The mountain road wasn't rugged, but it was slippery due to the snow and ice it had formed earlier.
The three generations of the family, holding onto the trees along the roadside, walked for more than half an hour before finally arriving at the small reservoir halfway up the mountain.
The scenery on this mountain is truly breathtaking. A light mist hangs over the lake, surrounded by lush green forests, and distant mountain peaks appear and disappear, creating a scene reminiscent of a landscape painting.
"So beautiful," Hua Xiangyun took a deep breath, sensing the pure spiritual energy in the mountains, which was even richer than that at the end of the county.
"Let's go to that mountain hollow up ahead. It's sheltered from the wind and not so cold there." Hua Guangzong wasn't so poetic; he just wanted to get the child to a safe place as quickly as possible.
People often come here to fish, and even if there are wild animals, they won't choose this direction.
Because of the cold weather and their early arrival, there are hardly any people around the reservoir yet.
Hua Guangzong led them to a good spot for fishing and began to bait and cast their lines.
Looking at the familiar terrain, Hua Zhian couldn't sit still any longer. "Grandpa, you and my little sister stay here. I'm going up the mountain to check if the traps I dug before are still there."
Hua Guangzong said, "Don't go. Your brother has already filled in all those traps."
Hua Zhian wasn't disappointed. It would be even more of a waste if the prey fell into the traps if they weren't filled in. "I'll go dig up a few more and see if I can find any wild eggs while I'm at it."
Hua Xiangyun had longed to hunt for a long time, but she spent all her time cultivating in the mountains. Even if she saw wild animals running past her, she dared not make any rash moves, for fear of accidentally hunting a protected animal.
There are still ten years until the protection law is enacted, so how could she let this opportunity slip by?
"Second brother, I'll go with you to take a look."
Hua Zhian immediately objected, "That won't do. The mountain path isn't as easy to walk as the one we took before."
"If any unexpected events happen again, your second brother won't be able to take good care of you by himself."
Hua Xiangyun: "Second brother, I don't need you to take care of me."
"Sweetie, stop fooling around. Your second brother will catch you a rabbit in a bit."
Hua Xiangyun snorted, "The rabbits are already hiding in their burrows and won't come out. Even if you want to smoke them out, you'll need to find a helper!"
Hua Zhian found it amusing and teased her, "Oh, you even know how to smoke rabbit? I don't even know how to do that, your second brother. Where did you read this in?"
Hua Xiangyun: "Of course I read it in a book. If you're curious, Second Brother, go find it on my desk in my room."
I know the method, are you sure you don't want to take me with you?
Hua Zhian shook his head again, "Wild boars have appeared on this mountain before, and my second brother can climb trees."
These words were practically a blatant accusation that Hua Xiangyun was a burden. Hua Xiangyun immediately complained to Hua Guangzong, who was staring at the lake, "Grandpa..."
“Your second brother is right, wild boars have indeed appeared on this mountain. You stay here with Grandpa and wait for me to catch some fish, then we’ll grill them and eat them. I won’t give any to your second brother.” Hua Guangzong and the others listened to his words and smiled as they acted as peacemakers.
Hua Xiangyun, “…” Six out of ten times the result is no luck. Are you sure you can get grilled fish today?
“Grandpa, I can protect myself,” Hua Xiangyun hinted, and then reached out and shook his hand. “Maybe my second brother will need my protection.”
Hua Guangzong said, "...Zhi'an, take your sister and don't go too far. Just play around here for a while."
Hua Zhian, "..." Sure enough, in this family, the younger sister is the real treasure...
“Let’s go,” Hua Xiangyun said, walking ahead. “Today it’s my turn to show you what I’m capable of. I’ll treat you to the best food and drinks today.”
"..." Hua Zhian waited until she had walked a few meters before grinning and saying, "You're going the wrong way. That path over there also leads down the mountain..."
Hua Xiangyun, "..."
After Hua Zhian finished speaking, he hurriedly rushed up the mountain, but he stopped from time to time to check if Hua Xiangyun was following.
“Be careful on this stretch of road,” he said, taking a machete from his back and clearing away the vines along the roadside. It seemed that few people had gone up the mountain since they stopped coming.
The path that was originally there is now occupied by these square vines again.
With someone clearing the way ahead, Hua Xiangyun had an easier time, and she would stop to collect any medicinal herbs she saw.
"Little sister, when did you learn about herbs?" Hua Zhian asked, squatting down beside her when she stopped again.
“I learned it all from my master. She has a herbal medicine atlas, and I’ve been jotting down some of them lately. I pick them whenever I see them and then have my master process them.”
Hua Xiangyun had already prepared an excuse: these weren't expensive herbs, but they were still very effective in treating minor ailments.
"Is your master powerful?" Hua Zhian had heard of him, but had never seen him in person.
Hua Xiangyun: "I've already become your apprentice, what do you say?"
Hua Zhian, "So what did you study?"
“I’m learning everything. Look at this herb, isn’t it one of them?” Hua Xiangyun tossed the freshly dug Bupleurum root into the cloth bag she had brought, stood up, and clapped her hands.
"Then why don't you become an apprentice to a doctor?" Hua Zhian continued to lead the way. "If you're interested, my second brother has a classmate whose grandfather is a renowned doctor. I'll ask him for help; maybe he'll take you on as an apprentice. That way, you won't have to travel far; it'll be right here in our county."
Hua Xiangyun: "What about Second Brother? Hasn't he thought about finding a master and learning something himself?"
"It's already good enough that I can cultivate the land well. At least I've become a skilled farmer in the last two years. Not to mention farming, I can even manage a vegetable garden."
It's a pity our yard is so small, otherwise I could cook so much food that we couldn't finish it all.
Hua Xiangyun said, "Don't brag. Besides, farming is nothing special. Grandpa, Grandma, and Mom all know how to do it."
Hua Zhian: "Little sister, what else do you think I can learn?"
"That depends on what you're interested in. Do you really want to farm for the rest of your life?"
"..." Hua Zhian couldn't bring himself to say something against his will. "I like driving, but not like Dad driving a train. I want to drive a big truck."
Hua Xiangyun, "Didn't you tell your family?"
Hua Zhian looked somewhat dejected. "What's the use of saying anything? The transportation company isn't located here, and even if we have connections, we can't get to them."
Hua Xiangyun: "There will be more in the future."
By the way, don't the other villages nearby come up this mountain? Standing here, I can vaguely see the villages at the foot of the surrounding mountains.
“They rarely come up here, except occasionally to gather firewood at the foot of the mountain. Otherwise, the mountain wouldn’t be so lush.” Hua Zhian found a relatively flat spot. “You can see further from here.”
Hua Xiangyun has good eyesight and can see that the people at the foot of the mountain are busy. Although it is winter now, many people are still in the fields.
“Look, this is the countryside. They don’t get a break all year round, and they dare not rest,” Hua Zhian said to Hua Xiangyun. “They have to rely on their own strength to solve their problems of food, clothing, shelter and transportation. Going to the countryside is not something a girl like you can handle.”
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