Chapter 902: Poison Fruit
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“At the beginning of last year, your second sister-in-law bought an orchard. The fruits were growing very well. In the summer, there were peaches, they were big and red. When they were cut open, they were all rotten inside. Later, the pears, dates, and apples were the same. Some people said that it was a poisonous mountain. We’ve asked around. Last year, it was normal. It was just that the fruits produced were much fewer. Actually, it wasn’t just last year. The fruit trees had decreased since the first two years. The fruit farmers couldn’t hold on anymore, so they sold them.”
Su Hua talked about the strange things he had encountered. He had also asked a doctor to study it, but he could not come to any conclusions. That land could not be touched now. When Su Xiaolu returned, Su Hua wondered if Su Xiaolu could take a look and see if she could find the reason.
“I’ve found several doctors. After research, they said that the soil is not poisonous, but we don’t know the reason for the rotten fruits. It’s normal for the fruit trees to be lush. At first, we suspected that there were demons, but I sent someone to investigate. There were no demons there.”
Su Hua was also depressed. His family was very rich now. It didn’t matter if there were no profits from that orchard, but that would be his family business in the future and had to be passed down.
What could this land do? Now that there was such a thing, it could not be sold. If it could be resolved, he naturally wanted to resolve it.
“Okay. I’ll find some time to take a look in the next two days.”
Su Xiaolu agreed with a smile.
Su Hua smiled and said, “Thank you, Xiaolu. I won’t disturb your rest then.”
Su Xiaolu nodded and Su Hua got up to go back.
After Su Hua left, Madam Zhao arrived.
Madam Zhao smiled gently and said, “Xiaolu, can mother sleep with you?”
Su Xiaolu went forward and hugged Madam Zhao. She took a deep breath. “Of course you can. I missed Mother so much. Mother smells good.”
Madam Zhao’s heart warmed, and all her nervousness disappeared.
The two of them fell asleep together. Madam Zhao gently asked some questions. Su Xiaolu answered in detail because this way, Madam Zhao would be more at ease.
Su Sanlang and Madam Zhao were in their later years. Su Xiaolu hoped that they could live their golden years in peace and not worry about them.
Su Kuo had said that the path of cultivation would be very, very long. Ordinary people like Madam Zhao and Su Sanlang, who could not cultivate, would have better health and less torture from illness. They would only wait for their lifespans to run out and leave safely.
She was already a cultivator. At the Golden Core realm, she could live for at least 200 years. She could spend these few decades accompanying her parents.
Su Xiaolu chose to settle down to cultivate her mind.
Su Xiaolu leaned against Madam Zhao’s arm. Unknowingly, she had been in this world for thirty years. She did not know how long her mother-daughter relationship with Madam Zhao could last.
Although she said that she had settled down, she did not stay by Madam Zhao’s side. She just did not take risks anymore.
The next morning, Madam Zhao woke up gently.
As usual, she made Su Xiaolu’s favorite dishes.
When Madam Zhao woke up, Su Xiaolu was already awake, but she smiled and did not get up. She was lazy in bed.
When the meal was ready, Su Hanzhen came to wake Su Xiaolu up.
“Aunt, Grandma made a lot of your favorite dishes.”
Su Hanzhen counted with her fingers, her eyes sparkling.
Su Xiaolu couldn’t help but swallow and get up immediately.
After dinner, Su Xiaolu went to look for Chen Shi and asked him to take her to the orchard.
Su Xiaolu looked at the serious Chen Shi and asked, “Xiao Shi, did Uncle and
Auntie arrange a marriage for you?”
Chen Shi was already in his twenties. He was actually considered old now.
Su Xiaolu remembered that she was the one who delivered him and immediately sighed. Time passed too quickly.
Chen Shi’s face heated up and he nodded in embarrassment. “I’m engaged. It’s already decided.”
Su Xiaolu asked with concern again. Chen Shi answered obediently, like a junior facing an elder.
Gradually, they reached the orchard. In winter, the fruit trees were bare.
A layer of fallen leaves accumulated on the ground.
Su Xiaolu casually broke a branch. The cut was green, and the tree was alive.
Chen Shi said, “The trees are all alive. I just don’t know why the fruits are all rotten although the skin is ripe. At first, when they saw such good fruits, the fruit forest seller even complained to Second Brother that he had made a loss. Later on, when the fruits had a problem, he ran away, afraid that there would be trouble.”
“The land looks healthy. Second Brother is worried that it will all rot this year.” Chen Shi accompanied Su Xiaolu to check the fruit forest as he spoke.
Su Xiaolu looked around. There was enough space between the fruit trees. The land was not hard. If the land was not good, the texture would harden.
There was no poisonous fog or miasma, but the fruits were rotten.
Su Xiaolu saw that there were still some dried fruits on the date tree. She plucked them. The dates looked fine, and the skin was already dry.
Chen Shi sighed. “These are leftovers. It looks fine on the outside, but it’s rotten inside.”
He opened one. The inside of the fruit was already moldy. After opening it, there was also a rotten stench.
Su Xiaolu put it closer to the tip of her nose and sniffed. She took out a silver needle and tested it.
The fruit was not poisonous, but such fruits could not be eaten at all.
There were also a few frozen black pears on the pear tree. Su Xiaolu plucked them and looked at them. The surface was already black. It was because of the natural frost. The surface was not rotten. It was not difficult to tell that if they were good fruits, they would definitely be delicious.
However, when she pinched it open with a little force, a stench came out and foul water flowed out. Su Xiaolu tested it with a silver needle again. It was not poisonous.
That was a little strange.
At the top of the mountain, Su Xiaolu looked around and saw a few families living sparsely at the foot of the mountain. Su Xiaolu couldn’t help but ask, “Who lives there?”
Chen Shi replied, “It’s the villagers here. They’re also long-term workers hired to help manage the fruit forest. They live here and even raised a few hunting dogs to patrol the mountains to prevent theft.”
The families were also worried about the fruit forest. When Chen Shi brought Su Xiaolu over, they also pretended to be busy outside the courtyard, but in fact, they had been paying attention to the fruit forest on the mountain.
“I was afraid that there are demons, but I invited someone to take a look, there were no demonic fluctuations, and everyone’s lives are normal.”
Chen Shi was vexed when he mentioned it. In recent years, the appearance of demons and ghosts was not strange, but be it humans, demons, or ghosts, as long as the reason was found, it was easy to resolve it.
He believed that it was the same for the fruit forest, but what was the reason?
It was very annoying to watch so many good fruit cores rot.
“I’ll take some fruits, branches, and soil back to take a look. Let’s go to those families.”
With that, Su Xiaolu collected a few fruits, broke two branches, took some soil, and put it in the Space.
She and Chen Shi went down the mountain together. Su Xiaolu walked towards the place with people. Su Hua must have investigated these people. She would also walk around and see if she could discover anything.
“It’s Brother Chen. Come in and have a meal.” When Chen Shi and Su Xiaolu walked in, the shy man immediately smiled warmly and greeted them. His two sons also followed him with smiles. At the door were his old wife and daughter-in-law..