Gu Xiaomai glanced at the four people standing in front of Tent 5 waiting for her.
“Teach them what angelica and codonopsis plants look like.”
“You’re saying those are really medicinal herbs?”
Gu Xiaomai nodded. “Of course.”
Mi Tang, who had been listening to their conversation, walked over. “Can I listen too?”
Gu Xiaomai smiled at him. “Those four already paid me. What can Captain Mi offer?”
“What do you need? As long as it’s not too difficult, I can help you get it.”
“Can you get me a clay pot?”
“A clay pot? You mean a cooking pot?” Mi Tang asked with curiosity.
He had seen the large metal pots in the camp kitchen, but he had never heard of a clay pot.
“It can be used for cooking, or for boiling medicine. It’s made of clay or ceramic.”
Mi Tang shook his head. “That I can’t get. I can get metal pots.”
Gu Xiaomai thought for a moment. “That works too, but it has to be made according to my specifications.”
After some discussion, Gu Xiaomai got the pot she wanted, and Mi Tang got the opportunity to recognize three medicinal herbs. Both sides were satisfied.
When Gu Xiaomai returned to the area in front of Tent 5 where angelica, codonopsis, and astragalus were laid out to dry, she was followed by Mi Tang, Jiang Chen’an, and Yumi—three people who had come to “audit the class.”
Jiang Chen’an and Yumi simply thought it was good to learn more things, and since even Mi Tang was listening, they naturally had to join in.
Gu Xiaomai picked out angelica and codonopsis and began teaching them with the plants:
“This one is angelica. Its leaves are alternate, with two to three layers of odd-pinnate compound leaves.”
“What does ‘alternate’ mean? And what is a two-to-three-layer odd-pinnate compound leaf?” Jiang Chen’an asked.
Gu Xiaomai pointed at the joints where the leaf stems attached to the main axis.
“Alternate means each leaf grows at a different node like this.”
Then she pointed to a large leaf.
“Two-to-three-layer odd-pinnate compound means the leaf stalk branches two or three times, and each branch has small leaflets. The total number of leaflets is odd.”
After explaining, she handed the full plant around for everyone to observe.
Once they had roughly memorized it, she moved on to codonopsis.
“The leaves of codonopsis are ovate or narrowly ovate. The edges have wavy serrations that aren’t sharp. The upper side is green, the underside is gray-green. Sometimes there are long, flattened stiff hairs or soft hairs, sometimes none. Unlike angelica, which grows upright, codonopsis grows by twining.”
After they had absorbed it, she picked up the roots again.
“Both roots are thick and fleshy. The difference is that angelica has a distinct aroma and can nourish blood.”
She handed the angelica root over. “You can smell it.”
“There really is a smell!” Wei Xiaoqin said excitedly after sniffing it.
After everyone had tried it, she pointed to codonopsis.
“The codonopsis root is spindle-shaped and cylindrical. The swollen top part has many wart-like protrusions from stem scars or buds. This is also called a ‘lion head.’ As for astragalus, I’ll explain it next time after we collect its leaves on the mountain.”
“The medicinal effects of these three herbs are stronger in their roots than in their stems and leaves.”
“Codonopsis helps tonify the middle and boost qi, strengthens the spleen and lungs, and promotes fluid production. Astragalus has similar effects but also promotes urination, reduces swelling, detoxifies and promotes tissue regeneration. Angelica nourishes blood, regulates menstruation, relieves pain, and moistens the intestines. These are their main functions…”
As she spoke, she realized the seven listeners looked completely lost, as if they were hearing a foreign language.
After a pause, she translated everything into simpler terms and repeated it.
When she finished, the group began memorizing the samples carefully, not daring to miss a single detail.
Meanwhile, Gu Xiaomai used a clean bag as a small container and rinsed the herbs again with drinking water.
In the afternoon, work continued until evening.
When Mi Tang called for rest, Yumi immediately put away his plow and called Jiang Chen’an and Gu Xiaomai.
“Let’s go! I just saw Old Master Xia already went back with his tools.”
“Coming, coming,” Gu Xiaomai replied.
Curious, she also wanted to see how people here actually ate purified plants.
After storing their tools, Yumi ran over to Old Master Xia.
“Need any help?”
Jiang Chen’an and Gu Xiaomai followed.
Some of the foraging team members—especially those who had grown up on nutrient solutions and had never eaten purified plants—watched from a distance, trying to learn.
“Help me move things,” Xia Yang said.
Yumi went into Tent 3 with him and carried out drinking water, purified plants, a small copper pot, and other supplies.
Xia Yang first built a simple tripod from three thick branches, then washed the purified plants with drinking water. He saved the used water in a bottle.
He shredded the cleaned plants, added a small amount of drinking water into the copper pot, tied it to the tripod, and started boiling it.
Watching this extremely rough cooking method, Gu Xiaomai could already imagine how terrible the soup would taste once it was done.
But for someone who didn’t know how to cook, this was indeed the simplest way.
She now had a clearer understanding of the cooking level here—and felt a bit more confident about surviving.
When Xia Yang added salt and prepared to serve the soup, Jiang Chen’an and Yumi both looked discouraged.
“Chen-ge, what do we do?” Yumi said sadly. “Should we ask Mi Tang if they still accept our plants?”
Jiang Chen’an frowned. He didn’t want to.
He looked at the dried roots beside Gu Xiaomai and asked, “Xiaomai, do you think we can dry our purified plants like those roots and store them first?”
Gu Xiaomai nodded. “Of course. When you want to eat them, just boil them like Old Master Xia does.”
After a pause, she added, “Once Mi Tang finishes making my pot, you can borrow it.”
Yumi and Jiang Chen’an were happy—but still refused.
Because what they lacked wasn’t just a pot… but salt.
Time passed day by day. Each team cleared new farmland, some up to an acre and a half. All the leftover corn seeds were used up.
Gu Xiaomai’s angelica, codonopsis, and astragalus were all dried and stored. The purified plants belonging to Jiang Chen’an and Yumi were also dried and kept.
After confirming that all animals had left Mount 1, E4 Camp’s logistics team—led by Jiao Yang—organized another expedition to search for purified plants.