Rebirth 1979: Hunting wild boars and saving educated youth

"Uncle Aping, do you think medicine can be grown on this mountain?"

Chen Feng's eyes swept across the rolling, weed-covered barren hills in front of him, his brows slightly furrowed, and his tone was filled with a hint of expectation and uncertainty.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Aping stopped and squinted his eyes to examine the surrounding environment.

He wore an old straw hat, a blue cloth shirt covered with patches, and a pair of shiny straw sandals. His outfit showed the simplicity and practicality of a barefoot doctor in the past.

Uncle Aping has practiced medicine in many villages such as Mashan Village, Lijia Village, and Chenjiagou Village for many years. He is familiar with the plants, insects, and fish in this land and is a "living pharmacopoeia" in the hearts of the villagers.

"Well, this mountain, it depends on how we take care of it."

Uncle Aping spoke slowly, "The soil is slightly acidic and well-drained, making it suitable for growing shade-loving medicinal herbs. However, it depends on the specific characteristics of the herbs; we can't generalize."

Chen Feng nodded, secretly glad that he had found the right person.

Ever since Teresa Teng contracted this vast barren mountain and handed it to him to manage in preparation for planting medicinal herbs, he realized that he needed a "brain trust" who not only understood traditional Chinese medicine but was also familiar with the local climate and soil, so he found A Pingbo.

The two continued walking along the rugged mountain road, chatting as they walked.

Uncle Aping would stop from time to time, use the small shovel in his hand to dig up the surface soil, carefully observe the color and texture of the soil, and occasionally pick up dead branches and leaves on the ground and put them to his nose to sniff.

"Look, the soil here is rich in humus and has good air permeability, which is beneficial to the growth of medicinal roots." A Pingbo said, pointing to a piece of soil.

Chen Feng listened carefully, nodding and taking notes from time to time. After a few days of investigation, they had a deeper understanding of this barren mountain.

Not only does this area have suitable soil conditions, but it also has a mild climate and distinct four seasons, making it an ideal place for growing medicinal herbs. With proper planning and scientific planting, it is indeed expected to become a "treasure trove" for medicinal herb cultivation in the future.

However, there are also many problems.

Funding was a problem. Although the Phnom Penh winery was doing well, the capital required to build a Chinese herbal medicine cultivation base was not a small sum, which put Chen Feng under great pressure.

Of course, this is not the most difficult part. The key lies in what kind of medicine to invest in. This investment decision needs to be made well!

"Choosing the right medicinal plant to grow is a big question," said A Pingbo. "First, you need to understand the medicinal plant's properties. Second, you need to master its planting and breeding methods. Otherwise, your investment will be wasted."

Chen Feng nodded after hearing this. This was also the issue he was worried about. The cultivation and breeding of Chinese medicinal materials was by no means an easy task. If one was not careful, all the efforts would be wasted.

After much thought, he decided to start from the treasure mountain he was familiar with. It was his treasure land for hunting and digging for herbs, and many precious medicinal materials came from there.

"There are many medicinal herbs on Baoshan Mountain, but I only know a few of them," Chen Feng frankly admitted his confusion, "not to mention their characteristics and cultivation methods."

After hearing this, Uncle Ping smiled slightly and said, "It's not difficult. We can start with the herbs you know and work our way through step by step. As for their properties and planting methods, I can teach you, or you can refer to some old medical books. Remember, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Everything must be done step by step."

Chen Feng was grateful when he heard this and said with a smile, "Uncle A Ping, I was right to invite you out this time!"

Ever since he took over the contract for the barren mountain from Teresa Teng, he began to think about how to turn this barren mountain into a treasure trove of medicinal herbs.

Although he had some experience from his past life, if he really wanted to grow medicinal herbs on a large scale, he still needed to find an expert to serve as a consultant. So, he first thought of Director Sun of the Red Star Pharmacy.

That day, Chen Feng found Director Sun and told him everything about his plan.

After hearing this, Director Sun took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and said with a smile, "Chen Feng, I'm a Chinese medicine practitioner. I'm good at curing illnesses and saving lives, but as for this kind of medicinal herbs, I can recognize a few, but when it comes to how to grow them, I really don't understand."

Chen Feng felt a little disappointed when he heard this, but Director Sun's next words rekindled his hope. "But don't worry, I have someone to recommend to you. He's Uncle A Ping, known as the 'Living Pharmacopoeia.' Uncle A Ping used to be a barefoot doctor in our area. Later, he worked at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and has a knack for growing medicinal herbs. You can't go wrong by inviting him out of retirement!"

Chen Feng wrote down A Pingbo's name and visited him with gifts the next day.

Uncle Aping is indeed worthy of his reputation. Not only is he well-versed in medicinal herbs, he can also make a thorough analysis of the soil, climate and other conditions of this barren mountain.

Under the guidance of Apingbo, Chen Feng became more and more confident in growing medicinal herbs.

Now, watching Uncle Aping busy on the barren mountain, Chen Feng couldn't help but sigh: "Uncle Aping, you are truly a living pharmacopoeia, a breathing Compendium of Materia Medica!"

Uncle Aping laughed heartily and waved his hands repeatedly, "Not worthy of it, not worthy of it. I've just been practicing medicine in this area for a long time and have accumulated some experience. Besides, when I worked at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, I also read a few crooked books. I don't have any special skills at all."

Chen Feng chuckled, "I don't care if you're being modest. You can't run away as my consultant. I'll find you a place to live in Mashan Village and let you move in. You can move in right away!"

Uncle Aping smiled and suddenly changed the subject: "Director Sun has also told me that I can definitely help young people like you. However, I alone am not enough."

Chen Feng was stunned and asked quickly: "What do you mean?"

Uncle A Ping explained, "Growing medicinal herbs isn't as simple as just planting them. Traditional Chinese medicine is grown to treat illnesses. You need to know what the medicinal properties are, what prescriptions they can be used in, how much to plant, and what products you want to make from these herbs in the future. You need someone who truly understands Chinese medicine to advise you. My medical skills are far from enough in this regard."

Chen Feng nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and understood a little bit.

He originally wanted to find Director Sun. In fact, he had this idea. After all, Director Sun's medical skills are obvious to all. Even old leaders come to him for treatment.

Uncle A Ping seemed to see through his thoughts: "Director Sun is of course no problem, but he is not from your factory after all. Can he stay in your factory forever?"

Chen Feng said thoughtfully, "Ah Pingbo, are you talking about the kind of elders who can rule a sect, the sweeping monks of Shaolin Temple?"

Uncle Ping laughed heartily. "That's right! That's exactly what I mean. You need a master who can both control the situation and truly understand medical skills."

It’s not easy to find such a person!

Of course Chen Feng understood how important it was to have such a master of traditional Chinese medicine in charge.

However, in this day and age, there is a strict restriction on talents. How is it possible to recruit a master of traditional Chinese medicine to work in a private enterprise for a long time?

Thinking of this, Chen Feng couldn't help but feel a little worried.

But after thinking about it, he laughed: "Uncle Aping, if you say so, do you already have a suitable candidate to recommend to me?"