While Cheng Zheng Yuan was asking all kind of questions, the twoof them were gathering more and more herbs. Liu Danhang, who were followingnearby, had given up hunting but gathered the herbs that he recognized. Heplanned to give these to Cheng Xiao Xiao and her brother.
The three of them walked further and further. Before they realizedit, they have already trekked through three hills1. It was as thoughthey had forgotten about time and exhaustion and gathered more and more herbs.
“Big sister, we are already in the early afternoon, should westart gathering firewood?”
Zheng Yuan stopped and looked at the sun before he shouted out tohis big sister.
It was then when he said Liu Danhang approaching them with a bigbundle of herbs. Cheng Zheng Yuan was a bit surprised, “Danhang ge, why are you gathering herbs too?”
“It’s for you!” Liu Danhang smiled shyly and cast a glance over atthe one sitting under the tree.
“Why thank you!” Smiled Cheng Zheng Yuan happily and shoutedtoward the one under the tree “Big sister, I think we have enough herbs. Let’sstop gathering more herbs!”
“Wait, I will come right over!”
That’s what Cheng Xiao Xiao said, but she was staring intently atsomething that looked like mushroom in front of her. After sniffing it, she wasquite certain it smelled like lingzhimushroom2.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t tell they were lingzhi; rather, in her previous life, cultivated lingzhi was quite common. But cultivatedlingzhi did not remotely measure upto these wild lingzhi that she waslooking at.
Lingzhi, also known as lingzhicao(“mushroom gra.s.s”), shenzi (“divinemushroom”, with shen; “spirit; G.o.d;supernatural; divine”),zhicao (“mushroom gra.s.s”), xiancao (“immortality plant”, with xian, “(Daoism) transcendent; immortal;wizard”) and ruicao (“auspicious plant”, with rui, “auspicious; felicitous omen). They belong to the Order Polyporales,mainly come in red (chizhi) andpurple (zizhi) forms. They aresaprophytic fungi and grow at the base and stumps of deciduous trees.
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Lingzhi
Photo credit: cqcb.com
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Lingzhi
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Lingzhitaste slightly bitter and are mild in nature.They have effects on the heart, lungs, liver,and the spleen. They are good for the heart and can calm your nerves, calm thelungs and help with respiration, regulate the qi and clear blood stasis, nourish the liver and strengthen thespleen. It’s main application is to treat the weak bodies, but can also be usedto treat tiredness, palpitation, insomnia, vertigo, dizziness, persistentcoughing.
Lingzhi had been used as herbs for over 1000 years and are veryprecious herbs. Among the different types of lingzhi, purple ones are the most precious.
What she saw in front of her were black lingzhi, a relative common type; but, she still considered herselflucky to have found this precious herbs in this world.
Should she collect this into the dimension?
If they could help the dimension level up and allow her to growthem in the future, she would even be able to sell them!
Looking happy, Cheng Xiao Xiao quickly tossed the lingzhi into the dimension. She couldn’thop in and check the status right away, but she would be able to when she gothome.
Returning with her bundle of herbs, she felt awkward when she sawLiu Danhang standing next to her brother, but she walked toward them anyway.
“Big sister, Danhang gecollected herbs for us too!” Said Cheng Zheng Yuan with a big smile.
Liu Danhang was too shy to see how Cheng Xiao Xiao reacted.With a simple and honest look, he reachedback and rubbed the back of his head.
Looking at his foolish face, she couldn’t get her thankful wordsout, so she turned and said to her brother, “Let’s take a break first, then wecan collect some fire wood and head home!”
“Big sister, I am thirsty and hungry, give me white radish!3”Cheng Zheng Yuan treated the white radish that his sister grown as snacks.
Cheng Xiao Xiao took a look and scolded him lightly, “All youcould think of is to eat!”
“White radishes are delicious and quench the thirst, why wouldn’t.i.t?” Justified Cheng Zheng Yuan righteously.
“What is white radish?”
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Note:
1.Apologies. I have been using “mountains”in the past, but judging by the context – that they could trek through multiplein a day – these would probably be better referred to as hills. Hills andmountains are not as distinguishable in Chinse than in English.
2.In the Chinese language, língzhī (灵芝) is acompound. It comprises líng (灵); "spirit, spiritual; soul;miraculous; sacred; divine; mysterious; efficacious; effective)" and zhī (芝);"(traditional) plant of longevity; fungus; seed; branch; mushroom;excrescence")
Random translator note:
3.Was it me or was he quickly turning into aspoiled brat?! Where did he expect her to pull these out of? He didn’t knowabout the dimension!