The autumn air was crisp and clear, with a gentle breeze blowing.
After enduring the unbearable summer heat, the refreshing autumn winds had arrived, and it was also harvest season for ginseng.
In the forest area, Old Bai frequently met with Chen Zhuhui during summer vacation, but never neglected his ginseng cultivation work. Whenever Chu Zhishui drove over with Xin Yunmao and Chen Zhuhui, she and Xin Yunmao would water the ginseng, while Chen Zhuhui would accompany Old Bai with his work.
Now, with the young girl off to university in Yinhai City, the ginseng in the forest area, infused with supernatural energy, had matured imperceptibly.
The cultivated ginseng that Old Bai grew was used as raw material for ginseng foot powder, which couldn't generate immediate returns, but the wild ginseng from the forest could be sold at ginseng auctions.
This year, they had selected three wild ginseng roots, with the most impressive one weighing 22.3 grams. Old Bai had his eye on this one from the start, marking it directly in the forest without moving or interfering with it. After being bathed in Xin Yunmao's supernatural energy, its five forms and six qualities had developed perfectly. Even Old Bai was extremely careful when harvesting it, afraid of damaging the root.
The other two wild ginseng roots were younger and naturally lighter, weighing 7.2 and 7.1 grams respectively, though their quality was still decent.
Though the combined weight of the three roots wasn't much, they were worth a fortune in the market, especially the 22.3-gram root. Even Boss Peng hadn't hastily purchased it. After reviewing the photos Chu Zhishui sent, he specifically called her to discuss the ginseng purchase.
Over the phone, Boss Peng maintained his usual warm and friendly tone: "Little Chu, I've seen the photos you sent. Given the weight of these ginseng roots, it wouldn't be appropriate to sell them directly to me. I can easily buy cultivated ginseng, but for wild ginseng with good five forms and six qualities, we need to get them certified and then enter them in ginseng auctions."
Ginseng had specific authentication standards; it couldn't just be classified based on Old Bai's word alone - associations needed to issue certificates. The five forms referred to "stem, shoulder, veining, body, and roots," while the six qualities were "spirit, sturdiness, age, tenderness, horizontal growth, and vertical growth." These were commonly used to evaluate wild ginseng.
"Ginseng auction?" Chu Zhishui inquired, "Is this organized by the industry?"
"That's right. Currently, the market is flooded with both genuine and fake ginseng of varying quality. High-quality wild ginseng, once screened for the auction, will be displayed for close inspection. There will be a starting price, and then people bid to purchase," Boss Peng explained. "Some people urgently need wild ginseng and will bid higher prices - it all depends on fate."
Boss Peng, being an honest veteran businessman, had no intention of buying the ginseng at a low price. Instead, he invited Chu Zhishui to attend the Third Danshan Ginseng Auction together. Danshan was a renowned ginseng-producing region with specialized authentication institutions, hosting auctions annually.
Boss Peng estimated that the 22.3-gram wild ginseng would fetch at least several hundred thousand yuan, possibly even reaching a million with good luck. It would be a shame not to participate in the auction. The other two roots, though lighter, might still fetch good prices given the extremely low national reserves of wild ginseng and the limited supply in the market.
After hearing Boss Peng's price estimate, Chu Zhishui marveled at how lucrative the ginseng business was, understanding why the wild ginseng market was flooded with counterfeits - one successful scam could bring enormous profits.
Given such considerable income potential, a trip to Danshan seemed worthwhile.
Chu Zhishui was about to look up flight tickets when something suddenly occurred to her.
When Xin Yunmao had previously visited Yinhai City through his pendant, he had only wandered around outside the airport without actually experiencing air travel. Since the ginseng harvest was closely related to his supernatural energy, and he hadn't received any payment from the bureau, perhaps this could serve as compensation.
She calculated that the ginseng auction would be held on a weekday, leaving the weekend free to explore Danshan, which had many natural scenic areas suitable for a supernatural being like the Huaijiang earth spirit to broaden his horizons.
In the director's office, Hu Chenrui was brewing tea at a small table. He understood Chu Zhishui's subtle hint and agreed without hesitation: "Sure, if he's willing, you can take him along."
Chu Zhishui was surprised by Director Hu's quick agreement and hesitantly remarked, "...You and Director Ye certainly have different attitudes."
While Director Ye would make a fuss about anything related to Xin Yunmao, Director Hu had always remained calm and composed, even initially keeping the truth from her.
"Of course our attitudes are different. He's been at the bureau for so many years, he should be used to it by now," Hu Chenrui said with a smile. "Besides, when they initially pushed me to come to Huaijiang, I sometimes thought about letting everything fall apart."
Chu Zhishui: "?"
It seemed the directors were under considerable stress, leading Director Hu to harbor such dark thoughts.
Since Xin Yunmao had achieved divine status in Huaijiang, the Huaijiang Observation Bureau was considered a hot potato, with nobody willing to take charge until Hu Chenrui finally came. He too was initially wary of Xin Yunmao, but as time passed, things seemed manageable - as long as they didn't provoke the divine lord, he generally caused no trouble.
"But I don't think that way anymore. The bureau's performance has been good these past two months, so it's better to keep things peaceful," Hu Chenrui said leisurely while drinking tea. "Danshan seems to be on the edge of the Kongsang Bureau's jurisdiction. There tend to be more supernatural beings there, so it's good to have him with you."
Chu Zhishui asked puzzled, "More supernatural beings?"
"Yes, our bureau mainly handles human-supernatural conflicts, but in reality, many places have people actively seeking connections with supernatural beings, with some beings even being supported by the same family for generations," Hu Chenrui explained. "However, since you're officially part of the bureau, they usually won't dare to cause trouble. And if you bring him along, there definitely won't be any problems."
Chu Zhishui nodded in understanding. It seemed supernatural beings had their own social hierarchy, with clear distinctions between official and civilian spheres. Joining the bureau was like achieving official status for supernatural beings as well.
Hu Chenrui added: "By the way, if you're not sure how to book tickets for a supernatural being, you can ask Ximing for help. I travel by plane regularly too."
Hu Chenrui traveled most frequently among those at the Huaijiang Bureau, making annual trips to Yinhai for business expenses, so he was very familiar with human society.
Though the Observation Bureau was full of supernatural beings, they had proper channels for documentation, which went through Hong Ximing's office. Supernatural beings like Jin Yu received documents for moving through human society when they joined the bureau. However, since Xin Yunmao wasn't officially part of the Observation Bureau and rarely left Huaijiang, he hadn't needed such documentation for a long time.
The Personnel Department and the Director's Office weren't far apart, both located on the fourth floor of the office building.
In the office, after Chu Zhishui explained the situation to Hong Ximing, he sat at his computer and began typing information rapidly.
As the head of Personnel, Hong was responsible for human resources work. He had previously registered Chu Zhishui's name in the roster, and now he was registering Xin Yunmao's name in another system.
"We need an ID card for booking tickets, so we need to input the information first," Hong Ximing said with a smile. "We'll list Huaijiang as the birthplace, but which day should we choose for the birthday?"
Supernatural beings' documents needed information filled in, and since Hong wasn't very familiar with Xin Yunmao, he naturally didn't know how to complete it.
Chu Zhishui answered, "The day after the Awakening of Insects."
"Good, but which year should we put for the birth year?" Hong Ximing paused and asked, "How old would you say he appears in human years?"
I think he looks like a three-year-old human, but that obviously can't be used for official documents - it would be too bizarre for him to travel with documents stating he's three years old.
Chu Zhishui said gently, "Sister Hong, please choose whatever you think is appropriate."
"Alright, let me check your zodiac sign then." Hong Ximing efficiently pulled up the employee information column, found Chu Zhishui's file, and said, "I'll pick one from your three compatible zodiac signs for him."
"Huh?" Chu Zhishui was startled and hesitated, "Is that appropriate?"
What kind of approach was this? Why look at her zodiac sign to choose for him?
Hong Ximing's voice was loud and straightforward: "It's fine, we just need to pick something, so might as well base it on yours."
Chu Zhishui: "..."
The process of getting documents for supernatural beings was quite fast, and by the day the Economic Development Section was ready to depart, Xin Yunmao had received his documents.
At the entrance of Huaijiang Airport, Chu Zhishui summoned Xin Yunmao in an inconspicuous corner.
When Xin Yunmao appeared, he was wearing white clothes with black pants, tall and slender, carrying no luggage in either hand, only holding a thin card in his right hand. The supernatural being's identification looked identical to a regular ID card, but this seemed to be his first time seeing such a thing, as he was carefully studying the text on it.
"You really don't have any luggage?" Chu Zhishui asked in surprise. "Come to think of it, where do you pull your umbrella from? You never seem to carry it with you normally."
She had never seen Xin Yunmao carry a bag before. He was always like a clean bamboo stalk, bearing nothing but leaves. His dark ink-colored dragon bone umbrella was his most frequently used item, and though the straight-handled paper umbrella couldn't be folded, no one knew where he kept it when not in use.
Since Chu Zhishui had to take a plane, she wore simple, comfortable clothes and held her suitcase handle in one hand.
Xin Yunmao didn't directly answer her question. He naturally took her suitcase and said, "Now I have luggage."
"That's mine, how presumptuous of you," Chu Zhishui raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you planning to wear women's clothes?"
What was this? Your luggage is nice, but now it belongs to me?
Xin Yunmao gave her a shocked look, his eyes trembling slightly, his expression rather peculiar: "I don't need to carry clothes with me."
Chu Zhishui thought about it - he could change clothes with a snap of his fingers, didn't need to eat, and could use cleaning spells, so he really didn't need to bring any luggage. Plant life was truly convenient; just drinking water and sunbathing each day was enough. The divine lord had reached the fairy realm, sustaining himself merely on celestial dew.
"Alright, let's go then, let's try taking a plane this time," Chu Zhishui smiled and led him toward security. She had wanted to take back her suitcase, but Xin Yunmao held onto it firmly, refusing to let go.
Chu Zhishui gripped the suitcase handle but couldn't pull it back. Looking at his long fingers tightly gripping the handle, she asked bewilderedly, "What are you doing?"
Xin Yunmao blinked innocently: "Never pulled one before."
Chu Zhishui had no choice but to let go, allowing him to take her luggage, though she wondered - hadn't he pulled luggage at Yinhai Airport before?
Xin Yunmao's face remained unruffled, but he was clearly pretending to be composed. In the unfamiliar airport environment, his eyes revealed a hint of curiosity as he looked around with interest, watching people coming and going with their suitcases.
The bamboo spirit was very interested in modern transportation; it showed whenever he rode in cars. Even though his magic could achieve instant teleportation, he still maintained curiosity about human modes of transportation.
Chu Zhishui led him through security, where they naturally had to show their identification documents.
After passing security, Xin Yunmao immediately retrieved the suitcase from the conveyor belt. With one hand still on the handle, he reached out with the other toward Chu Zhishui, asking for her ID: "Let me see yours."
"There's no difference, I studied it the other day," Chu Zhishui said, seeing how he wanted to examine everything, and casually handed him her ID card.
Xin Yunmao compared the two IDs, looking at the information on them, and commented: "What a coincidence, we're both from Huaijiang."
Chu Zhishui gave him a sidelong glance, thinking they had known this all along.
"How coincidental, our zodiac signs are even compatible."
Chu Zhishui was speechless, trying to cover up: "We don't really look at zodiac signs here."
"But we all do."
"..."
Of course she knew supernatural beings all looked at zodiac signs! This was what Hong had set up based on their compatible zodiac signs!
Xin Yunmao nodded with satisfaction: "Hu Chenrui and the others' invention is quite interesting."
"...We should get going."
In the cabin, Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao had seats in a row of two.
After placing the suitcase in the overhead compartment and taking his seat, Xin Yunmao became tense, appearing restless, very similar to his first time riding in a car.
Noticing his stiffness and confirming his seatbelt was fastened, Chu Zhishui quickly reassured him: "It's alright, it's similar to riding in a car."
Xin Yunmao remained silent and still.
Moments later, after taxiing, the plane officially took off, ascending toward the sky. The turbulent airflow caused the aircraft to shake, giving passengers a sensation of ear-popping and nasal pressure.
At the moment of takeoff, Xin Yunmao gripped the armrest tightly, his knuckles turning white, his shoulders completely rigid. He didn't look out the window at all, silently clenching his jaw, making one wonder if he was holding his breath, not daring to exhale.
After all, as a plant spirit, being separated from the earth's support was against his nature.
"Don't be afraid," Chu Zhishui noticed his nervousness and said softly, "It'll stabilize once we reach the stratosphere."
Xin Yunmao glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his dark pupils seeming to waver before quickly focusing on her face.
Seeing him looking at her, Chu Zhishui asked, "What is it?"
"What are you talking about? How could I possibly be afraid?" Xin Yunmao scoffed coldly, his tone cool as he said, "I'm different from mortals, you must be the one who's scared."
Chu Zhishui didn't respond, her gaze falling to his left hand, still tightly gripping the armrest, fingers never loosening.
He spoke the harshest words, yet wouldn't let go of the armrest.
Chu Zhishui heard his attempt to maintain composure, and though she was roaring with laughter inside, she dared not show it on her face, suppressing her smile: "Mm-hmm, I'm the one who's afraid, the divine lord isn't scared."
Xin Yunmao froze at her words, his fingers retracting from the armrest: "Then you hold onto it."
"That's really not necessary, just keep holding it yourself." Chu Zhishui put his hand back on the armrest, carefully pressing his fingers back into their tight grip, worried he might actually have a heart attack.
Her fingertips were warm, her fingerpads soft and delicate, sliding across his cool hand bringing a trace of warmth that spread like ripples from the point of contact, immediately distracting him and easing his tense nerves.
She was very serious about putting his fingers back, but hearing her words, he almost grabbed her hand instead.
He had thought she meant for him to hold onto her properly.
He was initially surprised, then slightly lost, and finally felt a touch of regret.
Xin Yunmao felt like magma was swirling in his chest, as if he were a volcano yet to erupt, only able to let the heat simmer within his body. His lips pressed tightly together, and this time instead of staring straight ahead, he turned to look out the window, watching the scenery below grow increasingly small, trying to dispel the strange, indescribable feeling in his heart.
Unable to speak, it was as if the slightest crack in the volcano would cause hot magma to surge forth.
Seeing him turn his head, Chu Zhishui advised: "If you're really uncomfortable, you can take a nap."
Chu Zhishui also noticed his unusual state. Xin Yunmao's body temperature was typically a bit cool, but his fingers tightly gripping the armrest between them would occasionally brush against her arm, and the exposed skin was inexplicably warm.
He mumbled: "Mm."
After a while, the plane entered the stratosphere and the turbulence ceased. Xin Yunmao's initial discomfort also vanished, and he had the leisure to appreciate the pale blue sky and thick clouds outside the small window.
Chu Zhishui sat on the aisle side, deliberately giving him the window seat, thinking he might be interested in the sky view.
Xin Yunmao leaned his head against the window, gazing at the crystal-clear sky and snow-white sea of clouds. Huaijiang City had long disappeared from view, the ground hidden by an enormous curtain of white clouds. For the first time, he gained a deeper understanding of heaven and earth.
Away from his all-encompassing vast earth, who knew such scenes existed in the sky, where humans and birds normally couldn't linger.
It was hard to imagine this was achieved by humans without supernatural powers.
"Human inventions are quite interesting," Xin Yunmao lowered his eyes, taking in the blue sky and light clouds, his voice extremely soft as he spoke.
Chu Zhishui clearly caught these words, her heart softening as she suddenly felt proud, smiling: "Thank you for the compliment."
When he said something was quite interesting, it meant it was very interesting.
Such praise from an all-powerful divine spirit was extremely high recognition for humankind.
The flight from Huaijiang to Danshan required a long time.
After admiring the scenery outside the window, Xin Yunmao's attention was drawn to a small screen not far away. The cabin always played videos to help passengers pass time, usually documentaries or introductions to Danshan. Today they happened to be showing a plant documentary.
The screen showed close-up shots of tender sprouts breaking through the soil. The documentary strung together various famous flowers through the four seasons, recording their beautiful moments from growth to bloom, while introducing the rich literary meanings behind each famous flower. This documentary was well-made and had reportedly won several awards, so it often appeared in various venues.
The beautiful high-definition footage and elegant narrative helped many viewers better understand various plants.
However, Xin Yunmao's expression grew increasingly strange as he watched. His brows furrowed and his eyes avoided the screen, as if unable to bear watching. Unfortunately, the small screen was right in front of them, and he could see the images whenever he looked up, with no chance to avoid them.
Xin Yunmao finally couldn't sit still and turned to ask Chu Zhishui: "Why are they showing this?"
"To help everyone pass the time?" Chu Zhishui looked up, glancing at the screen. "Don't you like it? I've watched this before. There aren't any bamboo plants in it, but you'll have to make do."
She mistakenly thought Xin Yunmao had discovered there were no bamboo plants in this famous human nature documentary and was getting indignant about it, thinking it was an oversight that needed to be addressed.
Xin Yunmao stared at her in disbelief, surprised not only that she had watched this documentary but that she was so casual about the lack of bamboo!
Deeply shocked by her nonchalant attitude, Xin Yunmao looked her up and down in amazement, momentarily at a loss for words. He hesitated before saying, "How can you watch such things in public..."
"Why not watch these things in public? What else should we watch in public?"
His ears burning even more, he questioned with a flushed face, "...such indecent material?"
"What?" Chu Zhishui turned back to look at him in surprise, finally noticing his embarrassed expression. She felt as if she'd been scalded, and was about to protest loudly but remembered they were in public. She quickly lowered her voice through gritted teeth, "What are you talking about? What kind of material!?"
How was this indecent!?
This documentary had even been broadcast on CCTV, the television station with the strictest censorship standards!
Xin Yunmao was visibly uncomfortable, seemingly disgusted to even speak of it. He muttered, "The pollination, and... anyway, it's unwatchable!"
"???"
Chu Zhishui glanced at the small screen, then at Xin Yunmao's changing expression. She finally realized that certain scenes in the documentary were as stimulating as adult content to him.
Good heavens, how could plant pollination be considered obscene? By that logic, the agricultural channel would need to be completely censored!
Chu Zhishui hadn't paid much attention to the documentary before, but now that she understood his perspective, she felt equally uncomfortable, especially since they were sitting side by side.
It was like watching an intimate scene in a private cinema - hormones would instantly spike, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.
But they were just watching a plant documentary! What was there to get worked up about!?
Embarrassment must be contagious, and Xin Yunmao had successfully transmitted his discomfort to her.
Chu Zhishui's scalp tingled, feeling half hot and half cold in waves of torment. She could barely sit still, considering whether to excuse herself to the bathroom to break this heated and unbearable atmosphere, at least to avoid watching what he considered plant porn together.
Unable to look at Xin Yunmao directly, her face inexplicably hot and her mouth dry, she suggested weakly, "If it's really too much, just close your eyes."
She couldn't ask the flight attendant to turn off the video - everyone else would think they were strange.
Sitting next to Xin Yunmao now, half her body felt like it was on fire. She couldn't tell if his body temperature was high anymore because they were both burning up.
As her thoughts wandered, her senses became heightened. Beyond the exchange of body heat, she could even smell his subtle scent. The freshness of bamboo forest after rain wafted over, breaking through the stuffiness of the cabin, intentionally or not enveloping her and piercing her muddled brain.
Xin Yunmao's Adam's apple bobbed as he suddenly remembered something. His eyes darkened as he accused her in a hoarse voice, "You showed me this kind of thing late at night at the guesthouse too."
He was referring to when they stayed at the Yinhai Bureau guesthouse, where she had also found plant documentaries for him, though he hadn't realized the implications then.
Chu Zhishui retorted in embarrassment, "Don't look at me like I'm some kind of pervert!"
