Chapter 32: Gathering Medicinal Herbs

Just the thought of it made Jiang Xiaoman feel as though the soreness in her body had lessened significantly.

"Of course it's true," Zhou Yichen nodded firmly.

Jiang Xiaoman immediately put on a fawning smile, leaned in close to Zhou Yichen, and spoke in a syrupy sweet tone: "Brother Yichen, you really are the best to me!"

"It's a deal then! You have to give me a good massage tonight!"

She even reached out to gently pat his arm, wearing an expression that said, "I have high hopes for you."

Zhou Yichen was amused by this sudden change in her demeanor. This girl, she changed her face faster than flipping a book.

Talking and laughing, the two of them soon finished breakfast. It was the usual simple cornmeal porridge paired with some salted vegetables. While cooking, Zhou Yichen’s culinary skill proficiency increased by a few points.

[Cooking LV3 (237/300)]

Hard work pays off; even small tasks like cooking, when done with care, lead to progress.

After breakfast, the sound of the horn urging everyone to work drifted in from outside. The two hurriedly cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, locked the courtyard gate, and headed toward the brigade headquarters.

The educated youth in the Xiangyang Brigade, with the exception of Zhou Yichen, the health worker, all had to join the commune members in the fields to earn work points.

As soon as they arrived at the clearing in front of the brigade headquarters, they saw a large crowd already gathered. Sharp-eyed villagers spotted Zhou Yichen and immediately surrounded him.

"Dr. Zhou! Dr. Zhou, you’re finally here!"

"That’s right, Dr. Zhou! My wife has had a splitting headache for the past two days; we were hoping you could take a look!"

"And me, my legs haven't been working right for a few days now..."

In an instant, Zhou Yichen was surrounded by a cacophony of voices. He raised his hands to gesture for everyone to be quiet.

He said gently, "I understand how you all feel, uncles and aunts."

"However, I’ve just arrived and I don't have any medicinal herbs on hand. As the saying goes, even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice."

"Are your conditions urgent? If not, I plan to head up the mountain today to gather some common herbs. Only with medicine in hand can I properly treat your illnesses, right?"

Hearing this explanation, the villagers expressed their understanding.

"No rush, no rush! You go ahead and take care of your business, Health Worker Zhou!"

"Exactly, gathering herbs is more important. How can you treat us without medicine?"

"Then Dr. Zhou, when should we come see you again?" someone asked.

Zhou Yichen thought for a moment and replied, "How about this? I will go herb-gathering in the morning and be back by the afternoon. You can come by in the afternoon; I’ll be waiting for everyone at the small courtyard where I live."

"Deal! That’s settled then!"

"Thank you, Dr. Zhou!"

Satisfied with the arrangement, the villagers dispersed. Zhou Yichen breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the job of a health worker was more popular than he had imagined.

With the time agreed upon, the clearing in front of the brigade headquarters was now full of people. Gao Jianjun, the branch secretary and brigade leader of the Xiangyang Brigade—a dark-skinned man in his fifties—stepped to the front of the crowd.

He cleared his throat and announced in a booming voice: "Everyone knows what needs to be done today!"

"It’s the same old rule: go up the mountain to cut firewood! Chop plenty of wood so we won't freeze this winter!"

"Captains of each production team, organize your people and watch out for safety!"

After a few brief remarks and emphasizing the precautions, Gao Jianjun waved his hand: "Alright, get moving! Dismissed! Get to work!"

In truth, the autumn harvest had just finished, so there was no urgent agricultural work to be done. For a mountain-based production team like the Xiangyang Brigade, stockpiling firewood for the winter before the ground froze completely was the top priority.

The crowd scattered, each following their respective team leaders to collect tools and prepare for the mountain. Zhou Yichen greeted Jiang Xiaoman, telling her to be careful while with the main group, then turned and headed back to his own courtyard.

He found the medicine hoe he had bought a couple of days ago and grabbed a burlap sack. Once ready, he locked the gate and set off toward Daqing Mountain behind the village.

On the way, he realized he was missing quite a few things at home. He didn't even have a back basket to carry herbs. "Looks like I'll need to get a basket," he thought.

A basket would be much more convenient for gathering herbs than a burlap sack. Besides the basket, he also needed things like winnowing baskets and crates. These were simple enough; the Xiangyang Brigade relied on the mountains for their livelihood, and the resources were abundant. He could just go up and cut some suitable materials and weave them himself.

The forests here in Heijiang were dense, but bamboo was relatively rare compared to the south. Therefore, woven items here were usually made from vines or willow branches. However, his weaving skills weren't great—he hadn't had any experience with it in his past or present life—so he would need to find someone to teach him.

These things weren't difficult; in fact, they were quite simple. In the countryside, most people wove their own tools, and if someone couldn't do it, they would be laughed at. Zhou Yichen didn't aim for perfection; looks didn't matter as long as they were functional. Once his skill level rose, the items he made would naturally look better.

"Hey, Health Worker Zhou, are you heading up the mountain?"

On the mountain trail, several villagers were carrying heavy bundles of firewood, clearly coming down from the mountain. Seeing Zhou Yichen, they offered warm, simple smiles and greeted him enthusiastically.

"Yes, Uncle, Auntie. You’ve already finished cutting a load?" Zhou Yichen replied with a smile, his attitude poised and approachable.

"Just finished one trip, ready to take a breather before heading back up!" another woman added, wiping sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

Zhou Yichen nodded and scanned the mountain path behind them. "Uncle, which area did you cut this wood in? I’m planning to wander over there to see if I can find some herbs," he asked casually.

His words were half-true—he was indeed going to gather herbs, but he also wanted to see how the educated youth like Jiang Xiaoman were working.

The lead man pointed with his chin: "Just over that ridge ahead. There are plenty of pine trees there; it's easy to cut."

"The bulk of our brigade is over there; it's lively!"

"The educated youth are all there too, they’ve got great spirit!" another villager added with a tone of approval.

"Alright, thank you, Uncle! Thank you, Auntie!" Zhou Yichen thanked them and continued up the mountain.

As he passed them, he could smell the faint scent of sweat and pine resin on them. Daqing Mountain was lush with vegetation; it truly was a place where people thrived by relying on the mountains.

He hadn't gone far before he discovered several common herbs. Things like dandelions, plantain, and motherwort—though common, they were quite useful. He stopped, skillfully used his hoe to dig them up by the roots, shook off the soil, and carefully placed them in his sack.

Just as he stowed away a decent-looking piece of astragalus, a soft chime sounded in his mind.

[Medical Skill Proficiency +1]

Zhou Yichen paused for a moment, then a pleased smile crept onto his lips. Even basic activities like gathering herbs could increase his medical proficiency. This made him look forward to the day's work even more.

Traditional Chinese Medicine was profound. The saying that everything can be used as medicine was no empty claim. From things that flew in the sky and ran on the ground to things that swam in the water or grew in the earth, it seemed there was nothing that couldn't be used as an herb. Even certain animal droppings could be used as medicine in specific cases. It was no wonder some foreigners, not understanding the nuances, would mistake TCM for witchcraft.

But that was exactly the charm of TCM: taking from nature and using it for nature.

Feeling the [Medical Skill Proficiency +1] notifications popping up in his mind from time to time, Zhou Yichen felt full of energy. It felt like playing a real-time feedback cultivation game, where every bit of effort yielded visible results, making him eager for more.