Chapter 129

However, the ground was all dirt, with hardly any stones, let alone any pretty ones.

Meeting Shi Wen's questioning gaze, Yan Kexing gently pointed to a strange-looking plant beside him. "The little ones are probably looking for this."

Shi Wen looked at the unremarkable plant and asked, "What is this?"

"Cistanche deserticola, a national second-class protected plant," Yan Kexing said, looking at the little guys. "They've done a great job."

Chapter 129

The Cistanche deserticola in front of me was unremarkable, looking somewhat like a long, thin pine cone with a reddish-brown tinge.

Shi Wen stared at the Cistanche deserticola and said, "This Cistanche deserticola is a bit small?"

He turned to look at Yan Kexing and gestured with his hand. "When we went to look for horses before, didn't we see people growing Cistanche deserticola? Their Cistanche deserticola was almost as tall as our calves. This Cistanche deserticola, although wild, is only one-tenth the size of the cultivated one. Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

Yan Kexing: "Wild ones are much smaller and have better medicinal effects, while artificially cultivated ones have more nutrients, grow faster, and are much larger."

Shi Wen looked at the Cistanche deserticola in front of him with suspicion. "Really?"

Yan Kexing: "Hmm, wild Cistanche deserticola has a unique flavor, while cultivated ones don't taste like it at all."

Shi Wen knelt on the ground, leaned in and sniffed. "It seems so. Heiwa, you found this Cistanche deserticola because of this special smell, right?"

Heiwa shouted loudly from the side, "Woof woof!"

Cistanche deserticola is a genuine Class II protected plant in China. No matter how good its medicinal effects are, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing would never dig it up.

Shi Wen, "Should I inform Captain Zhou?"

Yan Kexing had no objection. "I'll make a note of it before he arrives."

Shi Wen gently poked the Cistanche deserticola. "You still care about this? Is it because this Cistanche deserticola is special?"

Yan Kexing nodded and explained, "Most Cistanche deserticola grows at lower altitudes, usually in saline-alkali soil. It's quite special that it can grow here. Let's make a note of it and see if we can find anything out later."

Shi Wen, "I understand. Good luck then. I'll contact Captain Zhou and the others."

Shi Wen took a picture of Cistanche deserticola and sent a message to Zhou Hongzhong: "[Captain Zhou, we found a Cistanche deserticola plant on the mountain today. Yan Kexing said it's a Class II national standard. Just wanted to let you know.]"

Zhou Hongzhong replied instantly: [Wild Cistanche deserticola? It's been quite rare these past two years.]

Shi Wen: [Photo. JPG, yeah, I didn't recognize it at first, Yan Kexing pointed it out to me. Do you guys want to come and see it?]

Zhou Hongzhong: [Come on! Of course we'll come. If you don't lead the way, we might not be able to find such small Cistanche deserticola plants next time.]

Shi Wen: [Then I'll send you my location.]

Shi Wen returned after contacting Zhou Hongzhong, he found Yan Kexing texting someone.

Seeing him approach, Yan Kexing didn't avoid him; instead, he moved the screen closer to him so that it would be easier for him to see.

Shi Wen looked at the screen full of information, but soon found himself unable to understand it due to the large number of technical terms.

He turned around and called to Heiwa and the others, "Shall we continue looking for Ganoderma lucidum?"

Heiwa: "Woof woof!"

The little ones called out a few times, then scattered and went into the Linzi to look for Ganoderma lucidum.

Shi Wen smiled Shi Wen watched them chasing and playing with their toes, and followed them into the Linzi.

Zhou Hongzhong and his group arrived quickly, in just over half an hour.

Shi Wen went down the mountain to meet them.

Zhou Hongzhong brought a young man over. Shi Wen felt that the young man looked familiar and nodded to him.

The young man smiled at him nervously.

Upon seeing Shi Wen, Zhou Hongzhong exclaimed, "You guys are really lucky; you always seem to find something good every time you come out."

Shi Wen, "Who goes into the mountains without finding anything? You're bound to gather some mountain products, but my little ones are really something else; they always manage to find something special every time we go."

Zhou Hongzhong gave a thumbs up. "Heiwa and the others are truly intelligent."

Heiwa heard this from afar and looked at Zhou Hongzhong: "Woof woof!"

Zhou Hongzhong: "Goodness, it even knows I'm praising it."

The three of them talked as they walked toward the place where they had found the Cistanche deserticola.

Yan Kexing turned his head and saw Zhou Hongzhong leading his men over, and asked, "Did you bring specimen bags?"

The young man behind Zhou Hongzhong nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Professor Yan, is this alright?"

As he spoke, the young man took out a stack of sealed bags from his bag and handed them to Yan Kexing.

Yan Kexing nodded. "Thank you."

Shi Wen, with her hands on her knees, watched as Yan Kexing carefully removed the soil from under the Cistanche deserticola, and asked curiously, "What is this?"

Yan Kexing looked up at him and explained, "This might be a new variety. First, we'll collect some soil from the bottom and send it for testing to see if there are any seeds inside. If there are, we'll study the seeds."

Shi Wen, "If it's confirmed to be a new variety, wouldn't it be possible to publish a research paper?"

Yan Kexing: "It's also possible that it's an older variety, just growing in a different place, making it look a bit unusual. We'll have to wait for the analysis results before making a decision. In any case, more research data can provide some reference for Cistanche deserticola growers."

Shi Wen, "I don't see that many people grow it here. I read online that the price of fresh Cistanche deserticola here is relatively low, so it's not very cost-effective?"

Cistanche deserticola is used as a tonic to treat deficiency of essence and blood, and kidney yang deficiency. It is also commonly used to regulate menstruation. Its application range is very wide, and there is now a mature cultivation industry, although the price is not very high.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hongzhong said, "Twenty or thirty yuan per kilogram is already acceptable. Planting one batch of Cistanche deserticola can yield harvests for several years, which is very convenient."

Yan Kexing: "The cultivated Cistanche deserticola is quite robust, with each plant weighing several kilograms. It's quite easy to grow."

Shi Wen, "Is that more profitable than farming?"

Yan Kexing: "This area is mostly Gobi desert and saline-alkali land, making farming difficult. Cistanche deserticola is well-suited to this environment, so it's a good choice."