Zhou Jiao had heard Zhang Guoqing describe Daqing Mountain so many times, and she was particularly drawn to the dense forest he'd mentioned—that area had unusually high temperatures. She'd long wanted to explore it, and perhaps even gather some herbs while doing so.
Most importantly, she now had the recipe for the drug—a valuable resource for robbery. She had long wanted to see the effects of the concoction, to see if it would be the same as described in martial arts novels.
If her dream came true, she'd be a true heroine, Zhou Jiao. Even though Zhang Guoqing was incredibly strong, she could easily knock him down with just a little bit of medicine. Not to mention, there were so many animals in the woods. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, as if she could see a wave of her hand sending a swarm of animals falling from the forest.
When Zhang Guoqing and Zhang's mother came over, they saw that she had changed into her old clothes and was standing in the main room waiting, neatly dressed.
When Zhou Jiao saw that Zhang's mother didn't say anything, she just kept giggling.
Mother Zhang entered the main room, picked up the child from the kang, and feigned impatience as she waved at the two eager men. She smiled and said, "Go...go. Be careful. Don't go deep into the mountains. Remember to come back early."
Zhang Guoqing shouldered his backpack and led Zhou Jiao along the old Beishan Road. The couple avoided pedestrians and quietly arrived at the foot of Daqing Mountain. Standing at the foot of the mountain, Zhang Guoqing squatted down to help her tie her legs and straighten her clothes. After a few glances, he finally saw nothing to worry about. He patted her head and said with a smile, "Let's go!"
Walking north, Zhang Guoqing let her hold onto his clothes. He held a hatchet in his left hand and a few stones in his right, leading Zhou Jiao slowly towards their destination.
The closer they got to the dense forest, the more excited Zhou Jiao became. The supplies in the mountains were beyond her imagination. She bit her lip tightly and watched the occasional pheasant fly away from the bushes.
Seeing the small animals flying away and running away, and the herbs on the ground increasing in number, she became impatient and continued walking, holding onto Zhang Guoqing's clothes tightly.
"What happened to Jiaojiao? It's not far from here, we'll be there soon." Zhang Guoqing immediately turned around and looked around. He thought something had happened to Zhou Jiao.
Zhou Jiao imitated him, looking around and said cautiously, "Can we talk now? Let me pick some herbs first. Can you help me see if there's any danger here?"
Zhang Guoqing nodded when he heard this and began to listen carefully. After a while, he didn't find anything unusual, so he took off the backpack and winked at Zhou Jiao.
Zhou Jiao nodded in understanding. She immediately reached into her backpack, concealing her position, and pulled out a small shovel. Now, after Zhang Guoqing's repeated warnings, Zhou Jiao couldn't afford to be careless about the use of the space. No one knew if an accident might happen, so she had to be as careful as possible to avoid it.
Zhou Jiao picked whatever she saw as they made their way through the dense forest. She was having a blast, but Zhang Guoqing, beside her, remained wary and alert. He held the stone tightly in his hand, his gaze fixed intently on his surroundings.
Although Zhang Guoqing had been here several times before and never felt anything unusual, now that Zhou Jiao was by his side, he was nervous and worried about accidents.
Finally, they arrived not far from the dense forest stream. Zhang Guoqing always thought this was his blessed land.
At this moment, Zhang Guoqing asked Zhou Jiao to stop picking herbs, pulled her towards the stream, and the two of them sneaked over.
A moment later, standing under the tree, Zhang Guoqing looked at the precious land in amazement. He had never thought that just because he had a sudden impulse to take Jiaojiao out for a walk, pick some wild fruits, and take a look at the medicinal herbs here, he would never have thought that God would give him another great gift.
Zhang Guoqing checked the tree and saw that there was no danger. He picked up Zhou Jiao and gently placed her on the upper branch, pointing to the front.
Zhou Jiao was seen tugging at his clothes anxiously, not letting him leave. Zhang Guoqing smiled and shook his head to indicate that he was fine and asked her to stay and wait for him to come back.
He walked forward a few steps carrying the cloth bag full of stones, then looked back at Zhou Jiao. Seeing that they were not far away, he could be there immediately if his wife had any problems, so he walked forward a few more steps with confidence.
Finally finding a spot he was happy with, Zhang Guoqing stopped and silently calculated the distance to the stream's animals. He had no intention of going any further, and he was worried about Zhou Jiao being out of his sight.
Zhang Guoqing carefully squatted down, took out his bow and arrow, and prepared stones. Everything was ready. He looked back at Zhou Jiao, turned his head, aimed at the wild deer, and gently pulled the bow. There was a loud bang, but he didn't pay much attention. He immediately grabbed the stones and threw them at the wild deer and roe deer running around.
At this moment, he rained down stones, and the shrill howls of the fallen animals sent the escaped animals scurrying away. He didn't dare leave Zhou Jiao alone in the tree, so he foolishly chased after them. He could only watch helplessly as the remaining wild animals scattered, leaving behind a few fallen deer and roe deer.
"Haha... Jiaojiao, we encountered a group of wild deer. We killed several last time, and I thought these would not appear. This is my treasure land. When luck comes, nothing can stop it." Zhang Guoqing didn't bother to look at the fallen wild deer. He ran to the big tree, picked up Zhou Jiao and said happily.
"Hurry and clean up. Be careful of the smell of blood." Zhou Jiao pushed him forward, not daring to look at the fallen deer. The chaos just now had made her realize the cruelty of the law of the jungle. Strength was still the most important thing; the one who ran the fastest and remained intact would die the fastest.
Just as these wild animals are like this, so are humans. Therefore, it's best to keep a low profile and conserve your strength. She wanted to be a hunter like Zhang Guoqing, stepping outside the gaming world and observing the chess game from a distance.
Zhang Guoqing carried her to the creek, patted her, and said with a smile: "Don't be afraid, it won't be scary after I clean it up. You see there are a lot of grasses by the creek, you can continue to play." After that, Zhang Guoqing took her to a safe place to let her pick herbs, and he quickly dragged a few wild deer and other wild animals to the creek to deal with them.
He didn't do much with it. He quickly removed the unwanted internal organs, cleaned them and placed them in the grass.
When Zhou Jiao heard him tell her to continue playing, she burst into laughter. She wasn't a child.
At this time, she saw the stream next to her flowing slowly. The water was clear and she could see many fish of all sizes in it. She no longer cared about collecting herbs. She found a dry branch and stirred the stream carefully - she was worried that the crocodiles and strange fish in the novel would suddenly appear and she would encounter them.
After Zhang Guoqing finished quickly, he glanced around again, finding nothing unusual. He quickly dragged the cleaned game to the shelter of the bushes and quickly had Zhou Jiao store it in his space. Hunters occasionally appeared in the mountains, and while he trusted his eyesight and hearing, it was always better to be cautious.
After cleaning up, Zhang Guoqing put on his backpack, picked up Zhou Jiao and immediately ran away from the stream. The stream, after he cleaned it, was now full of dangers and was definitely not a place to stay for long.
Zhang Guoqing carried Zhou Jiao all the way to the wild fruit tree he had noticed last time. At this moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He realized that bringing Jiaojiao here was a wrong decision. Besides the convenience of using the space, his heart kept beating so fast that he could even hear it himself, not to mention that he was extremely nervous.
This time, he felt more exhausted than any other time. But when he turned around and saw Zhou Jiao running under the tree picking fruit, Zhang Guoqing grinned foolishly. Seeing her happy, he seemed to think that coming out this time was the right move.
Zhang Guoqing, feeling relaxed, took Zhou Jiao on a whirlwind of fun, picking wild fruits with her, gathering chestnuts with her, and chopping down dead trees and collecting firewood under her guidance. Seeing her beaming and relaxed, Zhang Guoqing tried his best to meet all of Zhou Jiao's requests that day, making her happy and leaving her with no regrets.
The happy time passed very quickly, in the blink of an eye. Seeing that it was getting late and that Zhou Jiao had finally had a great time, Zhang Guoqing finally took the pheasant he had hunted and pulled Zhou Jiao down the mountain.
Nearing the foot of the mountain, Zhang Guoqing retrieved a wild deer from his space, strapped it to his back, and, pulling a delighted Zhou Jiao along, the two of them walked home together, smiling happily—yes, home, their home for the three of them. This home meant a great deal to Zhang Guoqing. It was his roots, the roots for his descendants!
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