“There’s no way there’s anything wrong with this ginseng. Because you haven’t come by recently, the servants had to prepare the medicine. I personally took out the ginseng. Even if there’s a problem, it can only be during the brewing period,” He Ning said with a frown.
The brewing of the medicine was done by either his helper or subordinates. There was still no need to trouble the doctor to do such a small thing himself.
The doctor did not say anything. He was not the one who brewed the medicine personally, so he could not be sure that everything went well. However, there was indeed something wrong with this ginseng. It disintegrated when he pressed on it, which did not happen previously.
There was a red sandalwood box in the safe. This box came with a lock, an exquisite Burr lock. Only he could open this kind of lock. Even if someone came to steal it, it would take them a few days to open it without causing any damage.
After He Ning fiddled with the lock using a complicated process, the 100-year-old ginseng was revealed to be in the box unscathed. He did not bear to eat this ginseng often. Usually, he would take out a small portion to add to the ginseng that were used earlier and brewed them repeatedly.
The doctor leaned forward to take a sniff and realized that something was wrong!
“This is not right! The smell is wrong! This is definitely not the same ginseng from before!” the doctor said firmly.
“What did you say!” He Ning’s hands trembled as he looked at the ginseng in disbelief. No one had touched this ginseng except him. This was the treasure that could save his life! The thing that could give him another 10 years of lifespan!
He Ning immediately plucked a piece of ginseng root and tasted it carefully. It indeed tasted different from the last time. Previously, he could not resist the temptation and had tasted this 100-year-old ginseng once when he was alone. The moment it entered his mouth and he tasted the strong flavor, his entire body felt very comfortable. However, at this moment, it felt as if he was chewing wood scraps.
“But… this ginseng is indeed that one…” the doctor said as he looked at the mark on it.
He Ning was afraid that he could not recognize the ginseng if anything happened, so he had made a marking on it. The mark was still there and had not changed at all.
“What exactly is going on!” He Ning sat on the sofa dejectedly, not knowing what to do.
This safe was placed under his bed and he did not leave this place at all. It was still fine when he took the medicine in the morning, so why did it lose its effect in the afternoon? How could someone have swapped it?
“If no one swapped it, then that means the problem lies with the ginseng itself,” the doctor guessed.
He Ning’s gaze instantly turned fierce. The Cao family, or should he say the Xia family, had sold him a fake ginseng? To harm his body! Or to take his life!
However, on second thought, it could not be so. Back then, the doctor had checked this ginseng and there was no doubt that it was a 100-year-old ginseng. Moreover, the medicinal effect had been very good when he started taking it and he could tell that it was real.
There was also a saying that the medicinal effects of a 100-year-old ginseng would not just last for only a few days. If the ginseng was stored well, it could last for many years.
Then what went wrong?
The doctor let out a long sigh and said, “Maybe there’s something wrong with the way we kept it, causing it to go bad. The ginseng should be kept in a ventilated and dry place, but the safe is dark and damp, so it’s not a suitable place to keep ginseng. In such hot weather, it’s very likely…”
He Ning looked at the ginseng in his hand with great pity.
“Sigh, I forgot that this is fresh ginseng. It’s all my fault.” The doctor looked at the ginseng helplessly.
Actually, this matter had nothing to do with him. He had already told He Ning a long time ago how to store the ginseng, but He Ning did not believe him and insisted on putting the ginseng in the safe before he could feel at ease. He knew that He Ning had a bad temper and was hard to persuade, so he did not give any further advice and just let He Ning do whatever he wanted.
The ginseng was in a semi-dried condition and he thought that it would be fine. He did not expect something to happen to it. For the sake of He Ning’s reputation, he could only take the blame on himself now.
After the doctor’s explanation, He Ning looked much better. He felt comforted knowing that he had not been tricked.
All these years, he was always scheming against others, but no one had ever succeeded in scheming against him. Even the Xia family had not been able to make him fall into a trap. If he let others succeed in scheming against him, he would become a joke. How would his reputation fare then?
