Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 537: Hundred-year-old wild ginseng comes out of the mountains to beg for food
To identify pure wild ginseng, one needs to look at its five shapes and six bodies. The five shapes are its whisker, stem, skin, texture, and body.

Generally, wild ginseng has long, old, tough, sparse and long whiskers, which are dotted with small millet-sized bumps. However, the garden ginseng grown by Lao Chai in Wangxing does not have these.

The reed head is relatively long, and there are two-section reeds, three-section reeds, thread reeds, goose neck reeds, etc. The reed has a reed bowl, which can be used to tell how old it is. For example, the lamp stand that Xu Laonian brought out is only more than 30 years old, but wild ginseng of 30 years is also relatively rare...

The skin of wild ginseng is generally yellow-brown old skin with a tight and shiny texture. There are fine screw-shaped horizontal lines at the shoulder of the hair root, which is the pattern of wild ginseng.

The body is the main root part of the wild ginseng, and the six bodies refer to the main root's smart, stupid, old, tender, horizontal, and straight.

The main root is exquisite and good-looking, with the body and legs clearly separable. Most of them have two legs with a large angle. According to their shapes, they are divided into diamond-shaped body and lump-shaped body. This is the spirit.

If the taproot is straight and the body is clumsy and ugly, it means stupid. If the skin is old and yellowish brown, with fine and loose horizontal lines, it means old. If the skin is white and the horizontal lines are rough, and if the taproot is short and thick and has two legs stretching to the sides, it means horizontal. If the taproot is smooth, it means straight.

Xu Ning had a lot of contact with wild ginseng because in his previous life he not only dealt in electrical appliances with Guan Lei, but also dealt in precious medicines such as wild ginseng and bear bile.

At this moment, he was holding the head of the six-leaf stalk of the stalk in his hand, carefully observing whether its stalk bowl was broken. If it was broken, the year was lost. The stalk bowl of this stalk was shaped like a crescent moon, the head was long and thick, the main root had two legs extending to both sides, the root hairs were like bumps and protrusions like millet grains, the skin color was tight and slightly white, and slightly yellowed...

Xu Ning couldn't help laughing out loud immediately, even though he had never encountered such good wild ginseng in his previous life. He thought to himself: If I put it in the cellar and store it for ten years, waiting for the law to come out, these six batches of leaves will definitely be able to be sold at a high price!
But he couldn't keep it and had to sell it because everyone was waiting for the money to do business. Besides, in ten years, he was confident that he could use 7000 yuan to make a hundred times the profit. To say that wild ginseng can bring the dead back to life is pure bragging, but it is indeed a great tonic. Not to mention that it can prolong life, at least it can allow people with poor physique to walk steadily.

Xu Laonian took out some bark and moss, and placed them next to Xu Ning with a flattering look on his face. He stared at the young mallet with a gleam in his eyes and said, "Son, how old do you think it is?"

Xu Ning was counting the reed bowls, and after a moment he turned his head and said, "About one hundred and twenty years ago. This Miao Bangchui should be from the second Jiaji years before the reign of Emperor Guangxu. The old pond was specially left behind by the last gang."

"Oh my god, it's been so many years? It's our ancestor! Put it down now..."

Liu Daming brushed his face helplessly and said, "Brother-in-law, can we be normal?"

"What do you know? There are gods above us, so what if I say something respectful? Besides, it can bring wealth to our family. We started our business with it, don't you know?"

"Okay, whatever you say."

Xu Ning placed six batches of red hammer leaves on the moss, covered all six batches of leaves with the original pit soil, and only cut the stems of the red hammers with scissors. Li Fuqiang put the red hammer seeds into a canning bottle. At this moment, the ginseng seeds in the canning bottle were already one centimeter high. It would be estimated that the canning bottle would be full only after all the pile of hammers were lifted out.

After tying the red string, Xu Ning put it into the backpack, counted the sticks in the basket, frowned and said: "It took so long to lift nine seedlings, I have to hurry up tomorrow."

Liu Daming said, "Erning, we are not familiar with each other, so it's a bit awkward to use the deer bone chisel. I think it will be fine tomorrow."

Xu Laonian smiled and said, "Well, son, you just carry the big stuff! We can carry the small stuff, this way it saves time and effort..."

"Go back first and come back tomorrow."

"Okay!"

Soon the four of them left the old pickled fruit shop with their backpacks and guns. It was almost dark. When they picked up their lunch boxes to eat, they were still talking about their experience of carrying the mallet. Wang Hu said that they must carry out the three seedling lamp stands, and Guan Lei also agreed. Li Fuqiang and Xu Laonian were eager to try the fourth batch of leaves. Liu Daming said fiercely: "I want to carry five batches of leaves..."

He was immediately scolded by Xu Laonian. If he damaged the five batches of leaves, how much money would he lose? A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. The tiger is very powerful.

But it made everyone laugh so hard that they vented their excitement about seeing a bunch of hammers today. They laughed for more than three minutes before stopping.

The sun rose in the east and set in the west. There was no time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The six of them were busy running between the camp and Lao Xianzi.

The initial excitement was unbearable, but it was gradually replaced by numbness. From morning to night, all they could see was black soil, and they never wiped the sweat off their foreheads. The six people finally realized what it meant to be in pain and happy at the same time.

There were all kinds of mulberries in the old pickled vegetables, from three-flowered to six-leafed. Xu Ning specifically asked the five men to keep the three-flowered mulberry seedlings and two more seedlings for two centuries, and to carry out the rest of the mulberries. Although their backpacks were already full, they did not dare to put them into sacks for fear that the mulberries would be squeezed and damaged.

So Li Fuqiang and Liu Daming went outside the pine forest and peeled off a lot of tree bark. They made two backpacks while eating or at night, covered them with sacks, and pressed a layer of hard bark on the bottom. They then put the mallet inside to avoid being squeezed.

A few days later, it was August 1984, 8, the first day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar.

Fourteen days have passed, exactly half a month, since Xu Ning and six other people went into the mountains to carry the hammers.

The weather was clear and cloudless, and the temperature was rising rapidly, making it extremely difficult for everyone to run in the mountains. They were sweating profusely after just a short walk.

At noon, Xu Laonian carried a few saplings of bark and put them into a backpack. He turned to look at Xu Ning who was folding the tarpaulin and said, "Old man, I just counted them. There are 83 saplings in total, which fill four backpacks. We can't take all these things in one trip."

Xu Ning said, "If we can get all of them, let my uncle make two sleds to carry the big pots and other things. There are only a few pieces of bear meat and roe deer meat left anyway."

"Brother, the meat has gone bad. Let's not take it on our way home. There is still some noodles left in this cloth bag, which should be enough for us to eat for a day."

"Then throw it halfway. Stone? Stone!"

Guan Lei poked his head out from behind the tree and responded, "Hey! Brother, I'm here."

"You and Hu Zi go get some water later and come back as soon as you're done. We have to hurry."

"Okay!" Guan Lei grabbed a handful of leaves and wiped his butt.

These days, everyone has been eating too much meat and has had problems with excretion. They just feel their stomachs are swollen, but nothing is coming out, which makes them feel a little uncomfortable.

But life in the mountains is like this, more or less a little inconvenient. If you are like Ma Liu, who often lives in the mountains, you may be able to find herbs, but Xu Ning and his gang dare not eat them randomly. Even if they know which herbs can relieve constipation, they dare not eat them, for fear of diarrhea after eating them, which would be another kind of pain.

While packing up everything, Xu Laonian calmed down and sat aside, smoking a cigarette and calculating the date. He suddenly realized that today was already the 27th. Although there was a 31st this month, it would take them nearly two days to leave the mountain, and they would arrive home at noon on the 29th.

"Oh my god, why do you want me to stay up all night again? My dear son, I came out with you to see how your father has made you look like a wretch. When I go back, I have to stay up all night to work and settle the accounts. How miserable I am!"

Xu Ning smiled and said, "When we get home, I'll ask my mom to give you 50 yuan as pocket money, okay?"

"Oh, okay! Oh, no, these mallets are worth a lot, you can just give me 50 yuan as pocket money? To send away beggars?"

"You can take it or not, if you don't want it, forget it!"

"Yes, yes, yes... Who the hell are you? You used me and threw me away, but you're still playing the game of pay-as-you-go with your own father?"

Liu Daming was fixing the sled nearby and laughed, "Haha, brother-in-law, isn't it your way to pay as you go? Erning is your son, so he must have learned this from you."

"Get lost, you're everywhere!" Xu Laonian glared and pretended to be unhappy.

Li Fuqiang said: "Uncle, when we get home, I will praise you more with my aunt, and my aunt will definitely give you more pocket money."

"It has to be Qiangzi, all right! How much this old man can put in his pocket depends entirely on your mouth."

"Of course." After Wang Hu and Guan Lei came back with the kettle, everyone stood up and picked up their backpacks and guns. Li Fuqiang and Liu Daming pulled the sled with the pots and pans, and they all looked back at the shacks in the camp and then looked at Lao Xianzi again. Although there was some reluctance in their eyes, they had been out for half a month and gained a lot, so it was time to go home.

"Let's go!"

Afterwards, everyone walked towards the distance. Since they were carrying four baskets of sticks, their walking speed was not fast. It was not until the evening that they reached the temporary camp forty miles away from Sankanzi.

After resting for a night in the temporary camp, they headed towards Sankanzi at dawn the next day. They did not stop at noon and ate the bear oil pancakes that Guan Lei had baked last night on the way.

When passing by Sankanzi, Xu Ning wanted to rest here for a while, but Xu Laonian pulled him home in a hurry. If he didn't go back to the forest farm to work, there might be trouble.

Before dark, they successfully walked out of the mountain and found the car in Yanwangkanzi. No one had touched the car, but there were two greyhounds in the car. After Li Fuqiang drove them away, he put the backpack containing the mallet, pots and other things into the trunk.

Xu Laonian exhaled and said, "We are finally home..."

After Li Fuqiang and the others finished loading their things, they said, "Brother, why don't we just go straight to the end to avoid any problems along the way."

"Okay! I'll drive first and then go to Wanye Town or the city to buy something to eat."

"Well, uncle, you and my uncle can get on the passenger seat and take a nap. We'll keep an eye on the back."

"Hey, Qiangzi, put something under the backpack and the torn mattress to make sure the mallet is not crushed."

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

"I know. Don't worry, uncle."

Then everyone got in the car. Xu Ning drove the car to the front of Yanwangkanzi, dug out a few barrels of oil, and poured them into the fuel tank. At this time, the fuel tank was full, but everyone was tired and sleepy. The most uncomfortable thing was hunger. Not only did their stomachs growl, but even their hearts felt like they were stabbed by a knife.

At this time, it was already 28:7 in the evening of the 40th. Xu Ning drove with his eyes wide open, while Xu Laonian and Liu Daming were snoring beside him. After driving for more than miles, they finally arrived at Wanye Town.

Xu Ning parked the car not far from a small restaurant, got out and walked around to the back of the car, looked at Li Fuqiang who was holding the old man in his arms and said, "Brother, you and Huzi stay here, Shitou and I will go buy some food. My father and uncle are sleeping in the front, so call them if you need anything."

"I know, don't worry."

Guan Lei jumped out of the car and walked towards the small restaurant with Xu Ning. As soon as they entered the house, an old woman who was mopping the floor raised her head and said, "Brother, our restaurant is about to close."

Xu Ning was covered in dust and dirt. Anyone who saw him would stay away because he was really dirty. He said with a smile: "Sister, we don't want to eat at your place. We can't make your house dirty. You can just cook some rice for us. We haven't eaten for a day and we don't have much money left..."

The old woman was stunned when she heard this and said, "Ah, then...then how about I make you some fried rice? There are so many of you, how much can you eat?"

"Let's fry some. Do we have any pickled vegetables? Eating them dry is a bit irritating to the throat."

"Yes, I'll just make something for you. Didn't you see I've already cleaned up the floor? I'm really about to close. There's some stewed potatoes and beans left in the back. I'll take it all for you. Do you have anything to eat?"

Xu Ning nodded and said, "Yes, Shitou, go outside and get the pot."

"Eh."

Guan Lei responded and turned to walk out, while Xu Ning stood at the door without taking a step inside. The old woman went into the kitchen and said a few words to someone, and then the sound of chopsticks stirring eggs was heard from the kitchen.

The old woman came out and asked with a smile: "Brother, where did you come from?"

"From Damengou..."

The old woman was stunned and said in shock: "Oh my god! Damengou? You dare to go to that place, is there anything you can't solve?"

"No, we were just wandering around. We didn't expect Damengou to be so strange. We almost couldn't get out."

The old woman clapped her hands and said, "That's not bad! People here don't go to Damengou. I heard two guys went there and went crazy when they came back. They said they saw something weird and fun."

"Hey, we are also forced into no choice..."

What is Damengou? It is a famous mysterious place in Wanye. No one knows the real situation, but it is said that there is gold in Damengou, so many people go there to explore.

"Is it finished yet?"

Xu Ning shook his head: "What are you doing? You should have heard about it here. There are a few people who have been working on gold in Damengou over the years."

"Not really, that place is just a scare, buddy, don't go there again. If you want to make money, go work in the mine for half a year, you can save some money anyway."

"Hey, didn't we work in the mine before..."

Xu Ning and the old woman chatted for a long time. At this time, Guan Lei came into the house carrying a large aluminum pot and a ladle. Xu Ning took them, then piled the two pots together and pushed them at the old woman's feet.

"Sister, we won't go inside."

The old woman squatted down and picked up the pot, smiling and said, "Brother, you are very considerate. It's okay! How can I not believe you?"

"Haha, sister, ask your brother-in-law to put down the gun. I heard the sound of it being loaded just now."

The old woman's face paused, and she quickly said with a smile: "Oh my god, you heard this little noise? Otherwise, I'd say you're too careful. Put down your gun quickly, brother, I'm not looking for trouble."

A voice came from the kitchen, saying, "Excuse me, brother. I got scared when you two came into the house wearing those clothes at this late hour."

"Hahaha, it's okay... We should be on guard these days."

The old woman said, "A ruthless man was caught in Sandaohe before. He killed more than ten people in the provincial capital. Later, he was beaten to death in Sandaohe. There were also a few gangsters who were looking for trouble in our town a while ago..."

"It's not easy to do business these days, I understand."

The old woman put the pot in the back kitchen. Not long after, an old man brought the pot out and said with a smile: "Brother, this aluminum pot contains fried rice, which should be enough for ten people. I have some leftover potatoes and beans at home, and I've ladled them for you."

"Thank you very much, how much is it in total?"

"Why give me money? Just think of it as making friends, okay?"

Xu Ning said with a smile: "Friends are friends, business is business. I'm sorry to bother you so late at night. This is all I can give you. Don't be picky."

After saying that, Xu Ning slapped a stack of money on the table. There were notes of one cent, five cents, ten cents, and fifty cents in this stack, a total of six yuan and sixty cents.

(End of this chapter)