Chapter 48: On and Off the Hill. People Come, People Go

After Wang Yao had planted the seeds, he took out The Catalogue of Magic Herbs and started to read the traits of Shanjing and Guiyuan. Both of the herbs needed to grow in areas with a lot of luminous clouds. There was not much he could do about this. He could only water them with the ancient spring.

The seeds he planted sprouted on the third day.

Three days later, Guo Sirou and He Qisheng came to the hill again.

They are so quick! thought Wang Yao when he came down from the top of the hill. Just now, he was practicing his deep breathing when he heard San Xian barking in the distance. Then he saw two people coming towards his cottage. He had to finish his breathing exercises early to meet them.

"How is everything going? Do you have a way to cure my grandpa?" asked Guo Sirou as soon as she saw Wang Yao.

"Not in such a short period of time. But if you can wait for a month, maybe there is a way to cure your grandpa," said Wang Yao.

"One month?!" Guo Sirou frowned. She knew well how sick her grandpa was. He was already living on borrowed time. If he didn't have excellent doctors due to his social status caring for him, he wouldn't survive for even one more day.

"One month is a bit too long. Is there anything I can do to help? As long as I can provide!" said Guo Sirou. She didn't want to give up as it was already so hard to have hope that her grandpa could be cured.

"I'm sorry," Wang Yao shook his head. In fact, he couldn't even guarantee that he would be able to make the Regather Soup within a month.

"I think one month is fine!" He Qisheng said after some deep thinking.

"Uncle He?" Guo Sirou looked at He Qisheng in surprise.

"Miss, your grandpa should be able to survive one more month with the doctor's help," said He Qisheng.

"That's good. By the way, can I ask Ms. Guo to prepare some herbs for me?" Wang Yao gave Guo Sirou a list of herbs required to make Regather Soup. Guo Sirou took it without reading it and handed it over to He Qisheng.

"How much do you want?" asked He Qisheng.

"I need enough herbs to make at least three doses of Regather Soup. And preferably wild herbs," said Wang Yao. He could get all the herbs except for Shanjing and Guiyuan by himself, but the quality of herbs in Lianshan was not very good.

"Okay, we will prepare the herbs for you within three days," said Guo Sirou.

"Good," said Wang Yao.

Guo Sirou and He Qisheng left without lingering.

"What does he need these herbs for?" asked Guo Sirou.

"Making a formula" said He Qisheng. When he took over the list he had started to think of what the formula could be. But none of the formulas he could think of could cure Guo Sirou's grandpa. After all, he was very sick.

"Can I ask you to get all the herbs on the list," asked Guo Sirou.

"Not a problem!" said He Qisheng.

The two of them started to get the ball rolling while Wang Yao continued his daily routine—working in the herbal field and practicing his breathing.

He Qisheng brought all the herbs on the list after two days.

"These are the herbs you requested," said He Qisheng.

"Thank you." Wang Yao was surprised by his efficiency.

"What formula are you going to make?" asked He Qisheng out of curiosity.

"Regather Soup," said Wang Yao. He didn't mean to hide what he planned to do.

"Regather Soup? Why?" asked He Qisheng in surprise. Because the name was so common, he knew at least 10 different Regather Soups with different ways to make them.

"Strengthens the bones and consolidates the corporeity," said Wang Yao calmly.

"Just like that? So simple!" He Qisheng was surprised.

"Yes," said Wang Yao.

It was not that simple at all. The words just sounded common and simple.

"Nourish the heart and calm the nerves" was just a short sentence, but Anshensan cured his auntie and Xu Jiahui, both of whom who had suffered from recurring and chronic illnesses. There was only one licorice root in Anshensan but two in Regather Soup, so the effects of Regather Soup were yet to be known.

"Well, I'm not going to bother you anymore. Bye for now," said He Qisheng.

"See you later," said Wang Yao.

Wang Yao looked at He Qisheng's back as he left the cottage.

Regather Soup? He Qisheng was still thinking of this formula as he went down the hill.

On his way back, a car came into the village. The car looked common—it was a Volkswagen Passat.

What?! He Qisheng was surprised to see the car as the number plate looked familiar.

A middle-aged man came out of the car. He was of medium height and in his 40's, but he looked younger. He carried a nice looking box. The man was Tian Tuyuan, who had visited Wang Yao a few times before.

"Qisheng?" said Tian Tuyuan.

"Tuyuan? Is that you?" said He Qisheng. "How come you are here?"

The two of them knew each other for a long time.

"I came here to look for someone," said Tian Tuyuan.

"Is it Wang Yao you are looking for?"

"Yes," said Tian Tuyuan. He didn't try to hide it from He Qisheng. After all, Wang Yao was the only person staying on Nanshan Hill.

"Did you also come to see him?" asked Tian Tuyuan.

"Yes," said He Qisheng.

"We haven't seen each other for a long time. Do you have time to have a cup of coffee with me?" asked Tian Tuyuan.

"Yeah, I'll wait for you to call me," said He Qisheng.

The two said goodbye to each other. One went up the hill and the other went down the hill.

Wang Yao was reading Natural Classics when he heard the dog barking again. He knew someone else came to see him.

After a short while, Tian Tuyuan walked into the herbal field with a nice looking box in his hands.

"Hi, Mr. Wang, I hope I'm not bothering you," said Tian Tuyuan.

"Of course not, please come in," said Wang Yao.

"I just went to Qimen City a few days ago and I brought you some tea for you to taste," said Tian Tuyuan. He put the box on the table inside Wang Yao's cottage.

"Well, thank you," Wang Yao accepted it after some hesitation.

In fact, he didn't know much about tea. But he had heard of Qimen black tea before which had the reputation of the "Queen of the tea". He believed that the tea must indeed be extraordinary.

"You are welcome. Your tea is actually better," said Tian Tuyuan.

Wang Yao just smiled.

"Is the patient any better?" asked Wang Yao.

"He's much better now. Thank you," said Tian Tuyuan.

Tian Tuyuan went to visit the patient after he brought him the second decoction. The patient was much better and he could even talk thanks to Wang Yao. But when he asked Tian Tuyuan to bring him more decoction, Tian Tuyuan didn't say yes immediately. He knew Wang Yao was a capable young man and what kind of person the patient was. He didn't want to bring Wang Yao any trouble.

Some people were not easy to meet as they lived far away, while the others lived nearby and were capable. He knew exactly who was more important to him.

Tian Tuyuan didn't stay long. He left the cottage after talking to Wang Yao for a short while.