Chongshi, located in the southwest of China's interior, boasts a vast territory, a mild climate, and abundant flora and fauna. Qingshan's destination this time was Shisun Mountain, located on the outskirts of Jinjiang, Chongshi. The three of them drove to the foot of the mountain before dawn.
Shisun Mountain, part of the Yunwu Mountain Range, boasts two peaks, known as Male Shisun Mountain and Female Shisun Mountain, each approximately 700 meters above sea level. Male Shisun Mountain boasts a majestic and rugged terrain, with jagged rocks and relatively little vegetation. A Guanyin Temple stands at the summit, attracting a constant stream of worshippers, creating a bustling scene.
But Qingshan wasn't here for tourism; places with deep forests, shallow waters, and few people were more likely to catch the little bugs he needed. So Qingshan chose the more precipitous and less touristy Nvshisun Mountain and walked along the narrow path into the mountains.
The girl from Chongqing who came with Chen Qingshan and Zhan Feng this time was named Yang Hongmei. Her hometown was the nearby Shimen Town. She had been playing in the mountains since she was a child and knew Shisun Mountain quite well. She acted as a guide along the way, introducing the strange peaks and rocks in the mountain to Chen Qingshan and Zhan Feng.
Shisun Mountain is carved by nature into countless vivid "stone statues," some resembling crocodiles, some monkeys, and some elephants. Yang Hongmei tells a fascinating story about each of these rocks, much to the amusement of Qingshan and Zhanfeng. The three of them walked and chatted along the narrow mountain path, reaching the halfway point without realizing it, feeling no fatigue at all.
There were only a few scattered tourists on Qingshan Mountain Road. He winked at Zhan Feng, left the narrow path and turned into the dense forest next to it. Zhan Feng took Yang Hongmei's hand and followed.
The vegetation on the Female Shisun Mountain is dense and the terrain is steep, making it very difficult to walk. However, Chen Qingshan and Zhan Feng are both martial artists and are very flexible. Yang Hongmei has been playing in the Shisun Mountain since she was a child, and she is no slower than Qingshan and Zhan Feng when walking on the mountain road. The three of them soon reached the depths of the forest.
Qingshan came to a dense forsythia bush, took out his gloves and put them on, and searched carefully among the forsythia branches and leaves. After a while, he found a group of small yellow and black blister beetles. Qingshan stretched out two fingers and gently picked up one, held it in his palm, and showed it to Zhan Feng and Yang Hongmei.
"Master Zhan, Sister Hongmei, this is the bug we're looking for. It's called the yellow-black blister beetle. Take a close look at it and remember what it looks like. We'll split up and catch it later. Blisters love to feed on the juice of forsythia, so look for it in the forsythia bushes. You'll definitely find it. Blisters live in groups, so if you find one, you can catch a whole nest. But remember to wear gloves, as the secretions from blister beetles are poisonous and can corrode the skin. Be gentle when catching them so as not to injure the insects. Once you catch them, just throw them into the plastic box I've prepared for you."
Zhan Feng and Yang Hongmei huddled together, examining the tiny insect in Qingshan's palm. It was tiny, about a centimeter long, with a slightly rounded body and a triangular head, sporting a pair of black antennae. Its body was covered in black hair, and a pair of sheath-like wings draped across its back. These wings were black, with a bright orange-red wavy band running down the center, front and back, making them quite conspicuous.
Yang Hongmei said to Qingshan, "Miss Chen, I recognize this insect. We call it a flower shell in our hometown. It has a foul smell. I didn't expect it to be a medicinal herb!"
Qingshan nodded and carefully placed the blister beetle into a plastic jar with air holes. "Yes, the stench is cantharidin, which is highly toxic. Used as medicine, it can attack poisons and corrode ulcers, and is very effective in treating carbuncles and cancer."
Zhan Feng and Yang Hongmei learned a lot. They put on gloves, each picked a bunch of forsythia, and started catching small blister beetles.
Qingshan's fingering was quick, accurate and fierce. As soon as she found the small blister beetles, they would go into the plastic box. In a short while, Qingshan had caught two full boxes.
Seeing that the blister beetles in this forsythia suspensa clump had been almost completely cleared, Qingshan moved on to another spot. Actually, not many were needed to treat Mrs. Gao's illness, but Qingshan didn't want to go back and catch blister beetles every time she needed them, so she planned to collect more at once and store them for later use.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
