Zhu Yanyi glanced at the medicine she had bought, sniffed slightly, and then asked, "Why did you buy these sprouted ginkgo nuts?"
"My elderly relatives have asthma. They like to eat raw ginkgo nuts. Since I came to China for the medical exchange conference, they asked me to bring some back, saying Chinese ginkgo is more authentic and better," Deng Qing answered. There was nothing to hide about this.
Zhu Yanyi rubbed her forehead and looked at the shopkeeper nearby. "Shopkeeper, did she pick these herself, or did you recommend them?"
The shopkeeper hurriedly replied, "He picked them himself. He didn't say what for, just pointed and said he wanted twenty jin of these." A hint of guilt appeared on the shopkeeper's face. He never imagined Deng Qing wanted them for asthma. Sprouted ginkgo nuts are toxic. Seeing Deng Qing point them out so skillfully, he assumed the man knew their medicinal properties and was surprised anyone would want sprouted ones. He never expected the buyer was completely unaware.
Zhu Yanyi nodded after listening, then looked at Deng Qing. "Let me teach you another thing. Chinese herbs are classified. Even for the same herb, sprouting makes a difference. Take ginkgo, for example. Unsprouted ginkgo can help prevent asthma, but sprouted ginkgo produces a toxin. Eating a little causes diarrhea and vomiting. Eating too much can kill you. Did you buy twenty jin of sprouted ginkgo to murder your ancestors?"
"Ah…" Deng Qing was stunned. She looked at Zhu Yanyi, pointing at the sprouted ginkgo. "If they are toxic, why do you sell them?"
"Haven't you heard of using poison to fight poison?" Zhu Yanyi sneered. "Although sprouted ginkgo is toxic, if processed correctly, it can treat other toxic conditions, like some skin diseases. Also, it's not just herbs. Many sprouted foods are unsafe, like sprouted potatoes or garlic cloves. These cannot be eaten. This is common daily knowledge in China. Don't you know this in your country? I remember Westerners love eating potatoes."
"How could it be like that?" Deng Qing couldn't believe it and was momentarily dazed. He did know from childhood not to eat sprouted potatoes because his family never bought them. It had just become a habit. Now he realized that such small daily habits were actually teaching them to avoid danger.
Zhu Yanyi added, "Of course, you can still eat these ginkgo nuts if cooked and processed properly. Remember to remove the outer shell, then the red skin inside the kernel, and finally the inner core. Only leave the clean white meat. It can still be used in medicinal dishes. However, I think inexperienced people should not try this. If you miss cleaning even one part, you will be poisoned. Better to be careful."
Deng Qing looked at the twenty jin of sprouted ginkgo he had bought. "Then what should I do?"
"Exchange them." Zhu Yanyi was speechless. The shopkeeper was also speechless. "Comrade, if you had asked for fresh ginkgo when you entered, I would have given it to you. You came in and pointed at the sprouted ones. I thought you knew. Sigh, luckily you haven't left yet. I will exchange them for fresh ginkgo for you."
Deng Qing quickly thanked the shopkeeper. "Thank you for your trouble." He was truly grateful. It was his own mistake, yet the shopkeeper did not make things difficult for him.