Divorced woman with child travels through time

I had just finished lunch when I saw Liu Hai coming over with his two sons, carrying hoes and other tools.

"Uncle Liu, what's going on here?" Chen Wenfang asked.

"Your Aunt Liu said that you're just a woman, you definitely can't manage to cultivate the land all by yourself, so she asked me to come and help you till it. There are plenty of us, so it won't be a problem," Liu Hai said, and went straight to the field to start tilling the land. His two sons followed along.

"Thank you, Uncle Liu," Chen Wenfang was speechless with gratitude. With many hands making light work, the work was finished in no time. Liu Hai even helped plant soybeans, broad beans, and cabbage. Knowing that Chen Wenfang and her son were practically destitute, Liu Hai left after planting. Chen Wenfang didn't feel comfortable offering anything, as they truly had nothing to offer their guest.

The fields were finished, and the house was dilapidated with nothing to tidy up. Chen Wenfang took the child to dig kudzu roots. She hadn't even returned the hoe yet; she'd deal with that after digging the kudzu. "We're so poor! How are we going to make money?" Chen Wenfang's mind raced as she dug. What did people lack in ancient times? Clothes and medicine? She couldn't even think about clothes; she didn't know anything about them. Even if she could knit gloves and sweaters, she didn't know if there was any yarn available. The key was that she had no capital; those two small silver coins had to be saved for emergencies. That left only medicine. There was no Western medicine in ancient times. She'd heard that fever and colds could be fatal. In modern times, colds are usually treated with Western antibiotics combined with traditional Chinese medicine for inflammation. Western medicines like Gan Kang or Motrin contain compound acetaminophen and amantadine, mainly acetaminophen. Motrin contains ibuprofen. She knew this was impossible; she wasn't a chemistry student. Chen Wenfang shook her head.

What about traditional Chinese medicine for inflammation? Chen Wenfang thought again. Usually, doctors prescribe Pu Di Lan anti-inflammatory tablets and Huang Lian Shang Qing tablets. She also frequently drinks Ban Lan Gen granules or herbal tea Xia Sang Ju granules. She has these commonly used medicines at home. If Western medicine can't handle it, traditional Chinese medicine can. Chen Wenfang suddenly realized that ancient people weren't ravaged by antibiotics and didn't have as much drug resistance. Traditional Chinese medicine should be able to handle it. Pu Di Lan is dandelion, which we often see in TV commercials where a young woman picks a fluffy little ball from the ground, blows it, and little white parachutes float away.

Getting back to the point, Chen Wenfang had a deep impression of dandelions. She recognized the medicinal properties of the plant; the tender shoots could be blanched and eaten as a cold dish, but not in large quantities, as they are cooling in nature and can detoxify and reduce inflammation, effectively removing nodules. During the two years of divorce proceedings due to her ex-husband's infidelity, she experienced chest pain from excessive anger. Medication wasn't very effective, and she repeatedly checked for nodules. A netizen suggested drinking dandelion tea, which proved quite effective. Chen Wenfang also thought of Banlangen (Isatis root) and Xia Sang Ju (a traditional Chinese medicine formula combining Prunella vulgaris, mulberry leaves, and chrysanthemum).

Chen Wenfang had researched all the medications she was taking. As a stay-at-home mom, she was very knowledgeable about various common household medicines. The first thing she did upon receiving a medicine was to read the instructions before taking it. After all, going to the hospital was beyond the reach of a single mother like her. Even a minor cold could cost hundreds of yuan just from a doctor's visit and a prescription for a whole bunch of medicines. For someone earning several thousand yuan a month, that was really expensive. A cold could wipe out two days' wages, which was truly painful. Over time, whenever she got sick, Chen Wenfang would search for information online, using Zhihu and Baidu, learning little by little. She truly became an expert through experience. For illnesses that weren't particularly serious, she would buy medicine online herself. She believed that the cheaper the medicine, the less likely it was to be counterfeit. The internet was quite reliable in that respect.

Thinking of this, Chen Wenfang became happy; she had found a way to make money!

-----Dividing line-----

I'm being a bit long-winded...