Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

The next day, the sky was clear and the sun was warm, a rare good day in late autumn.

After breakfast, Aimin led Professor Meng and Yue Chuan on a hike up the mountain. The three of them were relaxed, chatting and laughing as they climbed higher, their goal being the summit of Dongling.

After passing through Shuangxitian and bypassing the old mine, they soon arrived at Jutaidi.

As autumn deepens and frost and dew descend, while all trees wither and turn yellow, wild chrysanthemums proudly stand on their branches, their bright, clear yellow coating the chrysanthemum terrace with a golden hue.

"The winter flowers have all faded, but the chrysanthemums alone fill the branches."

Unassuming and unassuming, yet capable of adding a touch of brightness to the bleak autumn, this is probably the charm of the wild chrysanthemum.

If he weren't on a mission, Aimin, as a young man with artistic tastes, might have spontaneously composed a few poems; if he didn't have a particular fondness for chrysanthemums, he wouldn't have been so dedicated to cultivating them.

Walking into the chrysanthemum patch, Aimin picked some withered and dried flowers, then turned to Professor Meng and said, "Teacher, this is the 'chrysanthemum terrace' I mentioned to you. Such a large patch of small wild chrysanthemums, no one waters or fertilizes it, yet it's growing quite well!"

Professor Meng nodded in agreement, then opened the backpack on Yue Chuan's shoulder, took out a few resealable bags, and then turned to Ai Min and said, "I'll hold the bags for you, and you can peel the seeds out of the flower stamens and put them in."

Aimin knew, of course, that the teacher was going to collect samples to take back for research. Without the slightest hesitation, he rubbed the dry flower buds in his hand, then picked and chose, and obtained a small handful of black wild chrysanthemum seeds.

After sealing the seeds in bags, Professor Meng and Aimin deliberately changed the location to collect them, and soon all the resealable bags in their hands were used up.

Seeing that the two elders worked together seamlessly, Yue Chuan didn't step forward to help. Although he was only tasked with carrying bags, the boy still felt quite pleased to be able to assist the two elders.

Ten minutes later, the sampling work for the entire chrysanthemum terrace was successfully completed. At this point, Professor Meng grabbed a handful of soil and examined it intently: "The soil in this area is very different from other places; hmm, the color is reddish-brown!"

"Teacher, have you made any discoveries?" Aimin asked.

"Not yet. But the soil moisture is so-so, and the surface is cracked. It's quite remarkable that these native mountain chrysanthemums can grow so lushly under such dry conditions!" Professor Meng exclaimed, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "I heard you say before that you took the soil structure of this land to Xiaoyun for testing. Have the results come back yet?"

Professor Meng had probably guessed that the vigorous growth of wild chrysanthemums was related to the unique soil structure of the chrysanthemum terraces, which was why he asked such a question. But he didn't know that his seemingly casual remark made Ai Min feel a little embarrassed—he had a very unpleasant argument with Chen Yun last time and hadn't dared to contact her since.

Seemingly sensing Aimin's embarrassment, Professor Meng sighed meaningfully, "You're good at everything, except you're so shy!"

Seeing Aimin remain silent with his head down, Professor Meng bluntly said, "What? You're waiting for the girl to come to you? Can't you even make a call to ask how things are going?"

This statement contains a great deal of information. In fact, before Professor Meng came here, Chen Yun had specifically sought him out—the girl had been rejected in her confession but still couldn't let go of Aimin, and wanted their mutual mentor to mediate and bring them together. This was another purpose of Professor Meng's visit.

"I..." Aimin stammered, as if he had something difficult to say. In front of his nephew, there were many things he couldn't say openly, after all, it involved complicated relationships between men and women and his painful personal experiences.

Looking at the still-childish Yue Chuan beside him, Professor Meng realized this wasn't the time to discuss this matter. To change the subject, the old professor pointed to the wild chrysanthemums covering the hillside and said, "Come on, let's go up to the top and collect flower seeds from different altitudes so we can do comparative research back home..."

Further up from Jutai, the mountain path becomes increasingly rugged. Fortunately, Professor Meng usually pays attention to physical exercise; otherwise, given his age, he might not have been able to reach the summit.

After a strenuous climb, the three arrived at the Dragon King Temple located at the top of Dongling Mountain. They sat at the temple entrance and looked down at the beautiful scenery below.

Villages, farmland, and loess gullies stretching for dozens of kilometers came into view, and the group felt extremely comfortable.

Just then, the roar of construction vehicles came from the direction of Xiling Mountain, and birds took flight in an instant, shattering the tranquility of the East and West Ridges.

These vehicles all belong to the Chengxi Mining Group. Currently, the mining project is in the early road-laying stage. However, judging from the current situation, the day when mining begins is just around the corner.

At this moment, Professor Meng, who had been speaking eloquently, fell silent. He coldly watched as the "industrial behemoth" swept through, clearing away the rubble in its path at a visible speed, finally dumping it into the loess gullies at the foot of Xiling Mountain...

Yue Chuan's brows furrowed into a deep frown, and the boy gave a cold snort, "They've ruined this beautiful mountain..."

Who are they? They are Qin Laishun from Qinjiazhuang and Lao Chengxi from Laojiapo. One is the patriarch of the Qin family, and the other is a powerful figure who can control everything in Laojiapo. One is rich, and the other is powerful. When the village head is firmly tied to a rising star in the business world who has connections in both the legal and illegal worlds, who can stand in their way?

After a moment's thought, Professor Meng pointed to the bulldozer and asked, "Why did they fill the ditch with all the excavated soil? Where will the summer floodwaters go after it's blocked?"

Professor Meng is an expert in agriculture and forestry, and also has considerable knowledge of geology; otherwise, he wouldn't have been invited to serve as a special consultant to the Yellow River Management Committee. In short, Professor Meng's concerns are by no means unfounded.

Aimin knew exactly what the other person was worried about, and immediately explained, "Teacher, the climate here is stable, and we haven't had a flood for many years. In summer, rainwater usually gathers in Shuangling Creek on the east side and then flows downstream."

After Aimin finished speaking, he pointed to the earthen dam leading from Qinjiazhuang to the national highway.

Upon learning that a drainage culvert had been prepared beneath the earthen dam, Professor Meng's expression softened slightly. The next second, he suddenly patted his protégé on the shoulder, reminding him, "Since they were able to obtain the mining permit, it means these people have influence in the area. Be careful, don't confront them directly. If you encounter any insurmountable obstacles, you can contact me..."

Thinking back to what Yue Chuan had said to him in the car yesterday, and considering the on-site inspection, Professor Meng couldn't help but worry about Ai Min. In his experience, if Ai Min wanted to cultivate mountain chrysanthemums, there was a high chance he would clash with the miners.

As an elderly person who has been through the trials of time, he can see the intricacies of many things at a glance—man-made disasters are more terrifying than natural disasters.

"Teacher, you don't need to worry too much," Aimin said with a calm smile. "My cousin is among those miners. He said the mining site is in Xiling, and they're expropriating land from the neighboring village of Laojiapo. They won't cause me any trouble yet..."

Before Professor Meng could speak, Yue Chuan excitedly interrupted his uncle, "If we don't cause trouble now, who knows what will happen later!"

The boy pointed to the old mine pit and continued, "If it really comes to that, they'll definitely go on a rampage like before! Look! Isn't that huge pit their doing?"

Thinking of the heartless mining bosses, the despicable "Five Tiger Brothers," and his uncle and Cheng Dong's elder brother Lao Chengxi, Yue Chuan felt inexplicably irritable, and his words became increasingly intense.

"The village's idlers have all been organized to specialize in land acquisition. Anyone who dares to disobey is beaten! If this continues, theft, poisoning, and ravaging of the fields will definitely happen again! I knew it! 'If bad people aren't eliminated, they'll harm good people!'"

"If bad people aren't eliminated, they'll harm good people!" This phrase became Yue Chuan's mantra at some point. Every time he uttered it with righteous indignation, he would clench his fists tightly. Luckily, he was only a middle school student; otherwise, others would worry that he might resort to violence.