"There really are big cats, but there won't be big tigers too, will there?" Lin Chacha's face turned pale at first, then she became excited. She had never seen majestic big cats and tigers before, and she really wanted to see them with her own eyes.
"Don't even think about it. That thing eats people. I can't even beat it. If you guys run into it, you'll definitely get carried away." Lin Xiazhu patted Lin Chacha's head, trying to dissuade her from those unrealistic ideas.
Xiao An's face grew paler and paler, her peach blossom eyes dark and deep, her voice restrained but unable to hide the tension in her heart, "Sister, don't go to that mountain alone in the future."
"Don't worry, I was just caught off guard today, so I was startled. I'm not hurt anywhere, and I won't climb that mountain again." It really wasn't necessary; it's too far and too dangerous.
In her past life, she and Chacha were attacked by wild boars that suddenly appeared. If it weren't for her divine power, they would have died again this time.
She would never go to that mountain again, no matter if there were thousand-year-old or hundred-year-old ginseng, or Ganoderma lucidum and red mushrooms on it.
It's strange, really. It's said that no one has ever climbed that mountain, except for that ginseng digging team of a dozen or so people. But they had an accident before they could climb it, and since then no one has dared to climb that mountain.
Lin Xiazhu has already been there three times. The second time she went with Chacha and Xiao An, and the third time was today, when she went alone. She really shouldn't go again.
Strangely enough, she just had a gut feeling that she shouldn't go there again. There was no concrete evidence to prove anything, and no one had ever said that she could only go there a maximum of three times, but that was the feeling she had subconsciously.
It was strange, but she decided to follow her heart.
"I probably won't come here again. The mushroom trees are being neglected, and there will be fewer and fewer mushrooms next year. It's not worth coming all this way. I'll just occasionally look for some wild game on the outskirts." Lin Xiazhu said this not only to herself, but also to Lin Chacha and Xiao An.
The main point was to tell Lin Chacha that Xiao An herself wouldn't deliberately run into the deep mountains, but the bold Lin Chacha might. If things weren't explained clearly, she might suddenly decide to sneak in and pick mushrooms or something.
But Lin Chacha was bewildered. She couldn't understand Lin Xiazhu's thoughts. Mountain people rely on the mountains for their livelihood, so how could they give up going deep into the mountains? There are so many people going from the outside, and there are no good things there.
At most, you can dig up some bamboo shoots and pick some trumpet mushrooms and broom mushrooms. Unlike the deep mountains, where you can easily hunt a whole nest of wild rabbits, or even take down a wild boar if you want. The main thing is that there are ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms here.
Seeing her second sister's pained expression, Lin Xiazhu was both amused and annoyed. This girl had truly inherited the mindset of the village elders; she always felt uneasy when she was away from the mountains.
Other people's children all yearn for big cities and wish they could leave the countryside to buy a house and settle down in the city, but unfortunately they don't have the conditions or ability, so they can only continue to stay in the countryside.
Lin Chacha is different. She loves the countryside and the mountains, and she genuinely wants to spend her life in the countryside.
No, we have to find a way to change her mindset. Now that her family has the means to go out into the world, they already have a plot of land in the county town, and they will have a second, third, or even fourth plot in the future. As long as they have money, they can buy more plots of land.
Becoming a landlady is just around the corner.
For the next two days, Lin Xiazhu and Lin Chacha dried mushrooms in the yard outside the wooden house. When they got bored, they would go out to catch a few wild rabbits and collect some bird eggs.
Xiao An, on the other hand, was very busy. He collected a lot of unknown herbs in the vicinity and filled two snakeskin bags in two days.
When it came time to sort the herbs, Lin Xiazhu and Lin Chacha both came to help. They knew that Xiao An knew some pharmacology, but they didn't expect him to know so many herbs.
"Xiao An, are you sure these are all useful herbs? Don't pick any poisonous ones, or it could lead to serious trouble," Lin Chacha said seriously.
"I can't be wrong, I recognize them all." Xiao An was calm and confident.
"Oh, what are the uses of these herbs?" Lin Chacha pressed for details.
Xiao An smiled and said, "You'll find out later."
Lin Chacha then asked him how he knew how to identify herbs, whether he had studied medicine with someone before, or whether his family ran a clinic.
"I don't remember. I know a lot of things, but I don't remember where I learned them or who I learned them from. I don't remember anyone I knew before."
He really doesn't remember. He's been a ghost for too long. He doesn't remember how many years have passed since he came back to life, or where he stayed, or who he learned so many skills from.
Every time Lin Xiazhu asked about his family and past, Xiao An would be blank and vaguely uneasy. Lin Xiazhu couldn't bear to see him like this, so she would always stop the conversation at the right time and not want to force him to think too deeply.
They stayed in the wooden house for another two days. The mushrooms were about 70-80% dry. Lin Xiazhu asked Lin Chacha and Xiao An to pack them into bags. After drying and shrinking, the original dozen or so bags were reduced to only eight snakeskin bags.
Lin Xiazhu cut down trees to make rafts, tied them with rattan, put several sacks of produce on them and tied them tightly, then they could drag them along.
The mountain path was gone, and the small trees and weeds on both sides of the road were bent and broken where the raft had been dragged. Lin Xiazhu relied entirely on her brute strength to drag the things out of the mountain.
Upon arriving at Linjia Village, we discovered that the villagers had already begun constructing a main road. However, due to the long distance and the fact that the road was being built entirely by hand, the conditions were poor and difficult. It would take until next year at the latest for the main road to be completed.
The road will be about two meters wide. Because it's a mountain road, there will be a lot of small stones. Bicycles and motorcycles will wear out their tires badly when they drive in.
There's nothing we can do about it. We should be grateful if we can even find a way to go. How can we ask for more? Paving cement roads is impossible in the next ten years or so. In my previous life, cement roads were only paved after two thousand years.
"I'll stay one night and head back to town tomorrow," Lin Xiazhu said.
Lin Chacha and Xiao An had no objections; whatever she said went.
The next day, after getting everything to town, Lin Xiazhu returned to Linjia Village with her long-handled machete and sickle.
"Sister, are we still going into the mountains?" Lin Chacha's eyes lit up, wanting to go with her.
“It’s settled then, we won’t go into the deep mountains anymore. I’m going back with my uncle and the others to help clear the road for a few days,” Lin Xiazhu said with a smile. “While I’m away, you’ll be in charge of the house. Go check on the snack shop in the morning and then come back to dry all the mountain produce.”
When the time comes, sell what you need to sell, and keep what you need for your own family to eat.
"Sister, let's go back together and clear the way," Xiao An said, and then went to pack her change of clothes.
Lin Xiazhu stopped him, "Xiao An, you stay and help Cha Cha dry the mushrooms. This task is very important. You must dry them well. Remember to bring everything inside before sunset and take them out to dry again when the sun comes out the next day, otherwise they will get damp."
"This is all our family's money, so we must treat it seriously."
After being repeatedly told, Lin Chacha and Xiao An nodded solemnly. Their family's finances depended entirely on their eldest sister. Their mother, Aunt Zhao, ran a clothing store, which looked quite prestigious, but in reality, the money she earned from selling clothes was only enough for her own expenses.
Unfortunately, the villagers in Shanhe Town have very low spending power. Shop owners in the town can only earn enough to cover their living expenses; they can't make much money. Things will get better in a few years when everyone's circumstances improve.
If you want to eat meat every day and have new clothes to wear, you can only follow in your older sister's footsteps.
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