Hearing Xiao Xian relay greetings from Mao Dazhu, and after learning about the bleak passing of Bai Juyi and the mysterious disappearance of i Nian, Hu Song sighed, "It’s good to know Senior Brother’s health is holding up well. I’m grateful he still rembers this wayward junior brother of his."
Xiao Xian couldn’t help but smile at this. If Mr. Hu is considered wayward, then Mao Dazhu would be deed uneducated. Among these brothers, only Bai Juyi has consistently pursued a craft in horticulture, just as his feelings for i Nian have remained unchanged for years.
"Senior Brother Bai is still the sa temperantal person. It’s a pity about him and Senior i; in the end, they didn’t end up together. What’s the story behind this pinecone you gave ?" Xiao Xian, after clarifying her identity, also brought a gift with her: a water-blue pinecone.
"I found this accidentally at the place where you discovered the cliff pine. It has a special na, ’Sea Demon Pine’. This pine can live both on land and in water, dying on land and living underwater, dying underwater and living on land, also called the Eternal Pine. This ti, the tree won’t wither again," Xiao Xian handed the pinecone to the old man.
A blue pinecone, an Eternal Pine.
"Thank you very much," the old man held the pinecone tightly as if it were a treasure.
"That pinecone still held so Spiritual Power, why would you give it to that old man so lightly," Xiao Bai Jiao wondered on the way back, still feeling a faint pain from its wounds. It had been quite dangerous just then, nearly destroyed by an underwater monster tree.
"When a person reaches the uncle’s age, living simply for wealth and descendants holds no great aning. He’s lived most of his life for others, now it’s ti he lives for himself," a single Sea Demon Pinecone brings him a chance to fulfill a long-held wish, and it’s worth it.
"Besides, we’ve already obtained sothing far more valuable than the pinecone, haven’t we?" Xiao Xian and Xiao Bai Jiao "stood" in the space.
In the space, the void was like a universe, the sugarcane seedling was gone, and the original silver lake had disappeared as well.
It was an expanse of vast, void starry sky, golden fragnts of light scattered throughout the entire space.
Where the sugarcane seedling used to grow, a heart-shaped crystal stone shone brilliantly, emitting a sun-like glow.
"The original sugarcane seedling was more pleasing to the eye, it’s said flowers bloom for fruit, why did it turn into a stone," the slightly peeled scales from Xiao Bai Jiao’s injuries changed color to a light gold.
The Spiritual Energy of the Sea Demon Pine in the sea unexpectedly perfectly matched the Spiritual Energy needed by the sugarcane seedling in the space, and the sugarcane seedling eagerly absorbed all the energy.
When the Sea Demon Pine was drained of its Spiritual Energy and turned into a blue pinecone, Xiao Xian inexplicably completed a Gold Grade breakthrough.
When others break through to the Gold Grade, there’s usually an essential improvent in strength, but after her breakthrough, there wasn’t much change, except for the space transforming.
The sugarcane seedling also abruptly turned from a Miao Zhenggenqing seedling into a golden "Heart Stone", and the space turned into a vast starry sky without any other changes.
"We can only wait and see what happens," Xiao Xian exited the space.
The next day, when she arrived at Locke’s studio, Locke burst with animation as soon as he saw Xiao Xian, "Mr. Hu has regained clarity."
After over five years of "senile dentia days", Hu Song had remarkably returned to normalcy beyond modern dicine’s explanation.
"This is a miracle in the dical field; no one this age has ever restored normal function after neural damage," facing his astounded children, Hu Song announced two things; one, he would renovate the restaurant, and two, during the Yuelai Building’s two-month refurbishnt, he would return to his holand to visit old friends and relatives.
When Locke and Xiao Xian visited Hu Song again, Mr. Hu winked at Xiao Xian and frowned at Locke, "Locke, you spoiled child, what kind of hairstyle is that? It’s a ss, not fitting for eting elders. No, I have to trim it," he grabbed a pair of garden shears to chase Locke.
Locke, who was old enough to be a grandfather, was chased around the house by an elder who had just recently recovered.
After enough exercise, Xiao Xian finally got to taste the Empress Dowager Cake made by Hu Song.
Though lacking the honey from back in the day, the Empress Dowager Cake made by Hu Song had a truly unique flavor.
Locke was even happier eating it, remarking, "This is the taste! Strange, even without that honey, it tastes just as good."
"Perhaps what truly makes the cakes taste sweet isn’t the honey, but rather sothing else," Xiao Xian took a bite; it’s the decades of culinary skill and rekindled life force that truly make Hu Song’s cakes delicious.
Now, there’s no longer a need for the Queen bee.
"Little nephew, I almost forgot to tell you sothing," as he saw Xiao Xian and Locke off, Hu Song called Xiao Xian back, "Senior i ca to see before she disappeared."
"You an, my master ca to see you? When was this, and why did she co to see you?" The connections among these South Gate siblings weren’t very close.
"It was probably decades ago, not long after I first arrived in the United States. During that ti, business was tough, and my spirits were low. One morning, Senior i suddenly appeared at my door. She told she bought a farm near the bay, the sa one you visited before."(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian) to vote with recomndation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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