Wang Tianxiao figured that since this trip wasn't for hunting, but just for collecting astragalus, there shouldn't be any problems.
With a gun in hand, he could easily handle most lone wild animals, unless he was ambushed by a leopard or surrounded by a pack of wolves.
After breakfast, Wang Tianxiao helped his wife hang up all the clothes and diapers that were going to be hung out to dry. Then, carrying his gun and with a bag wrapped around his waist, he went into the mountains alone.
I didn't want to bring the dogs, because I was afraid they would run into something powerful over there and charge in recklessly, which could easily lead to them being killed.
But Li Yali thought it was too dangerous for him to go into the mountains alone, so it would be better to take him with him, at least he would have someone to help him.
They are, after all, three adult dogs.
It's not good against bears and wild boars, but it can still hold its own if it bites other things.
Wang Tianxiao thought it made some sense, so he brought the dog along again.
Since their last injury, the dogs hadn't been able to properly venture into the mountains. Now that they were finally released, they were overjoyed, running wildly along the mountain paths. This startled the rabbits and pheasants that had been hiding in the bushes, causing them to scatter in all directions.
The dogs wanted to chase after it, but Wang Tianxiao stopped them.
Tell the dogs that today's mission isn't to chase these little things, but to do something big at West Peak.
Now that they've all exhausted their energy, when they actually need to live their lives, they'll all become spineless.
The dogs then snapped out of their daze and obediently led the way.
The weather was great. Although a westerly wind was blowing, it wasn't very cold, and it was quite comfortable walking on the mountain path.
More than an hour later, Wang Tianxiao had passed the boundary between the East Mountain and the West Mountain. Looking back, the bare mountain peaks gradually turned green.
Nature is like a magical barber, giving the mountain a very special hairstyle: the east side is bald, while the west side is covered in hair.
Wang Tianxiao surveyed the terrain around him, but instead of heading straight ahead, he climbed to a higher place.
Astragalus prefers sunshine and dislikes dampness, so it usually lives on the south or east slopes of mountains where it can get more sun.
Moreover, this place needs to have very good drainage and be kept as dry as possible for a long time, preferably with sandy soil.
Wang Tianxiao naturally went to these places specifically to find astragalus. It wasn't that it couldn't be found in other places, but the quantity was relatively small and the quality was not very good.
Normal Astragalus membranaceus is harvested every three years, with the roots dug up in autumn or early spring before it sprouts.
Because its taproot grows very deep, you have to be very careful when digging it up so as not to damage the taproot, otherwise the quality will be greatly reduced, which is a huge loss.
Wang Tianxiao was not an expert on many herbs, but he knew a little about them.
In his previous life, there were people in the forest farm who were specifically responsible for these things. He learned about them naturally by observing them firsthand. In addition, he sometimes helped with the harvesting, so his experience became more and more abundant.
After walking for about half an hour, Wang Tianxiao finally found a pile of astragalus root of very good quality.
Although the leaves and stems had withered, because it was growing under a pine tree, it was not affected by other factors and was well covered by the surrounding weeds, so its shape was well preserved.
Wang Tianxiao took the small hoe down, first loosened all the surrounding soil, and then began to dig the soil little by little with the small hoe.
But because it was winter, the ground was frozen solid. He dug for a while and found it was ineffective and too slow, so he simply pulled out his short dagger and started digging.
As the Lunar New Year approached, he finally retrieved the short dagger from the police station, but he was still given a "special lecture" and told that he should use such a thing sparingly, as it was a semi-controlled knife.
Given his special profession, his use is barely permitted, but it is still recorded in the case file.
His dagger was so sharp it could cut through bone, making digging easy and much more efficient. A dozen minutes later, he had cleared away the entire clump of earth nearby.
Roughly estimating, it should weigh more than half a pound.
He stood up and looked ahead, discovering a dense poplar forest less than a kilometer away. Although the poplars were now bare of leaves, because they typically grow in sandy and dry soil, astragalus can often be found nearby.
He was going to try his luck there.
Poplar is a type of poplar, but this type of poplar grows particularly tall and very quickly. A poplar tree that is about thirty years old can grow to the size of several people.
The tallest poplar trees can grow to over thirty meters tall, making them truly towering trees.
As expected, Wang Tianxiao's prediction was accurate.
Near the poplar grove, he had a very good harvest. He hardly needed to move around much. As long as he walked along the grove, he could find a cluster of astragalus every now and then. In less than half a day, he could make at least five or six catties.
His plan was to get four or five kilograms of astragalus, which would basically meet Zhang Wenyuan's requirements. He had already completed more than half of the task.
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Unbeknownst to him, he had already ventured deep into the poplar forest.
The trees inside were even taller than those outside, with the thickest ones requiring five or six people to encircle them – it was truly breathtaking.
He deliberately stood under a tree to compare and found that the trunk next to him was at least seven or eight times as thick as his body. If he were to dig a hole in it, he could use it as a house.
As noon approached, the sun was high in the sky. Wang Tianxiao had been walking and stopping frequently, and had exerted a lot of effort, so he felt a bit hot and was sweating profusely.
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