frightfiction Chapter 367 Heavenly Treasures
Chapter 367 Heavenly Treasures
Without saying a word, Song Wanli handed Tingnan a bankbook and said gently, "Tingnan, this is the bankbook I prepared for you. The password is your birthday. I checked, and it's valid nationwide. It's not safe for a person to carry cash. You're a shrewd person. Use the money in here for tuition, living expenses, and other expenses as you see fit. Don't be too frugal and make yourself suffer while you're away. If you run out of money, just tell me."
Nan had money, but she still happily accepted it. She wouldn't refuse such care; feelings are fluid, after all.
The Song family is changing, and for the better. Ting Nan felt a warmth in her heart. This must be the meaning of home. No wonder so many people are attached to their homes. She felt recharged as soon as she returned.
Before they knew it, it was their fourth year of university. Song Tingnan and the other two were studying the basic theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine under Qin Yiwei, researching the properties, meridians, effects, and compatibility of Chinese herbal medicines. They also learned about the composition and efficacy of Chinese herbal prescriptions, and practiced the basic theories and techniques of acupuncture and massage.
After the three disciples had identified all the flowers and plants in the courtyard, Li Yuxuan asked Uncle Qin, "Why aren't there any treasures like Ganoderma lucidum, or any powerful poisons?"
Uncle Qin laughed heartily, "You've been reading too many martial arts novels, haven't you? How could a small courtyard contain rare and precious treasures? And poisonous creatures at that? Does that mean there must be a ferocious beast protecting these treasures here?"
This made everyone laugh out loud, and the learning atmosphere among them was great. This whole yard was full of life-saving herbs, and Uncle Qin had the three of them each choose one.
Song Tingnan chose Huangling, which, apart from liking sunny slopes, is not picky about its location. It can grow in the crevices of barren rocks, by the roadside, as long as there is a little soil. It truly 'blooms with a little sunshine'.
The rhizome is buried deep in the soil, and new buds sprout in spring. The slender stem slowly emerges, and by July and August, its long, thin stem will stand tall, with willow-leaf-like leaves spreading out on both sides. Small purple flowers bloom at the top, swaying in the wind, which is quite beautiful. The root of Scutellaria baicalensis can be used as medicine. It tastes very bitter and has the effects of clearing heat, purging fire, and detoxifying.
The small Bupleurum chinense, selected from golden needles and silver leaves, seems a bit mischievous, liking to burrow into bushes, as if playing hide-and-seek. However, its distinctive aroma always gives it away.
This plant is easy to spot in spring because the previous year's dead branches haven't yet decayed, and those who know it can recognize it at a glance. The leaves of *Bupleurum chinense* are also slender and beautiful; it sprouts in spring and grows in summer, producing fragrant small yellow flowers.
The roots of Xiao Chai Hu (Minor Bupleurum) are slender and long, and are often used to treat colds and fevers. When ordinary people catch a cold, they take a handful of Xiao Chai Hu, add a few scallion roots, boil them in water, drink the decoction, sweat it out at night, and feel refreshed the next day.
Jin Suoyin said, "I like that it's down-to-earth and unassuming."
Li Yuxuan burst out laughing: "Senior brother, I really didn't expect that someone with such a rich name, like gold and silver, would prefer down-to-earth medicinal herbs."
Jin Suoyin kept a sour face and didn't reply. Li Yuxuan, being sensible, didn't make any more jokes.
I chose motherwort, which is as outgoing as his personality. It grows along field ridges and paths, and always likes to compete with shrubs for height, growing very vigorously. It seems to be a premonition of spring, blooming before the forsythia.
Tender new leaves break through the soil in spring, growing rapidly and eagerly. By summer, from afar, the tall, upright plants are covered with tiny pink flowers. Two or three days after the flowers bloom, it's the best time to harvest them.
Professor Liao Mingrui deeply admires the Scutellaria baicalensis on the sunny slope, the Bupleurum chinense in the bushes, and the Leonurus japonicus sprouting in the newly thawed soil.