Chapter 124: “Traditional Chinese Medicine Is Not Medicine”

If George had known that the matters in Xiangshui Town had caught the attention of a congressman and even garnered support, he would have happily drunk several more bottles of Beer in celebration. But he did not know, so he continued leading everyone in protest at the entrance of the Restaurant.

Liu Heming, on his side, was also unaware that this situation had some connection to him. But even if he had known, he would not have paid much attention. At the moment, he had no mind to think about Xiangshui Town; his main concerns were the Standard Lake on his Ranch and the issue of handling the Sweet Potato Vine.

For the past two days, he had not taken any action regarding the lake or the Sweet Potato Vine because he was considering how to proceed without attracting attention. The lake was easier to manage—even providing water for the animals would not draw suspicion. However, the Sweet Potato Vine was intended as feed for the pigs, and if he made a big show of handling it, explaining the situation would be difficult.

So he waited, hoping for official news from Janet, Sasha’s classmate, so he would at least have an excuse.

After receiving a call from Sasha informing him that Janet had arrived, Liu Heming informed George and then skipped work, taking Alex and the Bear Kids with him.

“Dexter, we have the test results. I’m sorry to say that since there has been no prior oversight or testing for your operations, the USDA certification has not been approved this time,” Janet said regretfully upon seeing Liu Heming.

“Janet, can I understand it this way? If my farming next year is under your supervision, would it be possible to obtain USDA certification then?” Liu Heming thought for a moment and asked.

Janet nodded. “Once we have sufficiently detailed data and your Ranch meets the standards, I believe there is a good chance of obtaining USDA certification.”

“I’m sorry, I tried to advocate for the Sweet Potatoes on your behalf, but they still don’t meet our evaluation criteria. Additionally, the area where you handle animal manure on the Ranch is too close to the planting zones, which counts as biological contamination. You’ll need to improve that in the future.”

“Uh, that counts as contamination? Isn’t manure the best Fertilizer?” Liu Heming asked in surprise.

Janet smiled and shook her head. “It needs to undergo harmless treatment first. The manure contains many bacteria and parasite eggs. I suggest you take this issue seriously. Even if it costs some money, it will benefit you in the long run.”

Liu Heming smacked his lips. He hadn’t expected this to be considered biological contamination. The USDA evaluation was much stricter than he had imagined.

“By the way, what were the test results for the Sweet Potato Vine?” Liu Heming asked.

“I came in person to discuss that with you,” Janet replied. “The test results were somewhat beyond our expectations. The beneficial components in them also exceeded normal levels by a significant margin. This might be what makes this particular Sweet Potato special. If you’re willing, we could provide some funding to help you develop the cultivation of this Sweet Potato.”

After saying this, Janet watched Liu Heming intently, awaiting his response.

“Janet, thank you for your kindness, but I plan to research this on my own,” Liu Heming said with a smile. “Growing these Sweet Potatoes is quite simple. Now that you’ve told me the stems and leaves are also excellent, I intend to try some Traditional Chinese Medicine processing methods. It might conflict with the scientific principles you follow here.”

He knew very well how beneficial these Sweet Potatoes were. How could he let the United States Department of Agriculture step in and take advantage? No amount of money would make him agree—their funding never came without strings attached.

“Traditional Chinese Medicine methods? What are those?” Janet asked curiously.

“It’s Traditional Chinese Medicine, or rather, Traditional Chinese Medicine preparations,” Liu Heming said as he opened his computer.

He had prepared some materials recently, all about Traditional Chinese Medicine preparation methods he had found online. Though the explanations were in Chinese, Liu Heming could translate them, even if some terms ended up a bit awkward; he could simplify them into more understandable language.

Janet found it overwhelming. She had heard of Traditional Chinese Medicine but didn’t understand it, and she wasn’t sure whether what Liu Heming had just explained was feasible.

“Dexter, after processing them this way, are you planning to sell them?” Sasha asked, frowning.

“More or less. I was thinking that these Sweet Potato Vine might help speed up bone injury recovery in animals. If I can turn them into medicine, maybe they can be preserved longer,” Liu Heming said, carefully choosing his words.

“Dexter, it will be very hard to succeed that way. Even if you produce it, promoting it as medicine will be difficult,” Sasha shook her head. “Firstly, you won’t be able to clearly explain the pharmacology of the Sweet Potato Vine. Moreover, since it’s developed through Traditional Chinese Medicine preparation methods, it simply won’t pass the FDA.”

“I’ve looked into it a bit. In the United States, there is no licensed TCM practitioner title, only licenses for acupuncturists and herbalists. Those herbal preparations can’t be called medicine; they’re categorized more like dietary supplements. Because if they were considered medicine, that would be illegal.”

“Ah? There are such rules?” Liu Heming’s eyes widened.

“Of course. Traditional Chinese Medicine is mostly practiced in Chinatown. Acupuncture therapy is legal here in the United States, but your medicinal preparations are a different story,” Sasha nodded.

“Then what should I do if I really develop a medicine that helps heal bone injuries? After all, the only possible reason Charming Girl recovered so quickly, I think, is the effect of these Sweet Potato Vine,” Liu Heming said with a frown.

Hearing this, Sasha didn’t know how to respond.

Traditional Chinese Medicine held a peculiar status in the West. Acupuncture was accepted, but those herbal medicines truly couldn’t be called medicine here. Their pharmacology couldn’t be clearly explained, the ingredients were highly complex, and without uniform standards, they were hard to classify.

But Charming Girl was a living example. Such a severe leg injury healing so well in such a short time—no one could explain it. The most likely reason, as Liu Heming said, was truly the effect of the Sweet Potato Vine.

“How about this: you can proceed with your methods for now, and I can offer some assistance. But these really can’t be sold as medicine. You could consider them supplemental ingredients. If possible, you could also get in touch with Jenny. If there are wild animals needing treatment, they could be used in clinical settings,” Sasha said after careful consideration.

She had developed a strong interest in this herself now—after all, she was a medical professional too.