Female Novel
Chapter 5404
“You… What did you just say?!” Maria’s words hit Geena like a bolt of lightning.
It wasn’t an exaggeration; he genuinely felt a numbing sensation, from his scalp down to his toes.
According to Maria, she had witnessed the Pu’er mother tree surviving a catastrophe three hundredyears ago at the edge of Heaven Lake. Did that mean she was over three centuries old now?!
Geena found it hard to believe what he was hearing, a whirlwind of doubt swirling in his heart. Even ifsomeone truly achieved longevity, it was usually a gradual process.
People might begin their pursuit in their twenties or thirties, but it often took until their fifties, sixties, oreven later to attain enlightenment.
As one delved deeper into the path, their lifespan would extend, but even the oldest monks, reachingover a hundred years, appeared no more than sixty, resembling the Marshal of the Warriors Den.
If Maria were truly over three hundred years old, she should appear at least sixty or seventy, perhapseven seventy or eighty. How could she always maintain the appearance of seventeen or eighteen?
The implications were staggering, and Geena struggled to accept Maria’s words.
Observing Geena’s disbelief, Maria asked nervously, “My lord, do you think Nujia is playing a joke onyou?”
Geena instinctively nodded, then shook his head and replied, “I’m just a little shocked…”
As he spoke, curiosity took hold, and he asked, “Why did you suddenly address me as ‘my lord’ andcall yourself ‘Nujia’?”
Lin Wan’er laughed and explained, “In the past, it was customary for unmarried girls to address adultmen as ‘my lord,’ and as for ‘Nujia’… in every family, unmarried girls referred to themselves as ‘Nujia,’which means a servant or slave even, while married women called themselves ‘concubine.’ Althoughthose terms are no longer commonly used, I hadn’t shared this information with you earlier, youngmaster. Since we’re being open and honest today, it’s appropriate to use these titles.”
The words “open and honest” struck Albert, reminding him of Maria’s recent state of undress. It brieflyleft him feeling awkward.
Sensing Geena’s discomfort, Maria quickly said to Albert, “Please, wait a moment. I will bringsomething to show you!”
With those words, she rose from the bed and descended the stairs, returning with a beautifully framedscroll.
Maria approached the other side of the bed and carefully unfurled the scroll, revealing a landscapepainting spanning 2.5 meters in width and 6 meters in length.
Geena fixed his gaze on the painting, captivated by the majestic landscape unfolding before him.
The grandeur of the mountains, the Heaven Lake glistening like a mirror within the valley—the sceneryon the canvas was so vivid and lifelike that Geena was immediately drawn in.
He never expected to find such profound artistic inspiration in a landscape painting. Every strokeseemed perfect and flawless, surpassing even the portrait of Morvel Bazin gifted by Mrs. Treadway.
And the painting skills on display were even more remarkable.
Maria pointed to the tall, flourishing tree next to Heaven Lake in the painting, using her slender hand,and said to Albert, “My lord, this is the Pucha mother tree, the tea tree I mentioned. This is how it
looked many years ago.”
Then she directed his attention to the silhouette of a person beneath the tree and continued, “Thisrepresents my family. In the past, we would sit beneath this tea tree, enjoying tea while taking in thesurrounding mountains and water.”
Geena couldn’t help but ask Maria, “Did you paint this?”
Maria nodded. “I painted this scroll a few days ago, specifically for you.”
Geena was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Maria to possess such remarkable painting skills. Just awhile ago, his father-in-law had mentioned an upcoming painting exhibition organized by the Paintingand Calligraphy Association, but they couldn’t find any outstanding works. Landscape painters from allover the country were on the verge of exploding with frustration!
In that moment, Maria suddenly grasped Geena’s right hand, the one adorned with a ring, intertwiningher fingers with his. She looked at him expectantly and said, “I dare you to take me there, to witness itwith your own eyes. Let us see what it was like three hundred years ago!”
As if understanding Maria’s words, the ring, which had remained motionless, suddenly emitted a reikithat enveloped both of them.
In the next instant, Geena felt his vision blur. Held by Maria, he passed through an invisible gate, and arush of cool wind greeted his face. The scene before him sprang to life.
Now, he stood amidst the vast mountains of the southern province. The crystal-clear blue sky, thevibrant greenery, and the billowing white clouds were within arm’s reach. Countless varieties of flowersadorned the surroundings, and the surface of Heaven Lake reflected the azure sky, fluffy clouds, andlush mountains. The breathtaking beauty defied adequate description.
Geena scrutinized the scene, appreciating the image of Maria, sitting at a small square table beneaththe Pucha mother tree, dressed in a sky-blue gown with narrow sleeves and a horse-face skirt. Nearby,tea farmers plucked tea leaves from the relatively low tea trees. Before descending the mountain withtheir baskets full of tea leaves, they respectfully bowed to the mother tree and greeted Maria as “Miss.”
Maria recognized each of them, responding to their greetings with a smile, inquiring about their well-being.
Approaching her, the tea farmers would offer fresh tea leaves, which Maria would gently pinch betweenher fingers, bringing them to her nose for a sniff. Then, she would select another piece, placing it in hermouth to savor its flavor. With expertise, she would grade the tea leaves, offering advice on theappropriate processing techniques—drying, airing, autoclaving, and storing—for that batch.
Grateful for her guidance, each tea farmer would express their thanks before bidding farewell.
For the first time, Geena witnessed the perfect harmony between the ancients and nature.
Just as he immersed himself in the moment, the world around him transformed from bright daylight to anight cloaked in dark clouds.novelbin
Violent winds and torrential rain lashed at the Pucha tree, yet it stood firm, unyielding against theassault.
The wind intensified, breaking numerous branches and leaves, violently shaking the tree’s trunk.
In the midst of the tree’s fierce resistance, a thunderbolt crackled through the sky, striking the Puchatree with a deafening bang. Instantly, flames engulfed the tree.
Undeterred by the raging wind and rain, the fire burned ever brighter.
After about an incense stick’s worth of time, the once-vibrant mother tree turned to charcoal, devoid oflife.
As if by agreement, the storm abruptly ceased, and the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a full moonabove Heaven Lake. Its pale light cast an eerie glow upon the earth.
Beneath the moonlight, a girl in a coir raincoat and bamboo hat, carrying a basket on her back, slowlyapproached the mother tree step by step.
That girl was Maria.
Removing her rain hat, she picked up a charred tree trunk from the ground, holding it in her hands, andbowed to the mother tree three times.
Without looking back, she placed the lightning-struck trunk in her basket and disappeared into themountains.