Is There Any More Ginseng?

For the next week, Shen Jingchuan shuttled back and forth between the two worlds.

Life was fulfilling in the other world. Every day, he practiced stance training and three basic sword moves. When he had free time, he would tease the three pretty girls or go to the stable to feed and groom Big Black and the others. Big Black had also become much more restrained and had stopped bullying Little Red.

In the evenings, he would sit cross-legged and practice the "Everlasting Spring Breathing Instruction." His breathing became more and more profound each day, and his whole body exuded an indescribable strength.

In the modern world, he and Meng Ke are even closer. They don't have to be together every day, but they're constantly exchanging WeChat messages and making phone calls.

Their relationship progressed rapidly, and apart from the final line that wasn't crossed, they did everything they should and shouldn't have done.

Each time they parted, Meng Ke's cheeks would flush, his eyes would sparkle with spring-like joy, and even his steps would seem unsteady.

Early that morning, Shen Jingchuan drove Meng Ke's BMW and parked it at the entrance of her residential complex.

Meng Ke's mother's car was subject to license plate restrictions today, so the two of them had arranged for him to pick her up for work.

He had only stopped for five minutes when he saw a pretty figure walking out of the residential area.

Meng Ke wore a beige fitted dress, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her slender, fair neck. She walked briskly this way, the morning light falling on her shoulders, making her eyebrows and eyes even more lively, and her figure dazzlingly graceful.

Opening the car door and getting into the passenger seat, Meng Ke leaned over and gently kissed Shen Jingchuan on the cheek, her voice sweet:

"Honey, have you been waiting for ages?"

"No, I just arrived a little while ago." Shen Jingchuan turned to look at her, a smile in his eyes. "Have you had breakfast?"

"I've eaten, have you?"

"I just grabbed a quick bite downstairs at your place," Shen Jingchuan said, starting the car.

They hadn't driven far when Meng Ke turned around and said, "Oh, by the way, darling, I have something to tell you. I just got a call from Professor Wen when I came downstairs. He said he'd like to invite us both to lunch today, and he specifically said that we both have to go."

Shen Jingchuan gripped the steering wheel and casually replied, "Then it's your decision, are you going or not?"

"No need to even think about it, I definitely have to go."

Meng Ke said, quite naturally:

"The professor invited me so formally, it would be very impolite not to go. I've already accepted."

"Since you've already agreed, how could I dare not go? I'll go." Shen Jingchuan smiled, having no objections.

Once inside the store, the two huddled together in the studio behind the jewelry store. Meng Ke first taught Shen Jingchuan how to look at materials and discuss styles. As they talked, they became inseparable and lingered there until after ten o'clock.

Seeing that it was almost time, Meng Ke blushed and stepped out of his embrace, smoothing her slightly disheveled clothes and hair, and stood up, saying:

"Let's go, let's get there a little earlier, just in case there's traffic."

Shen Jingchuan also stood up. Meng Ke took a napkin, tiptoed, and carefully wiped the lipstick stains from the corners of his mouth and cheeks. After wiping, she gently punched his arm and glared at him, both shy and reproachful.

"Hate."

After getting ready, the two left home, driving west towards the place in West Mountain that they had visited before, a place that resembled a sanatorium.

Upon arriving at the gate, the guard checked the appointment information, confirmed that it was indeed an appointment with Elder Wen, and raised the barrier to let them through without saying a word.

It was the same small building as last time. The guard must have given me a heads-up; as soon as the car stopped, Professor Wen came out of the house smiling, his tone amiable.

"Come in, come in, please come in."

After entering the house and taking a seat, the food was soon laid out on the table. Compared to the simple meal last time, this time it was clearly prepared with great care, with a proper balance of meat and vegetables, and the dishes were exquisite and plentiful, filling the entire table.

During the meal, they chatted about everyday things, the recent weather, and inquired about Meng Ke's business. The atmosphere was relaxed.

Halfway through the conversation, Professor Wen paused, his hand holding the teacup he was holding. His expression shifted slightly, as if he were choosing his words. After a few seconds of silence, he looked at Shen Jingchuan and began:

"Young Friend Shen, there's something I'd like to ask you, but I don't know how to bring it up."

"Please speak freely. We are all juniors, so there's nothing to be ashamed of," Shen Jingchuan replied, putting down his chopsticks.

Professor Wen hesitated for a moment, then asked the question:

"I just wanted to ask, where did you get that ginseng you brought last time?"

Seeing that Shen Jingchuan and Meng Ke were both stunned and looked surprised, he quickly waved his hands to explain:

"Ah, I didn't explain myself clearly. I wasn't asking about your background, I just wanted to ask... is it possible to find ginseng like this again?"

Shen Jingchuan was about to speak instinctively, "Okay."

There were two more rings lying in his Ring storage space, older than the one he took out last time.

But as the words were about to come out, he caught a glimpse of the old professor's solemn yet somewhat anxious expression, and a layer of apprehension arose in his heart. He didn't dare to agree rashly, but instead carefully shut his mouth and didn't rush to answer.

Seeing that he remained silent, Professor Wen sighed and simply laid it all out:

"Hey, I won't lie to you. That ginseng you gave the old commander last time... the effect was surprisingly good."

Not only has his acute illness from last time been completely cured, but his overall physical condition has also recovered remarkably well. We've repeatedly checked with instruments, and the functional state of his internal organs is at least four or five years younger than before he started taking the medication—something almost impossible in medicine.

He paused, a hint of confusion in his eyes:

"Later, we also conducted component tests on the remaining ginseng slices. Its various effective indicators were indeed higher than those of ordinary wild ginseng from the same year, but not excessively so."

It shouldn't have such miraculous effects, and we still haven't figured out why. So I guess... the origin of your ginseng is probably not a common wild ginseng producing area like Changbai Mountain, right?"

Shen Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly realized what was going on.

It's likely that the Spiritual Qi energy within his ancestral Ring subtly enhanced the quality of the ginseng, resulting in such a remarkable effect.

But this was something he couldn't say, much less dare to say. His face remained impassive; he first nodded, then shook his head, and mumbled:

"I don't know the specifics, it was just something I got by chance."

Professor Wen, seeing that he was unwilling to elaborate and knew his limits, immediately nodded and said:

"I was being presumptuous. Everyone has their own fortuitous opportunities and secrets, and it was impolite of me to press them like that. Let me rephrase it— Young Friend Shen, could you help me find one or two more? Even just one would be helpful."

Shen Jingchuan lowered his eyes, pondering whether to give it or not, and how much to give.

Professor Wen noticed the troubled look on his face and gave a wry smile:

"I know that's mostly wishful thinking. If we could actually find it, you can name your price, ten million or tens of millions, it's no problem. As long as it's the right item, money is no object."

Upon hearing this, Meng Ke, who was standing nearby, was immediately stunned, his mouth slightly agape, and he remained speechless for a long time.

Although she doesn't know much about medicine, she is in the jewelry and jade business and knows the market prices of many precious medicinal materials. A wild ginseng that is about a hundred years old can sell for a million at most.

Last time, when Elder Wen gave her a million, she thought it was too much and refused for a long time before finally accepting it.

Now they're offering tens of millions, which is somewhat understandable, but to say they're willing to pay tens of millions is far beyond her comprehension.

She subconsciously turned to look at Shen Jingchuan beside her, a thought rising in her mind—her boyfriend seemed to be getting more and more mysterious, hiding far more than she knew.