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The banquet hall on the second floor of a state-run hotel in the provincial capital.

Those who can step through this threshold are either rich or powerful, and each one is a big name in the provincial medicinal herb business circle.

Under the crystal chandelier, well-dressed businessmen held teacups in small groups, and the air was filled with the unique aroma of "success" of this era, a blend of high-end cigarettes and aged Pu'er tea.

When Lu Qingshan, dressed in a simple Zhongshan suit, led Lin Xiulan through the door, the noisy conversation seemed to be choked by an invisible hand, instantly dropping eight octaves.

Countless gazes, some curious, some scrutinizing, some disdainful, were like searchlights, subtly focusing on the young man and woman who seemed completely out of place in their surroundings.

"Qingshan, I...I'm a little scared."

Lin Xiulan's palms were instantly soaked with sweat from nervousness. She subconsciously gripped Lu Qingshan's hand tightly, her voice trembling.

"The people here...they're looking at us so strangely. Should we...shouldn't we have come?"

She felt like an ugly duckling who had wandered into Swan Lake, surrounded by swans whose feathers were more splendid than hers, leaving her feeling helpless.

Lu Qingshan gripped her soft hand even tighter, the warmth and strength emanating from his palm acting like a solid dam, instantly blocking out all the raging storms from the outside world.

He turned his head, leaned close to his wife's ear, and spoke softly, but with a strength that reassured her:

"Don't be afraid, Xiulan."

"You are not the ugly duckling, you are my swan. Today, stand beside me and watch how I make all the swans in the pond marvel at you and me."

Lin Xiulan's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and saw her husband's deep and confident eyes.

All the panic subsided quietly at that moment.

Just then, an extremely piercing sound, like sandpaper rubbing against glass, came from the busiest part of the banquet hall.

"Hey! Who do we have here? Isn't this Boss Lu from that poor mountain village of Hongshi County?"

"What's wrong? You've sold out of wild boar meat in the mountains, so you're trying to broaden your horizons like humans?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wei Biao wearing a brand new black mink jacket.

The thick gold chain around his neck, large enough to tether a dog, gleamed tackyly under the lights. He was surrounded by a group of people, their faces displaying undisguised, condescending mockery.

The banquet hall fell silent instantly. Everyone stopped talking, picked up their teacups, and turned around with interest, looking like they were ready to watch a good show.

"Brother Lu! Don't be impulsive!"

A bead of sweat instantly appeared on Guo Haipeng's forehead. He rushed over, taking three steps at a time, and said urgently in a low voice:

"This is Wei Biao's territory. He's deliberately trying to provoke you! Let's ignore him, find a place to sit, and wait it out!"

Lu Qingshan seemed not to have heard Wei Biao's provocation at all, and didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

His entire attention was on his wife.

He turned slightly to the side, using his body to shield Lin Xiulan from all the malicious gazes.

I walked straight to the most inconspicuous corner of the banquet hall, where there happened to be two empty seats.

He carefully pulled out a chair for Lin Xiulan, and only after she was settled did he sit down himself.

Then he picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of tea for each of them in a leisurely manner, even gently rubbing the rim of the cup with his fingertips to test the temperature.

This series of movements was fluid and effortless, as if no one else was around.

This utter disregard, emanating from the very core of his being, ignited Wei Biao's anger far more than any vicious retort.

He felt as if his powerful punch, delivered with a whoosh, had landed squarely on cotton. The frustration of having nowhere to strike made his face turn a deep purplish-red.

"Hmph! You're all just playing God and playing tricks on me!"

Wei Biao spat viciously at the carpet beneath his feet, then lowered his voice and cursed at the person next to him:

"Look at that pathetic guy, he's such a coward! Just wait until I see how I rip that fake face off in front of everyone!"

In his view, Lu Qingshan was just feeling guilty and scared, and was pretending to be an ostrich.

Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, the people around started chatting amongst themselves again, focusing on the main topic.

They were already inseparable from the mysterious young couple in the corner and the menacing local tyrant on the stage.

The tasting event will begin soon.

After a few brief opening remarks, the host got straight to the point:

"Gentlemen, you've all come from afar, so you must have brought some of your most prized possessions. As the saying goes, sharing is worse than keeping it to yourself, so why don't you come up here and let everyone see and judge them?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Biao stood up impatiently.

He winked at Bald Qiang, who immediately became like a loyal servant, carrying a carved mahogany box in both hands and following closely behind Wei Biao. The two strode onto the stage.

With a "snap," Wei Biao opened the box himself, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, a plump ginseng root with dense roots lay quietly on the red silk.

He cleared his throat, picked up the ginseng, and his gaze swept over Lu Qingshan in the corner with a venomous look.

"You are all experts, and respectable people! But the market isn't peaceful right now!"

His voice was loud and clear, and he deliberately raised his pitch.

"There are always some arrogant and ignorant fools who, relying on a bit of luck, think they know their own limitations!"

"He dares to come to the provincial capital with just a rotten tree root covered in mud, swindling people and claiming he has some treasure!"

These veiled insults caused everyone present to instinctively look at Lu Qingshan.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Wei Biao's mockery deepened:

"I, Wei Biao, am putting my words here today: I've seen plenty of liars!"

"This ginseng in my hand cost me a full five thousand yuan! I bought it from a passing businessman from the south!"

"We even specially invited Master Zhang, the most discerning ginseng expert in the provincial capital, to personally examine and authenticate it. It's a genuine 30-year-old wild ginseng! Authentic!"

He emphasized the word "genuine" very heavily, almost squeezing it out from between his teeth.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the room.

Five thousand yuan! Thirty years!

In an era when even households with ten thousand yuan are extremely rare, this is absolutely a priceless treasure!

Several senior experts from the provincial pharmaceutical company were immediately drawn to the ginseng, and they all stood up to examine it closely.

One of them, Master Zhou, a highly respected figure in the industry with white hair, stroked his beard and picked up a magnifying glass.

He examined the ginseng's rhizome, shape, and roots carefully for a long time, and finally nodded slowly.

"Hmm...not bad," Master Zhou's voice carried a hint of approval.

"The sea cucumber is plump and graceful, with a tight shell and clear texture. Judging from its appearance, it is indeed a good piece that has been around for some years."

Master Zhou is a recognized authority in the province, and his words essentially defined the nature of this ginseng.

Upon hearing this, Wei Biao could no longer hide his smugness, and he raised the ginseng high.

Like a victorious general, he looked defiantly at Lu Qingshan in the corner with the air of a triumphant ruler.

Lin Xiulan's heart jumped into her throat; she didn't understand the situation.

But she could see the envy and awe on everyone's faces. She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her palms sweating.

Just when everyone thought the dust had settled and was ready to applaud and cheer for Wei Biao.

A small but exceptionally clear sound, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, rang out from the most inconspicuous corner.

"Master Zhou, please forgive my bluntness, but this time, you have misjudged him."

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, turned in unison towards the source of the sound—the young man who hadn't uttered a word since entering the room.

Lu Qingshan remained seated steadily in his chair, without even standing up. He simply raised his eyes and looked at the stage.

"This ginseng is not only not thirty years old, but I think it's not even twenty years old."

"More importantly," he paused, each word like a heavy hammer blow, striking everyone's hearts.

"It's not a complete ginseng at all. It's a 'grafted' product pieced together with fish bladder glue and thin thread."

"To put it bluntly, it's just a pile of industrial waste."

boom!

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Wei Biao's face instantly turned a deep liver color. He pointed at Lu Qingshan and began to curse him, spitting as he did so.

"Who do you think you are! A peasant from a remote mountain village, daring to question Master Zhou's judgment?"

"I think you're just being sour grapes! You can't offer anything good yourself, so you're trying to sabotage other people's plans!"

Master Zhou's face also darkened. He had appraised countless treasures throughout his life and enjoyed an extremely high reputation in the provincial capital. He had never been criticized so directly in public before, and he immediately felt embarrassed.

"Young man, you can't just say things like that," he asked in a deep voice. "You say it's a grafted product, do you have any evidence?"

Faced with everyone's doubts, Wei Biao's anger, and the pressure of authority, Lu Qingshan simply stood up calmly and walked onto the stage with composure under Lin Xiulan's worried gaze.

He ignored Wei Biao's shouting and instead bowed respectfully to Master Zhou, whose face was grim.

"Master Zhou, I have no intention of offending you. I am just stating the facts. You are a senior who has seen countless treasures in your life, but everyone makes mistakes, especially now that counterfeiting methods are constantly evolving."

These words were spoken with great skill, both upholding the point of view and giving the other party ample face, which eased Master Zhou's expression slightly.

Then, Lu Qingshan turned around and looked at the so-called "treasure." His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the quiet banquet hall.

"Master Zhou, please pick up your magnifying glass and take a closer look at the third section of this ginseng, about an inch below the 'reed bowl'," he pointed with his finger, "is there a ring there, slightly darker than the surrounding area, as fine as a hair?"

Master Zhou was taken aback, and subconsciously picked up the magnifying glass again and leaned closer.

Lu Qingshan's voice continued, like an experienced master instructing his apprentice.

"That's not a natural growth mark on ginseng. The real growth mark, called 'skin,' is embedded in the flesh. This mark, however, is just on the surface."

His explanation was extremely colloquial:

"It's like the lines on our palms; they're in the flesh, you can't wash them off. But if you accidentally cut yourself, the scar left after it heals feels different. That ring line is a 'scar'."

"It is made by bonding with a special fish bladder glue, and then repeatedly applying and aging it with mixed wet mud to cover up the marks, and finally letting it air dry to form the mud imprint."

"Laymen can't tell the difference; they'll just think it looks more authentic because it has some dirt on it. But any expert who deals with things from the ground all the time can feel it with a light scratch with their fingernail. The dirt on a genuine piece is embedded in the texture and crevices, while this mark is on the surface and moves when you scratch it."

Master Zhou's hand, which was holding the magnifying glass, trembled almost imperceptibly.

Wei Biao's heart skipped a beat, and an extremely ominous premonition coiled around him like a venomous snake.

Lu Qingshan did not stop.

"Look at these ginseng roots now."

He extended his finger, but still did not touch the ginseng, maintaining an absolute distance.

"Doesn't it look incredibly lush, with each hair clearly defined, like a dragon's whiskers? But if you look closely, especially at the thickest main whisker on the left, doesn't its root look a bit...unnatural?"

"Because it wasn't grown there at all!" Lu Qingshan's voice suddenly rose a little, tinged with sarcasm.

"This is a 'fake root'—a ginseng rootlet that was 'planted' inside the ginseng body by inserting a sewing needle diagonally outwards from the inside, and then secured in place with a small piece of thin thread!"

"It's all to make this cobbled-together junk look more complete and sell better."

As he spoke, he glanced at Master Zhou, whose face was beginning to turn pale.

"Master Zhou, please, you don't need to use too much force. Just use the tip of your fingernail to gently pry it outwards from the base of the thickest ginseng root."

Everyone in the room held their breath. Even Wei Biao forgot to curse and stared intently at Master Zhou's outstretched hand.

Master Zhou's forehead was already covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. He hesitated for a moment, glanced at Lu Qingshan's terrifyingly calm eyes, and finally gritted his teeth.

He reached out and, as Lu Qingshan had instructed, gently flicked the root of the ginseng root with his fingernail.

In the deathly silence of the entire venue.

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes.

That ginseng root, which looked thick, strong, and full of life, was so light and airy...

It fell down.

It fell silently onto the bright red silk.

At the break, there was even a small piece of white sewing thread attached...

The proof is like a mountain!

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the hall, rising and falling like waves.

Master Zhou's hand holding the magnifying glass trembled violently. When he looked at the so-called "ring pattern" again, he felt it was incredibly glaring, as if it were mercilessly mocking his failing old eyes.

He slammed the magnifying glass down, staggered back a step, and his face, which had been flushed from the questioning, was now deathly pale.

Shame, shock, and a lingering fear of surviving a close call—all these emotions intertwined, making him almost unable to stand.

He looked at the young man in front of him, took a deep breath, and then, in front of all his colleagues in the city, solemnly and deeply bowed to Lu Qingshan.

"Young friend... your insight is truly remarkable!"

"I have learned a great deal today! I am ashamed and feel I am not as good as you!"

"This is definitely a fake! It's my fault, Zhou, for being old and blind, and for my lack of expertise! I almost made everyone lose face with me!"

That bow and those words were more powerful and impactful than any judgment!

The entire room fell silent.

All eyes slowly shifted from the fallen ginseng root and the glaring white thread to the young man on the stage who remained calm and composed throughout.

Awe, curiosity, disbelief.

As for Wei Biao, who was the focus of all this, the color had completely drained from his face, leaving him as white as a sheet of paper.

He stared blankly at the broken white thread, then at the "treasure" he had bought for five thousand yuan on the platform. His mind was blank and buzzing.

Scammer... Rotten tree root... Industrial waste...

Every word Lu Qingshan had just said was like a poisoned flying dagger, piercing back into his own chest.

He felt like a clown who had been stripped naked in public, nailed to the pillar of shame, and displayed for the entire city to see.

That five thousand yuan didn't buy a treasure, but a tremendous humiliation!

In the deathly silence, Lu Qingshan didn't even glance at Wei Biao again, as if he had just casually swatted a buzzing fly.

He turned and walked off the stage, returning to his seat.

Under the awe-inspiring gaze of everyone present, and in the eyes of his wife Lin Xiulan filled with adoration and burning love, he slowly opened the antique rosewood box that he had always kept on the table.

The moment the box lid is opened.

There were no gasps, no words.

A powerful medicinal fragrance, a hundred times stronger than Wei Biao's fake plant before, seemingly imbued with life and spirit, and like a sleeping emperor awakening, instantly swept through the entire venue!

Everyone who smells this fragrance feels as if their internal organs have been cleansed by the purest mountain spring water, leaving them feeling refreshed and invigorated!

The difference in quality is immediately apparent from the aroma alone!