I Have a Date with a Thousand-year-old Female Corpse
Chapter 269: Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King_1

Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King_1

Ding Xiaoyang also walked in from outside at this point. Nong Xuele patted the empty seat beside her and said to Ding Xiaoyang, "Xiaoyang Brother, come sit next to me."

Looking at Nong Xuele’s playful and cute face, Ding Xiaoyang, who wore a serious expression, couldn’t help but feel a warmth and indulgence rise in his eyes.

After Ding Xiaoyang sat down, Nong Fanfei turned to you and asked, "I’m really curious about what you’re planning exactly."

You smiled and replied, "Before I answer, could I trouble you, Fanfei, to explain to me some specific information about the Qian Family, including their business scope and product types?"

Nong Fanfei thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "The ancestors of the Qian Family were from the Manchu people. As everyone knows, after the downfall of the pseudo-Manchukuo, many Manchu aristocrats, in order to avoid the chaos of war, changed their names and kept a low profile, and the Qian Family was one of them. The first head of the Qian Family defected to the right side, joining the forces of our Grand Ancestor. After sacrificing a generation’s lives, the Qian Family settled in the fringes of the Greater Xing’an Range in Northeast China and started dealing in medicinal herbs with the protection of the previous generation. I won’t mention the grudge between the Qian Family and the Nong Family here because it infuriates me just to think about it."

Seeing that Nong Fanfei was getting angry just by mentioning the Qian Family, you immediately said with a smile, "That’s alright, I mainly want to understand the Qian Family."

Nong Fanfei nodded and continued, "As everyone knows, the Greater Xing’an Range is the main production area for medicinal herbs in China. With a strong network and financial resources, the Qian Family completely monopolized the medicinal herb business in the three northeast provinces within ten years; and after the economic reforms, they caught the southbound winds, gradually expanding their influence to become the largest medicinal herb dealer in North and East China."

"I see," you said, looking at Nong Fanfei, and asked, "Besides that, I also want to know if it’s true that the Qian Family is under the protection of the Horse Fairy."

"That’s just some shameless boasting on their part. The Horse Fairy is a common protective deity for the ordinary people of Northeast China—any ordinary family that venerates their tablets naturally receives their protection."

Ding Xiaoyang scoffed and added, "Others may not know, but I’m very clear about it. Fifty years ago, the patriarch of the Qian Family, the grandfather of Qian Zihao, accidentally saved a Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King on Changbai Mountain. To repay the Qian Family, that Ginseng King took up residence in the mountains specifically to cultivate artificially bred ginseng for the Qian Family. Therefore, the quality of the ginseng produced by the Qian Family is much higher than that from other places. They rely on these ginseng to establish a network in the capital city and also pay tribute to the Cen Family every year."

"Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King?" You laughed upon hearing this title.

Seeing that you didn’t believe it, Ding Xiaoyang immediately said, "Master Li, you really shouldn’t doubt it. The Qian Family boasts about controlling half of China’s medicinal herb trade, but there’s a lot of puffery in that claim. To the Cen Family, their real use is nothing more than those ginseng."

"No, no, it’s not that I don’t believe it; I just find it interesting," you said, then turned to Little Jin who was sitting aside, "Little Jin, could you please bring that pot of daffodils over here?"

On the windowsill not far from Little Jin, there were several potted plants, which were exactly the kind of small things that Han Lele and Tao Wenwen, the two young girls, loved to fuss over.

Little Jin picked one small pot of daffodils from among them, which Tao Wenwen had just bought a few days ago; it had yet to bloom.

You took the daffodils from Little Jin’s hand and turned to Zong Wangyue, saying, "Zongzi, I remember there’s a small vegetable market nearby. Could you go and buy me four white radishes?"

"Oh, okay."

Zong Wangyue stood up. The members of the Detective Agency had a habit; they never questioned any of your decisions, because they knew that every decision you made was carefully considered.

"Senior, what do you need a daffodil that hasn’t bloomed for?" Nong Xuele asked you, her curiosity piqued.

You smiled at Nong Xuele and asked, "Little Xue, do you keep flowers regularly?"

"Of course! I love flowers and plants," Nong Xuele replied with enthusiasm, her interest immediately piqued at the mention of plants and flowers, having been dealing with them from a young age.

"Then could you tell me, how long will it take for this pot of daffodils to bloom?"

Nong Xuele stared at the daffodil for a little while, pouting her lips, and said, "It should take another ten days or so."

"What if I make it bloom right now?"

A daffodil that isn’t in bloom looks just like a bulb of garlic, truly not very attractive.

"Sure, let it bloom for me to see," Nong Xuele said with a smile, clapping her hands.

Meanwhile, Nong Fanfei and Ding Xiaoyang exchanged glances, both of their eyes twinkling with confusion.

"Watch closely, don’t blink, this is my first time performing magic in my life."

With that, you slowly extended your right hand and gently hovered it above the daffodil.

The instant your hand hovered above, both Ding Xiaoyang and Nong Fanfei were astonished to discover streaks of mottled green light sprinkling into the pot of the daffodil.

What followed was a sight that amazed everyone. The bulb’s tip sprouted a tender shoot that continued to grow larger and taller, and before the eyes of the onlookers, a pot of delicate and stunning daffodils quietly bloomed.

"Wow — how magical!"

Nong Xuele hurriedly brought the daffodil in front of her, looked it over again and again, then said to you, "Senior, your magic is so amazing; could you teach me!"

On the faces of Nong Fanfei and Ding Xiaoyang, however, a serious expression emerged. The two had grown up together, and even though their statuses were different, their strengths were not far apart. Both had seen the green specks of light fall into the daffodil pot from your hand at the same moment.

"This is an ability I’ve had since I came out of the womb; others really can’t learn it." You smiled and said to Ding Xiaoyang, "Mr. Ding, you just mentioned that the Cen Family is eyeing the Qian Family because of the ginseng, right?"

Ding Xiaoyang nodded, "Indeed, and the Qian Family is able to command these fake Horse Fairies precisely because of that Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King."

You pondered for a moment, then looked up at Ding Xiaoyang, "Even if the Qian Family saved the life of the Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King back then, doesn’t the Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King take too much care of this Qian Family?"

"This... I’m not too sure either." After you pointed this out, Ding Xiaoyang was also somewhat puzzled.

"A Spirit Monster repays a debt of honor no more than three times; the Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King must have been imprisoned by them."

Just then, a voice suddenly came from beside you.

Everyone turned around to find that it was Jin Qi who was speaking.

Nong Xuele blinked her bright, big eyes, and asked the shy-looking but rather handsome boy, "How do you know?"

Jin Qi turned his head away, not looking at Nong Xuele, and said in a low voice, "This is a natural law; no one changes it lightly. Besides, whether wild or cultivated, all ginseng plants are its progeny to the Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng King, and it would never cultivate its own progeny for humans to consume."

"It seems that our Little Jin has already pointed out the root of the problem," you said with a smile to everyone.