Chapter 65.1

After Jiang Ruan left, He Ziqi lost his appetite. Was his physical weakness really due to poisoning? The top doctors in Hong Kong hadn’t been able to diagnose it, but Jiang Ruan had figured it out? Or perhaps those doctors did know, but they hadn’t said anything…

He had already sent the investment proposal with Chang Linyan back home, and his father was quite interested, asking him to bring back samples of the “Shencao Grass Flower.” His father was ruthless, as cunning as Chang Linyan. If they could replicate the herb in Hong Kong, with their superior research teams, they could quickly develop a range of medicines and health products.

It was a solid plan, but his own illness still needed treatment.

Caught between these two concerns, He Ziqi found himself unable to even enjoy his favorite roast duck. After paying the bill, he left the restaurant.

Mu Xuehui had been waiting for a while. Seeing He Ziqi, she quickly approached. “Mr. He, would you like to head back to the hotel or perhaps take a walk? There are some charming old alleys around here.”

“Let’s head back to the hotel, but I’d like to walk,” he said, hoping to use the stroll to learn more about Jiang Ruan from her.

Mu Xuehui was happy to oblige. She had been waiting outside while he was in the restaurant and had seen Jiang Ruan go in, which made her anxious. “Mr. He, was Jiang Ruan there to see you?”

He Ziqi disliked being probed and watched. Suppressing his irritation, he replied, “I didn’t see her, so I don’t know why she was at the restaurant. It seems your Rejuvenation Hall doesn’t get along well with her. Why is that?”

Relieved that Jiang Ruan hadn’t met with him, Mu Xuehui felt a bit afraid. She knew He Ziqi wasn’t easily swayed by slander, so she carefully said, “You’ve met her yourself, Mr. He. Jiang Ruan has low emotional intelligence, she has no friends, and there’s business competition, so it’s normal for relations to be strained.”

“Oh.” He Ziqi was still puzzled, trying to figure out how Jiang Ruan had deduced he was poisoned. He had no intention of seeking verification through a doctor Mu Xuehui might recommend. At this point, he didn’t even trust his own driver.

Sensing He Ziqi’s distraction, Mu Xuehui asked, “Mr. He, we’ve finalized the contract with Xiahe Village, and the first batch of seedlings has been planted. Would you like to go take a look?”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow?”

“Alright.” He Ziqi wanted to see the seedlings of the “Shencao Grass Flower” for himself. Jiang Ruan had mentioned that hers could bloom and bear fruit, he wanted to compare them.

…

Chang Linyan had leased land in Xiahe Village under her apprentice’s name to cultivate the “Shencao Grass Flower.” Today, she was expecting investors to inspect the site. When Jiang Ruan heard about this, she gathered dozens of people from Chengjia Village, all armed with hoes and carrying poles, to stir up trouble in Xiahe Village.

Jiang Ruan decided to go and take a look. Qin Ao was concerned. “If the two villages get into a conflict, things could get dangerous. Be careful.”

“I’m just going to check out their seedlings,” she said. “If it’s something that doesn’t work, why are they planting it?”

When she arrived at Xiahe Village, the families from Chengjia Village and Xiahe Village were already fighting.

The Cheng family members accused Cheng Wanxia of being ungrateful. “If it weren’t for our help with Chang Linyan’s work, would you have been able to become her apprentice? Now you’ve learned her trade, but instead of giving back, you run off to Xiahe Village to lease land. What, is there no land in Chengjia Village to grow your herbs?”

Cheng Wanxia was beaten and cried in frustration, “It was my master’s decision! What could I do?”

As Chengjia Village tried to destroy the herb seedlings, the two villages clashed. While they were distracted, Jiang Ruan managed to grab a few trampled seedlings and quickly slipped away.

Back home, she tossed the seedlings to Qin Ao. “They’re useless. No medicinal properties. It looks like Chang Linyan is just using this to trick He Ziqi into investing.”

No wonder they only signed a three-year lease, it was just a scheme to secure funding. At most, they would plant for one season this year.

Qin Ao replanted the seedlings in their nursery to see how they might grow compared to their own. “Seems like Chengjia and Xiahe villages are fighting for nothing.”

In the distance, they could hear police sirens wailing, signaling someone had reported the altercation. It seemed that the village leaders of both communities might face consequences this time.

Jiang Ruan went to check on the hatchery. There were two thousand special chicks and ducklings in this batch, meant to become breeding stock. Once they successfully bred, their eggs wouldn’t require special hatching methods anymore.

…

Just as she left the hatchery, He Ziqi arrived, with Mu Xuehui still trailing him, like a watchdog.

He Ziqi wanted to see Jiang Ruan’s cultivation base. Smiling, he said, “Miss Jiang, you mentioned I could visit your base anytime. Does that still hold true?”

“I can show you around,” she replied, gesturing toward Mu Xuehui. “But she can’t enter my base.”

“Then, Miss Mu, please wait outside,” said He Ziqi.

Jiang Ruan’s cultivation base was surrounded by a two-meter-wide trench, with prefab bridges at each cardinal point. There were small wooden huts by each bridge for the night guards, each equipped with two guard dogs. It was nearly impossible for outsiders to enter unnoticed.

The base was divided into several sections, each dedicated to different stages of growth. Every section emitted the same light, refreshing scent, something that couldn’t be replicated through chemical synthesis.

Earlier, when Mu Xuehui had taken He Ziqi to Xiahe Village, he had noticed that their setup was far smaller than Jiang Ruan’s, and their seedlings had no fragrance.

He Ziqi knew enough about Chang Linyan to recognize her tenacity and skill. If she still hadn’t managed to cultivate viable plants, it meant she had exhausted all her options. Even if he brought samples back to Hong Kong, it was unlikely any research team there could replicate the herb’s success.

Standing in Jiang Ruan’s cultivation base, He Ziqi felt a rare sense of tranquility. He couldn’t help but lower his tone, “Miss Jiang, this herb is too valuable to just be used for feeding chickens. Why not focus on pharmaceutical research? I can provide a technical team. If regulations here are challenging, you could grow, research, and produce in Hong Kong.”

Jiang Ruan shook her head. “If I went, as an outsider, I’d be exploited by people like you. I might even face personal threats. No, I’m fine here. I don’t mind waiting a few more years.”

He Ziqi was left with no choice but to think of another approach.

Gaining a bit of confidence in Jiang Ruan, he asked, “How did you determine I was poisoned and not just physically weak?”

“Your condition is both poison and medicine,” Jiang Ruan said. “You’ve been here for about a month now. Normally, without continued treatment, you’d be in severe pain. But Chang Linyan stole some of my medicine, which temporarily alleviated it. If you wait a few more days, your symptoms will worsen. When that happens, come find me. I can cure you.”

…

After returning, He Ziqi politely declined Chang Linyan’s offer to try the new medication.

Mu Xuehui reported on the events from their visit to the countryside, “Around 50-60 people from Chengjia Village went to Xiahe Village, and half of Master’s planting field was destroyed in the brawl.”

She glanced at Cheng Wanxia and sighed, “Senior Wanxia was beaten quite badly by her family. She should really go to the hospital for a check-up.”

Seeing her disheveled apprentice, Chang Linyan said coldly, “I’ve always wanted to have family support, but my late mother and stepfather only dragged me down, and my brother ended up collaborating with our competitors. That’s why I understand the true nature of family. Have you not realized yet that you should sever ties with Chengjia Village?”

Cheng Wanxia, looking dejected, said, “Master, from now on, I’ll follow your lead. I won’t go back to Chengjia Village anymore.”

“Good. From now on, let Xuehui handle the planting. You should get checked at the hospital, make sure there aren’t any internal injuries.”

After Cheng Wanxia left, Mu Xuehui shared more information about He Ziqi, “Mr. He visited Jiang Ruan’s planting base. I was stopped from entering, but I could smell the herbs from outside. Jiang Ruan is using the herbs to feed chickens—she’s going too far.”

Even if she chose to feed her crops to pigs, it wasn’t anyone’s business.

Chang Linyan asked, “Did you ask Mr. He what he thought?”

Mu Xuehui responded, “I did. He said he had proposed a collaboration to Jiang Ruan, but she refused. I believe he was telling the truth. But if she suddenly agrees to work with him in the future, what will happen to our investment with Mr. He?”

Chang Linyan suddenly broke into laughter, a bright and hearty one.

Sipping her tea and relaxing her brow, she explained, “I never really cared about collaborating with He Ziqi.”

Mu Xuehui was taken aback, “Master, then why have you been having me keep tabs on him?”

“To give him the impression that we’re interested in partnering with him.”

Now that the time was right, Chang Linyan revealed her true intentions, illustrating how unpredictable people can be.

“The truth is, I noticed early on that He Ziqi’s body was poisoned in a way that was hard to detoxify. I never expected Jiang Ruan’s herbs to have detoxifying effects, and neither did his family. The person who poisoned him contacted me through his driver, asking me not to tell He Ziqi. When the time is right, someone else will come to the mainland to discuss investment.”

Mu Xuehui was shocked. Her attempts to reach out to He Ziqi and Jiang Ruan’s inadvertent intervention had expedited He Ziqi’s removal by his family’s rivals.

It seemed that He Ziqi, this major figure, was about to fall.

For Chang Linyan to share this with her, it meant she saw Mu Xuehui as a trusted disciple. Chang Linyan’s decisiveness had propelled her to success in her past life.

“Master, what should we do now?” Mu Xuehui asked.

“We’ll just wait and see,” Chang Linyan replied. “In the meantime, visit Chengjia Village to discuss livestock breeding. We need to ensure our fried chicken stores have a steady supply, which will also lower costs.”

“But Master, why go back to Chengjia Village this time?”

Chang Linyan chuckled, “To maintain balance. If the two villages keep fighting, we won’t be able to accomplish anything.”