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The wind along the Yellow River is cold, and the people often suffer from wind-cold invasion. East of the Heluo region, the land is saline and the water is cold; therefore, although the people consume millet and wheat as staples, they rarely suffer from heat diseases. In Huatai, the nature of the wind and water is even more severely cold.

Scholars and commoners consume Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root) as casually as one would eat taro or chestnuts. (From *Suosui Lu*)

During a famine in Yue (modern Zhejiang), when there was no food, a man brought his wife and children to Deqing County. He hired out his wife to Li Shen, the granary official in Xiuzhou, to work as a wet nurse. After receiving payment, the man returned to Yue and died. The servant Xu Ba followed his master back to Deqing. When they returned again, the wet nurse suffered from mental confusion, delirious speech, cold extremities, and voices mimicking her deceased husband, scolding him for not providing support. Li Shen asked how this happened. She replied, "I followed Servant-Shepherd Xu (referring to her deceased husband); I came with him." Li Shen ordered a shaman to exorcise the spirit. Before the shaman arrived, they simply burned Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Cangzhu, 苍术) smoke to fumigate and drive away the ghost. The ghost suddenly said, "I fear the smoke and dare not stay longer." Then it fell silent, and the woman's illness also subsided. Nowadays, when people encounter evil influences, they must use Cangzhu, presumably because evil spirits fear it. (From *Leibian*)

During the Qiandao era, a certain person from Jiangxi went to the capital for an official appointment, passing by West Lake. A local girl was exceptionally beautiful. He proposed marriage to her parents and offered a heavy bribe, but was firmly rejected. Upon returning home, he had no further contact with that family. Five years later, he went to the capital again for an appointment and sought out his old haunts, but found nothing, returning home in disappointment. Suddenly, he met the girl on the road. She greeted him politely. The scholar was overjoyed and asked about her relocation. The girl said, "My father remarried, and my husband is imprisoned and has not been released. Could you come over for tea?" The scholar gladly agreed. As they passed an inn, the girl said, "We can stay here; there is no need to go to my house." The scholar stayed there for half a year, planning to discuss eloping with her. Only then did she adjust her robes and say, "Since you left, I missed you so bitterly that I fell ill and died. I am now a spirit and cannot accompany you on your journey. However, yin energy deeply invades you, which should cause sudden diarrhea. You should take Pingwei San (Peaceful Stomach Powder) to nourish and stabilize your essence and blood." Hearing this, the scholar exclaimed in surprise and sorrow, "The medicinal flavors are all mild; how can it be effective?" The girl said, "Among them, using Cangzhu to expel evil qi makes it a superior grade." (From *Yijian Zhi*)

Sun Simiao, in the Ginseng Decoction section of *Qianjin Fang*, stated that flowing water must be used for decoction; if still water is used, it is ineffective. Many people doubt that there is any difference between flowing and still water. I once observed Chancellor Wang Anshi, who loved releasing life. Every day, he bought live fish at the market and released them into the river. They swam joyfully, except for one type that died immediately upon entering the river water. This shows that such fish can only inhabit still water; thus, flowing and still water are indeed different, and this cannot be ignored. Furthermore, crucian carp living in flowing water have white dorsal scales, while those in still water have black dorsal scales and taste inferior. This is another verification. (From *Liangfang*)