leonardwarren Chapter 16: Discovering the Woman's Reliance and Deducing the Prescription
Chapter 16: Discovering the Woman's Reliance and Deducing the Prescription
The car pulled over to the side of the road in front of Renjitang.
As soon as Zhou Tong stepped into the pharmacy, he was immediately enveloped by a rich and complex aroma of medicinal herbs.
The sweetness of licorice, the bitterness of coptis, the coolness of mint, the aged aroma of angelica... countless scents intertwine to form an invisible net.
The room was spacious, with one wall lined with densely packed drawer-style medicine cabinets covered with yellowed labels.
On the other side is a long glass display case, which displays valuable tonics such as ginseng, deer antler and bird's nest.
Several workers were busy weighing and packing the medicine, the clattering of abacuses filling the air.
Behind the counter, a middle-aged shopkeeper wearing round glasses and a silk robe greeted and saw off customers.
Zhou Tong stood in front of the long glass counter, his gaze sweeping over the cabinet behind it that reached the ceiling. Countless small drawers were covered with yellowed mulberry paper labels, the writing faded and blurry.
"Shopkeeper, thank you for your trouble."
Zhou Tong spoke, his voice clearly carried amidst the clatter of the abacus beads, "Take a small portion of each of the medicinal herbs that your shop often uses to invigorate qi, replenish blood, and strengthen the body, only the finest quality."
Behind the counter, the middle-aged shopkeeper, wearing round glasses and a dark purple silk robe, looked up and glanced at Zhou Tong through his eyes behind the lenses.
Seeing that Zhou Tong, though young, was well-dressed and had a composed demeanor, especially with a meek servant following behind him, one could tell that he was not from an ordinary family.
"Young master, do you wish to...examine the quality of the medicinal herbs?"
The shopkeeper adjusted his glasses, a professional smile spreading across his face. "Our Renjitang is a century-old establishment in Cangzhou. All our medicinal herbs are locally sourced, and our processing methods are meticulous. We treat everyone honestly, young and old. I wonder if you intend to use them yourself, or..."
"My elders at home want to prepare some health-preserving prescriptions, so they asked me to check the quality of the medicinal herbs first."
Zhou Tong spoke casually, making up an excuse, "We need some samples of everything, so we can ask someone to take a look when we get back."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's smile widened even more—this was a sign that a big customer was coming.
He immediately turned around and called out to the shop assistant who was grinding medicine behind the counter, "Shunzi, bring me the steelyard!"
Before long, the packets of medicinal herbs were carefully weighed and wrapped in light yellow mulberry paper.
Angelica root slices are brownish-yellow with clear texture; Astragalus root slices are uniformly thick with a yellowish-white cross-section; Codonopsis root strips are thick and robust with intact rhizomes; Goji berries are large and plump, with a color like cinnabar... For each ingredient, the shopkeeper would pick up a small amount, rub it between his fingertips, and explain it in detail against the light:
"Look at this angelica root, it comes from Minxian County. It has the head, body, and tail intact, is very oily, and has a strong aroma. It's authentic 'horse tail angelica root'."
"This astragalus, the 'whip stick astragalus' produced in Kulun, is firm and resilient, with a cross-section resembling a golden well and jade railings, and is most effective in replenishing qi."
"..."
Zhou Tong listened quietly, nodding occasionally.
A moment later, Zhou Tong gestured for Afu to take all the medicine packets, paid for them, turned around, and was about to walk out the door.
Just then, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure across the street, and his steps faltered slightly.
Ji Chang was standing under the eaves of the "Ruifuxiang" silk shop across the street.
Today, instead of wearing the gray martial arts school uniform, he changed into an indigo silk long robe, over which he wore a finely crafted black satin cotton jacket. His hair was combed meticulously with hair oil, and his originally handsome face revealed a dashing air that he didn't usually have.
Standing next to him was a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties.
She wore a stylish mink coat, which was not buttoned up and was left open, revealing the trim and high collar of a dark green brocade cheongsam underneath. A plain cashmere scarf was loosely draped around her neck, giving her a gentle and graceful appearance.
At this moment, the beautiful woman was tilting her head slightly, looking up as she listened to Ji Chang speak.
Ji Chang bowed slightly, maintaining a distance that was both intimate and respectful, his gaze fixed intently on the woman's face, as if nothing else existed and only the person before him was the focus.
As the woman listened, she suddenly covered her mouth and burst out laughing. Her eyes sparkled, and she reached out and pinched a small piece of fabric on Ji Chang's arm, as if she wanted to twist him.
Ji Chang didn't dodge, but looked at her with a smile, and then said something.
The woman immediately glared at Ji Chang, and with her other hand, she very naturally pulled out a roll of bluish-gray banknotes from her small leather bag and skillfully stuffed them into the side pocket of Ji Chang's cotton-padded jacket.
The entire movement was fluid and natural, just like everyday life.
Ji Chang seemed oblivious to the act of slipping money into his hand. His gaze fell on the woman's other hand, which she was about to pinch. He reached out but did not push her away. Instead, he gently placed his large hand on the back of the woman's gloved hand, his thumb caressing the delicate leather of the glove in a soothing manner.
At the same time, he lowered his head even further, almost touching the woman's ear, and whispered something quickly.
The woman's ears turned slightly red. She loosened her grip on the fabric, quickly drew a circle with her fingertips on the thick fabric of his chest, then giggled and lightly tapped Ji Chang's forehead.
Ji Chang raised his hand and precisely caught the finger that was pointing at him, but did not let go immediately. Instead, he gently brought her hand to his lips and, through his gloves, touched her knuckles with his lips very quickly.
The woman's body trembled slightly, and her eyes seemed to glisten with moisture, instantly exuding a seductive charm.
She glanced around quickly, then reached out and gave Ji Chang's firm thigh a light pinch.
Then, she glanced lightly at Ji Chang, swayed her waist, and turned gracefully toward a "World Hotel" on the side of the street.
Ji Chang smiled gently and followed with unhurried steps.
On the street, many passersby saw this scene, and they all turned their heads, whispered among themselves, and had expressions of surprise, ambiguity or disdain on their faces.
After all, the woman was clearly older than Ji Chang, and the two were behaving so intimately, which was quite conspicuous on the streets of Cangzhou, where the local customs were still conservative.
Zhou Tong stood there, dumbfounded by Ji Chang's actions.
Ah Fu, carrying the medicine bag, called out softly, "Young Master?"
Zhou Tong then came to his senses and slowly withdrew his gaze.
After getting on the bus, his mind kept replaying Ji Chang's methodical progress and the stack of banknotes stuffed into his pocket, like a movie playing in his head.
"Senior Brother Ji..."
Zhou Tong leaned back in the soft seat, gazing at the street scene passing by outside the window, and suddenly chuckled softly.
He recalled that Ji Chang had said that "his family background is not deep" and that "he was waiting to break through to the Bone Forging stage so that he could team up with your father."
It seems that while this senior brother was diligently training at the martial arts school, he was not idle. In this chaotic world, he was able to find such a shortcut with his good looks.
"What a talent," Zhou Tong murmured in admiration.
When they returned to the Zhou residence, it was still early.
Zhou Tong went straight back to his room, told Afu not to disturb him unless necessary, and then bolted the door.
The room was quiet, with only the regular ticking of the clock hands.
He first placed the large bag of medicinal herbs on the table and untied it.
Zhou Tong took a deep breath and calmed his mind.
The first step is to verify the system's ability to analyze medicinal materials.
He first took a piece of angelica root, tore off a very small strand, and placed it under the back of his tongue.
When the medicinal herbs come into contact with saliva, a slightly bitter and sweet taste and a unique aroma melt in the mouth.
Almost simultaneously, a transparent panel appeared in front of them:
Angelica sinensis: sweet, pungent, and warm in nature; enters the liver, heart, and spleen meridians. It nourishes and invigorates blood, regulates menstruation and relieves pain, and moistens the intestines to promote bowel movements. Quality: Superior. Compatibility with the host's current constitution: Moderate.
efficient!
Zhou Tong perked up, spat out the angelica root fragments, and rinsed his mouth with water.
Next came astragalus, codonopsis, goji berries... I tried them one by one, and the panel provided detailed feedback on each one, including their medicinal properties, quality, and compatibility with my constitution.
When he came across certain toxic herbs, he became even more cautious, taking only a tiny, dust-like amount each time and spitting it out immediately to rinse his mouth.
The panel also provides information on ingredients such as Aconitum carmichaelii, Pinellia ternata, and Arisaema heterophyllum, along with brief toxicity warnings.
After testing all the medicinal herb samples, Zhou Tong closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, already having a plan in mind.
He focused his attention again, concentrating on the prompt on the panel regarding "Improvement of Golden Jade Ointment".
[Based on the analyzed medicinal material data, are we beginning to deduce an improved formulation for Jin Yu Gao (Golden Jade Ointment)?]
"Begin," Zhou Tong silently thought to himself.
The lettering on the panel began to fluctuate and recombine:
[Deduction in progress... Selecting suitable medicinal materials based on the host's physical characteristics...]
[Initial screening: Eucommia ulmoides (strengthens tendons and bones), Achyranthes bidentata (guides blood downward), Aconitum carmichaelii (warms yang and unblocks meridians, in trace amounts)... a total of five medicinal materials, when combined with the basic formula of Jin Yu Gao, can produce synergistic effects.]
[Deducing specific compatibility ratios, usage, and dosage... Estimated time: 23 hours.]
Twenty-three hours?
Zhou Tong raised an eyebrow slightly.
This time was much longer than the two hours spent refining the perfect version of the Dragon Tiger Stance and the three hours spent refining the perfect version of the sword technique.
Zhou Tong pondered to himself, "Could it be that the system is more efficient at deductions involving myself, while requiring longer 'calculation' time when dealing with external objects, especially combinations of multiple objects?"
If this is indeed the case, the system's capability boundaries will become clearer.
It is more like a tool that exists specifically for "host self-optimization". Interference with purely external things must be based on a strong correlation with the host and is more costly.
As he was pondering, his gaze drifted to another part of the panel.
[Dragon Tiger Ruyi Blade (Perfect Version) Deduction Remaining Time: 00:04:32]
There are less than five minutes left.
Zhou Tong was startled and decided to sit down in the rosewood armchair to wait patiently.
finally--
[Ding! The Dragon-Tiger Ruyi Blade (Perfect Version) derivation is complete.]
The next second, everything around him vanished instantly, and a small figure appeared in his field of vision, moving and shifting, constantly displaying his swordsmanship.