Pei Kesheng flicked the banner next to him, "What, you didn't see this?"
He feigned difficulty and extended his hand, tutting.
"How many invitations have we received? I've lost count."
Chen Qin, however, remembered. It was the fourth.
Even the state-run pharmacy had only received two.
Of course, it wasn't because Huichun Tang was better than the state-run pharmacy, but simply because the person in charge of Huichun Tang was the vice president of the Chinese Medicine Association.
Pei Kesheng had a moment of realization, "Oh, right, it's already the fourth time. Your Zhenshan Tang hasn't participated even once, have they?"
Cheng You smiled instead of getting angry and said, "Director Pei, you really think highly of us. Huichun Tang is a century-old pharmacy. Zhenshan Tang has only been established for how long? To have come this far and achieved this much, we are already very satisfied."
Pei Kesheng's face stiffened. In terms of establishment time, there was no comparison.
It would be truly embarrassing if Huichun Tang couldn't even compete with Zhenshan Tang.
Chen Qin chuckled, "Director Pei, fortune turns. You should try harder."
Pei Kesheng let out a sinister laugh, "No matter how fortune turns, it will never turn to Zhenshan Tang! Just like this time, the Chinese Medicine Association will never send you an invitation."
Cheng You smiled and said nothing, watching them pack up the banner.
Before heading to the medicinal herb garden, she made a trip to the Agricultural Research Institute.
Zhao Jisheng saw her, "Oh, a rare visitor! What brings you here today?"
Cheng You smiled, "It's too hot. Otherwise, I'd be here every day."
Zhao Jisheng didn't believe her. Cheng You had too many things to do to spare time for idle chat.
"Professor Zhao, what have you been busy with lately?" Cheng You asked.
Zhao Jisheng said, "It's all because of that one sentence you left at the Botany Research Institute. I've been so swamped, Director Hao insists I come up with some results for them."
Cheng You blinked, "What sentence?"
"Didn't you tell them that Muxi grass can be successfully propagated by cuttings? Now the entire Botany Research Institute is researching this thing."
This was because if Muxi grass only existed as a single specimen, in-depth research would be impossible.
They needed continuous cultivation and propagation to create the conditions for further research.
Cheng You raised an eyebrow, "I'm going to the medicinal herb garden. Do you want to come along?"
Zhao Jisheng looked up, "It's getting a bit late."
"Then never mind. Another day. I'll be going now."
Cheng You hadn't walked far when she heard Zhao Jisheng's voice, "I didn't say I wasn't going. Why are you in such a hurry!"
Cheng You smiled knowingly, "Then hurry up. We'll be back too late if we don't."
Zhao Jisheng quickly got up and clapped his hands, "Let's go, right now."
They would definitely be back after dark if they went now, but he just couldn't resist the temptation.
The medicinal herb garden that Cheng You cultivated didn't just contain ordinary herbs, nor was it a place that just anyone could enter.
By the time the two arrived at the medicinal herb garden, the sky had already begun to darken.
Cheng You led him towards the area where the Muxi grass was planted.
Due to the dim light, Zhao Jisheng didn't immediately recognize what this lush green plant was.
When he realized, he couldn't help but take off his glasses and rub his eyes.
"Am I dreaming? What is this planted in the ground?"
He remembered the last time he saw Cheng You propagating Muxi grass, it was in the small courtyard of her home.
A tiny patch of land, with a few sparsely planted, half-dead Muxi grass branches.
In the blink of an eye, it had become a vast field.
Zhao Jisheng's jaw nearly dropped in astonishment.
"Cheng You, quickly, pinch me. Am I dreaming?"
Cheng You chuckled and took a small notebook from her pocket, tossing it to him.
"Professor Zhao, I'm not as professional in this field as you are, but after observing for so long, I've also gained some insights. Take this notebook back and have a look."
Zhao Jisheng quickly put on his reading glasses and flipped through Cheng You's notebook, absorbing the knowledge like a sponge.
The more he read, the more shocked he became.
"You mean, Muxi grass can be successfully cultivated without special methods?"
Cheng You nodded with a serious expression and led him to another area.
"This small patch of land is what I cultivated without soaking it in dew. There are methods, but the people at the institute were looking in the wrong direction."
Cheng You's initial cultivation using dew was very smooth.
However, over time, she realized that dew was limited. Relying solely on dew for cultivation would result in limited output of Muxi grass.
Cheng You then had the idea of cultivating Muxi grass without dew.
She had plenty of Muxi grass and wasn't afraid of cultivation failure. It was precisely this confidence that allowed her to find the right direction.
Zhao Jisheng's shock subsided, and his heart was filled with immeasurable gratitude.
"Cheng You, everyone will thank you! I will not claim this research achievement for myself. I will put your name on it, so everyone knows your name!"
Cheng You quickly waved her hand, "No need to put my name on it. If you must write something, then write Zhenshan Tang! Just consider it me doing a good deed. Professor Zhao, could you give this good person an invitation to the academic exchange conference?"
Zhao Jisheng was both amused and exasperated. So this was what she was waiting for!
He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out an invitation, "I thought you didn't know about this conference. Actually, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have given you the invitation anyway. I just forgot earlier!"
Cheng You slapped her forehead and muttered, "A loss, a loss."
Zhao Jisheng laughed and scolded, "What loss? You were going to hand it over eventually!"
He never thought Cheng You was cultivating Muxi grass to hoard it for herself.
He squatted down and looked at the small patch of Muxi grass.
It was clearly not as lush as the grass elsewhere, but compared to what was at the Botany Research Institute, it was much better.
"Can I dig one plant to take back? Otherwise, these notes of yours won't be convincing."
Cheng You naturally wouldn't refuse, "Of course."
It was something she intended to hand over anyway.
Zhao Jisheng carefully dug up a Muxi grass plant and wrapped it in a plastic bag with soil and roots.
Only then did the two prepare to head back.
As they left the medicinal herb garden, Zhao Jisheng couldn't help but ask again, "Cheng You, are you really not going to tell others that this achievement was your research?"
Cheng You stuffed her hands into her pockets, exuding an air of mystery, hiding her achievements and fame.
"Too much fame might not be a good thing for me. If you feel bad about it, then give Zhenshan Tang another invitation."
Zhao Jisheng chuckled and cursed, "Do you think invitations are like cabbage, found everywhere? I only have this one for you. I can manage to invite one person, but inviting Zhenshan Tang is beyond my capabilities."
Zhenshan Tang was a private pharmacy, with a certain gap between it and Huichun Tang.
However, he couldn't bear to see Cheng You disappointed, so he hinted, "You could try going to Dean Yun. Perhaps he has a way. He is the president of the Chinese Medicine Association."
Cheng You raised an eyebrow, so she had been looking in the wrong direction. It would be faster to go directly to that elder.
Zhao Jisheng was indignant, "What's with that look? I'm not as old as him, and our research fields are different. Our achievements cannot be compared!"
Cheng You nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "Of course, that's true."