Xu Xinghe had no idea there were so many intricacies involved, so she listened attentively.
After they finished speaking, the experts gathered around the table and carefully examined the medicinal herbs in the flowerpot.
Some people carefully observed the texture of the leaves with a magnifying glass, some gently crushed the roots and smelled the aroma, and others examined the root system of the seedlings, occasionally making sounds of admiration.
Xu Xinghe couldn't help, so she could only stand aside.
She was also worried. What if the medicinal herbs couldn't be cultivated after being taken out of her space? Wouldn't that mean everyone's hopes would be dashed?
"The leaves are thick and covered with dense hairs, clearly indicating that they have accumulated a lot of nutrients." The old man with the goatee held a fresh leaf in his hand, his eyes shining. "The cross-section of the root is emerald green and the texture is delicate. It is indeed a rare and good medicinal material. I have never seen this kind of product before."
“These should be its seeds, not yet fully grown, but they look plump and glossy, so the survival rate should be quite high.” The old man on the far side frowned and turned to Xu Xinghe, “When you were cultivating them in Heilongjiang Province, besides the temperature, how did you handle the watering and soil?”
Xu Xinghe gave an awkward smile. "The soil... is just black soil from Heilongjiang Province. I water it twice a day. I don't know much about it, so I can only learn by reading books. I can only do what the books say. If I find the soil is too wet, I will water it again after a while."
The elderly man wearing reading glasses suddenly sighed and gently put down the seedling in his hand. "Comrade Xu, to be honest, this medicinal herb is too rare. With just this one sample, it will be difficult for us to conduct a control experiment. The characteristics at different growth stages and the reactions under different environments require comparison of multiple sets of samples to figure out the patterns."
The old man with the goatee nodded in agreement, “Yes, for example, variables such as the duration of sunlight and soil pH. Each experiment requires at least three seedlings as a reference. Just this point alone is indeed a bit difficult.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Xinghe immediately smiled, "Experts, don't worry, I have quite a few more at home. I just didn't dare bring too many with me when I left, for fear they would get damaged on the way. I'll go back and get them now, and I'll be back soon!"
"That's wonderful!" The elders' eyes lit up, and they quickly reminded them, "Be careful, the seedlings are delicate, don't let them get bumped or knocked."
Jiang Linchuan offered, "I'll go back with you."
The two hurried back to the courtyard. Xu Xinghe carefully selected six seedlings of different growth rates from her spatial storage, packed them in a specially made breathable wooden box, and then rushed back to the research institute.
As soon as the supplementary samples were placed on the table, the experts immediately surrounded them.
“Let’s divide the work now. Lao Zhou, you’re in charge of recording the soil parameters. Lao Wu, keep an eye on the temperature variables. Xiao Wang, prepare the experimental field sections…”
As he was speaking, he noticed Xu Xinghe standing on tiptoe, looking around curiously. He smiled and waved, "Comrade Xu, if you're interested, come with us to the lab. You can also tell us about the usual growth process of these medicinal herbs."
Xu Xinghe's eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly followed.
This is a great learning opportunity!
Even if she doesn't work in this field in the future, it's still a valuable opportunity to broaden her horizons.
Not to mention, these elderly men are all of extraordinary status. If it weren't for this opportunity, she probably would never have had the chance to meet these industry leaders.
We passed through two doors with signs prohibiting unauthorized personnel from entering.
Xu Xinghe entered the actual testing area, and the sight before her made her exclaim in amazement.
The huge laboratory is divided into individual glass cubicles, each filled with different medicinal herbs. Some have lush green leaves, some have tiny flowers, and some have vines that meander and climb along the supports.
Temperature and humidity values were displayed on the instrument screens outside the cubicle.
There were supplementary lights in the corners, and the air was filled with a rich yet refreshing medicinal fragrance, making it feel like a botanical garden hidden inside the building.
“These are all rare medicinal herbs that we are cultivating. As for your new medicinal herb, we plan to conduct a set of basic experiments in the low-temperature test area over there to simulate the climate of Heilongjiang Province, but we will precisely control the temperature fluctuations... Xiao Li, why don't you accompany Comrade Xu to take a look around?”
Xu Xinghe listened attentively, her gaze sweeping over the various medicinal herbs.
She suddenly realized that cultivating this miraculous medicinal herb so that it could help more people might be the best decision she had ever made.
At this moment, a middle-aged female researcher in a white coat walked over. "Comrade Xu, Professor Li and the others are busy preparing for the experiment. Shall I show you around? Each of these medicinal herbs is very useful."
Xu Xinghe nodded quickly, "Thank you for your help!"
The female researcher led her to the easternmost cubicle and pointed to a cluster of plants with sword-shaped leaves. "This is Salvia miltiorrhiza. You can see its roots are purplish-red. It's an improved variety that we've cultivated, and its medicinal effects are 30% stronger than the wild variety. The extracts from it can be made into medicines that promote blood circulation and clear the meridians. Last year alone, we supplied tens of thousands of boxes to coal miners in the north. Many people have had their joint pain from working underground relieved because of it."
Xu Xinghe leaned closer to the glass to take a closer look. The fine hairs on the leaves were clearly visible. She couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the glass. "I didn't know it could help so many people."
"Take a look at this next." The female researcher pointed to the next cubicle, where low-growing herbaceous plants with pale purple flowers were growing. "This is Viola yedoensis. Don't underestimate it. It has excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. We make it into an ointment and send it to the border outposts. Soldiers can apply it to cuts and mosquito bites during training and it heals quickly. Last year alone, we sent more than 5,000 tubes to the border."
As they walked and looked around, the female researcher's voice was gentle yet powerful: "The honeysuckle over there is an improved double-flowered variety. After being dried, it can be used to make tea that clears heat and detoxifies. It's supplied to textile factories in the south, and the workers don't get heatstroke easily when they drink it in the summer. And the licorice at the very back is a low-sugar variety that we've cultivated. It can be used as a guide to harmonize the properties of other medicines and also to add sweetness to children's medicines. Last year, the children's hospital alone used more than 200 kilograms..."
Xu Xinghe's gaze swept over each medicinal herb, and with each herb's use, he felt a deeper sense of emotion.
When they reached the room where the medicinal herbs she had brought were being cultivated, the female researcher smiled and said, "If your herb is successfully cultivated, it might help as many people as, or even more than, these other herbs. In the frigid northern regions, so many people suffer from frostbite. If we could mass-produce frostbite cream, that would be a tremendous boon."
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