Chapter 183 – Glasshouse

Intermittently, the Medical Center allowed students a two-day rest period during which they could visit their homes. Tomorrow would be the day Ye Zhen could go home and have two days for rest. Although she was not inclined to go back to the Lu Mansion, in order to know what Madam Lu was hiding up her sleeve, she had to return.

But today….

Today was a fine day. Despite the characteristic winter chill, the weather was pleasant, the sky clear and the sun bright. It had snowed these past few days, so today was a welcome change.

Thus, Qin Fuzi decided to put this day to good use and instructed his students to head to the fields of the Medical Academy in the Cuiyan Mountain. Once there, they were to identify and gather herbs.

This medicinal field, in the lap of the Cuiyan Mountain, was a vast expanse of lush flora. Great care was observed to nurture and grow a plethora of medicinal herbs. Needless to say, this was a treasure by itself, so protecting it was only natural. Even so, since this was the Medical Academy’s bailiwick, the way the things were conducted differed from the standards. And this field was no exception.

That said, one would not find a battalion guarding this cornucopia or sentries stationed here and there. In order to protect it, especially from the glacial temperatures over these past few days, a layer of an unknown material was spread across it. One heard that this would prevent the herbs from freezing to death and in spite of the recent cold and snow, this vegetation remained unaffected.

In her past life, Ye Zhen had never been exposed to herbs, directly or indirectly. Except the times when she was ill, and had to partake of them for her betterment, she had no contact with whatsoever. Since she hailed from a noble family, never had a need or opportunity risen.

But that was then. This life was different. Today, she had the opportunity and the need. However, up until she came to the Medical Academy, Lu Yaoyao’s memories and the few books from her mother served as her only sources of knowledge. But here, she had access to more books and learning materials and could widen her knowledge. With her newfound penchant for medicine, she was determined to excel.

Upon entering the medicine field, Ye Zhen was immediately drawn by the vastness of this place. It was green as far as the eyes could see and beyond. She marvelled at the boundless foliage that healed aplenty. She was grateful to be here.

Without wasting a moment further, she quickly focused on the task at hand. Retrieving a paper from her sleeve, she looked through its contents. As she skimmed, the particulars of herbaceous plants she had perused in the book, slowly surfaced to her mind. Every single plant illustration in the book, its name and purpose, was right before her eyes…as though it was not a paper she was holding, but the medical manual itself.

What was before her was not the same as what she had seen in the books though. There was a drastic difference in looking at illustrations and seeing the actual herbs. Feel, color, odor, size, there were various aspects that an illustration could not do justice to. This field trip enabled her to etch the information before her deep in her mind.

At the moment, the students were spread out in threes or twos. Each, like Ye Zhen, was holding a sheet of paper with the names of five herbs on it. Each was tasked with finding those herbs, with the paper serving as reference. Once done, the ‘find’ was to be brought over to Master Qin.

“Yaoyao, which five herbs do you have?” Sun Wen came over to Ye Zhen with a herb in hand.

Ye Zhen showed her the white paper with illustrations. The five herbs assigned to her were not very common. It would take some time and effort to find them.

“Unlike yours, have you found them?”

“I have to find this.” Sun Wen sighed as she showed her paper to her friend. “The medicine field is so big; we need a lot of time to find the herbs. I do not know what the others look like. I am confused as they all look the same.”

“If they look similar, you just have to taste it.” Ye Zhen smiled as she guided. “Besides, these herbs are not poisonous and are edible.”

Sun Wen looked at her in surprise. “Do you even know the taste?”

Ye Zhen said grumpily, “Have you even read?”

“The book is not very clear in eliciting that each herb has its distinct taste.” She refuted. “I have read it, but cannot commit all of it to memory.”

As she eyed Ye Zhen, Sun Wen said, “Do you think everyone is as smart as you?” She jested to break free from Ye Zhen’s intense grilling.

“Look for it then.” Ye Zhen laughed as she let Su Wen off the hook.

Unbeknownst to the two, there were a pair of unfriendly eyes looking at them.

Not too far away was Huang Fuxiang, casting a grim look at Ye Zhen. Turning on her heels, she looked in a particular direction and nodded her head, as if it were a cue.

Another evil scheme has begun!

“Lu Yaoyao, what kind of herbs do you have?”

While she was looking for herbs, Ye Zhen heard a clear voice calling out her name. Only then did she look up. It was a girl in a pink dress, about the same age as her, looking at her with a friendly smile. Other than Sun Wen and Chen Jinru, this was the first time someone had taken the initiative to find and reach out to Ye Zhen to make friends.

Ye Zhen smiled lightly but did not miss the tension in the girl’s eyes. “Shi Jun Zi and Xuan Fu Hua…”

[*T/N Xuan Fu Hua- a Traditional Chinese Medicine for Relieving Phlegm Cold

Shi Jun Zi- a type of herb that kills parasites and promotes digestion]

“I have the same three herbs as you, can we look for them together?” the girl said, shyly then added, “My name is Lu Qiongqiu.”

“Alright.” Ye Zhen nodded and did not refuse.

By now, Sun Wen had gone over to Chen Jinru. Since the two were looking for the same herbs, they had decided to combine their efforts and share the burden. So, when Lu Qiongqiu came over, Ye Zhen was by herself.

“I have just looked for it here, but there are none that we are looking for. Let’s go and have a look at it over there. It seems that no one has been there to look for them.”

“Then go and have a look.”

Ye Zhen knew that what the other girl said was right, for she had checked here as well but there were none of the herbs that were on her list.

Lu Qiongqiu had pointed out that particular part of the field that had not been checked yet. Given the sheer size of the medicine field, it was almost half a mountain of herbs. So, naturally it was not humanly possible to scour over each part. Also, the herbs around them were mainly used in the Imperial Kitchens. Over the years, this rule had remained unchanged. Considering the fact that the herbs in her list were the uncommon variety, they could possibly be growing elsewhere. So, broadening the area of search would yield better results.

“Yaoyao, look, is that … the legendary Glasshouse?”