Yun Yiyi rested for a while, and then Zhang took her to the deep woods by the roadside to relieve herself. The trees deep in the woods were tall, completely blocking out the scorching sun. Standing under the trees, she felt cool and comfortable. The area under the trees was clean, with few weeds, and the view was wide open.

"Yiyi, let's go a little further and relieve ourselves behind that tall bush up ahead. "There's no shelter here, so we'll be easily seen," Zhang said as they walked forward, holding Yiyi's hand. They reached the edge of the woods, where the weeds outside were dry and yellow. They needed both hands to push them aside before they could pass. Fortunately, it was only five or six meters away, and they quickly got behind the bushes.

This is also because this forest is closer to the depths of the mountains, and the water shortage is not as severe. That's why there are large patches of grass. The grass beside the official road is only sparsely populated with a few blades of grass.

Arriving at the thicket, Yun Yiyi discovered several tall jujube trees entwined, interspersed with thickets of grass. The thicket was completely enclosed, leaving no gaps. At this time of year in previous years, the jujubes were laden with bright red fruits, sweet with a slightly sour aftertaste, making them incredibly delicious. They were also a favorite wild fruit for farm children to pick in autumn. Now, the branches of the jujube trees looked bare, devoid of anything.

Zhang was relieving herself in the grass about two meters in front of the bushes. Yun Yiyi was tapping the grass with a wrist-thick wooden stick she'd broken off in the woods. Suddenly, she heard the rustling of something sliding through the grass. She quickly looked around and realized the sound was coming from inside the bushes.

Yun Yiyi took two gentle steps forward. She saw a snake, over two meters long, covered in golden-yellow stripes with black. It was slithering out of the bushes, almost halfway out. Looking in the direction, it was exactly where Zhang was. In a flash, Yun Yiyi leaped forward, struck the snake's head with her stick, and then quickly lifted it aside.

Yun Yiyi was naturally strong, and with her recent daily practice of back-stabs in the space, her agility was improving. When she reached the snake, she discovered she had already smashed its head, but its body was still flailing about, looking quite frightening. However, this didn't frighten Yun Yiyi, who had come from the apocalypse. During the apocalypse, when they were out on missions, they would catch and eat any non-venomous snakes that hadn't mutated, and they were quite tasty. Yun Yiyi tied the snake in a knot, tied it with straw, and hung it on a wooden stick.

"Yiyi, what were you fighting about just now?" Zhang asked as they walked.

"Mom, I caught a snake." Yun Yiyi said happily, holding up the wooden stick to show Zhang. Zhang was frightened when she saw the snake's body still swaying.

"You weren't bitten, were you, Yiyi? How dare you be so brave to catch a snake!" Zhang asked anxiously.

"Mom, I wasn't bitten by a snake. This snake crawled out of the bushes and was about to bite you, so I caught it. You know how strong I am. Look, I smashed the snake's head into pieces with just one blow of my stick." Yun Yiyi pointed to the rotten snake's head and showed it to Zhang. Zhang took a look and saw that it was indeed smashed.

"Luckily, you're strong. If you were bitten by a snake, what would you do? There are many poisonous snakes in the forest. Don't kill snakes secretly in the future. Remember?" Zhang said sternly.

"Mom, don't worry, I won't do it again next time." Yun Yiyi replied. Haha, I'll talk about it next time if we meet again, Yun Yiyi thought secretly in her heart.

Zhang wasn't afraid of snakes. Villagers often encountered them while working in the fields or picking mushrooms in the mountains. Most snakes were non-venomous and could be scared away with a stick without biting. If someone was bitten by a venomous snake, they could be beyond help if they didn't get to town in time. The children were always busy, running around in the mountains and rivers. They'd seen so many snakes that they weren't afraid. However, this was the first time the children had ever caught a snake. Zhang was too panicked, and thinking about it now, she still feels a little scared.

"Take the stick and go back to let your father take a look. If the snake is not poisonous, we can wait until tonight when we go camping and then take it out and cook it for food." Zhang held Yun Yiyi's little hand and kept nagging as they walked.

"Mom, you are so kind." Yun Yiyi said happily.

"You are a troublemaker. You are almost as naughty as your third brother." Zhang pointed at Yun Yiyi's forehead.

When the two returned to the resting place, Yun the Butcher was also shocked when he saw the snake that Yun Yiyi caught.

"You are so brave. You didn't run away when you saw the snake, but dared to catch it. Fortunately, it was a non-venomous snake." Yun the butcher said fearfully.

"Yiyi, is this really the snake you caught?"

"Yiyi. Where did you catch such a big snake?"

"Yiyi, take your third brother with you next time. He has a slingshot for you to play with."

The three brothers of the Yun family started talking one after another.

"Yiyi, where did you catch the snake? Did you get bitten by it?" The village chief also rushed over after hearing the news.

"Yes, Yiyi, you are young but very brave." Hunter Zhang said in the crowd.

"Uncle village chief, I caught it in the bushes behind the woods over there. It was trying to bite my mother, so I beat it to death with a stick." Yun Yiyi explained.

Everyone thought about it and realized that Yun Yiyi was able to kill the snake, as they were all strong. Most little girls would cry in fear when they saw a snake, but Yun Yiyi didn't rush forward.

"This snake is non-venomous, called the White-striped Elaphe." It's typically found in northern China. It's docile, slow-moving, and resilient, often found in bushes and grass. It typically preys on small birds, lizards, and rodents. It's also quite resistant to starvation. Otherwise, given the current situation, with so few wild animals in the mountains, most snakes would have migrated or starved to death. Li Xiucai explained this snake to everyone.

The villagers are all familiar with this kind of snake, but they usually don't catch it. When they were in Yunjia Village, they wanted to catch it but couldn't because they were short of food. This side is close to the mountains, so the vegetation is more lush. Given the current situation, it is estimated that there are not many left in the mountains.

Everyone watched for a while and then dispersed. Yun the butcher collected the snakes, put them in a bag, and placed it on a cart to be cleaned up in the evening.

Yun Yiyi was nagged by Zhang and Yun the Butcher for a long time, and asked to promise not to catch snakes in the future. Yun Yiyi felt that this love was too heavy, and her ears were almost calloused from listening to it.

Fortunately, the village chief soon struck a gong, and everyone began to line up and continue on their way. The weather was still hot, but everyone was now full of energy. They hoped to find a suitable campsite a little further, where they could rest. So, as they walked, everyone looked around, hoping to find a suitable campsite quickly.

After walking about five miles, we still circled the mountain. On one side of the road were trees, on the other, grass, neither of which seemed suitable. Everyone hoped they could find a village; that would be safer.