Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 570: Chapter 570: Old Man

Zhang Yarong stared daggers at Li Xu, his chest heaving. He was clearly wrestling with a difficult decision.

Finally, he gritted his teeth.

"I’ll have someone wire you the money."

The words were practically squeezed through his clenched teeth.

After the transaction was complete, Zhang Yarong clutched the packet of powder, worth nine million, feeling the sting in his wallet.

Before leaving, he shot Li Xu a vicious glare and delivered a parting shot. "Dr. Li, business is business, and work is work. This behavior of yours, jacking up the price on the spot, is a great disappointment to me. As for you joining Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory... I think there’s no need for us to cooperate any further."

With that, he stomped off in a huff.

Li Xu watched his retreating back and shrugged.

’Good riddance.’

...

「Feng City Suburbs, Hot Spring Mountain.」

This place had once been a barren, untamed wilderness.

But ever since the Ding Group had transferred it to Li Xu, it had been meticulously cultivated and transformed into a vibrant mountain of medicinal herbs.

The slopes were covered with all sorts of Chinese medicinal herbs.

At the foot of the mountain, beside a uniquely blessed hot spring wetland, was a core area carefully protected by a fence.

This was where Li Xu’s most prized treasure grew—a special variety of rice.

Thanks to the area’s unique geothermal environment and mineral-rich soil, the rice grown here possessed a singular medicinal value, capable of curing stubborn anorexia.

It was now midsummer. The rice plants had already tasseled and their grains were filling out. The heavy panicles swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a unique, clean fragrance.

A gray-haired old man in simple, even somewhat tattered clothes, was walking past the foot of Hot Spring Mountain with a patched canvas bag on his back.

The old man looked to be in his sixties or seventies, but he was hale and hearty. His body was in good shape, and he walked with a brisk, vigorous stride.

Suddenly, the old man stopped in his tracks.

His nose twitched a few times like a hound’s, a look of surprise on his face.

"This scent..."

The old man muttered to himself and, following the faint, elusive medicinal aroma, turned onto the small path leading to Hot Spring Mountain.

Entering the mountain, he saw the flourishing Huang Jing, Bletilla, and Paris, but he merely gave a slight nod, not paying them much mind.

Although these herbs were of good quality, worthy of being called top-grade...

...to an "old wild man" like him, who had seen countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures, they were nothing special and not worth stopping for.

However, when he reached the edge of the rice paddy, he found himself completely rooted to the spot.

He crouched down, leaned close to the verdant green rice leaves, and took a deep breath.

The clean fragrance, tinged with a hint of sweetness, seemed to permeate his very core, making his mouth water and his appetite stir.

"What a treasure. A true treasure."

The old man’s eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new continent.

He couldn’t resist reaching out with his calloused hand. He gently stripped a few unripe, green grains from a panicle, husked them, and popped them directly into his mouth to chew slowly.

A unique flavor exploded in his mouth.

The rice variety was Daohuaxiang, also known as Wuchang rice.

Its flavor was, of course, exceptional.

But the old man could taste medicinal properties that an ordinary person would never notice.

"This is... a divine object for invigorating the spleen and stimulating the appetite." The old man’s face was flushed with excitement. "I never thought I’d find a variant of the long-extinct ’aromatic rice’ in a place like this."

Just then, a loud shout rang out.

"What are you doing? Stop!"

Wang the Third, who was patrolling the mountain nearby, was scared out of his wits when he saw someone messing with the precious rice paddy.

He patrolled here twice a day, guarding against wild boars and birds, terrified that the priceless treasures on the mountain would suffer the slightest damage.

This was Doctor Li’s lifeline, the one thing he had repeatedly warned him to protect.

Wang the Third raised the sickle in his hand and charged over menacingly. "You old coot, you dare steal our rice?"

The old man was startled. He quickly stood up and waved his hands, explaining, "Don’t misunderstand, friend, don’t misunderstand! I’m not here to steal anything."

"I was just... passing by. The rice smelled so fragrant, I couldn’t help but take a look."

Wang the Third eyed him suspiciously. "Passing by? Where could you be passing by to in this barren wilderness? And if you were just looking, why did you pick it?"

The old man didn’t get angry. Instead, he asked eagerly, "Friend, this rice paddy... did you plant it?"

Wang the Third puffed out his chest. "Of course I planted it. What about it?"

"Is it for sale?" the old man asked, pointing at the paddy. "I want to buy it. Any price is fine. Or you could just give me a few seeds."

"Not for sale. Not for any price."

Wang the Third refused flatly. "I may have planted them, but I’m not their owner. Besides, this rice isn’t for eating. It’s medicine."

"Medicine?"

Hearing that word, the light in the old man’s eyes grew even brighter.

’An ordinary farmer would just think of this as delicious rice.’

’But for this man to identify it as ’medicine’ right away means the owner knows what they’re doing.’

"Friend, who is the owner of this rice?"

The old man asked curiously, "Could you introduce me? I’d like to meet him."

Wang the Third looked the old man up and down.

Although he looked shabby, his calm and unhurried demeanor made him feel this old man was no simple character.

He thought for a moment, then took out his phone and called Li Xu.

"Doctor Li, there’s a strange old man hanging around our rice paddy. He’s insisting on buying the rice and says he wants to meet you."

Upon hearing this, a thought struck Li Xu.

The rice at Hot Spring Mountain was growing vigorously, but on the outside, it looked no different from ordinary rice.

Most people who saw it would, at most, praise it as a "fine crop." They would never think of it as medicinal, much less recognize its special value.

Even some veteran practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine might not be able to tell the difference without tasting or using it themselves.

’But this old man who appeared out of nowhere knows?’

’And he recognized its value at a single glance?’

’Could it be...’

The ’wild man’ Elder Li had mentioned instantly popped into Li Xu’s mind.

"Have him wait. I’m on my way."

Li Xu said urgently.

...

「Twenty minutes later.」

Li Xu took a taxi to Hot Spring Mountain.

From a distance, he could see an old man standing by the rice paddy.

The old man was wearing a faded blue Zhongshan suit, his pant legs rolled up, and a pair of mud-caked Jiefang shoes on his feet.

His skin was dark and rough like old tree bark, etched with the marks of wind and frost.

Although he looked quite old and his back was slightly stooped, he stood there like a sturdy old pine, brimming with Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

"Hello, senior."

Li Xu walked up quickly and greeted him politely.

The old man turned and swept his gaze over Li Xu.

Suddenly, his nose twitched sharply a few times, and an expression of utter astonishment appeared on his face.

"You..."

The old man pointed at Li Xu, his voice trembling with excitement. "Where did you get top-grade Dragon’s Saliva Fragrance?"

Li Xu was taken aback. He had just sold the Dragon’s Saliva Fragrance to Zhang Yarong, and the scent had indeed clung to him.

But it should have mostly dissipated on his way here.

’He can even smell that?’

Before he could answer, the old man took another step closer, inhaled deeply, and muttered to himself:

"No... it’s not just Dragon’s Saliva Fragrance. There’s also... rosewood... top-grade, too. The scent is so pure! And... is that Dragon Bone? And not just any, but Five-Floral Dragon Bone that’s been buried for ten thousand years? And... the scent of seahorse and Pearl..."

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