“We can catch one or two wild rabbits occasionally, and we even caught a pheasant once. The village chief was there too, and he, Zhou Fagen, and a few others worked together to catch it,” Zhao Guihua answered casually.
It's not surprising to catch these small prey in the deep mountains, but other treasures are not something everyone can find. Not to mention that these things grow in hidden places, many people don't even recognize those good things.
It's estimated that only a few of the doctors who went with him could recognize it.
As for large predators, we've been lucky for now and haven't encountered any.
Xingxing drew all those treasures on paper. The little girl's drawing skills were average, or even not very good at drawing, but when she was prompted with those images in her mind, the way she drew them was quite similar.
If Zhou Sanfu, the exceptionally talented elder brother, were to redraw it and add some polish, the result would be incredibly lifelike.
"What is this?" Zhao Guihua took the painting from Zhou Sanfu, looking completely bewildered.
Xingxing hugged her leg, tilted her little face up, and said in a childish voice, "Mommy, these pictures are all good things, treasures that can make our family a lot of money."
Upon hearing that she could make a lot of money, Zhao Guihua quickly picked up the painting and examined it closely. Pointing to a certain spot, she said, "This looks like a tree to me. Is this tree a treasure too? What kind of good fruit is growing on it?"
"This tree is very big and tall. It takes several people to hug it. It's so tall that you can't see the top. If Dad and the others pass by that place, they will definitely be able to see that tree." Xingxing carefully recalled the scene that appeared in her mind yesterday.
She found it strange at the time. She was listening to the teacher's lecture when suddenly a scene of a forest appeared in her mind. She saw a large group of people carrying baskets on their backs, and she also saw her father.
Upon seeing her father, Xingxing realized that the people who appeared in her mind were probably the ones who went deep into the mountains to gather herbs. The reason why the image of the forest appeared in her mind was probably because that group of people happened to be in that place, and that place had treasures.
Walk two hundred meters east of that towering tree, where many large trees grow. The trees are entwined with vines, making them look quite eerie. Cut the vines, push aside the weeds that are as tall as an adult, and you'll find a surprise below.
“We might not pass through those places again next time we go into the mountains. Besides, the terrain is so complicated, it’s no wonder your father can’t find it.” Zhao Guihua was very excited to hear about the baby, but she felt that the hope was slim and whether it could be found was still unknown.
“Mother, I reckon Father should be home tomorrow. When he comes, have him take this painting with him. As long as nothing unexpected happens, he’ll definitely find those treasures,” Zhou Sanfu said with great certainty.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Guihua put the painting away and tucked it into her bosom. "Okay, I'll keep it for now and give it to him later."
"Mother, did Father bring any insect repellent or other medicine with him when he went into the mountains this time? The forest is too dangerous, we should be careful." Zhou Wufu had previously found a dusty, neglected medical book in a corner of a bookstore and bought it for three taels of silver, which he had borrowed from his aunt.
The medical book mentioned insect-repelling herbs, snake-repelling herbs, and some detoxifying herbs. Originally, he thought that three taels of silver for a book was too expensive and he couldn't afford it.
But after learning that his father was going into the deep mountains to collect herbs, he felt that the three taels of silver were worth spending. In order to ensure his father's safe return, he gritted his teeth and bought the medical book.
Zhou Wufu mentioned it to Zhao Guizhi, who immediately gave him the silver and said, "It's rare that you can understand it. Others wouldn't recognize that medical book as a treasure. The things in that book can help your father. What's three taels of silver?"
After buying it, Zhao Guizhi realized that the so-called medical book was pitifully thin, with only seven pages in total. No wonder it could be bought for three taels of silver.
"Don't underestimate these few thin pages. Anyone who studies medicine knows their value. Auntie, just you wait and see. I'll definitely master everything in here and prepare those medicines as soon as possible," Zhou Wufu said confidently.
“You’re quite self-taught. If you’re really interested in medicine, why don’t you find a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to apprentice you to?” Zhao Guizhi encouraged.
"We do have that plan, but not now," Zhou Wufu replied calmly, seemingly having other plans in mind.
In short, some time ago, Zhou Fu asked his teacher for leave and went home to find herbs. After about ten days of hard work, he actually managed to develop a medicine to repel snakes and insects.
The developed medicine had been tested in advance and had a very good effect. Zhao Guihua had been nagging Zhou Wufu to go back to the private school and stop messing around with that useless stuff all day long, until she saw the effect of the medicine with her own eyes and then she shut up.
"You've managed to accidentally concoct this snake and insect repellent medicine. Fine, I won't scold you anymore. Keep the medicine here. When your father comes back, I'll have him take it with him next time he goes into the mountains. You better get back to the private school."
Returning to the present, Zhao Guihua nodded and said, "I brought it. I'll ask him how it is when he comes back tomorrow."
Although I've tried it before, the snakes and insects at the foot of the mountain are not comparable to those in the mountains. The snakes and insects in the mountains are definitely more ferocious and venomous. I don't know if those medicines can have the same effect.
The herb-gathering team ventured into the deep mountains twice. On the first trip, several people were bitten by snakes and insects, but they were all rescued in time. After all, there were several doctors in the team, and no one died, which reassured everyone.
However, the mountains and forests are fraught with danger, and no one dares to be careless. Just because nothing happened last time does not mean that nothing will happen every time. It is still more appropriate to be cautious.
"It should be useful." Zhou Wufu wasn't too sure either, after all, he was just figuring it out based on the book's content, and it was hard to say how effective it would be.
Zhao Guihua talked with her son for a while, then sent them all out. Then she hugged Xingxing and asked her what treasures were hidden in the deep mountains.
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