Medicinal Herbs, Acupuncture

Medicinal Herbs, Acupuncture

"What, Xiao Yan could tell that Grandpa Chen was practicing martial arts?" Old Doctor Chen asked with a smile.

"I couldn't tell." Xiao Yan shook her head. "Big Brother said Grandpa Chen was practicing martial arts and told me not to talk and disturb you."

"Sorry, Grandpa Chen. We didn't know you were practicing martial arts." Lu Qing looked apologetic.

"It's nothing. What I practice is merely a farmer's routine to loosen these old bones. It hardly counts as any martial art." The Old Doctor waved it off carelessly.

"But I think Grandpa Chen's moves looked really good!" Xiao Yan said seriously.

"Hahaha! This old man has practiced this set of moves all his life. To receive a word of praise from a little one like you now, it has all been worth it!"

Hearing the little girl's innocent words, Old Doctor Chen laughed heartily.

Seeing how happy the Old Doctor was, Lu Qing relaxed as well.

He had truly been a little worried that the Old Doctor might have some rule against others watching him practice martial arts. If that were the case, then he and his sister would have trespassed upon someone else's taboo.

"Come, let's go inside. I'll give you your acupuncture first."

Old Doctor Chen picked up Xiao Yan and spoke to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing respectfully followed the Old Doctor into the courtyard.

The moment he entered, his attention was drawn to the medicinal herbs spread out to dry throughout the yard.

He swept his gaze over them and found one kind that he recognized. It was Cow Bone Grass, which also grew in his own courtyard.

Unfortunately, there was not enough time for him to inspect each medicinal herb and uncover its information.

"Grandpa Chen, are all the things drying in this courtyard medicinal herbs?" Lu Qing asked.

"That's right. What, do you know how to identify medicinal herbs?"

Old Doctor Chen was somewhat surprised.

"Not really," Lu Qing said. "I just noticed that one of the herbs here seems to grow near our home too."

"Which one?"

"The one drying in that winnowing basket." Lu Qing pointed in a direction.

When Xiao Yan saw the little blue flowers on the herb, she nodded repeatedly. "That's right, that's right! Lots of it grows outside our courtyard, and Niu Niu likes to eat it too."

The Old Doctor glanced at it. "Correct. It's called Cow Bone Grass. It is indeed a very common medicinal herb."

"Cow Bone Grass." Lu Qing repeated the name, then asked, "Grandpa Chen, what is Cow Bone Grass generally used for?"

"It is mainly used to treat bruises and injuries from falls," the Old Doctor answered casually. He looked at Lu Qing. "What, are you interested in medicinal herbs?"

"Yes." Lu Qing answered honestly. "Xiao Yan told me that it was Grandpa Chen who cured my illness with a single prescription. It made me feel that medicinal herbs are truly wondrous. They are clearly just flowers and grass, yet they can relieve people's suffering and save lives."

"If you want to study medicine, that won't be easy. Studying medicine requires not only courage and meticulousness, but also a clear mind. You must be literate and able to understand medical texts."

The Old Doctor did not mock Lu Qing's idea. Instead, he patiently explained it to him.

"This boy knows some characters," Lu Qing hurriedly said.

He was not lying.

In his memories, the original owner of this body indeed knew some characters. After comparing them, he found that they were surprisingly similar to the Chinese characters from his previous life, only with more complex strokes.

"You can read too?" Old Doctor Chen was surprised again.

In a rural place like this, it was not easy to find someone who could read.

Lu Qing was only an orphan, yet he could read? "When my grandfather was alive, he taught me some characters. But this boy was dull-witted. After Grandfather passed away, I forgot some of them. And I can only recognize them, not write them."

Only then did Old Doctor Chen recall Lu Qing's family circumstances.

Rumor had it that Lu Qing's grandfather had once been a scholar fallen on hard times.

He had fled famine with the villagers of this area and come here.

However, he had passed away before the Old Doctor came here to live in seclusion, so they had never had the chance to meet.

The Old Doctor had also heard villagers say that Lu Qing's father had a restless nature and was not cut out for studying. In his youth, he had often angered Lu Qing's grandfather half to death, and in the end, he still failed to continue his studies.

Who would have thought that young Lu Qing knew some characters instead?

It was a pity that Lu Qing's grandfather had died so early. Otherwise, perhaps the Lu Family might have produced another scholar.

Old Doctor Chen sighed inwardly once more. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Lu Qing grew even gentler.

No wonder he felt that Lu Qing's manner of speaking was rather different from that of an ordinary rural youth. It must have come from the teachings of his grandfather and father.

"Since you are interested in medicinal herbs, then whenever you come for acupuncture in the future, I will allow you to help me dry herbs for half an hour. As for how much you can remember, that will depend on your own comprehension."

"And you." Old Doctor Chen stroked Xiao Yan's hair. "Come with your brother from now on too. Grandpa Chen will cook you some medicinal meals. How can such a frail body be allowed to go on like this?"

Lu Qing was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Grandpa Chen. Xiao Yan, hurry and thank Grandpa Chen too!"

"Thank you, Grandpa Chen~"

Though the little girl did not know what medicinal meals were, since her brother had told her to, she obediently gave her thanks.

"What are you thanking me for? Seeing your tiny frame, Grandpa Chen's heart aches too." The Old Doctor's face was full of pity.

Once inside, the Old Doctor set Xiao Yan down and took out a needle case.

He said to Lu Qing, "Get on the bed and take off your shirt."

Lu Qing did as he was told, taking off his shirt before lying down on the wooden bed beside him.

Looking at his chest, so thin that the bones stood out sharply, Old Doctor Chen fell silent for a moment before drawing out a silver needle from the needle case.

When Xiao Yan saw such a long silver needle, a trace of fear appeared on her face.

But she knew that Grandpa Chen was treating her brother. Though she was afraid, she remained quietly where she was and did not make a fuss.

"Don't be afraid, and don't move. I'll begin the acupuncture now," the Old Doctor said to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing nodded.

He was not afraid.

Back on Blue Star in his previous life, he had experienced traditional Chinese acupuncture as well. He was quite familiar with it.

The Old Doctor held the silver needle between his fingers and gently inserted it into one of Lu Qing's acupoints. Lu Qing did not feel the slightest pain, and the needle had already entered three-tenths of an inch into his flesh.

After inserting the first needle, the Old Doctor did not hesitate. He immediately took another silver needle from the case and inserted it into another acupoint.

Before long, all eighteen silver needles had been inserted into numerous acupoints across Lu Qing's upper body.

As for Xiao Yan, she had long since covered her eyes, too afraid to look at her brother, who had been turned into a hedgehog by the needles.

After the eighteenth silver needle was inserted, the Old Doctor did not release it immediately this time.

Instead, he pinched the tail of the needle and gently twirled it.

At once, something miraculous happened. Lu Qing felt a warm current stirring beneath the silver needle.

It was tingly and numb, making him feel extremely comfortable.

At the same time, drowsiness surged over him. His eyelids began to grow heavy, and he soon fell asleep.

"Grandpa Chen, did Big Brother fall asleep?"

Xiao Yan covered her face and peeked through the gaps between her fingers.

"Mhm. Your brother's body is too weak. My Essence Solidifying and Origin Nourishing Needles will let him have a good sleep."

"Oh." Xiao Yan responded.

Grandpa Chen was saying things she did not understand again.

"Come, let your brother sleep here for a while. We'll go outside." The Old Doctor rose to his feet.

"Where are we going?"

"Grandpa Chen will make you something delicious..."