The Blessed Farm Girl Has a Spatial Storage
Chapter 31: Listening to Grandfather Talk about Medicine

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Listening to Grandfather Talk about Medicine

Being praised by all her little cousins, Zhao Zhitong felt a bit embarrassed. "Haha, no, no, I’m not that amazing. I just happen to know these few herbs."

Zhao Zhitong was not lying. The ones they showed her were indeed very common plants in their area.

These days, whenever Zhao Zhitong had free time, she would go to the wild fields to look for herbs. Thus, she had happened to see these few by the roadside. Comparing them with her books and Grandpa Bai’s hints, she had learned their names and functions, and then memorized them.

Still, for this to happen to a four-and-a-half-year-old child was surprising enough.

Sun Kang, standing not far away, felt the same.

Talent. He saw the talent for studying medicine in his four-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter. For a moment, his emotions were mixed and intertwined. He felt both surprised and amazed, feelings that slowly turned into regret and pity. Family inheritance had always passed from father to son, not to daughters. Moreover, medicine emphasized Inspection, Auscultation, Inquiry, and Palpation. For a woman to be involved with all sorts of patients would inevitably lead to contact with men. This would undoubtedly cause gossip, which would be terrible for a woman’s reputation. He couldn’t bear the thought of his beloved granddaughter becoming the subject of such talk in the future. And yet, it wasn’t easy for a child with such talent to emerge in the family. For a moment, Sun Kang was caught in a dilemma.

Just then, the children’s shouts brought him back to his senses.

"Grandfather, come and see! Our little cousin is so smart! She knows so many herbs."

Sun Daqing, her second older cousin, turned, saw his grandfather behind him, and jogged over. He eagerly tried to pull Sun Kang to watch Zhao Zhitong’s herb identification "performance."

Sun Kang composed himself and stepped into the circle of little children.

Seeing her maternal grandfather arrive, Zhao Zhitong called out sweetly, "Grandpa, you have so many herbs in your house! I can’t even look at them all. There are so many I’ve never seen before!"

Sun Kang laughed heartily. "Of course. Since I am a physician, my house naturally has the most herbs."

Zhao Zhitong looked at her kind-faced grandfather, her eyes sparkling. "My mother said doctors are angels in white who save lives and heal the wounded. Grandpa, you’re an angel in white!"

These were words Sun Mei had spoken at home, tears in her eyes, while watching news about the pandemic.

At that time, Zhao Zhitong was just over three years old and didn’t understand what the pandemic or doctors were. Seeing her mother cry, she had tried to comfort her in her baby voice.

However, this little girl had remembered Sun Mei’s words. Later, as she gradually grew more sensible, she came to understand that being a doctor was a noble profession.

Sun Kang and the little ones were all puzzled. They asked, "Angel in white? What’s that?"

Fortunately, Grandpa Bai in the space reminded Zhao Zhitong that she had misspoken.

She blinked and explained, "It means... it means people who are very pure, clean, and kind!"

Sun Kang was amused by Zhao Zhitong’s sweet words and laughed heartily. "Hahaha, you and your charming little words!"

He then asked, "Tongtong, how did you recognize these herbs?"

Fearing Zhao Zhitong might let the cat out of the bag, Grandpa Bai quickly spoke up from the space, "Young girl, just say you saw them by the roadside and asked your mother about them."

Zhao Zhitong felt that lying was wrong, but Grandpa Bai had also said that if others found out about him and the space, she and her mother and father would be in danger.

So, she relayed the story just as Grandpa Bai had instructed.

The Sun Family had practiced medicine for generations, and Sun Mei had absorbed much knowledge from childhood. Recognizing a few herbs was not unusual for her, so Sun Kang nodded, not suspecting a thing.

At this moment, Zhao Zhitong voiced the question that had been lingering in her mind, "Grandpa, there are so many herbs here that have cooling and detoxifying properties. Tongtong is confused. If I get a fever, which one should I use?"

Sun Kang thought that although he couldn’t pass on his skills to her, she was so clever and eager to learn that he might as well teach her a bit more.

So he brought over a chair, sat under the large tree in the courtyard, took out the pipe tobacco from his waist pouch, and slowly began, "These herbs, though primarily for cooling and detoxifying, have subtle differences. For example, take one-point red and Four Seasons Green."

"While both can cool and detoxify, one-point red also has anti-inflammatory and diuretic effects, and it affects the Lung, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians. Four Seasons Green, on the other hand, also reduces swelling and eliminates blood stasis, affecting the Lung, Large Intestine, and Bladder meridians."

"Two herbs with similar effects can be used in different dosages for varied results. However, some herbs cannot be mixed haphazardly, which involves the Eighteen Incompatibilities and Eighteen Antagonisms..."

Once Sun Kang started talking about his area of expertise, he found it hard to stop. Zhao Zhitong listened attentively and occasionally asked pertinent questions, making him even more engrossed in his explanations.

He started with pharmacological properties, moved on to meridian tropism, then discussed the Eighteen Incompatibilities and Eighteen Antagonisms. Finally, he began sharing stories from his years as a physician.

At first, Sun Daji, Sun Daqing, and the other little ones listened from the side with Zhao Zhitong. But soon, they began yawning and scratching their ears, clearly bored.

Before long, the boys wandered off one by one, leaving only her two older female cousins, who were almost asleep.

Zhao Zhitong, however, sat on a small wooden stool, cupping her chin in her hands, and listened to Sun Kang with rapt attention, completely absorbed.

By the time Sun Kang realized how much time had passed, the group that had gone to pick lotus leaves had already returned.

Sun Youcai came to the backyard to call them and saw this scene. He hesitated for a moment, not daring to interrupt.

Just then, Sun Youli, who had been waiting in the front courtyard because no one had come, ran in. As soon as he entered the backyard, his loud voice boomed.

"Third Brother, I asked you to call them! What took you so long? Your sister and brother-in-law are ready to leave."

"SHHH..." Sun Youcai didn’t even have time to stop him before his impetuous second older brother had already barged in, shouting.

Sun Kang was halfway through a story when Sun Youli’s loud voice interrupted him.

Only then did Sun Kang snap back to reality, realizing he had been talking for so long without noticing.

Zhao Zhitong, still engrossed in the half-finished story, tugged Sun Kang’s sleeve, urging, "Grandpa, what happened next? What happened next?"

Sun Kang couldn’t help but smile. He stood up and rubbed her head. "I’ve told you so much today; let’s stop here for now. Your mother is calling you outside. When you visit next time, Grandpa will continue the story, alright?"

Although the story was unfinished and Zhao Zhitong was eager to know the rest, she didn’t insist. Looking up at her grandfather, she said in her sweet, childlike voice, "Okay! Next time Tongtong visits, Grandpa must finish the story for me, okay?"

"Alright, Grandpa promises. Off you go now; your mother and father are waiting for you."

Since Sun Mei had to return to the school to cook for the children, they hadn’t planned to stay for lunch. After picking the lotus leaves, they prepared to go home.

Sun Mei settled Zhao Zhitong on the cart. The children gathered around, reluctant to see her go, especially her two older female cousins.

Zhao Zhitong didn’t want to leave either, but she had to go with her mother to the school. She had promised Qiao Jiaojiao that she would teach her how to climb trees after school.