Chapter 573 One Seedling, Six Grades of Leaves
Sheng Liancheng had lived in the forest area for many years and had heard people talk about the club-shaped bird. Now, listening intently, he indeed heard several strange bird calls.
"Hmm, this commotion really does sound like the club-shaped bird they're talking about."
"You mean, there are clubs around here? Judging from the sound, it doesn't seem to be coming from under the earthen slope."
"Never mind, Dad, let's go look in the direction the cuckoo is calling. What if there really is something there?"
Sheng Xiping was curious and wanted to go and see.
After thinking it over, the father and son decided that since they hadn't gained anything from the trip and it was still early, they might as well go and take a look.
So the father and son followed the birdsong and walked forward, using their rope sticks to poke at the grass in front of them as they went.
After walking for about two miles, there is a small, gentle slope ahead.
It was around 11 a.m. when the sun was shining on the gentle slope, casting dappled shadows among the bushes and weeds.
A gentle breeze blows, and light and shadow seem to shift and dance.
Furthermore, Sheng Xiping and the others left home at four in the morning and hadn't eaten anything by this time, so they were very hungry.
Don't underestimate calcium milk biscuits. If you really have nothing else to eat, just dip them in some water and eat half a pack. At least you won't go hungry.
As the saying goes, carrying ginseng is like inviting Buddha. Although it is not physically demanding, it requires complete concentration and cannot be neglected in the slightest. It is very mentally taxing.
In addition, the father and son also brought two bundles of noodles and several packs of calcium milk biscuits.
Mountain hunters have a saying: they'd rather lose a whole mountain than a single brick.
"Quickly, quickly!" Sheng Liancheng was overjoyed and hurried over.
Put aside the calcium milk biscuits and noodles for now, and eat the fried dough first.
Where there are snakes, there is a good chance of finding ginseng; this is an experience that Sheng Xiping has summarized.
The ginseng seed is densely packed, plump and glossy, with a bright red color, clearly indicating that it is fully ripe.
"Six-grade leaf".
The Sheng family hadn't made pancakes for several years. This morning, when I left home, Zhang Shuzhen had made some fried pancakes for me, along with meat sauce and pickled vegetables.
As Sheng Xiping spoke, he took a stick and used it to poke at the bushes from which the snake had just emerged.
"You idiot!" Sheng Xiping exclaimed excitedly.
"I can't take it anymore, Dad. Give me the dry rations first, let's eat something, I'm starving."
So Sheng Xiping had to stop, rest, and have a meal before continuing.
"Money bastard." Sheng Liancheng was also nearby. Hearing the commotion, he came over to take a look and muttered something.
Instant noodles are a relatively recent phenomenon. There's a type called Sanxian Yimian (Three Delicacies Yimian), which kids love to eat dry. They use the seasoning to play pranks.
Only then did they take out deer bone skewers and carefully remove the soil to carry the ginseng out.
After just a couple of shovelfuls, a flash of red appeared from behind the bushes.
The father and son each ate three or four pancakes with pickled vegetables, and Sheng Xiping finally felt a little better, so he continued carrying the ginseng.
Sheng Xiping didn't have time to answer at this point. He directly stuck the rope stick into the soil next to the club, then took out the club lock from his pocket and locked the club.
Fortunately, Sheng Liancheng built a simple shed using wood, bark, and plastic sheeting. He also built two fires, boiled a pot of water, put in a bundle of noodles to cook, and then sprinkled in two packets of instant noodle seasoning.
This ginseng must be quite large; the rhizome alone is quite long. It took Sheng Xiping more than two hours to get the shoulder of the rhizome out.
So, Sheng Xiping, holding a rope stick, strolled back and forth on the slope.
This ginseng was quite large, about the thickness of a baby's wrist at the shoulder. When Sheng Xiping saw this, he knew that he definitely wouldn't be able to finish carrying it today.
"Dad, it's in this area, look for it carefully."
Make a small hole in the spice bag, hold it in your hand, and slap it hard at someone; a puff of smoke will spray towards them.
Sheng Xiping searched carefully, not missing a single shrub or blade of grass.
"Okay," Sheng Liancheng replied.
He let out a shout, picked up his axe and saw, and went to work.
Sheng Xinhua and Sheng Xinyu both had money, and being teenagers, they got hungry quickly, so they often bought instant noodles and ate them dry.
Suddenly, the grass in front rustled, and then a snake with dark brown markings, similar in color to the soil, emerged from the grass and slithered away.
Sheng Xiping had already parted the weeds, revealing the ginseng rootlets and the few compound leaves underneath. He counted them; there were exactly six leaves.
Next, Sheng Xiping took out a quick-draw axe and quick-draw scissors from his backpack and cleared away the tree roots and weeds around the club.
Sheng Xiping carried the ginseng, while Sheng Liancheng started the fire, built the bonfire, and kept watch. The father and son worked together.
Sure enough, by nightfall, only about half of the ginseng had been carried out.
Upon seeing the ginseng seeds and the thickness of the stem below, he immediately laughed. "Wow, this ginseng seems quite large."
"What grade of leaf?" Sheng Liancheng hurriedly replied.
Sheng Xiping didn't have much experience with mountain climbing, but for some reason, he suddenly felt that this small, gentle slope in front of him was different from others.
Zhang Shuzhen thought that instant noodle seasoning was also quite delicious when used to cook dried noodles, so she told the children to save the seasoning and not waste it, but to keep it for cooking noodles or making soup, as it would taste better.
"Dad, let's build a shack. We won't be able to go back tonight, so we'll have to spend the night in the woods."
The seasoning in those instant noodles is very pungent; if you inhale it suddenly, it can really make you cough and tear up.
The father and son didn't bring bowls or chopsticks, so they simply broke off tree branches to use as chopsticks and ate the noodles directly from the pot.
After eating, they added some more firewood, and the father and son lay in the shack chatting. As they talked, they fell asleep.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Sheng Xiping got up and continued carrying ginseng. By noon, all the ginseng seedlings had finally emerged from the ground.
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