"My grandmother left me a siheyuan," Qi Cheng'an said calmly.
Cheng You propped her chin on her hand and said with a smile, "That's great, so accommodation is solved. But food and drink still cost money, right?"
Qi Cheng'an stroked her head. "What Grandma left is enough for us to live without worry for the rest of our lives."
Cheng You feigned surprise, looking at him with utmost joy.
"Wow, Grandma left so much stuff? Then we don't have to worry."
She deliberately glanced at the dark-faced Zhou Qi and snorted.
"Qi Cheng'an has a grandmother, do you?"
Zhou Qi: "..."
He did, but after his parents died, his so-called relatives took the death benefits and left, abandoning him like a burden at the Qi family's place.
As for Grandma Qi, she never liked him.
So he desperately tried to please Qi Shengwen and Madam Qi, instigating discord between them and Qi Cheng'an, wanting only to monopolize these parents.
He knew Grandma Qi had left things behind, even a will, bequeathing everything to Qi Cheng'an, bypassing Qi Shengwen.
He just hadn't expected those things to be so valuable.
"Brother Yan, are you saying you don't even want to acknowledge your parents anymore?"
Qi Cheng'an chuckled, a cold glint in his eyes.
"They are the ones who don't acknowledge me."
Zhou Qi didn't want to argue with him. "Anyway, I've delivered the message. Remember to call Dad back."
After he left, Cheng You asked, "Are you going to call?"
"No."
He could already imagine what Qi Shengwen would say.
It would be nothing more than a condescending command, telling him to persuade Cheng You to cooperate with Professor Zhao's work and obediently hand over the items.
And then, as a father, he would scold him a few times.
In his world, the military uniform bestowed responsibility and duty, as well as honor, but honor was more important than the former.
Cheng You had the same intention and didn't want to deal with Qi Shengwen.
On this matter, she and Qi Cheng'an were in agreement.
Thus, after waiting for days with anticipation, Zhou Qi still hadn't seen Cheng You voluntarily deliver the items.
Zhao Jisheng said coolly, "I told you, if you want Cheng You to cooperate, you need to impress her with sincerity."
Zhou Qi's face turned green with frustration.
"Teacher, haven't I been humble enough?"
Zhao Jisheng closed his eyes. "If apologizing is considered being humble to you."
Perhaps from eating Cheng You's meals for a few days, or from spending time with her, he had a slight change of opinion about both her and Qi Cheng'an.
He didn't think these two were difficult to deal with, even though Cheng You hadn't agreed yet.
Instead, Zhou Qi surprised him.
He came to Wujing Village for work, but he brought his personal agenda and used his petty tricks.
Zhao Jisheng was already contemplating whether Zhou Qi was truly suitable to be his student.
What truly made him decide was Zhou Qi doing something unbelievable.
He actually tried to steal medicinal herbs from the fields and was caught on the spot, then thrown out.
It was a complete embarrassment to Zhao Jisheng.
He couldn't help but say, "You should return to Yancheng first."
Zhou Qi here would only be a hindrance.
Coincidentally, Zhou Qi had also had enough and didn't want to stay in this rural place.
The moment he boarded the train, Zhao Jisheng made a call to the Agricultural Research Institute.
"Hello, Old Zhou, you were interested in taking Zhou Qi as your apprentice last time, weren't you? Yes, after he returns this time, he can go to your place."
"No, no, nothing happened, I just think he's more suited for your side, and I have too many people here to manage. Okay, it's settled then."
Zhao Jisheng hung up the phone and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He should have done this earlier, and he wouldn't have offended Cheng You so badly.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late to send away that jinx, Zhou Qi.
Zhao Jisheng borrowed a bicycle and went to find Yang Yunian.
In Xing County, he only knew Yang Yunian well.
"I want you to act as a mediator and put in a good word with Cheng You. I don't want her to hand over the cultivation method, but rather to cooperate with her."
Yang Yunian readily agreed. Zhao Jisheng had given guidance to Qili Village last time and popularized scientific planting; he remembered it.
"Let's go, let's go. That girl is reasonable, don't rush."
Zhao Jisheng fell silent. He knew it. Without Zhou Qi, he probably would have cooperated with Cheng You long ago.
With Yang Yunian present, Cheng You was indeed more amiable than before.
She glanced at them and asked, "Professor Zhao, where is Zhou Qi?"
Zhao Jisheng smiled awkwardly. "I sent him back to Yancheng first and arranged for another teacher to take him."
This was an attempt to distance himself from Zhou Qi.
Unexpectedly, Cheng You nodded. "Then you can tell me now how you want to cooperate."
Zhao Jisheng was startled, his mind reeling.
This was... this was already starting to discuss terms?
He couldn't tell whether it was Yang Yunian's great influence or the fact that Zhou Qi had been driven away.
Cheng You continued, "Cooperation is fine, but I have a requirement: Zhou Qi cannot be involved in this matter."
She would rather give the credit to a stranger than let Zhou Qi claim it.
Zhao Jisheng nodded repeatedly. "Of course. He is no longer my student. This cooperation will be handled solely by my team from start to finish."
Cheng You nodded. "Then let's go inside and discuss it in detail."
As they walked inside, Zhao Jisheng still felt like he was dreaming.
It was this simple?
He was already regretting taking Zhou Qi as his disciple.
Zhao Jisheng's visit was less about researching the differences in the seeds Cheng You provided, and more about buying seeds from her.
"Buy? How much do you want?" Cheng You asked.
Zhao Jisheng said, "As much as you have, I'll take it all."
Yang Yunian asked curiously, "I haven't heard of such a large planting base in Yancheng."
Zhao Jisheng then explained, "The Agricultural Research Institute plans to invest in a traditional Chinese medicine planting base. It's not in Yancheng, and the land will be over a thousand mu."
Cheng You marveled. She had thought that the combined hundred mu of land in Wujing Village and Qili Village was already a lot.
"Professor Zhao, I only accept profit-sharing, and I can't provide that much in a short period. I can only give you what I have." She also had her pharmacy, and the condensed dew wasn't inexhaustible.
Zhao Jisheng wasn't disappointed. Instead, he asked, "What about in the future?"
"I can't guarantee anything. I can only say I'll try my best."
With Cheng You's words, Zhao Jisheng was reassured.
"Cheng You, I can't make decisions about the profit-sharing. I need to return to Yancheng to discuss it."
Cheng You was indifferent. She could afford to wait.
"Alright."
It wouldn't matter if it dragged on until next year. She would likely be going to university in Yancheng, where negotiations would be more convenient.
Having resolved a major concern, Zhao Jisheng insisted on taking Cheng You and Qi Cheng'an out for a meal.
The group went to the state-run restaurant, a testament to their unexpected acquaintance.
Zhao Jisheng sighed inwardly. From his interactions with Qi Cheng'an during this period, he felt that the rumors in Yancheng, including the words spoken by Zhou Qi, were questionable.
Compared to those rumors, he trusted the living person before him more.