area51novel Chapter 362
Chapter 362
"Is this tree a spirit? Yes. It is indeed a spirit now. But it is too strange. According to Da Hong Pao, its consciousness has been born since some unknown time and dynasty..." The researchers sat together, talking one after another, with their tone full of amazement and doubt. One of them pushed his glasses, and continued with a solemn expression and a bit of curiosity: "According to it, perhaps it has been conscious since the Qin Shihuang period. If we estimate conservatively, it must be more than two thousand years!" The long river of history instantly emerged in everyone's mind, from Qin bricks and Han tiles to Tang style and charm, and then to Ming and Qing mist and rain. If this tree has really gone through such a long time, it is too bizarre. For a moment, they were all shocked and widened their eyes, their faces full of disbelief.
"I think he is bragging." A young researcher curled his lips, his face full of doubt, "Can living things have consciousness!" Although the words were light, they were like stones thrown into the lake, stirring up layers of ripples.
The ears of the mother plant of Dahongpao were very sharp. When it heard these words, it immediately lost its composure. Its branches and leaves trembled like a ignited gunpowder barrel, and it said angrily: "You... are you talking bad about me behind my back? Gossiping? Do you think I didn't hear it? You are bragging, your whole family is bragging!" Its angry appearance was just like a street gangster, and it kept saying "you fucking" and "my fucking". Vulgar words kept popping out, and I don't know where it got the "market habits" from.
When everyone present heard these "dirty words", they were all speechless, looking at each other, and muttering in their hearts: This tree doesn't have thorns, why is it so thorny? With such a "violent temper", it really can't stand any loss. If it doesn't like it, it will "go all out", and it has no reserve and cultivation that a "spiritual tree" should have.
"It's not impossible." A senior researcher broke the brief silence, looking serious, trying to get the topic back on track, "Have you heard of an experiment?" Everyone's eyes were focused, he paused, and then said: "Bactus experiment." (Ahem, to avoid suspicion of real-life connection, the name is slightly changed, just as a fictional parallel space).
"Bactus experiment? You mean that experiment, is it an experiment of praising and scolding plants..." Someone immediately took over, with a flash of memory in his eyes.
"That's right, two identical plants, one of which is praised every day and the other is scolded. In the end, the one that is praised grows better and better, while the other withers directly!" The researcher described in detail, gesturing with his hands while speaking, "This experiment shows that plants may really have consciousness."
"Well... there are many such experiments." Someone else added, nodding slightly, with a thoughtful look on his face, "I used to be skeptical about this experiment, but now that I see this rogue tea tree, I think that experiment may be true, and plants... may really have consciousness!" The words are full of revisions to previous views and acceptance of new cognitions, and there is a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Yes, perhaps this rogue tea tree was really aware of the surrounding environment in ancient times." Everyone echoed, their thinking became more active, and their imaginations were opened up. "Well, doesn't that mean that this rogue tea tree may be a living history?" Someone clapped his hands excitedly, his eyes shining, as if he had discovered a treasure.
"Impossible. After all, this rogue tea tree has lived for a long time and has experienced many dynasties. It is possible that it has come into contact with many people from different eras. That will be of great help to our study of ancient history." The more everyone discussed, the more heated it became. Various speculations and inferences emerged one after another, as if they had seen the deep historical background hidden behind this tree, which could reveal many historical mysteries.
"Not necessarily. Although it has consciousness... but who can be sure that it has a good memory?" A researcher poured a basin of cold water and analyzed calmly, "Maybe, this rogue tea tree has long forgotten what happened in history!"
"That's right... After all, the rogue tea tree is just a tree, and it has no brain." Someone shrugged helplessly, telling the cruel reality that although it has consciousness, the structure of trees is destined to be different from the brain of animals, and memory storage and recall capabilities are all questionable.
Hearing these people talking without any scruples, the rogue tea tree became completely "red-hot", and anger rose up. Its branches and leaves shook more and more violently, like flags in the wind, "Catch... rogue tea, rogue tea tree, what do you mean by calling your grandfather a rogue tea tree? Your grandfather has tolerated you for a long time..." It stretched out its branches, pointed at the researchers who were talking, and roared. It looked as if it was going to rush up to argue with them, "Your grandfather is your ancestor!" When these words came out, although the logic was a bit confusing, "grandfather" and "ancestor" were mixed up, but because of its plant thinking, it made people feel inexplicably humorous, and it was not easy to be too picky about grammar.Wrong.
The researchers were speechless again when they saw it "acting like a spoiled child". They shook their heads and whispered: "It is indeed a rogue tea tree, calling him grandpa all the time. It is so uncultured!" "Ah, I don't know who he learned it from." "If that's the case, you can't blame him for being a rogue, because he may not have been to school, how can he learn to be a tree?" "That's right!" There was both disgust and helpless understanding in the words, thinking that it was just "wild and unruly" and didn't know the etiquette of the world.
Seeing that the researchers ignored him, the rogue tea tree became even more angry, his chest heaving violently (if it had a chest), "I think your ancestors learned Taoism from Laozi, learned etiquette from Confucius, learned military tactics from Sun Wu, learned swordsmanship from the sword master, learned poetry from Li Bai, learned how to unify the six kingdoms from the first emperor, and..." He spoke more and more excitedly, completely immersed in the past "glorious years", spitting (if the tree could spit), trying to use these experiences to show his extraordinaryness, shut up the mouths of people who questioned him, and save face.
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