A blunt remark left Feng Xue feeling extremely awkward and cornered.
However, both elders knew Cheng You disliked Feng Xue, so this attitude was par for the course.
After finishing the lamb hot pot, Song Qinglan and Cheng You rose to take their leave.
Xu Nanxi and Feng Xue didn't delay them, following them out.
He was quite thick-skinned, actually following Cheng You home.
As if trying to memorize the place.
"Cheng You, so you live here."
Cheng You ignored him, opening her door and going inside.
Xu Nanxi, however, said, "Grandpa Feng asked me to move in. Can I visit you from now on?"
Cheng You found it baffling, "That's probably not appropriate."
It seemed his grandfather held significant sway with Old Master Feng.
They had only just reunited, yet he was already being invited to live in the military compound.
Xu Nanxi's expression turned a little dejected, "Then never mind."
He walked out alongside Feng Xue.
Although they were supposedly dating, neither liked the other, a point on which they were surprisingly in agreement.
They parted ways once they were out of the military compound.
"The old man's attitude towards you has softened considerably. In another while, let's break up."
Feng Xue scoffed mockingly, "You could deal with someone like Lin Yutian for so long, one might think I'm that much worse."
Xu Nanxi said calmly, "In my heart, you're indeed not as good as her."
This infuriated Feng Xue, her face turning ashen.
She let out a huff, "If I'm not as good as her, then do you even like her? If I'm not mistaken, you're not harboring feelings for Cheng You, are you? Xu Nanxi, you really dare to dream."
In her eyes, Xu Nanxi was in no way comparable to Qi Chengyan.
Xu Nanxi remained silent, heading straight for the bus stop to wait for his ride.
At the end of October, Cheng You received the first letter from Qi Chengyan.
Judging by the postmark, it should have been sent as soon as he arrived at the border.
It was his first time heading to the frontier in winter. Snow had already begun to fall there, earlier than in Yancheng, and the temperatures were also very low.
Hearing this made Cheng You's heart ache. No matter how cold it got, the soldiers defending the border would have no moment of respite.
He wrote about the local customs and introduced some recent developments.
The situation was tense, and everyone was on high alert, but there had been no actual fighting yet. Everything was peaceful.
Cheng You thought carefully. It would be cold there, and a chapped skin cream would definitely be useful.
Living in sub-zero temperatures, how could unprotected skin withstand it?
She couldn't send anything herself, so she'd have to find Qi Shengwen.
Cheng You brought the letter over, and they only then learned that Qi Chengyan had sent a letter home, filling them with mixed emotions.
As his parents, they hadn't received a single letter.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
"You want to send chapped skin cream over?"
"Yes, chapped skin cream can prevent frostbite and chapping. It's very effective and should be useful."
Qi Shengwen pondered for a moment, "Defending the country is a soldier's duty. He went to the border for the nation and the people, not for enjoyment! No matter how harsh the conditions, he has to endure them!"
Never had anyone considered such things during wartime.
Cheng You countered, "This isn't about enjoyment. Isn't it more beneficial for soldiers to have healthy and uninjured bodies? This is medicine, are soldiers not allowed to take medicine if they fall ill?"
Song Qinglan, worried for her son, chimed in, "Yes, yes, what Cheng You said makes sense. If it were just ordinary cold cream, it might be difficult to send, but this is medicine."
Cheng You looked anxiously at Qi Shengwen, filled with regret.
Ultimately, her planning hadn't been thorough enough. Otherwise, she would have prepared it for him before he left.
Qi Shengwen nodded, "The military will need to discuss this matter. You prepare it first."
Cheng You was overjoyed. His saying so proved he was in agreement.
She hurried to Zhenshantang and asked Chen Qin, "How much chapped skin cream do we have in stock?"
Chen Qin replied, "Probably not much. Chapped skin cream sells very well in winter. I'll need to take inventory to know for sure."
Cheng You said quickly, "Take inventory first. Our pharmacy will stop selling chapped skin cream temporarily and increase production. I need it."
Chen Qin didn't respond immediately. He took a ledger and went into the storeroom to count.
There were just over five hundred cans.
Including what was on display at the counter, it was less than six hundred cans.
Hearing this quantity, Cheng You felt it was far from enough.
"We just finalized a deal with the state-run pharmacy, they want to buy two thousand cans from us."
The chapped skin cream was indeed very effective, second only to the Seven-Son Paste.
Chen Qin had been pondering how to open up cooperative channels with the state-run pharmacy for some time, and with winter approaching, an opportunity had arisen.
Cheng You shook her head, "Talk to the state-run pharmacy. If possible, postpone the order. If not, apologize and say it's off for now. Focus on producing chapped skin cream urgently. I need it."
Chen Qin frowned, disagreeing, "What do you need it for?"
This was a great opportunity for Zhenshantang.
Having their medicine stocked in a state-run pharmacy meant it would become known to more people in the future.
Cheng You explained softly, "To send to the border."
Chen Qin's heart skipped a beat. He thought of something.
"I heard there's going to be a war, is it true? Did your man go there already?"
Cheng You nodded, "He left at the beginning of the month. It's too cold there. I can't help directly, so I want to send a batch of medicine. Not just chapped skin cream, but any hemostatic drugs, whatever we have, I want them, prioritize my order."
Chen Qin calculated, this would be a considerable expense.
"Can we afford it? It will cost a lot, won't it?"
Cheng You tallied the money she had on hand.
In the year she had been in Yancheng, she hadn't stopped making money.
Income from medicinal herb shares in Wujing Village and Qili Village, profits from Zhao Jianguo's barbecue restaurant, and dividends from the general store.
She had earned a lot, but she had also spent a lot.
She bought the building Zhenshantang occupied, invested in the construction of the medicinal herb garden; every expenditure was significant.
Cheng You steeled herself. Money could always be earned back; she wouldn't worry about a few days.
"Just produce it. Use the money for now. If it's not enough, tell me. I'll cover it personally."
Since she was the one who proposed sending the medicine, she certainly wouldn't ask the army for money.
Chen Qin didn't know what to say.
If you say Cheng You is doing the wrong thing, she's sending medicine for the soldiers on the border.
If you say she's doing the right thing, she's hardly acting like a businesswoman.
"Brother Chen, why are you looking at me like that?"
Chen Qin chuckled and wiped his face.
"I've worked at Huichuntang for so many years, and I've never seen anyone do business like you."
Cheng You wasn't doing business; she was practically doing charity.
"You're the best, I can't compare." He gave her a thumbs-up.
Cheng You trusted him implicitly, practically leaving the entire pharmaceutical factory in his charge.
He knew very well how much Zhenshantang could earn.
Strangely, someone was actually turning money away.
Cheng You smiled and shook her head, "Don't flatter me. Hurry up and get to work. It'll be a bit more strenuous these days, but I'll give you bonuses later."
Chen Qin squinted at her, "You still have money to give me bonuses?"