Not far from Wanfu Square, Hu Xia had just finished eating with her best friend, Zhao Shiyun.
"Xiaxia, why didn’t you stream today?"
"I didn’t have any content planned, so I didn’t know what to stream. Streaming every day is exhausting, too."
Hu Xia looked at Zhao Shiyun. Her best friend’s personality was the complete opposite of her own. She was quiet, fair-skinned, and beautiful, with a classic oval face that, in Hu Xia’s opinion, was much prettier than her own slightly round one.
She also had clever, fox-like eyes that curved into crescents when she smiled, both charming and playful. Her limbs were long and slender, her hair fell to her shoulders, and she had a pair of long legs.
Her figure was even more stunning—curvy in all the right places. The part in the front especially made Hu Xia envious. She glanced down at her own chest, which looked like a couple of small steamed buns in comparison.
Unable to resist, she hugged her friend and said, "By the way, I found these amazing grapes, but the seller hasn’t set up his stall in a long time."
At the mention of delicious grapes, Zhao Shiyun’s eyes instantly lit up. She was interested in any and all tasty food.
In fact, their shared love of food was how she and Hu Xia had become such good friends. Whenever Hu Xia found something delicious, she would always share it with her.
"Well, when the seller comes back, let me know. I want to buy some too."
"Mhm, I’ve got my stupid little brother looking for the seller. Those grapes are seriously good!"
This made Zhao Shiyun even more curious. If Hu Xia was emphasizing how good they were over and over, their taste must be top-notch.
"Look, this is it. Heh, the seller made the sign himself. It says they can whiten skin and fight aging."
Zhao Shiyun watched the video on her friend’s phone. She had no interest in the sign, but she was very interested in the grapes, which looked like little jade beads. She couldn’t help but gulp; they looked absolutely delicious.
"Next time you find him, you have to call me. They look so good."
"Yeah, yeah. It’s a shame I forgot to add the seller on WeChat, or I could’ve just contacted him to buy some directly."
Just then, Hu Zhiming sent Hu Xia a message on WeChat.
"Sis, I think I know where to find that grape seller you’re looking for."
"Ah! Where? Where is he?"
"Mountain Ridge Town, in Lin Xian Village."
"Are you trying to get a beating?" Hu Xia’s anger flared. The whole problem was that she couldn’t find Lin Xian Village!
"Sis, sis, don’t be mad! It really is in Mountain Ridge Town, Lin Xian Village! I know the address. I overheard some people talking about it today."
Hu Xia’s expression instantly softened. She said in a gentle voice, "My dear little brother, where is it?"
"I don’t know the exact location, but once we get to Mountain Ridge Town, we should be able to find Lin Xian Village. I heard someone say today that a single grapevine there sold for one million yuan. I did some asking around and found out it was the Jade Grapes seller."
In Hu Zhiming’s opinion, the seller was a bit of an idiot. Selling that grapevine for only one million? He’d clearly been ripped off.
"Shiyun, I think I’ve found where the grape seller is. Should we go check it out?"
"Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s go buy some grapes," Zhao Shiyun said excitedly. She was powerless against delicious food.
Hu Xia sent her brother a message: "Drive over to Wanfu Square and pick us up. We’re going to Lin Xian Village to buy grapes."
"Okay, I’m on my way." Living under his sister’s roof, how could Hu Zhiming dare to defy her?
...
At the county hospital, after a full day of treating patients, Professor He was still thinking about the changes in Zhou Zhenhai and his wife’s health. ’What could have caused such a transformation?’
"Professor, what are you looking at?"
His student, Su Qingqing, who had just returned, craned her neck over curiously.
"Wow, the changes in these two reports over just ten days are so obvious. Was there a mistake in the tests?"
Professor He tapped the young woman’s forehead. "Always looking for the bad news, aren’t you? These are the real results. I’m just trying to figure out what caused such a dramatic change in such a short time."
"It’s the ’three highs’! If someone found a complete cure for this, they could win a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Even a drug that significantly improves it would be enough for a top-tier medical journal."
Professor He didn’t share the young woman’s ambitions. As a retired old doctor, he was simply curious about the reason for the change.
"Unfortunately, the patient won’t say."
"Professor, leave it to me. If he won’t talk, I can go and ask around."
"Hey!"
"What have I taught you? You don’t go prying into a patient’s private matters if they don’t want to share."
"I know, I know."
Professor He set the test results aside, deciding to wait and see how things looked at the next check-up.
Su Qingqing, however, stared at the report, her bright eyes glinting with a strange light. She clearly had no intention of giving up.
Of course, her professor had told her not to pry into the patient’s business, but she could always find other ways.
After leaving the hospital, Su Qingqing went straight to the address on file and headed for Zhou Zhenhai’s residential complex.
After looking around the area, she entered a small, nearby park and, just as she’d hoped, saw a group of seniors exercising.
She was just trying her luck, but she actually spotted Zhou Zhenhai in the crowd. His transformation, however, took her by surprise.
’How does he look so much younger?’
Su Qingqing snapped a photo and sent it to her professor, He Limin.
"Professor, is this how he looked the last time you saw him?"
"Didn’t I tell you not to pry? Is that Zhou Zhenhai? How has he gotten so much younger?"
The effects of the Jade Grapes were significantly more pronounced in the elderly than in the young, mainly because their bodies were in poorer condition to begin with, making any improvements stand out.
"Professor, hold on. It sounds like they’re talking about this very topic."
In the crowd, the old men were gathered around Zhou Zhenhai, asking him the reason for his physical changes.
While it might not have been too obvious a week ago, the change was undeniable now. He looked several years younger.
"Old Zhou, hurry up and tell us! What kind of Miracle Elixir have you been taking?"
"Yeah, the change is huge! And your wife, Liang Hong, too. My own wife is driving me crazy over it."
Zhou Zhenhai waved his hand. "Alright, alright, calm down. I was just worried there might be side effects. I wanted to try it for a week to make sure it was safe before I dared to tell you all."
"So what is it?"
"Have you guys heard about that grapevine that sold for a million yuan? Liang Hong and I have been eating the grapes from that very vine. That’s what caused this change."
"No way! How is that possible? If grapes had that kind of effect, could you even call them grapes anymore?"
"Are these grapes some kind of Miracle Elixir?"
"They’re just grapes. They’re called Jade Grapes, and they grow in a place called Lin Xian Village."
Zhou Zhenhai didn’t explain any further. They were all adults; they could decide for themselves whether to believe him or not.
Besides, his wife had told him the seller didn’t have many grapes left. His daughter-in-law had bought 300 bunches last time.
The old couple had done an experiment: eating two bunches a day was enough to ensure a good appetite and sound sleep.
Of course, eating more had even better effects. Over the past week, they could clearly feel their bodies changing.
Eavesdropping from the side, Su Qingqing was surprised she had found the answer so easily, but she was also a bit skeptical.
’It’s not some kind of scam, is it?’
It was no wonder she was suspicious. Grapes having such an effect completely defied her understanding and medical knowledge.
"Professor, I just overheard that man, Zhou Zhenhai, say he’s been eating a certain type of grape and that’s what caused the change. It sounds like a scam, doesn’t it?"
When He Limin saw the message, his first reaction was disbelief. However, considering Zhou Zhenhai’s character, he quickly dismissed the idea of it being a scam.
"What kind of grapes?"
"They’re called Jade Grapes, from a place called Lin Xian Village."
"Lin Xian Village? Are you sure it’s that place?"
"Yes, that’s what Zhou Zhenhai said."
He Limin grew even more puzzled. He had actually heard of that place. Not long ago, his wife had told him about it.
She said there was a type of grape from there, and a single vine had sold for a million yuan. At the time, he hadn’t believed her at all, assuming it was just a false rumor that had gotten blown out of proportion.
Now it seemed that either someone was generating hype, or such a grapevine truly existed.
"Professor, I’m going to go to Lin Xian Village and see for myself if it’s real."
"I’ll go with you tomorrow. Don’t go by yourself; that place sounds very remote."
"Thank you, Professor. I understand."
Su Qingqing figured there must be some information online, so she did a quick search. To her surprise, she actually found something.
There was a video filmed by Hu Xia, as well as one from those four students. She saw that they had attracted a fair bit of attention at the time, but the hype had died down after there were no follow-ups.
’It doesn’t look like a scam. I should go check it out. If it’s real...’ Su Qingqing’s eyes lit up. She could almost feel a top-tier journal publication waving at her.