As Cheng You watched Qian Li Mei leave Zhen Shan Tang and head straight for Hui Chun Tang, she wasn't surprised. She figured Qian Li Mei had nowhere else to go.
At the same time, Qi Sheng Wen provided his reply. "Speed up production on your end. Let me know when you have stock, and I'll arrange for people to send it over. We need to move quickly."
Cheng You thanked him profusely and rushed back to Zhen Shan Tang, asking Chen Qin to do another inventory. "It hasn't been that long. If we don't have at least ten thousand cans, we won't even dare to send out a truck."
"How long will that take? Give me a timeframe," Cheng You asked anxiously.
Chen Qin's brow furrowed as he calculated the fastest possible time. "Three days, perhaps. If it's not enough by then, we can supplement with other medicines. We'll manage to get one truck out for you."
Cheng You slapped the table. "Alright, three days it is. I'll await your good news!"
Everyone at Zhen Shan Tang worked overtime, and Cheng You was no exception. She gave Chen Qin all the money she could scrape together, even dipping into the funds from the promissory note Qi Cheng Yan had given her. This money had been her last resort, a fallback for her and Qi Cheng Yan, which she had planned not to touch. But now, there was no other choice.
As she was frantically trying to sort things out, Song Qing Lan arrived. "When can the first batch of medicine be sent out?"
Cheng You looked at her, stunned. "Probably in another two days."
Song Qing Lan produced a savings passbook and pushed it towards her. "I don't know if it's enough, but every little bit helps. Take it for now."
Cheng You paused, looking at the passbook. "I have enough money for now... "
"Enough, I know you can make money. But my husband and son are soldiers. Do you think my sense of duty is lower than yours?" Song Qing Lan raised her chin, her face full of pride.
Although Cheng You hadn't intended to use her money, she couldn't help but open the passbook. It contained over twenty thousand! Qi Cheng Yan had money because his grandmother had left him most of her assets. Song Qing Lan was different. Her mother-in-law must have left them some things, but not much. This money was likely her dowry or savings accumulated over the years.
Song Qing Lan gave her a pointed look. "What are you looking at? Never seen so much money before?"
"No... no, Auntie, I have enough money here. I don't need yours. If you give it to me, what about you and Uncle?"
"I won't starve in the military compound. Just take it," Song Qing Lan said, standing up to leave. She paused at the doorway and turned back stiffly. "Cheng You, some of this money is what I saved for Ah Yan to get married. I've been saving it since he was born. Both he and Qi Yang have some."
She had done many foolish things, unable to discern right from wrong. But she loved Qi Cheng Yan; she was his mother, how could she not? "It was meant for you anyway. Take it."
Cheng You sat in the courtyard for a long time, then slowly put away the passbook. Regardless of whether she used the money, she had to inform Qi Cheng Yan about it.
With ample funds and diligent workers, Chen Qin delivered the goods on time three days later. The dark circles under his eyes made Cheng You feel he could collapse and sleep at any moment. "Director Chen, with the soldiers helping, you don't need to trouble yourself further. Please go back and rest." Cheng You urged him.
Chen Qin was stubborn, insisting on staying until the last box of medicine was loaded onto the truck. He then yawned, covering his mouth. Tears welled up from fatigue. He nudged Cheng You. "Remember our bonus. We've risked our lives for this shipment!"
Cheng You chuckled. "I know. You go rest first. Everyone will get a bonus when we pay salaries in a couple of days."
With this batch of heavy-duty fissure cream sent out, the rest could be handled at a slower pace. There was no rush.
Chen Qin hadn't slept properly for three days and could barely walk steadily. But he still remembered something. He turned back and said, "Word from Hui Chun Tang is they're planning to launch a fissure cream, identical to our formula. It's utterly shameless."
Cheng You smiled good-naturedly. "There's no need to get angry. Go get some rest. I'll handle these matters."
An identical formula didn't mean an identical effect. Zhen Shan Tang's formula could be replicated because she had never hidden it from anyone. The prescription was readily available in the pharmacy; anyone could copy it. It wasn't a rare commodity.
Though Cheng You wasn't as exhausted as Chen Qin, her sleep had been significantly reduced these past few days. With a major worry off her mind, her body, finally able to relax, craved sleep. Since she didn't have classes today, she could sleep until noon.
Cheng You wrapped her scarf tighter and squeezed onto the bus. Midway through the journey, fine snowflakes began to fall. It was only early November, yet the first snow of winter had arrived unusually early.
By the time she reached the military compound, the snow had intensified, and a biting wind began to blow. She covered her head with her scarf and hurried towards her home. From a distance, she spotted a figure pacing back and forth in front of her house.
"Cheng You!"
It was Xu Nan Xi. Cheng You's hand, holding her keys, paused before returning to her pocket. "What is it?"
Xu Nan Xi was dressed thinly and had likely been standing in the cold for a long time, shivering. His hands were red and purplish. "It's cold out here. Can we talk inside?"
"No." Cheng You refused outright. She would rather freeze with him outside than let someone like that into her home.
Xu Nan Xi's smile faltered. He blew on his hands. He would have liked to put his hands in his pockets, but his clothes had none. To maintain his composure, he didn't want to tuck his hands into his sleeves like he did in the countryside.
"It's so cold, can you stand it?"
Cheng You let out a laugh, her bright eyes alone conveying her sarcasm. "I'm cold, but if I couldn't stand it, I'd choose not to speak with you rather than invite you inside. My husband is not home, an unmarried man and woman, do you think that's appropriate? Comrade Xu, I thought you were quite polite when I saw you at the Feng family's last time. It seems that's not the case. I'll have to mention this to Grandpa Feng."
Xu Nan Xi's last vestige of a smile vanished. His face was frozen, devoid of sensation. "You seem to dislike me quite a bit."
"Knowing that, you still come looking for me and block me at my doorstep to freeze! Comrade Xu, do you have any sense of propriety?" Cheng You almost rolled her eyes at him. She was dressed warmly, but that didn't negate the cold outside. The heating inside wasn't on yet, and it wouldn't warm up instantly upon entering.
Xu Nan Xi was also freezing and couldn't continue with pleasantries. "It's like this, I heard from Grandpa Feng that Zhen Shan Tang donated a batch of medicine to the border region. Could you give me an exclusive interview?" He had heard that Zhen Shan Tang was opened by Cheng You, which only strengthened his resolve to win this woman over.