Chapter 377: Terrifying Mountain Crossing

noon.

Baoshan Village.

After eating the sweet potato soup, Bu Xiaoshi sat at the door of his house, smoking a hookah.

In this era, influenced by the environment, everyone in the village, regardless of gender, age or status, smokes, and non-smokers are rare.

After smoking a few cigarettes, Bu Xiaoshi put the cigarette away. A friend who often played with him came running over from a distance, panting and shouting, "Brother Xiaoshi, come and see, Alongsan has caught something good."

Bu Xiaoshi stood up and asked, "What good stuff did you catch?"

The friend said excitedly: "We caught a king cobra, it's so big and long, it must weigh at least ten pounds."

Bu Xiaoshi's eyes lit up when he heard this. This was indeed a good thing. He immediately walked quickly towards A Longsan's house with his friends.

When they arrived at A Longsan's house, there were already a lot of people surrounding his house in three layers outside and inside.

After all, this is Guoshan Peak, and it is the most powerful venomous snake here, no doubt about it.

In Bobai, there are not many types of snakes, only about ten species, including the bungarus, coral snake, cobra (this is different from the king cobra), green bamboo snake, yellow-tailed snake, black-fleshed snake, harp snake, water snake, Huai snake, grass snake, mountain snake, Guang snake, and three-line snake.

Among these more than ten kinds of snakes, the most poisonous is undoubtedly the Bungarus cobra, which is also the most poisonous snake in my country. However, the threat posed by Bungarus cobra to humans is not at the same level as that posed by the mountain snake.

The main reason is that although the venom of the coral snake is poisonous, its temperament is quite docile and can even be described as timid and shy. When they encounter humans, they will generally take the initiative to avoid them and will not deliberately bite humans.

They only strike back when they feel threatened.

But it’s different for the mountain snake. This creature is really not easy to mess with. It is known as the most ferocious venomous snake in the country. It is famous for its huge size, violent temper and agile speed. At the same time, its IQ is also the highest among snakes.

In addition, the speed of crawling over mountains and the ability to chase people are also amazing.

Why are king cobras called "mountain crossing" in many places in Guangdong and Guangxi? The main reason is to express their amazing speed and ability to chase people.

If someone accidentally provokes the violent mountain goby, it will chase you relentlessly across the entire mountain. During the chase, it will also roar like a gale, which is really scary.

According to people in the village who have been chased by the snake, the snake's head is raised high, with only the tail touching the ground, and then it pounces towards people from a height of more than one meter. The horrifying sight is enough to make anyone weak in the knees.

Of course, these are just one-sided statements from the villagers. Whether they are true or not remains to be verified.

After all, few people in this world have had such an experience.

Normally, if one of these ferocious venomous snakes is caught, even if it is just a small one, it will attract a crowd of onlookers, not to mention if a large snake weighing ten pounds is caught. The villagers who hear the news will definitely come over to broaden their horizons.

A Longsan is a famous snake catcher in Baoshan Village. At this time, the snake that had passed through the mountain peak was stuffed into a homemade snake cage by him for the villagers to watch.

While observing the thick mountain-crawling snake in the snake cage, the villagers discussed this venomous snake that everyone was afraid of.

"What a huge snake that has crossed the mountain. I haven't seen such a big snake in many years."

"Alongsan, you are really not afraid of death. You dare to catch such a big fish crossing the mountain. If I met it, I would be so scared that I ran away."

"If you really encounter a mountain peak, I won't talk about being far away, but if you are close, you must not turn around and run, as that may cause it to pounce on you madly. The best way is to stay still or retreat slowly, so that you may avoid being attacked by it."

"If I were to encounter it, my legs would definitely go limp and I wouldn't be able to run. I just hope my ancestors will bless me and stop it from attacking me."

"However, you will make a lot of money if you can catch such a big one passing through the mountain, Alongsan."

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem to sell it for over a hundred dollars."

“…”

Since the liberation of our country, the foreign trade department has often purchased frogs, turtles, tortoises, snakes and other animals as export commodities to earn foreign exchange.

Among them, the purchase volume of live snakes in Bobai County reached 23,577 in 1965. Since then, the annual purchase volume has basically remained at more than 10,000 to more than 20,000. It was not until the five years from 1978 to 1982 that it dropped to a few thousand.

However, after 1983, the number reached more than 20,000, and even in 1985, a record-breaking 31,500 were acquired.

Moreover, the purchase price of snakes is not low. Catching and selling snakes is really profitable in this era.

Of course, not everyone can make this money. As for killing a snake, as long as they have the tools, many people dare to do it, even if they encounter a poisonous snake.

But since dead snakes can’t be sold at a good price, they can only catch live snakes and sell them.

However, killing a snake and catching a live snake are two different concepts.

This thing is naturally scary. Many people become weak in the knees when they see a snake, let alone try to catch it.

In addition to the foreign trade department purchasing snakes for export and foreign exchange earnings, other businesses also purchase snakes and then sell them to Guangdong.

Because Guangdong is the province with the most vicious snake-eating people, no doubt about it.

The history of Cantonese people eating snakes is more than a thousand years old.

In Guangdong, snake dishes are as famous as high-end ingredients such as shark fins and bird's nests. Li Shizhen's classic work "Compendium of Materia Medica" also records: "Southerners love snakes...the meat is extremely delicious."

Snakes are a very common food ingredient in Guangdong. People in Lingnan openly use snake meat to cook and make wine, and they also use snake gall to make medicine.

During the tonic season of autumn and winter, some restaurants in Lingnan always offer several special snake dishes to entertain diners. Snake meat is plump and tender, with the sweet fragrance of poultry and livestock, the freshness of aquatic products and the elasticity of game. In addition, snake has the effect of nourishing yin and replenishing qi, which is deeply rooted in people's hearts and has always been considered an excellent tonic food for preventing dryness.

The heyday of Guangdong people's snake eating was in the 1990s. It is said that in Guangzhou at that time, more than 20 tons of snakes were eaten every day.

On the snake-eating street, there is no venomous snake that cannot be eaten.

It is now the late 1980s, and the custom of eating snakes has begun to spread, so there are many merchants purchasing snakes.

The king cobra is a more ferocious and venomous snake, so its price is naturally more expensive than other snakes. Guangdong people also have a special liking for eating king cobras.

After the winter solstice, the people in Guangdong pay attention to preparing "a pair of snakes" to make soup.

A highly toxic king cobra, a less toxic cobra, and a non-toxic grass snake make up a set. The three snakes correspond to the heart, lungs, spleen, stomach, and kidneys in the human body. Drinking snake soup can help blood flow smoothly and keep hands and feet warm throughout the winter.

Now that A Longsan has caught such a big king cobra, it would be easy for him to sell it for more than a hundred yuan.

Hearing the villagers' discussions, A Longsan also laughed happily. He had done nothing in recent years but catching snakes to sell. His income was among the top three in the village, but it was rare to have such a big harvest as this time.

Bu Xiaoshi came over and saw the mountain pass in the snake cage, and immediately said, "Third brother, how much is this mountain pass? I want it!"

Ah Longsan smiled and replied, "Xiao Shi, if you want it, take it for 130 yuan."

Bu Xiaoshi directly took out a small stack of money from his pocket. There were three or four hundred-yuan bills, and some bills of various denominations, which added up to more than five hundred yuan. Seeing this, the other villagers couldn't help but secretly sighed that they were worthy of being the richest man in the village, and they were so generous.

Bu Xiaoshi took out 130 yuan and handed it to A Longsan, saying, "I'll take this snake cage first and return it to you later."

After receiving the money, A Longsan said happily, "Okay, use it as you like."

So, Bu Xiaoshi picked up the snake cage and left the place under the gaze of the villagers.

"He spent 130 yuan to buy a snake and eat it. This kid Xiaoshi is really willing to spend money!"

"If I had the income of Xiao Shi's family, I would probably be willing to eat like this."

"Yes, in the past few years, the Erzhu family has really made a fortune. Every year, they can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from growing sugarcane. The most amazing one is Zhongshi. I heard that his transportation company has nearly a hundred trucks and can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year!"

“…”

Seeing Bu Xiaoshi leave, the villagers started talking about his family, and they were all envious.

…

After leaving Alongsan's house, the friend asked excitedly, "Brother Xiaoshi, did you buy this snake to eat it?"

Bu Xiaoshi smiled and said, "A Bing, forget about this one. I plan to send it to my uncle. If you want to eat snakes, I will buy a few from A Longsan later. He can often catch snakes, so we don't have to worry about running out of snakes to eat."

Upon hearing this, Ah Bing quickly said, "Brother Xiaoshi, it's important that you give it to your uncle. It doesn't matter whether we eat it or not."

Bu Xiaoshi nodded and said, "My uncle likes a good meal. Such a big mountain pass is quite rare here. I think my uncle will like it."

“Brother Xiaoshi, when you give the snake to your uncle, remember to remind your uncle to be careful when catching it. After all, it’s over a mountain peak and is very poisonous!”

"Don't worry, my uncle eats more salt than we eat rice, he must know how to handle it safely."

…

afternoon.

At around one o'clock, Deng Shirong lay down on the lounge chair under the longan tree, intending to take a nap.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard the voice of my nephew Bu Xiaoshi: "Uncle, look what good stuff I got for you."

When Deng Shirong opened his eyes, he saw his nephew park the bicycle, untie the rope of the cage from the back seat, and then walk over with the cage. From a distance, he could see that there should be a snake in the cage.

When the nephew came closer and saw the snake in the cage, Deng Shirong's eyes lit up: "Such a big one is bigger than a mountain!"

Bu Xiaoshi chuckled and said, "Uncle, this is a good thing, right?"

Deng Shirong took the cage and said, "It's really a good thing. Where did you get it from?"

Bu Xiaoshi said, "It was caught by Ah Longsan, the snake hunter in our village. He has been catching snakes for many years, but this is the first time he has caught such a big snake. When I saw it, I immediately bought it and sent it to you, uncle."

Deng Shirong put down the snake cage and said with a smile, "We'll have snake soup tonight, why don't you ask your dad to come along?"

Bu Xiaoshi laughed and said, "My dad would like to have a bowl of snake soup, but you know, uncle, my mom is most afraid of snakes. If my dad drinks snake soup, she will definitely dislike him, so my dad can only envy her, he doesn't dare to drink snake soup."

Deng Shirong laughed and said, "That's right. Your mother is most afraid of snakes. I guess if you bring this snake back, she will punish you."

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Bu Xiaoshi laughed and said, "Uncle, you really guessed it right. When I brought the snake home, my mother almost chased me away with a broom. Fortunately, I told her that I bought it for you, and she stopped. Otherwise, I would have been beaten with a broom a few times."

Deng Shirong asked: "What about Xiaofang? Doesn't she dare to drink snake soup?"

Bu Xiaoshi said, "She's not at home. I don't know where she went to play. My mother dislikes her very much. I can only rush to your place as soon as possible."

Deng Shirong nodded and stopped talking about it. The soup stewed from the mountain peaks was indeed rare, but it was not a rare thing and could still be bought at the market, but it was rare to find such a big one.

Seeing his nephew start to smoke from the pipe, Deng Shirong said, "Xiao Shi, you are the same age as your cousin Yunheng. Your cousin Yunheng has already found a partner and will get married next year. It's time for you to find a partner and get married too."

Bu Xiaoshi held the hookah and said with a smile: "Uncle, then you old man, please help me find it. I don't trust the vision of other matchmakers."

Deng Shirong asked: "What kind of partner do you want to find?"

Bu Xiaoshi stuffed the tobacco into the pipe and said with a sly look in his eyes, "Uncle, I want to find someone as beautiful as Gong Xue."

Deng Shirong was of course familiar with Gong Xue, the big star who was known as the most beautiful woman in the 1980s. After hearing what his nephew said, he said speechlessly, "Xiao Shi, you're already drunk before you even drink, right? How dare you make such a high request?"

Bu Xiaoshi chuckled and said, "Uncle, I was just joking, but I do like pretty girls like Gong Xue."

Deng Shirong said unhappily, "It's not just you who likes her. How many men in China don't like this kind of pretty girl? If you really want to get married, I can help you find a girl who is more suitable, but if you want to find a girl who is prettier than a flower, then you'd better give up. I, your uncle, don't have that much ability."

Bu Xiaoshi lit up the tobacco, took a few puffs, and then said with a smile: "Uncle, I was just talking about that. I know my own worth. Anyway, uncle, you can do whatever you want. If you think it's appropriate, arrange for us to meet."

Deng Shirong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you know this. I'll help you look for someone later and match you up if there's a suitable one."

…

In the afternoon, Deng Shirong killed the mountain fish, took out about one-third of it, and killed a chicken to stew dragon and phoenix soup.

Although there are many ways to cook snake, Deng Shirong is only good at stewing dragon and phoenix soup. He doesn't have any other recipes, so don't waste such a good snake.

In addition to the little nephew Bu Xiaoshi, those who drank the dragon and phoenix soup included niece Bu Dafang, niece-in-law Jiang Dehu and their two sons.

Bu Dafang's two sons, Jiang Wenhua, 12 years old this year, and Jiang Wenshang, 10 years old this year, both study at Naye Primary School.

The ingredients used to make soup tend to taste better the bigger they are and the longer they have been stored.

Take the most common chickens and ducks for example. If they are the kind of feed chickens that have only been raised for three to five months, it is impossible to say that the soup stewed from them will be delicious.

However, if you use old hens and ducks that have been raised in the countryside for several years to make soup, the taste is really amazing and very nutritious.

In later generations, people who are more appreciative of food all want to buy the chickens and ducks that have been raised for several years by rural people. However, such chickens and ducks are very difficult to buy in later generations. Even if such chickens and ducks are available, people are reluctant to sell them and want to keep them for their own consumption!

Because if you sell it, it's not worth it. I don't know how much it costs to raise it for a few years. How much do you have to sell it for to make back the money? The same is true for snakes. The soup made from small snakes is completely different from the soup made from a big snake weighing more than ten pounds.

What's more, in order to match the snake, the chicken that Deng Shirong killed was not an old hen that had been raised for several years, but it had been raised for more than a year and a half, and the taste was really fresh.

All in all, everyone was quite satisfied with the dragon and phoenix soup tonight.

…

Guilin.

A certain Yan family is having dinner.

As he ate, the strict father couldn't help but sigh.

Yan Shuwen couldn't help but ask, "Dad, why are you sighing?"

The strict father looked at his excellent daughter and said gloomily, "I shouldn't have let you replace me as a railway policeman. I just wanted you to have a good job so that you can marry a well-off family in the future.

But I never expected that after you became a railway policeman, you would have to deal with those vicious criminals every day. Not only is your situation dangerous, but now you are 24 years old and have no intention of finding a partner. What are you doing?"

Hearing this, Yan Shuwen said indignantly: "Dad, those criminals are so abominable. I don't know how many families have been separated and how many tragedies have been caused. I can't control other things, but since I have become a railway policeman, I naturally cannot let the criminals who appear on the train go. I must bring them to justice."

The strict father said, "I am very pleased that you have such a righteous heart, but as parents, your mother and I hope that you can be safe and sound, and not deal with those dangerous people all the time. Now that the country is reforming and opening up, many people have quit their jobs to start businesses. You should quit your job too. No matter what kind of business you start, it will be better than now."

The strict mother agreed and said, "Xiao Wen, please listen to your parents on this, okay?"

Yan Shuwen frowned and said, "Dad, Mom, I love this job. I personally arrest those extremely evil criminals and bring them to justice. This sense of accomplishment is unmatched by any other job. I understand your concerns, but I will be careful."

The strict father said in a deep voice: "As the saying goes, people make mistakes and horses slip. No matter how many times you succeed, if you make a mistake once, have you ever thought about the consequences? Those criminals will never let you go. They may kill you or sell you to a remote mountain area so that you can never escape for the rest of your life."

Mother Yan said worriedly, "Xiao Wen, I heard from your father that some time ago one of your colleagues was killed because his identity was discovered by the criminals. I have raised you up and never asked you for anything. This time, I am begging you. Let's quit our jobs, okay?"

Yan Shuwen fell silent upon hearing this. She really liked this job. Dealing with those inhumane prisoners every day, she was not afraid. On the contrary, she was full of fighting spirit. When she thought about being able to send these extremely evil guys to prison with her own hands, she would not be afraid of any difficulties or dangers.

However, the mother had already said so much and even used the word "please", and as a daughter, it was really difficult for her to say "no".

Seeing his daughter fall silent, the strict father said, "Xiao Wen, there is no end to the number of criminals you have arrested in the past few years. You have done enough for the country and the people. From now on, think more about yourself and live your life well, okay?"

Yan Shuwen looked at her father's concerned eyes and her mother's worried eyes, and couldn't help but sigh and said, "Dad, Mom, let me think about it."

Mother Yan said, "What else is there to think about? Since I found out that you deal with those people every day, I, as a mother, have not had a good night's sleep. I often wake up in the middle of the night. The sooner you resign, the sooner I can sleep well."

Yan Shuwen took a deep breath and compromised: "Okay, I'll resign later."

Mother Yan couldn't help but ask, "Really? Xiaowen, you didn't lie to me, did you? Are you really willing to resign?"

A smile also appeared on the strict father's face. As a father, he really didn't want his daughter to risk her life for a long time. Every time his daughter went on a mission, they were worried, fearing that their daughter would never come back. They couldn't bear that blow.

After Yan Shuwen made the decision, she felt relieved when she saw the smiles on her parents' faces. She nodded and said, "Really? I will go to my boss tomorrow to resign."

Mother Yan said excitedly: "That's great, it's really great!"

The strict father said, "Xiao Wen, you are so outstanding, your boss will definitely try his best to keep you. Tomorrow, Dad will accompany you to resign, so that you won't be embarrassed."

Yan Shuwen hummed, then asked, "Dad, Mom, what can I do after I quit my job?"

Mother Yan said with a beaming face, "Don't worry about that. I've already thought about it for you. Your cousin from your aunt's family has opened a clothing store in Nanning. I heard that the business is pretty good. You can go there to help out. Ask your cousin to take you with her when she goes to buy goods. Then you can open a clothing store in Guilin. You won't have to worry about not making money."

Yan Shuwen hesitated and said, "Mom, I know nothing about clothes. Can I open a clothing store?"

Mother Yan said, "What's wrong with that? Just follow your cousin and learn for a while, and you will naturally know what to do."

Upon hearing this, the strict father couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Although they are all relatives, this clothing store is the result of her cousin's hard work. It's no problem for Xiaowen to help sell the goods, but if you want her cousin to teach Xiaowen how to run a clothing store, I'm afraid it's a bit difficult for her."

Yan Shuwen also agreed: "Yes, Mom, or I'd better not bother Cousin Qin."

Mother Yan thought for a moment and said, "Your worries are indeed justified. How about this? You go to your cousin's place to help out first, and then go out more often. I believe that with your intelligence and talent, you will definitely find a business that suits you."

Yan Shuwen nodded and said, "Okay then!"

…

PS: Thank you all for your monthly tickets. My ranking on the monthly ticket list has been moving up. Thank you so much.

(End of this chapter)