"Isn't a rose just a flower? How did it become a medicinal herb?" Deng Qing looked stunned. As a Western medicine student, he naturally didn't know the medicinal value of roses.
"In China, most flowers can be used in medicine. Roses are one of them, so they are also considered medicinal herbs," Qu Zhong explained from the side.
"Flowers can be used in medicine? Your traditional Chinese medicine really surprises me," Jimmy said with a curious look. He had never heard of flowers being used as medicine in his life.
"China has a very long history. Many traditional pieces of knowledge have been lost over time. The only national treasures left are traditional Chinese medicine, Go, tea art, Peking opera, calligraphy, paper-cutting, embroidery, porcelain, Hanfu, and Chinese characters. There are only these ten. Of course, there are many other local specialties, but for Chinese people, these are the true national treasures," Zhu Yanyi said slowly. She looked proud. No other country had so many national treasures. Even with only ten, China was still unmatched.
"So, we should learn more about traditional Chinese medicine. Part of that is understanding how herbs are used and where they come from. Chinese medicine adapts to local conditions. Its idea is 'one person, one prescription.' Different people with the same illness get different prescriptions. Often, science cannot explain this clearly," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile, sharing basic concepts of Chinese medicine.
"Miss Zhu, can we put aside the differences between Chinese and Western medicine and talk about the principles?" George was also curious about Chinese medicine. He had seen dark, bitter soup made from dried grass cure people's illnesses. He said it was unscientific, but he was very curious inside. "You said different people get different prescriptions for the same illness. Can you explain that in detail? To be honest, I am very curious. I don't understand why a bowl of black, bitter medicine works so well."
"Sure, I can explain. But I won't do it for free," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile. "How about this? I think Mr. Deng's roses are quite nice."
"You like them? Here, take them," Deng Qing said politely, handing the roses to Zhu Yanyi. She took them, looked at them, and then handed them back. "I said roses are just medicine to me. But the scent is nice, especially in the afternoon. It helps keep you awake. How about this? I will teach you some small ideas of Chinese medicine. You give one rose to each country's greenhouse. Deal?"
"Deal," Deng Qing agreed immediately and turned to deliver the flowers. He felt it was a great trade to get a rare medical lecture for a bunch of flowers.
Zhu Yanyi paused for a moment, then said to Gu Jingtian, "Senior Brother, since we have time, go ask for a tea set. Get many cups. There are ten of us here, so get extra cups. Also, ask them to bring tea leaves and water. Tell them I want three parts spring water and seven parts rainwater. If they don't understand, just bring the water separately, and I will mix it myself." She added, "By the way, choose green tea. Don't use Taiping Houkui; it is not suitable for Gongfu tea. Anything else is fine."