The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1831 Dead Tree

Cheng Feng sat down next to Madam Wan. "Mother, don't mention that brat. He's been punished by his great-uncle and is confined to his quarters. He's copying the 'Crown Prince's Instructions' at the Crown Prince's residence. I reckon he won't be released for at least eight or nine days!"

"What's wrong with my grandson again?"

"He stole his great-uncle's flowers and sent them to Zhuoyang in Chenqing Palace, lying that they were from his great-uncle. His great-uncle was so angry that he punished him by confining him to his quarters! Even in confinement, he's not behaving properly, always wanting to eat this or that. He even made me train his dog. I was thinking of going to see him, but his great-uncle wouldn't let me! Mother, you don't look well!"

"Nonsense! Mother ate a bowl of porridge this morning, and her pulse was checked. Everything is fine!"

Shang Xi had just told Cheng Feng that not only was Shang tide surprised by her mother's change of attitude towards the Han family, but Cheng Feng was also taken aback. She left the Han family behind and went back to her room to lie down, which was quite unusual! Now that the Han family had left, the old lady was sitting here acting all high and mighty, which made things even more strange!

Cheng Feng suspected that his mother might have noticed something, so he began to probe, "Mom, it's best if you don't stay cooped up in the house all the time. Going out for a walk and getting some sunshine will help you get calcium!"

"Wait until it gets warmer! I'm too lazy to move these days!" The old lady wasn't in the mood!

Cheng Feng, as if he couldn't understand, continued to persuade her: "Actually, it's not cold outside at all. Mother, how about I accompany you for a walk in the back garden?"

Unable to resist Cheng Feng's persistent pleading, Madam Wan had no choice but to stand up and say, "Let's go for a walk then!"

Cheng Feng smiled happily. Ever since his father passed away, his mother's spirits had declined significantly, and she spent all her time cooped up in the house, looking lifeless!

Xing'er found a plain satin cloak with a lotus pattern for the old lady to wear, and then Cheng Feng slowly helped her out.

When Xing'er saw that the old lady was able to go outside, she was happy. The worry on her face disappeared, and her steps became lighter!

Stepping into the back garden, everyone is enveloped in the delicate fragrance of flowers and plants, which is refreshing and delightful.

A few steps further in, you'll find that the back garden is full of flowers, including blood-red kapok flowers, pink camellias, and a patch of water lilies that is the most lovely. The fragrance of these flowers is the most attractive. When the old lady walks to the patch of water lilies, she can't move her feet. The fragrance of these flowers is refreshing and she likes them the most. Otherwise, she wouldn't have planted a patch of them in the back garden.

"Its pristine whiteness is not allowed to be defiled by mud, but relies entirely on the wind and dew to reveal its delicate beauty!"

Cheng Feng couldn't understand what the old lady was saying, so he bent down and picked two of the best-blooming water lilies and put them in his mother's white hair. Her hair was white, and the water lilies were white too! Cheng Feng thought it looked strange, so he took a few steps into the water lily patch and picked a yellow one to put in his mother's hair. This time it looked much better.

Just those two little flowers, one white and one yellow, made the old lady happy!

Cheng Feng helped the old lady stroll slowly into the garden. "Mother, there are magnolias ahead, they're in bloom too."

"The magnolias are blooming too?" The old lady liked these flowers, so she specially transplanted two plants, one white and one pink. Unfortunately, the pink one died, leaving only the white magnolia. Because of its small crown, the whole plant only bloomed eight or nine flowers!

"They've been blooming for a while, but there aren't many flowers yet!" Cheng Feng didn't know what to say, so he helped the old lady to see for herself!

Looking at the pitiful eight or nine flowers and the withered magnolia tree next to them, the old lady felt a pang of heartache. She touched the dry, withered branches and sighed, "How could it have died so suddenly? It was perfectly fine when it was transplanted last year! How could it have died in less than a year? It's truly a world of fleeting changes and unpredictable events."

Although the old lady was talking to herself, Cheng Feng could still sense a hint of sadness in her voice!

Seeing his mother staring blankly at the tree, Cheng Feng assumed she was heartbroken over it, so he said, "Mother, the garden workers said that this magnolia tree might sprout a new bud from its roots."

"When the roots rot, the branches wither; the family line is exhausted. Even with a lingering shade, it can hardly revive the past glory!" Old Madam Wan gently patted the tree trunk, the "thump, thump, thump" sound heavy and dull—the muffled thud of decaying wood. She shook her head and sighed, "This tree is probably completely dead!"

Cheng Feng, who had grown up among the trees in the mountains, sensed something was wrong. He walked over, bent down, picked up a small stick from the ground, and tapped the tree here and there. When he hit a knot, the sound was still a bit crisp! "This tree might really be dead!"

Cheng Feng dropped the wooden stick in his hand, gripped the tree trunk, which was about the thickness of a bowl, with both hands, and with a burst of strength, he uprooted the tree.

Not only were his mother and Xing'er stunned, but even the gardener in the distance was dumbfounded. This man, who looked to be in his fifties and was holding a shovel, saw the magnolia tree, which was still waiting to sprout, being uprooted by the prince with his bare hands. He dropped the pile of seedlings on the ground and ran over, looking at the tree with great heartache. "Your Highness was too impatient! This tree could still sprout new buds! How could Your Highness just uproot it like that! What a pity, what a pity!"

Cheng Feng threw the withered tree in his hand to the ground, and a series of crisp sounds rang out as branches of various sizes and thicknesses shattered all over the ground!

Cheng Feng pointed to the tree roots and said, "The roots are completely rotten; there's no way new shoots can sprout from them!"

Cheng Feng thought to himself, "If the tree roots weren't rotten like this, even two of me wouldn't be able to uproot a tree!"

The garden worker, unwilling to give up, bent down and began inspecting the tree roots, occasionally poking around with his shovel. After circling the tree for a while, he muttered to himself, "Rotten wood cannot be carved, and rotten roots cannot sprout!" He shook his head and sighed at the withered magnolia tree lying on the ground before straightening up and bowing to Madam Wan and Cheng Feng, saying, "Your Highness, Madam, this tree is completely dead! It is this servant's fault for not taking good care of it. Please punish me, Your Highness and Madam!"

Cheng Feng waved his hand: "If a tree dies, it dies. We'll go out tomorrow and choose another magnolia to plant here!"

"Yes! This afternoon, I will go out to select trees!"

The old lady was still staring blankly at a dead tree when Cheng Feng took her arm. "Mother, we can transplant one tomorrow. I'll come with you here to admire the magnolias again tomorrow!"

"A tree rots at its roots, and disaster arises from within. Mother just feels it's a real pity!"

"It's just a tree, why are you so worried, Mother? I'll accompany you for walks more often from now on! Mother, aren't you thinking about Han Nianxia? I'll go with you to see Han Nianxia in a couple of days, okay?" This was what Cheng Feng really wanted to say while strolling through the garden!

Madam Wan remained calm. "I do miss Xia, but Shangxi can go and see her. I won't go myself. I'm too old to go out!"