paddock

Xiao Hei ran into the room first, his golden pupils swept towards the room.Amidst a burst of dust, a plaque was knocked upside down on the ground, and Xiao Hei stepped forward to push it up. Yuan Ning saw the three words written on it at a glance: Huijitang.

The plaque is a plain plaque, and its style is from the Ming Dynasty. The surrounding bands are carved with auspicious patterns. The first and tongue of the plaque have the most complicated textures, while the plaques on both sides are simpler. The fineness shows the skill and dedication of the sculptor.And the three characters "Hui Ji Tang" are written in a more solemn, elegant and full of charm. With the two characters "Hui Ji", one can see that the host family is a person who cares about the world and is willing to do good.

Yuan Ning didn't have time to look at other things, and the ginseng babies ran over.They held small brooms made of reeds and said to Yuan Ning, "Clean! Clean!" They looked so happy, happier than they had a new home.

Yuan Ning was taken aback: "Where did the reed come from?"

"Grown!" The ginseng babies answered naturally.They can give birth to plants, and it’s no problem to plant some reeds. The seeds were brought in by Yuan Ning once, and they were very small. The baby ginsengs planted a batch. They found something wrong and wanted to pull it out, but the ivory said it could be used as a broom .The ginseng babies happily made some, but they didn't expect it to be really useful!

Yuan Ning figured out what was going on, and also made a reed broom, and cleaned the house with the ginseng babies.

Although the door lock is old and the plaque is missing, the furniture and furnishings inside are not damaged too badly, but are just full of dust.After being swept away by the baby ginseng, the dust will be dispersed, revealing their original appearance.

The house is not too big, and it looks like it is not inhabited. To the west is a large library. Many books in it are old, and the pages are all yellowed or missing. Fortunately, there seems to be no living things in the past long years. So the book was not damaged by moths!

Yuan Ning picked up a few books and flipped through them, and found that they were full of difficult classical Chinese, even though he had read a lot of ancient Chinese with Zhang Xiuyan, it was difficult for him to understand.On the contrary, the calligraphy and paintings on the wall are interesting. The paintings are not landscapes or banquets, but various folk anecdotes, such as children playing together, girls playing on swings, watching plays on boats, and gambling in teahouses.

Yuan Ning probably knew that the clothes of these people belonged to the Ming Dynasty—that is to say, the owner of this room was probably from the Ming Dynasty, otherwise it would be impossible to paint the city life at that time so vividly and interestingly.Could it be that the jade pendant was also handed down from the Ming Dynasty?

Yuan Ning was thinking about the painting, but Xiao Hei brought a book.Yuan Ning was stunned for a moment, took the book and looked at it, and found that it was a note written by the master.Compared with the geeky classical Chinese just now, the writing style of the master of the notes is closer to the vernacular, and Yuan Ning doesn't seem to be struggling.

The owner of the note had to leave home due to persecution by his stepmother, and got this spiritual spring due to an injury while abroad.He has been keeping the secret of Lingquan all his life, even if he uses Lingquan to save people, he still hides it from everyone.Later, when war broke out, he took his whole family and a group of servants to hide in the mountains, relying on the spiritual spring to live happily, not knowing the changes of the sun and the moon.However, as the misfortune spread, there was chaos and mourning outside, and the Lingquan was gradually surrounded by the black silk thread.This "immortal cave" gradually fell into darkness, and the owner of the notebook had to bring his family back into the world.

And that "immortal cave" is like a dream, which disappears after waking up.

Immortal cave?

This is not a dream, but a place where immortals live?

Yuan Ning never thought of such a possibility!

Yuan Ning looked down carefully, and found that the owner of the notebook had also observed the cause of the black silk thread: whether it is evil, or disaster, or epidemic, the misfortune of the world, all of them can be traced.

This is similar to what Yuan Ning guessed.

The record of the owner of the notebook ends on the day of saying goodbye to the "Dongfu".Yuan Ning closed his diary, feeling a little disappointed.According to the records of the owner of the diary, this place should have been full of vitality. Perhaps some ginseng baby-like flowers and trees had wisdom and helped him build this quaint house.As the black silk thread became more and more rampant, the companions of the owner of the note disappeared one by one, and it was no longer suitable for living things to survive in it—so it turned back into an ordinary jade pendant, quietly waiting for the next chance of recovery.

Yuan Ning closed his diary, and the first two sentences written by the ancestor still echoed in his mind: everything can be hidden, everything can be born; it is neither a dream nor reality, a fairy cave.

It was not a dream!

Then everything in front of me really exists, but outsiders have no way to know?

If the black thread is evil, a disaster, or an epidemic, then what are those light spots?Why did the place lose its vitality after the war broke out?

Yuan Ning's heart skipped a beat.He thought that every time someone got out of the predicament, some light spots would appear more or less near the Lingquan, and those black silk threads would also decrease accordingly.Maybe the misfortune outside can affect Lingquan——the changes outside can also change Lingquan?

The vitality of Lingquan is actually still maintained in the outside world!

But where did this "vitality" come from?

Is it as long as it helps others?Yuan Ning was a little worried.Ivory and Xiao Hei can leave here, but baby ginseng can't go outside—if someone finds that baby ginseng can walk around, they will definitely be caught and studied!The same goes for fish and big trees, they cannot go outside!Yuan Ning was worried.

[Don't worry too much. 】Xiao Hei saw Yuan Ning's worry, and comforted him, 【You meddle in other people's business so much, there must be no problem. 】

Yuan Ning: ..._(:з」∠)_

He didn't know whether Xiao Hei was praising him or hurting him.

Yuan Ning curiously asked another question: "Since there are people who have entered before, will there be people who can enter a similar place now? Will there be another spring?"

【I have no idea. ] Xiao Hei answered simply and directly.

Yuan Ning was not disappointed.The reason why Yuan Ning had such a guess was naturally because he remembered Mr. Lian who gave him lotus seeds.Although he had doubts in his heart, Yuan Ning did not intend to investigate rashly.

Everyone is innocent, but pregnant is guilty.This is a sentence mentioned by the owner of the diary in his diary. Even though the owner of the diary concealed the existence of Lingquan, he still caused a lot of trouble for helping others.For example, some people suspected that he possessed the secret recipe for bringing the dead back to life, tried every means, threatened and lured him to hand over the secret recipe, and almost made his wife and children die in prison.This kind of thing happened more than once, and it accompanied almost every new place he moved to in the detailed records of the owner of the notebook.

Yuan Ning even read the words "relieved" in the last record of the owner of the notebook.Perhaps without the spiritual spring, the owner of the diary would not have had so many dangers and twists and turns.

This is the same as what Ivory said.

Don't tell others about the existence of Lingquan, not even your closest elder brother.

Yuan Ningan quietly put the notes back in place.In fact, there are still books that he can read.Yuan Ning didn't really want to sleep, so he sat by the window and read a book.The ginseng babies are playing in the yard. There are many seeds hidden in their bodies, and they will scatter one when they see a suitable place.The ginseng babies moved their front feet to other places, and the seeds germinated on their back feet. The green seedlings drilled out of the ground, adding a bit of vitality to this quaint house.

Yuan Ning occasionally looked up from the book and found that the baby ginsengs were chasing and playing there, and the emerald green sprouts were also turning their young stems and leaves with them, as if they wanted to run around with them.

He will protect them.Yuan Ning thought seriously.Maybe one day in the future, like the owner of the notes, he will also feel that there is a heavy burden on his shoulders, and he will also feel that Lingquan has brought too much trouble to him, but looking at the happy baby ginseng, watching the baby lying on the window Xiao Hei, who was yawning—he felt that he hoped that this kind of life would continue forever, and it would never change.

Yuan Ning put the book back to its original place, stretched, and finally felt a little sleepy, and lay down on the bed to rest.

When Yuan Ning woke up, it was already bright outside.When the sky cleared, Zhang Xiuming came over and asked him to go to morning exercises together. Yuan Ning said "Hey", changed into sports clothes and went for a run with Zhang Xiuming, happily greeting the neighbors he met along the way.

The sun climbed the mountainside, Yuan Ning looked up, the golden sun was a bit dazzling, but it swept away the sadness in Yuan Ning's heart.

"Fourth brother, let's see who can run faster!" Yuan Ning suggested with a smile.

"Who can run faster than me?" Zhang Xiuming glanced at his small body, "Come and come, whoever is afraid of whom!"

"Then I ran away!" Yuan Ning didn't wait for Zhang Xiuming to react, and ran away, throwing Zhang Xiuming as far as he could.

"You're deceitful!" Zhang Xiuming was furious, and rushed to catch up, ready to show Yuan Ning some flair after catching up.

Seeing Yuan Ning running faster and faster, Zhang Xiuming couldn't help chasing and shouting, yelling that he should teach Yuan Ning a lesson after catching up.

The neighbors couldn't help laughing when they saw this scene, and praised: "Look at how good their relationship is between these two brothers."

The two brothers ran home out of breath, and bumped into Assistant Han who had just got out of the car.Yuan Ning's smile hadn't faded yet, when he raised his eyes, he suddenly met the worried eyes of Assistant Shang Han.

Yuan Ning was taken aback.

Seeing that it was Yuan Ning and Zhang Xiuming, Assistant Han suppressed the worry on his face: "Go to exercise so early?"

Yuan Ning nodded.

Zhang Xiuming and Assistant Han were more familiar, so he immediately asked, "Uncle Han, what's the matter with you coming so early?"

"Something." Assistant Han obviously didn't want to mention it in front of Yuan Ning and Zhang Xiuming, "I'm here to find your father."

Zhang Xiuming and Yuan Ning looked at each other without asking further questions.

Assistant Han and Yuan Ning entered together.Mr. Zhang was already up. Seeing Assistant Han coming over early in the morning, he got up and went upstairs with Assistant Han.Ms. Xue came out with breakfast and found that Mr. Zhang was gone, so she couldn't help looking at Yuan Ning and Zhang Xiuming.

Zhang Xiuming said: "Uncle Han is here, maybe he has business to see Dad."

Ms. Xue said: "Then eat your father's breakfast first, and I'll bring out another one later, so as not to get cold."

Zhang Xiuming took Yuan Ning to eat breakfast.

the other side.

study.

As soon as the study door was closed, Assistant Han lost the calmness he had been holding on to just now.He said: "Zhang Xinghong is crazy! Are you just letting him go like this? He can't win you, so he will bite our people wantonly, and this time he will directly point the finger at you! Is Mr. Zhang still not coming out? No matter what, In the eyes of others, you are all brothers!"

"It's not the first time he's done this kind of thing." By betraying his relatives, by stepping on his family members to win opportunities for himself, the boss of the Zhang family has already done this kind of thing proficiently, so why should he hesitate at all?Mr. Zhang said, "He and I are no longer brothers. I hope you can remember this."

Assistant Han was taken aback.

"If you want to destroy it, you must first make it crazy." Mr. Zhang lowered his face and confessed to Assistant Han, "I'm waiting for the day when he can't sit still. Before that, even if there are some twists and turns, don't worry about it." Actually, this trivial matter is not even a grievance. But I will entrust you to the family during this time, and I hope they will not worry too much about me——I chose the path myself, and I know very well what dangers there will be."

Assistant Han has followed Mr. Zhang for so many years, and suddenly understood what Mr. Zhang meant.

Mr. Zhang was bitten badly this time, and the higher-ups will definitely intervene in the investigation.

But it is precisely because of the biting too much that there is no need to worry, because Zhang Xinghong's ability is not enough to confirm the fact of the biting, at most it is just that the people hiding behind Zhang Xinghong will cause some troubles.And when Mr. Zhang returns safe and sound, the day of backlash will come. No matter how ruthless Mr. Zhang used to deal with Zhang Xinghong, in the eyes of others, he will be "a well-known teacher" and "excusable".

Assistant Han said: "I understand! I'm ready to deal with it!"

When Assistant Han went downstairs, both Yuan Ning and Zhang Xiuming had finished their breakfast.Yuan Ning keenly noticed that the worry on Assistant Han's eyebrows had faded, and he carefully glanced at Mr. Zhang's face, and found that Mr. Zhang was still calm and peaceful as usual, and his heart returned to the original place.He took the initiative to say: "Father, we are going to school!"

Mr. Zhang nodded to him.

When he arrived at school, Yuan Ning went to ask Teacher Qi how to pickle fruit.Teacher Qi has been pregnant for five months, and her belly is pregnant. She touched her belly and smiled, and said generously: "I like to eat sour food after pregnancy. I tried to marinate it myself, and it tastes very good. When I am free I wrote down all the methods I found out, and copy them back if you want to do it."

Yuan Ning was pleasantly surprised: "Thank you, Teacher Qi!"

Yuan Ning got a few pickling methods, then answered the phone and called the ranch, and asked Luo Yuanliang to answer the phone.Hearing that Yuan Ning had a new idea, Luo Yuanliang nodded in agreement, and immediately drove to the glass factory to order a batch of glass jars suitable for pickling fruits and vegetables.

There were still a few vacant rooms in the bungalow, and Luo Yuanliang usually had to answer the phone frequently, so he moved to live in one of them under Yuan Ning's suggestion.Luo Yuanliang was planning to vacate the empty room in the middle to set up a pot. After Yuan Ning came over, he could play around in it as much as he wanted without being disturbed or prying by anyone.

When Luo Yuanliang built the greenhouse last time, he knew that Yuan Ning used some special methods to process some seeds.Compared with the flowers he tried to grow before, the flowers he planted years ago grew faster and better, and almost none of them withered.If the flowers of other flower farmers can have this kind of survival rate and this kind of appearance, how can they worry about not making money?Although Yuan Ning only said to pickle some fruit, Luo Yuanliang still treated it with caution.

There are plenty of fruits in the mountains. If Yuan Ning can pickle the fruits in a variety of ways, then the ranch will have another income!

As soon as I arrived in Yuanning on the weekend, I went to the ranch.It's already the tail of winter, and now it's back to spring, vigorous grass sprouts emerge from the soil, half of their heads pop out, carefully spying on this fresh and strange world.

When Zhao Fu arrived at the ranch, he ran to the grape arbor, and lay down beside the stone table, just like when Mr. Xie was still alive.Yuan Ning took out a radio and put it in the tape containing Xie Lao's songs, letting the long singing voice float out of the tape recorder.Zhao Fu immediately regained his energy, and lay there holding the tape recorder to listen.

Yuan Ning went to find Luo Yuanliang.Luo Yuanliang is combing the horse's mane. This seems to be Luo Yuanliang's hobby, and he must do it every day!Seeing Yuan Ning coming, Luo Yuanliang touched the maroon horse, put the saddle on the horse's back, and asked Yuan Ning, "Do you want to ride?"

Yuan Ning said pleasantly: "Is it possible?!" He wanted to ride a horse for a long time, but he was too young and didn't have a suitable horse, so he never had the chance to ride.He has only ridden Zhaofu!

"Yes." Luo Yuanliang said.

He is taking care of the horses in the ranch, let alone letting Yuan Ning ride them, even if they let them go straight to the cliff, they will not hesitate.Luo Yuanliang helped Yuan Ning get on his horse.

The horseshoes pattered forward on the path of the pasture.Yuan Ning felt very fresh. He rode all the way to the bungalow before getting off the horse with hands and feet, and said to the horse, "Thank you."

The horse neighed, as if responding to Yuan Ning's thanks.

Yuan Ning turned to Luo Yuanliang and boasted: "You teach it really well!"

"It likes you." Luo Yuanliang said firmly.

"I like you too!" Yuan Ning expressed his love to Ma'er without hesitation.

Luo Yuanliang didn't speak any more.This is Yuan Ning, who never hesitates to let others know his love and joy.

After staying with Yuan Ning for a long time, the world seems to have become simpler and cleaner.

Luo Yuanliang tied up the horse, washed his hands, and went with Yuan Ning to carry the fruit on the cart.Yuan Ning spent a lot of effort to get the fruit out of Lingquan. He stored some boxes at the school, took advantage of the guard's carelessness, put all the fruit into the box and sealed it, and then asked Driver Li to go to the box. Load the boxes of fruit onto the truck and transport them over.

If it is not placed at home, the origin of the fruit will not be so easily suspected.

Yuan Ning took so much trouble to get the fruit out, firstly because he was afraid that it would be too wasteful if the fruit was ripe and rotten on the branches, and secondly, he wanted to verify his guess-whether it is as long as it helps others, the people at Lingquan "Vitality" will increase?

Yuan Ning spent the whole day experimenting with the pickling method given by Teacher Qi, and together with Luo Yuanliang, they went back and forth to fill up all the jars.

"It will take about 20 days to recover," Yuan Ning said to Luo Yuanliang, "I'm going to the capital next week, I may not be able to come here, please help me look after it!"

Luo Yuanliang agreed.

Yuan Ning was very satisfied to "smuggle" the fruit out from Lingquan smoothly.When he pickled the fruit, he added spiritual spring water. After the first batch of fruit was pickled, he would give it away like selling flowers to see how the response was.Lingquan water can purify the human body, and the fruit can improve human physical fitness. The combination of the two may have unexpected effects.

Eating such pickled fruit should be good for the body, right?I don't know if this can bring "life" to Lingquan.

Yuan Ning finished her busy work and returned to the city early the next morning.

As soon as he got home, Yuan Ning felt that the atmosphere was not right.Ms. Xue was sitting in the living room, looking at the phone worriedly, as if she was waiting for someone to call.Zhang Xiuling, Zhang Xiuwen, and Zhang Xiuming were all sitting aside, with expressions similar to Ms. Xue's.

The TV was still on, and it happened to be showing the news.According to the news, Mr. Zhang, who was in a meeting in the capital, was reported for violating discipline, and the higher authorities have been involved in the investigation.I don't know who instigated this TV station, and it wants to prove the fact that Mr. Zhang violated the discipline. If people who don't know the truth watch it, they will think that Mr. Zhang is as heinous as he was accused of, and he didn't kill him himself!

Snapped!

Yuan Ning rushed forward and turned off the TV.Seeing that Ms. Xue was in a daze, he stepped forward and grabbed Ms. Xue's hand: "Mom, it's okay. Father is definitely not that kind of person. No one can put that kind of crime on him."

Ms. Xue took a deep breath, nodded, and agreed with Yuan Ning's words.But everyone could see that Ms. Xue was still extremely worried, and she was not comforted by Yuan Ning's words at all.

Yuan Ning glanced at Zhang Xiuming and the others, and continued: "Father must have his own plans! We must wait for Father to come back!"

"Ning Ning, you are right." Ms. Xue finally cheered up and squeezed Yuan Ning's hand back tightly. "It's already chaotic outside, and there should be no more chaos at home—let those people know that we are not afraid of their ghosts." Trick."

Zhang Xiuming secretly gave Yuan Ning a thumbs up.

Yuan Ning took Ms. Xue to make biscuits together.

When the smell of biscuits wafted out of the oven, the door was opened from the outside.

It was Zhang Xiuyan who came back.

After smelling the aroma of biscuits in the room, Zhang Xiuyan paused.There was no one in the living room, and the TV was turned off. There was only a very soft voice of conversation coming from the kitchen: "Brother likes to eat salty food."

It was Yuan Ning's voice.

"So all you learn is salty?" Ms. Xue's voice also sounded, "Ningning, you really like big brother the most, we are going to be jealous."

"I like them all." Yuan Ning's voice was soft and low.

Ms. Xue laughed.

Ms. Xue is laughing.

Zhang Xiuyan's heart was relieved along the way.

There is Yuan Ning at home.

Although Yuan Ning is the youngest, she knows how to comfort people best.Even he was once soothed by Yuan Ning, didn't he?

Don't worry, Yuan Ning is at home.

Zhang Xiuyan pushed open the half-opened kitchen door.

Yuan Ning was slightly startled, and raised his head to look at the door.

then--

He suddenly ran into Zhang Xiuyan's deep eyes.