Chapter 110: The Structural Diagram (Now on Sale, Please Support the First Subscription)

Goudan came downstairs again, this time carrying an armful of clothes.

“Goudan, soak the clothes in salt water before you wash them. Otherwise the colors may fade later.”

“Beep-beep-beep.” Goudan nodded.

Zhong Yuxiu went upstairs with peace of mind. As for the quality of those clothes, and whether they would fade, a soak in salt water could do no harm. She still remembered how hard life had been in her first life; even wanting a new outfit had once been an extravagant hope. The first new clothes she ever wore were the parting gift her headmistress gave her on the day she came of age.

Once the children in the orphanage became adults, they were expected to leave on their own. From that point on, life could only be depended on oneself.

Among the lessons the headmistress had taught her back then was this: new clothes should be soaked in salt water for half an hour before washing. Salt water could remove harmful substances, help prevent fading, and make fabric softer. There were also precautions: never soak clothes in a metal basin, woolen garments should not be soaked, and anything soaked in salt water must be dried thoroughly afterward, or it would easily become damp.

Even in later lives, when she no longer worried over such trivial things, the headmistress’s admonitions remained vivid in her memory.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo came out of the dining room carrying bowls and chopsticks. Not understanding the reason, they exchanged a blank look. They had never heard of soaking clothes in salt water before, but they only wondered about it for a moment before forgetting.

After going upstairs into the laboratory, Zhong Yuxiu turned on the computer and sat down, bringing up the data for the restorative liquid, including the medicinal ingredients required.

In the interstellar age, the herbs needed to make restorative liquid were Green Essence Herb, Traveler’s Stem, Lamb’s Ear Herb, White Jade Fruit, Nightshade Grass, Houndvine, and Star Herb.

Green Essence Herb could neutralize all poisons and expel impurities from the body. Traveler’s Stem could strengthen the physique. Lamb’s Ear Herb could also strengthen the body. White Jade Fruit could enrich blood and vitality. Nightshade Grass could repair bodily damage. Houndvine, together with Star Herb, could strengthen sinews and bones.

Between them lay a delicate balance; not one ingredient could be missing.

Among the herbs she had studied, some could neutralize poisons and purge excess impurities, some could strengthen the body, some could enrich blood and vitality, some could repair injuries, and some could fortify sinews and bones.

But how to turn them into a medicinal fluid would require careful research.

Green Essence Herb could be replaced with mung beans, green tea, ginger, and licorice. Traveler’s Stem and Lamb’s Ear Herb could be substituted with goji berries, reishi, fleeceflower root, ginseng, royal jelly, and notoginseng. White Jade Fruit could be replaced with codonopsis, five-fingered peach, and eucommia bark. Nightshade Grass could be substituted with climbing fern, bone-setting herb, nux vomica, angelica, and salvia. Houndvine and Star Herb could be replaced by deer antler and dipsacus root.

She would choose substitutes that were as inexpensive as possible. Every herb that could serve as a replacement would be recorded, and tested one by one.

Although she had told the outside world that research would not begin until next year, her habit had always been to prepare in advance: to consider every possible outcome, devise responses for all of them, and not act blindly just for the sake of doing research.

After copying down the list of herbs, Zhong Yuxiu took it in hand and went downstairs.

When Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo heard the movement, they looked up together and rose to their feet. “Comrade Zhong.”

“You’re here just in time.” She came to a stop before them and handed over the copied list. “These are the herbs I need. They must be fresh herbs, not dried ones. I’ll be counting on you.”

Dried medicinal herbs had their active properties destroyed and could not serve as research material.

“You flatter us.” Hao Nan accepted the list. Tian Shangguo’s gaze never wavered; he looked Zhong Yuxiu straight in the eye the entire time and did not glance at a single character on the page. “I’ll contact Comrade Xi Nian at once.”

“Xi Nian has only just returned. It wouldn’t be proper to have him come again. Let Comrade Yan help me find the herbs instead.”

Hao Nan was puzzled. “Comrade Xi Nian has more connections and would find it easier to mobilize people. Why look for Yan Rushan?”

“Give it to me. There’s no need to report this matter upward.” She held out her hand for the list, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Hao Nan nodded and handed it back. “All right. I won’t report it.”

“I won’t mention it either.” Tian Shangguo gave his assurance.

Zhong Yuxiu trusted them. Both men were extremely reliable; once they gave their word, they would not break it.

She took back the list, folded it, and slipped it into her pocket. Seeing how little importance the two of them seemed to attach to it, Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo both relaxed.

Taking in their expressions, Zhong Yuxiu smiled. If she had shown too much concern just now, they would have felt burdened, thinking she had entrusted them with something of great importance, perhaps another major research project. But because she had treated it lightly, even casually, they would instinctively assume it was nothing critical.

Knowing people too well made it easy to grasp their limits and measure.

“Where’s Goudan?”

Hao Nan looked toward the bathroom. “Inside. It’s washing clothes.”

“I see.” Zhong Yuxiu drew the words out, then returned to a smooth cadence. “Then you two go ahead and get busy. I’ll sit in the main hall for a while.”

“All right. Call us if you need anything.”

The two of them moved off, though they did not leave the hall. Instead, they took newspapers from the side and began to read. In the daytime, if Zhong Yuxiu did not go out, they would not go out either unless something urgent came up.

The hall fell quiet.

Zhong Yuxiu leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought, until Goudan came out carrying a wooden basin. She turned her head. “Goudan, once the clothes are hung up, start lunch. Make a couple of extra dishes today. By the way, what ingredients are left in the kitchen?”

“Comrade Zhong, there’s meat and vegetables in the kitchen. Mostly radishes and cabbage. There are only a few small side dishes.” Tian Shangguo answered for it.

“Then just make whatever you can.” Zhong Yuxiu gave up on choosing. “Also, can’t you get any other vegetables outside?”

“Right now, every household is short of food,” Tian Shangguo said.

“All right.” Zhong Yuxiu said, “Goudan, bring me paper and a pen in a little while.”

“Beep.” Goudan agreed.

Zhong Yuxiu smiled and leaned back on the sofa again. “We should keep more paper and pens downstairs. It’s always such a hassle running upstairs whenever we need them.”

“All right. Since there’s nothing to do at the moment, I’ll go out for a bit.” Tian Shangguo nodded and gathered up the newspapers, preparing to leave.

“No need to rush.”

Tian Shangguo said, “We have nothing else to do staying home either.”

Seeing that she could not talk him out of it, and not wanting to be stubborn over such a small matter, Zhong Yuxiu let him go.

When Goudan finished hanging the clothes and came back, it also brought her the paper and pen. Zhong Yuxiu immediately drew up a diagram of a soybean milk maker. “Comrade Hao, please take this to Comrade Xi Nian. Once it’s made, I want one. As for the rest, I don’t care how they handle them.”

“All right.” Hao Nan rose and came over, took the drawing, and left.

With two people gone from the house, it felt a little emptier. She looked up at Goudan. “Once the soybean milk maker is finished, we’ll be able to make soy milk. Not just soy milk either—fruit juice and vegetable juice too. Then make me some vegetable noodles sometime.”

“Very well, Master.” With no outsiders in the house, Goudan was no longer a silent robot. “The oil fume extractor you gave them last time still hasn’t been delivered. Haven’t they built it yet?”

Zhong Yuxiu shook her head. “I haven’t asked them. It’s been so long that even if they haven’t finished it, they should have some idea by now. No hurry. Once they start selling them, we’ll be able to use one sooner or later.”

“Everything you say is right.”