Chapter 82: Treasures in the Forest, Dogs Barking at Night
There are almost no roads in this forest, and the way down the mountain is littered with broken and rotten wood.
There are still a lot of small insects. From time to time, you can see some millipedes crawling on the ground, which will shrink into a circle if you touch them lightly.
Longhorn beetles, rhinoceros beetles, and green beetles can often be seen on the trees. If he were a child, Lin Heng would definitely catch a few to play with, but now he just took a look and walked away.
After more than ten minutes, Lin Heng and his companions arrived at the Sancha Canyon where three streams converged. After walking a few steps, Lin Heng found something at his feet.
"I just came down and found a Prince ginseng. This place is not bad." Lin Heng took a look but did not start digging. It was too small and not valuable.
Dried Prince ginseng is only 80 cents per pound. Although this thing has the word "ginseng" in its name, there are a lot of it, and it is abundant in the Qinling Mountains.
Just like epimedium, he found several pieces while walking today, but he was too lazy to do anything. The purchase price was not high, and he had to buy a lot to make a little money.
"The one here is big. I'll dig it up and cook it in the evening." Tian Baishun also found one and picked up a hatchet to start digging.
The black soil under the forest was very soft and was dug out in a short while. There were more than ten palm-sized roots underneath, and half a pound was enough.
"There is a mountain stream ahead. Let's walk upstream along the stream and see if there is any place to shelter from the rain and wind." Uncle Lu Honghai said and walked to the front.
"Be careful of snakes." Uncle Li Baiquan said, walking forward side by side with Lin Heng.
In summer, weeds grow wildly, and there is half a meter high grass at feet. Some of the grass cuts your feet, and some grass seeds stick to your clothes, which is very annoying.
It is much more difficult than walking in the forest. At least there is not such thick grass under the forest.
“Crack!”
Suddenly, a pheasant was startled and flew out from the grass not far away, flapping its wings and flying into the distant mountains and forests.
Lin Heng and the other three could only watch helplessly. No matter whether they used guns or bows and arrows, it was impossible to hit them.
"Damn it, hunting is so hard this summer." Tian Baishun cursed angrily, lit the rolled welding cigarette and took two deep puffs.
"Indeed, hunting is still done in autumn and winter." Li Baiquan was also very depressed. He was also very unhappy about losing the trace of the badger today.
When they reached the stream, they took a deep breath and washed their faces first.
"This water is so cold." Lin Heng exclaimed, and it actually felt like his hands were icy when he touched it.
"Mountain streams are already cold, not to mention that they are close to Mount Taibai." Tian Baishun said as a matter of course.
Of course Lin Heng knew this. He was wondering if there would be Qinling salmon in this place.
This rare fish species is a cold-water fish. The maximum water temperature in which it can live cannot exceed 20 degrees. The water temperature here is probably around 10 degrees, so he thought he could keep an eye on it.
Walking upstream along the stream, although the road is not easy to walk on, it is much better than walking through the grass.
"The creek groupers here are also quite big, and there are also ground tigers." Lin Heng looked at the creek groupers in the pool, which were similar to those in Baishigou.
"It's a pity it's too far away, otherwise we could come over to shake the fish." Li Baiquan said with a smile.
Just as everyone was talking, a black figure suddenly jumped out from the stream in front and dived into the grass.
"Oh my god, what a big black snake!" Lin Heng couldn't help but blurt out.
He was still in shock when his uncle-in-law Li Baiquan rushed out.
He was seen chasing the snake, and when he got close to it, he grabbed its tail and lifted it up. With his other hand, he stretched down along the tail and directly grasped the snake's neck in his hand. The whole process took less than ten seconds.
"Awesome!" Lin Heng exclaimed. He always caught the snake by pulling its tail with one hand and holding down the snake's head with a stick with the other hand before catching it. It was terrifying to just pick up the snake by the head like this, his hand speed was too fast.
"Your skill in catching snakes is pretty good." Tian Baishun couldn't help but praise.
Li Baiquan chuckled, weighed the black-necked snake in his hand, and said unsatisfactorily: "It looks big, but it's only a little over two kilograms in my hand. Forget it, let it go."
Black-necked snakes are cheap to begin with, and this one isn’t that big, so he didn’t really want to carry a snake on his back for a few days.
"Don't put it in. Stew it in the evening. I have a pot with me. Make a pot of dragon and phoenix soup to make it auspicious." Tian Baishun stopped him quickly. This old man didn't care and dared to eat anything.
"That's fine." Li Baiquan smiled, took a bag and put the snake in it.
Lin Heng shook his head and could only say that the snake was unlucky. None of the four of them were afraid of snakes, so it could only blame itself for being unlucky tonight.
After walking along the stream for seven or eight hundred meters, a white stone beach appeared. The ground was covered with white stones and there were some big trees in the distance.
"The gap between the two stones is quite suitable for living." Lin Heng said, pointing to two large bluestones of four or five meters in length in the southwest direction.
"I think it's okay. Let's go and take a look." Uncle Lu Honghai nodded, and everyone walked over.
At this time, the sun had already set behind the ridge of Taibai Mountain in the west. Half of the sky was dyed blood red, and the other half was azure blue. Coupled with this paradise-like environment, it seemed as if one had accidentally entered some magical land.
It’s a pity that there is no camera, otherwise Lin Heng would definitely take a picture of this scene.
Several people came under the big rock. They found that the place was really nice and big. There were no weeds around it, and there were not many mosquitoes at night. The wide field of vision allowed them to detect danger in time.
"The gap is too big, so we need to put some trees to cover it," said Tian Baishun.
Li Baiquan took out a hatchet and said, "Let's do it. I don't think we can find anything better."
The shelter is a triangular area created by the collapse of two large bluestones. To ventilate on two sides, the other side must be blocked.
"My uncle and I are here to cut down trees. You and Old Man Tian can go and cut some grass." Lin Heng also took out a hatchet and said.
"Okay." Uncle Lu Honghai nodded, put down his things and went out to cut the grass.
Lin Heng first picked up some dead tree trunks on the ground and piled them on the rocks, building up two dense layers. This was considered a preliminary blockade of this side, but there was still some ventilation.
"Let me do it, you move aside." At this time, my uncle-in-law Li Baiquan cut down many tree branches and put this thing up, and it suddenly became airtight.
Then find some big tree trunks to press on top to prevent the wind from blowing the treetops away. Once this is done, the shelter is basically completed.
All that’s left is to “decorate” the interior. Pick up the stones to build a stove, get some hay as a mattress, and then you can rest.
"I'll take care of the golden chicken."
Old Man Tian got two bundles of hay and couldn't wait to eat.
There was actually a small aluminum pot with a diameter of 30 cm in his backpack. He built a stove on it and boiled water.
"Eating so early? Now is a good time to go hunting." Lin Heng was a little confused.
Tian Baishun glanced at him and grinned: "The world is big, but eating is the most important thing. Let's deal with the golden chicken first and cook the meat. It won't be too late to look for it later."
This old man has no worries and is truly free and easy.
"Li Baiquan, go kill the snake and make soup. I also brought some wine. Let's have a drink tonight." Tian Baishun said again.
When he heard that there was wine, Lin Heng's uncle's eyes lit up immediately: "I'll go right away, you wait."
After saying that, he took out the black snake from the bag and went to the river. With one cut, the snake's head fell off. The bright red blood flowed down the stream, attracting many small fish to swim over to share the food.
But the blood disappeared too quickly and was gone before it could be used.
"Lin Heng, help pull it, let's peel off the snake skin." Li Baiquan said.
"Okay." Lin Heng came over to help his uncle.
Separate the snake skin and flesh from the neck, then grab it and pull it hard. With a "swish" sound, like tearing off a piece of cloth, the black snake skin was immediately peeled off.
"This thing is very quick to deal with." Li Baiquan smiled, took a knife to cut the snake open, took out the internal organs, and it was done.
"I'll go out and see if there's any sign of prey."
After dealing with the snake, Lin Heng walked out with the bow and arrow, while his uncle and Tian Baishun continued to deal with the golden rooster.
As the sun gradually set, the mountain breeze grew cooler, ruffling Lin Heng's long black hair.
He walked on the white stone beach with a bow and arrow. In the distance was the misty Taibai Mountain, and nearby were gurgling streams and tall forests.
The scenery was beautiful, but he only admired it for a moment and then focused on finding prey, because now he was no longer a prodigal son and had the burden of ensuring his family lived a happy life.
Going up along the stream, Lin Heng came to a tall mixed wood. From afar, he saw ants crawling on the ground in black lines, each carrying small white eggs and hurriedly heading to their new home.
The cranberries on the roadside were already full and red, and would fall off with a slight touch. Lin Heng picked two and put them in his mouth, his eyes attracted by a red-haired squirrel on a tree not far away.
It was holding a bug in its hands and chewing it happily. As soon as Lin Heng picked up the slingshot, it climbed to the top of the tree in a flash, jumped from a branch to another tree, and soon disappeared.
Shaking his head, Lin Heng reluctantly put away the slingshot and went into the woods. Not far away, he saw several Astragalus membranaceus plants growing together.
Astragalus leaves are arranged in rows, with pea-like pods attached on top, making them easy to identify.
"Anyway, I didn't encounter anything. I can pull it out, dry it, and boil it in water to drink." Lin Heng muttered to himself and walked over to pull it out.
The soil under the forest was soft, and all the roots came out with a single pull. After cutting off the roots and throwing them into the backpack, Lin Heng continued to move forward.
Even though it was already evening, prey was not easy to find. I didn't hear any calls and didn't find anything while walking in the woods.
There are white milk mushrooms everywhere in the woods, one after another. These mushrooms taste extremely spicy when raw, and even after being blanched and dried, a strong spicy taste remains.
They hardly have anyone eating here.
Lin Heng could kick two people to death with just two steps, and occasionally he would pick up a few chanterelles when he saw them.
"If I can't catch any prey, it's not bad to come across two red Ganoderma lucidum."
Lin Heng smiled, walked to the roots of the oak tree, and picked up two beautiful red Ganoderma lucidum.
After searching nearby, three more were found.
"It's OK today. Although I didn't catch any prey, I got some Ganoderma and honey, which is not bad."
After muttering to himself, Lin Heng had already begun to think about going back to eat. He was already a little hungry.
But when I looked at the ridge ahead and the tall trees, I felt that perhaps there might be new discoveries there.
"Well, let's just keep watching." He grabbed a handful of the soybeans his wife had fried for him and started eating them, thinking of Xiulan again.
After walking half a kilometer along the mountain road, Lin Heng finally reached the ridge. Looking into the distance, he casually pulled away the small branches around him. Suddenly, a burning sensation came from the back of his hand, which then turned into a piercing pain.
"Fuck! Hot chili!"
Lin Heng cursed, and he knew without even thinking that he had accidentally touched a hot pepper.
This thing is the most terrifying in the forest in summer. It hides behind the leaves and if you are not careful you will get hit. Once you are hit you will feel pain for half an hour.
Lin Heng took a look and saw a swollen bump on the back of his hand: "You are looking for death, right?"
He turned around and turned over the branch, and sure enough, he saw a live chili pepper, the kind with four corners and long golden-green hairs.
"Spicy King, no wonder it hurts so much."
Lin Heng broke off the leaves. There are many kinds of live chilies, and this kind is the most terrifying and hurts philosophers the most.
He placed the leaves of the live chili pepper on the stone, picked up a small slate to squeeze out the green liquid in it, and smeared it on his hands. The pain was immediately relieved a lot.
This is a traditional method used in the mountains, and it works most of the time.
"Damn it." Lin Heng angrily cut the body into pieces to relieve his hatred.
Even though he accidentally touched the live chili pepper, this thing shouldn't exist at all.
This is probably the common psychology of everyone who has been infected.
"Hmm?" While dealing with this live chili pepper, Lin Heng felt that he seemed to see a reflection in his peripheral vision, which seemed to come from animal fur.
He turned slowly, and a small figure three hundred meters away came into his sight.
The figure looked like a deer, the size of a poodle, with dark brown fur, ears standing up like a rabbit, a circle of white hair in the ears, and the most obvious thing was that there were two white upright hairs on its chest.
Lin Heng turned his head, but it didn't leave. It stood there, looking at him curiously.
Lin Heng held his breath at that moment, his heart pounding: "This is not a muntjac, it's a forest musk deer."
What is Musk Deer?
Musk deer are also called musk deer. Male musk deer have natural musk. The purchase price of natural musk per gram in 2023 is between three hundred and five hundred and four hundred yuan.
Even in the 1980s, it could still be sold for thirty yuan per gram. A musk deer generally contains fifty grams of musk, which means that killing a male musk deer would bring in a minimum of one thousand five hundred yuan.
How could Lin Heng not be excited? But he soon became disappointed because this was a female musk deer. He did not see the canine teeth that were bent backwards and turned outwards on its mouth, while male musk deer have canine teeth that are turned outwards.
As if noticing Lin Heng's aggressive gaze, the female musk deer turned around and ran away. Lin Heng did not chase her, but looked at the direction it fled from a distance.
"What a pity, the distance is too far, and it's a female." Lin Heng shook his head helplessly. If the prey saw it first, there was no way he could hit it.
Unless you have a sniper rifle with a range of hundreds or thousands of meters.
But this is a good thing for him. Since there are female musk deer in this place, there must be male ones as well. As long as he looks carefully, he will definitely get something.
It is impossible for a male musk deer to stay too far away from a female musk deer.
"Unfortunately, musk deer breed in November and December of the Gregorian calendar, and we can't find them by listening to the sounds during this period." Lin Heng shook his head.
"Damn it, you living hottie." Lin Heng whipped the corpse once more and continued to search around.
He had originally planned to go back, but now he decided to keep looking, hoping that he might be lucky enough to encounter a male musk deer.
It's like when you say you're going to pack up and go home, but suddenly you catch a big carp and you can't help but cast a few more times.
Lin Heng had the same mentality, but just like catching a big fish and continuing to fish often results in nothing, Lin Heng searched until it was dark, and still had no gains.
"Go back."
Lin Heng shook his head and decided to come back and explore tomorrow morning.
He was now two or three kilometers away from the shelter, so he chose a new way to go back.
Go down the mountain directly from this place and take a look at the Sanchagou Canyon.
Just when he reached halfway down the mountain, he suddenly heard a rustling sound. Turning around, he saw a hedgehog that had curled up into a ball and didn't move.
"Fuck, you're trying to scare me, right?"
Lin Heng kicked him away.
He continued walking, his pace quickening. Just as he got down the mountain, he heard a loud gunshot from the downstream direction. Suddenly, the world became quiet.
"Who found the prey?" Lin Heng was a little curious.
We traveled through the canyon, where the trees were sparse and the grass was deep, making it difficult to walk.
“Woof woof~”
"Huh? Why is there a dog barking here? Is it Old Man Tian?"
Lin Heng was stunned for a moment, listened carefully, and confirmed that it was undoubtedly a dog barking. He immediately changed direction and walked towards the direction of the barking.
“Is this in a wetland?”
After walking a short distance, Lin Heng found that the ground under his feet had become muddy, so he stopped quickly.
"Old Man Tian, is that you?"
Lin Heng shouted loudly. He was a little worried. Was the old man in danger? "Woof woof!"
No one answered, and the barking of the dogs became even more severe.
"Are you really in danger?"
Lin Heng felt a little scared. If Tian Baishun was really in danger, why didn't he fire a gun?
Fortunately, he is a staunch materialist and does not believe in any ghost legends, otherwise he would definitely think he had encountered a ghost.
Taking out a flashlight, Lin Heng found a stick to explore the way, and shouted as he walked: "Old Man Tian, is that you?!"
"It's me. Watch your step. Don't fall into the mud. Walk slowly!"
Finally, Lin Heng heard the voice of Old Man Tian.
"Are you okay?" Lin Heng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the person could still speak, it was good.
"You won't die for now. If you hadn't come, I might have died today, with only my chest left exposed." Old Man Tian's voice was very low.
Lin Heng understood. His chest was squeezed by the mud. No wonder the voice was so small. If he hadn't passed by here, the old man would probably have died here today.
He couldn't understand how an old hunter could make such a low-level mistake. After walking two steps, Lin Heng didn't dare to go any further. He retreated and took another detour, but it was blocked halfway. It was really scary to walk in such a dangerous terrain at night.
My vision is too narrow, and I can't tell which road is accessible, so I can only grope my way carefully.
But he couldn't go back to look for people. Old Man Tian was flooded up to his chest. If he went back to look for people and came back again, he would probably be dead.
After spending half an hour, Lin Heng finally found the road that Old Man Tian took and came to the place where he fell.
From a distance, this place looks like a flat ground covered with fallen leaves. If you don't look carefully, you won't notice that there is a pool of black mud underneath.
At this time, only the shoulders of Old Man Tian were left outside, and the spotted dog next to him had sunk into the water due to its struggle, leaving only half of its head.
(End of this chapter)
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