Chapter 97: Tree Doctor
After parting from the people from the Forestry Bureau, Ying Kongtu immediately headed back, intending to go to Xiwu Mountain to take a look.
There were two tall red toon trees there.
He had previously come to collect seeds from them. At that time, the two red toon trees had already been in very good condition.
As a protected plant, red toon trees were already very few in number in the wild.
Back then, in order to obtain better seeds and cultivate better saplings, he had specially buried fertilizer for these two red toon trees and sent them divine power, striving to cultivate them into mother trees.
Although he had not come to see them recently, these two red toon trees should be growing very well.
Ying Kongtu walked through the mountain forest.
The plants and trees in front of him rustled, swiftly making way and opening up a flat, neat little path. The canopy above stretched over to shade him.
Although these mountains had not yet temporarily returned under his name, because his divine power had increased, the surrounding plants and trees still sensed it. Driven by a certain kind of “Dao,” they actively made way for him.
Aside from the plants and trees, the snakes and insects nearby also took the initiative to retreat.
It rather carried the meaning of the mountain god going on patrol, with all things avoiding his path.
This also meant that he, as a proper mountain god, had further gained the recognition of this land. At the same time, he was slowly reclaiming authority over this land—even though these lands had not yet been placed under his name.
In the past, if Ying Kongtu saw such a scene, he would mostly stop and examine it carefully.
Today, he had no time to observe more.
He walked quickly through the mountain forest and soon arrived beneath the first red toon tree.
During this period, this red toon tree had absorbed enough sunlight, rain, fertilizer, and divine power, and was working hard to grow.
The result of its effort was also very obvious.
As a tree, it had now grown over twenty meters tall, and the diameter of its crown had reached an astonishing more than ten meters. It looked as though it still had a tendency to expand further.
It was like a giant green umbrella standing on the hillside. Its crown, formed by dense emerald-green leaves, was extremely beautiful.
Ying Kongtu placed his hand on the trunk and carefully sensed its condition.
This red toon tree was extremely robust. From the crown to the root system, the entire tree carried a feeling of vigorous vitality.
Ying Kongtu focused especially on sensing its roots.
It had a thick taproot that plunged directly five or six meters underground.
Aside from the taproot, it also had a large number of lateral roots.
These lateral roots spread more than ten meters in all directions with the taproot as the center, forming an enormous root network.
Truly excellent.
Ying Kongtu looked at this red toon tree, and the idea in his heart gradually took shape.
That sick red toon tree was too fragile. It could no longer withstand any impact.
A robust red toon tree was different. It was strong and tall, and its ability to withstand risks was extremely powerful.
Starting directly with the sick red toon tree made Ying Kongtu feel that the matter was extremely difficult.
But if he started handling it from the healthy red toon tree’s side, it did not seem so hard.
After Ying Kongtu finished looking at this red toon tree, he went to look at the other red toon tree.
The other red toon tree also grew extremely tall. It was slightly older than this one, and the condition of its roots and crown was about the same.
However, the position where it grew was slightly worse. It was on the shady slope, and there were more plants around it.
Red toon trees liked warm, moist places with sufficient sunlight and fertile soil.
If he were to transplant a red toon tree, it would be best to choose this kind of place for it too.
After checking the condition of the two robust red toon trees, Ying Kongtu decided to transplant the sick red toon tree near the red toon tree on the sunny slope.
This side had a better environment and more room to grow. It would grow better here.
After Wen Zhongshan learned his plan, he asked, “Treat one tree through another tree?”
“Yes. Do you still remember the incense cedar trees we planted before? We can transplant the sick red toon tree here and let the healthy red toon tree deliver nutrients to it.”
“Will it deliver them?”
“It will. Trees all have the habit of looking after weak trees of the same species. Although that red toon tree isn’t its offspring, there are too few red toon trees. If it suddenly comes into contact with a new red toon tree, it should try to take care of it.”
“Even if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter,” Ying Kongtu said. “That red toon tree is almost dead anyway. We’ll just treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor.”
Ying Kongtu decided to try. Otherwise, it would be far too much of a pity for such a large red toon tree to die like this.
After the two discussed and decided, Ying Kongtu called the Forestry Bureau and applied to take care of this sick red toon tree.
When the leader of the Forestry Bureau heard that he was willing to take over, he approved his application without another word.
They were also very curious about how such a tree could be saved.
“Kongtu, it’s wonderful that you’re willing to care for it. Whenever you want to transplant this red toon tree over, our engineering team can be on standby at any time.”
“There’s no better day than today. How about today?”
The other party had not expected him to move so quickly. After a brief pause, he immediately agreed. “Shall we gather on the mountain?”
Ying Kongtu said, “I’ll go to your side first to handle the paper documents, then we’ll go up the mountain together?”
“That works too. We’ll wait for you at the office.”
Ying Kongtu often went to the Forestry Bureau to handle procedures and was extremely familiar with it.
He and Wen Zhongshan left home at nine in the morning, and by ten, the procedures were completed.
The people from the Forestry Bureau and the engineering team drove a small truck, following behind their car.
Everyone prepared to go to Lengqingsong Mountain to dig up the tree.
Ying Kongtu had often cared for this sick red toon tree and was extremely familiar with its condition.
He directed the engineering team to saw off most of the crown.
After the entire tree was dug out, he then directed everyone to remove the rotten roots.
These were all useless parts to the sick red toon tree. Keeping them would only further burden it.
After they finished dealing with it, Ying Kongtu brought over the medicinal paste he had prepared with him. “Now brush a layer of medicinal paste on the cut surfaces of the roots. After that, we can transfer it to the mountain on my side.”
“What is this medicinal paste made from?” The Forestry Bureau people looked at the green medicinal paste in the bucket with great curiosity. “It smells so fresh and fragrant.”
“It’s just a paste made by pounding some medicinal plants.” Ying Kongtu said, “We need to keep the cut surfaces of the tree roots moist, while also disinfecting, suppressing bacteria, and promoting root growth. That’s why I specially prepared this bucket of paste.”
Humans had medicines for humans, and trees had medicines for trees.
Ying Kongtu had been a mountain god for many years and knew several medicinal formulas specifically for trees.
However, the circumstances of trees were even more special, and there were even more tree species. The same medicinal formula could have different effects when treating different trees.
When treating trees, he generally had no way to prescribe medicine according to different individuals like human doctors did.
Treating trees was too difficult. Human research on trees was also too limited. He had basically no materials to refer to and could only deal with it based on his own experience.
Ying Kongtu did not intend to explain too much, so everyone stopped asking.
Several people divided the labor and worked together. They took large brushes and brushed a thick layer of medicinal paste onto the cut surfaces of the roots, then brushed medicinal paste onto the cut surfaces of the branches as well.
Then, under Ying Kongtu’s direction, everyone picked broad leaves and carefully wrapped these cut surfaces to prevent moisture loss.
After wrapping them well, everyone carried the tree down the mountain.
In such deep mountain forest, no vehicle could be driven in. They could only carry it down manually.
The freshly dug red toon tree still retained vitality, and the water content inside was also high. Carrying it was extremely heavy.
Carrying such a tree down the mountain, in no time, most people were drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
Only Ying Kongtu and Wen Zhongshan still maintained steady breathing.
The Forestry Bureau people looked at them enviously. “Your stamina is too strong.”
Ying Kongtu said, “Going up the mountain every day. We’re used to it.”
“Amazing.” The Forestry Bureau person panted as he said, “Your work really isn’t easy.”
Ying Kongtu smiled. “Once you get used to it, it’s fine.”
They spent a huge amount of effort carrying this sick red toon tree to the healthy red toon tree on Xiwu Mountain.
Under Ying Kongtu’s direction, they carefully dug out a tree pit and planted the sick red toon tree.
Around the pit they dug, there were also many roots extending from the healthy red toon tree.
They had practically dug a hole within the healthy red toon tree’s root network, then placed the sick red toon tree inside.
Aside from the sick red toon tree’s roots being buried among the healthy red toon tree’s roots, its crown was also completely shaded by the healthy red toon tree.
It was completely under the protection of the healthy red toon tree.
The Forestry Bureau person muttered, “Looking at it this way, why does it feel a little like a human transplant surgery?”
Ying Kongtu cast him a questioning look.
The Forestry Bureau person gestured and explained, “Isn’t there a kind of transplant surgery on the market now? For example, if a patient’s finger has been severed and its condition isn’t good, and there’s no way to directly reattach it, they first transplant it onto the abdomen for a period of time, then later transplant it back to the hand?”
Ying Kongtu really had not heard of this kind of technique. Hearing him describe it, he felt that it did have similar principles. “More or less the same principle.”
The Forestry Bureau person smiled. “Right? The moment you mentioned this plan, I thought of that kind of transplant.”
After the sick red toon tree was planted, there was temporarily no change.
Ying Kongtu was not anxious either. He first invited the Forestry Bureau people and engineering team to go back, and only then did he send divine power into the healthy red toon tree.
The sick red toon tree was already too weak to withstand nourishment. No matter how much divine power was sent into it, it had no way to use it. Instead, it might die under the impact of divine power.
The healthy red toon tree was much better.
Ying Kongtu sent divine power into it, and it quickly made use of it.
From the crown to the roots, the divine power practically soaked every inch of its body, nourishing every cell.
It grew wildly. Its leaves absorbed sunlight, while its roots absorbed water and fertilizer.
Abundant nutrients spread through every part of it.
Ying Kongtu pressed his hand against the trunk, sensing its condition.
As expected, its root system had already identified the roots of the sick red toon tree.
The roots of the two trees connected together, gradually forming root bridges through which nutrients circulated.
Aside from the roots in direct contact, the nutrients overflowing from the healthy red toon tree were also transported directly to the sick red toon tree’s roots through the soil and fungal network.
Wen Zhongshan asked, “How is it?”
“Just as we guessed.” Ying Kongtu opened his eyes, delight showing within them. “The healthy red toon tree is ‘giving an infusion’ to the sick red toon tree. They’ve grown together.”
“Looks like there shouldn’t be any problem with the sick tree now?”
“Most likely, there won’t be any problem. The nutrients delivered by the healthy red toon tree have already been processed and are very gentle. They can be directly absorbed and used by the sick red toon tree, without needing further processing.”
Wen Zhongshan patted the tree. “It sounds truly magical. It’s a little like the healthy tree opened an entrance and directly accepted the sick tree, letting the sick tree be nourished inside its body.”
“That description isn’t wrong either.” Ying Kongtu raised his head and looked at the crown. “All things have spirit. Trees also have their own way of helping one another.”
Author’s Note:
Jingwei was playing with its good dog friends at the pet park.
A curious dog owner brought over a dog-language translator and translated their dog language.
In the end, six translations in a row were all: “I’m tired. I don’t want to play anymore.”
So the dog owners took their dogs and left.
Jingwei stood there, stunned for a long while.
It looked at its good dog friends walking away, then looked at Ying Kongtu and Wen Zhongshan nearby.
It suddenly reacted and wanted to chase after them. “Awoo!”
What the good dog friends had clearly said was: “This is so fun! Let’s play again next time!”
Ying Kongtu quickly grabbed the leash and did not let it chase them.
Jingwei pawed at the ground twice in place, then turned its head and buried its muzzle into Ying Kongtu’s arms, feeling extremely wronged. “Ying ying!”
Humans are bad! Human translators are bad!
