and steam slowly, without sudden bursts of intense heat. The earthenware pot was heated evenly and continuously, perfectly avoiding damage from temperature fluctuations. The warm steam from the pot rose slowly, carrying a thin layer of essential oil from the camphor leaves, flowing smoothly into the condenser through the sealed pipes.

Gui Xiang remained by the condensation vat, constantly monitoring the water temperature and regularly replacing it with fresh cold water to maintain a consistently low-temperature condensation environment, ensuring that the water vapor could fully condense and crystallize. The eldest brother stood at the stove, carefully sorting and chopping the freshly harvested camphor leaves, preparing them for the next batch of herbs to be added to the pot. Inside the kitchen, the warm smoke flickered, and the sweet aroma of camphor leaves and herbs once again slowly filled the room. The process was orderly and the teamwork seamless; the family steadily advanced the second round of borneol purification.

As darkness fell completely, the distillation process of the camphor leaves, which had been repeated three times, was finally completed. Customers continued to come and go in the front dining area, sitting down, eating, and chatting. The eldest brother and Gui Xiang moved to the front room to help with the service, leaving Xing Bao alone in the quiet back kitchen to finish up. Wei Bao, who had just returned from his grandmother's house, didn't run around. Holding the docile and obedient Xue Qiu, he quietly stood by the stove, watching Xing Bao work on the bamboo, crafting a delicate bamboo syringe by hand, all under the dim, flickering light of an oil lamp.

Wei Bao watched with great curiosity, tilting his innocent little face upwards and asking softly, "Brother Xing, did you make this for me to play with?"

"Brother needs to use it to draw out the camphor oil from the basin." Xingbao's fingertips kept moving as he carefully trimmed the edges of the bamboo utensil, his movements focused and meticulous, as he answered softly and gently.

Wei Bao's eyes instantly filled with anticipation as she gazed at him expectantly and whispered, "After you're done sucking, can I play with it?"

"Okay." Xingbao looked up and smiled gently, agreeing to the child's wish. "I'll give it to you after I'm done using it. Without the needle, it's a little water gun, which is a lot of fun. I'll teach you how to use it later."

"Okay!" Wei Bao immediately smiled and stood up straight, holding his breath and waiting quietly. Snowball at his feet also lay down obediently, standing quietly beside its little master.

Before long, a neatly polished and smoothly connected bamboo syringe was completed. The most important thing in medicine making is to avoid dirt and dust. Xingbao has always been meticulous and careful. He carefully put the syringe, bamboo tube and piston into boiling water and steamed them for half an hour to sterilize them. Only after thoroughly cleaning them were they carefully taken out and placed aside to cool naturally.

After the entire set of equipment had completely cooled down, he carefully assembled it, adjusting the push and pull mechanisms to ensure smooth operation. By the dim light, he leaned close to the porcelain basin, steadily manipulating the syringe to slowly extract the purest and most transparent borneol essential oil floating on the surface, precisely pouring it drop by drop into a pre-prepared clean porcelain bottle, which he then carefully sealed. He also bottled the remaining clear and lustrous borneol hydrosol, neatly arranging and storing it for future use in appropriate medicine.