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Sour in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats the resolution of carbuncles and swellings, dispersal of water qi (fluid retention), and elimination of pathogenic toxins.
Vinegar and wine, when used, penetrate everywhere; the longer they are stored, the better they become. It is also called "Xi" (ancient term for vinegar). Due to its bitter taste, it is commonly referred to as "Ku Jiu" (Bitter Wine). Alchemists add other substances to it, calling it "Hua Chi Zuo Wei," but it should not be consumed in excess, as it damages muscles and internal organs.
[Note] There are several types of vinegar; this refers to rice vinegar. If there are honey vinegar, wheat vinegar, yeast vinegar, peach vinegar, grape vinegar, jujube vinegar, and various other fruit vinegars, as well as vinegars made from bran and lees, those understood by experts are extremely sour and potent. They may only be eaten, not used for medicinal purposes.

Salty and sour in taste, cold and purgative in nature. Primarily treats clearing heat, relieving irritability and fullness, and neutralizing the heat toxicity of herbal decoctions and fire injuries.
Soy sauce (jiang) is mostly made from beans, with pure wheat varieties being rare. This likely refers to bean paste, which is also better the older it is. There are also meat pastes and fish pastes, all called "Hai" (fermented paste).
[Note] There is also elm-person paste (a specific type of fermented product), which is pungent and delicious, promoting urination and defecation. Coriander paste has an excellent flavor and kills three types of parasites; although it has a slight odor,

Salty in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats killing ghostly influences (gui gu), pathogenic infiltration, toxic miasmas, sores in the lower body, chills and fever from cold damage, vomiting of phlegm from the chest, sudden pain in the heart and abdomen, and strengthening of muscles and bones. Excessive consumption damages the lungs and predisposes one to coughing.
Among the five flavors, salt is the only one that cannot be absent. Currently, salts from the East Sea and North Sea are supplied to the capital and used in Xichuan and Nanjiang. In the Central Plains, there is the Hedong Salt Pool; Liangzhou and Yizhou have salt wells; Jiaozhou and Guangzhou have South Sea salt; the Western Qiang have mountain salt; and Hu regions have tree salt. Their colors and types vary, with Hedong salt being the finest. The East Sea salt and official salt here are white with fine granules. The North Sea salt is yellow with large granules. For making fish and pickled vegetables, North Sea salt is considered superior. However, preserving silkworm cocoons requires specific official salt; Shu salt is small and bland, while Guangzhou salt is salty and bitter. It is unknown whether their therapeutic properties differ in quality. People in the West and North are less tolerant of salty food, yet... [text incomplete]. However, when used to soak fish and meat, it prevents spoilage for a long time; when applied to fabrics, it causes them to rot easily. Each application has its appropriate use.