Chapter 193

Chapter 193

With curiosity about Ye Qing's next moves, Song Chunhua and her husband finally boarded the southbound train.

Ye Qing personally saw them off on the train to Jicheng, then returned to Kaoshan Village and called Hang Tingfang.

"What did you say? You want to compile a veterinary reference book?"

Hang Tingfang doubted her ears.

Although Ye Qing had developed scientific breeding techniques, her true expertise lay in human medicine. Even if she were to compile a book, it should be on human medicine. Why venture into veterinary medicine?

Ye Qing affirmed:

"Exactly, veterinary medicine, and in the direction of Traditional Chinese Medicine!"

"During the last swine fever epidemic, the medical team from the province was all Western medicine practitioners, with no TCM practitioners. They distrusted and looked down on TCM, considering it all quackery and unreliable charlatans. This attitude is way too biased and unfair to TCM!"

"I want to vindicate TCM, but under the current circumstances, compiling TCM books on human medicine might face significant obstacles. So, I want to start with veterinary medicine!"

"A few years ago, didn't a team in Shencheng compile a 'Barefoot Doctors Manual,' helping hundreds of millions solve basic medical issues, and many even became Barefoot Doctors by self-studying from this book?"

"Then I'll follow suit and write a 'Barefoot Veterinarian Training Guide,' guiding those interested in animal care on how to start from scratch and become a true barefoot veterinarian using a TCM guide!"

Zhao Yuliang wanted to experiment with raising various poultry and livestock at the military farm, which provided Ye Qing with ample practical case material. By mastering the physiological structures of chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cows, sheep, donkeys, horses, rabbits, and dogs, Ye Qing could draw complete physiological diagrams.

Using TCM meridian charts, she would compile all potential issues encountered in raising these animals, detailing symptoms, TCM prescriptions for treatment, dosage control, reasons for the prescriptions, and underlying principles, all explained in detail.

She planned to tackle each issue individually, making sure the content was easy for everyone to understand. She was sure she could train a bunch of skilled barefoot TCM veterinarians!

This project wouldn't be completed quickly. Ye Qing was prepared for a long-term effort, even considering it might take three to five, or even seven to eight years to fully compile the book.

Once the reform and opening-up policy took effect, the domestic situation would gradually improve. As people's minds opened and they could view old practices dialectically, TCM would no longer be universally condemned. By then, this book would naturally gain popularity among the grassroots farmers.

Ye Qing initially thought she would need considerable time to persuade Hang Tingfang, but as soon as she shared her idea, Hang Tingfang firmly said:

"Then do it. Whatever preparations you need, whether it's people, reference materials, or anything else, just let me know, and I'll help you arrange it!"

Ye Qing immediately smiled: "Your support is all I need. I need to borrow two editors from you to help with planning and coordination. The rest I can manage. I have the people, and for references, during the swine fever epidemic prevention work in the county, I collected many TCM-related books and materials from the provincial department and the Agriculture Department in Jicheng. I didn't return any of them; I had them all moved to Kaoshan Village. Haha, the provincial department didn't dare to say a word, just watched as I carted them off."

Ye Qing felt pretty proud of this move.

The provincial medical team sent down had scorned TCM, so the provincial department surely didn't value these materials. It was perfect to keep them for the Kaoshan Village health station's collection. Ye Qing treasured these books and found them ideal references for her compilation.

Honestly, Ye Qing's move was pretty brilliant. Daring to take resources from the provincial department and even the Agriculture Department in the capital, her boldness was unmatched.

Hang Tingfang couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the old-timers in the Agriculture Department realizing the books they sent out were never coming back. If not for the phone, she would have given Ye Qing a thumbs up.

Hang Tingfang's support wasn't surprising, but what Ye Qing didn't expect was that shortly after proposing the book idea, both the Agriculture Department and the Propaganda Committee knew about it. Even Old Comrade Yang called to inquire about the details. Clearly, the higher-ups were quite interested in and supportive of her yet-to-be-published Barefoot Veterinarian Manual.

Ye Qing had only mentioned this to Hang Tingfang and hadn't told anyone else. Hang Tingfang wasn't a gossip, so she wouldn't have spread the word without any basis.

The most likely source of the leak was the female bodyguard assigned to her.

This really frustrated Ye Qing. This person was sent by the higher-ups, couldn't be dismissed or scolded, and stood by her side like a telephone pole, also acting as an informant for the higher-ups. It was truly infuriating.

It seemed she really needed to find a way to get rid of this person. She didn't need protection, especially since the main threat had been eradicated, and there shouldn't be any enemy agents targeting her in the short term. But with a bodyguard, she had no privacy or freedom.

Ye Qing was really feeling the heat. Recently, she hadn't been going into the mountains, and her interactions with the animals there had decreased, making her feel like she was missing out on a lot of fun.

While Ye Qing was casually complaining to Gu Weidong over the phone, somehow he managed to communicate with the higher-ups, and within a couple of days, that nosy female bodyguard was actually transferred away.

Now Ye Qing felt like she could finally breathe freely. She had been feeling a bit down before, but now she instantly perked up and immediately went into the mountains to play with the animals.

After the female bodyguard left, Old Comrade Yang personally brought a publishing team to Kaoshantun. This time, it didn't need to go through Hang Tingfang. This publishing team was actually the original team that published the *Barefoot Doctor's Manual*. Ye Qing only needed to finalize the content, and the rest, including editing, proofreading, and layout, could be handled by this team in a one-stop service. Moreover, they could provide guidance during the compilation process.

Not only that, but Old Comrade Yang had even arranged a printing press for Ye Qing. The only requirement was that Ye Qing should quickly assemble the book compilation team. He wanted to see results as soon as possible, hoping Ye Qing would work as fast as possible.

Ye Qing: ...

Well, she had previously worried that using traditional Chinese medicine knowledge in this book would face numerous obstacles, but it turned out she was overthinking it. Indeed, by this time, the Gang of Four had already fallen, and many cadres and intellectuals who had been sent down were gradually being rehabilitated. The country was quickly correcting its course, and the situation was getting better, indicating that the dawn of a new era was just around the corner.

With Old Comrade Yang fully backing her, Ye Qing was now full of confidence. However, she didn't ask Old Comrade Yang for traditional Chinese medicine experts to support her. Instead, she directly recruited the group of people who had participated in the research of the special prescription in the county last time. She didn't mind this ragtag team and gathered them for a meeting, telling them what she planned to do. Those willing to participate stayed, and those who weren't were not forced.

These people were originally complete amateurs, but after working with Ye Qing for about ten days, they were actually pulled onto this big ship. Not only did they get to appear on TV, but they also got to help Ye Qing compile the book afterward, something none of them had anticipated.

Although most of them were young, and some were even unemployed, their minds were sharp.

If they could really work under Ye Qing and help her compile this *Barefoot Doctor's Training Guide*, their names might even be printed in the book. With this book, they could soar to great heights, and any unit would be eager to have them. Moreover, this was a great deed that would honor their ancestors and benefit humanity. Only a fool wouldn't do it!

Because of their previous collaboration, these people had already been through a test and had strong work synergy. Each of them had a resilient and unyielding spirit, which was exactly what Ye Qing valued.

So, this ragtag team was quickly assembled by Ye Qing. After about half a month of training and integration, the book compilation group was somewhat hastily established. Ye Qing then started assigning tasks, dividing them into several subgroups, each responsible for a different type of poultry or livestock. They were to go down to various production brigades for research. Any commune members who had raised poultry or livestock were their targets.

Some types of poultry and livestock were not common in the Great Northern Wilderness, and some even needed to travel south to other provinces to collect as much material as possible on both common and uncommon cases.

Then Ye Qing would analyze each disease and its treatment thoroughly, while also making these treatments as simple and understandable as possible, ensuring that even low-literacy farmers could easily grasp and apply them.

This work seemed simple in theory but was actually quite tedious, requiring a lot of time and effort. During their trips to the countryside, they would encounter all sorts of strange people and situations, testing the patience of these research team members.

So, time passed neither quickly nor slowly. Once they started, the entire book compilation work lasted for over half a year, busy until the early summer of the following year. By then, the *Barefoot Veterinarian Training Guide* had taken initial shape, with its content and framework mostly filled in, looking somewhat presentable.

The remaining parts that were not finalized were due to seasonal issues causing some case materials to be missing. They had to wait a bit longer for the material collection team to gather all the corresponding content before they could complete the task. But there wasn't much work left, and the speed of the compilation had already far exceeded Ye Qing's expectations.

Taking advantage of the lull between spring planting and autumn harvest, Ye Qing decided to gather the research team members who had been working hard to collect materials for her for over half a year. She planned to have a barbecue party by the Duck River in Kaoshantun, where she would personally cook to reward everyone.

The party went off without a hitch. Ye Qing provided abundant ingredients and her homemade good wine. Everyone had fun, ate, and drank, making it a joyous occasion for everyone. Unfortunately, just as the party was about to end, a massive swarm of birds suddenly flew up from Changbai Mountain, all heading north, looking as if they were fleeing in panic.