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It is grown everywhere today. Residents living along the ponds and marshes in Hebei Province collect them, pound off the husks, grind the kernels into powder, steam or fry them into cakes, which can serve as a substitute for grain.
However, excessive consumption does not benefit the Spleen and Stomach Qi (vital energy) and is difficult to digest.

Those that dry out within the lotus pod are called Shi Lian Zi (Stone Lotus Seed). Their flesh is taken and rubbed in a mortar to remove the floating red color on the surface, retaining only the green plumule (lotus heart), then ground into powder. A small amount of Long Nao (Borneolum Syntheticum, Borneol) is added, and it is taken as a decoction with water; this calms the mind and spirit and clears the senses. However, there are also pink double-petaled and white double-petaled varieties that do not produce seeds. Thus, there are four grades. Among their roots, White Lotus is considered the best. Currently, Green Lotus grows in the imperial palace, which is also an auspicious sign.

In common parlance today, they are called Ling Jiao (Water Caltrop), found everywhere. After boiling, the kernels are taken and eaten as a grain substitute, but they do not benefit the Spleen. There is also Shui Ling (Water Caltrop), which is also a type of Ji (Caltrop), but larger and crispier, suitable for raw consumption. Regarding its use in herbal combinations for treatment, no applications have been heard of. Some people suffer from diarrhea and indigestion after eating too much raw Ji, indicating its cold nature.

If one wishes to dry chestnuts, sun-drying is best; if one wishes to store them fresh, keeping them moist is best. Stored in sand until late spring and early summer, they remain as fresh as when just harvested. Children should not eat them in excess. Raw chestnuts are hard to digest, while cooked ones tend to stagnate Qi, cause food retention, and generate parasites, often leading to pediatric illnesses, though people are generally unaware of this. The claim that they tonify Kidney Qi is due to their salty taste, which actually tends to obstruct Qi flow. In the Hubei Circuit, there is a variety of chestnut that is round at the top and pointed at the bottom, called Xuan Li (Rotating Chestnut). *Tu Jing* (Illustrated Classic) cites the *Shi Jing* (Classic of Poetry) mentioning "Shen Li," stating it refers to its shape resembling hazelnuts.

Meng Shen believed that Ying Tao (Cherry) does not belong to the Peach category. However, if it does not belong to the Peach category, it is likely because its shape resembles a peach, hence the name Ying Tao; what else could be doubted? Similarly, Mu Hou Li (Monkey Pear) and Hu Tao (Walnut) are named for their similar shapes. In ancient times, they were called Han Tao (Containing Peach) and were used to offer sacrifices to ancestral temples. The *Li Ji* (Book of Rites) states "first offered in the ancestral temple," referring to this fruit. The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei wrote: "Just after the spring offering in the royal gardens, / Not due to birds picking remnants in the imperial park." If children eat too many, it invariably generates internal heat. This fruit ripens between late March and early April, receiving the pure Yang Qi and ripening before other fruits; thus, its nature is hot. Currently, in Western Luoyang, there is a variety of Purple Cherry that turns deep purple when fully ripe, with fine yellow spots under the skin; this is the most precious variety. It is now presented as tribute to the court, but is not much needed in medicinal preparations.