Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 91 Xiao Ran 'reasons'!
Sun Simiao also had a telescope, and Li Wu, who was next to him, told him how to use it.

Even Sun Simiao couldn't remain calm after experiencing the effects of the telescope.

"Young master, why is that?"

Xiao Ran took the binoculars. "It's mainly the lenses inside that make the difference."

"The lenses are quite special; one piece of glass bulges outwards, while the other is concave inwards."

"Just like when we look at fish in the water, the fish are clearly at the bottom, but they look closer to the surface. This is because the water 'distorts' the light."

“These two pieces of glass can also ‘twist’ light. Things that are far away are too far away, and the light scatters when it reaches your eyes, making them look blurry.”

"But if you let the light pass through this bulging glass first, and then through this concave glass, the light is 'twisted' twice and then gathers together again, just like 'pushing' something far away to your eyes, and then it becomes clear."

After hearing Xiao Ran's explanation, the group was all pondering it.

Sun Simiao smiled and said, "Wonderful! Truly a masterpiece!"

Sun Simiao stroked his beard, his gaze lingering on the telescope for a moment before turning to Xiao Ran, his tone carrying the earnestness characteristic of a physician:

“Young master, this glass can ‘twist’ light and gather shadows, which reminds me of something. In all my years of practicing medicine, I have seen many people with eye diseases. Some old men can’t see needles and threads clearly up close, and some children can’t see distant mountains clearly. They all suffer from this disease.”

He pointed to his eyes and said slowly, "You said that when the light is scattered, one cannot see clearly, and that two pieces of glass can gather the light together."

"If someone's eyes can't focus the light, or focus it too quickly, could we also make some small pieces of glass so that the light 'smooths' around before entering the eyes?"

"For example, if something up close is blurry, use a piece of concave glass to help focus it; if something far away is blurry, use a piece of convex glass to help disperse it?"

Xiao Ran was truly impressed.

Understanding the working principle of lenses immediately brings this question to mind.

"Grandpa, it's theoretically possible, but very difficult."

"Please enlighten me, young sir!" Sun Simiao now seemed less like an elder and more like a student with a strong thirst for knowledge.

The others still don't quite understand, but they think Xiao Ran and Sun Simiao have a very impressive conversation.

"If your eyes can't see clearly, you need to prepare different lenses depending on the situation. What the old man used to say, I like to call nearsightedness and farsightedness."

"Even though they are both nearsighted, the degree of nearsightedness is different, so the lenses are different too."

"The right medicine is needed; if the problem is too great, it may backfire and make things even more difficult to see clearly."

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, young man!" This was an unexpected joy for Sun Simiao.

At least Xiao Ran confirmed that this conjecture was correct, but it would be difficult to realize.

Sun Simiao didn't know why, but he unconditionally trusted Xiao Ran.

I think Xiao Ran is absolutely right.

I originally planned to prepare the medicinal herbs, read a book on Tai Chi, and leave early.

Xiao Ran did not mistreat Sun Simiao, but Sun Simiao felt embarrassed to stay any longer.

However, the matter of the sweet potatoes and the telescope made Sun Simiao increasingly interested in Xiao Ran.

Including the genetic diseases that Li Lizhi mentioned earlier, Sun Simiao had also thought about these things, but he did not summarize them.

Xiao Ran was one of the few who knew these things, and he even helped to clarify the secrets, which greatly benefited Sun Simiao.

Sun Simiao also wanted to stay and have more interaction with Xiao Ran.

Why Xiao Ran knew these things was unimportant; Sun Simiao didn't care.

These points of knowledge were incredibly valuable, and Xiao Ran always shared them without reservation, which made Sun Simiao like Xiao Ran more and more.

Xiao Ran and Sun Simiao chatted happily, and the others couldn't get a word in edgewise.

It's understandable that Sun Simiao was old, had traveled extensively, and was very knowledgeable.

Xiao Ran's breadth of knowledge is somewhat abnormal.

I can't accept it!

Upon arriving at Zhongnan Mountain, Sun Simiao didn't venture too far inside; instead, he gathered herbs along the roadside.

Sun Simiao carried a medicine basket on his back. His withered fingers rummaged through the roadside grass and quickly picked up a plant with pale purple flowers at the top.

"This is Scutellaria baicalensis. Its leaves are opposite, its roots are conical, and its skin is yellowish-brown. It is an excellent medicine for treating fever."

As he spoke, he carefully shoveled away the soil around the roots with a small shovel. "When digging, you need to include some fibrous roots and let them dry completely before using them."

"Sir, is this it?" Li Lizhi pointed to the front of her.

“That’s right, Fifth Sister’s is too.”

Li Lizhi took the small hoe from Princess Yuzhang and began digging, imitating Sun Simiao.

"I want to play too!" The little princess thought this was interesting.

Princess Yuzhang saw the three young maids and wouldn't let them go far, so they stayed with them nearby.

Cheng Tiehuan and Li Wu looked around with binoculars, searching for prey.

Xiao Ran gave him the compound bow; it wouldn't be appropriate to go back empty-handed.

Xiao Ran wasn't interested in hunting; he found it much more interesting to follow Sun Simiao to gather herbs.

The same goes for the three little girls.

“Little Nang Jun~ Is this it~” the little princess pointed.

Xiao Ran didn't recognize it, but Sun Simiao smiled and said, "This is also a useful medicine."

"Sizi, let's dig!" Xiao Ran leaned over.

There should be many medicinal herbs near Zhong Nanshan, but ordinary people don't recognize them.

In Sun Simiao's eyes, many things were good.

"Hehe~" The little princess put her hands on her hips and said proudly, "Am I not awesome~"

This amused Xiao Ran.

"Yes, yes, our Sizi is really amazing." Xiao Ran rubbed the little princess's head.

Cheng Tiehuan shot an arrow, and a wild pheasant fell from a tree not far away.

"It hit the mark! It was spot on!" Princess Yuzhang also saw it.

"Young master, this compound bow is so useful!" Cheng Tiehuan rode over and picked up the prey.

The three little girls couldn't shoot arrows, but they loved finding medicinal herbs.

Sun Simiao told the group what items were available nearby, and they helped pick them.

Not to mention the three little girls, even Li Lizhi found it very interesting.

Learning more about pharmacology from Sun Simiao is definitely a good idea.

Xiao Ran kept hearing a buzzing sound nearby. "Are there wasps or bees here? Why is it buzzing so much?"

Xiao Ran looked around with his binoculars, finding both wasps and bees very useful.

“It’s a bee, it’s on that rock wall over there,” Sun Simiao pointed to a spot not far away.

Xiao Ran looked in the direction Sun Simiao pointed and found that it was indeed true. "Grandpa, how did you know?"

Sun Simiao smiled and said, "I guessed it because I saw a lot of bees heading in that direction."

Sun Simiao's eyesight and hearing were both frightening.

Not to mention the elderly of the same age, even young people can't compare.

"Grandpa, that's impressive!" Xiao Ran looked again and said with a smile, "There's plenty of honey to eat."

"Really?" the little honey princess exclaimed immediately, "Little Nangjun wants to see too!"

Honey is also a delicious thing, and the little princess was also very impressed with it.

It's very sweet, and the little princess loves it.

"Young master, let me see too!" Princess Chengyang and San Nian also came over.

Xiao Ran took turns holding the three little girls and looking through the binoculars.

"Hehe~ Seven Honey Duck~" The little princess tugged at Xiao Ran, "Little Nangjun, Seven Honey~"

"There are so many bees, I don't know how to handle them, I'll get stung if I go over there." Xiao Ran had previously seen older beekeepers harvesting honey without any protective gear.

I really didn't dare to get close, afraid of getting stung so badly my head would turn into a pig's head.

"Fifth Uncle, do you know how?" Princess Yuzhang asked Li Wu.

Li Wu smiled awkwardly, "Burning it with fire should work, I'll go try."

The princesses wanted to eat, and Li Wu certainly couldn't refuse, even if it meant getting stung, he had to get some back.

“There’s some mugwort nearby. Go find some, and I’ll go get it. If you’d like, you can take it home and raise it,” Sun Simiao said casually.

"It has to be the old man!" Xiao Ran said sincerely.

Sun Simiao took out two cloth bags from the box.

Xiao Ran and the others helped to get some mugwort.

Sun Simiao tied the mugwort together for easy lighting, intending to use the smoke to repel the bees. "Grandpa, won't you get stung? There are so many bees," Li Lizhi said with some concern. Sun Simiao was getting on in years; she couldn't bear the responsibility if anything happened to him.

"It's alright, these are minor issues." Sun Simiao put down his hoe and medicine basket and walked towards the stone wall.

Xiao Ran and his companions did not approach, fearing they would be stung.

The rock face was covered with bees.

Sun Simiao approached and lit the mugwort, thick smoke billowed out, and bees scattered in all directions.

Sun Simiao began harvesting honey and placing it in a cloth bag.

After adding enough honey, I started to collect the bees in another, rougher cloth bag.

The key is the queen bee; as long as the queen bee is present, the bees can survive.

It's pointless to capture a queen bee if you don't have one.

The group found a place to sit down and successfully enjoyed the honey.

The royal family has no shortage of honey, but honey freshly collected from outside is just different.

"Hehe~ It's so sweet~ So delicious~" The little princess took a bite with great satisfaction.

"Why does it taste better with this beeswax?" Cheng Tiehuan took a bite of a piece of honey.

Sugar is a luxury, so Cheng Yaojin's household must have been able to afford it.

“I think so too,” Princess Yuzhang nodded.

Third Sister looked at what she was holding and licked her fingers.

Can't waste it.

Third Sister had never eaten honey before, and when she tried it for the first time, she thought it was too sweet.

Even the best honey can become cloying after just a few bites.

It's too sweet.

Sun Simiao led the group to continue gathering herbs, without going near the stone wall.

The remaining bees over there were a bit irritable, and getting too close could easily result in stings, so we moved to another spot.

Li Wu and Cheng Tiehuan also obtained several wild rabbits and pheasants.

This is also delicious.

It's less common, not as good as venison.

Princess Yuzhang and Cheng Tiehuan were quite excited when they talked about the venison Xiao Ran had made, and they subconsciously swallowed.

I've eaten this in other places.

As they were talking, they spotted a deer in the distance.

Li Wu quickly drew his bow and shot an arrow.

It didn't hit a vital spot; it hit the hind leg.

It still hopped and skipped away.

But it can't run very far.

Li Wu and Cheng Tiehuan hesitated for a moment, wondering whether they should give chase.

The two of them couldn't stray too far from Li Lizhi and the others.

Xiao Ran picked up the compound bow. "They can't go far. I'll go check. We can have venison tonight!"

"Young master, be careful!" Li Lizhi warned.

"It's not a big problem, it's just nearby." This is the outer perimeter; we haven't gone any further inside.

Xiao Ran followed the school records all the way and realized that he had underestimated the deer's will to survive.

They walked further and further away, so they wouldn't get lost and could follow the trail of blood back.

But it is indeed quite far from here.

Going back now would definitely be unacceptable.

We can only keep going.

Xiao Ran was delighted to see a deer lying on a grassy field.

It must have bled too much and died completely.

Xiao Ran approached to pick it up when a black head suddenly peeked out from not far away.

Xiao Ran was startled and froze.

"Holy crap! The guy who stole the cassock!"

A black bear stood up and roared.

Xiao Ran originally wanted to slip away, but this guy was already running towards him.

You can't outrun a black bear on horseback here.

Xiao Ran was well aware of this.

Xiao Ran was not good at archery and had no confidence that he could kill the black bear with a composite bow from horseback.

Xiao Ran immediately dropped the compound bow in his hand, reached for his waist, and said, "I can only reason with you!"
Li Lizhi glanced in the direction Xiao Ran had left, "Why has the young master been gone for so long?"

"The deer shouldn't have gone far, and it shouldn't be dangerous outside." Li Wu can't go now either.

Li Wu had actually wanted to go with them for a long time, but protecting the princess was his responsibility.

You leave.

Cheng Tiehuan also felt that it had been too long, "I'll go take a look!"

"Girl, you stay here, this old man will go."

The mountains are quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the babbling of a stream in the distance.

Suddenly, two muffled yet violent explosions rang out in succession—"Bang!" "Bang!"

The sound was like two giant rocks crashing into still water, echoing through the valley in layers of reverberation, "Bang... Bang..."

The aftershocks rolled through the woods, startling the birds on the branches into a flurry of flight. The dark mass blocked out the sun, and even the wild deer foraging in the distance suddenly pricked up their ears and darted frantically into the depths of the dense forest.

Li Lizhi instinctively picked up the little princess, "What's that noise?"

Not only the three little girls, but everyone else was also frightened.

I've never heard anything like this before.

"Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, go back to the carriage and prepare to leave!" Sun Simiao said hurriedly.

Sun Simiao had no duty to protect the princesses, but he also did not want anything to happen to them.

I really like a few of the girls.

"Sir, the young master is still inside." Li Lizhi was extremely anxious.

"You all leave first, this old man will go and take a look."

Neither Princess Li Lizhi nor Li Wucheng Tiehuan, nor even Sun Simiao, wanted anything to happen to Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran is very kind to everyone around him.

"Fifth Sister, we can't help you, let's go out first!" Li Wu also advised. If Xiao Ran still didn't make a move after the princesses were safe, Li Wu would definitely come looking for them.

"Fifth Sister, go out first!" Cheng Tiehuan belatedly realized what was happening and felt a wave of fear.

He shouldn't have come. He enjoys hunting, but the princesses are of noble status, and he couldn't bear the responsibility if anything happened to them.

Not wanting to cause trouble for others, Li Lizhi returned to the carriage with her three young maids.

Sun Simiao followed the trail of blood and horse tracks all the way to Ma Tiyu.

Not long after, they heard some noise.

Sun Simiao hid behind a tree and secretly watched.

It's Xiao Ran!
Seeing that Xiao Ran was alright, Sun Simiao breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Ran carried the deer on his back; the horse was a large, black creature.

"Young master!" Sun Simiao's heart finally settled down.

"Grandpa, what brings you here!"

"Young master, do you know what that noise was?" Sun Simiao walked to Xiao Ran's side.

"I don't know!" Xiao Ran pointed to the side. "I was busy shooting black bears. I heard it, but I didn't pay attention."

Sun Simiao saw that the black bear had several arrows stuck in its body and was bleeding profusely from a wound on its neck.

It also has a peculiar smell when you get close, which is slightly pungent.

(End of this chapter)