Chapter 240: Functions of Propolis
Translator: Xiong Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth
"Humming", the bees were flying all around in front of him. The bees were like a small kidney bean in the size with their black hair clearly seen. At that time, Yuan Zhou suddenly recalled some words like wasp waist and long legs, which best applied to these bees.
On the plump and impressive chest was its sharp mouthpart. The soft and thin waist enabled it to sting people from various angles. The slender and strong legs helped the bee to attach its body tightly to the people when it stung them.
"Sir, there are too many bees. Let me go to collect it," said Liuzi lightly, with his mouth basically shut when he talked. It was presumably one of the unique techniques of collecting the honey.
"Wait a moment," answered Yuan Zhou with a low voice while tilting his head toward him.
Naturally, Yuan Zhou was enquiring the system at that time.
"System, the bees look fairly ferocious. Since it is the reward, will it sting?" Yuan Zhou asked earnestly in his heart.
The system displayed, "Xiongyi bee is capable of producing a lot of honey and can likewise produce a lot of royal jelly. It’s the ideal breed to produce both honey and royal jelly as well as the pollen."
"Xiongyi Bee is in bright orange color. It is quite conspicuous and adorable. The size of the worker bee is big. The first three terga at the abdomen appear to be orange with a black annulus on each of them while the following three are in black color. Except for the last two terga at the abdomen, the remaining ones are usually in orange color. This is its most distinct characteristic."
"Besides, they live a life of social nature. There is one queen bee, many drones and worker bees in every honeycomb. They are hot-tempered and tend to get infuriated easily. Moreover, they have two stingers that are poisonous at the tail. After being stung, the affected part will usually be itchy and become red and swollen."
"So what? Will it sting me? This is the main point." Only by its appearance, Yuan Zhou knew the creature was a tough opponent. They were so big and moreover flying around him with a sound of "Humming".
The system displayed, "This creature is a natural species. So please be careful, host."
"Ho Ho. It seems that I’m going to die young if I venture to collect the honey," said Yuan Zhou inwardly while looking at the numerous bees. As a blossoming flower of the motherland and a future somebody, he can’t take the risk.
After keeping silent for quite a while, the System then displayed, "This creature produces propolis, which is neutral in nature and tastes bitter and spicy with a hint of sweetness. It has the functions of moisturizing the skin, promoting granulation, diminishing inflammation and relieving pain. The propolis can be used to relieve the affected part."
"You are really so considerate." Yuan Zhou indicated that he truly didn’t know what to answer.
"What do you think?" Having waited for Yuan Zhou to speak for a long time, Liuzi thought that he was considering the matter and then asked.
"Let’s do the work together. You teach me," Yuan Zhou looked at the flying clustering bees and said with a determined tone.
"Ok." Liuzi didn’t try to persuade him anymore and just answered with a nod.
Even if Yuan Zhou had been able to make the top-notch delicacies apart from his swift hands and sharp eyes, and even applied a repugnant paste to bees on his exposed skin, he still couldn’t resist the ardent love from the bees. Just in a little while, his pretty face was covered with several bulges.
"Hurry up. Let’s leave now." Liuzi went up and dragged Yuan Zhou, who had collected the honey, climbing up the clifftop like monkeys. Since the enemies suddenly disappeared, the bees soon scattered away.
"Thank you," Yuan Zhou took a breath and then said carefully.
"You are welcome." Having estimated the time, Liuzi stood up and shook his head.
"We have a good harvest." Taking the honey of almost the whole honeycomb, Yuan Zhou said happily.
"There are still many pupae. You can fry them in oil." A smile was revealed on Liuzi’s swarthy face. He was supposedly recalling the wonderful taste of the fried pupae.
"Humm. They all belong to you," said Yuan Zhou generously.
"You can daub the medicine on you face," with a smile, Liuzi pointed at the big bulges on Yuan Zhou’s face and said.
"Don’t worry. The propolis inside can cure them," Yuan Zhou said to him while pointing at the honeycomb.
"Yeah, right." Liuzi nodded the head affirmatively.
"Let’s go back." Yuan Zhou looked at the cliff and began to untie the rope around his waist, preparing to go back to the village.
"Ok." Liuzi helped to clear everything up.
Then, the two people walked back along the same route.
On the way back, Yuan Zhou carried the honeycomb on his head. Although it was heavy, Yuan Zhou felt it well deserved his efforts. It had to. After all, he had sacrificed his pretty face to get the honeycomb.
Of course, if it wasn’t because the propolis was solid at the beginning, he would have already daubed it so that he needn’t carry the several big bulges on his face.
"Uncle, are you also sick?" when Yuan Zhou and Liuzi walked into the aged man’s home, the little boy came out of the house and asked Yuan Zhou in surprise.
"Nope." Yuan Zhou denied.
"Then what’s the matter of the big bulge on your face?" Asked the boy persistently.
"Ah, it’s stung by the bees. Don’t worry, it will vanish soon after I daub the propolis," said Yuan Zhou with indifference.
"Oh, I see." When he heard that, the little boy turned around and left quietly. It seemed his mood was likewise affected and he was not as lively as before.
"Let’s get the bee pupae out." While looking at the little boy, Yuan Zhou pulled himself together and then turned around, saying to Liuzi.
"Ok, Let me do it." Liuzi offered to undertake this work.
"Then I leave the work to you. Please get all the pupae out of the honeycomb. I don’t need them," said Yuan Zhou with a smile.
"Thank you." While receiving the honeycomb, Liuzi said to Yuan Zhou.
"You are welcome." After a nod, Yuan Zhou stood up and prepared to wash up so that he could daub the medicine.
Meanwhile, Liuzi opened the honeycomb carefully. What leaped to the eyes next was a hexagonal honeycomb inside of which some amber honey in both liquid and solid form was scattered along with some beautiful pink crystals as well.
"This honey is quite different from what I have collected before." Looking at the pure and beautiful honey, Liuzi said with puzzlement.
"This is produced by Xiongyi bees." Yuan Zhou told him nothing more but the name.
"So it’s the Xiongyi bee. No wonder the stings are so severe," after recognizing it carefully, Liuzi said affirmatively.
"Yeah, it’s indeed ferocious." Yuan Zhou pressed the bulges on his body and refrained himself from scratching them.
"So it is. That creature is omnivorous and also eats meat," said Liuzi with some lingering fear.
"It doesn’t matter. We don’t need to go there again." Yuan Zhou signaled Liuzi to get the pupae out first. Only after that could he cut, boil, purify and then use the propolis.
When Liuzi finished, it was almost the dinner time. As usual, Yuan Zhou headed for Mr. Ma’s home while carrying two bowls of Clear Broth Noodle Soup. However, he was straightforwardly sneered at before he had barely entered his home.
"Tsk-tsk. This young man went to collect the honeycomb today, huh?" Appeared on Mr. Ma’s face was a manner of contempt when he spoke.
"This is your dinner." Yuan Zhou just neglected his question and set the bowl on the table.
"You aren’t really stupid and even know that propolis can cure the bulge." As a matter of fact, there were only a few inconspicuous red points left on Yuan Zhou’s face. It was just that Mr. Ma smelled the flavor of the propolis.
"Thank you." With a calm manner, Yuan Zhou thanked him for his compliment. Yes, Yuan Zhou had basically taken such words of Mr. Ma as a compliment.
"Ho Ho. You feed me the noodle soup every day. It seems that you can only cook that single food." Mr. Ma looked at the Clear Broth Noodle Soup with a manner of contempt. Despite that, he acted quickly and started to eat.
"It’s convenient and suitable for you," Yuan Zhou said concisely.
Naturally, Mr. Ma didn’t talk to him while eating. Therefore, Yuan Zhou just stayed at the side and began to eat his noodles quietly.
Concentration was a must during the process of savoring delicious food.