Jing Shu was invited onto the stage by Zhou Bapi. "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."
Though she 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.
"So that's it. I knew something was off about those nematode eggs. They even gave off a rotten feeling."
"Yeah, and they still didn't die. These eggs are way too resilient."
Amid the noisy chatter, she finally pieced together the whole story.
It turned out the people from Ta City had spent the past two days idly waiting for results. On the first day, nothing happened, so they became even more confident of victory. But to their shock, when they checked again the next morning, the Sanqi that had nearly died wasn't just alive, it was thriving.
Even the casually grafted Chonglou had sprouted. Those throwaway attempts had actually succeeded.
Was this some kind of joke? How could that even be possible?
When Cheng Qingzi arrived after receiving the news, his bean-sized eyes bulged wide as copper bells. After reviewing the surveillance footage, he fell silent. One fact was undeniable: no one had touched those herbs after that day. Which meant that the so-called genius of Wu City, Jing Shu, had truly healed them.
No matter what methods were used, the facts couldn't be hidden.
"Hurry, think of a way to fix that astragalus!" Cheng Qingzi's voice trembled.
Meanwhile, the onlookers in Wu City happily munched on breakfast 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 hadn't expected that every method they tried would fail.
So they tested everything they could, right up until the afternoon.
That day was also special for Zhou Bapi. He had just returned to Wu City after a long journey and hadn't even sipped water before President Tie came gloating: "You're done for. You're in big trouble. That rookie you brought in is going to carry the blame. Wu City's supply is cut in half because of her."
Only then did Zhou Bapi realize what was going on. Just as he 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. And now, Ta City couldn't solve her astragalus problem.
"Lao Cheng, you've 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, you can admit defeat," Zhou Bapi said smugly, flashing his big yellow teeth.
Cheng Qingzi clenched his jaw. "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."
She welcomed the idea. If they really managed to figure out something substantial, it could serve as preparation for the virus outbreak six months later.
"Sure."
With that, Wu City's delegation secured victory. She alone had earned three points, salvaging Wu City's honor, tying with Ta City, and ultimately presenting a problem that left Ta City defeated. The resources of the Medicinal Herb Association were preserved.
President Tie's face was a sight to behold. Sweat poured from his fat body. Because of his own promise, Jing Shu had solved three challenges in one go, instantly fulfilling the requirements for promotion to vice president.
And now he would have to shoulder the blame.
It was 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, so the loss would fall on the manager.
The match was over. Wu City had won. The entire Medicinal Herb Association was buzzing with excitement, everyone except President Tie, who was drenched in cold sweat.
Later, Zhou Bapi stood in her test fields, admiring the thriving herbs, grinning. "You did brilliantly this time. Once you gather five usable medicinal herbs, I'll file the report to recommend you as vice president."
"I raised a batch of leeches and dried them. Do they count as medicinal herbs?"
"Of course they count," he said cheerfully. "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," she said with a raised brow. That old man had sold her someone else's dream back then, clearly scheming.
Zhou Bapi coughed. "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?"
He brightened as he spoke. "Jing Shu, you're truly my lucky star."
Whether or not she was a "lucky star," she didn't care. 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.
The Medicinal Herb Association of Wu City soon underwent unprecedented restructuring. 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, she hadn't gone back to the association. Instead, she focused on raising silkworms, leeches, and snakes at home, while occasionally checking on the two feed factories for red nematodes.
The silkworms in her Cube Space grew quickly. As long as they had vegetable leaves, they ate nonstop, excreted nonstop, and grew nonstop.
They would pass through five growth stages over a month, reaching about seven centimeters, then enter the cocoon stage for about fifteen days, and finally the moth stage for three to five days.
With the Spirit Spring supporting them, she could breed a batch every month. Four rounds would be enough to meet all demands. Of course, she planned to stockpile extra silk. At minus 70 degrees, even ten quilts weren't enough. Though she had prepared more than ten quilts before the apocalypse, quilts were consumables. Who knew if they would last ten years?
Raising silkworms was easy, but reeling silk was hard. The cocoons had to be boiled before the threads could be pulled and spun. With her Cube Space, things would be easier, and she wasn't afraid of hard work. Survival mattered most.
On top of that, after more than two months of preparation, she finally gathered all the ingredients to brew the legendary Turtle-Snake Wine. It replenished qi, invigorated blood, relaxed the tendons, improved circulation, and dispelled dampness.
After months of torrential rain, she could already feel the growing dampness in her body. As for Li Yuetian, who already suffered from rheumatism, it was even worse.