Chapter 114 Entering the Mountains
Chapter 114 Entering the Mountains
They returned to the village, chatting and laughing.
Light could be faintly seen in the water beside the road, and there seemed to be the sound of men arguing.
Tian Dajun frowned and said, "You're all really putting in the effort. You go release the toads, and I'll see what's going on."
It was obvious that people were arguing over snails, and these were strong laborers who had just returned from the fields.
Women and children are usually fine; at most, it's just a matter of who scratches whom. But when men get angry, they don't know their own strength, and things could easily get serious.
Zhang Wenshan nodded and led the group forward.
Having experienced the afternoon's events, these uncles and elders, who were considerably older than him, obediently followed his orders.
The group soon arrived at the Toad Pond, only to find a large crowd gathered around it.
"Why did they suddenly release the water?"
"Why wasn't there an announcement over the loudspeaker?"
"There aren't any toads in here!"
In the dim night, the pond filled with water shimmered, and the mudflats on the shore were softened by the water.
"Look, it's Shanzi."
"Wenshan, what's going on?!"
Suddenly, everyone swarmed around, bombarding him with questions, creating a chaotic scene.
Zhang Wenshan could only shout, "Make way, everyone! The toad seedlings are being laid; they'll all die if we're any later!"
That statement certainly carries weight.
Instantly, everyone fell silent and hurriedly made way.
Zhang Wenshan led his men to the shore and laid out their baskets in a row.
He chose a spot, slowly walked down the shallows of the pond, lifted the net to scoop out the froglings, and gently shook them against the water's surface.
"Pfft pfft pfft!"
The countless toad larvae fell into the water and immediately became active.
With a kick of their calves, some drifted towards the deeper water, some burrowed into the grass, and some clung to the edge of the pond—and soon they all disappeared.
"That's it? Is that all?"
"I can't see anything at all!"
How many frogs are inside?
"When will it grow up and be sold for money?"
Seeing that the four baskets were empty, the crowd immediately surrounded them again, bombarding them with questions.
Compared to snails that you have to wade into the water to catch, frogs that sit back and wait to get their share of the profits are obviously more attractive.
"Accountant Tian is here. You can ask him for details."
Zhang Wenshan decisively chose to betray his teammates. With a shout, he ran away in a flash while everyone turned their heads.
To be honest, being a village cadre is a job that's really inhuman.
Just thinking about answering everyone's questions is overwhelming.
"That kid, he runs really fast."
"After Shanzi learned his lesson, he became much more shy than before."
"Probably exhausted—hey, you guys went along too, tell me what happened?"
"I need to ask Lao Tian."
The group didn't insist on targeting Zhang Wenshan; they quickly changed their focus and turned their attention to the group that had gone to catch the toad seedlings together.
They were happy to talk about it and immediately began to recount it vividly.
Some people couldn't wait any longer and went directly to Accountant Tian, since Zhang Wenshan was right, the accountant knew the most.
Many more people simply stood silently by the Toad Pond, gazing at the calm water where they could see nothing, and felt inexplicably at ease.
back home.
After washing his hands, Zhang Wenshan rushed to the dining table and began to wolf down his food.
I didn't eat lunch; the little bit I had in the morning wasn't enough to sustain me.
-
"Eat slowly, there's more, there's more." Xu Xiulian's eyes were full of heartache as she kept patting his back, afraid that he would choke.
Zhang Fengxia pouted and said, "Accountant Tian is really something, why doesn't she let people eat?"
The third sister, Zhang Wenhui, didn't say anything, but silently poured some boiled water and placed it next to her younger brother.
After he finished eating, Zhang Fengxia finally spoke up, "There aren't that many snails today, and I estimate there will be limited availability tomorrow morning as well. Is that alright?"
"How about we get some together tomorrow morning?" Zhang Jianshe took out his pipe and lit it. "Let's not leave a bad impression on the state-run restaurant."
The eldest brother-in-law and the third sister next to him also nodded in agreement.
How many?
"I'd be lucky if it weighed fifty jin," Zhang Fengxia said indignantly. "The fishing and hunting team sent all the fish they caught during the day to Li Dong, and they'll probably be late tomorrow morning too."
"They're clever; they don't offend either side," Zhang Wenhui couldn't help but comment.
"Fifty pounds is enough. I've already spoken to the state-run restaurant; it'll be fine."
Zhang Wenshan then changed the subject.
"Tomorrow, my eldest sister can deliver the goods. If the carriage is occupied, she can take it herself. Brother-in-law, don't go to the fields tomorrow; go with my eldest sister."
Logically speaking, Li Dongzheng should be riding high and wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics, but we still have to be wary.
Ultimately, family members are more at ease.
Zhao Hongwei immediately nodded, patting his chest to show he was reassured.
"What are you going to do?" Third Sister Zhang Wenhui realized the key point.
"Let's go up the mountain," Zhang Wenshan said after thinking for a moment. "My master said there's a place where they can make clubs. I'll go check it out."
"What?"
"wooden club!"
"Shh, keep your voice down."
In an instant, the family was in chaos. The third sister rushed over to close the door and even glanced at the neighbor's house.
"Fourth brother, is it true?"
Zhang Jianshe put down the tobacco pipe rod, his voice trembling.
What a fool!
That's worth a fortune.
"It's hard to say." Zhang Wenshan naturally wouldn't give a definitive answer.
"Then I'll go with you."
"Let your brother-in-law go too."
My father and eldest sister spoke almost at the same time.
"Really, there's no need," Zhang Wenshan shook his head. "My father and brother-in-law went into the mountains with me and didn't work in the fields. Anyone with eyes can see the problem."
He knew perfectly well that, theoretically, wild ginseng wouldn't be discovered in a short period of time.
There's no need to rush.
But I just don't feel at ease.
As for revealing the truth to his family, it was also out of rational consideration. In case something happens, at least someone will know where he is and what he is doing.
Having the eldest sister keep the accounts and not concealing income is the same principle.
His family knew something was wrong when he was away.
The next day.
Before dawn, Zhang Wenshan packed his things and headed straight for the location indicated by the system.
Besides tools, the basket also contained food and water prepared by my mother early in the morning.
This route was different from the ones we had taken before; it was more remote and sparsely populated.
The higher you go, the denser the forest becomes. The tall red pines and pine trees completely block out the sunlight, making you feel as if you've fallen into a dark green deep sea, making it difficult to discern directions.
Fortunately, there are system markings, so there's no need to worry about getting lost, and new rubber shoes and gloves are also available to help.
Zhang Wenshan walks at a fairly fast pace.
Unfortunately, mosquito repellent methods were limited in this era, and even with my third sister's scarf, things still kept bumping into my face.
About two hours later.
He has almost completely overlapped with the location marked on the system.
Looking around, a large mixed forest comes into view, with oak and birch trees dominating the upper layer, and hazelnut, lespedeza, and other species in the middle layer.
At the very bottom are ferns and artemisia —
Underfoot is dark brown humus soil, loose and breathable; a handful is loose and doesn't stick to your hands.
Further down, you can touch gravel and weathered stones.
"This should be it."
Based on his past life experience and with the help of the system's identifiers, Zhang Wenshan quickly determined the general area and began to search carefully with wide eyes.