Chapter 5: Herbal Formula

Before he knew it, Francis found himself walking past his family's orchard. In Qingshan Village, most villagers planted fruit trees, and Francis's family grew orange and apple trees. The orchard he was in now had orange trees. Oranges are typically divided into early and late-ripening varieties. Francis's family grew the early-ripening kind, but even early varieties wouldn't be ripe until late September or early October. It was only August, and the oranges were still small and green. Looking at the small oranges, Francis sighed. If they were ripe now, they could fetch a good price. Then, an idea struck him. He remembered an ancestral method for accelerating plant growth. This method, recorded in his ancestral medical knowledge, was used to speed up the growth of medicinal herbs. He wondered if it could be applied to fruit trees. Francis decided to give it a try. The technique, called the Herbal Formula, transformed spiritual energy into a gas that could stimulate plant growth when mixed with water, turning it into a "spiritual liquid." This liquid, when used to water plants, would accelerate their growth. Francis found an old plastic basin and filled it halfway with water from the river. He inserted his right middle finger into the water and began to use the Herbal Formula. As he channeled the formula, his spiritual energy transformed and flowed from his finger into the water. The energy turned green as it mixed with the water, slowly changing the water to a transparent green color. When Francis felt his energy almost depleted, he stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief. He was too weak; just this little bit of effort had nearly drained him. Looking at the half basin of green liquid, Francis muttered, "Don't disappoint me." He poured the liquid at the base of one of the orange trees, then carried his herb basket back home. When he got home, Dracula was already awake. Though still weak, he was much better than before. After brewing a bowl of herbal medicine for Dracula, he was able to get out of bed with some assistance by evening. Dinner was simple and meager: porridge, cornbread, and pickles. Despite the good news of Francis's recovery and Dracula's improvement, they had no means to celebrate. Their savings had been exhausted, and they were in debt from borrowing money for medicine. "Francis, make do with what we have. Once your dad is better, we'll be able to earn money again," Rachel said, biting her cracked lips. Hearing this, Francis felt a pang in his heart but smiled, "Mom, Dad, now that I'm better, I'll take care of making money. Dad needs to rest and recover." After dinner, they talked for a long time about the many changes over the past year until Dracula felt tired and went to bed. Francis washed up in the backyard and went to sleep. The next morning, at the first light of dawn, Francis woke early and went to the yard. The sun was just rising, and the Purple Air from the East, invisible to ordinary people, was spreading across the land. Facing the east, Francis began to practice a cultivation technique based on his ancestral knowledge, the Purple Air from the East. This technique was most effective when practiced at dawn, harnessing the power of the Purple Air. After more than an hour, as the sun fully rose, Francis finished his practice. He was delighted to find his energy not only replenished but slightly increased. Clearly, the practice was effective. He realized he had to consistently practice to maintain his energy; otherwise, it would be depleted too quickly. Finished with his practice, he rushed to the orange orchard. Arriving at the orchard, Francis was astonished. The orange tree he had watered with the Herbal Formula had ripe oranges, their bright color standing out among the green leaves. The oranges were not only ripe but also unusually large. Some branches were so heavy with fruit they bent, nearly touching the ground. Francis picked one and found it too big to hold in one hand, estimating it weighed about a third of a pound. The single tree had thousands of oranges, totaling close to three hundred pounds. Breathless with excitement, Francis realized he had struck gold. Though oranges were available on the market now, they were either greenhouse-grown or cold-stored and couldn't compare in taste to naturally grown ones. He was confident he could get a good price for these oranges. He planned to sell all the oranges from their orchard and open a fruit shop in the county. With his ancestral knowledge and the Herbal Formula, he was sure the shop would thrive. Once established, he would open branches and expand to other cities, believing he could make enough money to buy the valuable ginseng and eventually seek revenge on Niklaus. Excited by his thoughts, Francis couldn't help but smile. He then considered the taste of these quickly ripened oranges. He peeled one and tasted it. It was sweet and juicy, even better than regular oranges. Thrilled, Francis hurried back home to get baskets to harvest the oranges. "Francis, why are you in such a hurry?" Rachel asked, seeing him rush back. "Mom, one of our orange trees has ripe oranges. I'm getting baskets to pick them." "Ripe oranges? What are you talking about? Oranges aren't due for another month." "Mom, I'm not kidding. Look!" Francis showed her the large orange he had picked. Rachel gasped, "Francis, is this really from our orchard?" "Of course, Mom. Why would I lie?" "I'm going to pick the oranges now." "Wait, I'm coming too." Rachel called to Dracula, "Dear, stay here and rest. Francis and I are going to pick the oranges." At the orchard, seeing the ripe orange tree, Rachel was stunned. In all her years of growing oranges, she had never seen anything like this: an orange tree ripening a month early. And only one tree had ripened, while the others remained normal. "This is so strange." "Mom, don't overthink it. The oranges are ripe, so let's pick them and sell them for a good price before the market is flooded." "You're right, Francis." Rachel agreed and joined Francis in picking the oranges. They harvested five large baskets, each weighing over fifty pounds, totaling nearly three hundred pounds. They loaded the baskets onto a cart, with Francis pushing and Rachel steadying it, and returned home. "Ripe oranges?" Seeing the cartload of oranges, Dracula was also shocked. "Mom, I'll take the oranges to the county market this afternoon. You stay here and look after Dad," Francis said, peeling an orange for his father. "Don't rush." Rachel waved her hand, "Madison went to the county this morning. She'll be back tonight. Borrow her tractor, and you can go to the market tomorrow morning. The mountain road is tough, and pushing the cart will be exhausting." Madison Zhong, who lived next door, was a young girl who had had a tough life. When she was in high school, her parents died from eating poisonous mushrooms, leaving her with a sick grandmother. Madison dropped out of school to take care of her, and after her grandmother died last year, she was left alone. "Alright." Francis nodded, thinking of the girl who used to follow him around with a runny nose, smiling faintly. The day passed quickly. After dinner, Francis saw lights on next door and knew Madison was back. He went to her house and knocked on the door. In the courtyard, a waist-high water tank was filled with water, heated by the sun, and cooled with fresh water, perfect for a bath. In Qingshan Village, electricity was unstable. Power outages were common, and the power could barely support lights, let alone water heaters. Boiling water with an electric kettle would likely cause a blackout. So villagers bathed this way in the summer. A slender girl was about to bathe when she heard the knock on the door.