Medicinal Cuisine Department.

Lu Jiu sat down at a table with Yan Sansi and others.

Yuan Bin was discussing the dishes with Feng Zhixiang, while other chefs were diligently preparing the meals.

Yan Sansi and the others looked at a plaque in the department, which clearly listed various medicinal cuisines.

There were main dishes, soups, porridge, home-style dishes, and snacks, with seven or eight options in each category to choose from.

In the Medicinal Cuisine Department, many doctors and patients were also eating.

There weren’t many people, but judging by their expressions, the food must not be bad.

“Here you go, Dean, the dishes you ordered are here!”

After Lu Jiu thanked them, he looked at the table full of medicinal dishes and began introducing them one by one. “This bowl is Five Bean Congee, made from red adzuki beans, green mung beans, soybeans, black beans, white hyacinth beans, and rice. It has various benefits such as strengthening the spleen, harmonizing the stomach, nourishing the kidneys, benefiting the lungs, reducing lipid levels, protecting the liver, widening the intestines, and promoting qi. Having a bowl every morning not only fills you up but also helps regulate our five viscera. Of course, one bowl a day is enough; you can’t eat it for every meal.”

“This is Astragalus Stewed Chicken, made by placing Astragalus inside a hen, sewing it up, and boiling with water, ginger, scallions, and other seasonings. It has the effects of nourishing the lungs and boosting qi, strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach. With the Five Bean Congee and a pot of Astragalus Stewed Chicken like this, having it occasionally can help restore the function of the spleen and stomach to a considerable extent.”

“In fact, our Medicinal Cuisine Department has many medicinal dishes that strengthen the spleen, but we usually only recommend one or two for the patient. Besides the Five Bean Congee, other medicinal dishes shouldn’t be eaten every day, because no matter how good something is, it can’t be consumed without moderation; otherwise, even good things in the stomach won’t have efficacy.”

“This plate is stir-fried fresh shrimp with chives, with the effect of nourishing the kidneys and enhancing yang. It’s mainly aimed at patients with mild yang deficiency symptoms. These days, people in their twenties or thirties who don’t exercise and are in air conditioning for long periods often have yang deficiency, so we’ve developed many dishes for this.”

Nourishing the kidneys and enhancing yang!?

Yan Sansi and Zhou Tongyuan’s eyes gleamed.

However, both pretended to be indifferent and continued listening to Lu Jiu’s explanation.

But their hands holding the chopsticks seemed a bit impatient!

“This pot is specially prepared for Reporter Wei, Danggui Astragalus Black Chicken Soup. You can skip the Astragalus Stewed Chicken, but you should have this Danggui Astragalus Black Chicken Soup. It has the effects of replenishing qi and blood, regulating the kidneys, and tonifying essence. Generally, if menstruation is irregular, with small amounts and light color, fatigue, shortness of breath, pale complexion — these are all signs of qi and blood deficiency. You don’t look too severe. Drinking this soup and having some chicken should help you recover quickly.”

Ah?

Wei Lele glanced at Lu Jiu in surprise.

She didn’t expect Lu Jiu to even know she had just finished menstruating, let alone accurately describe it as small amounts and light color. This made Wei Lele doubt her life.

Where on earth did she expose the problem?

Her complexion?

Wei Lele touched her face.

Right!

No need for a camera today, so she didn’t wear makeup.

Gulp!

Wei Lele swallowed.

She felt that in the future, when facing Lu Jiu, she must wear makeup or wear a mask.

Otherwise, just one glance and he can tell what health problems you have — such unexpected privacy exposure is simply too embarrassing.

But thinking that Lu Jiu, as a doctor, saw her problem and was careful enough to order a separate bowl of chicken soup for her, Wei Lele also felt warm inside.

It seems that putting aside privacy issues, having such a traditional Chinese medicine friend could be quite nice!

“Dr. Lu, how much is this bowl of congee?” Yan Sansi asked.

“Ten yuan a bowl,” Lu Jiu replied.

“Ten yuan…” Yan Sansi said.

A breakfast shop in the center of Jianghan City sells a bowl of congee for five yuan. With extra ingredients, it’s a different calculation. If you add meat or shrimp, it might cost seven or eight yuan.

This Five Bean Congee is all beans, outwardly unremarkable, but there’s surely some secret in it. Otherwise, if you could strengthen the spleen just by randomly mixing five kinds of beans, everyone could become a wellness master.

Considering the congee’s effects, ten yuan isn’t particularly expensive and is within an acceptable range.

He remembered a visit to a country-style restaurant where the menu had something called pastoral vegetable congee priced at twenty-eight yuan, similar in portion to the Five Bean Congee.

Compared to those, Yan Sansi thought ten yuan per bowl was quite worth it!

“And this plate of stir-fried fresh shrimp with chives?” Zhou Tongyuan asked.

“Twenty-five yuan,” Lu Jiu replied.

Also acceptable; a plate of chives and eggs outside also costs twenty yuan.

This plate of stir-fried fresh shrimp with chives must have had medicinal herbs added, only five yuan more expensive, and they all found it acceptable.

“Hey, what about this one, shredded meat with green peppers?” Wei Lele pointed to a dish Lu Jiu hadn’t introduced yet.

“This is Jade Bamboo Shoots and Green Pepper Stir-Fried Pork, with the effects of nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness, beautifying, and enhancing the complexion. The price is thirty-five yuan,” Lu Jiu replied.

Beautifying and enhancing complexion!?

Wei Lele gazed at the dish like a little greedy cat!

“Can it really beautify and enhance complexion?” Yan Sansi asked.

“Why?” Lu Jiu asked.

“Dean Lu, if this dish really can beautify and enhance complexion, thirty-five is too low. You can ask Lele,” Yan Sansi said.

Wei Lele nodded like a pecking chick, “If it really has beauty effects, thirty-five is very low. Many skincare products that are just a few grams can cost dozens to hundreds of yuan, and a lot don’t even have much effect after use. If eating this dish is better than skincare products, the price could be even higher.”

Lu Jiu smiled, “Actually, the effects of this dish aren’t as great as you think. It’s not like eating it once or twice will improve your skin—that’s too exaggerated, so thirty-five yuan really isn’t low; outside, a plate of shredded pork with green peppers only costs twenty-eight yuan.”

“Anyway, let’s not talk too much, let’s eat, just in time for you to give your opinions.”

We’ve been waiting for this!

Yan Sansi and the others couldn’t wait any longer.

But after starting eating, he and Zhou Tongyuan were quite reserved and didn’t reach for the stir-fried fresh shrimp with chives first.

Instead, Jian Yongchang, who had been sitting quietly, ate without hesitation. Being older, his kidney function was indeed not great, so nourishing it was reasonable.

Seeing Jian Yongchang finish a tenth of it with two scoops, Yan Sansi and Zhou Tongyuan couldn’t hold back and quickly started eating.

Lu Jiu, sitting at the side, ate slowly and watched the four people.

Seeing their expressions while eating, neither showing it was unpleasant nor particularly delicious, Lu Jiu felt at ease.

With medicinal dishes, achieving a taste that prompts endless praise is quite challenging.

With just simple seasonings, you can’t make something addictive.

Since it can’t be addictive, it naturally can’t make people savor it endlessly afterward.

So, having medicinal cuisine that isn’t unpleasant, and occasionally a dish or two that tastes pretty good, is already a success.

Next, they could fully promote the Medicinal Cuisine Department and start generating income for the hospital!

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep