Genius Club.

Chapter 316 Pomegranate Tree

boom----

At the Imperial Capital Airport, an Airbus took off, left this bustling international metropolis, and headed south to the beautiful Shandong Province.

It is already April 2024.

As the weather gradually warms up, people's minds shift away from the joy of the New Year and focus on their lives and work.

At this point in time, there are still three days before the Qingming Festival holiday, and it is not yet the peak transportation period. Students are in class and workers are at work, so the plane is very empty, and the passenger rate in the first class cabin is less than a quarter, with only a few people here and there.

In the semi-enclosed seat next to him, Gao Yang pulled down his eye mask and prepared to sleep:
"Lin Xian, call me when dinner is ready and get me two servings."

Say it.

Just lean back.

After 3 seconds, snoring sound was heard.

As expected, he is heartless, has a blank brain and falls asleep quickly.

Lin Xian turned his head and looked at the white clouds falling outside the window and the ground getting farther and farther away.

this period of time.

He feels like he's always on the go.

Running here and there, flying here and there, up in the sky and on the ground, never having a moment of leisure.

Suddenly I envy my previous carefree life.

I go from one place to another, slack off at work and feel refreshed in my dreams after get off work. There is no pressure at work and life is quite comfortable.

In just a year and a half, his life changed dramatically.

But he has no regrets.

The various big and small things that happened during this period have gradually made him realize his sense of responsibility.

"I'll find the answers myself."

He remembered what he had said to the oriole.

from now on.

He wants to use his own eyes and his own judgment to characterize everything.

Then, with your own hands and will...

Change all that!
……

Jiuxian Mountain.

There are many Nine Immortal Mountains throughout the Dragon Kingdom. Any mountain that has nine peaks counted from its corners can be named the Nine Immortal Mountains.

Even artificial ones are fine.

In Shandong alone, there are two Jiuxian Mountains, one in Rizhao and the other in Qufu.

The name of Mount Tai, the first of the Five Great Mountains, is so well-known that other mountains and peaks in Shandong seem inferior to it, and their popularity and tourist popularity have been greatly reduced.

The city of Qufu is more famous as the birthplace of Confucian culture and the former residence of Confucius.

The Confucius Mansion, Confucius Cemetery and Confucius Temple are the main themes of tourism here. They are also the places with the most incense before various national examinations are held every year.

Worship Confucius and you won’t fail the exam.

The superstition of the Dragon people is essentially a Schrodinger state. They pray for God’s blessing when they need it, and they are materialists when they don’t.

In comparison…

Jiuxian Mountain, located in the north of Wucun Town, Qufu City, can only be regarded as a rarely visited tourist attraction.

There is Mount Tai in front and Confucius Mansion, Confucius Forest and Confucius Temple in the back. There are not many tourists here all year round, and most activities come from local people's sacrifices.

It is daytime now, Lin Xian and Gao Yang plan to scout out the area first to find the specific location.

As a gold medal salesman, Gao Yang's chatting skills are very impressive. In less than half an hour, he got all of Zhang Yuqian's assets.

Besides, he basically didn't ask anything.

These were all said by the old lady herself during casual conversation, in a very relaxed and natural manner, just like chatting with an old friend.

Therefore, Gao Yang only knew that Zhang Yuqian really liked eating pomegranates, and had liked it since she was a child. After she died, her parents buried her in Jiuxian Mountain.

At that time, Gao Yang sighed and lamented the pity for the love of parents in the world, and even squeezed out tears that looked real and fake from the corners of his eyes:

"Ah... It's really not easy for you two. Jiuxian Mountain is so high... It must be very difficult..."

He said this because he wanted to find out the unknown details of the burial. In fact, Gao Yang also heard of Jiuxian Mountain for the first time yesterday.

The old lady shook her head and laughed:

"Jiuxian Mountain is not very high, and the area to the west is very low, just some mounds, not even a mountain."

After chatting for a while, Gao Yang got another key piece of information out:

Pomegranate tree.

At the place where Zhang Yuqian was buried, the old lady planted a pomegranate tree with her own hands, which could be regarded as a way of expressing her longing for her.

"Then what are the details of the car accident and whether there was cremation? Are there any clues?"

Lin Xian asked while climbing the mountain.

"Of course not."

Gao Yang held his waist, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and shook his head:
"You can't get these things out of someone by asking them in so many details. Asking them in so much detail is the same as ending the conversation. The old lady will definitely not be able to handle it."

Lin Xian nodded.

Being able to find out the exact location of the grave was already great, and it was enough. The rest... just needed to open Zhang Yuqian's coffin, and everything would be revealed.

Considering what Gao Yang said before.

Zhang Yuqian was born around 1980 a.m. on January 1, 21.

So there is a high probability that the birth time is just 00:42 by coincidence.

Then think about the time of death...

Lin Xian often wondered if Zhang Yuqian did not die in a car accident, but just like Chu Anqing, she turned into tiny blue stardust and disappeared at the moment of 20:00 when she was 42 years old.

But if that were the case, there certainly wouldn't be any remains.

How could we talk about burial, cremation, etc.? Someone, somewhere, must have lied about the car accident more than 20 years ago.

Which link lied...

There's no point in guessing.

Once Zhang Yuqian's grave is dug up and her coffin is opened, we will naturally know the truth about the car accident; if there are really remains and they can be compared with Chu Anqing's hair for DNA, then more mysteries can be solved; if not... then it may point to another answer.

"Lin Xian, that's west."

Gao Yang pointed to his left hand side:
"We can't go any higher. Burials are definitely not allowed in places like this. Zhang Yuqian's parents probably buried her secretly back then... First of all, the coffin is so heavy that we can't lift it that high. And no one would be so stupid as to lift it that high. This isn't Mount Tai, so why bury it that high?"

"The slope to the west of Jiuxian Mountain is relatively low, so the chances of the deceased being buried there are relatively high. Even if it is for the sake of a quiet and serene resting place after death, they will definitely be buried far away from the mountain trail... I think the feng shui there is good, so let's go over there and look for a pomegranate tree."

Lin Xian nodded and stopped walking up the stone steps.

He bent down, and together with Gao Yang, they used their arms to block the leaves and entered the wild bamboo forest next to them.

Lin Xian also analyzed this on the plane coming here.

The location of Zhang Yuqian's grave was also roughly determined and a circle was drawn on the map.

There are nine peaks in Jiuxian Mountain, the highest of which is over 500 meters above sea level and the lowest is over 200 meters, which are not considered low.

Normally, this altitude is nothing to climb, and it's easy. But carrying a coffin to bury a person... let alone 200 meters above sea level, 100 meters or 50 meters is hard enough.

Moreover, it seems that in the traditional concept of the Dragon Kingdom, fallen leaves return to their roots, and burying them too high is unlucky or taboo. Lin Xian doesn't quite understand it, but he intuitively feels that the place where Zhang Yuqian is buried will definitely not be too high.

Moreover, the geology of the mountain is mostly rocky, which is not suitable for digging holes. The soft soil at the foot of the mountain is more suitable for burying coffins.

Under comprehensive.

There are no peaks in the western area of ​​Jiuxian Mountain. It is mostly jungles and woods, and the terrain is flat. There are mountains, water, and lush flowers and plants. It is indeed a nice place.

Although the area is muddy and has no roads, and neither machinery nor vehicles can get through, isn't this exactly what Zhang Yuqian's parents wanted? Quiet and remote, undisturbed, they definitely hope that their daughter can be buried in such a sparsely populated, quiet and beautiful place after her death.

As for carrying the coffin...

Money makes the world go round. Zhang Shi was so rich back then that these problems that could be solved with money were not a problem for him.

of course.

The most conspicuous reference object is the pomegranate tree planted by Yan Qin herself and growing on Zhang Yuqian's grave.

The growth period of a pomegranate tree is generally about six to eight years, and then it enters the fruiting period, and can continue to bear fruit for decades.

According to the time of Zhang Yuqian's death, the pomegranate tree was 24 years old. After so many years of growth without any intervention... it must have grown very big and strong, with lush branches and leaves.

and so.

The most crucial clue right now is to find the pomegranate tree!
……

Stab, sting, sting.

Lin Xian and Gao Yang fought their way through this pristine jungle. Their clothes were scratched by unknown plants and there were also a few scratches on their arms, which made them feel itchy.

Survival in the wild is not something that ordinary people can do, and their current situation is similar to that of surviving in the wild.

"It's a little harder to find than I thought..."

Gao Yang complained:

"I checked online and found that the mountain only covers an area of ​​2.45 square kilometers. I thought it wasn't that big, with a length and width of just over one kilometer. But when I walked in, I didn't expect that the mountain was really huge!"

"2.45 square kilometers is actually quite large." Lin Xian pushed aside a branch, looked over there, then looked away:
"Not to mention, mountains are three-dimensional, with much more area than a flat surface. We have to find a pomegranate tree in a mountain that blocks our view... It's actually not much different from finding a needle in a haystack. It's like finding a steel bar in a haystack, but it's not as exaggerated as a needle."

"Besides, look at how alert and panicked Zhang Yuqian's father, Zhang Shi, was when he faced us. Since he had something to hide, he would definitely choose a place that was inconspicuous, hard to find, and known only to them when he buried Zhang Yuqian. That would be concealed enough to cover up his 'guilty conscience'."

"Could it be that he didn't cremate the body and buried it secretly because he felt guilty?" Gao Yang turned around and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve:
"That shouldn't be the case. It's been more than 20 years. Even if it's discovered that the body wasn't cremated, what can we do? We can't just put the skeleton back together and cremate it again... I really don't know what that uncle is hiding."

"It's useless to guess now. No matter what you guess, you have to open the coffin to find out the truth. Let's go and take a look over there."

Lin Xian took Gao Yang and continued to go deeper into the jungle.

When I was a child, there was a pomegranate tree planted in the yard of Uncle Lin Xian's house.

Whenever the pomegranate tree began to bear small fruits, Lin Xian would take a look when he passed by after school every day to see if they were ripe and when he could eat them.

Therefore, he is quite familiar with the growth cycle of the pomegranate tree. Generally, the pomegranate tree begins to bloom in March and April, bears fruit soon after, and then matures in autumn.

So at this time, the pomegranate tree planted on Zhang Yuqian's grave must have bloomed.

The bright red pomegranate flowers should be very conspicuous and easy to find in this wilderness. As long as they are within sight, they can be seen from a distance. After all, they are so bright.

As we go deeper and deeper into the mountains.

The ground beneath my feet became increasingly moist and soft.

It was the fallen leaves and dead grass accumulated over the years, mixed with dry branches, falling rain, settled dust, and still time.

Step on it.

You can truly feel the traces of time, the silence of time, and the silence of history.

Thousands of birds and all-rounders.

Inexplicably, Lin Xian thought of this five-character quatrain, just like at this moment.

It seemed that what they were stepping on was the long river of history nailed with thousand-year-old stakes, and the sunlight that filtered through the branches and leaves in the sky was like a barrier between life and death that they were crossing.

"Lin Xian! Look quickly!!"

Gao Yang in front suddenly shouted and laughed, and quickly pulled Lin Xian behind him and pointed at a concave bottom under the earth slope in front -

"Look! Do you see it? It's where I'm pointing my finger! On the lawn!"

Lin Xian hurried over.

Following Gao Yang's finger, he looked diagonally downward.

A lawn with no signs of maintenance but still full of greenery lays a carpet of breeze for this paradise.

And right in the middle of this lawn that has frozen in time, there grows a pomegranate tree that shouldn’t belong here!

Its green leaves are vivid.

Its flowers...

Bright red, swaying.

(End of this chapter)