nycdaug Chapter 136 Exploring the Garden, Observing the Difficulties, and Embarking on a New Journey
Chapter 136 Exploring the Garden, Observing the Difficulties, and Embarking on a New Journey
Exploring the Garden and Understanding the Difficulties to Start a New Journey
"In the orchards outside the city, most of the fruit trees have withered and died, and it looks like there will be no harvest at all!" The bodyguard said anxiously, his forehead covered in sweat.
Su Yunlan's heart sank. This orchard was the result of her and Xiao Yuhan's hard work. How could this situation suddenly occur?
"Yuhan, let's go take a look." Su Yunlan made a quick decision.
Xiao Yuhan nodded, and the two immediately set off towards the orchard outside the city.
Su Yunlan felt anxious and uneasy throughout the journey.
She tried hard to recall if anything unusual had happened recently, but to no avail.
Upon arriving at the orchard, the sight before her sent a chill down her spine.
The once lush fruit trees now have withered leaves and few fruits; some have even begun to wither and rot, emitting a nauseating sour smell.
A sense of oppression filled the air, as if even the birdsong had disappeared.
Chen Guonong, the owner of the orchard, was squatting beside a dead fruit tree, sighing and lamenting.
His hair was gray, and his face was covered with deep wrinkles, making him look as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
Upon seeing Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan arrive, he waved his hand helplessly, "Alas, it's hopeless, this orchard is completely beyond saving..." His tone was filled with despair, as if he had given up all hope.
Seeing this, Young Master Xiao, who was following behind Su Yunlan, couldn't help but speak up to comfort her, "Uncle Chen, don't be discouraged, there might still be a way..."
“A way? What other way is there?” Chen Guonong raised his head, his eyes vacant. “I’ve tried everything, I’ve tried every method, but it’s no use! These fruit trees are like they’re possessed, withering away day by day. Even a god can’t save them!” He slumped to the ground, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled slightly.
Looking at the desolate scene before her, Su Yunlan felt a surge of resentment.
She took a deep breath and scanned each fruit tree with a determined look, as if searching for some clue.
"Yuhan, Seventeenth Brother, let's split up and check to see what caused the fruit trees to wither."
"Lan'er, let me show you around first." Xiao Yuhan looked at Su Yunlan with concern. This orchard covered a vast area, and he was worried that she might be in danger if she went alone.
Su Yunlan nodded, and the two walked side by side into the depths of the orchard.
“This tree bark…” Su Yunlan gently stroked the rough trunk of a diseased tree, her fingertips touching some small granular objects.
Su Yunlan's fingers gently rubbed the bark, her fingertips touching some tiny granular objects.
She immediately felt more certain that this was definitely not just a simple case of wilting.
She carefully examined every detail on the bark and discovered some tiny holes and traces of insect damage.
She took a deep breath, and gradually realized the reason why the fruit trees had withered.
“There are pests here, and they’re very serious,” she said calmly and firmly, as if stating an undeniable fact.
Upon hearing Su Yunlan's assessment, Xiao Yuhan's worry lessened slightly.
He had great faith in his wife's abilities, knowing that she was not only an outstanding healer but also a genius with extensive agricultural knowledge.
"Lan'er, what are your plans?" he asked, his tone filled with trust and support.
Su Yunlan stood up, looked around, and a determined light shone in her eyes.
“We must find the source of the pest infestation and take measures as soon as possible, otherwise all these fruit trees may die,” she said in a deep voice, her tone full of determination.
Her gaze swept over each fruit tree, as if she were conversing with them, searching for a solution to the problem.
Xiao Yuhan wiped the sweat from Su Yunlan's forehead, his eyes filled with love.
"You've worked so hard, Lan'er. I'll be there to support you if you need anything," he said gently, his voice filled with warmth and determination.
Su Yunlan looked at him, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. She knew that she was not fighting alone in this difficult time.
"Thank you, Yuhan," she replied softly. She turned around and continued walking towards another fruit tree, carefully examining the roots and soil.
“The roots of these fruit trees have also been damaged, and there may be pathogens or pests in the soil.” She continued her analysis, gently parting the soil with her fingers and finding some tiny white nematodes and rotten roots.
Seeing this, Xiao Yuhan immediately stepped forward to help. The two of them worked together tacitly, with Su Yunlan responsible for checking the fruit trees for diseases and Xiao Yuhan responsible for recording and collecting samples.
The atmosphere in the orchard gradually became serious and tense, but Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan's determination and tacit understanding gave everyone a glimmer of hope.
"Researcher Zhao, we've found the cause of the fruit trees' withering. We hope to review the fruit tree research data to better solve the problem," Su Yunlan said, turning to Researcher Zhao who was standing not far away, her tone filled with anticipation.
Researcher Zhao adjusted his glasses and said in an arrogant tone, "Mrs. Su, these materials represent years of my hard work. How can I show them to just anyone? Besides, are you even capable of understanding them, you're just a woman?" He glanced at Su Yunlan with disdain.
Su Yunlan's expression darkened slightly; she hadn't expected Researcher Zhao to be so arrogant and rude.
She suppressed her anger and said calmly, "Researcher Zhao, I know this information is very important to you, but I just want to borrow it to better understand the growth of the fruit trees and find the root cause of pests and diseases. This is related to the survival of the entire orchard, so please consider the big picture."
"Putting the big picture first?" Researcher Zhao scoffed. "Mrs. Su, aren't you overestimating yourself? Who do you think you are? A sheltered housewife, daring to talk about saving the orchard? That's just wishful thinking!" His tone was sharp and sarcastic, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Su Yunlan took a deep breath and tried her best to control her emotions.
She knew it was pointless to argue with such a self-righteous person.
Just then, Young Master Xiao Seventeen squeezed out from the crowd, clutching a thin booklet tightly in his hand.
"Sister-in-law, this is some fruit tree research data I secretly copied down before. I hope it can be of help." His tone was a little nervous, but...
Su Yunlan took the booklet, feeling a warmth in her heart.
She glanced gratefully at Young Master Xiao, then opened the booklet and began to read it carefully.
Although the booklet contained little information, it contained key knowledge about the prevention and control of fruit tree diseases and pests, which was exactly what she needed right now.
"Seventeenth Brother, thank you." Su Yunlan's voice was a little choked up. She didn't expect that at this critical moment, it would be Young Master Xiao Seventeen who gave her the greatest support.
Young Master Xiao scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "Sister-in-law, you're welcome. I just did what I could." A bright smile appeared on his face, and he was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Just as Su Yunlan was preparing to study the data further and find a solution to the pests and diseases, a sudden exclamation came from deep within the orchard.
"Look! Those fruit trees..." Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the fruit trees, which were originally just withered and yellow, were now rapidly decaying at a visible speed. The leaves were falling off one by one, the trunks were beginning to rot, and a pungent smell of decay filled the air...
"What...what's going on?!" Chen Guonong cried out in terror, his voice filled with despair.