"Yeah, we all understand that, but the people in charge don’t!" Hua Lingfang’s face was full of disappointment.
Ren Yuanyang looked at him and said in a low voice, "Elder Hua, it’s not that you couldn’t get that degree, is it? It’s that you’re disappointed in the higher-ups."
Traditional Chinese medicine is an incredibly vast system. For someone who can master it, learning the material for a specialized medical degree would be a piece of cake. Passing the exams would be absolutely no problem!
Hua Lingfang was slightly taken aback, then sighed. "Ai... The medical arts developed in the Dragon Country over thousands of years have been shattered by Western medicine, which has only been around for a few hundred. It’s truly heartbreaking!"
Ren Yuanyang smiled. "Now is the perfect time for traditional medicine to regain its glory. In the current situation, all kinds of diagnostic equipment are surely not as available as before. Those Western doctors won’t know how to diagnose anyone without their machines!"
Hua Lingfang paused, then nodded. But then he shook his head with a wry smile. "But just staying alive is a problem now. Who has time to worry about getting treated?"
"You can’t say that. Once things stabilize, survival won’t be the main issue." Ren Yuanyang extended a very sincere invitation. "So, would you be willing to become the head of our base’s Medical Department?"
Hearing this, Hua Lingfang froze.
’In his view, Ren Yuanyang and the others are all young people. They should be advocates for Western medicine. Even if they knew I practiced traditional medicine, they should have been disdainful!’
At his side, Hua Wen quickly nudged his grandfather. "Grandpa, hurry up and say yes!"
Hua Lingfang came back to his senses and asked again to confirm, "Are you sure you want me to be in charge of the base’s medical care?"
"Of course. But right now, our base doesn’t have many medicinal herbs!" Ren Yuanyang nodded, shrugging helplessly.
"Alright. I will do my utmost to ensure everyone’s health!" Hua Lingfang was a little emotional. He could tell from Ren Yuanyang’s words that he truly believed in traditional medicine!
"Good. I’ll introduce you to the others during breakfast," Ren Yuanyang said with a slight nod.
Hua Lingfang nodded. "Okay. If everyone isn’t busy right now, you can all come and practice this Five Animals Qigong. It’s good for your health!"
"Perfect, I’ve been wanting to learn the Five Animals Qigong myself!" Ren Yuanyang agreed with a nod.
Hua Lingfang immediately began to explain the movements of the Five Animals Qigong.
"First, we’ll learn the Tiger Frolic. Curl your fingers into a tiger’s claw, palms facing down..."
Hua Lingfang demonstrated as he explained.
Ren Yuanyang followed his movements through one set. He was surprised to find himself breaking a light sweat, and he felt completely refreshed and invigorated.
’Looks like Elder Hua really knows his stuff!’
"Boss, breakfast is ready!" Xin Wan called out.
"Let’s go!"
Ren Yuanyang led them to the slightly larger military speedboat.
Entering the speedboat’s cabin for the first time, Hua Lingfang and his grandson seemed a little reserved.
But Hua Wen’s attention was quickly captured by the aroma of congee and meat. He stared at the food on the table, swallowing hard.
Ren Yuanyang went and sat down directly, saying, "Everyone, have a seat. First, let me make an introduction. This is Elder Hua Lingfang. From now on, he will be in charge of the base’s medical affairs."
Lu Jiamei and the other woman greeted him and introduced themselves.
After the introductions, Hua Lingfang asked in disbelief, "Is this everyone at our base?"
’Including him and his grandson, there are only six people in total. This has to be the smallest base in existence!’
’In fact, you couldn’t even call this a base.’
"For now, it is just us, so everyone will need to share the workload," Ren Yuanyang replied with a nod.
Hua Lingfang nodded slightly. "I understand. If there’s anything you need, Sir, just give the order. These old bones of mine can still do some work!"
Just then, Hua Wen, who had been staring at the food the whole time, spoke up. "My grandpa is amazing! He always goes into the mountains to gather herbs by himself. There are lots of herbs other people can’t find, but he can!"
Ren Yuanyang finally understood how this old man and young boy had managed to survive until now. It was all because they were tough as nails.
’The two of them look a bit weak, most likely due to hunger.’
"Alright, let’s eat first. Our resources are limited right now, so we only have rice congee for now. But, there’s enough for everyone to eat their fill!" Ren Yuanyang said with a nod.
Hearing this, Hua Lingfang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "Sir, your ’limited’ conditions are a paradise that all other survivors can only dream of!"
Lu Jiamei and the others all nodded in agreement.
Ren Yuanyang replied with a smile, "This is just the beginning. In a couple of days, once our food supplies are more abundant, we’ll have Xin Wan cook us a feast to try!"
"Will there be meat?" Qin Haonan asked indistinctly, his mouth full as he slurped a mouthful of congee from his bowl.
"Of course not. We need those small animals to breed and expand our stock. Don’t even think about it!" Lu Jiamei shot him a look and retorted.
Hua Lingfang didn’t know what "small animals" they were talking about, so he didn’t join the discussion and just listened quietly.
Meanwhile, Hua Wen kept his eyes fixed on the slice of meat on top of the white congee in the plastic cup before him. Only after everyone else had picked up their bowls and started eating did he lift the plastic cup and pour the meat and congee into his mouth.
Chewing on that small piece of meat, Hua Wen’s eyes narrowed in bliss.
"So fragrant, so delicious!"
The meat slices used for breakfast today were cured crocodile meat. It was on the salty side, but it was perfect when eaten with the congee.
Ren Yuanyang took a sip of the crocodile blood congee, looked at the plastic cups Hua Lingfang and his grandson were using, and said, "We don’t have any spare bowls or chopsticks right now, so you’ll have to make do with the plastic cups for now."
Hua Lingfang held up the plastic cup in his hand. "This plastic cup works just fine!"
But the plastic cup immediately warped, and the congee filling it nearly spilled. Hua Lingfang quickly supported one side, adjusting his grip on the cup to keep it from spilling.
"Looks like you still have to be a bit careful when using them!" Ren Yuanyang said, shaking his head with a smile. "Once the moso bamboo grows, we’ll just use it to make some bamboo bowls and chopsticks!"
Hua Lingfang was a little embarrassed, but when he heard Ren Yuanyang mention making bamboo bowls from moso bamboo, he frowned slightly. "Sir, are you talking about that moso bamboo shoot we brought with us?"
Ren Yuanyang was a bit surprised. "You knew that plant you found was moso bamboo?"
Hua Lingfang nodded. "I used to see it often in the mountains. We also frequently used moso bamboo to make things like tables, chairs, and benches, or to weave various tools, so I’m quite familiar with it!"
"So Elder Hua has this skill too! Looks like we’ll be counting on you for our furniture in the future!" Ren Yuanyang was even more delighted.
’I can’t believe the person Qin Haonan brought back is a multi-skilled talent!’
Hua Lingfang gave a wry smile. "As long as there’s bamboo, making furniture and tools is no problem. But that bamboo is just a seedling right now. It will take at least three years for it to mature enough to be used!"
"That was before. It won’t take three years now!" Qin Haonan said with a laugh.
Hua Lingfang was taken aback. "You mean that moso bamboo seedling has evolved?"
"You bet it has!" Qin Haonan said with absolute certainty.
Hua Lingfang grew even more confused. "Can you tell it’s an Evolutionary Form just by looking at the seedling?"

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