Chapter 348
Once everything had been discussed, Mr. and Mrs. Su had to go to work. Su Hongchen, after getting an hour’s sleep and feeling refreshed, decided to head out to investigate people who had openly interacted with Wan Hongfa. Su Xiaoxiao was the only one at home with nothing to do, so she went back to her room and took a nap.
When she woke up, lying in bed, she wasn’t sure what to do next. After blinking a few times, she decided to check on the herbs she had planted in her space. The sight that greeted her was astonishing. Originally, she had casually poked some holes and planted the herbs, not even sure if they would survive. But after just one night, the small plots she had divided were all densely packed with growth.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the herbs hadn’t crossed the boundaries she had marked with wooden planks. If the herbs grew so quickly here, what about crops? Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up with excitement. However, she quickly realized that no matter how fast crops grew, it wouldn’t do her much good—she had no way to sell them on her own. Plus, with people watching them closely now, she couldn’t even sell her Moisture Pills or Whitening Pills, let alone a large quantity of crops.
Feeling a bit disappointed, Su Xiaoxiao sighed and continued inspecting her herb fields. She had planted the herbs according to their value, with the more expensive ones placed closer to the fountain. The ginseng seeds she planted had already sprouted, with small red fruits hanging from their tips. After carefully examining them, she confirmed they were only a year old, so she picked the fruits and planted them with more space between each to prevent the roots from tangling.
After finishing her work and watering the herbs, she quickly exited the space. After hurriedly eating lunch, she found herself restless again. Once the family finally left, she immediately headed to the Chinese medicine shop. She sought out the elderly doctor and carefully asked how to process the medicinal herbs.
Processing traditional Chinese medicine is a rather tedious process, and the old doctor, seeing a young person showing interest in traditional Chinese medicine, explained it to her in detail. Afraid she might forget, Su Xiaoxiao even took notes. The doctor explained how to remove non-medicinal parts from different herbs, moisten them before slicing, and methods such as combined water-fire processing, boiling, fermenting, sprouting, and refining. Each herb required specific processing based on its properties.
Su Xiaoxiao was serious about learning, and the old doctor was just as serious about teaching. By the time she left, the doctor still seemed somewhat unsatisfied.
“Xiaoxiao, our Chinese medicinal herbs are vast and varied. If you ever have any uncertainties, feel free to ask me anytime.”
“Thank you so much, Grandpa Cheng. I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time,” Su Xiaoxiao replied, feeling a bit embarrassed after realizing she had spent over two hours asking questions.
But Dr. Cheng didn’t think it was a bother; on the contrary, he felt very gratified. “It’s no trouble at all. My own children aren’t interested in traditional Chinese medicine. If not for you, I wouldn’t know who to pass all this knowledge on to.”
“I’m just learning the basics. To truly master our ancestors’ wisdom, one needs to have a calm mind and be able to endure the current situation,” Su Xiaoxiao said with a shy smile. She understood Dr. Cheng’s hint, but her ambition was not to become a doctor, so she couldn’t make any promises and give him false hope.
Dr. Cheng sighed inwardly, thinking it a pity. This young girl was willing to grow her own herbs, had a good memory, and could recall details after hearing them just once. She could answer questions right away when asked. It was such a shame that someone with her talent wasn’t pursuing traditional Chinese medicine.
Feeling the intensity of Dr. Cheng’s gaze, Su Xiaoxiao slowly walked toward the bus stop. After two stops, someone suddenly squeezed in next to her.
“Xiaoxiao, it really is you! Didn’t you go to the countryside? How come you’re back?” The girl looked at Su Xiaoxiao, her face beaming with excitement.
Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the girl’s face, momentarily dazed. Seeing that Su Xiaoxiao seemed to have forgotten her, the girl pouted and playfully scolded her.
“Have you been so exhausted in the countryside that you forgot your old classmates? We were in the same class from elementary to high school!”
“How could I forget you? You’re Gui Zhenzhen,” Su Xiaoxiao quickly responded with a smile.
In truth, she had indeed nearly forgotten this old classmate. After all, she had died decades ago, and her rebirth in the past six months had been filled with countless events. But she and Gui Zhenzhen used to have a good relationship, so it wouldn’t be right for the other person to think she’d forgotten in just half a year.
“By the way, how are you adjusting to life in the countryside? I’ve heard it’s really tough. Your parents have always pampered you, can you really handle the hardship? Why don’t you just marry someone like I did? With your parents and brother backing you up, your husband wouldn’t dare mistreat you,” Gui Zhenzhen advised out of habit.
But as soon as she finished speaking, her expression turned to shock. “How is it that after half a year in the countryside, your skin looks even fairer and more delicate than before?”
Su Xiaoxiao smiled, “I found a fiancé in the countryside, and he’s come back with me for the New Year to discuss our marriage with my family.”
Although she was currently selling Moisture Pills and Whitening Pills, she wasn’t looking to expand her market since she couldn’t even meet the demand in Beijing. Plus, she wasn’t one to actively market her products unless it was mutually beneficial or the other party initiated the interest. She didn’t want to risk causing major problems for the sake of a little profit.