Back to 1984: Hunting in the Mountains

Chapter 154 My son Xiao Jin goes into the mountains for the first time
Even in the mountains, it is not very cold because the altitude is not high.

In fact, because of the trees and plants on the mountain, the temperature is actually higher than that below.

At least Yu Qiutang didn't feel cold.

But when he saw his father, he subconsciously felt that he would be cold.

After the scarf was put on my father, he initially refused, but finally he carefully fastened a button in the front to prevent it from slipping off.

After this action, the two people basically no longer maintained a distance between each other, but walked almost side by side.

After a brief silence, Yu Dejin suddenly stopped and gently tapped the crooked tree beside the mountain path, "Look."

When Yu Qiutang looked over, he was surprised to find a few words carved on the tree.

It’s still that kind of traditional Chinese characters, square and regular, a bit like official script.

Yu Qiutang thought about it again and wondered why it felt familiar. It was because this kind of font was found on many tombstones.

[My son Xiao Jin goes into the mountains for the first time]

He couldn't help but open his eyes wide.

He had actually seen this tree many times before. It was a crooked tung tree that was inserted diagonally into a small earthen platform. It looked to be quite old and was about the thickness of a person.

Because it was like other crooked trees in the mountains, and because it was a hollow tung tree, no one thought of cutting it down even though it grew in a key location where people often passed by.

The wood is hollow and has no fire when burned as firewood.

Even if it was used to make wooden rafters, they were too crooked and basically useless.

It is precisely this uselessness that allows it to avoid a lot of damage and ultimately survive.

However, he never imagined that this tree was actually related to his father.

And it is such a close relationship.

There is almost no need to guess, you know that this word must have been written by my grandfather.

My father was still young at that time, my second uncle might have just been born, and my third uncle might not have even come into the world yet.

My grandfather was still very young at that time.

Having inherited the profession of Yin and Yang, he goes to burn incense regularly with awe of the mysterious power and a pious heart.

Perhaps in his eyes, the mountains are the dojo of gods.

Taking my son into the mountains, there must be a lot of special emotions in my heart.

What about the father at this moment?

It was the first time for me to go into the mountains seriously, so I felt complicated.

"At that time, the tree was still very small, a tung tree seedling that grew out of nowhere, extending from the side of a rock.

As for me, I just wanted to find a stick to lean on, and I fell in love with this small tree at first sight. I thought that since it was growing on the side, it would not grow big in the future, so I might as well just pull it out.

But your grandfather stopped him.

Your grandfather said that some things in this world are born with a miserable life. Other trees can grow in places with plenty of rain and sunshine, but this little thing can only grow here.

However, no matter where you are born, you can live a good life.

It's just that life is a little harder.

But we can’t give up just because it’s hard, and we can’t ignore it and not live well just because it’s hard…”

Yu Dejin said this, and gently stroked the engraved words with his hand, "So you look at this tree, although it is still crooked, it has grown so thick.

Look at this word. It was carved very deeply at that time, but now it is so shallow. I am afraid that after a few more years, it will be too thin to be visible.

Speaking of carving, I blamed your grandfather for carving it. I said that the tree was so small, and if he carved such big words, what if he killed the tree? "

My father suddenly thought of something and stopped talking. He just looked at the words and fell silent.

It was the first time that Yu Qiutang heard about these old stories, and he was amazed.

When he was born, his grandfather had passed away, and all the information he knew about him came from other people.

I didn't know that he was such an old man.

"So what did my grandfather say?"

Yu Dejin glanced at Yu Qiutang and said with a complicated expression: "He said it was all fate."

Yu Qiutang was stunned.

The incident of the crooked tree did not affect the father and son for too long.

The two of them did not rest.

Soon we crossed the "bridge" imagined by Yu Qiutang and arrived at the birch forest on the opposite side.

“Originally this was a mixed forest, but the other trees at the back were slowly cut down, leaving only birch saplings, which then grew into a birch forest.”

Yu Dejin told Yu Qiutang all about the past of the mountains and forests.

Then he continued, “If you are looking for birch wood for your house, you should look for old birch forests. Many of the wood there are one or two hundred years old, and the wood is stronger and thicker.

The wood here is growing and is hollow inside, so once it dries out, it might split.”

"I see."

Yu Qiutang remembered what Mi Wenzhong said about the wood cracking.

Maybe that piece of wood is the problem.

He only knew that his father was a carpenter before, but he didn't expect that he was so familiar with the mountains and forests.

It was beyond expectation.

"Then the old birch forest you mentioned is the one over there in Huzigou?"

"you know?"

Yu Dejin looked puzzled.

Is there anything else I don't know?
Yu Qiutang felt a little more proud in his heart. Being able to exceed his father's expectations made him feel better than making money.

“I’ve been there once before.”

Yu Dejin was even more surprised. "That place is so remote. What are you doing there?"

"I went there accidentally."

"Oh."

Yu Dejin thought about it and agreed, so he didn't ask any more questions. The two of them turned and headed towards Huzigou.

The so-called Huzigou is actually a valley.

There is a mountain path with cliffs on both sides and only a few meters wide in the middle.

Halfway through the mountain path, it is blocked by a cliff, and the narrowest part is only two or three meters wide.

It's really like one man blocking the pass and ten thousand men unable to pass.

It is said that during the war, there was a group of bandits in the mountains who hid in this ditch.

Relying on the natural barrier to hold firmly.

The authorities tried to take it down several times, but gave up because the terrain was too dangerous and the losses were too great.

The local people call him Huzigou.

Later, peace was restored and the bearded men were all defeated, but few people still came to this place.

Legend has it that many people were killed here.

Many of them have not been reincarnated and hang around in the valley all day. Those with weak yang fire will have their souls sucked dry or seduced away through the soul tube.

Even hunters, mountaineers and forest rangers who often travel in the mountains usually don't come here on purpose.

It's a small forbidden area.

Yu Dejin never expected that Yu Qiutang actually knew about such a remote place.

In his eyes, Yu Qiutang was just a teenager who shouldn't know these things.

It's getting brighter.

Fortunately, the clouds in the sky gradually became thinner and I could vaguely feel some warmth. I looked up at the sky, but the light was so bright that I couldn't open my eyes.

The father and son walked forward in silence. The only sound on the mountain path was the sound of their footsteps trampling leaves and dead branches.

Yu Qiutang felt that the atmosphere was a bit depressing and wanted to find some topic to ease the tension, but he didn't know what to say.

But I felt embarrassed while waiting for my father to speak.

In the previous few attempts to break the deadlock, it was always his father who spoke first and he passively accepted it. It couldn't always be like this.

then.

He began to rack his brains to find a topic.

Since there is nothing far away, let’s start with this mountain.

"Dad, do you come to the mountains often?"

"Yes, I come here often. Most wood can be bought on the market, but some owners want better things, so they can only look for good materials in the mountains."

"There are so many wild animals in the mountains, and you don't have a gun..."

Yu Dejin glanced at Yu Qiutang and said nonchalantly, "What can there be in the mountains? Jackals are timid. If you don't provoke them, they will definitely not come to trouble you.

There are few leopards, and you may only encounter them once or twice in many years. They will basically avoid people when they see them.

As for bears, if you meet one, just be quiet and don't make it angry, and it won't cause you any trouble.

If it's really dangerous, throw the food you brought to them, and they will most likely go away."

"So...what if I can't leave?"

Yu Dejin laughed out loud for the first time.

"Then just leave it to fate. As long as you have an axe and are brave, you can always find a chance to survive.

However, if you really want to be safe, try not to go into the mountains. There are many treasures in this mountain. They belong to the mountains. If you insist on taking them out, how can you do it without paying a price?"

Back to this topic, Yu Qiutang could only nod to show his agreement.

“Be careful next time you come in. I don’t know where you learned this skill, but those who drowned were those who knew how to swim. The more you think you can do it, the more likely you are to get into trouble.

There are also people I knew who are brave and capable, but they often get into trouble faster. On the contrary, people like us who are timid and can only walk around on the periphery are the ones who survive.

Being alive is the most important thing. Nothing is more important than life. You must keep this in mind."

"Ok."

Seeing his son was so honest, Yu Dejin's expression became softer and softer.

"You've grown up, you'll be eighteen when you turn eighteen. It wasn't easy for me to raise you, and I still hope that you can get married and have children in the future, and live a peaceful life."

"Will do."

Yu Dejin nodded, "That's good, this way your mother won't blame me then."

When he heard his father mention his mother, Yu Qiutang felt that the topic should be paused.

It would be fine if he didn't mention it. As soon as he mentioned it, he would feel irritated. He was worried that he would have conflicts with his father in the mountains. It was deserted and uninhabited, and it was always unsafe.

"What kind of wood are you looking for this time, Dad?"

"There's no fixed rule. As long as it's roughly the same, the old birch here is pretty good."

"Is the Huzikou in front?"

Yu Qiutang saw that more than a hundred meters away, the cliff looked like two huge palms that were about to come together.

There is a thin cut in the middle of the palm. From a distance, it seems that only one person can pass through it.

Nature is truly amazing.

Yu Dejin nodded.

"That's right. After the beard mouth, inside is where the beard used to be. It has been abandoned for a long time now."

"Then let's go there quickly."

A few minutes later, the father and son arrived at Huzikou.

From a distance, the gap seemed as narrow as the thickness of a human body, but when I got closer I found that it was not that narrow, at least two meters wide.

However, this terrain is really difficult to deal with.

The terrain outside is low, and the terrain inside is high. If you want to force your way in from the outside, you will not only have to face the narrowness that is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but you will also have to endure the height difference from low to high.

It’s really not easy.

Yu Qiutang imagined that if he were the one attacking the city, and there were two bearded men holding long swords or sharp guns inside, it would be almost impossible for him to get in.

They don't need to do any big moves, just use a knife or gun to make a random slash and they can't get close.

Not to mention, what else is planned in the real fight.

Fortunately, it is a peaceful time now and we don’t need to risk our lives.

As the two men passed through Huzikou, Yu Qiutang subconsciously looked back and once again marveled at the wonders of nature.

Although the road the two of them took when they came was also bumpy, there were mainly short shrubs on both sides of the road, and no climate could be formed.

If you don't pay attention, it's almost like a weed.

However, once they passed through Hu Zikou, the view before them immediately turned into lush, towering trees. At first glance, it looked like a wall of trees blocking the way for the two of them.

It's like a paradise.

He couldn't help but recall that he seemed to have been here in his previous life, but it didn't leave much impression. It was possible that all the trees inside had been cut down.

Or maybe he had never been here before, but had only seen the terrain from afar and had a false memory.

"The wood here is all good. Cut down any tree you think is useful, but don't go deep into the woods on the left. Many people died there when we were fighting the bearded men. The negative energy there is too strong."

Yu Qiutang nodded.

The two of them began to look for wood.

Yu Qiutang took out the dimensions given to him by Mi Wenzhong and found that they were really harsh. Even in such a large forest, it was difficult to find a few trees that met the standards at once.

He even suspected that Mi Wenzhong had given it to the wrong person.

In comparison, Yu Dejin seems more casual.

What he was looking for was not wood, but tree branches. He hoped to get a tree branch that was natural and in line with his boss's ideas, with as much original color and flavor as possible, without splicing, and try his best to present a perfect work to his boss.

The two were together at first and could see each other, but as time went on, they gradually distanced themselves from each other. Just as Yu Qiutang was about to go back to take a look, a shadow suddenly rushed down from a tree on the side and snatched the water bottle from his backpack while he was not paying attention.

It turned out to be a gray monkey.

He quickly turned around to chase it, but the monkey ran very fast. Even though he was faster than the average person, it was still quite difficult for him to catch up with the monkey that had a natural advantage in the woods.

I could only barely follow the monkey and not get lost.

If it were an ordinary person, the monkey would probably run away and disappear without a trace after a few rounds.

Yu Qiutang was also helpless when encountering such a thing.

If it was just an ordinary thing, it would be fine, but this kettle was brought back by my uncle when he was in the army and given to my mother. My mother then left it to him. It is one of the few memories left by my mother.

How could it be snatched away by this dead monkey?

As he ran, he took out a crossbow from behind and chased the monkey figure.

Regardless of whether it is a primate or not, it is not within his hunting range, but if it wants to run forward to die, then he will give it a ride.

As he tracked it with all his strength, the monkey not only did not distance itself from him, but instead came closer and closer. He could then see clearly that the monkey had limbs of even length, a thin face, and fur that was between brown and gray.

It should be an older macaque.

Macaques are one of the two common monkeys in Qinling Mountains.

The other is the Sichuan golden monkey.

Macaques are a very large category, and those in the Qinling Mountains are of medium size and relatively gentle in character.

The notoriously vicious Tibetan monkey is the largest species of macaque, also known as the big horse monkey.

This kind of monkey has a naughty temperament, especially those that gather in the area of ​​Mount Emei, and are often compared by people.

In comparison, the golden monkey is as gentle as a girl.

(End of this chapter)