All Plants Are Medicine

"Master Luo, the fire just wouldn't light. Could it be because of the child's injury? I've seen this happen before!"

On the way back, Su Ziyang started chatting with Master Luo.

"You've seen him before? Tell me about it..."

Master Luo found it amusing when Su Ziyang said he had seen it before, and said with a smile, his hands behind his back.

Su Ziyang then recounted the story of the old woman who burned incense for Xuhui's Xuyang treatment at his home, saying that the paper and incense didn't burn.

"You know Xue Zhen?"

Master Luo turned around and looked at Su Ziyang.

"I don't know him, I've only met him once. He glanced at my uncle and then left."

Su Ziyang and Xue Zhen had only met twice and could not be said to know each other.

"If the incense isn't burning, it means the person is about to die. Xue Zhen and Mengfei both know that person is dying. If there's even a glimmer of hope, they'll try to save them. Incense draws upon a person's spirit; if a person's spirit is strong and their Yunqi is good, the incense will burn brightly. Conversely, this can lead to the situation you described, like your uncle's. Do you understand?"

These were the most frequent words Master Luo had spoken in recent days, and Su Ziyang nodded repeatedly, finally resolving a doubt in his mind.

"Master Luo, you know Xue Zhen too? He's a man who doesn't talk much, and he looks quite intimidating."

As Su Ziyang watched Master Luo become more talkative and bolder, he began to chat with Master Luo about Xue Zhen.

"Yes, he's quite an expert as well."

Su Ziyang had expected Master Luo to say more, but Master Luo only said one sentence, then lowered his head and walked away without saying another word.

Having been rebuffed, Su Ziyang stopped talking and followed Master Luo into the rain with his head down.

After spending a few days with Master Luo, the Dragon Boat Festival finally arrived on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

Master Luo got up exceptionally early today. After getting up from his recliner, he woke up Su Ziyang.

"Master Luo, what would you like for breakfast?"

Su Ziyang rubbed his sleepy eyes. Master Luo's own room had a reclining chair, while Su Ziyang lived in the west room, which had a bamboo bed.

"We're not eating today, we're going to gather herbs. Remember, once you're outside, don't say a word. No matter what happens, you can't speak. To prevent you from talking, I'm having you carry a leaf in your mouth to constantly remind you not to speak. When we're gathering herbs, Su Ziyang, you stay right next to me. There are lots of snakes, insects, and rodents in the mountains, so don't stray more than a meter from me."

Master Luo spoke seriously, Su Ziyang immediately perked up. Then, Master Luo stuffed an unknown leaf into his mouth.

Su Ziyang felt like a donkey with a bridle on.

I wanted to complain, but if I opened my mouth, the leaves would fall, so I could only carry a small bamboo basket and follow Master Luo a meter behind.

It's a bit foggy today, but the rain has stopped.

Because he got up early and the woods were dense, Su Ziyang was soon soaked with dew.

The dew made his skin incredibly itchy, and Su Ziyang could only endure it.

Su Ziyang had never walked on a mountain path before, but it felt like he had walked for quite a long time. Suddenly, Master Luo Master Luo and told Su Ziyang not to move.

Then Master Luo picked some grass and leaves that surrounded Su Ziyang and stuffed them into Su Ziyang's small basket.

"Go back."

Su Ziyang didn't know what kind of herbs Master Luo was picking; he just watched Master Luo take the machete and hack away wildly until it was all over.

Su Ziyang couldn't speak, nor did he dare to ask. He could only follow Master Luo back.

After returning, Master Luo instructed Su Ziyang to empty the grass and leaves from the small basket into the prepared large vat.

"Walk."

Su Ziyang didn't know why this ninety-year-old man had so much energy. He had walked such a long mountain road without getting tired at all. After pouring out the herbs, he pulled Su Ziyang and walked in another direction.

Using the same distance and the same method of gathering herbs, Su Ziyang followed Master Luo back and forth four times.

It wasn't until the third time that Su Ziyang understood what Master Luo was doing. Master Luo was collecting grass from the four cardinal directions of his house.

There is a folk saying that all herbs are medicinal in May.

It is said that this day's festival is quite special, as all kinds of herbs can be used as medicine.

The book * Thousand Ducat Formulas * by Sun Simiao, the "King of Medicine," records a formula for treating metal wounds called Great Incised Wound Powder). Its preparation method is similar to the herb-gathering methods I use today.

On the morning of May 5th, find four people and have them walk in the four directions of east, west, south, and north. When they reach a place about five li away, they should collect half a handful of each of various herbs within a square meter.

Then, around noon, finely chop it, put it in a mortar and pestle, mix it with lime, and pound it into a paste.

Next, find a large mulberry tree, carve a hole in it that can hold the crushed medicine, put the medicine in the hole, fill it up, and then seal it with mulberry bark.

Use hemp to crush lime into a paste, then use this paste to seal the area and prevent air leakage. Finally, wrap it with mulberry bark to fix the paste in place.

It was taken out at noon on the Double Ninth Festival (September 9th) and air-dried in the shade. After air-drying, it was sun-dried, pounded, and then dried into a fine powder for later use.

This formula treats all types of bleeding from metal wounds.

Thinking about the prescription, Su Ziyang suddenly realized it didn't make sense. The other person had four people, while he only had two, and the book didn't say anything about not talking.

Then I thought about it again and it didn't make sense. Master Luo could stop bleeding and relieve pain so easily, why would he need to make such a complicated medicine?

And isn't this a bit too much medicine? If it's mixed with lime, how thick would a mulberry tree have to be to hold all of this medicine?

This mulberry tree has really suffered under foreign rule.

But Su Ziyang could only think about it in his mind; he couldn't speak it, even though he was almost dying of curiosity.

It was only then that Su Ziyang realized how wonderful it was to be able to speak. Before, Mr. Mengfei had told him a story about how some monks practiced a kind of Zen called Silent Zen.

It means that he hasn't spoken for many years. At the time, Su Ziyang thought it was no big deal. It's just not speaking, it's not like he doesn't eat or drink.

Only when he was truly forbidden to speak did Su Ziyang realize how much willpower it took to go eight or ten years without speaking.

After a tiring morning, we finally finished collecting all the medicinal herbs.

Su Ziyang sat down to rest, exhausted, but Master Luo didn't. He set up a large pot in the yard, and Su Ziyang felt that the pot looked somewhat familiar.

After looking at it for a while, I suddenly realized that this pot looked exactly like the big pot that Master Jin used when I was practicing Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt.

Su Ziyang had something on his mind, but Master Luo wouldn't let him speak, and he couldn't ask either. Seeing Master Luo tending the fire, Su Ziyang quickly went to help.

Once the fire was lit, Master Luo threw all the herbs he had gathered into the pot, then filled it with water and began to boil them.