The tour has ended.
Xu Xinghe clutched the hem of her clothes, hesitated for a long time, and then mustered up the courage to look at the bespectacled Old Li. "Old Li, experts, I... can I come here to learn every day? I want to learn from you how to cultivate medicinal herbs so that I can take care of these seedlings myself in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, the experts exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
They like people who are eager to learn, and they used to be mentors of students. It's only because the school is closed that they came here to focus on research.
Old Li's eyes were gentle. "We couldn't be happier. We love eager learners. Just come over every day, and we'll teach you how to measure soil moisture and adjust the lighting duration. We guarantee you'll learn."
Old Zhang with the goatee nodded in agreement, "If you can use the equipment in the lab, we'll let you use it too. If you don't understand something, just ask. We old folks may not have much else, but we have plenty of experience."
Xu Xinghe quickly bowed and thanked them, "Thank you, experts, no, teachers, I will definitely study hard!"
That afternoon, Xu Xinghe booked a room at a guesthouse near the research institute.
She plans to stay here these days to avoid having to travel back and forth.
"I won't go to the research institute every day, so as not to disturb your studies." Jiang Linchuan helped her make the bed. "You just focus on your studies, and if anything happens, just call the Lian family."
Xu Xinghe knew he wanted to give her enough space, so she nodded obediently, "Okay, you go and do your own thing too."
For the next few days, Xu Xinghe went to the research institute at dawn every day to observe the growth of medicinal herbs and record experimental data with the experts. He would not return to the guesthouse until evening, and he would even read a book on medicinal herb cultivation while eating.
Jiang Linchuan, however, focused his energy elsewhere.
He first went to the largest bookstore in Shanghai and picked out a whole stack of books on Chinese medicinal herb cultivation and soil science, filling two large bags.
They even asked someone to get some books on traditional Chinese medicine and packed them together.
Afterwards, he went to a department store in Shanghai. He remembered that Xu Xinghe had mentioned that it was difficult to buy good products in Heilongjiang Province, so he went in and picked out a few bottles of face cream, as well as moisturizing cream, soap, and so on.
Knowing he would be taking the train back and that carrying too much luggage would be inconvenient, he went directly to the post office and mailed everything to his residence in Heilongjiang Province. The address was the military headquarters, with a note saying "Political Commissar Wang, please receive this on my behalf."
After mailing the package, Jiang Linchuan stood at the post office entrance and couldn't help but smile.
When Xinghe returns to Heilongjiang Province and sees these books and things, she will be very happy.
He won't say for now, it's a secret!
Two weeks later.
Inside the glass-enclosed cubicle of the research institute.
The sixth group of experimental seedlings finally grew its third true leaf.
The leaves are thick and the hairs are bright, and the growth is more than twice as good as the previous batches.
Old Li, adjusting his reading glasses, looked at the densely packed data on the record board and smiled so much that the wrinkles around his eyes crinkled together. "It's done! With humidity controlled at 65%, daytime temperature maintained at 18℃, and nighttime temperature no lower than 12℃, plus a substrate of leaf mold mixed with river sand, this medicinal herb will grow steadily!"
The researcher next to him immediately added, "The control records for different growth stages have all been compiled. Seedlings are sensitive to strong light, so we need to use shade netting to block 30% of the light. After the plants mature, we water them with well-rotted organic fertilizer once a week to help the active ingredients accumulate faster. Once this batch of trial planting is successful, we can propagate it for mass production!"
Xu Xinghe was very happy to see the vibrant seedlings.
The fatigue she had felt over the past two weeks, from observing, recording, and adjusting with the experts every day, vanished at this moment!
"Thank you so much, teachers!" She bowed deeply, her voice filled with excitement. "As long as we can get it into mass production, people in the north will never have to worry about frostbite again!"
Old Li patted her shoulder with satisfaction, then turned around and took out a stack of yellowed notebooks from the drawer. "These are my old cultivation notes. They contain many tips for cultivating rare medicinal herbs. Old Wu's notebook is about pest and disease control, and Xiao Wang has a notebook about soil improvement. I'm giving them all to you."
Old Zhang also handed over a notebook, saying, "You're a hard worker, and your questions are all spot on. You're very bright, so don't waste this talent."
Xu Xinghe accepted it, feeling the weight of heartfelt sentiment. She immediately nodded vigorously, "I will definitely study hard!"
That evening.
The experts took Xu Xinghe to a nearby restaurant and ordered braised pork, steamed fish, and other hearty dishes.
At the dinner table, Old Li repeatedly urged, "After you go back, you can try planting it according to the parameters we gave you. If you have any questions, write to us anytime and we will help you. The frostbite ointment can help more people, all thanks to your persistence."
Xu Xinghe gripped her chopsticks and nodded vigorously, "I remember, and I will definitely plant them well and live up to the teachers' hard work."
Half a month later.
Xu Xinghe finally returned to the compound with a cloth bag full of notes on her back.
As soon as I entered, I heard a familiar voice.
Shen Jianqiu sat on the stone steps, clutching a handkerchief and shouting enthusiastically, while in the center of the arena, Lian Xiao and Jiang Linchuan were sparring with their bare hands.
"Lian Xiao, put some effort into it!"
"Brother Jiang, keep it up!"
Jiang Linchuan was even more agile. He dodged Lian Xiao's straight punch with a sidestep, grabbed his wrist, and forcefully pressed him to the ground.
With a thud, Lian Xiao knelt on one knee, his shoulder pressed down firmly by Jiang Linchuan.
Shen Jianqiu immediately clapped his hands, "Brother Jiang is amazing!"
Lian Xiao, his cheeks bulging with anger, said, "Shen Jianqiu, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak!"
"I told you, you can't do it, you can't do it!"
Hmph, since she's already decided not to like him, why bother being polite?
She'll get her revenge for all the harsh words Lian Xiao used to say to her!
"Are you guys sparring? You look amazing!" Xu Xinghe's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over.
Lian Xiao's face flushed red instantly. Of all times to come, she had to come now, and she saw him in such a disheveled state!
He looked at Jiang Linchuan, who was looking at Xu Xinghe. Jiang Linchuan's mind was clearly elsewhere, and his grip loosened.
Lian Xiao suddenly bent his knee and thrust it into Jiang Linchuan's knee, while simultaneously grabbing his arm with his other hand. Using his weight, he flipped Jiang Linchuan over and pinned him firmly to the ground.
“You attacked me from behind.” Jiang Linchuan’s expression changed slightly. “That doesn’t count.”
Lian Xiao sat on his back, raising his chin smugly, "Don't you know that all's fair in war? I haven't admitted defeat yet! Who told you to be distracted by Xinghe just now, and then cheat after losing?"
He glanced at Xu Xinghe, his tone carrying a hint of boasting, "See? I didn't really lose."
Shen Jianqiu laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight. "Lian Xiao, that was such a cheat! Brother Jiang was clearly in the lead just now. I know, Xing He is here, and Brother Jiang missed her so much that he got distracted."
Xu Xinghe suppressed a laugh and stepped forward, "Alright, alright, you're all amazing. Get up, the ground is cold."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Linchuan flipped over and pinned Lian Xiao to the ground again, saying, "I haven't admitted defeat yet, now it's your turn to lose!"
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