The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 2169 - 2144: Acupuncture, Anyone?

The taxes that the herdsmen on the grasslands have to pay are different from those of the people in the Central Plains.

In the Central Plains, ordinary people, besides the individual tax and labor duties, only have the land rent of Koufen Fields, which is forty to one, not very burdensome.

Even in places like Qili Village, where there are more mountains than cultivable land, Koufen Fields are often allocated as uncultivable mountains. But when Yongye Fields are full, paying the forty to one tax on Koufen Fields isn’t that hard to accept.

Moreover, Luojiang County has always been poor, but the past three county magistrates have been quite decent, knowing that Koufen Fields are mostly mountains and do not generate income. Thus, the baseline was not set high, and forty to one isn’t much. In comparison, the individual tax is somewhat higher.

But it’s not like this on the grasslands. Besides the individual tax, they don’t have labor duties but instead are required to serve in the military. During wartime, the Great Jin would directly conscript soldiers from here into the camps.

There is no donation or tribute, but there is a tax on grazing. Bai Shan calculated it quietly and found it’s much higher than for the people of the Central Plains.

However, the ordinary herdsmen weren’t too worried about this because, under the previous khanate of the Great Jin, even they themselves weren’t considered their own, let alone the cattle and horses they raised.

With just one order from the Khan, these small tribes had to pay tribute. If they didn’t comply, they could be sent to the front lines to face the stones.

So they didn’t feel it was unfair at this moment; they just disliked being conscripted for military service from time to time, "Three years ago, when the Heavenly Khan wanted to attack Gaochang, we were summoned to guard Liangzhou and ended up fighting with the invading Tubo people. Our tribe lost eight people."

"How many of you went?"

"Twelve. Now only two are still in the army because they didn’t lose a leg and couldn’t return." Speaking of this, the herdsman proudly thrust his injured leg forward for Bai Shan to see and boasted, "When charging, my horse was struck by a stray arrow. I was quick-witted and rolled down with my head covered. By the time I rolled to the roadside, only this leg was stepped on by a passing horse, and then I didn’t die, just got burned a little."

Bai Shan: "...And why was the other able to come back?"

"Oh, his luck was even better. During a fight, he had an arm hacked off, but he chopped off his opponent’s head and came back with some money from An’s Family. He bought fifty little lambs with that money. Combined with the cattle and sheep he already had, he immediately became the eighth wealthiest family in the tribe."

Bai Shan, feeling complicated, said, "...That’s very fortunate."

The herdsman said joyfully, "But I’m not that bad either. The money I brought back bought ten little lambs."

Bai Shan, full of mixed feelings, couldn’t speak for a while, "Do you think life is better now or fifteen years ago?"

Fifteen years ago, Xiangli Khan was still in power.

After thinking for a while, the herdsman said, "Not much difference, but now there’s less warfare than back then, so not as many of our people die. Plus, we’ve got merchants. It’s easier than before to buy millet, tea leaves, and salt. My father only raised me, but out of my five children, three survived."

Not having children of his own, Bai Shan couldn’t quite grasp this pride, but he knew that in the Central Plains, the child survival rate wasn’t high, let alone on the grasslands.

He said no more.

Yin Huo, sitting quietly to the side, didn’t speak either. He pulled at some grass beside him, weaving it randomly, and seemed a bit disdainful of his own handiwork, so he was about to throw it away.

After glancing at it, Bai Shan said, "That’s safflower, it can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis."

Upon hearing this, the herdsman immediately looked at the grass in Yin Huo’s hand with keen eyes and asked, "Young Master Bai, is this medicine?"

Bai Shan smiled and nodded, "Yes."

"Can we sell what we pick to the merchants then?"

"Of course you can."

The herdsman worried, "Will they take it?"

Bai Shan laughed, "Of course they will, and haven’t you been selling your herbs to Fourth Brother Zhou these past two years? He’ll take it."

The herdsman shyly smiled and said, "That’s not certain. Master Zhou Si is very strict. He inspects herbs thoroughly, and won’t allow any mixed grass."

Bai Shan’s smile froze for a moment, then he said, "Medicine is not like other things; it goes into patients’ mouths. If mixed with something else, not to mention the efficacy, it could potentially cause poisoning or the like, so it must indeed be taken seriously."

The herdsman smiled awkwardly and nodded. They didn’t understand before and thought they were all grass anyway, wondering how much difference it could make?

Now, after seeing Zhou Man using those herbs to treat the children and people in the tribe, they no longer underestimated these medicinal herbs.

At this moment, Manbao also squatted in the Tutu tribe, sorting through the herbs they collected, picking up a plant to first ask Aynara and the others their name and use for it, and then she would tell them her known name and use.

She said, "Many herbs can be sourced locally, but some aren’t found here, so you’ll have to buy them. If I tell you too much, you won’t remember, so I’ll just tell you about the herbs you can find here to treat smallpox."

But after teaching them, she provided special training to Aynara, "You don’t have all the herbs for treating smallpox, but you do have herbs for treating common colds and such basic illnesses."

Aynara’s eyes lit up instantly.

Manbao said, "Don’t stick strictly to the prescriptions; I suddenly thought that you could concoct one or two prescriptions based on the herbs you can find here. Do you know what herbs are around here?"

The names Aynara mentioned were somewhat different from what Manbao knew, but once she described them, Manbao understood which herbs she meant, so she wrote them down. Then after glancing at the still-memorizing Agu trio, she stood up and said, "You guys memorize the prescriptions first. When I return, I’ll continue teaching you how to feel the pulse. I’ll simulate the pulse signs of smallpox patients for you."

Manbao turned and went to the carriage to find the herbs she’d been collecting.

Among them were plants that Keke had identified, but most came from her wandering around the grasslands spotting herbs.

Whenever she saw a medicinal plant she recognized, she couldn’t help but dig it up, feeling it was all due to Keke’s guidance.

So her knowledge of the grassland’s medicinal plants was no less than Aynara’s.

She took out the herbs that were dried or in the process of drying, selecting a few from each species, and handed them to Zhou Liru, "Write down the medicinal names and effects, and attach them for Aynara."

Zhou Liru took the herbs, sorted them, set the ones needing further drying outside on wooden boards, and brought the dried ones inside the tent.

Only then did Manbao retrieve a packet of needles and return to Dai Yi and the other three. Sitting back in her spot, she waved her hand, "Go and call in those men, women, the old and the young for pulse diagnosis."

Now, the Tutu tribe had designated individuals who stayed in the tribe for pulse training. When not needed, they worked in the camp. When needed, they would come over, roll up their sleeves, and let them feel the pulse, acting as learning models.

However, this pulse diagnosis was different from previous occasions because, this time, before diagnosing, Manbao would perform acupuncture.

Seeing acupuncture for the first time, the herdsmen were stunned, especially as Manbao pulled out the first needle, which was that long...

They shivered all over, looking at Manbao with faces full of terror.