Thick fragrance of Chinese medicine

The medicine pot sits on the gas stove, the blue fire baking the bottom of the pot, as the temperature gradually rises, the medicine pot mouth, spewing out hot air, like a weighted climbing mule gasping for breath.

Gulugu ...... medicine pot belly flopping, will be several kinds of herbs rotating fusion, the breath of the Chinese medicine gradually overflow, at first faintly, silky, the more and more thick, mixed with a sweet licorice flavor, the air is filled with a viscous and brooding medicinal aroma.

I remember the first time I went to my mother-in-law's house, see my mother-in-law in the middle of the yard, with three pages of bricks, into a triangular shape upright together, to form a small stove. The pot of medicine on the top of the brick shelf, covered with a piece of cotton paper, pressed with chopsticks. Some cobs were added to the "hearth", and the weak flames licked at the pot. Granny squatted in front of the stove and occasionally stirred the flames with the fan in her hand. That wisp of medicine, with the wind blowing away, the yard can only see the fire flickering, actually did not smell the odor of medicine.

I don't remember who my mother-in-law was boiling the medicine for, I only remember her face, which was reddened by the fire, showed piety. The pot of medicine boiled, she uncovered the cotton paper, gently and carefully stirred with chopsticks, and boiled her soft heart, with expectant eyes, into the juice of the medicine.

Today, I am as pious as my mother-in-law was then. The heart of the hopeful prayer, boiled into the medicine, into the foot basin, in the winter night before going to bed foot bath, warm winter healthy dream.