Chapter 207 Pathfinder Preparation
The clouds in the sky had not completely dispersed yet. The next morning, they struggled for a while with drizzle before disappearing in the morning light.
The crops at home were almost processed yesterday, and today the two of them planned to go into the mountains to look for some mushrooms.
The pine forest after rain is the easiest to harvest.
This was the first time the two had gone into the pine forest after the heavy snow. Fearing danger, they called their dogs along.
There was still a lot of water on the meadow, so it was not suitable for grazing. It was a good opportunity for the dogs to go out with the two of them while they were free. The dogs were so excited that they ran in circles along the way.
The pine needles and fallen leaves in the pine forest were like the grass on the meadow, with water underneath. When you stepped on it, the water would bubble up and surge up.
The moment he stepped into the pine forest, Zhao Yeqing felt like he was going to get lost in it.
There was white fog in the woods after the rain, and the density was very high. The branches and leaves of the pine trees were most lush in spring, covering the sky above and protecting the fog from being dispelled by the morning light above.
The dim and misty pine forest seems to be filtered, making it look quiet and ethereal.
The sounds of insects and birds echoed in the woods, and from time to time a bird flew over my head and touched the pine needles. Drops of water, either raindrops or condensed water from mist, fell down and hit my head.
She finally came back to her senses from the scene that seemed like a movie.
Mu Xi squatted down, picked out a few mushrooms from the pine needles and put them into the backpack.
Zhao Yeqing also lowered his head to look for it. Several dogs were sniffing around in the woods, and the competent dogs were patrolling nearby and doing a good job of defense.
There were quite a lot of mushrooms. The two of them went deeper into the pine forest and unknowingly reached the edge of the forest. Further ahead was the place where they picked palm fruits last time.
When picking mushrooms, don't forget to observe the surrounding situation.
When encountering animal traces, the dog will bark a few times to signal.
Apart from some rabbit droppings and what looked like deer or muntjac droppings, no other animals were found along the way.
The herd of wild boars we encountered in the pine forest last year was nowhere to be seen this year. I don’t know if it was because the last wild boar hunting trap at the end of the year had a deterrent effect, or because the extremely cold weather caused them to leave their original territory.
When we reached the edge of the pine forest, where the coniferous forest meets the trees and shrubs, the fog was not so thick, the obstruction above our heads became less, and the fog was almost dissipated.
Her vision also became wider. She walked to the stone platform where she had looked out last time and could see the valley below her feet. Looking up, the fog on the top of the opposite mountain was thicker than that of the pine forest, covering the area halfway up the mountain.
The terrain here is of varying altitudes. The highest is the mountain in the distance that is covered with snow all year round, and the next highest should be the mountain opposite.
Located below the snow-capped peaks, judging from the depth of the cumulus clouds during this rainfall, the mountain over there also received the heaviest rainfall.
Mu Xi looked across and said, "Based on the rainfall and climate characteristics, there should be a lot of medicinal herbs over there. They have not been developed, and I guess not many people have been there."
Zhao Yeqing looked at the vegetation at the foot of the mountain and the distance to the opposite mountain. "If we want to go, we have to go before summer."
The forest here has the characteristics of a rainforest climate, with a lot of rainfall every year, which is why the rain this time is concentrated above this area of forest.
In summer, there are many snakes, insects, rats and ants in the rainforest.
But because it is at a relatively high altitude and is located below snow-capped mountains, the temperature is not particularly high and it is not entirely covered with tropical vegetation.
"It's more like a temperate rain forest. It's better to go in than a tropical rain forest."
But it is certainly not a temperate rainforest in the strict sense.
The conditions for the formation of temperate rainforests are particularly harsh. Strictly speaking, this should be a tropical monsoon forest.
It’s just that the temperature there is a little lower, and it is more suitable for the growth of vegetation in the cold temperate zone.
Zhao Yeqing also wanted to go and take a look. After the mudslide and landslide, the road back to Meishan was blocked, and the two of them had planned to find a way home from here.
Now the wild boars here have also migrated away, and most of the ones left are herbivores such as deer and rabbits. It feels like now is a good time to explore the way.
The equipment the two of them brought out today is incomplete, so they have to go back and discuss a plan before taking action.
This time I harvested two baskets of mushrooms, including all kinds of mushrooms. I took them home to eat fresh ones, and dried the rest for storage.
I slaughtered a chicken and stewed a big pot of fresh mushroom chicken soup with the mushrooms I picked today.
"It would be better if I could put two red dates in it." Zhao Yeqing held the small bowl full of chicken soup, blew gently to cool the soup on the surface, and drank it in small sips.
Chicken soup becomes sweet when red dates are added, but unfortunately we don’t have them at home.
Not only were red dates out of stock, but spices were also gradually running out.
I used up a lot of the hot pot base last time, and after making braised beef jerky, I almost used up all the spices in the house except the Sichuan peppercorns.
Star anise can only be found in autumn, but cinnamon and bay leaves can be found in this season.
Although cinnamon bark has the word "Gui" in its name, it has nothing to do with the osmanthus tree. It is a plant of the Lauraceae family. Although bay leaves do not have the word "Gui" in their name, they are real laurel leaves.
Both of these spices are harvested in this season. They are basically available in the mountains here, but you have to look for them carefully.
All that's left is the fennel.
Wild fennel is hard to find, but you can grow it yourself.
If she hadn't drunk the chicken soup, she would have almost forgotten that there was such a crop.
There were simply too many seeds and they were in a mess. The seeds collected in the village were not packaged but were packed in plastic bags. It took a lot of time just to distinguish them. There were quite a few duplicates in the pile of seeds, and she was too lazy to look through them all.
Generally, people in the village would keep fennel seeds. She searched in the seed bag for a long time and finally found it.
A small patch of leafy vegetable seedlings that were killed by heavy rain had not yet been replanted, so she simply dug a hole and sowed fennel seeds in it.
When the fennel grows well, it is time to harvest the wheat.
At that time, I will use freshly ground flour with a rich wheat aroma to make fennel dumplings. It’s a wonderful thought.
The drainage ditch that the two men dug in a hurry was very effective, and there was no longer so much water accumulated in the ground.
A few days in the sun will return to normal.
The roads in the mountains are best walked on after being exposed to the sun for a few days.
The two men waited until there was no more water overflowing from the meadow, then prepared to pack up and head into the mountain road.
They planned to leave in the morning and return before evening.
You should prepare two plans to avoid unexpected situations.
If everything goes well, we will come back at night as normal. If not, we will have to stay in the mountains for one night.
I took out the backpack that I hadn't used for a long time. Inside was a portable pot and a tarpaulin for building a temporary shelter.
You also need to bring flashlights, medicines, daily necessities and weapons.
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