n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Wang Yao arrived at home and his mother had cooked dinner, everyone in the family was waiting for him.
âHere you are. Take one small cup of the decoction within one and a half hours after dinner, and take the rest of the decoction tomorrow.â Wang Yao gave the white porcelain bottle to his sister.
âThis is what you did on the hill just now!â said Wang Ru in surprise.
âYes, take the decoction while it is still warm. Be careful with what you eat, try to avoid spicy, oily and cold food in the next few days,â said Wang Yao.
âIs this going to work?â asked Wang Ru.
Wang Yao thought his sister would be very appreciative and touched as he made the decoction specifically for her, but she was full of doubt instead. Wang Yao was upset.
âHaha, I was pulling your leg, Yao! Donât worry, Iâll take it even it is poison!â Wang Ru patted her own chest and said.
Wang Yao was speechless when he heard the word poison. Although he didnât add any licorice roots in the decoction, the herbs he used to brew the decoction were of high quality. There may be mild side effects, but it was nowhere near poison.
âDonât worry, the decoction made by your brother is effective,â said Zhang Xiuying.
âReally? Has he made it for you before?â asked Wang Ru in surprise.
âNot for me. He made some for your Uncle Fengshouâs wife, who had an upset stomach a few days ago. The hospital couldnât find anything wrong with her so your uncle came here to ask Yao to prescribe an herbal formula for her. It took effect just after one dose. They dropped by the other day to thank us!â said Zhang Xiuying proudly.
âReally? Since when was Yao so capable?â asked Wang Ru in surprise.
âYouâll know after you try my decoction after dinner. For your peace of mind, it doesnât have any side effect,â said Wang Yao while eating.
Wang Ru didnât eat much due to her upset stomach. She really wanted to eat a lot as her mom cooked a full table of delicious dishes. Wang Yao also asked her not to overeat.
Wang Ru heated the decoction slightly and drank a small cup of it as instructed by Wang Yao one and a half hours after dinner.
The decoction was nice and warm. She could feel a warm current going from her throat to her belly and then it started to spread inside her body, as if she had a warm water bag on her belly. She felt very comfortable.
âLooks like it does have an effect on me!â said Wang Ru, who looked at Wang Yao in surprise.
âOf course!â said Wang Yao calmly.
It was a piece of cake for Wang Yao to make a decoction like this.
âYou should become a doctor. Donât bother to grow herbs on the hill,â said Wang Ru.
âBut I donât have a medical certificate,â said Wang Yao.
âWell, go and get one!â said Wang Ru.
âIâm considering it.â
Wang Yao looked at the light from his sisterâs eyes and started to doubt if he had made any mistakes when brewing the decoction. He thought he should add something to calm his sister the next time he made a decoction for her.
âToday is Little New Year, will you still go to Nanshan hill?â asked Wang Fenghua, who lit a cigarette after dinner.
âYes,â said Wang Yao after some thinking.
âWhat about Chinese New Yearâs Eve?â asked Wang Fenghua.
âNo, of course Iâll stay at home,â laughed Wang Yao.
âGood, I thought you were possessed by something from Nanshan hill!â said Wang Fenghua.
Wang Yao left home at about 9 pm. The lights on the streets were still on until the south end of the village. It was very dark at the south end, and the road was uneven with pit holes.
After months of breathing exercises and drinking ancient spring water, Wang Yaoâs fitness had improved significantly. For him, walking in the dark was as easy as walking in the daylight. He used his Qi to walk very fast at night, even faster than the speed of running for most people. Therefore, it didnât take long for him to arrive at Nanshan hill.
The shape of Nanshan hill was like a standing boot. One side was much steeper than the other side. It was called Nanshan hill because it was located at the south end of the village. (âNanâ means âsouthâ in Mandarin Chinese)
The topography of Nanshan hill was not suitable to grow crops and trees. In addition, the north side of Nanshan hill was full of stones, making it very hard to grow a large area of trees. Therefore, no one bothered to get a contract to grow anything on Nanshan hill. When Wang Yao signed his contract for Nanshan hill, he was very young, and the cost was really low.
Wang Yaoâs cottage was located at the less steep side of the hill.
After spending one night on the hill, Wang Yao did his routine breathing exercises and worked in the herbal field as usual the next morning.
When he was doing his breathing exercises on the top of the hill, he followed the method from Natural Classics. He felt the Qi inside his body was growing and felt warm where the Qi had traveled.
Not sure if the Qi is any different from the inner power and the essential Qi described in the novels and movies.
After Wang Yao finished working in the herbal field and chatted with San Xian and Da Xia, it was late afternoon already. He blocked all the entrances to his herbal field before going home using the five-line illusion method. Wang Yao knew he wouldnât stay on the hill during Chinese New Year, unless there was an emergency or any special tasks, so he must protect his herbal field when he was away.
Wang Yao found the way his sister was looking at him was very weird when he got home.
âWhatâs wrong?â asked Wang Yao.
âJust want to let you know that Iâm fine now. The decoction you gave me worked well,â said his sister Wang Ru.
âOf course! Iâm a Chinese Traditional Pharmacist who is able to treat all diseases,â laughed Wang Yao.
âOkay. The chief of our bureauâs dad was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Do you want me to introduce you to him?â asked Wang Ru seriously.
âSis, hurry up, Iâll take you to town later,â said Wang Yao.
âLook at you!â said Wang Ru with her nose in the air.
Wang Yao drove Wang Ru to down after dinner. She took a day off as she was not feeling well.
âYao, tell me the truth. Are you serious about getting a medical certificate?â asked Wang Ru in the car.
âYes, I have to,â said Wang Yao.
âLet me see if I can get you any help,â said Wang Ru.
âIâve already asked one of my friends to look into it, but thank you anyway. By the way, Chinese New Year is around the corner, donât forget your promise of finding a boyfriend for mom,â teased Wang Yao.
âShut up!â Wang Ru rolled her eyes.
Wang Yao planned to wander in town for a while after Wang Ru left for work. There were still quite a few people on the street due to the upcoming Chinese New Year, so Wang Yao decided to go home. As soon as he drove out of town, he received a phone call from an acquaintance. It was He Qisheng.