Chapter 361: A Mother and Daughter with Uncommon Aura

Chapter 361: A Mother and Daughter with Uncommon Aura

In the future, our country has six most renowned "Ginkgo Homelands."

These are: Taixing, Jiangsu; Pizhou, Jiangsu; Anlu, Hubei; Tancheng County, Shandong; Nanxiong, Guangdong; and Changxing County, Zhejiang.

Among them, Taixing leads the nation in the number of ancient ginkgo trees, planted ginkgo trees, ginkgo production, and ginkgo quality, earning it the title of "China's No. 1 Ginkgo City."

According to statistics, Taixing's ginkgo production accounts for about one-third of the national total.

After much inquiry, Deng Shirong finally arrived in Taixing, Jiangsu, to purchase ginkgo seedlings.

Now that the village road base has been prepared and the surface leveled, the concrete road can be postponed. However, the planting of ginkgo trees needs to be expedited.

Although a single ginkgo tree is beautiful, it cannot compare to a cluster of ginkgo trees. In his previous life, Deng Shirong had only seen individual ginkgo trees, and he had only seen clusters of ginkgo trees online, never in reality.

Upon seeing clusters of ginkgo trees that were decades or even centuries old, the visual impact was so overwhelming that he no longer satisfied with purchasing small seedlings.

After all, small seedlings take about 20 years to grow to the desired visual effect, and to achieve the perfect effect, they need to grow for 40 to 50 years. He didn't know if he would live another 40 years, so he couldn't wait that long!

Thus, he decided to transplant mature trees.

Transplanting mature trees would provide an immediate visual impact.

If it were a regular person, transplanting ginkgo trees in bulk from Taixing, Jiangsu, to Naye Village would be impossible.

Let alone other issues, the transportation costs alone would be astronomical, and there would be no guarantee that the trees would survive if they were not promptly replanted after being dug up.

However, Deng Shirong was not a regular person; he had a system space. According to his experiments, whether it was animals or plants, once they were stored in the space and then released, they were unaffected.

In short, whatever state they were in when they entered the space, they would be in the same state when they were released.

Therefore, he could use the system space to accomplish what ordinary people could not.

With the idea of transplanting mature trees in mind, Deng Shirong specifically sought out areas with ginkgo trees. Taixing, being the top ginkgo-producing region in the country, indeed had ginkgo trees everywhere, as common as lychee and longan trees in Bobai.

Deng Shirong did not look for ginkgo trees that were owned by others; instead, he ventured into the deep mountains and old forests to find wild and tall ginkgo trees.

He did this not because he was unwilling to spend money, but because his system space was not something he could easily show to others. By finding unowned ginkgo trees, he could take them along with the soil into the space when no one was around, thus avoiding many troubles.

It should be noted that according to Deng Shirong's experiments, as long as it was within the range of the system space, anything could be stored, and there was no limit to the amount. Entire trees, including their roots and soil, could be stored without any issues.

With such a powerful system space, Deng Shirong had no qualms about venturing into the deep mountains and old forests. Within the range of the system space, nothing could harm him, making him the most capable wilderness survival expert in the world.

Since the system space had everything, Deng Shirong spent over half a month in the deep mountains and old forests, collecting 36 male ginkgo trees aged between 25 and 35 years, with similar overall shapes.

Ginkgo trees are dioecious, with female trees producing fruit known as white nuts, while male trees do not bear fruit and are mainly used for landscaping or pollination.

Based on his recent understanding, Deng Shirong knew that fallen ginkgo fruits could make the roads dirty and smelly.

Therefore, upon learning about the male trees, he chose't hesitate to choose male ginkgo trees. He also consulted locals about the differences between male and female ginkgo trees.

It took him over half a month to collect 36 male ginkgo trees, which was not slow, but Deng Shirong was still unsatisfied due to the large gap.

Ginkgo trees are typically planted 15 meters apart. The total length of the village roads along along along along along roads along the 3,66 meters along to the along the 3,65 meters, along to a 368 Therefore, the 368 faster. to fill one more year.

to reach the goals..

gap. The gap was 26 gap. and the gap was 0.5em. The gap is 3684 meters. The the lot of g36 trees, to cover the gap of That Ye Village. to achieve the gap of. gap of the gink8 to trees in year..

. The village roads of the village in about 36 trees along the00010. The Ye Village's new ancestral hall, only a few days away. important event that he could attend the miss.

. As the head of of, Deng, as the, he, Deng, important, Deng have Ye. he0 to a here., he only time to lack of trees.

68.

process.

way.

the, what the system space, trees and the large of the system,, he would to proceed the necessary time to plant the trees in the system space..

, he had to come the trees to plant the trees and the necessary resources to plant the trees in the system space.. This the system space and, he had to find the necessary resources to plant the trees in the system space.. This the system space to, he had to ensure the necessary resources to plant the trees in the system space. This was a significant challenge that he had to overcome.

The only way to transport the trees and the large stones to the riverbanks without being noticed by the villagers.

In addition to the large stones, the system space,, he had to find the necessary resources to plant the stones in the system space.. This was a significant challenge that he had to overcome.

The only way to transport the trees and the large stones to the riverbanks without being detected by the villagers.

.

Deng Shirong didn't want to think too much about it. As the saying goes, when the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally find a way through.

...

3:00 PM.

A residential complex in Wuhan.

In the study, a young woman was sitting there, intently embroidering a flower and bird pattern. The work was already half-finished, and the embroidered bird looked lifelike, showcasing the woman's extraordinary embroidery skills.

The woman was not very old, appearing to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

Her appearance wasn't the kind that would immediately catch one's eye with astonishment. At first glance, she just looked pleasant to look at, and that was it.

However, her features were the kind that grew more appealing the more you looked at them. Combined with her gentle, dignified, and elegant demeanor, and her excellent figure, she was indeed a very attractive young woman.

In the study, apart from the young woman quietly embroidering, there was also a middle-aged woman with equally remarkable aura. She was writing calligraphy, her characters sometimes square and sometimes elongated, showing a great deal of versatility and a high level of calligraphy skill.

Just as the two women were embroidering and writing, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

The young woman, who was embroidering, looked up and saw her mother, who was writing, put down her brush to answer the phone. She then lowered her head and continued working on her piece.

"Ah... how did she fall? That's too careless. What did the doctor say? Did she hurt any other parts? Take good care of Mom, I'll take the next train back."

Hearing the conversation from the living room, Gu Caiwei couldn't sit still anymore. She put down her embroidery and walked out of the study.

After her mother hung up the phone, Gu Caiwei hurriedly asked, "Mom, did Grandma fall?"

Gu's mother, worried, said, "Yes, your uncle called and said that your grandma slipped while feeding the chickens and broke her hand."

Gu Caiwei's face showed concern as she asked, "Did she hurt any other parts besides her hand?"

Gu's mother replied, "Your uncle said she only broke her hand, nothing else. You should quickly pack your things and come with me to see Grandma."

Gu Caiwei nodded and said, "Mom, should we call Dad and see if he can come with us?"

Gu's mother shook her head and said, "Your father is too busy with work. He can't spare the time. I'll go with you."

Gu Caiwei said, "Even if Dad can't come, we should at least call him and let him know!"

Gu's mother said, "He might be in a meeting right now. Let's not disturb him. We can leave him a note."

"Alright, I'll go pack my things. Mom, you write the note for Dad!"

"Sure, go ahead. We don't know how long we'll stay, so pack a few extra sets of clothes."

"Got it."

...

5:25 PM. A train traveling from Nanjing to Nanning stopped at Hankou Station.

Some passengers got off, and others got on. The two passengers sitting next to Deng Shirong got off, and about seven or eight minutes later, two new passengers took their seats.

Deng Shirong was already used to this.

However, what surprised him was that the two new passengers were two women with remarkable auras, a middle-aged woman and a young woman. Their appearances clearly indicated they were mother and daughter. Their attire was different from other passengers, suggesting they came from a good family.

Of course, Deng Shirong could tell at a glance that they lacked experience in traveling by train.

After all, theft and even robbery on trains were not uncommon in this era. People who frequently traveled long distances usually dressed modestly to avoid drawing attention, even if it didn't always fool the sharp eyes of thieves, it still served as a form of disguise.

At least, they wouldn't stand out like these two women, who looked like easy targets.

"Comrade, hello!"

Seeing Deng Shirong looking at them, the middle-aged woman politely greeted him.

Deng Shirong politely responded, "Hello, do you need any help?"

"Thank you, no need!"

As she spoke, the middle-aged woman and her daughter put their suitcases on the luggage rack. The suitcases contained mostly clothes, nothing too heavy, so they managed to lift them up easily.

When they sat down, noticing that the mother and daughter looked a bit uncomfortable, Deng Shirong smiled and asked, "Is this your first time on a train?"

The middle-aged woman shook her head and said, "We've taken the train several times before."

Deng Shirong was a bit surprised but didn't think much of it. He nodded and didn't say anything more.

Soon, the train started moving again, leaving Hankou Station.

It was also around dinner time, and many passengers began taking out various foods. There were steamed buns and mantou, common grains like sweet potatoes and corn, and various homemade snacks.

The most eye-catching item was the bucket of Kangshifu Braised Beef Noodles. When soaked in boiling water and stirred, the aroma filled the entire carriage, making the other passengers drool.

Spurred by the delicious smell, Deng Shirong even heard the young woman sitting next to him grumble with hunger.

Gu Caiwei was now very embarrassed; for a young woman to have her stomach rumble was quite ungraceful.

Her mother, who had clearly heard it too, said, "Weiwei, let's go get something to eat!"

They had rushed to catch the train and hadn't had time to eat anything, so they had to eat on the train.

Gu Caiwei quickly stood up and responded, "Okay!"

So, the mother and daughter walked toward the dining car.

Deng Shirong had been on many train trips over the past few years, but he had never eaten in the dining car. He usually ate the delicious food he kept in his system space.

He had planned to do the same for this dinner, but seeing the mother and daughter head to the dining car, he suddenly remembered that it was the 1980s, and the food on trains was not as overpriced and tasteless as it would become in the future.

During this era, most of the chefs on trains came from established restaurants and had excellent culinary skills, allowing passengers to enjoy famous dishes from various regions. The food was often as good as what you'd find in a restaurant, making it a golden age for train dining.

It wasn't until the early 1990s that the dining cars began to operate under a contract system, where a fixed profit was paid annually, and the rest went to the dining car. To maximize profits, contractors started choosing cheaper and lower-quality ingredients.

The standards for chefs also dropped, and eventually, anyone with a health permit could cook on the train, leading to a decline in the quality of the food.

This is how the negative impression of "train food = expensive and tasteless" came about.

Now, the train food was still worth looking forward to.

Moreover, the weather had turned cold, and the hot dishes in his system space couldn't be brought out. Cold food in such cold weather was far less appealing than a hot meal.

So, Deng Shirong decided to join the mother and daughter for dinner in the dining car.

He watched them walk through the carriage and then stood up, slowly making his way to the dining car.

Although it wasn't yet the peak of the Spring Festival travel rush, the train was still quite crowded. It took a while to get through each carriage, and by the time Deng Shirong reached the dining car, he saw that the mother and daughter were already ordering their meals.

They ordered stir-fried meat with green peppers and scrambled eggs with scallions.

But when it came time to pay, Gu's mother gasped as she felt her pocket, "My money has been stolen!"

Gu Caiwei quickly checked her own pocket and her face turned pale, "My money has been stolen too!"

A police officer happened to be in the dining car, and Gu's mother immediately said, "Comrade police officer, there's a thief on the train, and our money has been stolen!"

The other passengers in the dining car looked at them with sympathy and instinctively checked their own pockets, becoming more vigilant to protect their belongings.

The police officer asked how much money they had lost and whether it was stolen on the train or before boarding. After the mother and daughter confirmed it was stolen after boarding, the police officer promised to investigate but hinted that the chances of recovering the money were slim.

After all, the train was a mixed crowd, and the police officer couldn't search every passenger without a witness. It was extremely difficult to recover stolen money.

While the mother and daughter were reporting the incident to the police officer, Deng Shirong had already ordered his meal. He ordered the same dishes they had chosen—stir-fried meat with green peppers and scrambled eggs with scallions—and added braised pork and braised eggplant. He also ordered a bowl of lotus root and bone soup.

When the mother and daughter finished explaining the situation to the police officer and were about to return to their seats, Deng Shirong stepped in front of them and said, "Comrades, I heard what happened. The police officer can't catch the thief right away. As the saying goes, 'a man is iron, but food is steel; one meal missed, and hunger sets in.' I've already ordered some dishes. If you don't mind, please join me for a meal. You'll need the strength to deal with the situation after you've eaten."

"This..."

Gu's mother hesitated. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't accept such an invitation, but the situation was dire. They had rushed to catch the train and hadn't brought any food. Now, with their money stolen, they couldn't go hungry for a day or two.

So, she hesitated only briefly before gratefully saying, "Thank you, comrade!"

The young woman, Gu Caiwei, also looked embarrassed. This was the first time she had encountered such an awkward situation.

Once the mother and daughter were seated, Deng Shirong introduced himself, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Deng, and I'm from Yulin, Guangxi. May I ask where you are from and what your names are?"

Gu's mother smiled and said, "We can consider ourselves fellow townspeople. My hometown is Nanning, Guangxi, and this is my daughter, Gu."

Deng Shirong said, "May I ask, have you always traveled by sleeper compartment before, and this is your first time in a hard seat?"

Gu's mother was surprised and said, "Fellow traveler, how did you know that?"

Deng Shirong replied, "It's obvious from your attire. You look too well-dressed, which easily attracts the attention of thieves, making it highly likely for you to be targeted."

Gu's mother suddenly understood and said with some regret, "I didn't notice that. I'll be more careful next time if I travel by train."

Just then, the dining car staff started serving the dishes. The first dishes to arrive were braised pork, scrambled eggs with scallions, and lotus root and bone soup. The scrambled eggs with scallions were a quick dish to prepare, while the braised pork and lotus root and bone soup were already simmered in advance.

After the rice was served, Deng Shirong said, "Fellow travelers, let's eat. The green pepper stir-fried meat and braised eggplant haven't arrived yet, but there's enough food for all of us. Don't be shy, eat as much as you like to avoid wasting it."

Gu's mother and daughter were both touched. The dishes Deng Shirong had ordered included the green pepper stir-fried meat and scrambled eggs with scallions they had chosen, and he had directly ordered four dishes and a soup, clearly intending to treat them to a meal.

In reality, given their status, many people would have been eager to invite them to a meal, and they wouldn't have valued just one meal. However, the situation was different here. With their money stolen and no cash on hand, someone willing to treat them to a meal meant a lot more than usual.

As they ate together, the conversation naturally flowed. Gu's mother took the initiative to ask, "Fellow traveler, are you returning from a business trip?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Our village plans to plant a batch of ginkgo trees. I heard that there are many ginkgo trees in Jiangsu, so I came to check it out. What about you? Are you visiting relatives?"

Gu's mother nodded and said, "Yes, it's been over a year since we last visited my parents, and now that we have no other commitments, I brought my daughter to see them."

They continued chatting as they ate, and soon the green pepper stir-fried meat and braised eggplant arrived.

It must be said that the food on the train during this era was indeed quite good, and the prices were reasonable. All three of them were quite satisfied with their meal.

After dinner, the three of them returned to their compartment and settled down.

For the next two days, Deng Shirong continued to treat Gu's mother and daughter to meals, and their relationship grew to be almost like friends.

When they arrived in Nanning and exited the station, Gu's mother said with gratitude, "Fellow traveler, thank you so much for your help these past two days. Without you, we wouldn't have known what to do. Could you leave me your address so I can send you the money for the meals?"

Deng Shirong waved his hand and said, "You're too kind. There's no need to send money. It was just a few meals, and anyone would have helped in that situation."

Gu's mother insisted, "Fellow traveler, your help means a lot to us. Please give us a chance to repay you by treating you to a meal."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "It was nothing, really. No need to be so formal."

Gu's mother persisted, "Fellow traveler, your small act of kindness has been a huge help to us. You're not in a hurry to return to Yulin today, are you?"

Deng Shirong shook his head and said, "Not today. The train ride was tiring, so I'll return tomorrow."

Gu's mother said, "I heard from my family that the spicy girl's hotpot at Wuyue Square in Nanning is very good. I'd like to invite you to have hotpot there at 5 PM today. Please don't refuse; give us a chance to show our gratitude."

Deng Shirong's expression turned a bit odd, but choosing the spicy girl's hotpot as a place to treat them was both unexpected and reasonable.

After all, the spicy girl's hotpot was well-known in Nanning. Whenever hotpot was mentioned, the first thing that came to mind was the spicy girl's hotpot.

It was interesting that he would be treated at his own hotpot restaurant, so he smiled and said, "Alright, since you're so kind, let's meet at the spicy girl's hotpot at 5 PM."

Gu's mother breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's settled then. 5 PM, we'll see you there."

Deng Shirong nodded and asked, "Where are you going? I can call a rickshaw for you to take you there."

Gu's mother didn't hesitate, having already troubled him for two days, and gave him an address.

Deng Shirong called a rickshaw, negotiated the price with the driver, and paid in advance. After they said their goodbyes, he watched as they left.

...

PS: The readers of this book are truly a mystery. Generally, during holidays, the subscriptions for most works drop, but for my book, subscriptions start to rise during long holidays. During the Spring Festival, when subscriptions for other works were low, ours kept breaking records, nearly doubling over the holiday.

Now, during the May Day holiday, it's the same. Other authors are complaining about the drop in subscriptions, but the new subscriptions for this book keep increasing day by day. It's truly amazing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end