Tang Yunshu bent down, picked up a stone from the ground, and quietly crept toward the source of the sound.
Her brothers, worried about her, also followed silently behind. Peeking through some branches, Tang Yunshu saw that it was a wild rabbit.
Her hands reacted faster than her brain. Swish! The stone flew and hit the rabbit’s head with pinpoint accuracy.
The rabbit wobbled, took a few steps, and then collapsed. Tang Yunshu hurriedly said,
“Second Brother, go pick it up! We’ll have rabbit meat tonight!”
Tang Dazhuang ran quickly, grabbed the rabbit, and said admiringly,
“Little sister, you’re amazing! You can knock a rabbit out with just a stone. Teach me how to do that!”
“Second Brother, the rabbit isn’t dead—it’s just stunned. Find some grass rope and tie it up. Otherwise, it’ll wake up and run away, and it’ll all be for nothing.”
The other brothers crowded around, all saying,
“Little sister, teach us too!”
“Alright, I’ll teach all of you.”
Tang Dashan came over, smiling,
“Daughter, Dad wants to learn too.”
Tang Yunshu replied,
“Dad, I’ll teach you, but only when we have free time. We’ve been walking all morning, and we only just found one rabbit. If we go deeper into the mountains, we’ll find more valuable things.”
“Daughter, don’t go too deep. Your mother specifically warned you before you left.”
“I know, Dad. I was just thinking about it,” she said with a smile.
After eating some steamed buns and taking a short break, they continued searching for herbs.
Before long, they found more licorice and wild ginger, though no other types of herbs appeared.
By evening, they carried baskets back home, with Tang Yunshu’s hands empty. Still, today’s harvest had been quite good.
Back at home, Tang Yunshu collapsed onto a bench, exhausted.
“Brothers, these herbs need to be washed and dried,” she said.
“Alright, little sister. You just direct us—we’ll do the work,” the eldest replied.
Tang Dashan slaughtered the rabbit and skinned it, while Zhao Yunzhi carried it to the kitchen to cook.
Tang Yunshu dragged herself to her room and flopped on the kang bed, too tired to move.
Sigh! “This body of the original owner is so weak… When will it be as strong as in my previous life? Looks like I have a long way to go with physical training. If I go up the mountains every day, in a month my body should be much stronger. Starting tomorrow, I’ll get up in the morning to run.”
Dinner was rabbit stew with potatoes. Potatoes existed in this era, though smaller than modern ones, and most had already been eaten for the season.
Green vegetables were scarce this time of year; every household had to gather wild vegetables from the mountains. The vegetables in their garden had just been planted and weren’t ready to eat.
All the vegetables on the table came from Tang Yunshu’s space.
With so many mouths to feed, one rabbit wasn’t enough, so she added extra potatoes.
The main dishes included both white rice and coarse rice. Tang Yunshu ate pure white rice, while others ate a mixture of white and coarse rice.
Even so, everyone ate heartily. Seeing her family enjoy the meal boosted Tang Yunshu’s appetite. She ate several more bowls than before, now finishing a full bowl each meal.
With mountain work and morning running, her exercise increased and she burned more energy, naturally eating more.
After the meal, the family gathered their tools and baskets and went back to the mountains. They chose a different route from yesterday.
Morning sunlight filtered through the forest, casting golden patches on the ground, with dew still clinging to the leaves.
Birds chirped joyfully, and Tang Yunshu loved being immersed in nature—it made her feel completely relaxed.
Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, painting the mountainside in shades of yellow, white, and red. Tang Yunshu especially enjoyed the scenery. Breathing the fresh air and admiring the flowers, she felt as if she were in a natural oxygen bar, her mood soaring.
Walking along, Tang Yunshu suddenly stopped, squatted, and pointed at a plant.
“Dad, brothers, come quickly!”
The plant was short, with long oval-shaped leaves, bright green, and slightly wavy edges.
Tang Yunshu explained,
“This is Banlangen (Isatis root). Its roots are the key part for medicine. It clears heat and detoxifies, cools the blood, and benefits the throat. Be careful when digging, and try to keep the roots intact—don’t damage the fine roots.”
She was about to start digging when the eldest rushed forward.
“Little sister, I’ll dig it!”
Nearby, the others continued searching and found several more Banlangen plants, as well as more licorice. After digging, they moved forward.
On a shaded slope, Tang Yunshu discovered Bupleurum. Its stems were upright, with many branches at the top, and the leaves were narrow and lance-shaped.
She explained carefully,
“Bupleurum is a very useful herb. Its roots harmonize the interior and exterior and soothe the liver and raise yang. When digging, follow the root’s natural direction—don’t break it.”
(Author’s note: all descriptions of herbs and effects were researched online.)
This time, the youngest brother dug the roots.
Not far away, a cluster of Polygonatum (Yu Zhu) caught their eyes.
Its stems were slender, leaves alternately arranged, oval-shaped, with a gentle color.
Tang Yunshu pointed it out and explained,
“This is Yu Zhu. Its rhizomes are medicinal and can nourish yin, moisten dryness, and quench thirst.”
She carefully searched for the rhizome and gently dug it up, placing the smooth, jade-like segments into the basket.
The family continued searching. The more herbs they recognized, the more they dug immediately.
Later, near a patch of grass, Tang Yunshu found Red Peony (Chishao). Its clustered stems bore feather-shaped leaves with fine serrated edges. The flowers were bright red, as if on fire.
Tang Yunshu taught the family,
“This is Red Peony. We use the root for medicine—it clears heat, cools the blood, and relieves pain.”
They dug until noon, when they ate some flatbreads and drank water.
In the afternoon, Tang Yunshu found Plantain (Cheqian Cao), Artemisia capillaris (Yin Chen), and other herbs, teaching everyone to recognize them.
In this way, they spent several consecutive days gathering herbs.
Tang Yunshu told Tang Dashan,
“Dad, you, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Brother go gather herbs. Let Third Brother stay home and help me process them. Herbs only gain value after processing.”
The youngest brother pouted,
“Little sister, are you favoring Third Brother and ignoring me? I want to help too!”
Third Brother was pleased, thinking Little Sister liked him best.
Tang Yunshu thought quickly and explained,
“That’s not true, youngest brother. You’re all my good brothers. It’s just that you’re younger and not as strong. Third Brother has more strength, and processing herbs—cutting them into slices—is hard work. He’s better suited for it.”