Chapter 44
Since reaching level two, Gu Ran has not paid attention to the Guru system for a long time.
After using space slot number ten, there was no longer any time when the system would be useful on the road of exile, so Gu Ran was not in a hurry to upgrade after accumulating enough points.
However, he went to the county town today and bought a lot of food and supplies. They were piled high above the desk, and the space below the desk was also filled up. The whole workshop was a mess, which made Gu Ran realize that he lived alone and this six-cubic-meter workshop was too small.
The normal temperature inside the No. 10 space is minus ten degrees Celsius, which is only suitable for storing ice. People and objects are not allowed to enter and it cannot be used.
This workshop can no longer be used as a storage point, so Gu Ran plans to upgrade it as soon as possible to free up a space that he can use as a portable warehouse.
Gu Ran cleaned up his workroom, sat down at his desk, and looked at the two lines of words that appeared on the background of his locker:
[Does the host want to draw a card? ]
【Smoke】【Don't smoke】
Pressed "Draw" and then randomly drew a card from the deck.
When the card disappeared, Gu Ran was already looking at the incomplete pattern that fell on the table.
It looks like it's much more complicated than the first card, and it won't be repaired quickly.
Gu Ran looked up and saw that the subtitles had changed to [Points 47, Level 2].
If the second space grid is not successfully opened, the level of the space system will remain at two. Only after the second space grid is opened will the level be upgraded to three.
As for the time before the next space card can be drawn, including the remaining points, you must wait three months to accumulate 120 points.
Gu Ran's gaze returned to the card and he decided not to rush.
Slowly repair the runes on this space card. It would be best to open a storage space that is suitable for placing objects and can maintain its current state.
Fujian is generally hot and humid with frequent rain. Things will go bad after a while, especially some rations. Therefore, it is best to keep the objects placed in the space in the latest condition.
Since he planned to take it slow, Gu Ran decided to repair the space card pattern when he was free every day. When he was not free, of course, he would think of ways to make money.
Because he had originally wanted to save more than two taels of silver for a year, but now there were only forty-five coins left and he was extremely short of money.
At present, after visiting Donglin Township and the county wharf, Gu Ran has already had some preliminary ideas.
It is no longer feasible to rely solely on farming and selling rice, so it is better to make use of the island forest that no one dares to enter easily.
That’s right, it’s the miasma forest in front.
The markets in Donglin Township and the county dock both sell wild products and game. Because the miasma forest is dangerous, very few people go in, but because of this, many of the wild products in the forest are probably not picked by anyone.
If she dared to go in and pick the mountain products inside, they would be the only goods in this store. Would she still be afraid that she couldn't sell them at a high price?
This is the only way she can think of to make money quickly.
So when she went to the drugstore to buy dried mugwort yesterday, she spent a lot of money to buy some Atractylodes macrocephala, Scutellaria baicalensis, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, etc., just to prepare for entering Dayu Forest.
The next day, she got up and watered the scallions and ginger that she had just planted yesterday, loosened the soil for the red oranges, and then checked the three fish that were hung out to dry, to see which direction the sunlight was shining, and moved them to a place where they could get the most sunlight. She took out the scraps of cloth that the shopkeeper had given her when she went to Sihai Cloth Shop to buy clothes yesterday, and took out some plain fine cotton cloth. She held it up to her chin and cut it into pieces according to the approximate size, and then folded it in half and sealed the two sides.
I took out some cotton rope, cut two strips, passed them through the two ends to seal the edges, locked the opening, and made a mask.
Although the stitches are crooked and not pretty, it's sturdy and usable.
In this way, Gu Ran made five masks in one breath, and then burned dried mugwort and atractylodes to smoke the masks.
Find five pieces of cotton cloth, wash them clean, soak them with Scutellaria baicalensis and Schizonepeta tenuifolia, boil them for a while, and then dry them.
After drying, place the dried cotton sheets flatly into the mask, sew the edges, and continue to fumigate for a while, and the simple disinfected mask is ready.
While Gu Ran was busy making masks in the kitchen, there was a knock on the door outside.
He went out smelling of medicinal herbs, opened the door, and found it was Village Chief Wu.
Village chief Wu came to take Gu Ran to identify the land that was allocated to him.
Of the ten acres of land under Gu Ran's name, two acres are farmland. One acre is behind the house, another acre is towards the village entrance, and the remaining eight acres are all surrounding the village. Four acres of them are connected, but the one near Dayu Lin is newly cultivated and no one dares to touch it.
The remaining four acres are scattered next to the territories of each villager. Because of this, the four acres of land adjacent to the villagers' territories are all planted by the villagers.
When Gu Ran went to identify the land, she saw that her four acres of land had been mixed with the paddy fields of four households in the village and could not be distinguished from each other.
The rice grown in the paddy fields is the staple food in Fujian.
The rice in Xiaxi Village is harvested twice a season. Now it is May, and the rice is in the ear-forming period. The paddy fields are filled with rice, and the clear water reflects the blue sky and white clouds. The rice seedlings are thriving, and the ears are long and numerous.
It can be seen that the villagers of Xiaxi take good care of the rice in her fields.
It’s a pity that when the rice is harvested, it won’t belong to you.
Village chief Wu called the heads of three families and introduced them to Gu Ran - two acres of paddy fields were planted by one family among the three families.
One is the family of Uncle Wu Er, who is a close relative of Village Chief Wu; one is the family of Uncle Chen Si; and the last one is the family of Aunt Yang.
After getting to know each other, without a few pleasantries, Village Chief Wu told them that Gu Ran would continue to let them cultivate the land. When they heard that they could get 40% of the harvest, the three families agreed.
They are all experienced in growing crops, especially rice. Moreover, Gu Ran's field is right next to their own paddy field, so it is easy to take care of and it is not troublesome to cultivate them together. If they can get 40% of the profit, it is considered very good.
"Also, when is the rice harvest in our village?" Gu Ran asked enviously, looking at the rice in the paddy field.
"About July."
"That's right. We have to harvest this crop of rice by the end of July at the latest and then plant the late rice."
"Then when the time comes, can you sell me some of the rice harvested from this field?" Gu Ran asked.
"No problem. We have to ship the extra rice we harvest to the county town to sell. Buying from us will save us the trouble."
"Then it's settled."
Gu Ran was full of longing.
New rice, nothing tastes better than new rice in season.
By then she will have to fill her granary.
After Village Chief Wu had communicated with both parties and signed the employment contract, when Gu Ran was walking back, Village Chief Wu asked her, "What are you going to do with the remaining four acres of land?"
Gu Ran looked at the four acres of vacant land from afar and was also worried.
She had just asked the three families if they were willing to plant the four acres of land together so that they could get 40% of the profits, but no one was willing.
Everyone is afraid of getting into trouble if they get too close to the miasma forest.
It’s impossible for her to grow it herself, so she has to leave it there for now!
"Village Chief Wu, could you help me find some more farmers who can farm?" Gu Ran asked. "If they're willing, I'd be happy to give you 50% of the profits."
"Then you have to think carefully. The government's tax collection is based on the average harvest of each household in Xiaxi Village. If I can't find anyone here, the four acres of paddy fields you hired from the villagers won't be enough." Village Chief Wu reminded, "If it's not enough, even if you spend money to buy grain, you will still have to pay the tax!"
That is, you need money, right?
Gu Ran was also worried.
After returning to my house, I looked at the fumigated mask and then at the silent miasma forest in the distance.
Okay, let’s set off right after dinner!
At the dinner last night, the whole steamed fish was eaten and the soup was drunk, but there were still some rice and fried shrimps left. Gu Ran took some ice cubes from the compartment in space number 10 and put them in a wooden barrel in the kitchen to snow.
So I decided to have omelet rice for lunch!
It is best to fry refrigerated rice, as it is easier to fry it into a distinct texture with each grain.
Heat the oil, stir-fry the shrimps, then set aside.
Then pour the rice in and stir-fry. You can add some seaweed shreds and a little salt and pesto as appropriate.
After frying, pour in the shrimps, mix well and remove from heat.
Beat an egg, reheat the oil in the pan, and then slowly pour the egg liquid into the pan. Be careful to make sure the egg liquid is evenly spread, and it is best to be in a round shape.
When the egg skin is fried until golden brown, while the upper side is not yet fully cooked, put the fried rice in the middle of the egg skin, then wrap the egg skin, press the corners to make the egg skin stick together and wrap the fried rice.
After turning off the heat, you can put the omelet rice on a plate and eat it!
When supplies are plentiful, you can sprinkle some ketchup or salad dressing on the noodles and then arrange them on a plate with bay leaves, but there are no extra seasonings right now, so it’s okay to just eat it like this.
The taste is fragrant but not greasy, and the taste is excellent.
After eating the omelet rice, we prepared to do the work before departure.
Separate the dried mugwort and white grass into small bundles and tie them up with ropes.
Fill a bamboo tube with cold water, cover it with a lid, and screw it on.
Put the mask in the desk drawer in the workshop.
Finally, he picked up a fire stick as a weapon, put on a bamboo basket, locked the door, and set off.
Village Chief Wu said that this stream flows all the way into the miasma forest. Gu Ran walked along the stream and passed by the few acres of abandoned fields under her name. She took a glance and saw that the fields on the ridges were full of weeds. She paused, but walked straight ahead.
Before entering the miasma forest, Gu Ran rolled up his trouser legs and tied his cuffs with ropes to prevent mosquito bites after entering the forest. He then took a mask, put it on, and entered the forest without hesitation.
As soon as we entered the island forest, the bright sunshine was half blocked by the dense shade of the trees, and the mottled light circles on the ground swayed gently in the wind.
Because it was his first time entering the forest and he was not familiar with the terrain and mountains here, Gu Ran did not dare to stray too far from the stream. Even when he was exploring the way, he only stayed within the range where he could see the stream.
Thanks to a stream flowing from the village into the island forest, she could use it as a fixed coordinate in the forest, greatly reducing the risk of getting lost.
Although he was alone, Gu Ran was not afraid.
Because in the previous life, as a talisman master, in order to obtain different animal skins for drawing talismans, he often went deep into the dark forests of secret places to capture different kinds of rare birds and beasts.
Of course, that is when you have magic power and talismans to protect yourself.
Although he no longer had magic power and talismans, the mountain beasts he faced were not as powerful as those in the cultivation world. Besides, he had experience in dealing with mountain beasts. He could set traps to hunt them instead of relying on brute force.
So this time, she mainly went into the forest to explore the way and familiarize herself with the environment. If she was lucky, she might also be able to see what wild animals there were in the forest so that she could set traps specifically for them in the future.
As we walked deeper into the island forest from the outskirts, we heard more bird calls.
Gu Ran listened attentively for a while and heard the sounds of no less than five kinds of birds, including tits, willow warblers, and apparently also cuckoos and blackbirds.
Fujian has a warm climate, and not only are there many resident birds living there, but many migratory birds traveling from south to north also like to stop in the forests here.
Interspersed among the various bird calls was the sound of woodpeckers pecking at wood, which came from an indistinguishable source.
She distinguished the knocking sound for a while, and after a few high notes, a strange beeping sound was made, so she followed the sound and walked over.
Then I saw a bamboo forest.
It is a common bamboo variety in Fujian. It has tall plants, long bamboo tubes, and broad and lush leaves.
When you can’t find holly leaves or awn leaves to wrap rice dumplings, you can also use moso bamboo leaves, although they are not as commonly used as indigo leaves.
Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. If she wants to make rice dumplings, she can pick them now, but she has just arrived in Xiaxi Village, and she has not prepared any peanuts, mung beans, braised pork, etc. for making rice dumplings, nor has she bought glutinous rice, so she does not plan to make them this year.
After walking into the bamboo forest and searching for a while, Gu Ran quickly found the source of the sound. It was a small bamboo woodpecker.
It is gray-green all over and you can't find it unless you look carefully.
Perhaps because few people enter the forest, the woodpecker is not afraid of people and stays on the bamboo tree for a long time, busy with its work.
Gu Ran didn't pay any attention to it.
Now that the spring bamboo shoot season has passed and the autumn bamboo shoot season has not yet arrived, it is naturally impossible to find fresh bamboo shoots in this bamboo forest. However, Gu Ran is not interested in the bamboo shoots, but in a small animal in the bamboo forest, the bamboo rat.
It is about the same size as a squirrel, feeds on bamboo, and also likes to run into the fields to eat crops and food.
Large bamboo rats look plump and have very delicious meat. They can be roasted or stewed.
She didn't have money to buy pork or mutton, so catching a few bamboo rats to make meat dishes was the best.
Gu Ran looked carefully on the ground in the bamboo forest, mainly searching the soil next to the bamboo roots to see if there were any holes where bamboo rats lived. After searching for a while, she finally found it.
I wonder if there are any bamboo rats in there?
Gu Ran looked around, put down the bamboo basket on her back, and then gathered some dry branches and leaves nearby, and then piled them all in front of the cave: she planned to smoke it, and if there was no bamboo rat in the cave, she would look for the next one, and if there was, then she could catch the bamboo rat.
Before using the flint to light the dead leaves at the entrance of the cave, Gu Ran turned the empty bamboo basket over, facing the entrance of the cave, and grabbed the fire stick in his hand.
If there were bamboo rats in the hole, they would definitely run away after being smoked out. She would point the bamboo basket at them, and in a panic, would they jump right into the basket? If they didn't get into the basket, she would use the firewood stick to drive them in. If that didn't work, she would just chase them!
Gu Ran lit a few dry leaves and threw them into the cave first, then lit the ones at the entrance of the cave. After the dry leaves and grass started burning, he blew and swirled them, sending the smoke into the cave.
When she opened her mouth, she accidentally got a puff of smoke, which made her cough and then cover her mouth.
It would not be good to alarm the bamboo rats and let them know that there are people outside.
Sure enough, after a while, Gu Ran heard a rustling sound in the cave, and then, seeing a black shadow jumping out, she quickly covered it with the tilted mouth of the bamboo basket.
With a thud, something rolled into the bamboo basket. Judging from the sound of the impact and the sudden sinking of weight, the bamboo rat that was caught must be very fat.
Just as Gu Ran was about to pick up the bamboo basket to catch the mouse, he heard movement at the cave entrance.
There are two?
Gu Ran suddenly covered the mouth of the bamboo basket with the ground, grabbed the fire poker and hit another bamboo rat that jumped out from the ground. The rat staggered and ran away after being hit once. Gu Ran quickly pounced on it and hit it twice in a row, and the bamboo rat was knocked unconscious and could not move.
Before he could pick up the bamboo rat, the bamboo rat covered in the bamboo basket jumped left and right inside, almost overturning the bamboo basket. Gu Ran quickly suppressed it, and then stretched out the fire poker and poked it several times. When the bamboo rat's struggle weakened, he turned the bamboo basket over and tied up the bamboo rat with a rope.
Speaking of which, this rope was woven from rice straw a few months ago while on the road of exile. Several extra ropes have been kept in the workshop and can be used at any time now.
After picking up the other bamboo rat, he tied it up and threw it into the bamboo basket.
Then he stamped out the smoking pile of dead leaves on the ground.
I didn't expect to get something as soon as I entered the Dayu Forest. It seems that there are probably quite a few bamboo rats in this bamboo forest. If I need meat in the future, I can catch them anytime.
Gu Ran was thinking happily. He put on the bamboo basket and walked forward along the bamboo forest. When he passed through it, he came to a dense forest.
The grass is lush and the branches and leaves are flourishing.
With the harvest in hand, Gu Ran felt much more relaxed, identifying the direction as he walked.
Insects were buzzing in the damp and hot grass, disturbed by footsteps. Seeing that there were more insects and flies, Gu Ran took out the dried wormwood and white grass, lit it, and smoked it all the way.
In this way, the mosquitoes on the road she passed by were driven away, making it much easier to walk.
After walking deeper into the cave for a while, Gu Ran stopped.
As a southerner who had lived in a similar environment, she knew a thing or two about many trees that grew in hot and humid environments. Along the way, she saw banyan trees, nanmu trees, camphor trees, redwoods, rhododendrons, etc. that can be seen everywhere in Fujian. She also saw a cluster of lacquer trees.
When he saw the lacquer tree forest, Gu Ran paused.
In her first life, she was allergic to lacquer, but now this body is not her own, so she guessed it would be okay?
Gu Ran bravely walked towards the lacquer bush and waited for a moment, but nothing happened.
She reached out and pressed her hand against the tree trunk.
No itching, no swelling, absolutely fine.
Gu Ran breathed a sigh of relief, and only then did he have the interest to look up at the flowers in full bloom on the tree.
The tiny flowers dotted among the slender branches and green leaves are very beautiful and attract many busy bees buzzing around.
Gu Ran squinted his eyes and looked for a while before leaving the lacquer bush.
As we walked deeper, the flames gradually dissipated, the light became dimmer, and the trees became thicker and taller.
Gu Ran saw another bamboo forest in front of him.
This time, the bamboo clump was different from the ones she had seen before. It was a bamboo clump with various types of bamboo growing together. Among them, she recognized the Phyllostachys pubescens and Phyllostachys variegata.
After estimating the return journey, Gu Ran decided to stop and stop here for today. He would use the bamboo forest in front as a landmark and move forward after he became familiar with the section ahead.
On the way back to the village, Gu Ran no longer paid attention to the trees in the forest, but instead paid attention to the bushes and grass at his feet, and looked to see if there were any wild vegetables or fruits that he could take back, and observed whether there were any traces left by animals.
There were indeed a lot of fruits in the mountains, and because few people went into the forest to pick them, no one picked the fruits even though they were full. Gu Ran saw a crop of blackberries and was about to pick them, but he saw traces of them being gnawed by unknown small animals.
Gu Ran pulled aside the grass and saw clear claw prints.
Along the way, she saw traces of claws left by no less than three kinds of small animals.
It seems that after returning, I need to think about how to get some cages or ropes and place them in the woods to see if I can catch some wild animals.
Once we get back to the bamboo forest and walk through it, we'll be back at the Xia Creek.
The stream along this road became narrower, so Gu Ran walked to the other side of the stream, intending to see what was happening in the forest on this side.
Not long after walking, we saw a field of red-backed mustard greens.
Gu Ran was delighted when he saw it.
She had meat tonight, but she still needed some vegetables. This red cabbage was just right for cooking, so she picked a big bunch and put it in the bamboo basket.
After walking through the mountains for about a hundred steps, Gu Ran's eyes lit up again.
Isn’t that big tree in front full of blackish-red fruits the bayberry?
Gu Ran ran excitedly, but when he ran over, he found that there was not one bayberry tree, but three.
However, only two trees bore fruit, and both trees were full of bayberries. The fruits were big and round, and looked and tasted delicious.
Gu Ran couldn't help but rub his hands excitedly. Great, there were bayberries to eat!
I walked to the shorter bayberry tree, reached out to pick one that looked ripe, pulled down my mask, and took a bite to taste it.
Sweet and sour, delicious!
I'm afraid that these two bayberry trees will be enough for her to eat for a long time!
While picking and putting the bayberries into the bamboo basket, Gu Ran had already thought of many ways to eat them: eat them directly as fruits, make bayberry juice, make bayberry ice, candied them, and even use them as seasoning for dishes!
Only after the bamboo baskets were full did Gu Ran reluctantly stop.
Forget it, keep it and come back after you finish eating.
After getting the bayberries, the sun had already set. Today was considered a great harvest, so Gu Ran did not stay. He walked quickly along the stream and went straight back to the village.
When we walked out of Dayu Forest, we saw from afar the villagers of Xiaxi Village returning home after work in the fields.
Perhaps no villager expected someone to be so bold as to go into the woods alone, so Gu Ran's appearance did not attract anyone's attention.
It usually takes some time for new residents of a village to integrate into the villagers' lives. The villagers will generally be wary of the families exiled here. Moreover, Gu Ran also feels that non-essential social interaction should be avoided if possible.
So she didn't care and walked quickly to the door of her yard. While unlocking the door, she was thinking, should today's dinner be more substantial?
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