Chapter 194: Establishing a Treatment System
Jian Mo quickly washed up, put on a coat, and headed downstairs.
Yun Long raised a hand in greeting. “Doctor Jian Mo.”
Jian Mo returned the greeting. “What brings you here so early? Come in and have some tea.”
As he spoke, Jian Mo ruffled He Feng’s head and told the younglings, “Go play outside, okay?”
He Feng looked up. “Brother Jian Mo, where’s Chirpy?”
Jian Mo replied, “Probably out with Ying Ao. They’ll be back soon.”
Satisfied, the younglings ran off after getting their answer.
Jian Mo invited the Meng Shui Tribe members and the bird beastmen inside, then went to the kitchen to fetch a kettle and made tea for everyone. After bustling around for a while, they all settled down to talk.
Yun Long started. “We came to ask for your advice about farming.”
Jian Mo nodded. “You’ve planted quite a bit, haven’t you? Is it not going well?”
Yun Long admitted, “We’ll be honest with you—it’s not going well in our first year.”
Jian Mo asked, “What exactly is the problem?”
Yun Long gestured to illustrate. “The plants are thin and stunted, the leaves are yellow and sparse, and they look half-dead.”
Jian Mo was surprised. “That bad?”
Wan Zheng, sitting nearby, confirmed, “It’s true. The crops they planted look completely different from the ones grown by the Yu Qi Tribe.”
Yun Long added, “Our tribes are so close. Why don’t you come over and take a look, Doctor Jian Mo?”
After some thought, Jian Mo agreed. He was about to suggest waiting for Wu Jiong or Chirpy to return, but Wan Zheng interrupted, “Brother Jian Mo, we can carry you there.”
Jian Mo smiled. “Thanks for the help, then.”
He left a note for Wu Jiong, complete with drawings, explaining that he had gone to the Meng Shui Tribe.
Everyone watched him write the note, their curiosity piqued.
Jian Mo said, “I’m starting lessons this winter. If anyone wants to learn to read, you can come and join.”
The Meng Shui Tribe members hadn’t responded yet, but the bird beastmen all shook their heads vehemently, looking alarmed. “No way, Brother Jian Mo! Please don’t tell our chief about this.”
Jian Mo laughed. “Is it that bad?”
Wan Zheng replied, “We just don’t like sitting through lessons.”
The bird beastmen preferred the freedom of the skies.
Soon, everyone was ready to leave. Wan Zheng carried Jian Mo, and they reached the Meng Shui Tribe quickly.
Yun Long and his people led Jian Mo to their newly planted vegetables. Like the He’an Tribe, the Meng Shui Tribe had planted their crops near the river for easier watering and harvesting.
Yun Long explained, “Our vegetables are the same as yours, but for some reason, they look half-dead here.”
Jian Mo inspected the soil and immediately commented, “You planted your crops in sandy soil. We planted ours in loamy soil. That’s a huge difference—how can it be the same?”
Yun Long was confused. “Isn’t it all riverbank soil?”
Jian Mo shook his head. “Not at all. This is sandy soil. Sandy soil has low fertility and poor water retention. Over time, it can become more suitable for farming, but when you first cultivate it, the results won’t be great.”
Yun Long nodded in realization. “So that’s the issue.”
Jian Mo suggested, “The flat land across from your tribe looks much better. The soil there is fertile and closer to your village. There’s no need to plant everything by the river. We use the riverbank because it suits us, but it’s clearly not suitable for you.”
Yun Long asked, “What should we do now? Should we transplant these crops to the other side?”
Jian Mo gently shook one of the plants. “It’s too late for that. The crops have already grown too much, and even if you try to save them, they won’t recover. Start fresh. Luckily, I brought some seedlings and seeds with me. If you want, I can share them.”
Yun Long was delighted. “That would be great. We’ll trade supplies for them.”
Jian Mo replied, “If you have time now, I can show you how to prepare the land. Plowing and creating ridges will make planting easier.”
Yun Long agreed. “We have time. I’ll call for tools right away.”
Being neighbors with frequent exchanges, Jian Mo didn’t charge the Meng Shui Tribe for teaching them how to farm. The Meng Shui people were diligent workers. When Yun Long called for help, a crowd quickly arrived with various tools.
Without the need for plows or rakes, they used hoes to clear the flat land across the river. They removed stones and roots, crushed the soil, and created ridges directly on-site.
In just one day, they had transformed a large patch of wasteland into farmland.
Jian Mo picked up some soil and examined it. “The fertility here is still lacking. If you want better results, apply a base fertilizer first. Does your tribe have any stored?”
Yun Long shook his head decisively. “No.”
Jian Mo suggested, “In that case, come to the He’an Tribe and trade for some.”
The group headed to the He’an Tribe, coinciding with the Meng Shui people picking up their younglings from lessons. Once there, Jian Mo showed them the compost piles fermenting in the back hills.
“This fertilizer includes waste from winged beasts, Tou Tou Beasts, river wool beasts, and long-tailed birds. We also added a large amount of dried grass. It’s been fermenting here for at least six months, and it’s ready to use.”
The pile had been sitting for so long that the dried grass on the surface had started to decompose. Various seeds had taken root, sprouting green shoots.
Yun Long asked, “Why leave it out in the open? Aren’t you worried about rain?”
Jian Mo explained, “As long as it doesn’t rain heavily for extended periods, it’s fine. The dried grass helps protect it. That’s one reason we add so much grass during fermentation. You can do the same when making your own fertilizer.”
Yun Long asked, “Does it have to ferment for six months?”
“Roughly,” Jian Mo said. “Fermentation generates heat, which kills parasites and pathogens in the compost. Once it’s fully broken down, you won’t risk burning the plants.”
Noticing their confusion, Jian Mo quickly added, “I’m not too clear on the details either. Just follow this method. If you’re unsure, try using raw manure directly and compare the results. You’ll see why fermentation is necessary.”
Yun Long nodded in understanding.
Jian Mo continued, “If you’re in a hurry, you can layer dried grass and manure, then set it on fire. Once the fire burns out and the ash cools, you can use it as fertilizer. It works well.”
Yun Long asked, “Does it have to be winged beast manure? We’ve ordered a winged beast from the Tian Ning Tribe, but it won’t arrive anytime soon.”
Jian Mo replied, “It doesn’t have to be. Tou Tou Beasts or any animal manure will work.”
Yun Long nodded again. “Got it.”
Since they were already there, Jian Mo gave them some compost, seedlings, and seeds to take back. That evening, he helped them plant the seedlings and sow the seeds. He promised to stay in touch if they ran into issues later.
Yun Long agreed and said he’d send supplies over as thanks the next day.
Word of Jian Mo and Wu Jiong’s return spread quickly through the He’an Tribe. Many people came to trade for scar ointment.
Jian Mo happily exchanged the ointment for supplies, collecting a variety of ingredients in return.
With some free time, Jian Mo used the ingredients to make snacks. While drafting teaching materials, he would brew tea and nibble on the snacks.
He made enough snacks to share, sending some to Ji Xun and Zhuo Zhi with the help of the bird beastmen. Both were expecting children and often got hungry. Snacks would help keep them comfortable.
After receiving the snacks, Ji Xun sent back a basket of assorted nuts as a return gift through Mo Ah.
Zhuo Zhi, in turn, sent over some dried vegetables and candied fruits via the bird beastmen as thanks.
That day, another group arrived from afar to exchange for scar ointments and some common medicines.
Jian Mo had recently started preparing medicinal oil for treating injuries like bruises and sprains, which had become quite popular. As for ointments for insect bites, the ones made by the Meng Shui Tribe were far superior. Realizing this, Jian Mo had stopped making his own and now directed anyone seeking such ointments to trade with the Meng Shui Tribe instead. The Meng Shui Tribe had good relations with them and didn’t ask for much in return.
The visitors this time requested a relatively large amount of ointment. After counting, Jian Mo told them, “Some of the ointments are upstairs. Please wait a moment while I fetch them.”
The visitors replied quickly, “No problem, we’ll wait here. No rush.”
Jian Mo smiled. “Help yourselves to some tea in the meantime.”
He went upstairs to retrieve the ointments. When he came back with a basket, he overheard the group discussing gossip about nearby tribes, specifically something about a youngling.
Although he didn’t catch the details, he heard that the youngling wasn’t in good health. He asked, “What’s wrong with the youngling? Why is their health poor?”
One of the visitors replied, “We’re not sure. I heard the youngling was born very weak and thin, completely unlike a normal youngling.”
“Apparently, it’s a beast cub, but they’re not sure if it’ll survive.”
Jian Mo guessed, “Is it congenital weakness?”
“Probably. The people from the Li Chi Tribe don’t like talking about it. I only overheard bits and pieces, so I’m not sure.”
Jian Mo hadn’t expected the youngling to belong to the Li Chi Tribe. He remembered staying with them during a trading trip and helping many of their people pierce their ears. He had a good impression of the Li Chi Tribe, finding them warm and straightforward.
“Since that’s the case,” Jian Mo said, “why don’t the Li Chi Tribe bring the youngling here for a checkup?”
“Can you treat a youngling in poor health? They don’t seem to think it’s an illness—just weakness. In the past, when younglings were born weak, people would try to raise them if possible, but if not, they’d give up.”
“In the old days, when resources were scarce, tribes would sometimes abandon weak younglings outright, thinking it wasn’t worth the effort since they’d grow up weak anyway.”
While such things might have happened in the past, times are different now.
Jian Mo said, “Just because a youngling doesn’t look sick doesn’t mean there’s no problem. A thorough examination could reveal something. Many weak younglings suffer from incomplete development, which can sometimes be treated.”
Thinking about the fragile young life, Jian Mo emphasized, “There’s no guarantee the treatment will work, but bringing the youngling here is better than doing nothing. If it’s convenient, could you please pass on a message to the Li Chi Tribe, asking them to bring the youngling here?”
The visitors, who were from the Shan Ming Tribe, agreed readily. Their tribe was located above the Li Chi Tribe, so they could easily stop by the Li Chi settlement on their way back.
Jian Mo personally asked for their help, and they happily promised to pass on the message. However, they couldn’t guarantee whether the Li Chi Tribe would send the youngling.
To express his gratitude, Jian Mo gave them some medicinal oil for treating bruises and sprains. The group was delighted with the gift and promised to do their best to persuade the Li Chi Tribe.
When Qing Kuo heard about this, he came to ask Jian Mo, “When did you start treating younglings? Isn’t it said that treating them is much harder than treating adults?”
Jian Mo nodded. “It is more complicated, but there are similarities too. I’d say I’ve officially become a shaman doctor now. I have my own understanding of many illnesses and have developed a treatment system. I can give it a try.”
Curious, he asked, “Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”
Qing Kuo explained, “Younglings are the most important to every tribe. I’m just worried you might not be confident enough.”
Jian Mo thought for a moment. “Confidence is hard to have without seeing the youngling first. But if I truly can’t handle it, we can always visit the Chu Xing Tribe or refer the Li Chi Tribe to them. It’s a life, after all. We can’t just do nothing.”
Qing Kuo sighed. “You’re the very definition of a compassionate healer.”
Jian Mo smiled lightly. “I’m not that noble. I just think that if it’s a tribe I know and I can help, I should do what I can.”
Thanks for the chapter!