novelapdf Chapter 190 The Fragrance of Jujube Soak
Chapter 190 The Fragrance of Jujube Soak
The tea slid smoothly down my throat, its warmth soothing and melting into my lungs without a trace of astringency.
It has a unique medicinal fragrance and a sweet taste.
Jiang Mu felt that the fatigue from the past few days of running around had been washed away by this refreshing taste.
"Excellent tea!"
Jiang Mu couldn't help but sigh in admiration, and made a gesture as if to drink the rest of the tea in her cup in one gulp.
"You're still drinking!"
Chu Lingzhu was so shocked that she dropped the jade pestle in her hand.
Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, she pounced on Jiang Mu, lifting her slightly short and cute ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), trying to snatch the cup from her hand.
Jiang Mu deftly slid to the side and back, avoiding the girl's lunge.
Chu Lingzhu missed her target and stumbled.
She stomped her feet in anger, her bright eyes glaring as she snapped:
"What's wrong with you? You just drank from someone else's cup without even asking!"
Seeing the girl's intense reaction, and then turning to look at Lan Rou'er's deathly pale face, Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat: "Could this thing be poison?"
"It's not poison!"
Chu Lingzhu bit her pink lips, puffed out her cheeks, and stretched out her delicate white hand, palm up, "Give me back my cup!"
"If it's not poison, why are you in such a hurry?"
Jiang Mu raised the cup higher, keenly sensing something amiss. "What exactly made this water?"
Chu Lingzhu's eyes darted around, and she stammered, "N-nothing, it's just... it's just the cup I drank from..."
"Yeah?"
Jiang Mu didn't believe the girl's nonsense at all; her attempt to cover it up was too clumsy.
He suddenly turned his head and stared fiercely at Lan Rou'er, who had been cowering to the side like a quail.
"you say!"
Jiang Mu deliberately lowered her voice, put on a stern face, and adopted a fierce aura, "What on earth is this thing? You two little brats didn't mix your own urine in it, did you?!"
"No, no, that's not it!"
Lan Rou'er was extremely timid to begin with.
Startled by Jiang Mu's sudden glare, he trembled all over.
Like a weak little rabbit that has encountered a big bad wolf.
Despite being glared at by her best friend, the girl, intimidated by Jiang Mu's intimidating presence, shrank back and said, "It's medicinal wine brewed from spirit bamboo..."
liqueur?
Jiang Mu was taken aback, then brought the cup to her nose and smelled it carefully.
It doesn't taste like alcohol at all.
However, there were two dark red jujubes settled in the cup.
The jujubes looked crystal clear.
Under the refraction of sunlight, the surface appears to be covered with a layer of transparent, honey-like viscous liquid, giving it a ripe and mature texture.
Jiang Mu pinched one of the jujubes between two fingers.
Slimy.
Seeing this, Chu Lingzhu became so anxious that she lunged forward again, baring her teeth and claws, trying to snatch it away.
"Give it back to me right now!"
Taking advantage of his long arms, Jiang Mu placed one large hand directly on the girl's forehead.
No matter how much Chu Lingzhu waved her little hands and struggled, her delicate, rosy face could not reach Jiang Mu at all.
She has a charming and adorable appearance.
Like a small tiger baring its fangs and claws, yet its fate is pinned down by the scruff of its neck.
Jiang Mu restrained the young doctor with one hand and continued to interrogate Lan Rou'er fiercely:
"Tell me! What exactly happened?"
Lan Rou'er weakly revealed everything:
"These jujubes need to be nurtured using a special method, kept in the mouth for several hours... then taken out and soaked in a special medicinal solution before finally being put into the jar to brew wine. Right now, the medicinal solution has just been taken out, and the brewing hasn't even started yet."
"Then this jujube person..."
"It was held in the mouth by the spirit bamboo..."
Lan Rou'er closed her eyes and finished speaking in one breath, as if she had used up all her strength.
Oh.
So that's what happened.
Jiang Mu suddenly realized, and was speechless.
Isn't it just a jujube that a beautiful girl has been holding in her mouth for a few hours?
Judging from your tense demeanor, I thought someone had actually thrown some kind of "Ten Fragrant Tendon-Softening Powder" into it.
Make a fuss over nothing.
In his previous life on Earth, he had heard of an ancient brewing method in the island nation called "kuchikami sake," which was said to be made by young girls chewing rice grains and spitting them out for fermentation.
It sounds a little off-putting.
But considering that the owner of this cup is their own pure and virtuous little doctor.
Jiang Mu, on the contrary, felt at ease.
After all, he enjoyed eating the flower petal cakes that the girl made herself barefoot.
What are these few jujubes that you can hold in your mouth?
We're all just people from the martial arts world, so we don't stand on ceremony.
"Hmm, I knew it was so sweet, turns out it had something added."
Ignoring Chu Lingzhu's murderous glare, Jiang Mu tossed the sticky jujube from her fingertip directly into her mouth right in front of her. She chewed it gently.
It is soft, sweet, and juicy.
"The taste is indeed quite good," Jiang Mu commented earnestly.
"Jiang! Mu!"
This completely turned Chu Lingzhu into a target of anger.
The girl revealed two sharp little tiger teeth, like an angry little female leopard, and opened her mouth to bite Jiang Mu's hand that was pressing on her forehead. Jiang Mu withdrew her hand.
Taking advantage of the moment, Chu Lingzhu snatched the cup from his hand and held it tightly to her chest.
Then, huffing and puffing, she turned back to the large stone mortar and continued to pound the medicine vigorously with her back to him.
It was as if they were pounding not medicinal herbs, but Jiang Mu's head.
Jiang Mu was rebuffed, but she wasn't annoyed.
Leisurely, he approached the large stone mortar, wanting to see what precious medicinal herbs the girl was tinkering with.
As a result, the moment his head touched the top of the mortar...
A pungent, nauseating stench assaulted my senses.
Holy crap!
Caught off guard, Jiang Mu stumbled backward from the stench, pinching her nose and looking at Chu Lingzhu with disgust:
"Are you messing around with shit?!"
"You're the one who's messing around."
Chu Lingzhu was already angry, and upon hearing such vulgar language, she immediately became furious again.
She wanted to curse back, but ultimately her upbringing as a lady from a respectable family prevailed, and she swallowed back those vulgar words.
In the end, he could only stomp his foot in frustration, leaving Jiang Mu with an angry back of his head.
Seeing her best friend was angry, Lan Rou'er quickly and timidly stepped forward.
Pointing to a small clump of withered grass with dark purple veins piled up in the corner of the yard, he whispered an explanation for Chu Lingzhu:
"Lord Jiang, you've misunderstood. We weren't rubbing that... we were dealing with the remaining medicinal herbs."
Jiang Mu looked at the girl in front of her who looked like a wronged child.
For some reason, every time Jiang Mu saw Lan Rou'er's timid and cowardly appearance, his "bully" nature buried in his DNA couldn't help but stir.
I really want to punch her twice and make her cry.
He forcibly suppressed this perverse urge, walked to a corner, carefully examined the withered grass, and exclaimed in surprise:
"Aren't these the forbidden drugs we intercepted from He Shuangying, the young master of the Divine Sword Sect? They're called something like 'Corpse Orchid,' used specifically for breeding demons, right?"
After stealing He Shuangying's medicinal herbs outside the city, he had Chu Lingzhu store them at Huichun Medical Clinic.
I intended to submit it to the department in exchange for some merit, but I forgot about it.
"Yes, those are the corpse orchids."
Chu Lingzhu said with a hint of smugness,
"It would be too wasteful to burn and destroy these evil medicines directly."
I recently came across a fragment of an ancient book and found a recipe. I plan to refine and adjust it myself.
"How should it be prepared?"
Jiang Mu was a little puzzled. "It can't be some kind of super tonic pill, can it?"
Chu Lingzhu's lips curled into a smile: "Of course, we'll make it into poison."
"poison?"
Jiang Mu was taken aback, then chuckled.
"I'm not trying to discourage you, Lingzhu."
The poisons recorded in your mundane medical books are only good for dealing with ordinary martial artists, or for killing a few wild boars and black bears in the mountains.
But against true cultivators and demons, this poison probably wouldn't even qualify as an appetizer; it wouldn't have any real effect.
Chu Lingzhu gave a defiant snort:
"What do you know? I'm not using ordinary poisons; this is an ancient and miraculous remedy."
Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to a rough person like you.
Anyway, if you ever dare to bully me again, I'll use this poison to knock you out.
Seeing her stubbornness, Jiang Mu didn't bother to argue.
He changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the delicate little feet clad in embroidered shoes, and casually asked:
"By the way, do you still have those 'Jade Spirit Flower' sachets you stomped on last time? I'm a little hungry right now, want to grab a couple to tide me over?" "No! I'd rather feed them to the dogs than give them to you."
Chu Lingzhu was still angry.
"Really not?"
Jiang Mu didn't believe it and went to check out the small kitchen.
I was a little disappointed to find that besides a few ordinary vegetarian dishes, I didn't see any tender, sweet pancakes.
"How's the clinic doing lately?"
Jiang Mu pulled up a small stool and sat down next to him, asking the question.
Chu Lingzhu said, "Anyway, you, as the boss, don't care about anything, so what difference does it make whether it's good or bad?"
The girl complained a few times, then said, "But a while ago, someone came and bought a lot of Diquan flowers. It's so strange."
"What is the Earth Spring Flower for?" Jiang Mu asked.
While pounding the medicine, Chu Lingzhu said, "It has many uses, but it's generally used to nourish the fetus."
"Pregnancy care? What's so strange about that?" Jiang Mu asked, puzzled.
He stared at the girl's figure. Every time she pounded medicine, her buttocks stretched against her dress, drawing arcs that resembled a heart.
Chu Lingzhu said, "It wouldn't be strange if they only bought a little, but that person wanted a lot, enough to feed hundreds of fetuses. Besides, that stuff can kill people if they eat too much, so my father didn't dare to sell it."
Jiang Mu nodded.
It's always good to be cautious when selling medicine, to avoid causing someone's death and getting into trouble.
"Could it be another drug dealer?" Jiang Mu guessed.
Chu Lingzhu shook her head: "I don't know, but even if it's a medicine dealer, there's no need for them to hoard Diquan flowers. These herbs aren't hard to find."
Jiang Mu pondered for a while but couldn't find an answer, so she kept it in mind for the time being.
He chatted casually with the two women for a while before leaving.
She watched the man's figure disappear beyond the bamboo forest.
Chu Lingzhu suddenly pounced over, grabbed Lan Rou'er, who was still in shock, by the neck, and said fiercely:
"You wretched Rou'er, who told you to spout nonsense just now!"
Lan Rou'er blinked her big eyes with a wronged look on her face: "I...I can't possibly tell Lord Jiang the truth, can I?"
Should I tell him that the jujube actually came from you...?
"Hmm!"
Before the girl could finish speaking, Chu Lingzhu covered her mouth.
"You still dare to talk back!"
Chu Lingzhu was filled with shame and indignation, her face as red as a boiled crab. Her beautiful eyes darted around shyly, as if afraid that someone might be overhearing her.
However, he then threatened fiercely:
"If you dare utter another word, believe me, I'll sew your mouth shut with a needle!"
Lan Rou'er nodded her little head vigorously.
Chu Lingzhu then loosened her grip and continued grinding the medicine.
Lan Rou'er rubbed her cheeks, which had been reddened from being covered, and asked softly:
"Lingzhu, I still don't understand, why insist on using...using that method to nourish the medicinal dates?"
Chu Lingzhu paused in her movements.
She raised her chin and hummed:
"You don't understand, do you? I followed the secret recipe from that ancient fragment, it can't be wrong."
It's written very clearly in the book.
Place the jade-faced jujube in the home of a pure young woman whose menstrual blood has not yet reached its peak, in a place where yin energy is at its highest, and nurture it for three hours.
It draws upon the pure yin energy of nature and the warm, nourishing blood and qi to cleanse and refine it.
The resulting medicinal liquid, when steeped in this way, can be combined with several other auxiliary herbs to brew wine...
Women who regularly drink this wine can slow down aging and nourish their skin and bones. Even when we are in our seventies or eighties with gray hair, our appearance and skin can still be as youthful as a girl's.
Of course, there are many, many more benefits, which you will discover later.
"So that's how it is..."
Lan Rou'er listened, stunned, seemingly understanding but not quite.
She asked again:
"Lingzhu, you're not planning to brew this wine and sell it in your shop, are you?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Chu Lingzhu widened her bright eyes and tapped her forehead in an annoyed tone.
"How could I possibly sell something I personally nurtured to outsiders? Of course, it's only for the two of us to use privately." As she spoke, her eyes darted around, and she suddenly reached out and stuffed most of the remaining jujubes in the small basket into Lan Rou'er's arms.
Lan Rou'er held the jujubes in both hands, looking completely bewildered.
Chu Lingzhu said:
"The rest is up to you."
"I've had you soak in those medicinal baths every day lately, and your constitution has now developed into half a medicinal body. Your yin energy is pure, which is perfect for gentle nourishment." "Ah? Me? I can't do it."
Upon hearing this, Lan Rou'er turned pale with fright and shook her head repeatedly, almost spilling all the jujubes in her hand on the ground.
"Go quickly!"
Chu Lingzhu didn't give her a chance to refuse and urged her on.
Lan Rou'er was about to cry, and said aggrievedly:
"Si... but there are so many, how can I let go? I really can't..."
Chu Lingzhu was so angry she laughed:
"If you can't put them all in, why don't you put them in batches? Three to five at a time, let them rest slowly. Go quickly."
Under Chu Lingzhu's combination of coaxing and physical intimidation, Lan Rou'er could only tearfully carry the basket of medicinal dates and shuffle into the inner room. Only after watching her best friend enter did Chu Lingzhu finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As a little fairy doctor with a passionate spirit of exploring various ancient medical prescriptions, she always strives for perfection.
Although this method is a bit embarrassing, it's all worth it.
She walked to the stone table, picked up an ancient book fragment, and continued to study it.
After flipping through a few pages, her gaze suddenly fell on a chapter with rather strange illustrations.
The young girl frowned slightly:
"The Nine Yang Strengthening and Vein-Strengthening Powder... its effects are miraculous; it can strengthen a man's primordial yang and even increase... uh..."
"Snapped!"
The girl closed the ancient book.
"Forget it, let's not study this recipe for now."
Inside the courtyard, sunlight filters through the lush locust trees overhead, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Jiang Mu has not returned yet.
Bai Xiang rolled up her sleeves and picked fresh cucumbers in the vegetable garden.
On the wall not far away, Ji Hongyuan, dressed in a long gold and red dress, lazily rested her chin on her hand, her dark golden eyes observing the figure below with great interest.
Long legs wrapped in black silk swayed idly in mid-air.
She had occasionally heard the name "Xiang'er" from Jiang Mu when she was in Yancheng.
Ji Hongyuan had assumed that the woman that the bad boy was so attached to must be a stunningly beautiful woman.
But after seeing it with my own eyes, I was greatly disappointed.
However, her figure and temperament are indeed top-notch.
She even suspected that the woman might be in disguise.
But no matter how closely she observed, she couldn't find any flaws in the disguise.
What puzzled her even more was that this woman seemed to exude an inexplicable aura.
Every time he tried to get closer to her for a better look, his heart would inexplicably skip a beat when he was less than two meters away, and he wouldn't dare to approach. "This is really weird."
Ji Hongyuan frowned, deeply puzzled.
She even doubted whether the woman could see her.
But she deliberately made a few scary faces in front of the other woman, and the woman ignored them.
It's obvious that she can't see him.
"Strange woman..." Ji Hongyuan curled her red lips.
After a while, Duanmu Li walked over with a blank expression.
The girl walked to the edge of the vegetable garden and stared blankly at Bai Xiang, who was working in the soil.
Bai Xiang noticed the gaze behind her, straightened up, turned around and smiled slightly at her.
She walked to the well next to her, washed the mud off her hands, picked a bright green cucumber with its flower and thorns still on top, washed it in the well water, and handed it to Duanmu Li.
Duanmu Li did not reach out to take it.
Her amber-clear eyes stared into Bai Xiang's eyes, and she suddenly spoke:
"I know you're not mute."
Bai Xiang maintained her gentle and serene smile and did not respond.
Duanmu Li continued:
"I know you must be very beautiful."
Bai Xiang's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes, which seemed to encompass everything, gleamed with an unfathomable light.
Duanmu Li bit her lower lip and said, slowly and deliberately:
"But I will definitely be better than you in the future."
After saying this strange thing, the girl turned and left the vegetable garden.
She stopped in her tracks when she reached a secluded corner.
She pulled out the letter her mother had left for her from her bosom, and her eyes unconsciously reddened.
The girl sniffed her slightly red nose, gazing at the familiar handwriting on the letter, her voice choked with emotion:
"Even though I hate you and don't want to listen to you..."
"But this time, I'll listen to you."
Bai Xiang watched the girl's somewhat lonely figure disappear into the distance, sighed, and shook her head.
This girl...
Her gaze swept over the section of wall where Ji Hongyuan had just sat.
The top of the wall is now completely empty.
I guess he was bored and went to find that bastard Jiang Mu.
"Really..."
Bai Xiang looked away and took a big bite of the cucumber in her hand.
"He says he's not interested in women, but when he's out there flirting with all sorts of women, he doesn't even spare female zombies. But..." The woman sneered, a hint of cold arrogance flashing in her gentle phoenix eyes.
"Trying to steal my man? None of them are even good enough!"