Aloe Vera first appeared under the name "Lu Association" in the Tang Dynasty’s *Materia Medica*. In ancient texts, the character "Lu" referred to a vessel used for cooking over a fire, and its meaning was later extended to signify the color black.

This part of the name was derived from the color of the medicinal ingredient, while the character "hui" means "to gather," referring to the ingredient being "the condensed resinous tears of a plant," alluding to how it forms.

The *Kai Bao Bencao* from the Song Dynasty records: "Lu Association... is also known by other names. It is commonly called Elephant Gallbladder, for its taste is as bitter as gallbladder." This indicates that Aloe Vera had other names, including some that were likely phonetic transliterations, while the name Elephant Gallbladder was derived from the ingredient’s bitter taste.

By the Ming Dynasty, the written name for the medicinal Aloe Vera was not yet standardized.

Herbal texts from the time recorded both "Aloe Vera" and the older "Lu Association." It was during the Qing Dynasty that the name was gradually standardized, with "Aloe Vera" becoming the uniform term.

The intelligence contained a detailed formula.

Li Xu planned to make some Aloe Vera Frost.

’I’ll see how well it works.’

’If it works well, I can market it.’

As a perennial herb, Aloe Vera is often kept as a houseplant in homes and offices due to its ease of care and unique medicinal properties.

However, the clinic didn’t have any Aloe Vera on hand.

Li Xu decided to take a trip to the flower market.

Before he left, Li Xu made a point of researching Aloe Vera extensively.

There are many varieties of Aloe Vera, with the most common being Curaçao Aloe, Wooden Aloe, Chinese Aloe, Nocturnal City Aloe, and Pearl Aloe. Among these, Wooden Aloe and Chinese Aloe are highly regarded for their medicinal and edible value. Nocturnal City Aloe and Pearl Aloe, on the other hand, are more suited for ornamental purposes and are beloved for their unique shapes and low maintenance.

For cosmetic purposes, however, Curaçao Aloe was undoubtedly the best choice.

Its broad, fleshy leaves are rich in aloe polysaccharides and various active ingredients, providing excellent moisturizing, restorative, and soothing effects for the skin.

Li Xu mulled it over. ’The intelligence didn’t specify which variety of Aloe Vera to use.’ After reviewing the information, he decided to buy Curaçao Aloe. He went to a large flower shop on the next street, where the dazzling array of green plants was almost overwhelming.

He found the clerk in charge of the plant section and asked if they had any Curaçao Aloe for sale.

The clerk replied enthusiastically, "Curaçao Aloe? Ah, we’re out of stock at the moment. All we have left are some Nocturnal City Aloe and Pearl Aloe. These varieties are quite pretty too. Look, this Nocturnal City Aloe has reddish thorns along the edges of its leaves. It’s gorgeous in the sunlight and super easy to care for..."

Li Xu shook his head, declining the clerk’s recommendation and explaining that he was only looking for Curaçao Aloe.

The clerk suggested he try some other flower shops.

With no other choice, Li Xu had to try several other places.

He first went to a flower-and-bird market in the eastern part of the city. The variety of plants there was vast, but after searching the entire place, he still couldn’t find any Curaçao Aloe.

Next, he went to a shop in the western part of the city that specialized in succulents. There, at last, he saw a few pots of healthy Curaçao Aloe.

The leaves were fleshy, vibrant green, and full of moisture—exactly what he was looking for.

Unfortunately, there were only two pots.

Li Xu bought them both.

Back at the clinic, he couldn’t wait to start making the Aloe Vera Frost.

According to the intelligence, the main ingredients for the Aloe Vera Frost were Aloe Vera and baked licorice.

Baked licorice, as its name suggests, is licorice that has been processed with honey.

This preparation method enhances the restorative effects of the licorice, making its medicinal properties gentler and avoiding the potential bitterness and "cold" nature of its raw form. This makes it more suitable for both internal and external use. It can also harmonize other medicinal ingredients and possesses detoxifying, analgesic, and lung-moistening properties.

Li Xu carried the two pots of Curaçao Aloe to the backyard.

He set them on a clean table.

He found a sharp knife and disinfected it with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.

Then, he cut a few of the fleshiest leaves from the base of the Aloe Vera plant.

A yellow liquid immediately oozed from the cut leaves. This was aloin, which has a laxative effect, and Li Xu knew it couldn’t be applied directly to the skin without being processed first.

He placed the cut leaves vertically in a bowl, allowing the yellow liquid to drain out completely. This took about half an hour.

Next, he rinsed the drained leaves with fresh water and patted them dry with a clean towel.

Then, he carefully removed the thorns from the leaf edges and peeled away the green outer skin, leaving only the translucent, crystal-clear gel from the center.

He placed the extracted Aloe Vera gel into a clean mortar.

He then took out the baked licorice he had prepared.

The baked licorice had been prepared in advance; its surface was a brownish-yellow, and it carried a faint, sweet aroma of honey.

Li Xu placed the baked licorice into another mortar and carefully ground it into a fine powder.

After grinding the licorice into a powder, Li Xu mixed it with the Aloe Vera gel according to a specific ratio.

Using a pestle, he thoroughly mashed and blended the two ingredients until they formed a smooth, fine paste. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

To improve the results, he also added some rice water.

Rice water has excellent moisturizing and nourishing properties, which would make the texture of the Aloe Vera Frost even smoother.

He slowly added the rice water to the mortar, continuing to grind as he poured to ensure it fully integrated with the Aloe Vera gel and licorice powder.

As he continued to grind, the mixture in the mortar grew progressively finer and smoother, releasing a faint, fresh botanical scent.

Finally, he transferred the finished Aloe Vera Frost into a clean glass jar and sealed it tightly to ensure its freshness and hygiene.

...

In the consultation room, Song Sisi had just finished giving massages to a few patients with back and shoulder pain. For the moment, the clinic was empty of patients.

Taking advantage of the lull, she pulled a small mirror and a powder compact from her bag and began to touch up her makeup.

The weather had warmed up suddenly, and the air had become dry. She could feel her cheeks getting a little tight, a sign she needed to rehydrate her skin often.

She carefully dabbed foundation onto her face while looking in the mirror, then applied a few swipes of lip balm to brighten up her complexion.

Just as she finished, another patient arrived.

Song Sisi quickly put away her makeup and stood up to greet them.

"Where’s the doctor?"

The patient glanced around the clinic but didn’t see the famous Doctor Li everyone talked about.

"Doctor Li is in the back. I’ll go get him."

After reassuring the patient, Song Sisi walked to the backyard entrance. "Boss, you’ve been fiddling with that for ages. What are you making?"

Sisi had seen Li Xu go out to buy Aloe Vera earlier and had assumed he just wanted to put a few potted plants in the clinic to liven the place up.

But when Li Xu came back with the plants, he had immediately started cutting off the leaves. It looked like he was compounding some kind of medicine, but she had no idea what it was.

"What is it?"

"A patient’s here."

"One moment."

Li Xu washed his hands and walked into the consultation room.

The patient was a woman in her twenties. She looked exhausted, her face slightly pale, with two dark circles under her eyes.