Chapter Fifty-Nine The Tree's Impending Death

  Song Wen knew that the spring water in the Ruyi fan had an extraordinary effect, but he never thought it could make the Osmanthus tree sprout new buds and bloom at this time of year. It was simply unbelievable. To think that not long ago, it was a withered old tree on the verge of death.

  Turning to look around, I found that the Osmanthus tree brought back from the old town government did not bloom like the old Osmanthus. I felt strange, it was also an Osmanthus tree, planted in the same way, watered in the same way, why the result was different, and there was no difference!

  If there's anything different, it's that the old Osmanthus tree had once run through the pool water in the Ruyi fan and been hung with a pendant made of spring water. It's unknown if this is why the old Osmanthus tree got an extra chance to bloom.

  He felt something strange in his heart, so he took out a copper mirror and shone it towards the old Osmanthus tree.

  In an instant, everything in the old Osmanthus tree seemed to be reflected in the copper mirror, and there didn't seem to be any difference. With a puzzled mind, he raised the copper mirror and shone it on another Osmanthus tree beside him.

  Took a closer look.

  He finally realized the difference between the old Osmanthus tree and this one, in the meridians of the old Osmanthus tree, there was a thick green ** flowing inside, which seemed to bring the old Osmanthus tree a thriving spring, while the ** flowing in the body of this Osmanthus tree was relatively slow, and the color was slightly dull.

  Is it because of this that it can't bloom? After thinking for half a day, I feel like it's the only possible outcome. Otherwise, why would it be like this?

  It seems that the answer has been found, so Song Wen moved the copper mirror from the Osmanthus tree and took it to the lake bank to shine around and see if there were any treasures in the soil at the bottom of the lake.

  Unfortunately, after taking a look for a while, nothing unusual could be seen, and I wanted to give up. Suddenly, a green light appeared in the mirror, and my heart was amazed. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be just a stone. But somehow, my whole body was surrounded by a green glow, emitting a crystal clear light.

  It was really strange, he came to the ground where the stone was shining, put a stone on it as a mark, and planned to go back and dig it up with an iron shovel to see what it was.

  Just then, the mobile phone rang. Upon answering it, Song Hu's voice came from the other end of the line.

  "What's up, Ah Wen?"

  "Anything wrong?"

  "The boar has grown tusks, come quickly and help me get rid of them."

  "What wild boar?" Song Wen asked strangely.

  "It's those little wild boars you caught last time, they've grown tusks now, come over and help get rid of them, or else when feeding them we'll get stabbed, it's a matter of life and death."

  Song Wen listened and hastily agreed, the strange stone under the ground was not dug up either, he went back to close the door and rode his motorcycle to Song Wen's pig farm. Anyway, no one would dig up that stone if it were left there, but wild boars are fierce and could really cause loss of life.

  ................

  In a villa on the outskirts of Nanzhou, Huang Xiaojun looked at the frail old man lying in bed, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.

  The old man in front of her is called Chi Qiao Sheng. After graduating from university, she gave up working in the city and returned home to plant orchids, studying orchid cultivation techniques. Thanks to his great help and guidance, without him, she might not have achieved what she has today. Although she had never taken him as a teacher, their relationship was closer than that of a master and apprentice, and it could even be said that he treated her like his own granddaughter, and she listened to his words and called him "Ah Gong".

  Recently, for some reason, Qi Jiao Sheng suddenly fell ill and went to many hospitals but couldn't find the cause of his illness. He had no choice but to return home to rest. Later, a famous old Chinese doctor from Nanzhou was invited to come and take a look, and only then did he say that the old man had heart disease.

  But his family has no financial worries, his children are filial, and his wife is considerate. What illness of the heart can he have?

  Finally, Qiú Jiǎo's old wife discovered that the wax plum bonsai he treasured like his life was withering away. The flowers that had originally bloomed were somehow slowly drying up, and the leaves were falling off one by one.

  It was only then that the crowd realized where the old man's heart lay. This ancient plum blossom tree was a family heirloom passed down from his ancestors, and it had miraculously survived the great disaster of years ago, with a history spanning over 200 years, almost qualifying as a national treasure.

  Qiao Sheng has been accompanied by plum blossoms since childhood and regards them as bosom friends.

  Suddenly seeing the lifelong bosom friend about to die, oneself is also nearing the end of life, can't help but feel a little sad and mournful. Adding to that, thinking about curing the old illness, feeling anxious in heart, day and night, overthinking, thus falling ill.

  An old Chinese doctor gave Qiao Sheng a prescription to recuperate, and after taking the medicine, his body gradually recovered. However, he soon began to decline again and had been bedridden for several days. Finally, his family had no choice but to invite the old Chinese doctor again, but the old doctor was also helpless, saying that heart disease can only be cured by treating the heart.

  His family thought for a moment and felt that the old man's illness was still related to the potted plum blossom.

  Then, the gardening expert was invited to treat the old plum blossom, but unexpectedly, after searching for experts and scholars everywhere, the old plum blossom was still like that, and even being made more withered by those so-called experts. The few leaves and flowers that were originally sparse fell off almost completely, leaving everyone worried and at a loss for what to do.

  Huang Xiaojun has also been looking for friends in the gardening and floristry industry to come and take a look, but when they see the situation with the old plum blossom tree, they are all at a loss.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the old man wither away day by day, Huang Xiaojun was disheartened. Although this person was not his grandfather, he treated her more kindly than a close grandson would, and seeing him like this made her very sad too.

  "Cough, cough..."

  Qiao Sheng woke up from his sleep on the bed and saw Huang Xiaojun, saying: "How did you come again?"

  Since Chi Jiao became ill, Huang Xiao Jun rushed over to take care of him every day, even neglecting his own business, which made Chi Jiao feel both moved and annoyed.

  "Grandpa is ill, how can I not come?"

  "There's no need for you to rush over here every day, you still have business to attend to. Don't worry, this old body of mine won't die just yet."

  Chi Qiao saw Huang Xiaojun didn't seem to have any intention of repenting, and there was nothing she could do.

  "Come on, help me get out and take a walk." After finishing speaking, Chi Qiao Sheng struggled to get out of bed.

  Huang Xiaojun saw this and hastily advised: "Grandfather, your body is like this... it's better to stop, it's cold outside and windy."

  "My body is quite good, isn't it? Come on, take me to see Plum Blossom."

  "This..."

  Huang Xiaojun hesitated, it was cold today and the old man's body wasn't good, he shouldn't go out.

  "What's wrong, won't you even listen to your grandfather's words?" Chi Qiao Sheng said with feigned anger.

  "Alright then!"

  Helpless, Huang Xiaojun had no choice but to help the old man up and walk out of the house.

  Qiao Sheng's wife was cooking in the kitchen, heard a noise and came out to see him wanting to go out, couldn't help but complain: "How did you get up? Why don't you go back to bed?"

  "Will I die if I lie down again?" Chi Qiao Sheng shouted angrily.

  Her husband's eyes reddened upon hearing this.

  Huang Xiaojun hastily said: "Grandfather will live to be a hundred years old, right? Grandma can go cook rice, I'll take care of Grandfather."

  "Thanks for your trouble?" He said, and then turned around and went into the kitchen.

  "Grandfather shouldn't speak to grandmother like that, these past few days grandmother has been so worried about you that she can't eat."

  "Alright, alright, don't say anymore. How come you haven't even gotten married yet and you've already learned her nagging habit? Hurry up and help me over."

  Seeing Qiao Sheng getting impatient, Huang Xiaojun helped him over.

  In front of the villa, two rows of coconut trees were planted.

  Under the palm tree was a pile of potted landscapes, among which a pot of old plum blossoms was particularly eye-catching.

  The old tree is robust and vigorous, with slender branches and a rugged bark that reveals the vicissitudes of time.

  The flowers that once bloomed are now slowly withering, the petals gradually falling off, and the originally warm tree branches have become dry and brittle, the branches also being so, giving a sense of heroic decline and old age.

  Qiao Sheng saw the bleak appearance of Lao Gan's preserved plum and couldn't help but sigh and recite:

  Alas, parting in late autumn, and the spring grass grows again.

  The zither has been silent for a long time, and I'm used to listening to the sound of flowing water.

  Autumn water fish swim in the sun, spring trees birds sing at the right time.

  The riverbank at dusk is where we used to go together, in the secluded valley there is longing for each other.

  "A thousand miles of sorrow with no vehicle, one glance at a distant place is hard to reach."

  The sound is filled with sorrow and resentment, like a crane that is about to die, its cry is mournful, making people who hear it shed tears.