Chapter 2266 - 2169: Vicious!
The old walnut tree in the yard, on the surface, looked like it was in full bloom and appeared lush, but these were merely appearances.
In fact, when Huo Sining first used Spiritual Energy to investigate the walnut tree, she unexpectedly discovered that the roots of the tree had been artificially severed at some point.
Worried that she might be mistaken, Huo Sining hurriedly activated her Heavenly Eye to look at the roots of the walnut tree again.
Upon this closer look, she became even more certain of her suspicion. It was indeed an act of sabotage, and the person responsible used a razor, likely a very sharp dagger or something similar.
Huo Sining had seen precious swords that cut through iron like mud, so she was perfectly clear about how the current situation was caused.
The roots of the tree had suffered such severe damage that, under these circumstances, it was impossible to supply the trunk with enough nutrients and water.
Instinctively, the tree would choose self-preservation, and at the very least, it would have to heal its roots before it could transport nutrients to the trunk again.
However, whether it could heal on its own, based on the size and severity of the wound on the roots, Huo Sining felt uncertain.
Even if the tree could survive, it would definitely be delayed for at least a few months.
As a result, this year’s crop of walnuts, without timely nutrient supply, would predictably face issues.
Although the tree appeared fine now, it would soon begin to show problems—in a matter of days, the leaves would wither and fall, and the flowers would wilt directly, making it impossible for the tree to bear fruit!
Huo Sining was somewhat worried that this might be the situation of Aunt Liu’s family, so she signaled Liao Song to check the other families.
As expected, in the other households they visited, it was exactly as she had suspected; the walnut trees had suffered the same malicious damage, with each tree’s main root being severed using a razor.
Seeing this, a chilling smile appeared at the corner of Huo Sining’s mouth.
Judging by the wounds on the tree roots, the damage couldn’t have occurred more than five hours ago. It’s obvious who did it.
Clearly, this was a trap set up by Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen for Liao Song. The goal was for Liao Song to buy these walnut trees, and once he paid, he would realize the problem with the trees when it would be too late to back out.
These two not only aimed for Liao Song to lose money, but also wanted to catch him off guard, leaving him no time to save the situation and rendering him incapable of participating in this year’s antique walnut business in Fuzhou.
This plot was undoubtedly vicious!
Recalling the worry on the faces of those aunts in the village earlier, Huo Sining paused for a moment and instinctively glanced over at Aunt Liu and the other female farmers.
She was somewhat concerned that these women might be in cahoots with Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen.
However, observing them, Huo Sining quickly dismissed this suspicion.
The anxiety and urgency in these women’s eyes weren’t fake—they wanted to sell their walnuts badly. However, their faces showed no guilt, indicating they were unaware of the trouble with their walnut trees and didn’t realize they had become pawns in someone else’s scheme.
But upon reflection, it made sense; these walnut trees were the primary source of income for these women each year, bringing them hundreds of thousands in revenue even though each of the five or six families only had one tree.
If Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen were really in collusion with these women, trying to frame Liao Song by damaging these trees, one might doubt if Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen could even afford to compensate with such tactics, and the women themselves would certainly not agree to it.
These trees were their cash cows, and no one would be foolish enough to destroy the foundation of their economic welfare for a paltry sum, unless Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen were willing to offer compensation exceeding the total value of these walnut trees.
Even the women would calculate that an old walnut tree could earn two to three million in ten to twenty years, and the compensation required for carrying out such a scheme would undoubtedly be beyond what Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen could bear.
Therefore, Huo Sining quickly concluded that these farmers were innocent victims, completely unaware of the upheaval their walnut trees had suffered.
Yet this made Huo Sining even more indignant about what Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen had done.
These farmers depended on these walnut trees for their livelihood, but Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen, prioritizing personal vendettas, dragged the farmers into it, even at the cost of damaging the trees.
It takes over ten to twenty years for a walnut tree to mature and bear fruit. These farmers had spent so much effort nurturing their walnut trees, only for Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen to sever the roots with such a malicious act. Huo Sining had never witnessed such vile means.
Looking at the eager expressions of those women, Huo Sining was reluctant to reveal the bad news. After thinking for a moment, she turned to Liao Song and said:
"These trees are fine, go ahead and negotiate prices with them, stick to the price you proposed earlier today, and you’ll definitely close the deal!"
Liao Song was taken aback by Huo Sining’s comment. "Are you sure? But earlier, Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen..."
Huo Sining smiled, "Don’t worry, go ahead and collect them, I guarantee it!"
Liao Song, hearing such a firm assurance from Huo Sining, grew even more puzzled, yet despite his confusion, he didn’t believe Huo Sining would set him up. His intuition told him that Huo Sining had her reasons.
So, Liao Song asked no further questions. Instead, he gathered the women together and began discussing the package deal price.
Meanwhile, as the people negotiated the purchase price, Huo Sining secretly healed and restored the roots of the walnut trees.
Huo Sining did this because the situation had nothing to do with these farmers—it was purely due to her personal feud with Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen. Moreover, she saw it as an opportunity for Liao Song not to let their conspiracy ruin his business chances.
And, if the plot against Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen was thwarted, it would tip the scales in favor of Liao Song, while adding a layer of crisis for them.
Huo Sining was determined not to let Wang Zhongwei and Ma Liwen get away with it so easily. Any chance to overturn them wasn’t something she’d willingly pass up!