Keep Grinding Experience

Another two days passed. Li Xiao drank his medicine every day and felt much better than when he had first crossed over.

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

He ground away at Experience points with unwavering regularity, and the things he read became as instinctive as breathing.

As long as someone casually named an herb, Li Xiao could recite its effects and habits without missing a word. He could even point out exactly which page it was on.

He already understood more than many old herbalists.

All he lacked was a chance to put it into practice.

As his body improved, the Experience he could grind out each day also increased by two points.

It seemed the amount of Experience he could grind was related to things like his physical condition.

He could now gain 22 Experience points for the Herbal Compendium every day.

He continued flipping through the book in his hands.

An herb called Fang Feng appeared in the compendium.

Its root was cylindrical, pale brown on the surface and lined with vertical wrinkles. At the top remained a brownish stem base, like a tiny knot.

Its leaves were pinnately divided, their edges serrated. It did not look particularly conspicuous, yet it carried a certain tenacious strength.

"Fang Feng, also known as Tong Yun and Hui Yun. Pungent and sweet in flavor, slightly warm in nature."

"It dispels wind and relieves exterior symptoms, overcomes dampness and eases pain, and stops spasms."

"It can treat headaches caused by wind-cold, rheumatic pain..."

"It mostly grows in grasslands, hills, and gravelly mountain slopes. It withstands cold and drought, adapts well, and does not favor overly damp environments."

"The root is used medicinally. It is dug up in spring and autumn, stripped of its fibrous roots, dried in the sun, and sliced for use."

"Resistant to cold and drought..." Li Xiao murmured, his gaze drifting out the window.

This stuff might grow on the slopes of Black Wind Mountain.

Though it was still deep winter, Fang Feng could endure the cold. Perhaps he could find some surviving roots and rhizomes in sheltered cracks between the rocks.

Black Wind Mountain was the great mountain behind the village.

Calling it a great mountain was not quite accurate. Strictly speaking, it was a mountain range.

Several mountains stretched together in an unbroken chain.

There were many herbs within, even rare medicinal materials.

But the mountains ran deep and the forests grew dense, with many savage beasts roaming about. Few villagers dared venture into the depths of the range.

Li Youde had gone in several times during his youth and had even hunted Wild Boar. That had also been the Li Family's most prosperous period.

But later, bandits gradually claimed the depths of the mountain range as their domain, and Li Youde no longer dared go in any deeper.

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

After grinding out 22 Experience points, Li Xiao slowly closed the book.

Host: Li Xiao

Already Recorded: Herbal Compendium (82/120 not yet mastered; a reward can be obtained upon first mastery)

Limit-Breaking Points: None

Li Xiao looked at the Panel, a smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

In another two days, he would completely master the Herbal Compendium.

Once he could go up the mountain, he would recognize every useful herb in the mountains. One way or another, he could gradually improve their lives.

Quite a few of those herbs could strengthen the body, and some could even be sold to the medicine shops in the city.

Most of them could be found on the Outskirts of Black Wind Mountain. He would not need to enter the depths; as long as his luck was good enough, he would gain something.

Li Xiao looked out the window.

The wind and snow had weakened today. Around noon, they had even stopped for a while, and the sun had come out briefly.

In a few more days, some of the accumulated snow would probably melt.

Then Li Xiao could try going up the mountain to take a look.

Old Dad had said that there was a Rubble Slope on the outskirts of Black Wind Mountain, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. People had often gathered Fang Feng and Huang Qi there in the past.

Once the snow melted a little, he would go try his luck on that slope.

As he was thinking, a knock, knock sounded from beyond the courtyard gate, accompanied by a rough, hoarse voice. "Is Li Youde home?"

Li Xiao frowned slightly. The voice sounded familiar, like Wang Laowu from the village.

That man was a bachelor who idled about all day and loved wagging his tongue over every family's affairs.

He pulled open the door and saw Wang Laowu standing in the snow, wrapped in a greasy padded coat, his neck hunched between his shoulders. His eyes darted into the house.

"Where's your dad? I came to ask whether he gave the South Slope land to the Village Head yesterday."

Li Xiao's heart sank. The news had traveled quickly enough.

His face turned cold. "What's it got to do with you?"

Li Xiao's attitude made Wang Laowu shrink his neck. Li Xiao's reputation in the village was not very good.

In the past, Wang Laowu would have walked around him whenever he saw Li Xiao.

But now, the Li Family had fallen on hard times, and Li Xiao was still injured.

Thinking of that, he found his courage.

"Well, listen to how this brat talks." Wang Laowu curled his lip. "I was just curious. That land was your family's ancestral property, and you traded it for only four shi of grain? Tsk, tsk, the Village Head sure knows how to take advantage."

It sounded like mockery, but in truth, he was fishing for information.

Li Xiao could not be bothered to wrangle with him. "If there's nothing else, leave. My family doesn't entertain idlers."

"Hey, you brat!" Wang Laowu choked on his words, then cursed resentfully, "Just wait and see. Without land, let's see you drink the northwest wind when spring comes!"

With that, he staggered away.

Li Xiao slammed the door shut with a bang, his chest full of pent-up anger.

Quite a few people in their village were like this, bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Seeing that Li Xiao's family had fallen on hard times, they gossiped behind their backs and picked apart every detail of their lives.

"Don't mind him." Li Youde had somehow made his way into the main hall, his expression calm. "Their mouths are on their own faces. Let them say whatever they want. We only need to live our own lives well."

Li Xiao nodded and turned to pour his father a bowl of hot water.

"Dad, I was just thinking that once the snow melts, I'll go to the outskirts of Black Wind Mountain and gather some Fang Feng."

Li Youde took the bowl, his fingertips rubbing along its rim.

"The outskirts should be fine, but don't go into the depths."

"There's a Rubble Slope there. Your mother used to gather herbs there too. Remember this: keep away from thorny Bushes. There may be snake holes beneath them. Snakes hibernate in winter, but if you collapse a hole by stepping on it, it's easy to sprain your ankle."

He paused, then added, "And when you dig, don't pull up the entire root. Leave half of it in the soil, and it can grow again next year."

"Things in the mountains must be used sparingly."

Li Xiao listened carefully and committed every word to memory.

His father's words carried half a lifetime of experience in the mountains and forests, more solid and practical than the illustrations in any book.

At some point, the snow outside had stopped again. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting pale patches of light across the snow.

Another day passed, and the medicine at home was almost gone.

Li Xiao's body had improved a little more, and some Qi and Blood had returned to his pale face.

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

Herbal Compendium Experience points +1

In the blink of an eye, Li Xiao had already thoroughly mastered more than half of this Herbal Compendium. All that remained was practice.

Creak!

Li Xiao opened the door. The wind and snow had stopped, though the snow had yet to melt.

In Willow City, inside a Laundry Room.

Eldest Sister Li Yu was washing clothes. Her hands were frozen red, yet she did not stop for even a moment.

In two days, it would be payday. Since she worked diligently and washed the clothes rather clean, Steward Zhang had said he would give her an extra dozen or so copper coins as a reward this month.

Though it did not look like much, those extra dozen or so copper coins were enough to buy two jin of Millet.

Added to this month's wages, she could exchange for more grain to bring home and buy Dad two plasters as well.

I'll buy some pig offal for my little brother too, Li Yu thought.

When they were young, whenever Old Dad entered the city to sell his prey, he would always bring Li Xiao some cooked pig offal.