Having retired from their high-ranking positions at the provincial level, Zheng Tianfu and Mei Lan have naturally gained considerable experience. Nowadays, most ginseng on the market is artificially cultivated, and its efficacy is far inferior to that of wild ginseng.
There are only two regions in China that produce wild ginseng. One is the wild ginseng from the Central Plains region, with Codonopsis pilosula as the main variety, but it has become extinct due to the destruction of forest vegetation. The other is Northeast ginseng, mainly from Changbai Mountain, which is now also on the verge of extinction.
In the Qinling Mountains, the primeval forests are dense and rich in forest flora and fauna. The terrain varies greatly, with different temperatures and climates coexisting. This means that if the climate and other conditions in a certain area are suitable, ginseng may be found.
Green Wolf Mountain is one such place, but unfortunately there are too few of them. If Zhang Guodong hadn't been able to sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy, there would have been virtually no chance of encountering it.
It's worth noting that only a few plants were found in nearly ten square kilometers, and none of them were very old. Now that Zhang Guodong has dug them up, not a single ginseng or he wu can be found in this area.
Upon hearing Zheng Tianfu's words, Zheng Le stuck out his tongue and exclaimed in surprise, "So, this is still a precious darling?"
Zhang Guodong smiled modestly, then his gaze suddenly fixed on Zheng Le's face. Zheng Le? Zheng Le!
Huh!
"She's actually the top host of the City Express?!" Zhang Guodong was stunned, utterly astonished. Every time he read the City Express, Zhang Guodong would glance at Zheng Le a few times; she was quite pretty, and now she was standing right in front of him. No wonder she was wearing those oversized sunglasses earlier!
This is one of his favorite TV presenters, and now he's standing right in front of him!
As an ordinary person, Zhang Guodong naturally longed to get close to a celebrity, especially a beautiful woman—a kind of admiration that everyone has. He knew this admiration was unattainable, so he remained clear-headed. But now, with this beautiful woman standing right before him, the impact on Zhang Guodong was considerable, and he was deeply moved.
Neither Zheng's parents noticed anything unusual about Zhang Guodong.
"Haha, this three-year-old fresh ginseng would easily fetch ten thousand yuan on the market! Even if someone collects wild ginseng, it's usually dried; fresh ones are hard to come by!" Zheng Tianfu said to his daughter with a smile. "Isn't it precious? Sometimes, even if you have money, you can't buy real wild ginseng. Today, Xiao Zhang has brought some really good stuff!"
Friendship is priceless. For some, even a wild ginseng that is only three years old cannot be bought with money. This is why Zheng Tianfu said that ten thousand yuan is not too much.
Zheng Le then pointed to the three-year-old Hewu and said, "Is this the Hewu? Legend has it that the Hewu is in human form, so why is this a big lump?"
The Hewu that Zhang Guodong brought was indeed humanoid, but rather a fist-sized lump. It was rather unattractive, and even Zheng Tianfu couldn't be sure if it was Hewu. After all, this stuff wasn't as famous as ginseng on the market, and it was inferior. Moreover, it had to be processed before it could be eaten.
Seeing everyone's confusion, Zhang Guodong quickly regained his composure and said, "Uncle Zheng, why don't we leave this Hewu plant aside for now and find an expert familiar with its medicinal properties to guide us on how to take it? As for the ginseng, Uncle Zheng can soak it in wine or tea later!"
"What Xiao Zhang said is true. It's such a waste that these treasures are left unattended. I'll accept this gift!" Zheng Tianfu nodded and laughed heartily as he spoke.
"Not at all, Uncle Zheng, you're too kind!" Zhang Guodong said.
Zheng Le chuckled, amused. "Dad, you and Guodong are hilarious! Pushing each other around like that—"
"You crazy girl, talking nonsense! This gift is quite valuable, but your father isn't in good health, so it's good for him. Xiao Zhang, come to our house more often, let Lele take care of you, make yourself at home!" Mei Lan scolded her daughter with a smile, then said to Zhang Guodong. "We only have one child, Lele is so well-behaved!"
"Mom—" Zheng Le blushed immediately when she was being lectured in front of Zhang Guodong.
"Give the phone to Xiao Zhang, it'll be easier to keep in touch!" Mei Lan added.
Zheng Le rolled her eyes and helplessly handed Zhang Guodong a business card. It was a personal card with a faint jasmine scent. Zhang Guodong took out his own business card to exchange with Zhang Guodong, looking a little reserved.
They are celebrities after all, to be so close.
The Zheng family was very friendly and hospitable, and Zhang Guodong soon felt less reserved. The food was simple, six dishes and a soup, but he ate comfortably. Zheng's father took out a bottle of Moutai, which was said to be twenty years old, and shared a few cups with Zhang Guodong.
This made Zheng Le somewhat uneasy.
The two precious medicinal herbs were accepted as a gift. It's worth noting that the two elders would never accept such valuable gifts from their descendants in the past. This is not a good sign!
Of course, Zheng Le didn't dislike Zhang Guodong. It was just that she was very resistant to this secret blind date arrangement, but she couldn't refuse it.
After the meal, Zhang Guodong took the opportunity to say goodbye. Aunt Mei then gave Zhang Guodong two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes and two bottles of ten-year-aged Moutai, saying to Zheng's father, "These cigarettes and alcohol are just sitting there anyway, Guodong, take them, young people can use them for social occasions!"
Zheng Tianfu smiled wryly. His wife usually didn't allow him to drink too much, and smoking was an even greater luxury.
However, these were all gifts from friends, and I still have quite a few at home.
After recognizing Zheng Le as the star host of the second urban channel, Zhang Guodong felt a little uneasy. The fact that he had ended up here while having a meal made him feel somewhat dazed, as if it were all a dream.
Because he had never imagined being so close to any celebrity, let alone having a meal at their home. Everyone has idols in their hearts, and Zhang Guodong is no exception.
Zheng Le had to go on a TV show that evening, so she went downstairs with Zhang Guodong, but the two soon separated. Zhang Guodong insisted on walking out of the provincial TV station's gate, but Zheng Le had work to prepare, so she didn't insist.
As soon as he left, Zheng's father immediately called his old friend, Academician Bai Zhongsheng of the Yangling Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Yangling Academy of Agricultural Sciences is a national-level agricultural research and testing base, and it is the most authoritative place in China for research on plants and animals.
"Old Bai, still doing research?" Zheng Tianfu said with a smile.
On the other end of the phone was a middle-aged man wearing glasses, reading documents—Bai Zhongsheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences specializing in botany and zoology. He was quite surprised that Zheng's father had called him.
"Hey, Lao Zheng, you never call me usually. Is there some good news this late at night? Is your daughter getting married?"
"I'm worried too. My wife is arranging blind dates for our daughter again. Anyway, I received two nice plants today, just dug up. Want to come over and have them appraised sometime?"
The "good stuff" that Zheng's father mentioned only referred to the ginseng and he wu (a type of medicinal herb) that were still covered in green leaves, full of vitality—a very unusual phenomenon. As soon as Zhang Guodong left, he couldn't contain himself and called his old friend to inquire.
"Oh? What good stuff?"
"One is a three-year-old ginseng, and the other is a three-year-old black fungus. They're still growing green leaves; I wonder if they're wild—"
"Ginseng with green leaves at this time of year? Fresh and alive? Impossible!" Bai Zhongsheng's interest was immediately piqued, but he categorically denied it.
Ginseng and aconite grow in different regions, one in the north and the other in the south. Although wild ginseng is cold-resistant, this is not its peak growing season. Moreover, in the provincial capital, the wild areas here are currently barren and yellow, with weeds just sprouting. It is indeed hard to imagine that there is greenery here.
But that's the truth. A gift from a junior? Bai Zhongsheng couldn't resist his curiosity, and wanting to see an old friend, he agreed to come. For these researchers, wild medicinal herbs, especially fresh ones, are very attractive.
Zhang Guodong walked back to Green Treasure Pavilion.
The roller shutter door was locked; Li Yun hadn't returned yet.
"Li Yun, are you coming home tonight?" Zhang Guodong went upstairs and felt the room was a bit empty, so he called Li Yun. Today was Lin Yue's birthday, and he was alone in the empty room.
The phone blared deafening DJ music; clearly, Li Yun was in some nightclub or bar outside.
"Haha, you missed me?" Li Yun shouted from the other end.
Zhang Guodong was speechless.
I'd like to, but this is just too crazy!
"Oh yeah, I'm with Abbess Miejue and Sister Xiang. Why don't you sneak over?" Li Yun said. "I'm so tired, I'm all sweaty!"
Sister Xiang? Zhang Guodong knew it must be Xiang Chunyan, the mature woman he'd had an affair with. But how did they end up together?
With Xiang Chunyan around, he was even less likely to go. Besides, he didn't get along with Lin Yue, so he would only get the cold shoulder if he went.
"Never mind, I'm going to sleep now. Call me if you need anything!" Zhang Guodong hung up the phone listlessly.
The provincial TV station's Channel 2 broadcast the City Express on time in the evening. As expected, it was hosted by Zheng Le, who had a confident smile, a casual style, fluent speech, a clear voice, and was very capable. For an hour, he reported on the people and events in the city that day, as well as some very enlightening social topics.
Zhang Guodong exclaimed that life is unpredictable and magical.
He, an ordinary person, had actually dined with this incredibly confident, top-rated TV host. Don't laugh, for Zhang Guodong, an ordinary person, it was indeed an exciting thing.
However, he didn't realize at the time that this family dinner was actually a blind date arranged by Mei Lan and Zheng's father for their daughter. It was predictable that when Zheng Le returned home that night, he would face Mei Lan's questioning, especially about his daughter's impression of Zhang Guodong.
Of course, Zhang Guodong had no way of knowing.
In early April, the weather gradually warmed up, spring was in the air, and the countryside was bursting with new greenery, full of vibrant life. Zhang Guodong received a call from his mother, Ye Cuihua, informing him that his older brother, Zhang Guozheng, was engaged. The two families had a meal together and finalized the engagement. The engagement ceremony was simple, but the wedding date was set, something that couldn't be taken lightly.
However, the matter involved negotiations between the two families, and Zhang Guodong called his elder brother Zhang Guozheng to congratulate him.
Zhang Guozheng smiled and said, "Guodong, you're the pillar of the family now. What gift are you planning to give your sister-in-law?"
Zhang Guodong hadn't really considered this. The eldest of the three brothers was getting married, and Ye Cuihua and Zhang Zhengrong were overjoyed, seemingly much younger. Zhang Guodong thought he really had to make sure this was a good occasion. It was the first happy event in the Zhang family!
Good things often come in pairs. Zhang Guozheng said he found a new company, a lighting design and production company. Now he's a team leader, and his salary has been increased to an annual income of around 40,000 yuan. Although it's not much, it's a good start. Compared to Zhang Guodong, Zhang Guozheng has many friends and is very resourceful, so his future is undoubtedly bright.
Besides running Green Treasure Pavilion every day, Zhang Guodong spends most of his time on his morning exercise routine and learning about plants and flowers.
With consistent training, Zhang Guodong's physical fitness improved noticeably; he was incredibly strong, capable of killing a bull with a single punch! Of course, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it does demonstrate the effectiveness of Zhang Guodong's boxing training.
The Five Elements Fist of the Internal Martial Arts is indeed wondrous, tempering the whole body. The more one practices, the more one realizes that these five fist techniques are not simple. It is as if they are being corrected step by step, moving towards the path that best conforms to 'martial arts', while the difficulty increases step by step.
This strange phenomenon made Zhang Guodong a little uneasy, so he went to ask Lao Hao for advice. However, Lao Hao couldn't explain it either. After observing for several days without any results, he had no choice but to give up. Perhaps this was just an isolated case, indicating that Zhang Guodong's Five Elements Fist was gradually improving, which was a good thing!
This situation meant that Zhang Guodong could only perform one round of boxing each time. After one round, he would feel extremely tired, but after resting for a day, he would be more energetic than the day before.
This is progress! You can clearly feel it.
After returning from his morning exercise, Zhang Guodong was covered in sweat. He had just taken a shower when he received a call from Zheng Le.
"Guodong, my dad wants you to come over. Do you have time?" Zheng Le asked in a clear voice.
Zhang Guodong was surprised; he hadn't expected her to call him first.
Although Zhang Guodong had visited the Zheng family twice more during this period and gradually become familiar with them, Zheng Le never took the initiative to call. Each time, it was Mei Lan who called Zhang Guodong by landline.
Of course, Zhang Guodong never called her.
"Yes, what's the matter?" Zhang Guodong asked hurriedly.
"Hehe, my dad's friend is here. He specifically asked to see you. It seems to be related to the gift you gave me, right?" Zheng Le said with a smile. "Anyway, you'll find out when you come over. I have to go now, see you later!"
"Okay!" Zhang Guodong didn't say much and hung up the phone. A gift? Apart from the two wild medicinal herbs he brought the first time, the other two visits seemed to have only brought two fish and some vegetables, probably related to the medicinal herbs? But that happened some time ago, right?
P.S.: First update! Almost 4,000 words!
Another 'apprentice' has joined the reward list, 'Swordless Scholar'! Congratulations! Heaven is also very pleased. Hehe, very good and powerful! When this book produces an elder or higher-level author, then it will soar to new heights.
Also, thank you again to 'Anxi Huixiang' for the generous donation! Thank you! Finally, welcome to our new friend on the donation leaderboard, 'Qingfeng Manwu'!
Although there weren't many people giving tips, the scene was thriving, and Heaven was content. Thank you everyone!
Lastly, the first update is here! I'm now asking for votes, favorites, tips, and reviews—I want them all!
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