My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 991: Encounter in the Mountains
Moreover, leeches have a longer history of use.

The Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica records a case in the Tang Dynasty's Thousand Golden Prescriptions where live leeches were used to suck the pus and blood from carbuncles.

Physicians in the Qing Dynasty used it for stroke and arthralgia.

Chen Ling squatted down and carefully looked at the dark brown creatures slowly wriggling among the fallen leaves.

These leeches live in deep mountains and forests, in a clean environment free from pesticide pollution, so their quality should be excellent.

If we could cultivate clean, medical-grade leeches, just like we cultivate sterile maggots…

His mind started working.

While maggot therapy is effective, it is only suitable for debridement.

Leech therapy can address a wider range of ailments: blood stasis and swelling, varicose veins, postoperative blood stasis, and even as an adjunct treatment for blood stasis syndromes such as hypertension and heart disease.

Moreover, leeches are more acceptable to people than maggots.

Although it's scary, at least it doesn't immediately evoke images of rot or toilets like maggots.

Chen Ling stood up and looked around.

This shady and damp forest, rich in humus, with a mountain stream flowing nearby, is indeed a good environment for leeches to breed.

The villagers probably regarded it as a pest and avoided it at all costs.

Little did they know that these "pests" covering the ground were actually a crawling "medicinal herb storehouse".

He walked along the edge of the woods for a while and found that the distribution of leeches was very regular: the more humid the place, the thicker the decaying leaves, and the closer to the water source, the more leeches there were.

Rainwater had accumulated in the depressions at the base of some old trees, and there were more than a dozen leeches coiled and intertwined inside, a sight that made one's scalp tingle.

Chen Ling, however, became more and more interested as he looked at it.

He broke off a thin bamboo twig and carefully picked up a leech from the puddle.

The leeches were about the thickness of a finger and about three inches long, with soft and elastic bodies, wriggling and struggling on the bamboo branches.

Chen Ling carefully observed its mouthparts and suckers, and then gently pinched its body wall.

Thick, plump, and full of vitality.

"Good stuff," he muttered to himself.

Just as I was about to continue observing, I heard footsteps behind me.

Chen Ling turned around and saw that it was Old Man Yao walking over with a bamboo basket on his back.

"Fugui, what are you doing wandering around in the woods so early?"

Old Man Yao approached and saw the bamboo stick and leeches in Chen Ling's hand. His expression changed. "Oh dear! Throw them away! These things suck people's blood!"

Chen Ling smiled and shook the leeches back into the puddle: "Uncle Yao, I'm not afraid, I just wanted to take a look."

"Why can't you look at this?"

Old Yao shook his head. "There's been a lot of rain lately, and there are a lot of leeches too. The kids in the village don't dare to play in the woods anymore. The day before yesterday, Old Zhang's grandson got bitten and bled a lot. He cried so much."

Chen Ling's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Uncle Yao, does no one in the village use leeches to treat illnesses?"

"Cure illnesses?" Old Yao was taken aback. "This thing can cure illnesses? It's good enough if it doesn't make you sick! We mountain people, if we get bitten by a leech, we burn it or sprinkle salt on it and let it fall off on its own. Who would use it to cure illnesses?"

Chen Ling explained: "Ancient medical books record that leeches can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. For some problems such as swelling and pain caused by blood stasis, using live leeches to suck blood can be effective."

Old Man Yao was skeptical: "Really? I've lived for over sixty years, and this is the first time I've heard of leeches being able to cure diseases. But..."

He thought for a moment: "Now that you mention it, I remember something. A few years ago, there was an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor in town who seemed to have used dried leeches to treat people. Is this what you're talking about?"

"Dried leeches are medicinal materials, while live leeches are used for treatment; they are different."

Chen Ling asked, "Uncle Yao, have there always been so many leeches in this forest?"

"That's not it."

Old Yao put down his bamboo basket, took out his pipe and lit it. "There are leeches in previous years too, but not as many as this year. This rain has been long, the ground is wet, and the leeches have multiplied like crazy. Look over there..."

He pointed deep into the woods: "There's a small pool over there that never dries up, and it's teeming with leeches, so densely packed that I don't dare go near it."

Chen Ling looked in the direction he pointed and saw the water shimmering faintly through the trees.

He was just about to go over and take a look.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them again.

"Mr. Chen? It's been a long time!"

A woman's voice came from behind.

Chen Ling paused and looked back.

A tall figure stood on the misty forest path.

She was a foreign woman, about thirty years old, and very beautiful.

Her long, dark brown hair was tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head. She wore durable khaki outdoor work clothes and high-top hiking boots.

He also had a bulging canvas bag slung over his back.

It's Eva.

Chen Ling stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and smiled, "Eva, long time no see."

Eva walked quickly closer, a surprised smile on her face, her blue eyes sparkling: "It really is you, Chen! I heard people at the village entrance say you were here, and I couldn't quite believe it... I never expected to meet you here again."

Her Chinese is more fluent than that of many Chinese people, and her vocabulary is particularly accurate.

Chen Ling nodded: "I came to visit relatives. Are you still in Fenglei Town? The mountain roads are so difficult to travel, I thought you had already left."

"No, we're still here."

Eva walked over to Chen Ling, looking curiously at the bamboo stick in his hand and the wriggling black creatures, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Mr. Chen, what are you... doing?"

Her gaze shifted back and forth between the leeches and Chen Ling's face, clearly unable to comprehend why anyone would willingly approach these creepy creatures.

Chen Ling put down the bamboo branch: "I want to collect some medicinal herbs."

"Medicine?"

Eva opened her eyes wide and moved closer to examine the leeches carefully.

"These...insects? Are they medicinal herbs?"

"In traditional Chinese medicine, it is called leech and has the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis."

Chen Ling gave a brief explanation, not intending to discuss it in detail.

"Fugui, you guys chat, I'm going up the mountain."

When Old Man Yao saw Chen Ling chatting with the foreign woman, he couldn't get a word in edgewise, so he turned and left.

Eva, however, was very interested.

She was part of the team, assisting with field expeditions and biological research, so she was particularly sensitive to this kind of topic: "You mean, these blood-sucking aquatic creatures can be used for medical purposes?"

"Yes."

Chen Ling bent down and gently picked up a plump leech with a bamboo stick. "The saliva of live leeches contains anticoagulant components, which can help treat some blood stasis syndromes. After drying and processing, it can also be used in medicine to break up blood stasis."

He spoke concisely, but his hand movements were very steady.

The leech wriggled on the bamboo branch, its suckers clearly visible. An ordinary person would probably get goosebumps just looking at it, but Chen Ling remained calm. Eva stared at the leech for a few seconds, then suddenly looked up at Chen Ling, her eyes filled with admiration: "Chen, you always manage to surprise people. These methods of treating illnesses with insects are also used in Western medicine, but they are very specialized medical procedures, yet you are so familiar with them."

She paused, then tentatively asked, "What do you plan to do with these leeches? Research new treatments?"

Chen Ling gently placed the leeches back on the damp rocks and straightened up: "I'm just collecting some samples to check the quality. The environment in this forest of Yaowangzhai is good, and the leeches are plump, so their medicinal properties should be good."

He didn't elaborate.

Cultivate medical-grade live leeches and establish a standardized process from collection to application.

These ideas are naturally not disclosed to outsiders.

Eva, however, sensed something from his attitude and snippets of conversation.

She recalled the various rumors she had heard in Fenglei Town over the past few days regarding flood prevention in Chenwangzhuang.

Then look at this young Chinese man, calmly studying leeches while squatting deep in the mountains...

"Mr. Chen."

Eva said earnestly, "If you need help, such as collecting samples, recording data, or needing some foreign literature, I'd be happy to help. I minored in biology in college and I also know some modern biomedical research methods."

Chen Ling glanced at her and nodded slightly: "Thank you. I'll contact you if I need anything."

These words were spoken politely, yet carried a clear sense of distance.

It was a polite refusal, not a warm acceptance.

Eva understood and didn't press the matter, simply smiling, "Then I won't bother you any longer. But..."

She pointed to the dense swarms of leeches by the pool: "Be careful. These creatures may be useful, but they suck blood. Please be careful when handling them."

"I will," Chen Ling nodded.

Eva glanced at the leeches again, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end she just waved her hand: "Then I'll go back to town first. Mr. Chen, I hope to hear about your new discoveries about these 'medicinal herbs' when we meet next time."

"Goodbye."

Chen Ling watched Eva's figure disappear into the mist of the forest path before turning his gaze away.

The appearance of the foreign woman was a minor incident, but Chen Ling didn't take it to heart.

His attention quickly returned to the pool of water and the leeches in front of him.

Eva's words reminded him.

Simply collecting samples is not enough. To study the medicinal properties of leeches and explore methods for cultivating live leeches for medicinal use, more systematic work is needed.

This forest is rich in high-quality leeches, making it a truly rare "treasure trove".

Chen Ling crouched down and carefully observed the environment around the edge of the pool.

The water in the pool was clear, and the pebbles and decaying leaves at the bottom were visible.

The surrounding area is densely wooded, blocking out the sun and creating a damp microclimate.

This environment is particularly suitable for leeches to reproduce.

They prefer shade and dislike light, and require a humid environment and plenty of humus as their food source.

Chen Ling used a bamboo stick to push aside a few fallen leaves by the pool and found even more tiny leeches underneath, some of which had just hatched and were as thin as hair, slowly wriggling in the moist water film.

"The breeding season..." Chen Ling seemed to be deep in thought.

The continuous rain has made the mountain forests too humid, which makes leeches more active and allows them to reproduce in large numbers.

The timing is perfect if we start systematic data collection and research now.

However, he needs time to do this.

Chen Ling stood up and looked at the sky.

Although the morning mist had not yet dissipated, the eastern horizon was already showing faint signs of dawn, and the clouds were thinner than yesterday.

It shouldn't rain again today.

He had originally planned to return to Chenwangzhuang this morning.

There are still a lot of things to take care of at home. Although the flood control work has been stabilized, there are still follow-up tasks to be done, such as consolidation, inventorying and distributing supplies, and the possible commendations and interviews that may follow.

They all need him to be present.

But now, he has changed his mind.

Now that we've started dealing with leeches, we should strike while the iron is hot.

This forest in Yaowangzhai is a rare find; I don't know when I'll be able to come back again.

Moreover, he also wanted to take this opportunity to observe the ecological changes in the mountains and forests after the rain.

Are there other underlying reasons for the abnormal reactions of those animals?

Chen Ling took out his phone from his pocket, walked to a spot at the edge of the woods where the signal was slightly better, and dialed Zhao Yubao's number.

The phone rang a few times before being answered.

"Hello? Who is this?" It was Zhao Yubao's voice.

"Uncle Zhao, it's me, Chen Ling."

"Fugui?" Zhao Yubao was somewhat surprised. "Didn't you go to Fenglei Town? Why are you calling? What happened?"

"It's nothing, everything is fine," Chen Ling said. "I just wanted to let you know that I plan to stay in Fenglei Town for another day. I have some things to take care of. Please tell my family so that Susu won't worry."

Zhao Yubao breathed a sigh of relief: "I see. Okay, I'll come to your house to talk to you later. Be careful over there, I heard the mountain road has collapsed and is difficult to travel."

"It's been repaired, the boardwalk has been patched up, and it's passable."

Chen Ling paused for a moment, then said, "Also, Uncle Zhao, if anyone from the county or outside comes looking for me, please explain that I'm in Fenglei Town investigating the post-rain forest conditions and will be back by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"Investigating the mountains and forests?" Zhao Yubao was a little puzzled, but he didn't ask any further questions. "Okay, I understand. Be careful, it just rained in the mountains, there are many poisonous insects and wild animals."

"Yes, thank you, Uncle Zhao."

After hanging up the phone, he could now focus on the task at hand.

Chen Ling squatted down again, this time not using a bamboo stick to poke at them, but directly handling the leeches.

Especially the newly hatched leeches, all of them were taken into the cave and immediately isolated.

These leeches are of excellent quality and can be cultivated and studied in a specially designated area after being brought back to the cave.

He looked around to make sure he hadn't missed anything before turning away from the pool and walking back towards the village along the path he had come from.

The mist in the forest dissipated somewhat, and sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, forming bright beams of light.

The birdsong gradually increased, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard from the distant village; a new day had truly begun.

When Chen Ling returned to Wang Qingwen's house, the family was having breakfast.

Seeing him return, Wang Qingwen put down his chopsticks and said, "Lingzi, where did you go so early in the morning? The people in the village said they saw you wandering around in the woods."

"I went to check on the condition of the mountains and forests after the rain." Chen Ling sat down at the table and took the bowl of porridge handed to him by his second sister-in-law. "There are a lot of leeches, so I collected some samples."

"Leech?" Wang Qingwen frowned. "Those things bite, why are you collecting them?"

"Medicinal uses." Chen Ling took a sip of porridge and explained simply, "Leechs can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and treat bruises and joint pain. The leeches in this forest of Yaowangzhai are of good quality. I plan to take them back and study them. Maybe I can come up with some useful prescriptions."

Wang Qingwen was skeptical, but considering his brother-in-law's abilities, he didn't ask any more questions. He simply warned, "You have to be careful not to get bitten. Last year, a dog in the village got a leech in its nostril and was tormented for several days."