novelSusiti Chapter 41 Rabbits are so delicious
Chapter 41 Rabbits are so delicious
Chang Le went from feeling sorry for him to being both amused and exasperated. Turning her head, she saw Wang Zhi still hanging his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, clearly trying to hold back his laughter. She couldn't help but burst out laughing herself.
A strange scene suddenly appeared under the jujube tree: the little girl was crying so hard she couldn't catch her breath, but she couldn't stop eating with her chopsticks;
Chang Le laughed, covering her mouth; Wang Zhi, feigning composure, casually added half a bowl of rice to her bowl.
After crying her fill, Sizi, with red eyes, pointed at the spicy rabbit head and said, "Sizi wants to eat this."
"It's very spicy," Wang Zhihuan reminded him.
"I want to eat!" The little girl was stubborn, wiping away her tears and sauce haphazardly.
Wang Zhi also picked out a piece of tender meat from the cheek, removed the bone, and put it in her bowl: "Try a small bite, spit it out if it's spicy."
Sizi picked up a diced piece of meat and put it in her mouth. Her face instantly turned red, and sweat beaded on her nose. She kept inhaling sharply from the spiciness, but she forced it down and stubbornly said in a tearful voice, "Delicious! More!"
Feeling wronged yet greedy, she ate while shedding tears, a sight that made people laugh.
Chang Le quickly picked up some braised rabbit meat for her to reduce the spiciness, which finally calmed her down.
A mountain breeze rustled through the jujube trees, carrying the aromas of meat and spicy flavors. Cats and dogs frolicked under the table, creating a courtyard that was both quiet and lively.
Sizi would occasionally sob a couple of times, pick up a piece of meat, whisper "I'm sorry, bunny," and then calmly put it into her mouth, looking innocent and adorable.
This meal, filled with laughter and tears, became the liveliest meal Wang Zhihuan had had since moving to the farm.
After the meal, we tidied up. The sun was setting in the west, casting long shadows from the trees.
The evening breeze carried the bitter scent of medicinal herbs, washing away the aroma of meat and smoke from the previous meal, bringing tranquility to the courtyard.
Chang Le sat down on the stone bench, gazing at the medicinal herbs drying against the wall, and asked, "Young master just said that the combination of these three herbs is far superior to the old prescription. I wonder about the pharmacological principles behind it; could you please enlighten me?"
"It's not so much about giving advice, but rather prescribing the right medicine for the problem."
Wang Zhi poured two bowls of cold tea, sat down, and casually picked up a piece of Ophiopogon japonicus and a piece of Adenophora stricta, placing them on the stone table.
"Licorice and dried tangerine peel can only regulate the flow of qi and relieve cough, treating the symptoms but not the root cause. The root cause of your chronic cough lies in the deficiency of lung yin."
Ophiopogon japonicus nourishes yin and promotes the production of body fluids; Adenophora stricta moistens the lungs; Fritillaria cirrhosa resolves phlegm. When used together, these three herbs nourish yin from within, strengthening the body's foundation and addressing both the surface and underlying issues.
The words are straightforward and simple, without any obscure embellishments, and are easy to understand.
"Adding a little honey while decocting can also moisturize the lungs. When medicine and food are combined, the medicinal properties become milder."
Chang Le listened quietly, feeling a deep sense of reflection.
She herself often coughs and wheezes every time the seasons change. Although the symptoms are mild, they have been a persistent problem for many years. Wang Zhihuan's words hit the nail on the head.
After a moment's hesitation, she asked softly, "Can this prescription cure common coughs and asthma that flare up every time the seasons change?"
Wang Zhihuan looked up at her and asked, "Does my wife have this old problem herself?"
"It's not a serious illness, but it flares up every time the seasons change."
"Reach out your hand."
Chang Le did as instructed and extended her right hand.
Wang Zhi placed three fingers on her wrist with gentle pressure, focused on feeling for a moment, and then switched to his left hand to carefully take her pulse.
The little ox forgot its playful antics and lay on the edge of the table, its round eyes wide open, watching quietly, not daring to breathe.
"It's just that the spleen and stomach are a bit weak, and the production of qi and blood is insufficient."
The lungs and spleen are internally and externally related. When the spleen is weak, the lung qi is not stable enough. When the seasons change, wind and evil invade the body, making it easy to cough and wheeze.
To put it simply, the spleen and stomach are like a stove; if the heat is weak, the body becomes weak.
He casually picked out some sand ginseng and ophiopogon japonicus, wrapped them in a cloth and handed them over: "You only need these two ingredients, add red dates and boil them in water to drink as tea, you don't need to use fritillaria."
"Medicine provides three parts nourishment, while rest provides seven parts. Less worry and earlier rest are more effective than medicine."
Chang Le took the cloth, her fingertips touching the fabric, which still carried the warmth of the sun, and her heart warmed as well.
"Thank you, my lord." She bowed slightly, her voice full of sincerity.
"It was no trouble at all," Wang Zhihuan replied casually.
After Si Zi had finished playing, he remembered the candied fruit he had brought, so he stood on tiptoe and stuffed the oil paper package into Si Zi's hand.
The candied plums have an amber-like luster, a sweet and sour taste, and can stimulate saliva production.
"Mother said that my husband lives alone and has no one to take care of him, so she asked Sizi to bring him food often." The little girl puffed out her chest and looked very serious.
They then chatted and played around the cats and dogs, displaying a childlike innocence and carefree spirit.
Looking at the clean and neatly processed medicinal herbs in the bamboo tray, Chang Le couldn't help but sigh, "My lord personally handled everything from gathering herbs to processing them, and he was meticulous in every detail."
I've heard that in the Imperial Medical Academy, medicine is prepared by apprentices with guidance from their masters. It's truly rare to see someone like you, sir, doing everything yourself."
Wang Zhi took a small sip of the herbal tea and didn't say anything more.
Chang Le finally voiced her doubts: "Young master is proficient in medicine, farming, winemaking, and classical studies, yet there are no books or classics in this farm. I wonder who your teachers were?"
Wang Zhihuan remained silent for a moment, gazing at the tree shadows reflected in the bowl.
"If you read a lot of books, you'll remember them all, and you won't need to reread them often."
He slowly began to speak: "What I have learned is not a solitary mountain peak, but a long river."
Over thousands of years, countless tributaries have emerged, some wide, some narrow, some flowing swiftly, some flowing slowly, but all originating from the same source.
Farming, treating illnesses, and reading are all interconnected.
Crops grow from the soil, and medicinal herbs also grow. Crops feed people, and medicinal herbs cure illnesses. Only when people have a stable life can they study and understand principles. This is an interconnected process.
"To cling to a single field of knowledge is to imprison yourself."
These words enlightened Chang Le.
At that time, the study of knowledge in the Tang Dynasty was divided into different categories. Confucian scholars only read the classics, and doctors only studied pharmacology. No one had ever integrated all things into a comprehensive understanding. This young man in front of me may seem to be living in seclusion in the countryside, but his vision far surpasses that of ordinary people.
"If the old Confucian scholars in the court were to hear your words, they would surely argue endlessly."
"So I hide in the countryside, farming and raising cats, neither disturbing the world nor being disturbed by it." Wang Zhihuan's smile was calm and peaceful.
There was no cynicism, only the carefree ease of being in the mountains and fields.
The sun gradually set, and the evening breeze grew cooler.
Wang Zhihuan got up and turned over the medicinal herbs. They were dried perfectly in the sun and could be stored after another day of drying.
Cover it with gauze at night to prevent it from getting damp from the dew.
He divided the medicinal herbs into two packets, giving the larger one to Madam Li and carefully instructing her on the dosage and time for decocting it.
The smaller package was given to Chang Le, with gentle and meticulous instructions.
Chang Le carefully accepted the gift, filled with gratitude.
Sizi felt sleepy and leaned against Ah Huang's back, dozing off. Chang Le got up to say goodbye.
At the courtyard gate, Si Zi forced himself to stay awake and argued that he hadn't dozed off. He even forced Ah Huang to learn to snore, accidentally spraying Wang Zhihuan's face with spittle.
Chang Le hurriedly took out a handkerchief and stepped forward to wipe her hands, but suddenly felt that the action was too intimate, and her hand froze in mid-air.
"Please wipe it clean," Wang Zhihuan said softly, breaking the awkward silence.
As she said goodbye, Sizi turned around and shouted loudly that she would bring jujube paste cakes next time and come back to eat rabbit again. She was so confident and self-assured that she had completely forgotten how she had cried earlier.
The donkey cart slowly drove away, the sound of hooves fading into the evening breeze.
Wang Zhi stood at the courtyard gate watching the departing figure, then turned and went back into the courtyard.
After clearing away the dishes and tidying up the bamboo tray, I squatted down by the wall and examined the medicinal herbs one last time.
The courtyard still retained the aromas of burnt food, herbs, sweetness, and a hint of numbing spiciness, all blending together to create a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
On this day in the ninth year of Zhenguan, they went into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs, dried and processed them, entertained guests with meals, and chatted about medical principles and knowledge.
The tranquility of the mountains and fields, the smoke from the kitchen, the laughter and cries of children, and the everyday trivialities all come together to create the most peaceful and stable days on earth.