Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 48

Although we didn't find any wild ginseng this time, we had a good harvest of Ganoderma lucidum, Polygonum multiflorum, and tea tree mushrooms.

Especially those four pieces of oak, their quality is far superior to the last one.

According to the old shopkeeper of the county pharmacy, a palm-sized piece of whole Ganoderma lucidum can be sold for at least two pieces.

The four pieces together cost about ten yuan.

With the addition of Polygonum multiflorum and tea tree mushrooms, the income from this trip into the mountains is equivalent to the earnings from several fishing trips to Baiyang Lake.

When he got home, he laid out the mountain produce one by one on the stone platform.

Chen Rong squatted down beside him and helped him sort the mushrooms, picking out the tenderest ones to fry with eggs that night.

The rest were strung together with thin hemp rope and hung to dry in a well-ventilated place.

Wash the He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) with clean water to remove the mud, and hang it on the roof beam of the kitchen to dry in the shade.

Use a soft brush to gently remove surface dust from four pieces of oak bark, arrange them on a bamboo sieve, and let them air dry in a cool, ventilated place.

Do not expose yourself to direct sunlight.

Exposing the product to direct sunlight can destroy the active ingredients in the spore powder.

Zhang Cuihua peeked out of the kitchen and looked at the things on the stone platform.

I mentioned stir-fried tea tree mushrooms with eggs, saying I'd add a dish for dinner.

Chen Feng squatted down beside him and reached out to touch a piece of oak, but Chen Rong slapped his hand and he quickly pulled it back.

During dinner that evening, Chen Laosan, unusually, took the initiative to ask about the loan application.

Chen Zheng briefly explained the contents of the application. After listening, Chen Laosan remained silent for a long time, holding his bowl.

In the end, all I said was that the interest rate was low, the repayment period was long, and it was a good deal.

The tone was calm, but in this family, it carried immense weight as a form of recognition.

The following day, Chen Zheng prepared the loan application and breeding plan, and obtained a letter of recommendation from the village committee.

They were all handed over to the county agricultural bureau.

Director Fang flipped through the breeding plan and looked at it for a long time.

He's not the type to praise people to their face.

But when he put down the materials, he tapped his fingers twice on the paper.

He said it was well-organized and based on solid data.

Coming these words to Director Fang is already a very high compliment.

I will submit the application materials as soon as possible.

Deputy County Head Xu has already given instructions that your application materials will be given priority in the approval process.

If all goes well, it should be approved by the end of the month.

Chen Zheng thanked them, left the Agriculture Bureau, and went to the county hospital.

Zhang Cuihua had been taking Chinese medicine for her stomach ailment for more than two months, and the batch of medicine she had just gotten last time was already finished.

Chen Zheng came to the county this time to see the old Chinese medicine doctor again.

The elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctor, surnamed Wei, was the director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at the county hospital. He was over sixty years old and wore a pair of round-framed reading glasses.

He recognized Chen Zheng; the last time Chen Zheng brought Zhang Cuihua to see the doctor, it was Dr. Wei who prescribed the medicine.

That time, Zhang Cuihua was dragged there by Chen Zheng. Her face was sallow, she was so thin that her cheekbones were high, and she spoke weakly.

When he sticks out his tongue, the coating is thick and white, and his pulse is weak and thready, which is a typical sign of spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, and deficiency of both qi and blood.

When Zhang Cuihua entered the room this time, Old Doctor Wei was stunned for a moment.

Her complexion was much rosier than last time, her eyes were brighter, and her voice was stronger.

The old Chinese medicine doctor, Mr. Wei, asked her to sit down, took her pulse, and examined her tongue. His brows gradually relaxed.

"Does your stomach still hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore. It's just that I sometimes feel a little bloated after eating too much," Zhang Cuihua said.

"What about acid reflux?"

"It's gone. The side effects stopped after taking the medicine for half a month last time."

The old Chinese medicine doctor, Wei, nodded, took her pulse for a while, then put her hand down and let her lean back in her chair.

Taking off her reading glasses, she said, "I'm recovering well. My spleen and stomach functions are basically normal now, and my qi and blood are much better than last time."

He picked up a brush, wrote down several ingredients on the prescription, and handed it to Chen Zheng.

"Take another course of treatment to consolidate the results. After completing this course, you won't need to take any more medication."

Chen Zheng took the prescription, and the weight that had been pressing on his heart for more than half a year finally lifted.

His mother's stomach problems in her past life turned into a serious illness, so he has never dared to be careless in this life.

I took Chinese medicine for about a month and also paid attention to adjusting my diet.

Zhang Cuihua's health improved day by day, and she smiled more often than before.

"Dr. Wei, thank you." Chen Zheng folded the prescription and put it in his pocket.

Old Chinese medicine doctor Wei waved his hand: "No need to thank me."

This illness can be cured half by medication and half by the care of your family.

Stomach problems require a combination of treatment and proper care; treatment accounts for only 30% of the solution.

Your mother is at an age where she needs to pay more attention to her diet.

Don't eat cold food, don't eat hard food, don't go hungry, and don't overeat, then it won't happen again.

Chen Zheng kept these words in mind, thanked her, and helped Zhang Cuihua out of the consultation room.

The two went to the pharmacy to get their medicine. Zhang Cuihua walked beside him, her steps much lighter than before.

She touched her face and suddenly said, "Zhengwa, do you think Mommy has gained weight?"

"I've gained weight. My face is fuller, it looks better," Chen Zheng said.

Zhang Cuihua smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling together.

She reached out and straightened Chen Zheng's collar, saying, "It's all your fault, making Mom take medicine every day."

It contained both Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus membranaceus; how much did it cost?

"Mother's health is precious."

"Mom, now that you're better, the family's pillar of support is restored. It's all worth the money."

Zhang Cuihua didn't say anything more, but her steps became lighter as she walked.

After getting the medicine, the two walked back.

As she passed the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhang Cuihua suddenly stopped and looked at the fabrics on the shelves.

She reached out and touched a piece of blue cotton cloth with white flowers, then withdrew her hand.

Looking at his fingers, he was probably afraid that the calluses on his hands would snag the fabric.

"Mother, do you want to have clothes made?" Chen Zheng asked.

"It's not for me."

Zhang Cuihua shook her head. "Your two younger brothers, Rongzi and Fengzi, will be starting school in a few days."

The junior high school in town is 15 miles from home, so I have to live on campus.

I want to make each of them a new set of clothes and a new quilt.

"Sitting in the dorms, I can't let people laugh at me."

Chen Zheng did some mental calculations.

Chen Rong and Chen Feng are both of middle school age.

There is no junior high school in Lutang Village; students have to go to town to attend school.

The junior high school in town is a boarding school, with more than a dozen people sleeping in one large dormitory room. Students bring their own bedding and dry food.

Several children from the village attend school there. Although the conditions are tough, it's at least a proper school.

But Chen Zheng's thoughts went beyond just the town.

"Mom, I want Rongzi and Fengzi to go to junior high school in the county."

Zhang Cuihua was taken aback: "The county? How much would that cost?"

"The county's No. 1 Middle School has a junior high school section, and its teaching quality is much better than that of the town's school."

Rongzi is smart, but he was delayed in attending junior high school in town.

Although Fengzi is mischievous, he is smart and can learn well if someone keeps an eye on him.

Jiawang is currently auditing classes at the county's No. 1 Middle School. He told me that the junior high school also accepts students from other schools.

As long as your grades are above the passing grade, you only need to pay a boarding fee.

How much is the boarding fee?

"It's 20 yuan per person per semester. It's 40 yuan for two people," Chen Zheng said.

Zhang Cuihua remained silent for a while.

Forty yuan was not a small sum in the rural areas of 1984.

But she remembered Chen Rong squatting in the yard sharpening bamboo poles, and Chen Feng's furrowed brows as he did his homework at the table.

His lips moved slightly, and he said, "I'll talk to your father."

"Dad will definitely agree."

He himself had little formal education, and his biggest fear was that his children would suffer from the disadvantages of being uneducated, just like him.

Chen Zheng took the fabric off the shelf and handed it to the sales clerk.

"Comrade, tear six feet of this blue brocade cloth. Tear six feet of that gray cloth as well."