Chapter 6: Entering the Mountains
Little Fatty walked slowly, stopping intermittently, often pausing by the roadside as if sightseeing, appearing indifferent and leisurely. Li Feng stopped several times because of this, and finally, seeing that there was no one around, he decided to toss the little fellow into his space; otherwise, at this pace, he would spend the entire afternoon accompanying Fatty to enjoy the scenery.
There are many hills in Lijiagang, with seven or eight of various sizes. Unfortunately, over the past decade, several of these have been developed for human use and planted with bamboo. Currently, only one hill, connected to a branch of the Qinling Mountains, remains undeveloped. It has been allowed to grow freely over the years, showing no signs of human intervention.
However, while clearing these, Li Feng actually made quite a few gains, including苦哈哈草 (Kuhaha grass),何首乌 (He Shou Wu), and some wildflowers, which he directly dug up and tossed into his space. Kuhaha grass has a slight bitterness and is mainly used to make herbal tea, which is favored by the mountain folk, especially the elderly, who prefer it over the tea leaves from their own tea trees. Kuhaha grass is scientifically known as夏枯草 (Xia Ku Cao) and can be found in clusters in rural fields and along ditches. When dried and brewed into tea, it is definitely effective in clearing heat and detoxifying.
With a smug smile on his face, Li Feng looked at the stream and his mind became active. He searched around, hoping to see a second one. Unfortunately, after half an hour of searching, he only caught a few large crucian carp, each weighing over half a pound and full of roe. Li Feng was not at all polite and stored them all in his space.
"Go away, both of you." Zhang Lan looked at the two of them, anxiously scratching their heads. With a roll of her eyes, she thought to herself, these two, the dog is barely a month old, can it even eat meat? Zhang Yue prepared a small bowl of rice porridge, adding some vegetable soup. The puppy wrinkled its nose and began to lick eagerly.
Li Feng's father said that this is a rare wolf dog, with a pure bloodline. It just arrived today, and within a few minutes, it was completely snatched away. Li Shan was thinking about how Li Feng would live over by the peach grove and the library, feeling somewhat worried about the wild boars on the mountain. Gritting his teeth, he managed to get it for one hundred and fifty from someone else.
As he continued deeper into the woods, Li Feng spotted a few wild chickens among the bushes. Unfortunately, the branches of the thicket were dense, making it difficult for him to move, and the wild chickens ran away too quickly. As for the hares, he did not see any.
After finishing lunch, Li Feng, in high spirits, said a few words to Zhang Lan while carrying a shovel. Leading the little dog, the family gave it a rather fashionable name, Fatty. The dog was chubby and had a somewhat grayish appearance, which suited its cute name perfectly. Although Li Shan had some reservations, both Zhang Lan and Li Feng thought it was quite good. In the end, Zhang Lan made the final decision, while Li Shan expressed his dissent.
Speaking of the various scars from childhood, there are countless. Which adult today would wish for their child to be so tough every day
"Xiao Bao, your father will handle the house matters, and your mother has the final say on matters concerning your wife." Who would have thought that after a moment of silence, Zhang Lan would shift the conversation directly to Li Feng. Li Shan, who was nearby, paid close attention; the couple shared a unified stance on their son's significant life events. Their son was already around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, while other families' children were already independent. Especially since Li Shan had heard that Li Feng's former friends had gotten married last year, he felt even more anxious. Before Li Feng returned, the couple had already agreed to discuss this matter.
Li Feng had been busy for half a day and was extremely thirsty. Looking at the cool stream, his thirst intensified. He glanced around and found the place to be sparsely populated. Turning around, he entered the space and saw a chaotic pile of various items on the ground, especially the little chubby one rolling around on the flowers and plants he had thrown in. However, what made Li Feng furious was that this little pup occasionally chased after the stone chickens he had thrown in, and even several crucian carp were left in disarray by the little creature's antics.
At lunchtime, the little one seemed to be a bit unaccustomed. Li Feng picked up a few pieces of beef, but the little one stubbornly refused to eat, which greatly worried Li Shan and his grandfather.
"Is that a bamboo chicken, or are there two?" From a distance, Li Feng gazed at the two bird-like chickens on the hillside, which were exactly the delicacies he craved the most. Bamboo chickens are not only beautiful, but their taste is truly exceptional; the meat is tender and fragrant, surpassing that of wild chickens. They are undoubtedly a top delicacy in the mountains. Unfortunately, in recent years, people from outside the mountains have been purchasing them at high prices, with one even selling for as much as 100 yuan, which is astonishing and indicative of their deliciousness
The four-legged snake resembled a water snake in body shape, but with four additional claws. On one occasion, Li Feng had placed a venomous four-legged snake in his deskmate's pencil case, but fortunately, nothing happened. Although the venom of the four-legged snake in the mountains is not very strong, the bacteria in its teeth can still be quite troublesome, as wounds can easily become festering and lead to a severe fever, which is quite alarming. Since then, Li Feng has been too afraid to use this creature to scare others. Now, looking at the one he accidentally killed with a shovel, he truly does not know whether he is lucky or if that four-legged snake was simply having a streak of bad luck.
Although feeling a slight disappointment, Li Feng still felt fortunate to have encountered the rare bamboo chicken. He continued to walk forward, finding the mountain path increasingly difficult to traverse, likely having not been traveled by anyone for a long time. The path was overgrown with wild grass, and Li Feng occasionally stopped to clear some of it away. There was no other choice; the path was thick with vines and thorns, making it difficult to find an alternative route.
"Mom, this matter cannot be rushed; we must find a suitable one. You wouldn't want your son to live an uncomfortable life in the future, would you?" Whenever Li Feng mentions marriage or finding a girlfriend, he feels a sense of dread. His own conditions are undoubtedly among the best in the countryside, but it is essential to find someone with whom he shares common interests. Alas, this matter can only rely on fate; it is best to let things take their natural course.
In the thatched cottage, I took a bottle of water, quickly cleared the space, and after returning, I must properly teach the puppy. Looking at the stains on my clothes, I felt quite frustrated
Looking at the little wolf dog with big, wide eyes, Li Feng couldn't help but play with the somewhat lazy puppy that was panting with its mouth open. Li Feng grew increasingly fond of the little creature. Meanwhile, Zhang Lan, sitting beside him, couldn't resist teasing the chubby and adorable puppy, which made Li Shan burst into laughter and caused Zhang Lan to roll her eyes repeatedly.
"Oh, a four-legged lizard." Looking at the little lizard he had accidentally squashed, a broader smile spread across his face as he recalled the time in his childhood when he had caught a four-legged lizard and placed it in the pencil case of the girl sitting next to him. That girl had cried for two days straight, trembling all over, and in the end, he had no choice but to change seats, receiving a severe reprimand from the teacher. When he got home, he was not spared from eating Li Shan's meat sandwich.
Li Feng quietly approached, not wanting to shoot. He raised the shovel in his hand, wondering if he would have the fortune of a good meal today, but he could only watch as he shivered. With a rustle, two bamboo chickens spread their wings and flew towards the bushes, disappearing in the blink of an eye. It seems these two were extremely vigilant, no wonder they had not been caught by anyone.
"You two. " Speaking of which, Li Shan is undoubtedly a dog lover. Influenced by his father, Li Feng has played with dogs and cats since he was young. Unfortunately, the dogs at home lack spirit, and many of them are priced beyond what a small farming family like theirs can afford. As for Li Feng, after starting school, he lost interest. Li Shan is busy every day, and Zhang Lan is tightly managing the family finances, leaving no spare money for him to take care of these pets
As Li Feng walked along, the wildflowers were fragrant. This child would occasionally stop to take a few photos and sometimes pick some flowers to toss into his space, planning to return to www.hetushu.com to have his father, Li Shan, brew a hundred-flower wine. Every year, the Li family would brew a jar of peach blossom wine, with a subtle aroma and a hint of peach blossom flavor, truly a delicacy of the human world
At noon, Li Shan returned home fully loaded. Li Feng glanced at the basket filled with lotus roots, packets of vegetable seeds, and flower seeds stacked together. In addition, he bought a considerable amount of meat and vegetables. What surprised Li Feng the most was that his father, Li Shan, had actually bought a wolf dog. It had a dark black back, slightly yellow hooves, and a white ring around its neck. Its small ears had not yet stood up, and it was covered in soft yellow fur, with big watery eyes and a round, fluffy body, making it extremely adorable. Li Feng teased the little creature, and it bared its teeth and made a fierce face, but unfortunately, this little one had just been weaned, which only made it appear even cuter.
At the turn of spring and summer, it is the season when snakes, insects, mice, and ants are most abundant, especially in the grass, where sporadic sounds can be heard, necessitating caution. In his childhood, Li Feng and his friends particularly enjoyed coming here, especially in autumn when there were plenty of wild fruits, often leaving them with round, full bellies. Back then, there weren't as many varieties of snacks as there are today; everything they ate and played with was entirely natural. Nowadays, adults are reluctant to let young children venture into the mountains. Not to mention venomous snakes and wild beasts, there are also thorns, vines, and prickly branches; a moment's inattention can lead to trouble. Li Feng, while not the most mischievous child, did experience his fair share of minor injuries, but the most serious incident occurred when he climbed a tree to pick mulberries, accidentally grabbing a soil snake, which startled him and caused him to fall and break his arm
Coo coo. Li Feng was taken aback; the call coming from the nearby stream was so familiar. It was definitely the call of the stone chicken. In Li Feng's hometown, the stone chicken is not a bird, but a type of frog, or rather, it should be called a stone toad. Its skin resembles mountain rocks, and each one is larger than a fist. Its call is not unlike that of a frog, but rather carries a slight vibration, a sound emanating from its belly. The stone chicken is known for its tender, white meat, rich in nutrients and exceptionally delicious, making it a prized delicacy in the mountains. Unfortunately, this creature is even rarer than the bamboo chicken, making it a sought-after ingredient. Li Feng felt a surge of excitement in his heart as he trembled and moved closer. After looking around for a while, he could only hear the sound but could not see the creature, which made him anxious. With no other option, he searched through the crevices of the stones and finally spotted it—dark gray, quite a few of them, each weighing about a pound. Without waiting for the stone chicken to react, Li Feng swiftly grabbed one and tossed it into his space.
"Still good, Mom." Li Feng gave a thumbs up, prompting Zhang Lan to cast a proud glance at her silent husband beside her. As a result, Zhang Lan had half a bowl more for lunch, which Li Feng noticed, feeling a twinge of envy in his heart
Along the peach orchard of his home, crossing over the bamboo forest, there lay some disordered mountain ridges ahead. From a distance, they appeared endless and grew deeper the further one looked. Li Feng followed the path of his memories up the mountain, but unfortunately, the once small trail was now overgrown with wild grass and thick vines. As he brushed aside the grass, he remained vigilant of the vines.
As Li Feng entered, the chubby little one ran over excitedly to greet him. However, seeing that this fellow was covered in dirt and had scales at the corners of his mouth, Li Feng dared not let him get too close. In the end, he had no choice but to help the little one wash up. Unexpectedly, this small creature shook his body wildly, showing no signs of being obedient, and ultimately ended up splashing water all over Li Feng, leaving him at a loss with the little rascal.
Although 150 yuan seems a bit expensive, it is important to note that ordinary mixed-breed dogs usually cost around 10 yuan each, and even a decent mixed-breed puppy only costs about 40 to 50 yuan. Zhang Lan did not express her reluctance verbally, but she felt a bit unwilling in her heart. On the other hand, Li Feng was pleasantly surprised; he noticed that the puppy was a German Shepherd, and a good black-backed one at that. When it grows up, it will look quite majestic.