I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 234: Gathering Herbs

In late spring, the vegetation on the mountain grows wildly, the mountain is covered in new green, and the air is filled with the fragrance of soil and tender leaves.

The grass and trees were just sprouting new buds, and the dew on the mountain was heavy. As Yuan Xiu climbed up from the foot of the mountain, her trouser legs were soaked after only a short while.

Teacher Zhou walked at the front, saying, "What we gather in late spring is vitality—flowers, leaves, and tender seedlings. Their medicinal properties are the purest and most potent. The herbs are tender and crisp, so be gentle and don't crush the leaves."

As he walked, he instructed, "Only pick the strong ones, do not uproot them, leave seeds for the mountains."

"receive!"

"Yes, Teacher Zhou. Don't worry, we definitely won't collect anything indiscriminately!"

The students were all very enthusiastic and spoke loudly.

"If you don't recognize any of them, just ask me. Don't pick them randomly. When you reach into tall grass, remember to tap it with a stick first."

One of the female classmates asked, "Why do we need to knock?"

"You're stirring up trouble! Don't you understand?" A classmate next to her explained.

"Ah! A snake?" The female student was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she quickly moved away from the bushes, causing her newly woven straw hat to tilt to one side.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of snakes?"

The female classmate rolled her eyes at him; anyone would be scared, right?

Wang Jianjun laughed and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I know how to catch snakes. If we really catch one, we can have a treat for lunch!"

Upon hearing the mention of eating snakes, all eight female classmates in the class showed expressions of disgust and horror.

As for the male students—

"Quickly, see where the snakes are! It would be great if we could catch a few more."

Ding Xuewen: "Classmates, we're here to collect herbs, not to catch snakes. Let's not focus on anything else."

Teacher Zhou: "Alright, everyone, spread out and look for the medicinal herbs carefully, but don't go too far. It's best to form groups of two or three so you can learn from and communicate with each other."

As soon as Teacher Zhou finished speaking, he found a slope, climbed up and sat down, leisurely watching the students collect herbs.

Yuan Xiu and Liu Yazhi formed a team, each taking a twig they picked up from the ground and bending over to search for medicinal herbs.

"Yuan Xiu, look, this is a dandelion!"

Yuan Xiu crouched down and gently parted the grass blades with her fingertips:

"Yes, it's dandelion. It's just starting to bloom, and it's best for clearing heat and detoxifying."

"And this one, this is plantain, its leaves grow close to the ground, it helps with urination."

"This is Artemisia capillaris..."

As Yuan Xiu gathered herbs, she described their names and effects, leaving Liu Yazhi completely bewildered.

"How come you know everything?"

Yuan Xiu smiled and said, "Once you've thoroughly studied the herbal medicine book, you'll naturally recognize them."

People like Xia Yang and Yuan Xiu, with their solid foundation, recognize most medicinal herbs and know how to harvest them in the best way.

When picking leaves, choose those with intact leaves and no insect bites.

When picking flowers, choose those that are half-open, as they have a stronger fragrance and will have better medicinal effects.

If it needs to be dug up by the roots, gently dig open the soil and remove the fibrous roots completely.

Instead of grabbing the leaf and pulling it upwards like some students do.

"Ding Xuewen, you shouldn't pick medicinal herbs like that. If you pick them like that, the leaves will be crushed and the roots will break off in the soil. The medicinal efficacy of herbs prepared this way will be greatly reduced."

Xia Yang frowned as he looked at the haphazardly picked herbs in Ding Xuewen's hand.

Ding Xuewen was a little embarrassed. He glanced around out of the corner of his eye and, seeing that no one had noticed, said, "I didn't notice for a moment. I'll definitely pick the next one carefully."

Xia Yang looked at the Zhongshan suit he was wearing: "I suggest you take off your outer clothes. This suit is too tight and will restrict your movement."

Ding Xuewen was naturally reluctant to take it off, saying, "It's okay, I think it's fine."

Xia Yang withdrew his gaze, squatted down, and continued gathering herbs.

Suddenly, a student shouted:

"What kind of herb is this?"

Everyone gathered around and saw a clump of plants with pale blue flowers deep in the grass, but no one could be sure what it was.

"Is it astragalus? It looks somewhat like it."

"It looks like violet to me?"

Ding Xuewen stepped forward, glanced at it, and confidently said, "This is the root of a hundred veins; it cannot be used as medicine!"

Yuan Xiu and Xia Yang arrived last. They glanced at it and said in unison, "It's Yuanzhi."

Ding Xuewen laughed and said, "How could that be? This is Bai Mai Gen. I may not know as much as you do. After all, before I entered the school, I was just an office worker in a pharmaceutical factory. But I still know what Bai Mai Gen looks like. Our factory made a mistake in purchasing this herb back then."

"No, it's not a medicinal herb at all; it can only be used as pasture. This is definitely Hundred Vein Root!"

Yuan Xiu and Xia Yang exchanged a glance, then squatted down, each picking up a small hoe to dig up herbs, examining their appearance and smelling their aroma.

"The root of Polygala tenuifolia is thick, fleshy and yellow, like a small carrot, with only one main root, and tastes bitter, spicy and slightly sweet."

Xia Yang continued, "The roots of the Hundred Veins are thin, the flesh is white or light brown, and there are many rootlets, like tangled hair. The taste is bland, but not bitter."

Yuan Xiu continued: "The stem of Polygala tenuifolia is thin and upright, and the leaves are slender, like willow leaves, with each leaf growing in a staggered pattern."

"The rhizomes spread out and branch out, with three leaflets in a group, like clover," Xia Yang said, looking at Yuan Xiu.

Yuan Xiu smiled and said, "The flowers of the Polygala tenuifolia are small, purplish-blue, and resemble small birds spreading their wings."

"The flowers of the 'Buddha's Blood' plant resemble small butterflies, mostly yellow, with a few pale blue-purple ones."

"Yuanzhi is a legitimate Chinese herbal medicine. It calms the mind, improves intelligence, eliminates phlegm, and clears the orifices."

"Hundred Vein Root is not a Chinese medicine and is not used in medicine. It is mostly used as pasture grass and green manure to feed cattle."

The two of them took turns explaining the details of Polygala tenuifolia and Polygala tenuifolia from the flower to the leaf to the root.

The students naturally trusted the two of them more.

As for Ding Xuewen: "..."

He was initially quite certain, but after they said that, he began to doubt himself.

"Let Teacher Zhou take a look. Teacher Zhou will definitely know."

Teacher Zhou has arrived. He took the herbs from Yuan Xiu's hand and examined them. "This is Polygala tenuifolia. It calms the mind, improves intelligence, clears phlegm, and opens the orifices. It's not poisonous, so you can pick it."

After he finished speaking, he emphasized: "Mistaking the wrong medicine will lead to medical accidents in the future, so there is no room for carelessness. While trusting yourself, you should also listen to different opinions."

All the students turned to look at Ding Xuewen.

Ding Xuewen: "..."

I regret it so much I could die.

I wish I hadn't come over and said those things.

In front of everyone, Teacher Zhou praised Yuan Xiu and Xia Yang, saying, "You two are very good at observing and distinguishing, that's what medical students should be like! You should communicate more with your classmates and help everyone improve together!"

Yuan Xiu and Xia Yang nodded in agreement.

At noon, no one went down the mountain. Instead, they found a shady spot on the mountain, sat down, and ate the dry food they had brought from school and home.

The dry rations that everyone brought were either steamed buns or flatbreads, even Yuan Xiu did the same.

Besides steamed buns, there were two eggs and a jar of finely shredded kimchi mixed with chili oil.

Yuan Xiu took out a steamed bun, opened the canned food jar, and the aroma of chili oil wafted out!

Liu Yazhi took a deep breath. "What a fragrant chili aroma! What delicious food did you bring?"

Zheng Yuemei craned her neck to take a look: "It's a steamed bun too? Why does it smell so good?"

Zheng Yuemei and her friend weren't the only ones who smelled the fragrance; many classmates smelled it too, but were too embarrassed to come over and ask.

Yuan Xiu picked up two pieces of pickled vegetable shreds and put them into the lunchbox containing steamed buns. She then handed the jar to Liu Yazhi and the others, saying, "It's nothing special, just homemade. Everyone should try some."

"Thank you, Yuan Xiu!"

Zheng Yuemei took it, and after she and Liu Yazhi each picked up a piece with their chopsticks, she handed the canned food jar to Liu Fang, who was sitting next to her, and then passed it on from one person to another.

Even Teacher Zhou picked up a piece with his chopsticks, and by the time it was Ding Xuewen's turn, the bottle was already empty.

The second to last one happened to be Ding Xuewen's deskmate. "Um, that's all, or maybe I..."

Ding Xuewen waved his hand, somewhat disgusted, and said, "I don't like these pickled foods."

The student's eyes lit up. He tore the steamed bun open and threw it into the jar, wiping the chili oil inside clean!