Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

After passing through the corridor, the two quickly entered the public laboratory of the research building. As a front-line technician, she deftly stacked the bottles and jars from her backpack into the experimental racks with practiced ease.

"T1 Shuangxitian Sandy Land"

"T2 Kikudaichi"

"T3 Cypress Grove"

"T4 Dongmiaoling Area"

"T5 Ximiaoling Area"

……

Chen Yun muttered to herself as she made text marks on the blue-edged sticker.

Watching his old classmate work quickly and efficiently, Aimin smiled, filled with gratitude, and said, "Professor Meng was right back then. When we were in the research group, you were the most meticulous worker!"

"Oh, Aimin, has your tongue gotten so sweet? I've never heard you praise me like this before," Chen Yun teased, twisting open the test tube. "But it's not surprising, you were with Baihe every day for four years of college, so you probably said all the nice things to her, hehehe..."

The words "Baihe" made Aimin's face stiffen. Even after many years, these two words remain a taboo for him.

Noticing his expression, Chen Yun quickly and awkwardly changed the subject: "The soil samples are sorted and can be sent for testing immediately. Are the remaining two bottles of dried chrysanthemums also for comparative analysis, Aimin?"

Hearing the other person call his name, Aimin snapped out of his daze and hurriedly replied, "Um... um... the glass bottle on the left contains freshly picked chamomile, and the one on the right contains wild chrysanthemum from Shuangling Mountain. You're right, I do want to do a comparison of their medicinal properties."

"This component analysis isn't difficult to do. But since the two chrysanthemum varieties are different, there must be a special consideration behind doing this, right? Let me guess..."

As she spoke, Chen Yun held the glass bottle in her hand. The chamomile seeds were self-explanatory; Aimin had gotten them from her in the first place. However, the dried, yellow wild chrysanthemums piqued the girl's interest.

She poured out a few dried, yellow buds, held them in her hand, examined them for a long time, and then pondered, "You're looking for chrysanthemums that are cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and suitable for planting in mountainous areas. If that's the case, why not just do a grafting experiment? Why do you need to do a medicinal property comparison?"

Chen Yun's theoretical knowledge is no less than Ai Min's, and she has worked at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences for many years. If she has doubts, it means that the issue itself has aspects worth examining.

"Your analysis is all correct. Actually, I wanted to verify a hypothesis..." Aimin pushed up his glasses, seemingly organizing his thoughts. Chen Yun, on the other end, didn't respond, but she knew that the other party must have something else to say.

"Yesterday, on a whim, I brewed a cup of tea using chamomile and wild chrysanthemums I picked from the hillside. The chamomile tea was refreshing and sweet, while the wild chrysanthemum tea was bitter and hard to swallow. Different varieties will have different tastes, which is reasonable. The problem is, I also picked wild chrysanthemums at the foot of the mountain, and the tea made from them was indeed more bitter than the chamomile tea, but definitely tasted better than the ones from the hillside!"

"You mean... chrysanthemums grown at different altitudes have different compositions? That's not exactly a discovery, is it? Isn't it common sense?" Chen Yun often used analogical analysis in her experiments and immediately grasped the crux of the problem.

"Yes! That's common sense!" Aimin's eyes lit up. "That's why villagers use chrysanthemums for different purposes: wild chrysanthemums at the foot of the mountain are used to make tea, chrysanthemums on the chrysanthemum terraces are used to feed sheep, while bitter chrysanthemums at the top of the mountain are only used to stuff pillows. It's clear that the higher the altitude, the more bitter the tea..."

Before she could finish speaking, Chen Yun interrupted, "Are you saying that the active ingredients in chrysanthemums grown at high altitudes are more concentrated? And that their medicinal properties are strongest?"

The two were not only intelligent, but also had a tacit understanding. They were able to thoroughly discuss such professional academic issues in just a few words.

Their eyes met, and they both felt a sense of shared understanding, especially Chen Yun, whose gaze towards Ai Min underwent a subtle change. In all the years since graduation, her family had arranged countless blind dates for her, but none had made her heart flutter as much as this gentle, scholarly man before her.

Seeing Chen Yun staring intently at him, Aimin felt a little uncomfortable. At this moment, he pushed up his glasses, looked away, and said, "'Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, while those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges.' Since altitude affects the medicinal properties of chrysanthemums, I will set up experimental fields on the hillside. Although the yield will not be as high as that of Shuangxi Field, if it can increase the unit price, then my hard work will not have been in vain."

"With strong medicinal properties, its economic value will naturally increase!" Chen Yun tucked a stray hair behind her ear, her eyes gleaming. "Aimin, your idea is excellent and feasible! Our institute is currently conducting research with a pharmaceutical company. Once the test results are in, combined with your actual cultivation results, we can jointly publish a paper!"

Working at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, research papers are highly valued, since research achievements are essential for promotion to senior professional titles.

"As for the paper, just put your name on it. You've helped me so much, consider it my payment!" Aimin said with a calm smile.

"I don't like hearing you talk like that. I'm not helping you for the thesis; I'm just thinking..." Chen Yun's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at the man opposite her, blinked, and continued, "If you really feel bad, how about you treat me to dinner tonight?"

"Okay! But we need to leave early, I have to catch the bus home tonight..." Aimin replied with a simple smile.

"Come on, no way! All the city buses have stopped running right now, how are you going to get back? Listen to me, stay at our guesthouse tonight. If you don't like it, you can rest in my guest room!"

Chen Yun walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and found that apart from a few lights, it was pitch black outside. Before she knew it, an afternoon had passed.

Just as Aimin was about to say something, Chen Yun waved her hand: "Wait a moment, I'll take the samples to the lab on the second floor, let's leave right away!"

Chen Yun clearly wanted to keep Ai Min, but what about him? He just stared at the girl's retreating figure, his thoughts drifting to the name that had been mentioned. Bai He—this thorn that had been stuck in his heart for many years, was now bleeding profusely after Chen Yun unintentionally touched it.

Some people are really strange; they can't forget those from the past, but they're blind to those right in front of them.