Chapter 54 Yellow-throated Marten
The ginseng was planted halfway up the mountain at an altitude of about 700 to 800 meters. It was only then that Qin Suisui learned that Xu Shouquan was actually the initiator and the person in charge of this ginseng planting project. However, he did not stay here for long periods of time; his students were the ones who stayed here, so the villagers only thought he was an ordinary expert.
After recovering from the pain of being pecked by the goose, Xu Shouquan strolled over to Qin Suisui and winked at her, "Little girl, tell me the truth, how did you grow those cucumbers and tomatoes?"
Qin Suisui knew that if she didn't give a clear explanation, the old man would definitely not let it go. However, she couldn't reveal the secret of her space, so she simply said that it was because the natural conditions on Qiongtan Island were good, with abundant sunshine and water.
She said the same thing in the car, but Xu Shouquan didn't believe her at all. He thought for a moment, then came over with a grin and said, "Since you won't tell me, could you give Uncle another tomato and cucumber each?"
He had a good idea. The little girl refused to tell him, but he could secretly take the cucumbers and tomatoes back to study them. Moreover, he saw that when her husband got off the car, he gave her the remaining cucumbers and tomatoes.
Qin Suisui wanted to get over the matter quickly, so she didn't refuse and simply took out a cucumber and a big tomato from her bag and handed them to him.
They had reached the mountainside by now and were almost at the ginseng plantation. Xu Shouquan happily took it and was about to put it in his bag to avoid being seen by the boys in the base and snatched it from him. But just as he opened the bag, the next second, his hands were empty. A bright yellow figure flashed by quickly and soon disappeared into the woods.
Xu Shouquan was stunned, turned around and looked at Qin Suisui in confusion: "What just flashed by?"
Qin Suisui was also a little surprised. If nothing unexpected happened, the animal that suddenly appeared and snatched the cucumbers and tomatoes from Xu Shouquan's hands should be a yellow-throated marten, commonly known as a weasel in Northeast China.
Qin Suisui had actually never seen it, but she had a copy of the "Encyclopedia of Chinese Animals" at home. Although she didn't like studying when she was a child, she was very interested in these miscellaneous books, and this book had illustrations. She had read it from beginning to end dozens of times, and it was almost torn to pieces.
Although the animal just now ran away very fast, Qin Suisui still saw its general shape. Its head was dark brown, its face and chest were bright yellow, its tail was long and fluffy, its body was slender, and its movements were agile. Whether in appearance, body shape, or hair color, it looked very much like the yellow-throated marten described in the book.
But that shouldn’t be the case. The yellow-throated marten should be a carnivore, one of the most ferocious small carnivores in Northeast China. How could it be interested in tomatoes and cucumbers?
"Teacher, why don't you come in? Everyone is waiting for you!" A clear male voice sounded, interrupting Qin Suisui and Xu Shouquan who were looking at each other in confusion.
Qin Suisui turned her head and saw a young boy with wheat-colored skin, tall height and long legs walking towards her.
Upon seeing Qin Suisui, the boy's eyes lit up. He cheerfully extended his hand: "You must be Comrade Qin? I'm Cai Chong, the team leader of our ginseng project. I know you. I heard that you made outstanding contributions to the treatment and control of Japanese encephalitis virus on Qiongtan Island, and you are currently in charge of the special medicinal herb cultivation work on Qiongtan Island. You are great!"
Qin Suisui felt a little embarrassed by what he said. She quickly reached out and held Cai Chong's hand: "Comrade Cai, you are too kind. I just happened to be lucky. In fact, I am still far behind you. That's why the leader sent me out to study!" When she was out, especially in front of professionals, she had to be humble.
Cai Chong scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and was about to say a few more polite words when he was interrupted by the teacher's ruthless voice: "Don't be so attentive, kid. She's already married, and her husband is taller and more handsome than you!"
Cai Chong: ...
Now, he was only slightly embarrassed at first, but after his teacher said that, all his little tricks were exposed. His face quickly turned red, but his eyes could not hide his disappointment. He said unyieldingly: "Teacher, what nonsense are you talking about? I just admire Comrade Qin!"
"Admiration my ass! I think you're just lustful!"
"I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!"
...
The master and apprentice bickered as they led Qin Suisui inside. Qin Suisui was speechless. It turned out that Xu Shouquan wasn't just sharp-tongued at her; he was sharp-tongued at everyone. No wonder the goose only pecked at him.
Qin Suisui accompanied them on a tour of the ginseng plantation, nestled in a semi-shaded forest. The first crop of ginseng had already grown and been transplanted to the fields in the mountains. The new crop of ginseng had also reached the seedling stage, each plant already palm-sized and thriving.
Moreover, Qin Suisui discovered that their ginseng project team consisted of seven or eight people, each with their own responsibilities and division of labor. From the initial deep cultivation, fertilization, and sowing, to the subsequent weeding, fertilization, irrigation, and pest and disease control, each step was handled by a dedicated person with clear responsibilities and powers.
This is indeed much more professional compared to their makeshift team.
After the visit, the project team had a meeting to hold, so Qin Suisui didn’t want to stay there. Besides, she had learned a lot today and could only wait until tomorrow to go to the fields with them. So she decided to leave first and take a stroll in the mountains.
Cai Chong chased out, his face still slightly flushed: "Comrade Qin, the teacher asked me to take you down the mountain. You are a female comrade, it is a bit dangerous."
Qin Suisui was not afraid at all. On the contrary, she was a little excited. Changbai Mountain, the treasure house of China. Such a big mountain, who knows how many treasures are in it. Who wouldn’t be looking forward to it?
Fear was out of the question; she had her own space, and could easily hide inside if there was danger. Besides, she had seen it from afar when she went up the mountain; the cowshed was on the other side at the foot of the mountain. But everyone in the cowshed was at work right now, and she planned to sneak away to the cowshed to find her parents after work!
"No need, Comrade Cai. Thank you for your kindness, Teacher Xu. I'm not afraid. It's still early, only a little past three o'clock, and this location isn't very high. I'll be down soon. You should go back to your meeting and not delay your business."
Cai Chong wanted to see her off again, but Qin Suisui simply waved him off and walked down the mountain.
Cai Chong looked at that slender figure and sighed inwardly. Such a good woman, she looked even younger than him, how could she have gotten married so young?
Qin Suisui walked for more than ten meters, then secretly looked back and saw that Cai Chong had left. She quickly changed her route and turned to walk directly into the woods.
As soon as you enter the forest, a cool breeze hits you. Perhaps due to the high vegetation coverage, the air in the forest is moist and cool. The deep green canopy is layered like a tower, blocking out the scorching sun outside and casting only dappled sunlight.
As Qin Suisui walked, she looked around and transplanted all the rare medicinal herbs she encountered into her space.
After walking for about ten minutes, several bright green fruits suddenly fell from above. Qin Suisui picked them up and saw that they were actually jujubes! That is, wild kiwifruit.
She had eaten this fruit when she was a child. Her grandmother brought it to her after returning from Northeast China. Fruits were scarce inland, so this kind of natural wild fruit was simply amazing to her. She could never forget it after eating it. She never expected to find it here!
She looked up and, sure enough, saw a large patch of oblong-leaved vines twining around several tall trees in the woods. And beneath these dense vines and leaves were countless soft jujubes! The fruits were still small and hard at first, but they would probably ripen in another month or two.
Qin Suisui was overjoyed. She had been longing for this place for so many years, and she never expected to encounter it as soon as she entered the mountain. After thinking for a moment, she directly put the vines and the big trees that the jujubes were entwined into her space. She didn't have many trees in her space, so she had to give the jujubes a place to climb, right?
After she finished collecting them, she continued walking in. She hadn't gone far when she heard a series of "chirping" sounds coming from above. It sounded a bit anxious and angry, and a few small balls with spiky edges fell down from the tree!
Qin Suisui grinned happily again. It was chestnuts! Chestnuts that had just started bearing fruit!
She pretended not to see the bright yellow figure on the tree, and happily circled the chestnut trees several times, choosing the two that looked best and had the most fruit to put into her space.
After finishing, he deliberately took out a cucumber from his spatial storage, muttering, "I'm tired of searching, and I'm really thirsty. I'll eat a cucumber first."
Sure enough, the moment she took out the cucumber, that bright yellow figure leaped down from the tall tree and went straight for Qin Suisui's hand. Qin Suisui dodged and went straight into her spatial dimension.
The yellow-throated marten stood outside, completely bewildered. It had never failed in its life as a marten, so how had it just lost? It paced anxiously in circles, wondering where the person was. Where had that huge person gone?
Qin Suisui emerged from the space again, waving a cucumber in front of it. Just as it was about to snatch it, she flashed back into the space.
After going back and forth like this more than ten times, the yellow-throated marten finally got tired and lay on the ground with a look of utter despair, wanting to leave but reluctant to part with the cucumber.
Qin Suisui came out with two cucumbers and two tomatoes, squatted down in front of it, and said with a smile, "You like to eat this, right? I have a lot more here. As long as you take me to find medicinal herbs or delicious fruits, I'll give you two tomatoes and two cucumbers for every kind we find!"
After listening intently, the yellow-throated marten immediately leaped up, ran a few steps forward, then turned back, its round, bright black eyes staring at Qin Suisui with a puzzled look, as if to say, "Come on, why aren't you leaving yet?"
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