Chapter 1110: The Chinese Herb Farmer
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The deputy chairman of the Apothecaries’ a.s.sociation responded with a serious look on his face. “Since he can’t even be on time, can we trust him to be a professional?”
He turned to look at Chairman w.a.n.g and said, “Are we going to continue entertaining him?”
Chairman w.a.n.g sat quietly with his back straight. He did not feel angry about his guest’s tardiness. Instead, he picked up his teacup and sipped its contents calmly. “No need to get anxious. It’s not even 10:00 am yet.”
The deputy chairman pursed his lips. “If he really wanted to work with us, he should be here by now.”
Did he think he was some kind of bigshot? He should have known better and come early as a sign of respect.
Right then, the receptionist happened to walk into the conference room with a man in his fifties.
The man was of average height and was dressed in a well-worn traditional Chinese costume. Judging from how faded the outfit was, he must have washed it countless times. He seemed completely ordinary and was no different than an average farmer.
The man entered the room at 10:00 am sharp.
The deputy chairman simply glanced at him briefly before veering his eyes immediately.
Chairman w.a.n.g stood up when his guest arrived. He looked at the man and smiled. “You must be Mr. Mi, right?”
The man paused briefly before nodding politely. “That’s right. I am Mi Wei.”
Chairman w.a.n.g pointed at the seat by the side. “Please have a seat.”
“Uh huh.” Mi Wei pulled out the chair unhurriedly and placed his tobacco pipe on the table.
The tobacco pipe was made of bamboo and clearly looked old and well-used.
The a.s.sistant poured Mi Wei a cup of tea before standing behind Chairman w.a.n.g again.
Mi Wei tapped his fingers on the table gently before taking a sip of tea unhurriedly. He did not attempt to make any small talk. Also, he was completely unperturbed in the presence of highly revered men like Chairman w.a.n.g and the deputy chairman of the Apothecaries’ a.s.sociation.
It felt as though the top bra.s.s of the Apothecaries’ a.s.sociation were just common men in his eyes. He was completely calm.
Chairman w.a.n.g was slightly surprised. Then again, since Mi Wei lived in the countryside and worked as a Chinese herb farmer, he might not have a complete grasp of differences in social status.
Chairman w.a.n.g cleared his throat and started speaking. “Mr. Mi, are you really able to cultivate the mi orchid?”
The moment he finished his sentence, the deputy chairman raised his head and looked at Mi Wei.
“Yes, I can,” acknowledged Mi Wei softly.
He cleared his throat. Perhaps owing to his tobacco smoking habit, his voice sounded a bit hoa.r.s.e and he seemed to have a persistent cough.
The deputy chairman frowned. He was a very particular man, so he automatically raised his hand to cover his nose.
When Mi Wei kept coughing, the deputy chairman felt as though the air was filled with germs. He could no longer bear it, so he got up and said to Chairman w.a.n.g, “Chairman w.a.n.g, I have some work to handle. It completely slipped my mind. My apologies! You have to handle the Chinese herb farm matter on your own.”
He did not even want to wait to find out whether the man was able to cultivate mi orchid.
Chairman w.a.n.g glanced at him. He naturally noticed his actions, but simply nodded. “Fine. Go ahead.”
The deputy chairman frowned before quickly leaving the conference room. It seemed as though he could not bear lingering there even for a second longer.
Chairman w.a.n.g shook his head slightly and turned to glance at Mi Wei again. Chairman w.a.n.g pondered before telling his a.s.sistant beside him softly. “Go fetch some lozenges for him.”
The a.s.sistant instantly knew what the chairman wanted. He looked at Mi Wei before he nodded and replied. “Yes, Chairman w.a.n.g.”
After the a.s.sistant left, Chairman w.a.n.g poured Mi Wei another cup of tea. “Smoking is bad for you.”
Mi Wei thanked Chairman w.a.n.g for his concern. He did not feel worried by the deputy chairman’s departure. He simply picked up the cup of tea and took a sip before responding. “I simply can’t quit smoking.”
Chairman w.a.n.g smiled. “Oh yes. Where are you from, Mr. Mi? You don’t sound like a Northerner.”.