Chapter 266 Intercepting the Century-Old Ginseng
Seeing that Kong Wange had actually sat down without any hurry, the strange old man scratched his head and said, "Alright, alright, I think you little girl are destined to be with me, so I won't scare you anymore. Actually, this cave has another exit that leads directly up."
As he spoke, he pointed to a dark path inside the cave: "You can just follow this path all the way in, and you'll be back on the cliff in about twenty minutes."
Kong Wange feigned shock: "Really? Brother Yao, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here!"
The eccentric old man waved his hand and said, "I'm old and not as fast as you young people. You go first, I'll rest for a bit before I go."
Kong Wange became increasingly convinced that there was something strange about this cave. Her eyes crinkled as she said, "Hey, Brother Yao, I won't allow you to talk about yourself like that. Look at your clothes, your outfit, your style, where are you old?"
The eccentric old man glared at her: "You smooth talker, alright, stop bothering me and hurry up and go, don't miss your class placement exam."
Kong Wange suddenly realized, "Oh dear, I had forgotten about the assessment until you mentioned it. I have to go now, you can rest."
"Wait, and here's the snake you subdued. Its gall bladder can be used in medicine. I won't take advantage of you; you can take it with you."
After saying that, the old man opened her handbag and, without waiting for her consent, stuffed the snake into it.
Kong Wange naturally showered her with praise again, and after expressing her gratitude profusely, she hurriedly walked towards the depths of the cave.
The eccentric old man stared at her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight, only then did a smile appear on his face.
However, to his surprise, Kong Wange did not go far. She turned three corners and then stopped.
After waiting for a while and confirming that the strange old man hadn't followed, Kong Wange quietly went back.
She hid behind a boulder, deliberately slowing her breathing, her almond-shaped eyes intently observing the strange old man's every move in the distance.
The strange old man sat on the ground, muttering to himself, "What a troublesome wild girl! She almost ruined my plans!"
After saying that, he took out his wristwatch, glanced at the time, and exclaimed with delight, "Haha, the time is finally almost here!"
Then, the man leaped up and ran towards the left side of the cave wall.
The old man came to the cave wall and laboriously moved aside some piles of rubble and withered grass. Instantly, a beam of light shone into the cave.
Kong Wange squinted and then noticed that there was actually a crack in the cave wall.
Seeing the strange old man enter the crevice, Kong Wange quickly and quietly followed him.
The crack wasn't very wide; it was a bit difficult for one person to pass through. When the strange old man passed through, he not only turned sideways but also tried to lift his buttocks and pull in his stomach, slowly inching his way in.
It was much easier for her; she simply turned slightly to the side, just enough to accommodate him.
Thinking of the old man's comical appearance, Kong Wange couldn't help but smile. It seems that maintaining her figure is still very necessary.
When she reached the other side of the crevice, she didn't rush out, but instead quietly peered inside.
She had assumed that the other side of the crevice would be another cave, but to her surprise, it was a completely different world.
The cave here is much more spacious than the cave on the other side, and it is no longer bare. Instead, the cave walls are covered with all kinds of unknown wild plants, some of which are blooming with beautiful flowers.
There are also some naturally formed small cracks in the cave ceiling and walls that allow light to pass through, and you can see tiny fluffy particles floating in the air.
The entire cave appeared vibrant with life.
Kong Wange even saw two Ganoderma lucidum growing in the crack in the wall.
In addition, there are some other wild medicinal herbs.
She suppressed her excitement, slowed her breathing, and tried her best to draw her attention away from the two high-quality Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms, focusing her gaze on the strange old man.
The strange old man was completely unaware of Kong Wange hiding in the crack behind him. He was squatting intently against a cave wall, seemingly guarding something.
He pulled out his old-fashioned wristwatch and nervously started keeping track of the time.
"Thirty seconds left, twenty-nine seconds... Whew..."
Listening to the strange old man nervously timing his watch, Kong Wange's curiosity intensified.
What is this person doing that requires such precise time calculation?
Holding her breath, Kong Wange cautiously peeked out from the crack.
Suddenly, her pupils contracted sharply.
She finally understood why the strange old man had been so dismissive of the decent-looking Ganoderma lucidum next to him.
In front of him stood a wild ginseng that was nearly a hundred years old!
No wonder the old man wanted to get rid of her; he certainly didn't want anyone to know he'd discovered such a treasure.
Unfortunately... man proposes, God disposes, and she still managed to discover the ginseng.
Even if she were in the middle of an exam, she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to fight for this kind of medicinal herb.
Her gaze fell on the ginseng, and her eyes couldn't help but light up.
The eccentric old man was still keeping time, and as the countdown got shorter and shorter, his tone became visibly excited and agitated.
"ten!"
"Nine!"
"..."
"two!"
"one!"
As the last count fell, the eccentric old man took out a small shovel and began digging for ginseng.
Kong Wange wasn't in a hurry. After all, you can't just pull a ginseng out of the ground, or you'll damage its integrity.
Since there are free ginseng digging workers, why not take advantage of it?
This century-old ginseng is truly different; its tendrils are incredibly long, requiring considerable patience to dig it up.
About twenty minutes later, as the ginseng digging project was nearing completion, Kong Wange quietly squeezed out of the crack and crept step by step toward the old man's back.
The eccentric old man was completely absorbed in the ginseng, his eyes and heart filled with his "old treasure," and he didn't even notice that there was someone behind him.
After a short while, the strange old man finally managed to dig out the ginseng intact.
Looking at his "masterpiece," he couldn't help but admire it.
Look at these roots, look at this shape, it's no wonder he discovered this treasure, these ten years of waiting have not been in vain!
Immediately, he took out a brown, high-quality peach wood box specially made by the Imperial Academy from his pocket and carefully put the ginseng inside.
After tidying everything up, he nodded with a look of satisfaction, then turned to put the ginseng box back into his pocket.
At that moment, Kong Wange took the dead snake out of her handbag and put it on the old man's neck.
The sudden cool and slippery sensation startled the old man, causing his hand to tremble and the ginseng box to fall to the ground with a thud.
He looked at the drooping snake head on his chest, yelled, grabbed it by its seven-inch mark, and threw it away.
In that brief moment, Kong Wange jumped out from behind him, picked up the box from the ground, and ran away without saying a word.
The eccentric old man stared at the dead snake for a moment, then reacted and chased after Kong Wange's retreating figure, gritting his teeth as he said, "So it's you, you cunning wild girl! Don't run away!"
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