Peter's Visit to the Herbal Plant Shop

The September sun in New York was just right, and even though it was already afternoon, the sun still hung in the sky with plenty of charge left.

Two teenage boys crossed the bustling streets of Queens, approached the vicinity of Chinatown, and soon arrived at Chen Clinic.

Master Chen! Are you here? Lin Hai did not see Chen Bing's figure upon entering.

Soon, Chen Bing came to the front hall from the backyard and saw Lin Hai, who was tidying up his items, as well as Peter, who looked somewhat lively even while sitting on a stool. Good afternoon, Lin. School's out. And this is?

He's Peter. Peter Parker, my classmate, and we share a desk too. He wanted to come over and see those plants after learning about our herbal shop, Lin Hai said, looking at Peter, who was a bit reserved around strangers.

Seeing this as well, Chen Bing smiled and said, Then you two go next door. You don't need to help me here; just lead him over.

Then we're heading over, Master. Lin Hai nodded in acknowledgment and called out to Peter as they walked toward next door.

Lin Hai pushed open the wooden door of the herbal shop next door, and the wind chimes at the entrance jingled with the opening and closing of the door. A complex and rich herbal fragrance rushed over him—sweet, bitter, cool, all kinds of scents intertwined in a wonderful way.

Peter sneezed, and a layer of white mist instantly fogged up his glasses lenses. The respiration of the plants always brought a large amount of water vapor into the herbal shop. This scent is even more pungent than our chemistry lab!

You'll get used to it. Lin Hai hung his schoolbag on the hook behind the door. Welcome to my studio.

Whoa! Peter wiped his lenses clean, put them back on, and let out an exclamation. He looked up at the unusually dense leaves. These plants are growing so healthily.

The interior of the herbal shop was like another world. A few rattan chairs and a small tea table were placed near the window, and there was a small tea stove puffing out hot steam in the corner.

The most eye-catching things were the potted plants placed all around the store—every single one was unusually vibrant, with leaves so glossy they almost reflected light.

This place is so cool! Peter acted like a child who had entered a candy store, touching this and looking at that.

Lin Hai smiled and led him to the small work area behind the counter. The good stuff is right here.

A few plants of various shapes were placed on the workbench, accompanied by a grinding mortar, a small scale, and a bunch of bottles and jars. Lin Hai picked up a blue-and-white porcelain pot containing a vine plant, with its tuberous root exposed and shaped like a curled-up little person.

Look, its name is Fo-ti, Lin Hai said proudly. It's nearly a hundred years old, which is rare even in Huaxia. Peter leaned in close for a look, his glasses almost touching the plant. Oh! I've heard of this. Does it really turn hair black?

Ordinary Fo-ti requires long-term consumption to have a certain effect, Lin Hai blinked mysteriously. But this century-old Fo-ti, which has been 'specially cared for' by me...

He gently placed his finger on the vine of the Fo-ti. Peter widened his eyes—that vine actually wound itself around Lin Hai's finger.

Oh my god! That's unscientific! Peter exclaimed, hurriedly pulling a notebook out of his schoolbag. This violates the laws of biology!

Lin Hai smiled and withdrew his hand, and the vine immediately returned to stillness.

So—you can really 'chat' with plants? Peter Parker stood next to that pot of Fo-ti, pushed up his glasses that had slipped to the bridge of his nose, and wore an expression that read this is unscientific.

Lin Hai casually poured half a cup of water for the mint on the windowsill. It's not chatting; it's energy exchange. Just like... He thought for a moment, raised both hands, and made a gesture of flowing current. You get it?

Got it, just like bioelectric signal conduction! Peter immediately grew excited and started recording in his notebook. What about the frequency? Are there data? Is the plant's feedback a chemical signal or a physical vibration?

Lin Hai opened his mouth, suddenly realizing that bringing this science freak to the shop might possibly have been a mistake.

How about a direct demonstration? He sighed and pressed his palm against the vine of the Fo-ti.

Almost instantly, that brown vine took on a layer of glowing green light, and the leaves unfurled a bit to the naked eye.

Whoa! Peter lunged forward closely, the tip of his nose almost poking the leaf. This doesn't comply with the law of conservation of energy! What form of energy are you outputting? Wait—

He suddenly grabbed Lin Hai's wrist. Is the glowing finger the conduction pathway? Can we measure the resistance? I brought a multimeter!

Stop! Lin Hai decisively shoved a cup of chrysanthemum tea into his hand. Drink some tea, calm down. Peter held the teacup, but his gaze turned to the Datura in the corner. Can that thorny one interact too?

Yes, but I don't suggest you try it. Lin Hai kept his master's warning firmly in mind. If its toxins invade your body, given your current build, you won't be in any shape to go home tonight.

Plant venom! Peter's voice rose an octave. This is way more punchy than the frogs we dissected in biology class!

Want to try something even more magical? Without waiting for Peter to answer, he walked toward a row of herb plants by the window. One pot of mint grew exceptionally lush, its leaves a size larger than ordinary mint.

This is mint cultivated by me using a 'special method,' Lin Hai picked a leaf and handed it to Peter. Want a taste?

Peter dubiously put the leaf into his mouth. The next second, his eyes bulged round, and his head almost puffed out smoke. Holy crap! This feels like someone put a mint bomb in my brain!

It was a good thing Captain America was not here, or else he would have shouted at Peter, Language!

Lin Hai laughed heartily. The refreshing effect is twenty times that of ordinary mint. When you get sleepy in class, take a piece, and it's guaranteed to keep you wide awake until dismissal.

Peter stuck out his tongue and fanned himself, but his hand honestly plucked another leaf and tucked it into the interlayer of his notebook. This has to be taken for component analysis; there must be some compound with an abnormally high content.

Next is this. Lin Hai picked up a small flowerpot containing a few slender green plants with pale purple small flowers. Lemon Balm, somewhat similar to mint, but compared to mint, its scent is more suited to most people around here.

He picked a leaf and gently rubbed it to pieces. Immediately, a fresh fragrance diffused out, and upon closer sniffing, one could even sense a honey-like sweetness. Peter took a deep breath, and his expression became unusually relaxed.

This feels like soaking the whole body in a hot spring. Peter's voice turned lazy.

Relaxes the nerves, improves sleep. Your family elders should like it. Lin Hai pushed the flowerpot in front of him.

Peter snapped out of it and hurried to record this phenomenon. This isn't just a scent, but some kind of volatile substance acting directly on the central nervous system? Too incredible!

Lin Hai successively displayed the enhanced version of the Mimosa that could curl up automatically (it would jump up and hit your hand at a touch), and the Marigold that changed colors with the sunlight (a living barometer).

So, Peter asked after taking a sip of chrysanthemum tea, do you sell these special plants to ordinary people?

Lin Hai shook his head. The most special ones are never sold, and a portion of the ones with good effects are only sold to special friends. Ordinary customers buy the normal version.

He blinked craftily. Though occasionally I give old ladies with insomnia a 'enhanced version' of chamomile, or give children with colds a specially potent honeysuckle.

Mysterious Eastern herbalist. Peter looked at Lin Hai, mimicking the tone from a movie. How many secrets do you still have on you?

Oh~ dear friend, I'm sorry, I can't answer this question because I don't even know myself~ Lin Hai replied in the exact same tone.

He truly did not know all the secrets on him, such as that ball of Seven-Colored Essence in his mind.

After the laughter and banter, Lin Hai still methodically carried out his daily work. Master Chen had helped him finish a small portion of the work that couldn't be done in the afternoon during Lin Hai's class time, but most of the plants still required Lin Hai to care for them.

As for their chatterbox plus "a little bit" hyperactive classmate Peter, he followed Lin Hai around him, looking at this and that. Having just heard Lin Hai's precautions about the Datura, he still didn't dare to mess randomly with these unfamiliar plants.

Outside the window, the setting sun sank westward, dragging the shadows of the two teenage boys out very long. One chattered endlessly with incomprehensible professional jargon tumbling from his mouth, while the other occasionally infused a bit of energy into the potted plants to make them perform "accelerated growth" or "stem and leaf straightening."

Until—

Children. Chen Bing stood at the doorway of the inner room at some unknown point, holding two packs of medicinal herbs, and continued in English, If you two keep tossing my herbs around, you're both staying behind tonight to repot them.

Of course Chen Bing spoke English; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to treat the surrounding New York residents. It was just that when he was with Lin Hai, there was naturally no need for two Huaxia people to speak a foreign language.

The two "troublemaking" fellows fell into a period of silence.

I think I should go home. Peter swiftly closed his notebook. May said she made my favorite dinner for tonight.

Lin Hai held back his laughter as he escorted him to the door, but Peter suddenly turned around and lowered his voice. Can I come again on Saturday? I have a hypothesis about enhanced photosynthesis...

Sure, but remember to bring some Chinese pastries. They sell them right on the nearby street, and if you're interested, you can buy some yourself to taste, Lin Hai blinked. Master likes to eat a bit of these when he drinks tea.

Peter's expression grew knowing. He flashed an OK gesture of anger belonging to a South Korean man, waved goodbye to Chen Bing and Lin Hai, and quickly left.

Watching his friend's bouncing, bounding retreating figure, Lin Hai looked back into the shop—the mint swayed gently in the breeze, as if it were also secretly laughing.

Lin Hai watched the sunset outside the window dye the wooden floor of the pharmacy golden. In this unfamiliar world, being able to have a friend to share secrets with—such a feeling was really nice. Even if more would be met in days to come, the first one could always leave a deep impression.

After sending Peter off, Lin Hai stood at the doorway and smiled, shaking his head. That chatty science freak was simply like a whirlwind, sweeping away the inherent tranquility of the entire herbal shop.

He turned and went back into the shop, beginning to tidy up the plants that had been "researched" by Peter: propping up the Dendrobium Orchid wooden board that had been bumped askew, gently smoothing out the vine of the Fo-ti that had been pulled into a mess, and inputting a bit more energy into the Datura to soothe its mood.

That kid is quite interesting. Master Chen stood in front of the herb cabinet, twisting a piece of licorice between his fingers. Like a wild mint growing wildly the moment it sees the sun.

Lin Hai laughed while wiping the leaves of the Seven-Leaf Lotus. He's just too curious, wanting to explain everything he sees with scientific principles.

Science? Chen Bing gave a light snort, tossing the licorice into the teapot. Current science can't explain the concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine clearly. Just the concept of 'qi' alone is enough for them to study.

Master Chen gave a disdainful chuckle and shook his head, handing over a cup of calming tea. First day of school, how does it feel?

Lin Hai held the warm teacup, suddenly realizing he hadn't felt drowsy the entire day. Better than expected. The chemistry teacher talks like a lullaby, but I brought a small sprig of mint, and smelling the mint scent kept my mind very alert all along.

Mentioning this, he paused, the corners of his lips lifting involuntarily. And I met Peter.

Making friends is a good thing. Now hurry back; your parents should still be waiting for your call. Master Chen patted his shoulder.

Returning to the apartment, Lin Hai called his parents, telling Mom and Dad everything that happened today. Regarding this, Father Lin expressed happiness that Lin Hai could quickly integrate into the daily life of Midtown High School and had made a friend who sounded pretty good.

Mother Lin, compared to these things, was still nagging about Lin Hai's food, clothing, housing, and transportation: whether his clothes had been washed and changed, how the food in the school cafeteria tasted, whether the cleanliness of the apartment was maintained, and whether it was safe on the way to school, and so on.

At this time, Lin Hai kept smiling the whole while, because these were his mom and dad, and this was the home that could bring him warmth and strength.