Chapter 17
That day in class, Meng Shengsheng was once again called upon by the teacher to recite a passage from the Huangdi Neijing, serving as a positive example to educate her classmates.
Most of the students in the class admired Meng Shengsheng, amazed that she could memorize such a complex and convoluted text. She truly was extraordinary!
Xie Jieyu gave Meng Shengsheng a thumbs-up.
After class, Zhang Yu was packing her bag; since there were no more classes, she had to go to her senior’s studio for a part-time job.
Luo Shu said, “Shengsheng, can you spare some of the knowledge in your brain? I’m so dizzy from all the classes. How did you manage to memorize that book?”
Professor Gu, who hadn’t yet left the podium, overheard and said, “If you put in the same effort as you did in high school, what book can’t you memorize? Don’t think university is all fun and games; you still have to work hard…”
Luo Shu didn’t dare to argue, shyly smiling at the professor, then turned to make a face at Meng Shengsheng.
Professor Gu suddenly remembered something and said to Meng Shengsheng, “There’s a lecture at three in the afternoon. If you’re interested, you can go listen.”
On her way to class, Meng Shengsheng had glanced at the bulletin board and seen the phrase: “Superior doctors treat disease before it arises; average doctors treat disease about to arise; inferior doctors treat disease after it has occurred.” The gist was that the best doctors focus on prevention, the average deal with impending illness, and the worst only treat existing conditions.
The topic of that afternoon’s lecture was “Treating Disease Before It Happens,” and the speaker was someone named Hua Deyong.
Meng Shengsheng recalled that the original compiler of a thick pharmacopoeia she had memorized shared the same name, though she wasn’t sure if it was the same person.
She had planned to attend anyway, but now felt it was absolutely necessary.
Her three roommates weren’t interested in the lecture, so Meng Shengsheng packed her bag and went alone.
Before entering the classroom, she saw Tong Shengrong speaking with an elderly gentleman outside the teaching building. Meng Shengsheng happened to have the book Tong Shengrong had lent her in her bag and thought it was a good opportunity to return it.
After a brief conversation, Tong Shengrong noticed Meng Shengsheng waiting nearby and waved her over.
As she approached, the elderly man asked, “You’re the one he mentioned?”
Tong Shengrong nodded and then asked Meng Shengsheng, “How’s it going with the few books I told you to read the other day?”
Meng Shengsheng replied, “I’ve gone through them once and remembered the content, but I feel one reading isn’t enough. I need to study them carefully.”
Tong Shengrong nodded in approval.
Then suddenly, Tong Shengrong smiled and said, “Aren’t you going to ask why I had you memorize those?”
Meng Shengsheng answered, “You didn’t harm me anyway. I know many famous doctors started learning Chinese medicine from a young age, and I’m already late starting now. Actually, I wanted to show off a bit in front of you, to prove my abilities and maybe get you to find me a master.”
A master? Well, right in front of her was indeed a towering figure in Chinese medicine. Tong Shengrong glanced at his mentor, raising his eyebrows, wondering if this young woman knew the prestigious reputation of their sect. “You want to apprentice?”
Meng Shengsheng nodded, “Why not? A Chinese medicine doctor with a master guiding them is very different from one without.”
The elderly Hua Deyong, who had been silent until then, smiled and asked, “What kind of master do you want to apprentice under?”
Meng Shengsheng thought to herself: Of course, the more distinguished, the better. But she wasn’t naïve. As she got closer, she could smell a faint medicinal fragrance on both men, guessing that Tong Shengrong was more than just a university teacher; he must still be practicing medicine. Everyone knows that in medicine, experience counts, and standing beside each other, it was obvious who was more seasoned.
So she smoothly said to Mr. Hua, “If I have the honor, I naturally want to apprentice under a master like you.”
Hua Deyong remained silent, but Tong Shengrong spoke up, “You’re confident. Do you know the standard he has for accepting disciples?”
Meng Shengsheng honestly shook her head.
Tong Shengrong continued, “His youngest disciple comes from a family of medical practitioners, listening to prenatal education on the Compendium of Materia Medica, able to identify herbs at three, recite the Huangdi Neijing at six, and accompany the master to gather herbs by ten…”
Refusing to be outdone, Meng Shengsheng said, “I’m not far behind. I’m just lucky. That kid probably can’t recite the Huangdi Neijing or the pharmacopoeia as fast as I do. I have an eidetic memory when it comes to medical books.”
That was a bit of an exaggeration, but Meng Shengsheng wasn’t afraid; if she couldn’t memorize something once, twice would do.
Having memorized so many medical texts, she now felt she could glance at a seriously ill person and understand their condition.
Tong Shengrong asked, “You really have an eidetic memory for books?”
Meng Shengsheng shook her head honestly, “No, I’ve tried. Only Chinese medicine books—I remember them after one reading. Other subjects, not so much.”
Tong Shengrong was stunned—truly blessed by the heavens?
He continued to quiz her, asking questions all from the books he had recommended.
He was beginning to believe her because it had been less than two weeks since he last saw Meng Shengsheng; even he couldn’t have memorized so many books in such a short time.
At that moment, Hua Deyong glanced at his watch and said, “Time is up. We should go in and prepare for the lecture. Meng, you go ahead.”
Meng Shengsheng didn’t linger. Just as she turned to leave, she remembered she had come to return the book. She quickly took it out of her bag, handed it to Tong Shengrong, bowed to both men, and then entered the auditorium.
Tong Shengrong looked at the book in his hands, then at his master, and laughed helplessly, “I was considering whether to take on a disciple, but she doesn’t want to be my student. She wants to be my junior sister…”
Hua Deyong frowned, “What a waste…”
Talents like her should be nurtured from a young age.
He then said to Tong Shengrong, “You should take her under your wing more often.”
Tong Shengrong nodded, “Yes, Master.”
Meng Shengsheng hadn’t expected the speaker to be the elderly gentleman who had just spoken to her. After attending the lecture, she felt fortunate not to have missed it. It was packed with valuable insights, and she gained a lot.
After the lecture, a mere notion in her heart blossomed into a genuine desire to find a master.
However, the most important thing about apprenticing is that the master must recognize and accept you as a disciple. For now, she could only work twice as hard to let others see her potential and determination—there was no shortcut.
Step by step, she would tread steadily.
When she arrived home, Wang Chuanze had just hung up the phone. The other party had sent him the audition clips.
Since his referral was He Yifeng, they not only sent him the audition scenes but also character profiles for reference. In return, he had three audition scenes to prepare.
Wang Chuanze had spent nearly two months honing his skills with the previous crew and had some experience. After a quick look, he knew the difficulty level of the three characters.
Meng Shengsheng, hearing Wang Chuanze make a few more calls, idly practiced tying knots with a stray hair she found on her clothes. When he finally paused, she asked, “How’s your preparation going?”
Wang Chuanze said, “The more I prepare, the more I see my shortcomings. I really have a lot to learn about acting.”
Meng Shengsheng shrugged it off, “You’re still young this year, with plenty of time. Take it slow. Let’s go grocery shopping first.”
They went to the supermarket. It was the prime time for local residents to buy ingredients for dinner, so the place was crowded. Meng Shengsheng pushed the cart while Wang Chuanze wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her toward the vegetable section.
Because there were so many people, they bought enough vegetables and meat for today and tomorrow, then went to the checkout. Wang Chuanze casually tossed two small umbrellas into the cart.
Leaning his head on her shoulder, he whispered, “Reform and opening up really changed things. In the past life, these things were rationed; we had nowhere to buy them. Only one or two, and we had to wash and reuse them. Now, we can use as many as we want.”
Meng Shengsheng almost rolled her eyes.
That night, they tried out the new small umbrellas. The user experience was excellent. If the umbrella company had sent out a customer survey, Wang Chuanze would have given all “satisfied” ratings.
A week later, Li Zhang’s team finalized the formation of the crew and informed Wang Chuanze.
The male lead had to be confirmed within the week, and all interested actors were scheduled to audition during this time.
Meng Shengsheng, curious, searched online for related news. Ever since film media revealed Li Zhang’s upcoming movie, paparazzi had begun staking out his frequent collaborators’ studios.
Within just a day or two, several actors expressing interest in the role had been exposed: the young star Jiang Yanchi, who rose to fame through a campus drama; the new trending idol Shi Yuan from a talent show; and Xie Wei, who had just won Best Newcomer at a television awards ceremony.
Some marketing accounts, eager for drama, speculated on the film’s plot based on public registration details, then listed the actors and their fan followings, conducting polls asking the public who was most likely to land the male lead in Li Zhang’s movie.
Spectators, always hungry for entertainment, eagerly discussed, dissecting each actor from head to toe, finding all sorts of faults. Some criticized Jiang Yanchi’s appearance, saying it was unremarkable and unsuitable. Others complained about Shi Yuan’s temper and intelligence, then lambasted those idols from talent shows for lacking acting skills.
The discussion went on and on, and it seemed no one was truly favored.
Meng Shengsheng read some of the less friendly comments aloud, “Tsk tsk, their words sound like poison…”
Wang Chuanze didn’t pay these any mind. After a quick glance, he focused on the script. Even right before the audition, he was watching a film by director Li Zhang, trying to understand his directing style and the ideas he wanted to convey.