Thinking of this, Tian Jing stood up and said, "Excuse me, I'm going to make a phone call."
After speaking, she turned to the next table and asked Han Lushis for an intranet phone.
In this environment, making phone calls was not convenient. Tian Jing could only send text messages, asking Zeng Jingrong to investigate everyone who had taken Ginseng Gu Ben Pills.
Because she suspected that Matvey was looking for her, the cultivator of ginseng, as ginseng over a thousand years old had healing effects for ability users.
The elderly men thought Tian Jing was making an excuse to leave, and their expressions were somewhat unpleasant.
No matter what, they had all been important officers in the military. Even after retirement, they still held their ranks, and all their ranks were higher than Tian Jing's.
Seeing Tian Jing only looking down at her phone made their faces even darker.
Old Master Shen started talking about other things with his old friends, intending to smooth things over. However, Tian Jing handed him her phone, asking him to take a call.
Upon seeing the black standard-issue phone, the elderly men's faces turned red with embarrassment. They had judged her with their petty minds.
When Old Master Shen heard Zeng Jingrong asking him for the list of buyers of Ginseng Gu Ben Pills, he stood up and walked out of the canteen to a spacious area outside the main entrance, where he quietly recited dozens of names.
The elderly men also felt too embarrassed to sit there any longer. When Old Master Shen returned with the black phone, they took their leave one by one and went to their designated tables.
Old Master Shen handed the black phone back to Tian Jing, his expression somewhat heavy. "Is there a problem?"
Tian Jing shook her head. "Even if there is a problem, it's a good thing. Don't worry."
If foreign spies could be found through the Ginseng Gu Ben Pills, wouldn't that be a good thing?
Old Master Shen asked, "Can the Ginseng Gu Ben Pills still be sold?"
"Yes!" Tian Jing nodded. "Please write down the names of all the buyers, including the names and physical conditions of the users. Say it's for controlling and researching the medicinal effects."
Old Master Shen was relieved. It was good that they could still be sold. He had bet the future of the Shen family on the Ginseng Gu Ben Pills.
Tian Jing returned the black phone to Han Lushis. Just as she turned around, she saw an old man shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with Old Master Shen.
She intended to sit at her own table, but then she heard Old Master Shen call her. She had no choice but to walk over again.
Old Master Shen introduced the old man beside him. "Tian Jing, this is Mr. Zhen Yide, the general manager of Yaoren Hall. Mr. Zhen, this is the person you wanted to meet."
Zhen Yide extended his hand to Tian Jing with a cordial smile. "Ms. Tian, hello!"
Tian Jing looked at the old man, who gave her a kind and benevolent impression. Would the general manager of a century-old pharmacy be as kind and benevolent as he appeared?
She extended her hand. "Mr. Zhen, hello!"
After the introduction, Old Master Shen, acting as the mediator, invited the two to sit down and talk.
After they sat down, Mr. Zhen smiled and said, "I didn't expect Ms. Tian to be able to cultivate such effective ginseng."
Tian Jing smiled faintly, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing that Tian Jing did not respond, Mr. Zhen continued, "Our pharmacy would like to purchase some ginseng from Ms. Tian. I wonder if..."
Tian Jing shook her head. "You're mistaken. It's the Ginseng Gu Ben Pills that are effective, not the ginseng itself. It's just that the Ginseng Gu Ben Pills require fresh ginseng."
"Your esteemed pharmacy must have ginseng of even higher age as your most prized possession. If you want to buy the ginseng I cultivate, it must be in large quantities, and that will disappoint you."
"I can't cultivate large quantities for three reasons: I don't have time, my health has some issues, and the demand for Ginseng Gu Ben Pills is already difficult to meet. So, I apologize."
Mr. Zhen's smile was a little stiff. Seeing that Tian Jing did not respond, he had been direct about his purpose. He hadn't expected to be so thoroughly rejected before he could even mention the price.
"Hahaha," Old Master Shen said, trying to smooth things over. "I told you it was impossible, Mr. Zhen. You insisted on trying."
Mr. Zhen's smile returned. "You are right, Ms. Tian. Though the deal did not go through, we have made acquaintance. If there is an opportunity in the future, please give Yaoren Hall a chance."
Tian Jing nodded with a faint smile, making no commitment.
After a few more pleasantries, Mr. Zhen left. Mother Li, who had been an observer all along, felt tired just watching her daughter-in-law's two rounds of socializing.
Fortunately, the dishes from the kitchen began to be served, and the banquet commenced. The guests at different tables no longer mingled.
Shen Jianrong, accompanied by Yu Ziyu and Li Weibao, brought Siji back to their table. Later in the banquet, Yu Jinghai, who was entertaining guests at another table, came to ask his wife and son-in-law to thank the guests.
Tian Jing took the sleeping Siji, as the baby was too young. Her mother had already been holding her at the entrance of the canteen, receiving guests.
During this toasting session, many guests again mingled between tables.
Many people came to toast Old Master Shen. Those who knew Tian Jing also exchanged a few words with her. Tian Jing held Siji tightly in her arms, nodding faintly to the guests who greeted her.
Of the four in-laws of the Shen family, only Cai family, the in-laws of Shen Xiaojuan, and Wu family, the in-laws of Shen Xiaoqin, remained.
The Cai and Wu families also came to toast Old Master Shen and then tried to get closer to Tian Jing.
These two families had not mistreated the Shen daughters when Shen Jianming and Shen Jianhui stepped down, so they still had some conscience, and Tian Jing was willing to engage them in conversation.
After the socializing was almost over and the guests were gradually leaving, Shen Xiaohui and Tu Changhua arrived.
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow. Hadn't Shen Xiaohui divorced? Why was she still with her ex-husband?
Seeing the two of them, Old Master Shen's expression turned grim. "Xiaohui!"
Shen Xiaohui flinched. "Grandpa, I..."
"Grandpa," Tu Changhua said with a broad smile, "we just came to toast the mother-in-law."
Old Master Shen glared fiercely at his eldest granddaughter and then said to Tu Changhua,
"You were the one who wanted the divorce, and you are the one who wants to remarry. What do you take our Shen family's girls for?"
"No matter what your intentions are, do not voice them. Just toast."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Tu Changhua nodded repeatedly and raised his wine glass to Tian Jing. "Mother-in-law, I'll toast you."
Tian Jing picked up the beverage in front of her. "I don't drink alcohol. I'll use this as a substitute."
"That's fine, that's fine."
Tu Changhua raised his glass and drank it down, showing the empty glass to Tian Jing.
Tian Jing took a sip of her drink.
Tu Changhua's smile deepened. "Please enjoy your meal. We'll go to other tables to toast."
He said a few polite words to Mother Li and Old Master Shen and then pulled Shen Xiaohui away.
Watching their retreating figures, Old Master Shen's expression turned desolate, and he sighed.
"Two months ago, Tu Changhua came to beg for remarriage. Jianming didn't care, but I disagreed."
"I told Xiaohui that the Tu family's chain of supermarkets had problems and reminded her not to forget Xiaoping's lesson. She couldn't resist Tu Changhua's coaxing, and after only a few days, they registered their remarriage. Alas!"
The Tu family's chain of supermarkets was something Tian Jing had asked Zeng Jingchu to handle. When Zeng Jingchu bought the land on both sides of the country roads in Zhangshan Village and Zhonghe Village, Tian Jing had thought that Ao Du Group would let this matter go...
Seeing her daughter-in-law lost in thought, Mother Li comforted her father-in-law.
"Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. Besides, Xiaohui's child is still with the Tu family."
"Alas!" Old Master Shen sighed again. "That's the only way to think about it."
The banquet had completely dispersed. Although the dishes on the tables were not completely finished like last time, most of them had been eaten.
Shen Jianrong had no intention of packing up these dishes and did not plan to keep them. The sisters-in-law Shen Jianfang and her two sisters-in-law felt it was too wasteful to throw them away, so they prepared to pack them up and take them home.
Shen Jianrong went to the kitchen to hand out red envelopes and then took the Li family back to the Yu family.