flstandardbreds Chapter 156 Understanding Herbs (2)
Chapter 156 Understanding Herbs (2)
When his younger sister asked about the story of motherwort, Canglan Jingcheng was immediately attracted. His bright eyes sparkled with great interest, and he and his sister looked at their mother with expectant faces.
Su Nuannuan smiled and gently patted the two little ones' heads, softly replying, "Of course there are. You know, every herb in this world has its own unique little story. Since my darlings want to hear a story, then your mother will tell you one."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two children couldn't contain their joy and jumped up and down excitedly, shouting, "We have a story to hear! We have a story to hear!" Their lively and adorable appearance was just like two nimble little rabbits.
Seeing this, Su Nuannuan quickly reminded them, "Slow down, be careful not to fall." However, the two little ones, who were in a state of extreme excitement, were not listening and were still immersed in the joyful atmosphere of being about to hear an interesting story.
Finally, Canglan Jingcheng paused for a moment, then eagerly tugged at Su Nuannuan's sleeve, urging, "Mother, please tell us a story!" Looking at the children's eager expressions, Su Nuannuan smiled and nodded, replying, "Alright, Mother will begin now..."
"It is said that in the picturesque and tranquil Yi-Luo River region of western Henan, there lies an inconspicuous little mountain village. In this little village, a child named Chongwei was born. His arrival should have been an incredibly happy event for the whole family, but unfortunately, his mother contracted a stubborn 'postpartum illness' after giving birth to him. This illness clung to her like a demon, and no matter what treatment she received, she could not be cured."
As time went by, Xiao Chongwei grew up and became more sensible. Seeing his mother, increasingly frail from illness, he felt heartbroken. From then on, the young boy took on the responsibility of caring for his mother. His busy figure could always be seen at her bedside. He carefully served her tea and water, caring for her with meticulous attention. However, despite Xiao Chongwei's devoted service, his mother's condition did not improve; instead, it worsened.
Seeing his mother's health deteriorate, Xiao Chongwei was extremely anxious. After much deliberation, he secretly resolved that no matter the cost, he would do everything he could to completely cure his mother's illness. With this firm belief, Xiao Chongwei resolutely embarked on a journey to find medical treatment for his mother.
He walked tirelessly along the winding Yi-Luo River. Whenever he encountered a passerby, he would immediately approach them and ask if they knew of any remedy for his mother's illness; and if he saw any potentially useful wild herbs by the roadside, he would unhesitatingly dig them up and take them home to try. However, despite all his efforts, he still could not find a cure for his mother's disease.
Days passed, and Xiao Chongwei never gave up hope. One night, exhausted, he arrived at a place called the White Temple and sought lodging there. The kind and compassionate old monk there, upon learning the reason for his journey, was deeply impressed by his filial piety. The monk decided to help him, giving him four profound lines of poetry, telling him that with these poems, he might find a miraculous herb that could cure his mother.
The four lines of poetry are: "The grass stems are square like hemp, the peanuts bloom between the nodes, the leaves of the three-story tree are black, and the herbs can cure the mother's illness with remarkable efficacy." After receiving the old monk's guidance, Xiao Chongwei was overjoyed and quickly thanked the old monk. Then, she continued to search carefully along the banks of the Yi and Luo Rivers without stopping.
Persistence pays off. After a long and arduous search, he finally discovered the mysterious plant with a square stem, beautiful purplish-red flowers blooming between the nodes, and black triangular fruits.
Not long after her mother took the herbal medicine, her chronic illness that had plagued her for years miraculously disappeared. This amazing result thrilled Xiao Chongwei, who knew the herbal medicine's miraculous effects and recommended it without hesitation to other women suffering from postpartum illnesses.
Surprisingly, every woman who used this herb experienced significant therapeutic effects. Because this precious herb was painstakingly found by Chong Wei to cure her mother's illness, and because it is of great benefit to women, people gratefully gave it a beautiful and fitting name—Motherwort.
"Wow! Little Chongwei is so filial! Mother, when I grow up, I will also look for medicinal herbs to cure your illnesses, just like her." Canglan Jingcheng said earnestly.
“That’s really unnecessary,” Su Nuannuan quickly waved her hand in refusal. Then, she gently explained, “We live in the palace, which has a dedicated Imperial Medical Academy. The Imperial Medical Academy has a vast collection of all kinds of herbs. Whenever you need medicine, you can find the right one there. There’s no need for you to go out and search for it.”
Upon hearing his mother's words, Canglan Jingcheng's expectant face instantly fell, and a hint of disappointment appeared in his eyes. He lowered his head gently and remained silent.
Seeing her son's downcast mood, Su Nuannuan felt a pang of heartache. She quickly squatted down to be at eye level with him and gently comforted him, "Cheng'er, although I can't help your mother find herbs, there are so many interesting and fun things in this world waiting for you to discover and explore! For example, your favorite toys, beautiful books, or delicious food, etc. These are all worth your attention and searching for. You're bound to find something that interests you."
"What kind of things are I interested in?" Cang Lan Jingcheng looked up, blinked his big eyes, and asked Su Nuannuan with a puzzled expression.
"When you grow up, you'll know what you're interested in. You're still young, so it's okay if you don't know yet," Su Nuannuan said, rubbing her son's head.
"I understand, Mother," Canglan Jingcheng said with a smile.
Afterwards, Su Nuannuan led them to continue exploring this vibrant little hill. Along the way, Su Nuannuan patiently introduced them to various plants.
“Come on, look over here. This is goosegrass. Don’t let its ordinary appearance fool you; it’s actually very resilient. And this one is called *Lücao*, but everyone usually calls it *Lala Yang* because its stems have small thorns that can hurt if they scratch you. And over there, those little thorny spheres are cockleburs…” Su Nuannuan explained softly, while the children listened with great interest, occasionally exclaiming in amazement and asking curious questions.