"Of course, there are no machines now, everything is done by manpower. I saw my brother Cheng moving those stones so easily, so I really don't know where his limits are." Actually, many people in the village wanted to know the answer to this question, but no one dared to ask. They had tried to persuade some of the elders in their families to find out, but they were all beaten up. Later, the old men told them that the unknown is the most terrifying thing, and that Si Cheng might be their village's trump card, and they were strictly forbidden from finding out.
While they were talking, Si Cheng had finished cleaning up the bottom of the pits. He mentioned the collected snake carcasses and poured some into each pit.
"Pull all the long branches over there and place them on top of the pit, and camouflage them."
As soon as he finished speaking, those who had previously set traps with him on the mountain quickly sprang into action, disguising themselves while instructing the "newbies" nearby to learn from him, so they wouldn't have to work so hard every time. One of the older men standing nearby even took off his shoe and slapped him, which finally silenced his smugness.
"That's about it. We'll come back to check on it again in a couple of days when we get back to the city." Si Cheng went straight to the lake to wash his hands and started walking back. The others quickly followed.
"Brother Cheng, do you think there will be prey?" Yunxiang quickly took the spot next to Sicheng.
"Why don't we come back the day after tomorrow and see? Who can say for sure?"
"I noticed you were observing the tracks on the ground earlier. Do you think any animals frequently come here? Could there be any large animals?" Yunxiang, perhaps seeing that Sicheng was in a good mood today, started asking questions incessantly.
"Who knows? You can come and check earlier." After saying that, she ignored him and quickened her pace, leaving him some distance behind.
"You're pretty good, kid. You actually dare to ask so many questions. Don't you usually act like a mouse in front of a cat when you see Brother Cheng?" Yun Tao chimed in with a laugh.
"It's alright, as long as Big Sister is here, Brother Cheng is still very easy to talk to."
"You even know how to find a powerful backer. No wonder my grandpa and the others always say you're incredibly shrewd." Hearing him say that, even Yunxun and the others laughed.
When they arrived at the camp, the people who stayed behind had already prepared a meal.
This time, we didn't have to go through the deep pit to visit Hujia Village. After lunch, we explored along the new path.
Calling it a road wouldn't be accurate; the surrounding area was covered in weeds, and everyone could only slowly explore forward based on their memory of the location, which slowed them down.
Besides Si Cheng and his wife leading the way, Liu Fengya also caught up. As the number of venomous snakes ahead gradually increased and their size also improved, his presence helped increase the speed.
Watching Yun Qi's sword strike, those following behind were completely dumbfounded. This wasn't just a bronze-level player; he was practically a king.
They led the way, and of course, the people behind them were not idle either. They tried their best to clear away the weeds on the ground, and if there were any uneven places, they used hoes to level them, since these roads would be used in the future.
Since we didn't know what we would encounter ahead, we didn't pick up the snake carcass from the ground.
Before it got dark, Si Cheng and his group found a relatively open area and set up camp. Because of their previous experience with a wolf attack, everyone was more careful this time, and they even gathered a lot of firewood before dark and piled it up in the side for later use.
Since no water source was found nearby, everyone made do with the dry food they had brought from home.
The first night passed peacefully, though the watchmen could still faintly hear animal calls, though the sounds seemed distant and they couldn't make out what kind of animals they were. Because of this, everyone became more vigilant for the rest of the journey.
On the afternoon of the second day, they finally arrived at the original location of Hujia Village. If they were not locals, they would not be able to tell that Hujia Village was still there. Looking at the towering mountains in front of them and the continuous mountain ranges on the side, many middle-aged people couldn't help but wipe away their tears. Back then, many of their acquaintances were in this village.
Yunqi also cried in Sicheng's arms. She still remembered that when she was little, she loved to come to her grandmother's house. Back then, whenever her grandmother received a phone call and knew that she was coming, she would always stand at the entrance of the village and wait for her.
Although I don't know what conflict arose between the two families later, this place holds many fond childhood memories for me. Moreover, my closest relatives have disappeared so quietly, which is unacceptable to anyone.
Yunqi sometimes doubted himself, wondering if they hadn't been reborn, but rather had experienced a nightmare that was close to reality. Because they didn't have any precognitive advantages, they were completely unaware of the disaster that was about to befall their hometown, just like Hu Family Village. If they could have foreseen it, at least their uncles and the others could have escaped the calamity.
"Actually, it's not necessarily true that they're all buried here. Judging from this situation, it might be caused by tectonic movement. It's possible they've moved to another location," Si Cheng could only offer a soft reassurance.
At this moment, Yunqi also recalled that when they were heading back from the south, many directions were in chaos, and some entire villages were pushed directly to the top of the mountain by the mountain peaks. Otherwise, they would not have been traveling for so many years without reaching their destination.
"Let's keep a close eye on the area. If we're lucky, that would be great." But the chances of that happening are extremely slim, but it's good to have some hope.
"Let's go around the edge of this mountain and search for it. Everyone, make sure no one falls behind." Si Cheng looked at the mountain range in front of him and couldn't help but frown.
One advantage of this kind of mountain is that it is newly formed, with many rocks on it. The dust has not yet covered the entire mountain range, so there is relatively little grass. Without grass, there are few snakes. Although it is uneven, no one here is delicate. Everyone grits their teeth and keeps up closely, which makes everyone's speed increase.
After going around the foot of the mountain, you'll see a small pond ahead, its edges bare, with hardly any aquatic plants.
"This is so strange. There's hardly any grass growing where there's water. Is it because there are too many rocks here?" someone asked.
"Let's walk a little further and see if there's a good campsite," Yunqi said to her husband after looking at the newly sprouting grass.
"Okay, let's look ahead a bit more. If anyone needs water, let's fill it up quickly and then continue on our way."
"Isn't this place great? It's spacious and has a water source. It couldn't be more perfect." Ning Haitian sat down next to his son Yun Qiao, took off his shoes to check the blisters on his feet, and felt sorry for his son so much that he wished he could set up camp right away.
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