Back to 1984: Hunting in the Mountains

Chapter 99 Falling off the cliff
"Is there really such a big owl? Why don't I believe it? A few years ago, an owl came to my sixth grandmother's house at night to steal chickens and was caught in a net. I didn't think it was that big."

Wang Haofeng was dumbfounded when he heard Yu Qiutang say this, as if he was listening to a story. He could not connect the owl with the bird of prey that Yu Qiutang mentioned.

Yu Qiutang knew that this relatively unpopular bird was like this to most people. Many people would never see one in their lifetime, and even if they saw one, they would not be able to identify its specific species.

Therefore, the subconscious mind will make judgments based on its own experience.

“In fact, owl is just a general term. There are seven or eight species of owls in the Qinling Mountains, and we commonly see at least four or five species.

This eagle owl is indeed rare, and it is a blessing to encounter it.

I can tell you that these things come in different sizes. The one you encountered is relatively small. I heard that the largest eagle owl can weigh more than ten kilograms, which is almost comparable to a golden eagle. "

When Wang Haofeng heard this, seeing that Yu Qiutang didn't seem to be joking, he had no choice but to believe it.

I couldn't help but sigh, "The things in this forest are really magical. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never believe it if you told me there was such a fierce owl in the world."

"Haha, you'll find a lot of strange things when you walk in the mountains in the future," Yu Qiutang patted his shoulder, "especially the deeper you go into the mountains and the higher the altitude, the more birds of prey and beasts there are. Don't be scared to death."

"What are you talking about!"

Wang Haofeng looked disapproving.

"With you here, what should I be afraid of?!"

When reading the first half of the sentence, Yu Qiutang thought that this kid was going to say something ambitious, but he was deflated when he heard the second half.

He and Yu Qiujiang looked at each other and smiled.

I know that Wang Haofeng is just saying this. In fact, this guy is very brave, reckless, and loyal. If he really encounters some danger, he will be the first to rush forward.

"Look ahead!!"

The three of them went around a small bay, and Wang Haofeng suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Look!!"

It turned out to be a fiery red forest in front. At first glance, the whole mountain was red, as if someone had poured a bucket of red paint from the sky and dyed the hillside red.

"It's Sequoia."

Yu Qiutang smiled. When he saw this scene, he thought of Mi Yali again. In her previous life, Mi Yali loved the redwood forest the most. If Yu Qiutang took her to play in the mountains, she would definitely run in the redwood forest.

Redwood likes sunlight, has strong adaptability, can withstand dry and cold climates and poor soil environments, and can grow in the upper limit of the vertical distribution of forests. The climate on this mountain is warm and cool, the soil is deep, fertile, and well-drained, which is most suitable for the growth of redwood.

The main reason why they can reproduce all over the mountains and plains is that this guy is particularly long-lived.

As far as Yu Qiutang knows, in Houtouling, there are many redwoods that are 180 to 180 years old, some that are 300 to 500 years old, and even one that is more than 800 years old.

With such an ancestor as the stabilizing force, descendants began to multiply around it. After thousands of years of changes, it is normal to form such a large redwood forest.

Redwood not only prevents soil erosion and maintains a stable forest environment, but it is also a very beautiful ornamental tree.

Every autumn when the temperature drops, the color of the leaves will slowly change from green to yellow and then to red. Due to different environmental climates in different regions, the time when the redwood leaves change color is also different.

But once it turns red, it can last from winter to the beginning of spring next year. The reddest time is November and December, when it looks like a wildfire raging across the prairie.

It is just after September now, and the leaves are turning from green to yellow. If you stand in front of the tree and look at it, it is not actually very red. From a distance it is just an overall color.

Just like the tender grass in spring, it appears green from a distance, but when you actually walk up to the grass, you find that it is actually just some tender yellow buds. That’s why the ancients said that grass looks green from a distance but is not green when you get close.

Yu Qiutang was not surprised by the scenery of redwoods. He was so familiar with it that he did not find it special. However, it was the first time for Wang Haofeng and Yu Qiujiang to see it, and they were both extremely happy.

"Let's go. We can see the redwood forest, which means we have turned to the south slope. If we continue to go up, we will see the low cliff."

Yu Qiutang called out to continue moving forward.

Sometimes it is not easy to tell the directions of east, south, west and north in the mountains.

The reason why people can easily distinguish between east, south, west and north on flat ground is because there are clear objects on the ground for reference and there are obvious boundaries in all directions.

For example, all roads have clear east-west, south-north directions, and the directions and turns of all houses, buildings, rivers, and city streets are clearly known.

But once you go to a place where there are no obvious boundaries in the surrounding environment and everything that exists is very similar, you will lose your sense of direction because there are no reference points.

For example, the sea.

For example, the sky.

For example, mountains.

When walking in the mountains, you are surrounded by trees and the mountain path winds forward. There is no clear dividing ridge telling you that you can turn here.

Turn around and you can go from east to south.

Instead, you seem to be walking in one direction all the time, and as you walk, you have actually already walked from the east to the south.

This is why many unfamiliar people easily get lost in the mountains.

Even those who hike frequently may get lost due to weather changes. Once they lose their sense of direction, it is very difficult to find it again.

The famous "Aotai Crossing" that runs through the Qinling Mountains is a wild hiking adventure route. Even with very professional guides leading the way, accidents still often happen. This is the reason.

Sure enough, following the wild path among the redwoods, we walked out of the redwood forest in the mottled and dripping shadows, and in front of us began to see Chinese toon trees that like to grow on the sunny side of the south slope.

"The trees in this mountain are truly magical. There is a different kind of tree in each place."

Wang Haofeng turned around and looked at the redwoods behind him, then at the yellow-green toon trees in front of him, and sighed.

"That's true, but not all mountains are like this. The Qinling Mountains are located in a special location, which leads to a special climate, so the plants distributed there are so strange and varied."

"So that's how it is. You really know more, haha."

Wang Haofeng has become accustomed to Yu Qiutang's "extensive knowledge", as if whatever Yu Qiutang says is not worth being surprised about, and it seems that he should know it all.

"It is precisely because of this that we can see all kinds of animals here, and because the animal ecological chain is complete, it can maintain a relative balance and reproduce..."

When Yu Qiutang said this, he felt a little sad when he thought of the fact that the wild animals here were severely hunted in later generations, and many of them were missing.

Small amounts of hunting will not actually harm the ecology, but if there is no restraint and if hunters do not have basic ethics, excessive hunting will lead to insufficient successors and ecological disruption.

He would not be like these people.

At 4:15 in the afternoon, the three arrived at their first destination, the east side of the main peak of Houtouling.

"It feels so good, the wind is blowing!"

Wang Haofeng stood on the top of the mountain, stretched out his hands, and shouted to the distant mountains: "I'm here!"

The sound spread out in waves, and the echo of his shouts resounded through the valley.

"What should we do now?" Yu Qiujiang asked Yu Qiutang.

"You guys sit here and take a rest first. I'll look around. I remember there is a mulberry tree on the cliff nearby, but I need to see where it is exactly."

"Have you been here before?"

"Oh," Yu Qiutang smiled, "I have been here before, but when I was a kid, I followed a relative."

Yu Qiutang made up an excuse, put down the fork, and walked towards the cliff alone.

"Be careful." "Yeah, I know."

Although it is said to be on the edge of a cliff, it is actually still some distance away from the real cliff. There are often some thorny plants such as wolfberries growing on the edge of the cliff.

Because no one has cleaned them up for many years, these thorns or bushes will continue to spread towards the inside of the cliff, slowly forming a natural fence.

People who often hike in the mountains are very experienced and know that although the edge of the cliff is covered by thorns, as long as they walk to the edge of the thorns, they should be not far from the cliff.

Need to be careful.

But Yu Qiutang had no choice but to walk through the thorns and look into the depths of the cliff.

Wild mulberry trees are everywhere, but in places with good locations, because of the frequent visits of various mustelids, rodents, birds, and even bears, even if Coriolus versicolor is produced, it will be quickly damaged and will not be able to grow.

Only the mulberry trees that are halfway up the cliff will be relatively less affected, allowing the Coriolus versicolor to grow for a long time.

If you want to find it, you can only look in these places.

While he used a crossbow to swing the wolfberry tree to both sides, he was also carefully watching out for snakes.

This kind of wolfberry is not the red wolfberry that people commonly eat, but it is dark blue with a hint of black all over. It is a wild species of the black wolfberry that people often talk about in later generations.

Although this kind of wolfberry is large in size, it tastes very bitter and cannot be soaked in water unless it is tortured. Therefore, after research, scientists in later generations genetically cultivated it and produced edible black wolfberries.

But according to the old people, although this kind of wolfberry tastes bitter, it has a strong medicinal effect. If a 40-year-old man eats some, hey, it can also make the nagging wife lose the energy to yell at him.

Should I get some too?

It's good for nourishing the body.

Oh, no, I’m in good health now. I don’t need it at all.

After groping forward for about ten meters, Yu Qiutang no longer dared to explore further. Instead, he used the rope he had prepared earlier, tied one end to the red pine next to him, and tied five knots firmly to ensure that it would not come loose no matter how hard he pulled. Only then did he continue exploring.

"call!"

A piece of soil was crushed by him and fell straight down the cliff.

His heart also tightened.

This is the situation at the edge of the cliff of a dirt hill. It looks very solid, but in fact it may be soft underneath. If you are not careful, you will fall down along with the dirt.

Yu Qiutang had experience, and when he felt his feet go soft, he immediately stepped back, and the next moment the ground under his feet collapsed.

"Shhh."

He let out a long sigh and continued walking forward.

Why is Coriolus versicolor so valuable? It is because it is rare and very difficult to pick. Ordinary people cannot find it, and even if they do find it, it is easy for something bad to happen.

High returns often mean high risks.

"Tangtang, be careful!"

Yu Qiujiang was standing outside the thorn bush. He just happened to see the moment when Yu Qiutang stepped on the ground and collapsed. He secretly broke into a cold sweat.

But he could only worry.

For other matters, he could still rush forward and share the worries, but in the current situation, he really had no experience and ability, and could only silently cheer for Yu Qiutang.

"Don't worry, Brother Jiang. My master is such a great man. This matter won't be difficult for him."

Wang Haofeng was not worried at all.

I also think Yu Qiujiang is too pessimistic.

"Hey, I found it."

Yu Qiutang changed five or six pine trees and groped his way forward and backward for more than a hundred meters. Finally, he saw the long-lost mulberry tree.

Stretch your head and look out, you will see several mulberry trees standing proudly twenty or thirty meters below the steep cliff.

Their roots penetrate deep into the cracks of the cliffs, tightly grasping the small but precious piece of land. Their trunks are thick and tough, and the traces of time have left mottled marks on their bark.

Even though it is halfway up a cliff and the nutrient supply is not very sufficient, it still has lush branches and leaves, like a huge green umbrella, bringing a touch of vitality and vigor to the cliff.

Just then a gust of mountain breeze came over, and the swaying mulberry leaves swayed gently in the breeze, making a slight rustling sound, as if telling of the countless ups and downs it had witnessed.

I wonder if there is any Coriolus versicolor on it.

Yu Qiutang opened his eyes wide and observed for a while, but still couldn't figure out what was going on.

He had no choice but to step back, tie the rope to a nearby pine tree, and prepare to go down the cliff to check.

"Wait!"

Yu Qiujiang hurriedly called out to him, quickly ran back to get another bundle of ropes, and threw it over the thorn bush.

"Tie this too."

Yu Qiutang was just about to say no, the ropes prepared before coming out were very strong, specially treated hemp ropes that could lift a cow, so the weight of a person was insignificant.

But seeing Yu Qiujiang's concerned eyes, he finally chose to accept it.

But when he tied one end of the rope around his waist and was about to tie the other end to the pine tree, he found that the other end was in Yu Qiujiang's hand.

"Brother Jiang, what are you doing...?"

Yu Qiujiang didn't say much. He just wrapped the rope tightly around his arm several times and tied a knot at his waist.

"I'll help you hold this end. Even if the pine tree is broken, I won't let go and will definitely pull you up."

As for what?
Yu Qiutang looked at the pine tree that the rope was tied to, which was about 20 to 30 centimeters in diameter, and smiled bitterly.

Even the pine tree itself did not expect that it would be looked down upon so much.

You know, pine trees are famous for their dense wood because they grow very slowly. If it was a poplar tree, people might be suspicious.

But the pine tree is still a lush green coniferous pine, and the chance of it breaking is almost zero.

but.

Yu Qiutang just smiled and did not reject Yu Qiujiang's excessive caution.

He knew that this was Yu Qiujiang's concern for him.

Because he couldn't go down, he felt a little guilty about the expedition and wanted to do something as much as possible.

This is very normal thinking.

After all, not everyone is like Wang Haofeng, who not only did not think that Yu Qiutang would be in danger, but was very excited. He said bluntly that if it was fun, he would teach him well and he also wanted to go down and play.

With different levels of expectations and concerns from his two brothers, Yu Qiutang slowly stepped onto the cliff and fell downwards.

(End of this chapter)