Jing Shu was invited onto the stage by Zhou Bapi, the boards creaking slightly under her weight as she stepped toward the center of the ring. "It's just that a mutated virus of the red nematode infected the astragalus. As long as you can eliminate the diseased part, the astragalus will naturally recover," the girl said, her voice carrying through the quieted hall.
Though Jing Shu made it sound simple, it wasn't something these people could solve easily. Every insecticide required countless calculations and experiments before it could be applied without killing the delicate herb.
"So that's it. I knew something was off about those nematode eggs. They even gave off a rotten feeling, a faint smell of decay," an expert muttered, leaning closer to the glass.
"Yeah, and they still didn't die after the first treatment. These eggs are way too resilient for standard solutions," another added, gesturing to the grayed clusters on the roots.
Amid the noisy chatter that filled the first-floor lobby, Jing Shu finally pieced together the whole story of the past two days.
It turned out the people from Ta City had spent the past two days idly waiting for results, their confidence growing with every passing hour. On the first day, nothing happened, so the challengers became even more confident of their ultimate victory over Wu City. But to their shock, when they checked the diagnostic devices again the next morning, the Sanqi that had nearly died wasn't just alive; it was thriving, its leaves a vibrant, healthy green.
Even the casually grafted Chonglou had sprouted, the new growth pushing through the soil with surprising vigor. Those throwaway attempts by the girl had actually succeeded against all botanical logic.
Was this some kind of joke? How could that even be possible under such harsh conditions?
When Cheng Qingzi arrived after receiving the frantic news, his bean-sized eyes bulged wide as copper bells as he stared at the vibrant plants. After reviewing the surveillance footage to ensure no one had tampered with the pots, the old man fell silent. One fact was undeniable: no one had touched those herbs after that day on the platform. Which meant that the so-called genius of Wu City, Jing Shu, had truly healed them with her strange, unexplained methods.
No matter what methods were used, the facts couldn't be hidden from the observers.
"Hurry, think of a way to fix that astragalus before the time is up!" Cheng Qingzi's voice trembled with a mix of frustration and urgency.
Meanwhile, the onlookers in Wu City happily munched on breakfast porridge from their ceramic bowls while watching the Ta City group flail like ants on a hot pan.
Ta City's people had assumed it was just a simple red nematode issue they had seen a thousand times. They hadn't expected that every method they tried had failed so spectacularly.
So they tested everything they could, applying various chemicals and nutrients right up until the afternoon.
That day was also special for Zhou Bapi. President Zhou had just returned to Wu City after a long journey and hadn't even sipped water before President Tie came gloating toward him: "You're done for. You're in big trouble. That rookie you brought in is going to carry the blame for this. Wu City's supply is cut in half because of her failure."
Only then did Zhou Bapi realize what was going on in the lobby. Just as President Zhou was grinding his teeth, ready to throw down with Lao Tie, someone reported that Jing Shu had won three points for Wu City, tying the score with Ta City.
Surprises came one after another for the returning president. And now, Ta City couldn't solve the girl's astragalus problem despite their best efforts.
"Lao Cheng, you have been studying it for a whole day. The allotted time has been exceeded by two hours. If you can't present us with another herb problem to stump us, you can admit defeat right now," Zhou Bapi said smugly, flashing his big yellow teeth at his rival.
Cheng Qingzi clenched his jaw, the hair on his mole twitching. "This time, we truly lost. Wu City's genius lives up to her name. We concede. But I have a request. Could you let us study that astragalus further, to learn how you treated it? That way we can exchange insights for the future."
Jing Shu welcomed the idea. If Cheng Qingzi and his team really managed to figure out something substantial from the infected sample, it could serve as vital preparation for the virus outbreak six months later.
"Sure."
With that simple agreement, Wu City's delegation secured victory. The girl alone had earned three points, salvaging Wu City's honor, tying with Ta City, and ultimately presenting a problem that left the challengers from Ta City defeated. The resources of the Medicinal Herb Association were preserved for another season.
President Tie's face was a sight to behold as the crowd cheered. Sweat poured from his fat body, soaking his shirt and making the rolls of fat on his neck glisten. Because of his own reckless promise, Jing Shu had solved three challenges in one go, instantly fulfilling the requirements for her promotion to vice president.
And now President Tie had to shoulder the blame for the potential loss of face.
It's like a manager promising to sell a product worth a thousand yuan for ten. Of course, the boss wouldn't let the promise be broken once it's public, so the financial loss would fall on the manager.
The match is over. Wu City's won. The entire Medicinal Herb Association was buzzing with excitement, everyone except President Tie, who was drenched in cold sweat and looking for an exit.
Later, Zhou Bapi stood in Jing Shu's test fields, admiring the thriving herbs in the racks and grinning. "You did brilliantly this time. Once you gather five usable medicinal herbs of sufficient quality, I will file the report to recommend you as vice president."
"I raised a batch of leeches and dried them. Do they count as medicinal herbs for the assessment?" the girl asked.
"Of course they count," Zhou Bapi said cheerfully, his eyes scanning the healthy plants. "But better register it quickly before someone else does."
"I heard from Wang Danai that the vice president seat in Wu City was actually reserved for the herb clan," Jing Shu said with a raised brow. That old man had sold her someone else's dream back then, clearly scheming to keep her in line.
Zhou Bapi coughed, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Don't sweat the details. As long as you secure the vice president seat, isn't that enough? Don't worry, this time the position is yours for sure. It's even possible that Lao Tie will have to retire and give way. Who asked him to make such a reckless promise on the platform?"
President Zhou brightened as he spoke about the potential shift in power. "Jing Shu, you're truly my lucky star."
Whether or not Jing Shu was a "lucky star," she didn't care much. All she wanted was to secure the vice president seat as soon as possible. That way, in Wu City, if not walking sideways, at least no one would dare bully her or her family.
The Medicinal Herb Association of Wu City soon underwent unprecedented restructuring in the following weeks. It merged with members from Ta City, Lan City, and other places, forming one of the 23 provincial capitals' new herb cultivation centers. From now on, it would supply medicinal herbs for the entire province.
Since the victory, Jing Shu hadn't gone back to the association lobby. Instead, she focused on raising silkworms, leeches, and snakes at home in the villa, while occasionally checking on the two feed factories for red nematodes to ensure production stayed steady.
The silkworms in the Cube Space grew quickly. As long as they had fresh vegetable leaves, they ate nonstop, excreted nonstop, and grew nonstop in the dark environment.
The larvae would pass through five growth stages over a month, reaching a length of about seven centimeters (about 2.7 inches), then enter the cocoon stage for about fifteen days, and finally the moth stage for three to five days.
With the Spirit Spring supporting their vitality, the girl could breed a batch every month. Four rounds would be enough to meet all her family's demands. Of course, she planned to stockpile extra silk for the future. At minus 70 degrees, even ten quilts weren't enough to keep out the bite of the frost. Though she had prepared more than ten quilts before the apocalypse, quilts were consumables that would eventually wear out. Who knew if they would last the next ten years?
Raising silkworms was easy enough, but reeling the silk was hard work. The cocoons would have to be boiled in water before the thin threads could be pulled and spun onto bobbins. With her Cube Space and her family's help, things would be easier, and she wasn't afraid of the hard work involved. Survival mattered most in the long run.
On top of that, after more than two months of preparation, the girl finally gathered all the ingredients to brew the legendary Turtle-Snake Wine. It replenished qi, invigorated the blood, relaxed the tendons, improved circulation, and dispelled dampness from the bones.
After months of torrential rain that had soaked through every wall, Jing Shu could already feel the growing dampness in her own body. As for Li Yuetian, who already suffered from rheumatism in his joints, it was even worse.