Quite a Few Years Younger

Inside the studio, Shen Jingchuan ruffled Meng Ke's hair, a smile playing on his lips.

"You seem so gentle and kind. But the way you acted just now, you were quite resolute."

Meng Ke's cheeks flushed slightly. She reached out and took his arm, walking into the shop while muttering to herself:

"Of course, I don't want you to have any lingering resentment."

As she changed the subject, as if suddenly remembering something important, her eyes lit up:

"I almost forgot to tell you! Most of the bracelets we picked up last week have been polished. The jade is even more translucent than we expected, and the floating patterns are very lively."

I had several veteran experts in the industry examine it, and they all said it was a rare, top-grade glass-like jadeite specimen in recent years. Based on the current market price, the entire batch, including bracelets, pendants, and cabochons, would fetch at least 400 million yuan. If it were auctioned, it might even fetch a significant premium.

Life went on at a leisurely pace. Shen Jingchuan continued to travel between the two realms, Qi Refining cultivation in standing meditation every day without fail, and spending his free time playing with the three little girls.

He didn't bring any new items to the other world anymore. He only took the time to repair glass mirrors for the general store owner a few times. The two unbreakable mirrors almost made the owner's eyes fall to the ground and shatter, so he gave him a thousand taels of silver.

Money no longer held the same significance for him. He was never one to crave luxury and pleasure, and when money could no longer dictate his life or was no longer a necessity, his desire to pursue it faded.

For him, the most important thing now is to find the Spirit Stone so that Xian'er can return to normal. What if... who wouldn't want to live forever?

But how do you find it? He still has no clue.

Finding Spirit Stones isn't something you can do just by luck.

The most practical thing is money. Spirit Stones are so hard to find in this other world, which means they are very valuable. If he ever gets a reliable source of them and doesn't have enough money, that would be really embarrassing.

The little money I make from dealing in glass mirrors is enough to cover daily expenses and buy some common medicinal herbs, but it's simply not enough to handle something as high-level as Spirit Stones.

He has to establish a legitimate path to make money in this other world and build up his wealth, otherwise he won't be able to seize opportunities when they come.

Then there's his connections and reputation. Right now, he's just an outsider with no connections, at best a small businessman with some rare items, and all he can access is information from the lower levels of society.

Spirit Stones are a rare commodity, always circulating within the small circles of cultivators and Aristocratic Clan. As a nobody, he can't even get close to them, let alone hear a whisper of their secrets. If he keeps hiding like this, he might not find a clue even after another ten years.

We can't keep this low profile any longer. We need to find a way to build connections and make a name for ourselves, even if it's just starting with business guilds or security escort agencies. We need to expand our network of contacts; we can't just sit here waiting for Spirit Stones to come to us.

Two weeks later, in the afternoon, Shen Jingchuan was accompanying Meng Ke to look at houses.

After searching for almost a week, he wanted to find a quiet detached villa not far from the city center. It didn't need to be too big, just big enough to live in, but he just couldn't find one that suited his taste. The two of them had just come out of an unsatisfactory house when Shen Jingchuan's phone suddenly rang.

It was Professor Wen calling.

He picked it up and held it to his ear, but before he could speak, Elder Wen's voice came through first:

"Young Friend Shen, what are you busy with? Is it convenient for us to talk?"

"Nothing much, just looking at houses outside with Meng Ke." Shen Jingchuan glanced at the person beside him, his tone relaxed.

"Oh, is this the young couple preparing their wedding room?" Professor Wen joked with a smile.

Shen Jingchuan smiled as well, glancing sideways at Meng Ke: "I suppose so."

Meng Ke's ears felt slightly hot. She raised her hand and gently patted his arm. Her eyebrows curved into a smile, and she didn't interrupt. She just stood quietly to the side and listened.

"What brings you here, sir?" Shen Jingchuan asked.

Professor Wen's tone was somewhat serious. "There's something important I'd like to discuss with you, but it's not convenient to talk on the phone. If you're free tonight, how about we have a casual meal together?"

Shen Jingchuan pondered for a moment, then looked up and met Meng Ke's gaze. Seeing her nod slightly, he agreed.

"Okay, you choose the place, we'll head over."

"Then let's go to the usual place. Come to my place; it's convenient and quiet here," Professor Wen said on the other end of the phone.

Shen Jingchuan agreed.

"You can come over tonight, any time is fine, whatever is convenient for you."

Shen Jingchuan agreed again, and after a few pleasantries, he hung up the phone.

Before seven o'clock in the evening, Shen Jingchuan drove Meng Ke to the large courtyard hidden in the woods, which didn't even have a nameplate.

Professor Wen received a notification from the gatekeeper and was already waiting under the corridor. As soon as the two got out of the car, their steps slowed down slightly in unison.

Shen Jingchuan raised an eyebrow slightly, while Meng Ke quietly squeezed his wrist, her eyes showing a hint of surprise.

Under the lamplight, the old man in front of me looked energetic and vigorous. The wrinkles on his face had smoothed out considerably, and even the few strands of white hair at his temples seemed to have faded. He looked much younger than when I last met him.

Upon entering and taking a seat, the dishes on the table were still exquisite and well-balanced, with a good mix of meat and vegetables, and a delicate yet flavorful aroma, showing that a great deal of thought had been put into them.

Shen Jingchuan remained calm and composed, only engaging in casual conversation about health and antiques during the meal. He never asked the other party why they had come to see him, and simply continued to serve the food and eat at a leisurely pace.

Halfway through the meal, Meng Ke finally couldn't help but laugh and speak:

"Elder Wen, you look so energetic today, you seem much younger than the last time we saw you."

This was a convenient way to save face. Professor Wen put down his chopsticks, his smile fading slightly, and his tone becoming serious:

"You have a good eye. To be honest, the reason I called you all here today is precisely for this matter."

He looked at Shen Jingchuan:

"Young Friend Shen, the two ginseng roots you gave me last time were even more effective than the first one. I only benefited a little from them myself, and didn't use much of them; I gave the vast majority to my old boss."

Even with such a small dosage, you can all see the changes. You can imagine how good that old leader's health is now. We've checked, and all his indicators have returned to the level of someone around sixty years old."

At this point, Professor Wen's Adam's apple bobbed, and the second half of his sentence got stuck in his throat, making him too embarrassed to say it out loud.

Having said all that, Professor Wen's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he ultimately didn't dare to say the rest of the sentence directly. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and concealed his earnest embarrassment.

Seeing his expression, Shen Jingchuan knew what he meant and felt too embarrassed to pretend not to understand.

His fingertips unconsciously caressed the rim of the celadon cup, his mind quickly calculating—the five ginseng roots in his space were still slowly being nurtured, all over two hundred years old, and their medicinal effects were no weaker than the three he had taken out before.

But he did have some concerns. He didn't know before, but now he does. It's the effect of the Ring's space.

This thing has such a shocking effect, and it's being pushed up to the top, involving so many people and things.

He knew nothing about power struggles and politics, nor was he interested in getting involved. It wasn't that he was afraid of anything; if he really got into trouble, he could simply hide in another world and never come back, where no one could find him.

But if he can run away, what about Meng Ke? So it's always better to avoid trouble.

After a moment's consideration, he looked up and spoke sincerely:

"Elder Wen, to be honest, this kind of wild ginseng is truly a rare find. I understand what you mean, but it's really hard to find. I had to go through a lot of trouble to find those two last time."

Upon hearing this, Professor Wen quickly waved his hand, a hint of apology on his face:

"Young Friend Shen, please don't misunderstand, don't overthink it. I'm not pressuring you, I was just mentioning it casually."

He sighed, his tone softening, and then explained the reason clearly.

"It's quite a coincidence. A while ago, two of my old leader's old comrades-in-arms heard that he had recovered, so they specially dragged their ailing bodies to come and see him. Those two old guys and my old leader were from the same trench, and now their health is not very good, and their energy and spirit are declining day by day."

The old leader had such fortuitous opportunity, and he felt bad about keeping it all to himself, so he thought... if there were any extras, he'd help them out as well, so he could spend a few more years chatting with the old leader, and that would be enough for him."

Over the past two weeks, Shen Jingchuan has been traveling back and forth between different time periods, and he's becoming more and more accustomed to this lifestyle.

When a person can disappear from this world at any time and come and go freely, their fear of the laws and power of this world will naturally become less and less.

However, Shen Jingchuan also felt that there was no harm in building good relationships with those high-ranking figures. Besides, he could easily obtain ginseng, making money and building connections at the same time—a win-win situation.

He didn't think the other party was greedy. Anyone would want to get as much as possible if they encountered such fortuitous opportunity. Besides, the other party didn't pressure him, gave him money, and he felt indebted to them.

So he felt it wouldn't hurt to give them a few more, just not too quickly, and not let them feel that these things came too easily.