Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 11 Five Acres of Medicinal Herbs
They practiced this exercise until dawn, when the sky was already turning a pale white, and the entire courtyard was tinged with a grayish-white hue.

The mountain breeze blew down the ridge, brushing past the treetops, causing the branches and leaves to tremble slightly.

Jiang Yi then slowly stopped his movements and exhaled a long, hot breath.

As soon as I relaxed my hands and feet, my whole body felt warm, and even the chill between my bones dissipated.

I went back to the stove and reheated the leftover ginseng chicken soup from last night.

The chicken was chewed clean, and even the few ginseng roots at the bottom of the pot were chewed up and swallowed, leaving a sweet aftertaste.

With a warm feeling in my belly, I felt more at ease.

Inside the house, the mother and her two children were fast asleep, their breathing peaceful and serene.

Jiang Yi didn't disturb them, but quietly turned back and entered the empty room.

The moment her feet touched the bed, she fell asleep like a kite with a broken string.

When I woke up again, the sun was already setting.

Jiang Yi sat up, rubbed his eyes, and felt an indescribable lightness throughout his body.

It wasn't the languid feeling of someone who had slept enough; rather, it was a feeling of complete relaxation and loosening of the muscles and skin, as if the bones had been regrown all over again.

I pushed open the door and stepped out of the house; the courtyard was quiet.

Jiang Ming is missing; he must have gone to the private school to study.

Little Jiang Liang, on the other hand, tiptoed around with his small body, babbling as he tidied up the broken bowls and old plates on the table. Though his movements were clumsy, they were methodical and meticulous.

Liu Xiulian sat on a stool, her round belly protruding, her eyes smiling, supporting her son with one hand and teaching him to hold the bowl and chopsticks steady with the other.

Jiang Yi stood at the door, watching this scene, and his heart softened a little.

He smiled at his wife, a smile tinged with apology.

Liu Xiulian smiled, her eyes gentle, without saying a word.

The two did not speak, but their tacit understanding was evident in their eyes.

Jiang Yi didn't disturb his youngest son's practice. He simply turned around and went to the kitchen without making a sound.

He found a wooden basin and emptied all the cooled soup from the medicine bucket.

All that was left was a pot of wet, black dregs, which looked like leftover ink residue.

He rolled up his sleeves, reached out, and scooped out handfuls of the sticky residue, wrung it out until it was dry, and spread it on the table.

He took an axe, chopped it into small pieces, and then finely chopped it dozens of times.

Mix in the chopped vegetable leaves, knead until evenly distributed, and then sprinkle it in front of the chicken coop.

As soon as the commotion was heard, the flock of hens rushed over, clucking and pecking at the ground with great enthusiasm, showing no restraint whatsoever.

Chickens may not know about medicine, but they have sharp tongues and know this stuff is good.

I imagine that after this meal, even the fur will be shinier, and I'll lay an extra egg.

This pot of medicine cost five hundred coins, which isn't exactly cheap.

Now everything is being used to its fullest potential, with not a single bit wasted.

After tidying up, Jiang Yi ate a little food hastily.

Several elderly women from the village, who love to join in the fun, arrived right on time.

As usual, they sat under the eaves with their sewing baskets, chatting and gossiping.

Jiang Yi didn't say much. He just found a bamboo basket, grabbed a handful of peanuts that he had dried himself, and handed a pinch to each person as a greeting.

Without keeping him company, he picked up a hoe, too lazy to even change his clothes, and headed down the mountain on his own.

The spring wheat has sprouted, and the fields are already a sea of ​​green, rippling in waves when the wind blows.

Jiang Yi, however, couldn't stay idle.

I've been practicing stance training and taking medicinal baths these past few days. I have a lot of energy inside me that I can't seem to release, it's making my bones itch.

Then he set his sights on the rocky wasteland at the foot of the mountain.

The place is still the same place, tough and wild.

But the person is no longer the same.

I've become quite proficient in stance training lately, and my breathing techniques have become instinctive. Even when I sleep, I have a long, steady rhythm to it.

Last night, the pot of medicinal soup was scalded, and the improved training frame was reinforced, thoroughly strengthening him inside and out. His physique is no longer that of an ordinary farmer.

Now they dig the ground quickly and fiercely.

With each strike of the hoe, the force surged from the soles of the feet, through the spine, and cut through tofu with ease.

Even the solidly frozen clods of earth crumbled with a "crack".

If you encounter a rock that's half your height, all you need to do is loosen the soil underneath, sink your body, and lift your waist, and the rock will roll away three feet with a "gurgle".

The speed of land reclamation is incomparable to what it used to be.

I did sweat a little, but it wasn't sticky or greasy.

Unlike before, when he would be out of breath and red-faced after digging with a hoe for a while.

I felt that the energy within my body came naturally as soon as I used it, and the more I used it, the smoother and more powerful it became.

He worked tirelessly for half a month, clearing five or six acres of land on the gentle slope at the foot of the mountain, hoe by hoe.

This time, however, no fruit trees were planted.

After pondering for a few days, Jiang Yi went to see Doctor Li.

The two of them each carried a small stool and sat in the backyard of the pharmacy.

While sipping tea, they quietly discussed among themselves, looking at several yellowed herbal medicine books.

The medicinal herbs selected were all common grass roots.

What about catnip, bupleurum, clematis, and sclerotium...?

It may not be considered rare or precious, but it is easy to raise and thrive in any location.

In Jiang Yi's eyes, these are the truly good things.

These herbs are indispensable for medicinal baths; they strengthen muscles and promote blood circulation, relax tendons and unblock meridians, all thanks to these herbs.

As he stroked his beard, Doctor Li rummaged through the back room and pulled out some of the seeds he had stored.

He gathered up a small portion of the bag, not forgetting to give a few more instructions:
"Bupleurum prefers drought and dislikes waterlogging, while Clematis chinensis is best planted in loose, shallow soil, and should not be planted together with wild vegetables..."

Jiang Yi listened attentively and nodded repeatedly.

When harvesting seeds, they handle them like handfuls of golden beans, afraid of scattering even a single one.

Back on the hillside, while the spring soil was still a little damp, I sorted the seeds one by one and planted them according to the terrain.

Unhurried and nimble.

These herbs may look unremarkable, but if they grow well, they will provide a good base for your own medicinal bath.

As for the rest, Physician Li had already assured him that he would buy them all at market price.

After all that busy work, the Awakening of Insects quietly came to an end.

The plants and trees in the mountains looked like they had just taken a morning bath, exuding a tender greenness, and when the wind blew, they carried a hint of sweetness.

By now, Liu Xiulian's belly was already quite round.

The way it walks is like carrying a small urn; just by looking at it, you can tell that the little tyrant inside has probably already done several somersaults.

With enough sunshine, it could take off at any time.

Jiang Yi knew what was going on, and long ago he picked out a plump and strong old hen and took it to the old lady's house at the end of the village.

Aunt Niu was a well-known midwife in the village. Although she was old, she was still very quick and efficient, and she never made a mistake in delivering babies.

The two brothers, Jiang Ming and Jiang Liang, both came from under her tutelage.

He glanced at the chicken, then at the barely concealed anxiety on Jiang Yi's face.

With a slight smile, she patted his arm and said:

"Alright, I know you're nervous. I'm not going anywhere for the next two weeks, just waiting for your husband to give me a call."

Jiang Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing those solid words.

Back home, he leaned the hoe against the wall, no longer going to the fields at the foot of the mountain, and focused on taking care of things at home.

The two boys are also sensible; at home, they even speak in hushed tones and walk on tiptoe.

They were afraid of disturbing their mother who was about to give birth inside the house, or their younger brother or sister who was still in their belly.

(End of this chapter)