The afternoon sun was fierce, making the floor scorching hot. It wasn't until dusk that Cheng You decided to head to the pharmacy.
The moment she opened the door, she saw the elderly couple from the Feng family pacing outside, seemingly having been there for quite some time.
Seeing Cheng You emerge, a hint of awkwardness flickered across their faces.
Cheng You found their behavior rather peculiar. "Grandpa Feng, Grandma Lin, are you looking for me?"
The old lady, calmer than the old man, nodded with a smile.
"Yes, we heard your brother got into Qingda University. That's truly remarkable. We'd like to invite you to dinner."
A sense of bewilderment washed over Cheng You. What concern was Cheng Wenyu's university admission to them?
The old man chimed in, "We haven't met your brother yet. If possible, why don't you have him visit us at our home?"
Cheng You temporarily interpreted their invitation as a genuine admiration for talent.
Cheng Wenyu had surpassed the admission score for Qingda University by a significant margin. Who wouldn't want such a child in their family?
Moreover, Cheng Tao's immaturity had repeatedly disappointed the elder couple.
It seemed normal for them to want to meet Cheng Wenyu.
Cheng You nodded. "Alright, I'll bring him over tomorrow for a visit to your home."
The old lady asked with a touch of eagerness, "Grandma knows what you like to eat, but I don't know your brother's preferences. Tell me, and I'll have someone prepare it."
Cheng You felt an overwhelming sense of being cherished, a treatment she had only ever experienced within the Jiang family.
Despite her lingering curiosity, she honestly shared the details with them.
The elderly couple seemed overjoyed, and Cheng You felt as though long-lost relatives had finally returned home, their joy overflowing.
"Will Cheng Tao be coming too?" Cheng You asked, almost as if dousing their excitement with a cold splash.
The old lady's thoughts turned to Cheng Tao, and she felt a wave of shame.
How could she have mistaken Cheng Tao for her granddaughter? How could she have lavished her best possessions upon her?
These should have belonged to Cheng You and her brother!
"She won't be coming. Grandma knows you dislike her, and she won't be allowed to come."
Cheng You nodded, contemplating whether to reveal the truth to them.
She wasn't sure if Feng Xianxu had already informed them of the matter, and it was quite vexing.
"You have things to attend to, so you should go. We'll be heading back now," Grandpa Feng said.
Although they knew the truth, Cheng You remained unaware.
In Cheng You's eyes, they were simply people with no blood relation.
The old lady's heart ached with reluctance. Although she had often chatted with Cheng You before, it was without the knowledge of their kinship. The feeling now was entirely different.
Noticing the expression on her face, Cheng You couldn't help but ask, "Grandma Lin, would you like to see my pharmacy? I need to pick up some photos there."
"What photos?"
"Qi Chengyan and I took wedding photos. I also brought my mother's photos to be restored."
The old lady immediately agreed. "Certainly! Old man, have someone drive us there."
Grandpa Feng immediately returned home to make the arrangements.
Cheng You had expected to go with only the old lady, but to her surprise, the old man squeezed into the car as well.
"I'll go take a look too. I've never been to Zhenshan Tang before."
The old lady glanced at him, amused. *I can't believe you're still pretending.*
On the way to the photo studio, Cheng You couldn't quite grasp how she had ended up in the car.
At the photo studio, Cheng You only took the smaller prints, asking the owner to deliver the larger ones.
The old lady clutched a framed photograph, gazing at the family portrait.
Although Cheng You had a strained relationship with Cheng Tianhua, she hadn't cut his face out of the picture.
The family photo was complete.
Cheng Wenyu was only one or two years old at the time, and Cheng You was a cute little girl.
Jiang Qing, in her youth, bore at least a fifty percent resemblance to Cheng You, with an even stronger resemblance to Grandpa Feng in her demeanor.
The old lady no longer needed any further verification; she was already certain that this was her daughter.
Her eyes welled up with tears. Mother and daughter had never had the chance to meet.
"Grandma Lin, what's wrong?"
The old lady snapped back to reality and quickly wiped away her tears.
"It's nothing. I just recalled some past events. I won't be visiting the pharmacy; I'm tired. Remember to bring your brother tomorrow for dinner."
Cheng You nodded, a sharp pain piercing her chest for no apparent reason.
Watching the elderly couple depart, she suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.
She couldn't quite explain why she felt this way.
Putting her thoughts aside for the moment, Cheng You headed towards Zhenshan Tang.
From a distance, she spotted a red banner hung across the entrance, making one think Zhenshan Tang was celebrating some joyous occasion.
Upon closer inspection, she realized it read "Huichun Tang."
Chen Qin saw her approaching and emerged from within, letting out a scoff.
"They're participating in a Traditional Chinese Medicine academic exchange conference, and look how smug they are."
Hearing about this conference again, Cheng You, who had previously dismissed it, now found herself compelled to pay attention.
"Is this conference that significant?"
Chen Qin explained its importance. For an ordinary person to be able to learn there would be a rare opportunity.
Those invited were undoubtedly individuals with achievements in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Although Huichun Tang had a poor reputation, it was a century-old pharmacy that had endured for years, and for good reason.
Even with the rise of Zhenshan Tang, many people still instinctively went to state-run pharmacies and Zhenshan Tang first when they fell ill.
That was the difference.
The invitation extended to Huichun Tang by the Chinese Medicine Association was a testament to their capabilities.
"It's alright, we can also work hard and strive to participate in this conference next year."
Chen Qin: "...The conference is held once every three years."
Having missed this one, they would have to wait for three more years.
Cheng You said "Oh," and then, "Then we'll work hard and strive to receive an invitation to the conference in three years."
Chen Qin's gaze fell upon the banner, his expression tinged with wistfulness.
When he was at Huichun Tang, he had indeed heard of this conference.
Huichun Tang had received an invitation back then, but he was merely a director of a pharmaceutical factory and had no right to attend.
Cheng You, with her detached personality of only focusing on pharmaceutical production and remaining ignorant of external affairs, couldn't possibly comprehend Chen Qin's longing for this conference.
Seeing how much Chen Qin seemed to desire to participate, Cheng You suddenly had an idea.
Perhaps by pulling some strings, an invitation could be obtained.
"If there's nothing else here, I'll go to the herb garden again."
Chen Qin asked, "Won't it be too late?"
"No, I'll just take a look at the wood fragrant grass and come right back."
Before she could leave, she saw people from Huichun Tang coming to take down the banner.
Having someone personally come to collect a banner showed how triumphant Pei Kesheng was.
He strutted over, his belly protruding, and gave a dismissive smile.
"Chen Qin, people say one moves upward. Why are you going the opposite way?"
Chen Qin scoffed. "Really? I don't think your Huichun Tang is any better than Zhenshan Tang."