Chapter 254 In the Mountain

The pharmaceutical factory has been successfully prepared. In a month, the land of the herbal medicine base has been reclaimed and is ready for planting.

Some herbs are transplanted and some seeds are sowed. Angelica and tuckahoe are common herbs. The seedlings of Woodsgrown Ginseng, which can be used as medicine several years later, are also planted in the forest on the hillside. There are trails in the mountain, so Lin Luoran decides not to build cement roads. She wants all the herbs to be moved out manually in the future, because she believes it is better to pay more labor cost than destroying the green water and mountains. Zeng leads to build the house. He sends some engineering teams, which soon build many wooden huts around the base—since herbs like Woodsgrown Ginseng are very valuable, there must be their own guards in the base. Such work needs to be done gradually, so they temporarily hire experienced hunters to guard the base. The small wooden huts are dotted on the hillside. Looking down from the top, the flattened hillside has a wide view. As long as there is no blind spot, the hunters in these small huts on the hillside can keep watch and help each other.

After building the wooden huts, the engineering teams begin to build the staff dormitories. Lin Luoran has only one requirement: the houses where people live must not be built in haste and the foundation must be laid firm.

Since it is very difficult to transport cement in, Lin Luoran decides to build three-story wooden buildings. Each room, as large as the standard room in a hotel, has a bathroom and a bunk bed. In fact, not many people are needed to take care of 80 acres of land. In the beginning, the employees are all nearby villagers. They heard that free food and accommodation come along with a job near their home. Will planting herbs be more difficult than farming? Many people vie for the job.

In fact, herbs need more attention than crops. At least when sowing, Lin Luoran once saw the little cyan fox waters different herbs with different amount of water. It is like a talent exclusive to the green fox, so it can do the work efficiently. But Lin Luoran didn’t take it out of the underworld to make it a coolie. It will die of hard work if it waters the whole 500 mu of land alone.

Professionals are needed!

Professor Qi introduced to her some of his friends at Agricultural University. They have both theoretic knowledge and hands-on experience in planting. Lin really wants to keep these senior professors, but she knows that she won’t succeed, so she asks them to recommend some excellent students. The life in the mountain is boring, but Lin Luoran offers them good salaries. They have just graduated and need places for practice. Therefore, some students would like to stay.

Especially when Lin Luoran gives them some seeds of very good quality, these young people suddenly feel it is right for them to stay!

They are ecstatic to see the seeds. How can the seeds of tuckahoe be so big? The wolfberries are red and round. They must plant them and do a good record of observation!

These young people leave happily with bags of seeds in their hands, and Lin Luoran is also happy to send the waste out. When Lin Luoran saw the s.p.a.ce expand a lot, she didn’t throw away the herbs that were first planted. Different from spirit herbs and spirit medicine, it takes a very short time to harvest these herbs. Lin Luoran has collected many seeds that have been evolved for generations. Just a few of these seeds are enough for the students at Agricultural University to study for a long time.

Well, how about changing all the herbs in the base into improved herbs?

Come on, it will be too striking. Just mix the ordinary herbs with the improved ones.

Although thinking like this, Lin Luoran adds some spring water in the s.p.a.ce to the newly drilled well, hoping that the base will yield herbs as soon as possible.

“Yuan Ye, look at the mountain. You will take care of it in the future.” Lin and Yuan stand on the hillside, overlooking the villagers who are busy farming, watering, or tidying up the gra.s.sland. Lin draws a circle with her hand, indicating the scope of the base.

Yes, Cao Liyang did a great job. Originally, Lin Luoran just wanted to rent the hillside, but after Cao Liyang’s efforts, he eventually rent several mountains for Lin Luoran.

Lin didn’t expect that she would own some mountains one day, even if they belong to her just for a few decades, as written in the contract. Looking down at the mountain, she bursts out laughing. G.o.d knows who she will give the base to decades later. Anyway, she won’t manage it herself.

Yuan Ye pinches his thigh. He thought the reason Lin Luoran accepted him as an apprentice was that she wanted him to do hard manual work. Indeed, he is asked to do manual work, but he didn’t expect to plant herbs!

Yuan Ye likes all kinds of herbal plants and landscapes. Otherwise, he couldn’t have traveled all over the mountains and forests and found b.u.t.terflybush Flowers and bamboos with Reiki in the dense bamboo forest in southern Chuan. It does need luck, but his efforts also matter.

After spending more than a month with Yuan Ye, Lin Luoran gradually knows his character. She finds that the young man is very focused on his work, and he is thoughtful and good at planning. She often feels that he might be more successful if he is engaged in science instead of cultivation.

However, what troubles Lin Luoran is that every time he sees Li Xi’er, he becomes a troublemaker. It’s like that he will feel comfortable not bullying her.

Lin Luoran finds such childish behavior both funny and annoying. Is every genius stupid in some way?

Well, is that true?

How about reminding him to change his strategy? Lin Luoran’s kindness only lasts for a few seconds. All right, if Li Xi’er leaves, who is willing to help her manage the base? Poor Yuan Ye, he needs more practice. Well, that’s it.

The little cyan fox is reluctant to go back, so Lin Luoran asks Yuan Ye to take care of it, and she goes back to the city alone.

Stepping on a thick layer of fallen leaves, walking along the mountain path and climbing over a mountain, you can see the corner of Qingcheng Taoist Temple hidden in the dense forest.

Is the crazy Taoist still busy working?

She thinks for a while and doesn’t go around. She is going to see them.

The crazy Taoist is burning a kind of ore powder. When he sees Lin Luoran, he slightly moves his fingers, and then the ore with flame is gone.

Lin Luoran is curious and envious to see that. The crazy Taoist smiles and says, “This is called Bolus Fire, which can be used to make boluses and medicines. As for forging weapons, it is not enough. When you bear essence, you will have it too.”

Bolus Fire? Lin Luoran nods.

Liu Zheng comes out with a dark ore in his hand. Seeing Lin Luoran, he exclaims happily, “You are here.”

“Yes, what is in your hand?”

“Well, it is Dark Stone, which is used to fertilize the Soul Wood. How is the base?”

As they are talking, Liu Zheng feels that his heart is beating the way it did when he saw her four years ago. However, she is too dull to realize it, which makes him not know what to do. But Liu Zheng is not worried. Not only because he is confident, but also because they have a lot of opportunities to meet in the future since Lin has built a herbal medicine base nearby.

“You have chosen the best place to plant herbs. The master said the geomancy there was very good. The Wood Reiki flowing from the Qingcheng Taoist Temple all goes to that place.”

Lin Luoran suddenly understands why the little cyan fox chose that place after searching the whole Mount Qingcheng. Is that the reason? With the nutriment of the Wood Reiki, it is hard for the herbs not to grow well. It is a pity for the place to grow weeds in the past.

In the twilight in the ancient Qingcheng Taoist Temple, the two young people are talking under the tall ancient trees. The scene looks so wonderful that it makes people feel tranquil and romantic.

The scenery in the mountain is so beautiful. The crazy Taoist touches his greasy beard while his Taoist robe is blown by the wind at night. He slowly goes out of the yard.

How stupid his apprentice is! Why do you love her secretly? Well, you will suffer!

* * * * * *

On another mountain. The famous red leaves on the Fragrant Hill have turned red in autumn, attracting more and more visitors.

At the back of the mountain, there is a well-maintained villa that is as new as before. The third young master of the Mu family, in such nice weather that is suitable for climbing mountains, is lying in bed like a dead pig.

Most of the young girls dressed as maids have married and become mothers. Because no new maids are hired, the villa looks empty. The children of the Mu family are very successful. They are busy with their work all over the world. The only one who likes to stay in the villa all day long is the third young master, who have set a good example for several years.

The door of his bedroom is pushed open. Looking angrily at him, who is sleeping like a lazy pig, Grandpa Mu waves his hand.

Two men who look like butlers pull him up. Mu Tiannan opens his eyes and says, “Grandpa, you are here…It is still early. Let me sleep a little longer!”

Although it is not hot, the butlers are sweating all over their heads. It is really worrying that the third young master is unable to tell night from day. It is dark now. It is nearly six o’clock in the evening, but he is still sleeping.

“Drag him out and wake him up!”

“Yes!”

Having no time to wipe their sweat, the butlers drag Mu Tiannan out. Soon there is the sound of something falling into the water in the garden. Then there is a scream!

When Mu Tiannan is pulled out from the music fountain, his drowsiness has already gone. The way Grandpa Mu wake people up is always so special and unforgettable.

“Unfilial! It is just that you can’t cultivate, but you look like your parents are dead. Are you satisfied if I’m dead too?” Grandpa Mu says angrily. Looking at Mu Tiannan’s unshaven face, he feels that the Wakan is running around in his body. It is easy for him to fall into the dark side.

Mu Tiannan says listlessly, “Everyone can cultivate, except me. It is boring.”

Grandpa Mu almost dies of anger. The Taoist root is not cabbage that is available to everyone. How can every one cultivate? What did he say?

He thinks for a while and then throws the filing pouch in the butler’s hand on Mu Tiannan. Then he turns around and leaves.

Mu Tiannan is confused. “Hey, grandpa, what’s this?”

“Our family has shares in Lin’s pharmaceutical factory. It depends on you whether to go to Chuan or not!” Grandpa Mu leaves in high dudgeon without looking at him. But in the face of the grandson that he loves most, Grandpa Mu’s heart softens. He adds, “You didn’t have the Taoist root for the past 30 years, and you couldn’t cultivate, but you still had a wonderful life, didn’t you?”

You can’t see the young people’s matters in the old way. They are worried themselves, but what if in other people’s eyes, the so-called “cultivators are different from ordinary” is not a big deal at all?

Although Grandpa Mu knows it is hardly possible, he hopes Mu Tiannan either succeed or give up the idea completely.

Mu Tiannan is wet all over. Sitting on the ground, he suddenly laughs. He grabs the file pouch hard shakes off the water on his hand. Then he squats in the yard and reads the file.

Even if he is not a cultivator, he is still the third young master of the Mu family. He is not much worse than others—