The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 381 Adaptation
Once people feel at ease, they will actively integrate into their environment.

The women of the Huang family quickly came to appreciate the benefits of the frontier.

Inside the pass.

Not only in Shangdu, but in any prefecture, married women and unmarried young ladies rarely had the opportunity to leave the second gate of their homes.

They all believe in staying at home and never stepping outside!
Want to break the rules?

Even spittle can drown a person.

Now, there's nowhere in the entire Ganlu River area that women can't go.

Those strong and robust women were working in the fields just like the men, and they were no less capable than the men when it came to carrying manure.

Those young women who had reached marriageable age but were not yet married dared to express their opinions loudly in front of men and even rode horses openly.

Their behavior seemed to have become commonplace to everyone.

Yes.

The current head of Ganluchuan Garrison is General Gan.

General Gan was not only a general, but also a woman!
The women of the Huang family followed suit, like fledglings just released from their cages, roaming outside every day.

I went to see the land reclamation and wheat planting.

I also saw the sweltering heat inside the brick kiln.

They also went to the spring pastures with the children to herd sheep and horses.

I even experienced the joy of riding camels many times.

It's so much more fun than horseback riding!
The ten-year-old great-granddaughter of the Huang family shook her grandmother's arm and said coquettishly:
"Grandma, Grandma, the flatbread from Guanxi is more fragrant than the ones baked in Shangdu, and that emerald green grass rice porridge, I've been eating it for days and I'm still not tired of it."

The old lady felt dizzy from being shaken.

"It's kind of you, a picky eater, to like sesame flatbread. You know, this is where sesame flatbread originated. It's baked in a tandoor oven here, and the sesame seeds make it even more fragrant."

"Hehe, Grandma, tandoor-roasted meat is more unique than flatbread!"

It is indeed a cooking method with a strong Western Region flavor.

In less than ten days since they arrived, General Gan had arranged for them to eat roasted beef, mutton, pigeon, camel, horse, and rabbit meat in tandoor ovens.

In addition, there were the vegetables sent by patients whose conditions had improved.

Indeed, the Huang family's meals were much more abundant than they had been in Shangdu.

I finally managed to lose over ten pounds, but I guess the fat will come back very soon.

The only thing that Huang's family members found somewhat unusual was the limited variety of vegetables available in Ganluchuan.

The most common ones are bean sprouts, scallions, and alfalfa sprouts.

Grandma Huang tapped her granddaughter's nose. "Yesterday your grandfather asked you to memorize the medicinal effects of alfalfa. Have you forgotten it so quickly?"

"I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten! Alfalfa, commonly known as golden flower vegetable, is also called grass head. The 'Essential Techniques for the Common People' records: 'When it is in the early spring, it can be eaten raw and made into a very fragrant soup. It is also suitable for feeding horses, who especially love it. This plant is long-lived, and planting it is a one-time effort for life.' Moreover, alfalfa can benefit the five internal organs and clear internal heat when eaten by humans!"

So, with such good alfalfa sprouts, what more could you ask for?
In the springtime of Northwest China, being able to enjoy such fresh vegetables is already considered a good day.

The food was good.

There was no shortage of clothing fabric, and because it was close to the cotton-producing area, everyone was given a new cotton quilt and a new cotton coat as soon as they arrived.

As for accommodations, they can't yet compare to the grand courtyard of the Huang family's business capital.

But while the craftsmen were building the clinic, the neighbors were also building a three-courtyard house for their family.

I estimate that I'll be able to move in in about a month at most.

They had horse-drawn carriages and camel carts available for travel, and were only two hundred li away from Hami City, the political center of Guanzhong.

Therefore, the women of the Huang family were quite satisfied with the food, clothing, housing, transportation, and overall environment of Ganluchuan.

If you ask the men of the Huang family what they think...

Apart from the eldest son and grandson, all the other nephews and nieces were secretly delighted.

In the past, when I worked in my own clinic, I never had a day off.

Five days on, one day off? Dream on!

They did receive a monthly stipend, but before reaching adulthood, they were all apprentices, receiving at most two taels of silver a month. Living in the capital was extremely difficult.

There's no way there'll be enough to spend!
The clinic in the garrison was perfectly fine.

The food in the cafeteria is good.

Good monthly salary and benefits.

They have money but can't spend it.

It's perfect in every way.

Meanwhile, the expert, Imperial Physician Huang, was in a state of high and low mood.

What triggered his emotional fluctuations was the generous gift that General Gan gave him on the day he arrived.

A pot of wine for longevity, fertility enhancement, and beauty.

A pot of fresh, legendary cactus.

The medicinal effects of alcohol were something he, at his age, had never heard of.

But even this precious pot of medicinal wine was snatched away by Old Madam Huang.

Facing the fierce-looking Imperial Physician Huang, the old lady was in no way inferior in terms of imposing presence:

"General Gan is naturally beautiful, needless to say. Her mother-in-law is also over forty years old. Look at her complexion; she's much healthier than those young women in their early twenties. So, this medicinal wine must be well-deserved."

Even the old man said the wine tasted like snow lotus.

Snow lotus is the king of all herbs, and it is rarely seen even in the imperial palace.

Madam Huang is only 68 years old this year, and she wants to live a few more years to see her great-grandson get married and have children.

Despite being a leading figure in the medical field, Imperial Physician Huang was helpless when it came to his own wife, and could only coax her gently.

"Don't just think about its beauty and longevity benefits. Didn't you hear General Gan say that this medicinal wine can help with fertility? Back in the day, Old Xie secured his position as the top doctor in the Imperial Medical Academy by helping the Empress Dowager improve her health and successfully give birth to a royal heir. If this wine really has such miraculous effects, just imagine..."

What are you thinking!
Just imagine how wonderful it would be for so many people struggling with infertility if it really worked!

Huang, the imperial physician and son, joined the persuasion team:

“Mother, since General Gan has a good prescription, we will definitely be able to get this medicinal wine in the future. Let Father and I use it to test the prescription.”

Old Madam Huang was furious with her unfilial son. She put her hands on her hips:
"What's the point of testing it? A pot of medicine can only last for half a month at most. Wouldn't it be a waste to give it to you two? Since you can still get it in the future, it's not too late to test the prescription in half a year."

They won't listen; they simply won't listen.

In Shangdu, even the cheapest jug of wine can sell for five taels of silver, while fine wines from the Western Regions can easily cost hundreds of taels.

It's really not something that ordinary families can keep on hand all the time.

Even a medical clinic that has been passed down for generations doesn't make sense to spend money so extravagantly.

This forced Mrs. Huang, who loved drinking wine, to occasionally have to use her private savings.

When the whole family was planning to turn around and head to Kansai at Jinzhou Pass, she was indispensable in supporting them.

The old lady thought that no matter how tough things were in Kansai, at least she could achieve wine freedom.

Indeed, our beautiful wish has come true.

Wines from the region of origin are naturally fragrant and delicious.

No matter how fragrant or mellow, it must retreat when it comes to medicinal wines that promote longevity.

The couple almost fell out over a pot of wine.

They argued several times.

Imperial Physician Huang was utterly defeated.

He had no choice but to bury himself in studying cacti.

This is the first time I've ever seen a plant covered in thorns.

That's right, you have to see the effects of the medicine in person to know.

Unfortunately, the toad plague is over.

(End of this chapter)