So, I got my hands on this thing called the xiangli yao kit the other day. Looked interesting enough, like a little project box.
First thing, I opened it up. Inside was a bunch of dried stuff – herbs, I guess – and a small bottle, looked like some kind of oil maybe? Also a piece of paper with instructions. Not much else, really.
Getting Started
The instructions were… okay. Mostly pictures, not a lot of words. Seemed straightforward, though. It looked like I was supposed to mix the dried stuff with some kind of liquid.
Here’s what was inside, basically:
- A bag of mixed dried herbs and bits.
- One tiny bottle with clear liquid.
- A folded instruction paper.
- An empty small jar with a lid.
I figured I’d just follow the pictures. First step showed pouring the dried stuff into the empty jar. Easy enough. Did that. Filled maybe half the jar.
The Process
Next picture showed pouring the liquid from the tiny bottle over the herbs. Okay, unscrewed the cap, poured it in. It wasn’t much liquid, didn’t even cover all the herbs. The instructions then showed putting the lid on and shaking it. So, I shook it. For like a minute, maybe?
Then came the confusing part. A picture of the jar sitting… somewhere sunny? For a long time? It had a little clock icon with arrows going around. I guessed it meant I had to let it sit. Put it on my windowsill where it gets some sun.
Waiting was the main activity, seems like. The paper didn’t say exactly how long. Days? Weeks? I just left it there. Checked it every day. Shook it sometimes, like the picture suggested.
After about a week, the liquid looked a bit darker, kinda yellowish-brown. The herbs looked soggy. The smell was… earthy? Strong, definitely.
The Result?
So now I have this jar of steeped herbs in some oily liquid. The instructions didn’t say what to do with it afterwards. Is it a rub? Something to smell? I dunno.
I dipped a finger in. Feels oily. Smells very potent. Tried rubbing a tiny bit on my wrist. Didn’t cause a rash or anything, so that’s good. The smell lingers for quite a while.
Honestly, it was a simple process. Mostly waiting. The kit gave me the stuff, I just put it together and let time do its thing. Didn’t require any special skills. But the lack of clear explanation on what the final product is or how to use it is a bit weird. It’s just… a jar of fragrant oily herbs now sitting on my desk.
Was it worth it? Eh, it passed an afternoon and then a week of waiting. Kinda interesting little experiment. Probably wouldn’t go out of my way to get another one unless I knew what the end result was supposed to be used for. It’s just one of those things you try once.
