Chapter 14: Thirteen, Dietary Redies Chapter 14: Thirteen, Dietary Redies As dish after dish erged from the pot, the rich fragrance of the food wafted through the air, making everyone in the family swallow their saliva involuntarily.
“These dishes look so delicious, I never knew you had such cooking skills,” Aunt Chen said, looking at the dishes on the stove, unable to restrain her praise.
Luo Shu put the last dish of sauerkraut fish into a bowl, “It’s just so ho cooking, I’m glad Aunt Chen doesn’t mind.” She was quite confident in her cooking skills. The Luo Family, being a dical family, considered cooking an essential skill to learn because food nourishnt was more important than dicinal supplents.
Food can be tailored to an individual’s constitution for targeted nourishnt. For example, with a hot body type or fever-related illness, one should eat more cold and cool foods. For a cold body type or cold-related illness, one should eat more warm foods. Only such dietary nourishnt could be “suitable” and achieve the desired effects.
Many foods possess dicinal properties, such as potatoes, which can replenish energy, strengthen the spleen, harmonize the stomach, and are suitable for those with weak spleens and deficiencies, fatigue, poor appetite, and indigestion.
Carrots can nourish blood and improve vision, strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, replenish qi and produce blood, and move qi to alleviate stagnation.
Pumpkin can benefit the spleen and promote urination, detoxify and kill parasites, reduce fever, stop dysentery, relieve pain, and secure pregnancy.
Once ingredients are properly used, they can not only boost resistance and immunity, resulting in a healthy body but can also extend life and strengthen the physique. Hence, dietary supplents were considered very important in ancient dicine.
By the ti Aunt Chen’s braised pork was ready, it was almost ti for dinner.
The two brought the dishes to the main room, where Uncle Chen and Chen Zhihe were already eagerly waiting. There was no helping it; the dishes were too aromatic, and even if they weren’t hungry at first, the scent of the food made them hungry.
“Luo Shu, you sit down first; I’ll go call Luo Shan and Luo Zheng for dinner,” Aunt Chen said, placing the dishes on the table and walking out.
“Hello Luo Shu, I’m Aunt Chen’s son, Chen Zhihe, you can call Big Brother Chen,” Chen Zhihe said with a smile, looking at Luo Shu. His first impression of Luo Shu was very good, especially the unique temperant she exuded, making him feel she didn’t seem like a re country lass.
Luo Shu smiled and nodded to Chen Zhihe, “Hello Big Brother Chen, Aunt Chen has ntioned you before, you’re working at the Public Security Office now, right?”
“Yes, if you need any help in the future, feel free to co to the office and find ,” Chen Zhihe said with a smile.
“Then I’ll thank Big Brother Chen in advance,” Luo Shu said gratefully. It was their first eting, so naturally, she couldn’t imdiately ask Chen Zhihe to help her with household registration matters.
“Don’t be so formal, I should be thanking you for helping my father with his dicine. Luo Shu, are you a dical student?” Chen Zhihe asked, sowhat curious.
Luo Shu smiled and shook her head, “My grandfather used to be an Itinerant Physician, teaching pulse diagnosis and herb recognition. Actually, I’m just a novice.”
“I see,” Chen Zhihe replied, his interest fading upon hearing this. His leader’s son was suffering from a very strange illness, and after many doctor visits, the cause remained undiagnosed. He had hoped that if Luo Shu truly excelled in dical skills, she might be able to help. If she managed to cure the illness, his leader would surely not forget this favor.
Now, however, he dared not suggest Luo Shu see the patient; in case anything went wrong, he would be responsible too.
Seeing Chen Zhihe beco more reserved, Luo Shu smiled and grasped the situation. It seed Chen Zhihe had a motive for his question. She wasn’t in a rush though; once Uncle Chen’s health improved, Chen Zhihe would naturally seek her out. By that ti, she could also set her own terms as part of the exchange.
The sound of footsteps ca from outside, and Aunt Chen walked in with Luo Shan and Luo Zheng, “Luo Shan, Luo Zheng, sit down quickly, there’s no need to be polite at Aunt Chen’s house.”
“Thank you, Aunt Chen!” Luo Shan and Luo Zheng thanked her, walking over and taking their seats next to Luo Shu.
“Everyone, dig in, I’m starving,” Uncle Chen said with a chuckle as he picked up his chopsticks.
The others also began eating with their chopsticks.
“Big sister, did you cook this dish?” Luo Zheng asked, his face full of surprise as he ate a atball with shredded carrot.
“Yeah, doesn’t it taste good?” Luo Shu arched her eyebrows inquisitively.
“It’s incredibly delicious!” He had eaten dishes cooked by his big sister before, but they were never as delicious as this ti, so tasty that he nearly swallowed his tongue.
“I’ve never had such a delicious al,” Luo Shan said, nodding in agreent as she chewed her food.
“If it’s good, then eat more,” Luo Shu said, a trace of heartache flashing in her eyes. She vowed she would never let her siblings suffer again.
The al concluded with everyone feeling content, although Chen Zhihe remained aloof throughout, only occasionally joining in the conversation.
After lunch, Chen Zhihe left the Chen family. His primary reason for coming was to ask Shopkeeper Liu of Jimin Pharmacy to check on his leader’s son, who was ill. It was said that Shopkeeper Liu’s dical skills were exceptional and that he was quite famous in the small town.
Upon arrival at Jimin Pharmacy, he saw that Shopkeeper Liu was busy treating soone.
Chen Zhihe walked up to Shopkeeper Liu and waited until he finished treating the patient before speaking, “Hello, Shopkeeper Liu! I am Uncle Chen’s son, Chen Zhihe, and I have a favor to ask of you.”
Shopkeeper Liu gestured to a chair nearby, “Have a seat before we talk.” Although he had never t Chen Zhihe, he had often heard Aunt Chen ntion him and knew he was now the head of the Public Security Office.
“It’s like this, I would like to ask you to treat my leader’s son, I wonder when you might be available?” Chen Zhihe got straight to the point.
“Is it Ma Shaoyun, Ma Zhenhai’s son?” Shopkeeper Liu inquired.
“You know about it?” Chen Zhihe asked, sowhat surprised.
“I have seen Shaoyun’s illness, but there’s nothing I can do for him now,” Shopkeeper Liu sighed helplessly. As relatives of the Ma family, he had visited early on to examine Shaoyun and had also asked Old Master Xu to see him, but they couldn’t determine the cause of the illness.
Feeling sowhat disappointed, Chen Zhihe stood up, “I’m sorry to have disturbed you, Shopkeeper Liu, I’ll take my leave now.” He had hoped to use this opportunity to make a move in his current position, but it seed there was no hope now.
The night was deep, and the gentle breeze slipped through the cracks of the window like a mischievous child, causing the fla of the oil lamp on the table to flicker.
Luo Shu took out the paper and pen she had bought at the sales point and, after so thought, began to write. She was writing a letter to Lu Hanmo, but it was filled mainly with words of gratitude.
“Sister… what are you writing?” Luo Shan mumbled, half-asleep, as she awoke to see Luo Shu hunched over the table, writing.
“Nothing much, just practicing the writing that Xiao Zheng taught . You should go back to sleep,” Luo Shu said as she folded the completed letter, putting it into an envelope, and then into her pocket space. She planned to go to the post office first thing in the morning to mail the letter along with the atballs with shredded carrot. Would he be pleased when he received her gifts?
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