My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 246: Going into the Mountains to Collect Herbs
"Going up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs, I'll sing a few songs..."

The melodious mountain songs dispelled the morning mist and startled a large flock of birds roosting in the forest.

As dawn broke, the mountains were shrouded in a mix of light and shadow, with clouds and mist hanging like ribbons. Occasionally, two long, drawn-out calls of "Cuckoo, cuckoo—" would make the mountain forest even more serene.

The sun had not yet risen, and the quiet mountain forest was slightly dim, with only the bright areas revealing the blue of a clear sky.

An old man and a young man strolled slowly through the mountains and forests, breathing in the cool, dewy air and listening to the chirping of birds. Suddenly, the two men got into the mood and began singing folk songs back and forth.

Ahead of the two, a tall and handsome yellow hunting dog with golden fur and a calm and collected look trotted along, occasionally stopping to sniff carefully and constantly surveying its surroundings.

Behind the golden-haired hound were three small, tawny creatures running up and down among the grass and bushes. They were incredibly fast and silent, and could be easily missed if you weren't paying attention.

Sometimes it can be unusually lively, and upon hearing birdsong, it will scramble up a tree to catch them.

This is naturally Little Gold and the three little weasels.

Heiwa wasn't with them; it was left at home to guard the house. Neither the father-in-law nor the son-in-law were home today, and the chickens, ducks, and geese weren't let out either; they were all kept in their pens. With Heiwa at home watching over them, Gao Xiulan only needed to remember to add water and feed them.

The little yellow dog wasn't brought along either; it wasn't suitable to go into the mountains. Wang Cunye bought this little dog as a pet, and it was enough for it to guard the house and property. There was no need to ask for too much.

As for the hawk not following, it's because its injury hasn't fully healed and its wings aren't yet nimble enough; it needs more rest.

So in addition to Little Gold, we brought along three little weasels.

Don't let their carefree antics fool you; these three little guys are quite capable, and bringing them along will prove useful.

Chen Ling and his son-in-law Wang Cunye were also fully armed, with their heads wrapped in indigo coarse cloth, wearing tattered clothes that looked like burlap sacks, with thick and long hemp ropes tied around their waists, and bamboo baskets with hoes and sickles on their backs. The two of them walked slowly through the mountains and forests, stepping on the fallen leaves.

Chen Ling also carried a shotgun.

Judging from their attire, the place they're going today is definitely not nearby.

Indeed, there are no valuable medicinal herbs in the nearby mountains; one must venture deep into the mountains to find them.

The father-in-law and son-in-law came mainly to harvest Dendrobium and Uncaria rhynchophylla.

A few days ago, when Wang Cunye went into the mountains alone to collect medicinal herbs, he accidentally discovered a cliff with Dendrobium orchids growing on it. They were quite old, there were a lot of them, and they were growing very well.

Unfortunately, he is now too old and has difficulty walking, so he can't pick them on the spot.

In addition, he had gone quite deep into the mountains, and if he did not return in time, it would get dark quickly and he would not be able to get back. Therefore, he dared not linger and only left a mark.

In addition, the northern part of Wuyun Mountain is teeming with snakes and insects. Coupled with its treacherous terrain, numerous streams and deep ravines, it is rarely visited by humans and is often infested with wild animals. It is best not to stay alone for long.

However, in places like this, if you're bold enough to venture deeper, you can find quite a few precious medicinal herbs.

Besides Dendrobium, the old man also set his sights on Uncaria rhynchophylla.

Or rather, Dendrobium was an unexpected bonus, while Uncaria was his original target when he went into the mountains to collect herbs.

He was a herb farmer, not a herb shop owner. He needed to collect all kinds of herbs to treat illnesses and prescribe medicines, and naturally, he prioritized collecting the valuable ones.

Aside from extremely valuable and rare medicinal herbs, herbs that can fetch a good price and are also abundant are the best choice.

Uncaria rhynchophylla would fit the requirements perfectly.

The topography and climate of the northern part of Wuyun Mountain are very suitable for the growth of Uncaria rhynchophylla.

In steep, dark, and damp ravines and canyons, clumps of lush, green hook vines often grow.

Once they find a clump, it's enough for them to harvest for three or four days. After cutting and drying it, they can sell it for about 100 yuan.

Have you ever come to the mountains to collect medicinal herbs before?

After singing a few folk songs and feeling refreshed, Wang Cunye walked ahead and asked.

"I've been here before, and Susu and I have come to collect herbs a few times. There aren't many herbs to collect here; it depends on the season."

Chen Ling thought for a moment. He had gone hunting in the Western Hills twice since he was a child, but when it came to gathering herbs, it was always just a playful activity like catching scorpions. So he said, "This is the first time I've ever gone into the mountains to gather herbs in such a formal way."

"Haha, you have fields to cultivate here, so there's no need to rush to gather herbs."

Wang Cunye laughed loudly and said, "Gathering herbs depends on the weather and your life. You risk your life for money. It's not as worry-free as growing grain."

"That's true."

Chen Ling agreed. Herb farming is a family skill passed down from father to son, but neither of his brothers-in-law liked it. On the contrary, it was Wang Susu, their daughter, who was interested in it.

The reason is that there are too many uncertainties in gathering herbs, and that you often have to take risks to find valuable herbs.

"Even in our first job, we're still much better than your older brothers. They look down on our work now, complaining that it's slow and doesn't pay enough."

Wang Cunye walked ahead without turning around, saying to himself, "I see you're quite interested. If you want to learn, I'll teach you more later."

These words made Chen Ling a little embarrassed, and he thought to himself, "I'm not just interested, I just love to have fun."

Of course.

Besides having fun, I also want to learn about medicinal herbs and use the cave to save endangered and rare medicinal materials, doing something meaningful.

The father-in-law and son-in-law were chatting idly, while a dog and three weasels ran ahead to scout the way.

Slowly, after crossing two mountain ridges, the sun rose, the forests brightened, and the birdsong became even louder and more melodious.

They then went down the ridge and followed a mountain stream.

When you reach a low-lying area, the stream turns ahead and then opens up into a bright and clear space.

Amidst the sound of flowing water, there are dense bamboo groves along the stream, with patches of open space within them, filled with low-growing grasses, interspersed with dandelions, lamb's quarters, and wild garlic.

The two found an open space to rest and eat for the time being.

I came out early and haven't had breakfast yet.

Breakfast was simple: steamed vegetable pancakes and boiled eggs.

Chen Ling also brought some fried fish pieces, wrapped in newspaper and lotus leaves. When he took them out, his father-in-law stared in disbelief.

After muttering something under his breath, he finally said, "You really know how to eat."

But in her heart she thought, "What kind of son-in-law gathers herbs like this?"

I don't know who he got his temperament from, he does everything like it's a game.

"Don't just stand there, Dad, eat some fish."

"Oh."

Wang Cunye took a piece of fish blankly and ate it with steamed vegetable cakes.

I have to say, this kid really knows his stuff. He fried the fish pieces really well, even the fish bones were crispy and fragrant.

The old man ate with relish, while Chen Ling ate two small pieces and then put the rest down, taking out an egg and cracking it on the bamboo basket.

As soon as the sound of cracking eggs rang out, Little Gold and the three little weasels, who were far away, immediately perked up their ears and ran back in a flash, wagging their tails and circling around Chen Ling.

Even the three little weasels stood up and eagerly put their front paws on Chen Ling's pants, looking like greedy cats.

"I haven't eaten yet, I have to finish eating before I give it to you."

Chen Ling said helplessly, stuffing the egg into his mouth.

Whether it's the two dogs or these weasels in the house, they all love to eat eggs, not just the eggs laid by the chickens we raise, but also regular eggs.

Whenever I'm eating at home, if I hear the sound of cracking eggs, they'll come running immediately, even faster than if I specifically call them.

Wang Cunye looked at Xiao Jin and the little weasels whining and begging for food, and said with amusement, "These animals you raise are like little kids. Look at how much trouble they cause around you."

My father-in-law used to dislike these things, always thinking they were a waste of time.

What's more, feeding them human food?

But now that he's older, he'd rather have some of these little gadgets at home; it's nice to have a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

"They're much craving food more than little kids."

Chen Ling smiled, cracked two more eggs, peeled them and fed one to Xiao Jin, then divided the remaining egg among the three little weasels.

As a result, the little weasels felt there wasn't enough to eat, so they ate all the eggshells on the ground, crunching them away with great relish.

"Good grief, you're making it sound like I'm torturing you guys."

Seeing this, Chen Ling had no choice but to take out another egg and give it to them.

Actually, they don't need to be fed by humans. The birds and their eggs in the forest are enough for them to eat. There are also various insects and mice in the fields during this season, so they won't go hungry.

But after we kept them at home, even when they weren't hungry, they liked to join in the fun and get close to us.

"Finished it all again? I won't give you another one if you try to feed me one more."

Chen Ling took out two eggs, gave one to Xiao Jin, and shared the rest with the three little creatures.

Wang Cunye watched with great interest.

There's a reason why I think my son-in-law loves to play. If he could raise such a clever little thing, he would love to play with it too.

……

After breakfast, we continued our journey.

There are all kinds of herbs along the way, but they are not very valuable and not worth picking.

For example, Peucedanum praeruptorum and Trichosanthes kirilowii.

Peucedanum praeruptorum: also known as wild celery, it looks like celery and is mainly used to treat coughs and asthma. It grows on damp, low-lying slopes in patches, just like cultivated celery, and is generally priced.

Trichosanthes root (Tianhuafen): A vine belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Its root is the medicinal material; it is white, about 10 cm long, and not very hard, somewhat resembling a sweet potato. After harvesting, it is sliced ​​and dried. It is used to clear heat and promote the production of body fluids. The purchase price is generally average.

There are also herbs of moderate value that can be sold at a price.

Because space needs to be left for the Dendrobium and Uncaria rhynchophylla, they cannot be harvested on the spot, so they are marked.

For example, Aristolochia debilis: the fruit of a twining herbaceous plant, it looks quite cute, like a bell hanging from a horse's head. It's used as a lung-clearing and cough-suppressing medicine. Its vine is also a medicinal material, called Aristolochia debilis, used to dispel wind and promote blood circulation. Its root is also a medicinal material, called Aristolochia debilis, used for detoxification and diuresis.

The purchase price for this item is decent, but it needs to be marked with a special mark.

Along the way, Chen Ling had fed the little weasels eggs, and this time he made a point of bringing them along. The three little guys were extremely excited, often scrambling onto his shoulder in a flash, rubbing and licking him, trying their best to please him, like little children who had received approval, overjoyed beyond measure.

Chen Ling tried several times, but it was still no use.

Like now, he hasn't even noticed anything yet.

A little creature on a low rocky cliff by the stream ahead bit off a red fruit, then hopped down, climbed onto his shoulder, and presented it to his mouth like a treasure.

"what's that?"

"Is this a fig?"

Chen Ling examined the fruit closely before recognizing what it was. The figs from the mountains were much smaller than those grown outside, no bigger than a thumb, and bright red like wild hawthorns; they were already ripe.

"Hey, wild figs, these are good stuff."

Wang Cunye glanced at it and exclaimed in delight.

There are very few wild figs in the mountains; most of them grow from seeds brought by birds and animals.

Chen Ling walked forward and sure enough, he saw a clump of fig trees. These things grow wild and will grow into a large patch if not pruned.

“They looked quite ripe, so I went up and picked some. Otherwise, they would have overripe and rotted, and then been eaten by ants and insects.”

After saying that, Chen Ling put down the bamboo basket, unloaded the hunting rifle, and picked some ripe red fruit.

The father-in-law and son-in-law tasted it and found it to be surprisingly good.

When you break the fruit open, there's a layer of jelly-like gelatin inside, sweet and fragrant like honey, much tastier than figs grown outside the mountains.

There are many wild fruits in the mountains, but only a few taste particularly good this season, such as wild jujubes, prickly pears, kiwis, and wild sweet potatoes. Now we can add figs to the list.

These wild figs from the mountains are just as good as jujubes and kiwis; each has its own merits, and they are among the most delicious wild fruits.

"It's a pity. Such delicious food will spoil if we take it out. We can't bring some home to eat, and we can't grow it to sell."

Wang Cunye finished a few more and said with lingering satisfaction.

Indeed, without improvements, figs are not easy to grow locally and cannot be cultivated as an economic fruit tree.

Figs bear fruit from June to October, and their natural ripening period is relatively long, allowing for continuous harvesting, making them a very good fruit in this respect.

Unfortunately, figs have a problem: they turn red and ripen at night. If they are not picked early in the morning, they will easily rot by sunrise and are not easy to preserve.

"Haha, there are so many wild fruits, one more won't make a difference."

Chen Ling comforted them, and then the two continued walking forward.

The Dendrobium is located relatively far away, while the Uncaria rhynchophylla is closer.

However, like Dendrobium, Uncaria rhynchophylla also hangs on steep slopes and cliffs.

Wang Cunye couldn't collect them; it had to be his young and strong son-in-law who went to collect them.

We hadn't walked far when we came across a patch of wild bayberry and prickly pear trees.

The wild bayberry trees in the Qinling Mountains are all brought by merchants and birds. They are extremely rare and don't taste very good. Most of them are used to make wine, and hardly anyone eats them.

The prickly pears aren't ripe yet, so we can't eat them now.

The prickly pear, as its name suggests, is covered in thorns. It is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine, with its roots, leaves, and fruit all used in medicine, making it a treasure from head to toe.

It turns bright red when it ripens in autumn, and becomes very sweet after being touched by frost, hence the name "sugar jar".

In the past, Chen Ling might have dug up two of them, but now he's lost interest, since there are basically all of them in the cave.

It's just that we haven't had the right opportunity to bring it up.

The two followed the stream, wading through several mountain ravines, and finally arrived at a canyon area.

Upon closer inspection, there was a patch of early-ripening kiwifruit, growing lushly close to the vines, with the fruit already ripe.

Kiwifruit sounds like a tree, but it is actually a vine plant. Wild kiwifruit often attaches its vines to cliffs, but most of the vines do not grow very tall, and they are not difficult to harvest.

Chen Ling grabbed a branch and picked two ripe kiwis, peeled them, tasted them, then shook his head and spat them aside.

"It looks ripe, it feels ripe, but it's not actually fully ripe yet."

As he spoke, he wiped his mouth, looked at the sun in the sky, and said that it wasn't too late, but after picking the Uncaria rhynchophylla, he still had to go pick Dendrobium.

"Forget it, I won't eat. Let's get back to work."

"Hmm, there's a tree over there. Let's find a sturdy one and tie the rope to it."

Wang Cunye pointed in a direction and said.

"Row."

"Be careful. The cliff isn't too steep, but there might be snakes and poisonous insects. Spray the snake repellent again."

"understood."

Chen Ling knew nothing about herb gathering and relied entirely on his father-in-law for guidance.

First, you need to climb to the top, then untie the rope around your waist, tie one end of the rope to a tree, tie the other end around your waist, and slowly slide down while holding onto the rope.

Upon reaching the hook vine, tighten the rope and begin working.

Chen Ling had little experience in gathering herbs, but he was young and strong, and he was quite fast at harvesting them by swinging his sickle.

Getting into the swing of things, he saw a little weasel chasing some birds on the cliff top, looking so happy that it lifted his spirits. So he started singing a folk song loudly, and as he sang, he waved his sickle. Soon, a large clump of hook vines was harvested, with about half of it gone.

After harvesting, the stalks were thrown down the mountainside, and Wang Cunye would then quickly gather and bundle them up below.

Once they had harvested enough for the two of them to carry out, Chen Ling stopped, grabbed the rope, and climbed up like a monkey.

"There are quite a few vines in this valley; we could make about ten more trips."

After Chen Ling untied the rope and climbed down, he looked at the clumps of hooked vines hanging on the cliff and thought to himself that there didn't look like much from below, but when he started harvesting, he found that he had only picked a small portion.

"Hmm, no rush. Just come when the weather is nice. You'll be in the sun when you get back."

Wang Cunye nodded, squatted down and tied up the hook vines, glancing up at the cliff above. "This is a good place, but it's a pity there are no other good medicines here."

"Hmm? These valuable herbs also choose where to grow?"

"Of course, let me tell you, the more valuable the herb, the more peculiar its temperament..."

As the father-in-law and son-in-law were talking, suddenly Little Jin started barking.

"Something's up?!"

Chen Ling quickly got up, gripped the wood-chopping knife in one hand, and reached for the hunting rifle beside him with the other.

He had barely reacted when a group of wild monkeys rushed out of the distant woods, baring their teeth and howling as they ran wildly.

"Damn it, it's those wild monkeys again."

Chen Ling was furious when he saw this. He threw his wood-chopping knife aside and raised his hunting rifle to shoot.

However, before the shot could be fired, Xiao Jin was still yelling warnings. He realized something was wrong and took a closer look before he saw the clue.

He immediately cried out in alarm, "It's a wild bee! The monkey has provoked the wild bee!"

As soon as he said that, a loud "buzzing" sound came from the top of his lungs.

"Dad, wild bees are coming! Quickly spread poison."

Upon hearing this, Wang Cunye saw a massive swarm of bees approaching from behind the monkeys, darkening the sky. He was horrified and shouted, "These are disturbing bees! Spraying poison won't help. Run! Run quickly!"

Then, in a fit of anger, he said, "These damned monkeys provoked the swarm of bees and deliberately led them here."

Seeing this, Chen Ling didn't bother to say anything more.

There was no other way. If it were him alone, the bees would dare to sting him and would be taken into his cave if they landed on him. But with his father-in-law by his side, it wouldn't work. So he picked up Wang Cunye and ran off in the opposite direction.

Little Gold and the little weasels also fled in panic.

They were no match for the swarm of bees.

Wild bees in the mountains are extremely venomous. If they sting a person, a large bump will swell up, accompanied by adverse reactions such as fever, vomiting, and irritability. How can one possibly endure it?

So Chen Ling ran quite fast, and only put Wang Cunye down when he could no longer hear the buzzing sound.

Taking a breath, I looked around and found that I was near a mountain stream, with a babbling brook and a rather quiet atmosphere. However, the surrounding forest was dense and the trees blocked out the sun, making it very dark and giving it a gloomy feel.

Upon arriving here, Little Gold sniffed the air, barked softly at Chen Ling twice, and then stared at a direction in the mountain stream.

This is to signal him to look over there.

"What's wrong? What happened now?"

Wang Cunye gets a little nervous whenever he hears a dog barking.

Chen Ling walked to Xiao Jin's side and looked into the mountain stream. Upon seeing it, his brows immediately relaxed.

"It's alright, Dad. It's just a wild boar that fell and died here. It's been dead for a long time, and the bones have rotted away."

Upon hearing this, Wang Cunye slowly walked over to take a look.

On a pile of rocks in the mountain stream, lay the carcass of a wild boar. Judging from its size, it must have weighed around 300 to 400 pounds, making it a truly large wild boar.

"Good heavens, a huge boar! Are they fighting here?"

Wang Cunye paused for a moment, then said.

Then I couldn't help but feel a little sad; even wild boars from the mountains could die in this place.

Maybe we shouldn't let our son-in-law learn how to collect herbs.

It would be good for him to run a farm and raise some animals.

(End of this chapter)