Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 624 Finally here
After arriving at Lushuihe by train and meeting up with the hunting team, Chen Fan and his three companions plunged into the deep mountains and forests.

We entered the mountain on the 24th, stayed there for a total of 6 days, and came out on the 30th.

Except for the first day when he was with the hunting team, after he became more familiar with the environment, Chen Fan borrowed two tents and some necessary supplies from them and left the team with the three women to act alone.

There was no way around it; the rough men in the hunting team were used to doing whatever they wanted. They would bathe in any river they could find and urinate in any pit they could find.

With three delicate young women around, Chen Fan felt uncomfortable in every way. Seeing this, he had no choice but to take them away on his own.

Whether they act alone or not, they should be able to learn the basics of kung fu quickly by teaching and practicing at the same time over these few days.

The hunting team wasn't worried. They had witnessed Chen Fan's true abilities firsthand. He was like a second nature once he entered the old forest, daring to kill a tiger single-handedly. Even if they themselves encountered danger, Chen Fan and his team might not be able to.

After going solo, Zhou Yali and the other two finally saw just the tip of the iceberg of Chen Fan's abilities.

He could shoot up trees tens of meters tall in no time, and his arrows never missed their mark; no animal could escape a single arrow.

Sometimes they don't even need a bow and arrow; they just throw a stone, and the prey is dead.

If this were to come into contact with someone, what would happen?

After leaving the hunting party, Chen Fan spent a little time finding a red deer. With two slaps, the deer obediently carried his luggage and tent and became his servant.

Even so, Chen Fan kept saying it was naughty, unlike Gun Gun, which would behave obediently after a pat on the head.

With the pack animals, the four were completely freed and embarked on a journey to explore the mountains and forests.

At this time of year, the mountains and forests are at their most biodiverse. Pheasants call overhead, rabbits dart around at your feet, and sika deer, red deer, sables, roe deer, and more can be seen coming to drink from the streams in the distance.

Occasionally, you can hear the roar of a tiger in the distance.

However, none of the four paid any attention to it.

Chen Fan genuinely didn't care. Even if a tiger came, so what? It would just mean getting another tiger skin and a tiger bone. The only problem might be the trouble of curing the tiger meat.

But it's just a bit of a hassle. Now the forest is full of herbs. Even if there's no suitable sauce, he can still collect herbs and get a hundred or so pounds of medicinal meat. It can be preserved just as well, and the effect is even stronger.

Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili had confidence in him, especially after witnessing Chen Fan hunt with their own eyes on New Year's Eve last year. He could shoot down a wild goose flying in the sky with a single arrow, and they no longer had any doubts about his abilities.

As for Zhou Yali, she naively had confidence in the guns in the hands of the two sisters.

She thought these two little firecrackers would be enough to deal with the beast.

It wasn't until they saw Jiang Lili fire several shots, the bullets hitting the wild boars without even breaking their skin, and they could only drive them away, that they obediently shrank back and became human.

Chen Fan took on the important role of both tour guide and coach.

Every morning, the three girls would pack up the tent together, while he would take a stroll around the neighborhood, pick up a few pheasants or rabbits, and gather some ginseng, lingzhi, mushrooms, and other similar items to stew together. This would not only enhance the flavor and aroma but also cut through the greasiness.

After breakfast, they led the deer deeper into the mountains and forests. At this time, Zhou Yali and the other two practiced martial arts as they walked, punching and kicking their way forward, causing damage to countless plants.

Chen Fan walked ahead of them, tossing small stones in his hand. Whenever they encountered something like a poisonous snake blocking their path, he would throw a stone at it, clearing away any potential dangers for them.

When they get tired from practicing, find a place to rest and give them a simple massage.

They absolutely need massage; otherwise, given their bodies have never undergone high-intensity training, they probably wouldn't last even a day, let alone five, and would only be groaning and moaning.

Of course, they didn't forget to hunt while they were moving forward.

At this point, Chen Fan was the main force, sweeping through everything in his path, killing rabbits and roe deer in his way.

Unfortunately, they didn't encounter any wild beasts; the biggest one they encountered was the three red deer that were captured alive, which left Chen Fan feeling somewhat disappointed.

Along with the first red deer, all four red deer were laden with prey, mainly various hides, as well as two baskets of fresh medicinal herbs.

These things alone, let alone taking them outside, even if they were sold right outside the mountains, could buy a three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) in Beijing.

But that wasn't the biggest gain.

The biggest find was that, with the help of several small birds, Chen Fan managed to find a nest of gyrfalcons on a steep cliff.

Gyrfalcons typically lay 3 to 4 eggs per clutch, with one to two hatching at a time. However, some lay 5 to 7 eggs, with a hatching rate of around 50%.

There were three chicks in this nest, like little sparrows, with grayish-brown downy feathers, and they chirped incessantly with their mouths wide open.

However, their mother is a pure white gyrfalcon that is over 60 centimeters long. It is estimated that these three little guys will be quite good-looking when they grow up.

Having obtained the three little birds, Chen Fan decisively decided to return.

You can't just raid someone's nest and then take their bird's life too.

He had no intention of reasoning with an adult gyrfalcon; it was best to run away as quickly as possible.

They walked in a straight line towards the Dew River, and when they emerged from the woods, all four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Yali raised her hands, slowly clenched her fists, and said coldly, "From today onwards, you will call me Master."

Chen Fan grabbed her by the neck, lifted her up, and easily tossed her onto the deer's back. "I knew I couldn't teach you martial arts. You've only learned a little bit and you're already getting cocky."

Remember this: unless you encounter danger, never fight with anyone. Think not only of yourself, but also of your parents; don't cause them trouble.

Zhou Yali, riding on the back of a deer, drooped her head and said, "I know."

Why am I still not as good as my younger brother after practicing kung fu for "so long"?
Chen Fan turned to the two sisters and said, "This is flat ground. We can ride the deer for a while. Do you need help?"

The two sisters laughed and shook their heads together, then placed their hands on the deer's back, used the leverage to leap lightly, and sat on it.

Although six days is a short time, it felt like a complete transformation for them.

Originally, it was agreed that only one set of grappling techniques and one set of leg techniques would be taught, but after they finished learning them, Zhou Yali kept pestering them to learn new ones, so Chen Fan taught them a whole set of Baguazhang.

What they teach is not just free sparring, but a systematic set of boxing routines, training methods, and fighting techniques.

Baguazhang is a practical martial art. Even during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, when many masters emerged, this palm technique was renowned and was second to none among boxing styles.

Like Bajiquan, Xingyiquan, and Taijiquan, its reputation was earned through fighting.

Of these four styles of boxing, Bajiquan and Xingyiquan emphasize strength and power, while Taijiquan is more suitable for women. Unfortunately, it is easy to learn but difficult to master, so Chen Fan chose Baguazhang to teach them.

Another advantage of learning Baguazhang is that if you can't win a fight, you can still run away quickly.

Standing in Tai Chi stances and walking in Bagua stances, Bagua Palm is probably the best at dodging and escaping, so it's definitely a good choice for girls to learn this.

As for weapons, he didn't teach him the Meridian Mandarin Duck Axe. Although that thing is powerful, it's not very practical in modern society. Who would carry that thing around all day? It's also hard to hide on your person.

They only taught them how to use a short baton, and later made a few telescopic batons for them to carry at the machine factory. They were small, convenient, and very practical. It wasn't until the new century that my country began to equip itself with these batons on a large scale as police batons. Currently, there are almost none available for purchase on the market, so we have to make them ourselves.

Chen Fan taught them every day with his teaching aura on, and also gave them massages. He provided them with three highly nourishing medicinal meals a day, which is how he managed to get them started in just a few days.

However, kung fu requires constant practice, and they are still a long way from mastering it.

It's enough to deal with a few petty thieves.

The four men rode deer and soon arrived at the hunting party's station at the foot of the mountain.

This place is not only a supply station for hunting teams, but also a place for the provincial foreign trade company to collect game and a temporary processing center. The game received is usually processed here first, including tanning the fur and processing medicinal materials, before being sent to the provincial capital, so as to minimize losses.

Upon seeing Chen Fan and his group approach, a purchasing agent immediately went up to them, saying, "Writer Chen, you're back."

Taking the cigarette offered to him, Chen Fan smiled and said, "It's time to go back. School starts the day after tomorrow, so I have to rush back."

He then pointed to the cargo bags on the deer, "Keep those fresh mushrooms and braised meat for me. See if there are any prepared medicinal herbs and replace them for me. Also, help me check the other items and see how much they are worth, and replace them all with tiger bones."

Two buyers gathered around, looking at the deer with curiosity. "We've been in this business for twenty or thirty years, and this is the first time we've ever seen a live deer being caught and used to carry goods."

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "There was no other way. It's hard to walk in the mountains and forests. We happened to come across a herd of deer, so we caught a few to carry our things. I must say, these deer are quite good at being tamed. They've saved me a lot of trouble these past few days."

The buyers exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up as they stared at Chen Fan. "Selling the deer too?"

Chen Fan immediately nodded, "Sell it. I can't take this with me."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "My suggestion is that you buy them but don't kill them. Keep them to transport supplies for the hunting team; it will save you a lot of effort."

These few deer had worked hard for him for several days, so it would be best if they could survive.

The buyer clapped his hands and laughed, "That's what we thought too."

The two then began to take inventory. They first unloaded familiar items such as tents and cooking pots, then counted how many hides and medicinal herbs they had. Finally, they exchanged dozens of hides for several tiger bones and the medicinal herbs for prepared dried goods.

Although there was a slight discount, it saved Chen Fan the trouble of preparing it himself.

Chen Fan packed up the things he had left behind, and bought a lot of dried mountain products such as dried mushrooms, wild vegetables, and dried meat at the purchasing point. He packed them into a large package, then carried the large package and led the three of them on their return journey.

After a journey involving trains and planes, I finally arrived back in Shanghai on the evening of the 31st.

……

The next day, Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian didn't rush to school to register, but instead went to the airport with Chen Fan to see them off.

Chen Fan repeatedly instructed, "Take out the medicinal herbs in your bag as soon as you get home and soak them in strong liquor. This stuff is for promoting blood circulation and is different from the two bottles of liquor your dad drinks. You have to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't drink it indiscriminately."

Zhou Yali nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I understand."

Chen Fan said, "Also, the medicinal wine must be soaked for a full month before it can be used. You can only drink five qian (approximately 15 grams) a day. Drinking more will be an overdose. You should save your martial arts skills for your own protection. Remember not to overexert yourself."

Zhou Yali said with a dark face, "I know, bro! Stop nagging."

Before Chen Fan could get angry, she quickly changed the subject, "I'll leave the renovation of the two apartments in Shanghai to you, and the Prince's Mansion in Beijing too. Remember to send me a telegram when you take possession of the apartments, and show me the design renderings as well. If your game console breaks, just let me know and I'll send you a new one."

Then he turned to the two sisters and said, “Sweetie, Lili, just use the two computers we just received. If you don’t know how, ask Xiaofan to teach you. He’s really good at teaching people.”

Once we've developed a Chinese character input method, we'll send you computers that can type Chinese characters. If you need anything else, just let me know, and I'll buy it in the US and send it to you.

We're family, so please don't be shy. ..."

After rambling on and on, she finally got to board the plane and reluctantly left, dragging her luggage with her.

Watching her disappear through the boarding gate, Chen Fan couldn't help but wipe away a bead of sweat. "Finally, she's gone."

Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili turned to look at him simultaneously, "Is it that scary?"

Chen Fan shook his head. "He's mainly a pest and a chatterbox, you know that?"

The two sisters looked at each other and suddenly burst out laughing.

Back home, Chen Fan carried a large wine vat and put medicinal herbs into it one by one, saying, "You two are slightly stronger than Bia Li, but only to a limited extent. You can drink an extra cup every day, five qian each morning and evening. After you finish this vat of wine, you should be able to get a basic understanding of martial arts."

After sealing the wine jar, he stretched and stood up, smiling at the two of them, "It's time to say goodbye again. I'll be back tomorrow. Take care of yourselves."

He paused for a moment, then repeated, "You all saw it in Beijing last time. The situation is different now. The more people there are, the more bad guys there are. You must not go out at night. Although you have guns and have learned kung fu, it's better to avoid trouble. Your own safety is the most important thing."

The two sisters listened attentively without showing the slightest impatience.

After he finished explaining, Jiang Lili looked at him and whispered, "Xiao Fan, did you forget something?"

Chen Fan frowned slightly and looked at the two of them. "What is it?"

Jiang Lili suppressed a laugh and said, "Liu Lu!"

Chen Fan slapped his forehead. "I really forgot about her."

While there was still some time, I grabbed two pieces of braised meat and some local mountain produce, and drove to Master Wang Zekai's house.

Fortunately, Master Wang happened to be home. Chen Fan handed the gift to his wife, sat down, and asked with a smile, "I wonder how Liu Lu is doing with her studies?"

Wang Zekai laughed and said, "You're really not worried. You just dumped the person here with me and haven't asked about them for so long."

Chen Fan said, "You are a highly respected elder. Since Liu Lu has the honor of learning from you, she must trust you. How could I casually inquire about it? Wouldn't that seem like I don't trust you?"

Wang Zekai was quite satisfied with what he heard; as an experienced craftsman, this sense of trust is exactly what he needs.

He then said, "Your apprentice is quite good. Not only is she upright and diligent, but she is also quick-witted. She almost emptied my pockets with my little skill."

She has now mastered the basics of tailoring and has also learned to use an industrial sewing machine. During this time, she has helped out a lot at the store. I originally wanted to give her a salary, but she refused. Even when I gave her a small bonus, I made her buy things and give gifts to me and my colleagues.

"A disciple like that, even I would want one."

Hearing this, Chen Fan naturally didn't take it seriously.

How could an old man of his age possibly accept a teenage girl as an apprentice? If he were truly interested, it would be more likely for his apprentice to take on a grand-apprentice.

Since they're not saying that, it's just mutual flattery in business; anyone who takes it seriously is a fool.

Before getting off work, Chen Fan picked up Liu Lu at the clothing store.

Upon seeing Chen Fan for the first time, Liu Lu pouted and almost burst into tears, "Master, you've finally come! I thought you didn't want me anymore."

(End of this chapter)