Starting from 1950

Su Yang couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

Without further ado, he first showed his work ID and then explained that he wanted to borrow a medical book to prove that the new stir-fry recipe could improve night blindness.

The old doctor paused for a moment, somewhat surprised, then stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "I didn't expect that you, at such a young age, had already read the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' and the 'Records of Famous Physicians'?"

"The medicinal effects of eggshells and pine needles are not limited to the two books you mentioned. The *Qianjin Fang* says, 'Pine needles make one stay young, promote hair growth... and treat stroke and rheumatism'; the *Shennong Bencao Jing* also says, 'Pine needles are of superior quality; long-term consumption lightens the body, invigorates qi, and prolongs life', and there are more..."

"Ahem! Sir, I'm free today..."

Seeing the old man begin to launch into a long speech, Su Yang couldn't help but interrupt him.

"Hey! Look at me, my apprentices have been gone for over a month, and I still haven't shaken off my habit of loving to teach!" The old man first made a self-deprecating remark, then said to Su Yang:

"I think your improved stir-fry noodle recipe is great. Wait here, I'll go get you the book!"

After saying that, he went into the inner room.

Su Yang quickly stopped him, "I have another favor to ask. I've heard that you, Dr. Hu, are a famous doctor in Shenzhou. If you could vouch for the effectiveness of this prescription, perhaps..."

"Maybe your case will fall through," Dr. Hu chimed in with a wry smile, sighing, "I'm 60 this year, and I started studying medicine at 12—a full 48 years! I wouldn't say I've saved countless lives, but I've certainly accumulated a lot of merit. I never imagined that in my old age I'd be called a 'fraud'!"

Su Yang was silent for a moment, then realized that it was about traditional Chinese medicine being attacked by upper-level scholars. Even the medical books in the library had been confiscated. This famous old doctor in Shenzhou had probably already been used as a "target" for attack.

He didn't understand medicine, and he couldn't get involved in this ideological debate, so he could only offer dry words of comfort: "The things our ancestors have passed down for thousands of years must have their reasons. Don't be too sad, everything... everything will be alright."

Dr. Hu nodded with some relief, then raised an eyebrow after a moment. "Hey! This old man has eaten more salt than you've eaten noodles, it's not your place to comfort me, you little brat. Wait here! I'll go get you your book!"

Su Yang chuckled as he watched his retreating figure.

This old man is quite stubborn.

Before long, Dr. Hu came out carrying a stack of books. He stroked them for a while with some reluctance before handing them to Su Yang.

Su Yang flipped through the books and found not only the "Compendium of Materia Medica", "Records of Famous Physicians", "Dietary Manual of Sui Xi Ju", "Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces", and "Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica", which he had specifically requested, but also "Ode to the Properties of Medicinal Herbs", "Inner Canon of Medicine", "Treatise on Febrile Diseases", and "Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber".

These books are all thread-bound, not exactly new, but they are very well preserved.

"Please don't be reluctant to part with it. I'll just take it back to show the leaders and then return it to you untouched."

Doctor Hu waved his hand and sighed, saying, "No need to return them. Just take good care of these books, and study them whenever you have time. I'll keep them..."

"It might get taken away one day."

Su Yang didn't know what to say for a moment, so he could only nod.

"Come on! Let me write down for you which page the records about eggshells and pine needles are on in the book."

Dr. Hu walked to the table, sat down, picked up his pen, and began to write in a flourish. After writing two words, he realized that he wasn't writing a prescription.

So he meticulously listed in regular script which page each of the medical books that mentioned eggshells and pine needles was on.

He didn't even open the book; clearly, he already knew these things by heart.

After finishing writing, he carefully blew away the ink and smiled at Su Yang, "Kid, tell your noodle factory workers to be more careful when they're frying noodles. My son and a few apprentices are sanitation workers on the other side of the river; they might just happen to enjoy the noodles your factory makes."

Su Yang wanted to say something, his lips moved again and again, but he didn't say anything. In the end, he just nodded a few times.

"Alright! Get your things and hurry up! This old man is very busy!"

......

It was almost noon when Su Yang returned to the family compound.

When he got to a spot not far from the three buildings, he saw a crowd gathered in the open space in front of them.

As he approached, he saw Old Xie surrounded by a crowd, talking animatedly with spittle flying everywhere.

"This thing is called a 'Haidongqing', also known as a gyrfalcon, but its most famous name is 'God of All Eagles'!"

"Wow!"

"My God!"

The neighbors gasped in surprise, especially the children.

Everyone stared intently in the direction Old Xie was pointing.

That was Wu Xinxue pushing a bicycle. On one of the handlebars hung a piece of pork, a bundle of vermicelli, and several small packages wrapped in oil paper, which were obviously food.

But instead of craving the food, everyone looked at a white mass on the other side of the handle.

"What? God of Ten Thousand Eagles?" Su Yang squeezed into the crowd.

"Su Yang, you're back!" Wu Xinxue explained to him triumphantly, "I found an eagle on the way back from shopping with Aunt Mei!"

"Yes! That thing was really fierce. One of its wings was ruined, and we almost got pecked when we tried to catch it," Ruan Sumei chimed in with a laugh. "But it caused a ruckus all the way here, leaving a trail of blood, and now it's quiet. I reckon that eagle weighed three or four pounds. Xiao Yang, you're a good cook, it'll definitely taste delicious when you make it."

"What a pity! What a real shame!"

Old Xie shook his head and sighed, his face full of heartache.

"Uncle Xie, what are you regretting?" someone asked curiously.

"Look," Old Xie explained to his neighbors, pointing to a gyrfalcon with its claws tied to the handlebars and its head drooping, "this gyrfalcon is pure white, even its claws are white, only its beak is bluish-black. This is a top-grade 'Jade Claw,' one in a hundred thousand!"

"What's the deal with the Jade Claws?" Su Yang's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Ahem!" Old Xie cleared his throat, shaking his head as he said, "Gyrfalcons are classified according to their appearance as Autumn Yellow, Wave Yellow, Three-Year Dragon, and Jade Claw..."

"During the Republic of China era, even the lowest quality autumn yellow jade could sell for thirty or forty silver dollars!"

"Wow!"

"Good heavens!"

The astonishment of the crowd pleased Old Xie greatly, and with a radiant smile, he continued, "And the jade claw is the most expensive among gyrfalcons! Back in the Republic of China era, one jade claw could be exchanged for a three-courtyard house!"

"What?"

"This feathered beast is worth so much?" The neighbors looked at the gyrfalcon with even more fervor.

"Oh, right! I remember now!"

Wu Xinxue's eyes lit up. "I read in a book that during the Qing Dynasty, presenting a jade claw could absolve one of death, or even grant an official position!"

"So precious?" Upon hearing this, Ruan Sumei quickly moved closer to the front of the car, afraid that others would try to snatch it. She said to Su Yang, "This thing is precious when it's alive, and it must be valuable even when it's dead. Why don't we stop eating it and go ask if anyone wants to buy it?"

Su Yang had only heard of the name "Gyrfalcon" in his previous life, but had never learned about it in detail. Now, after Old Man Xie's explanation, he was very curious about this "God of Ten Thousand Eagles" and couldn't help but reach out and touch it.

"Watch out!" Old Xie had been watching the gyrfalcon closely. Just as Su Yang was about to touch it, the gyrfalcon suddenly raised its head and pecked at Su Yang's hand with its sharp beak.