Orchids in the Empty Valley
Before we knew it, it was the end of the year. We had been in Myanmar for more than four months. It was already the middle of winter, but the coldest was only six or seven degrees, and there was no snow. The trees all over the mountains and plains, except for a few that turned yellow and red, were still a thick green.
Today, I was reading in bed in the bamboo shed. Qi Tonggao suddenly sneaked in, looked around, and walked straight to my bed. I quickly got up.
"Da Bao. Let me tell you some good news. I already know the location of the orchid.”he said with a smile.
I was stunned. What orchid?"
"Are you pretending? It's the orchid we went to the valley to find that day. Have you forgotten?"
"Oh, I remember. You, you found it?" I remembered." Is it a strange flower? It's very valuable, right?
"Shh, keep your voice down." He said," I haven't found it yet. But I already know where it is. I'm looking for you to ask you if you want to dig with me?”
"Digging together?" I looked at him suspiciously. Why would he want me to go with him?" Why don't you go alone?”
He laughed." If I could dig it up alone, you wouldn't have a chance. Do you only say yes or no. If you're willing, we'll split it 50 - 50. If you're not willing, I'll find someone else. Was he afraid that no one would do such a good thing? Let me tell you, silly dog, that orchid is definitely not an ordinary item just based on its fragrance. Its value is immeasurable. This was a matter of no cost and no profit. If we do it well, we won't even have to mine.”
My brain was spinning. His words were tempting, but there must be a reason behind it."I'm willing to do it. But you have to tell me why you can't dig it up alone. It's dangerous, isn't it?"
"I can't tell you that yet. But it wasn't because of the danger, but because if he told you, you might be the first to dig. I can only guarantee that I'm not scamming you. This matter will only benefit you and not harm you. To tell you the truth, it's easy for me to find other people, but I don't trust them.”
I thought about it and said,"Alright. What should I do now?"
"I don't want you to do anything. I've prepared everything. Everything was ready except for the east wind. We'll choose a good day and set off quietly. But your cousin has to go with you."
"Can't he still go?"
"No, we can't do this without three people!”he said firmly.
After Qi Tonggao left, I was very excited. I didn't expect such a good thing to come knocking on my door. Where could the orchid be? I recalled the scene of searching in the valley that day. The entire valley was filled with weeds and thorns. To find that Qilan, wasn't it like searching for a needle in a haystack? How did Qi Tonggao find it? Why did it take three people to poach him? Do you want me and cousin to pull chestnuts from the fire for him? This old man really couldn't figure him out. My heart was in a mess.
Two days later, Qi Tonggao came to find me and said that it shouldn't rain tomorrow. We'll get up at seven to dig up orchids.
The next day, my cousin and I followed Qi Tonggao's instructions and arrived at the roadside early. He was already waiting. He prepared a thick hemp rope, a small hemp rope, a small pointed shovel with a 20-centimeter-long wooden handle, and a bamboo bag that could be tied to his waist.
"Ah, why are you taking so many hemp ropes? What is the use of this bamboo pouch?" Cousin asked.
"Don't ask anymore. Let's go." Qi Tonggao said," It has to be early."
The three of them rushed to the valley with the things. I had already guessed where the orchid was, but I didn't say anything. As expected, when they reached the valley, Qi Tonggao said,"After a few times of searching and observation, I was able to find a way out. He concluded that the orchid was on the cliff wall of the valley. We'll definitely be able to dig it up if we go down."
"Did you see it? I don't believe it!”Cousin said.
"Young man, you don't have to doubt it. You can understand everything if you think about it." Qi Tonggao laughed." You know what happened that day. Everyone smelled the fragrance. What kind of fragrance could there be in this desolate mountain? It could only be the fragrance of flowers. What kind of flowers could be so fragrant? It could only be orchids. We smelled the fragrance and walked for a while. The fragrance was gone, which meant that the orchid was in this valley. He went down to the valley to search, but he couldn't smell the fragrance or find the flower. There was only one possibility: the flower was on the stone wall of the valley. I carefully observed the mountain wall. I've marked a few areas where orchids might grow. As long as we go down and look for them, we'll definitely find them! But this is a very strenuous thing. We have to change.”
I sniffed hard and asked,"Why can't I smell the fragrance?" Did the orchid fail?"
"No, it's not that. There was no wind now, and the fragrance of orchids was not something that could be smelled all the time.”
After Qi Tonggao finished speaking, he tied one end of the hemp rope to a rock and the other end to his waist. He said,"I'll go down first. The two of you must tighten the rope. If it's tight, I can't go down. If it's loose, I can't pull it when I step on air. Pay attention, both of you must hold the rope tightly at all times. Even if you die, you must not let go. Do as I say. This was no laughing matter. Do you remember?"
"Old man Qi, why don't we go back? This is a joke with our lives. Aren't you afraid that we'll throw you down to feed the snake?”Cousin laughed.
"I'm not afraid. With your second brother around, I'll be at ease! If I didn't trust his character, I wouldn't have asked you guys to come!”Qi Tong laughed." When it's your turn to play, be careful. It's safer if you call me Grandpa more often." Otherwise, if I let go of you, you'll become a useless person. Alright, pull the rope tight. I'm going down.”
My cousin and I tightened the rope, and he slowly climbed down the valley. My cousin and I didn't dare to be careless. We tightly gripped the rope to keep it tight. There were a few times when the rope suddenly tightened, and the two of them almost couldn't hold on. Clearly, he had stepped on air. But we couldn't see him or hear him scream. This Old Guan Qi was indeed an experienced person, he was able to keep his cool.
After a while, his voice came from the valley,""Attention, I'm coming up! tighten the rope at any time!"
After a while, his head finally appeared at the edge of the rock. He had climbed up. However, he only held the small pointed shovel in his hand and did not see the orchid.
"There's nothing here. Let's change places." he said.
He went to another place, but he still couldn't find it.
"Strange," he said,"how did you find it?" "Da Bao, this is the last place. If I can't find it, I'll give up." You can go down. I don't have any strength left. Remember, be careful. Step on your feet firmly before you move. Also, look carefully. You have to observe up, down, left, and right. Don't miss anything.”
"I don't think it's going to happen. Mr. Qi, stop dreaming about getting rich! This orchid is playing hide-and-seek with us." Cousin laughed.
"You brat, don't open your foul mouth!" Qi Tonggao cursed.
I tied the rope around my waist and slowly climbed down. After going down six to seven meters, they could not find a foothold. Beneath him was a large flat stone surface. What should he do? I gritted my teeth and shouted,"Pull the rope tight and let me down!"”After saying that, he grabbed the rope and pulled his feet out. His body fell down, but he was immediately pulled back by the rope.
After falling for about ten meters, the stone wall became uneven again, and he could stand on it. After I stabilized my body, I observed my surroundings. This section of the mountain wall was bare. There were only some thorns, weeds, and some unknown herbs growing in the thin soil between the stone crevices.
The sun came out and shone on the bank of the valley opposite me. There were dense trees growing on the opposite bank of the valley. It was not steep, so it should be a slope. Who knew if the orchids didn't grow there?
A breeze blew past, and a faint fragrance drifted over. I was stunned and looked to the right. On the right was a straight and steep mountain wall. There was nothing growing on it. However, there was a concave place under the wall. In a stone nest, there was a low broad-leaved tree and a long grass. I was overjoyed. That means that the orchid is very likely to be in the grass?
"I'm going to the right. Hold on to the rope and follow me!" I shouted.
"Which way?" Qi Tong shouted.
"You are facing the left side of the valley!”
I moved sideways and crawled toward the small tree. The rope moved with me, neither loose nor tight, just right. I couldn't help but admire that veteran.
When they reached the stone wall, the protruding mountain rocks blocked the rope and they couldn't pass. Fortunately, there was a sharp corner of a rock here that allowed me to stand on it and observe carefully. The stone pit was about 70 to 80 centimeters in diameter. It was diagonally below me, about a meter tall and ten feet wide. Between the leaves and the grass, a cluster of plants with red flowers could be vaguely seen. I was both happy and worried. It was indeed hiding here. However, the stone wall was so smooth that there was no foothold. He could not climb over at all.
This orchid really knew how to choose a place. There was no sun in the morning or noon, but they could get caught in the wind and rain. Orchids liked shade and did not need much water. This place was just right for them to grow. Neither humans nor beasts could hurt it.
What should he do? The only way to get close to the orchid was to jump over it. However, the stone nest was small and uneven, so it could not stand upright. There were some cracks in the stone wall below the stone nest. After jumping over, if one grabbed the branches of a small tree and felt for a foothold, they could stand still. But this was an extremely dangerous matter. The soil in the cave was definitely not thick. The branches of the small tree were no thicker than five or six centimeters. I used a lot of strength to jump over. If I were to pull out a small tree that wasn't deeply rooted or break a branch, I would definitely fall. Although there was a rope tied to his waist, it was difficult to guarantee that his waist would not snap.
What should he do? This was really like what cousin said, a joke with his life. I don't know if I'm a warrior who sacrifices my life for Qilan, or a fool who wants money and doesn't want my life? Moreover, it might just be a worthless ordinary orchid.
I couldn't make up my mind. I stood on the mountain wall and hesitated, thinking about it.
"Da Bao, what's wrong? Did you see him?”Qi Tonggao shouted from above," Is it Qilan? Does it have seven petals?”
I won't say anything…
A burst of fragrance entered my nose again, making me feel relaxed and happy. There was a feeling of becoming an immortal, which actually reminded me of that night with Bi Min. It was wonderful. I instantly made up my mind and shouted,"I saw flowers. But I can't reach it. It's about three meters away from me. You guys loosen the rope, I'm going to jump over…"
I explained the situation and methods in detail. Qi Tonggao was overjoyed. I'll put down the bamboo bag and you tie it around your waist. After we dig up the orchid, we'll put it inside and pull it up. -- Da Bao, good job. Don't worry, jump boldly! Nothing happened!" Qi Tonggao's voice.
"Why not? If not, you can go dance! You're just playing with your mouth." Cousin's voice rang out." Second Brother, don't take the risk. Why don't you just come up?”
"Don't say anymore! Let go of the rope!" I was afraid that cousin would shake my determination, so I shouted.
The rope loosened; I had to estimate exactly how much it had loosened: I can't be short. If I'm short, the rope will pull me and I won't be able to catch the small tree when I jump over. It will cause me to fall and the rope will break my waist. I can't. If it grows, when I grab the small tree, the branches will break or be pulled out. Because of the long distance of the fall, the rope will break my waist. It's better to fall directly to the bottom of the valley.
I stood sideways on the sharp corner of the stone and looked at the length of the rope. I felt that I had put too little rope and shouted,"Put a little more!" Feeling that he had put too much, he shouted again,"Take back some!”After doing this a few times, he shouted,"Alright, stop!”
This was a matter of life and death, I thought to myself. There should be a steel ruler to measure carefully and calculate repeatedly.
The rope was bent. I looked at my feet and shivered. The clouds below were covered with fog. The dark green trees in the valley were hidden from time to time. I couldn't see the bottom of the valley. It was unfathomable.
"I'm going to jump. When I shout, quickly pull the rope back! Do you hear me?"
"I heard it!" The two of them shouted in unison.
I chose a section of the tree trunk as a place to grab and pinch. I carefully looked at the stone crevices where I could step on. I closed my eyes and remained silent for a while. Then, I slowly opened my eyes and took a deep breath. With a sudden jump, I leaped into the valley. A chill instantly spread throughout my body. My heart was as empty as my body, and I fell into the valley…
I grabbed the tree trunk as if I was holding the door of life and death. However, the most terrifying thing happened. The small tree loosened and was being pulled out. In a flash, I grabbed a protruding rock with my left hand and felt for a place to land with my feet…
God bless, the tip of his right foot finally touched a stone depression.
The moment my body stabilized, I let out a long sigh, my heart still beating wildly. I calmed myself down and used my left foot to explore for a while. I also stepped on a crack in the stone and shouted,"tighten the rope!"
The rope tightened. "Do you see the orchids?" Qi Tong shouted. What does it look like?"
I didn't answer him. I stared at the orchid in the stone nest.
The orchid was about 50 centimeters tall, with strong branches and lush leaves. The leaves were dark green, and the flowers were black with a hint of red. Graceful and slender leaves surrounded the orchid. The dense leaves and branches, as well as the red and white tongue spots, complemented each other and were exceptionally eye-catching. On the two branches, one had five flowers, and the other had six flowers. There were a total of eleven gorgeous orchids. The tongue was in the shape of a leaf. Accompanied by the five pointed leaves, the tongue spot was blackish-red and colorful, very dazzling. Eleven orchids floated in the wind, emitting a refreshing fragrance.
I couldn't stay here for long, so I used my right hand to dig carefully with a small shovel. Standing on the stone wall, he couldn't exert any strength and was afraid of damaging the flowers. This was naturally a difficult and dangerous task. After a while, my forehead started to sweat. Fortunately, the red soil in the stone pit was loose and easy to dig. After gritting his teeth and persisting for a while, he finally dug out the orchid and placed it in the bamboo pocket on his waist. He shouted,"Alright, pull me up!"
The moment the rope tightened, I gripped the rope with both hands and pulled my feet out. I was swinging in the air.
The rope was pulled upwards, but it was very laborious and slow, moving almost centimeter by centimeter. I was 1.75 meters tall and weighed 70 kilograms. Obviously, I couldn't count on them to pull me up quickly. After leaving the smooth stone wall, the mountain wall was uneven and could be climbed. I told them to loosen the rope and slowly climbed to the top of the valley.
Qi Tonggao didn't ask if I was injured. He just stared at the orchid, his eyes shining with greed and surprise.
" I'm rich, I'm rich, I'm finally rich…" he muttered.
"What's wrong? Are you crazy?”Cousin said," What flower is this? Tell me!”
"What flower? Hehehe, Da Bao, I won't hide it from you. We're really rich now! Before I came, I asked the blind man to tell my fortune. He said that I would definitely make a fortune in Myanmar this time. He originally thought that he was going to dig up a rich ore, but he didn't expect it to be on this Qilan.”
"Elder Qi, I think this orchid is indeed different from the ordinary ones, but what's so good about it?”I asked.
"Orchids are divided into five categories: spring orchid, cymbidium, cymbidium, cold orchid, and black orchid.，This orchid should be a rare species among the tropical cold orchids. The Chinese frigid orchid was widely distributed and had strong adaptability. Han Lan can be divided into broad-leaved Han Lan and fine-leaved Han Lan according to the quality of leaves. From the flowering period to the winter flowers can be divided into the type of cold orchid and summer cold orchid. The winter season of broad-leaved cold orchids was after October 1st. The broad-leaved cold orchids had rich colors, but they had more blue and white flowers, followed by purple flowers, red flowers, yellow flowers, and white flowers. There were many blue-and-white flowers with thin leaves, including purple flowers. Red flowers were rare, and white flowers were even rarer. I think this orchid is a rare species of red orchid. However, the red orchids I've seen have purple flowers, but I've never seen such a dark red one. Moreover, it was rare for the flower to have three long petals. More importantly, I've never smelled this fragrance before. It reminds me of the sweat and body fragrance of a good-looking woman…"
Cousin laughed,"Old Mister Qi, you're always a good-looking woman. Don't go crazy with lust." Then tell me, what is the name of this flower?”
"Hey, you little dog, you talk so impolitely. This was a strange flower that he had never seen before. What was its name? If it had a name, it would be worthless!"
"Then how much do you think it's worth?"
"I can't say for sure. These orchids are cheap at one or two yuan per stalk, and expensive at millions per pot…"
After discussing with Qi Tonggao, they decided to bring the orchids to the country. Depending on the situation, they could either sell them or plant their own tiller. He would leave in the next few days.
"We have to keep this a secret. Don't let others know. We went back to the company separately. I'll take the orchids and leave first. You guys take the things back.”Qi Tonggao said. He looked like a ghost.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。