bookrandom Chapter 491 is too superstitious, isn't it?
Chapter 491 is too superstitious, isn't it?
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou bid farewell to Grandpa Zheng and embarked on their journey home.
As the sun set, the shadows of the trees on the mountain were stretched long, and the three figures blended into them.
"Grandpa Zheng, thank you for teaching us so much today," Li Xiangyang said sincerely.
"Yes, Grandpa Zheng, I've written it all down!" Wang Ergou patted his chest. "Next time, I'll definitely dig up a big club."
Grandpa Zheng waved his hand with a smile, "Take your time, these mountain treasures can't be rushed." His gaze fell on the distant mountains, "The clubs from Daqinggou are treasures passed down from generation to generation; they must be treated with respect."
After the three parted ways, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou headed towards Xiaoliang Village.
"Brother Xiangyang, do you think we can dig up a giant club next time we go?" Wang Ergou's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Li Xiangyang thought for a moment and smiled, "It should be possible, but we have to follow Grandpa Zheng's rules. We'll prepare the tools tomorrow and go early the day after."
"Alright!" Wang Ergou slapped his thigh, his face beaming with joy.
Back home, Li Xiaoyun was busy at the stove. Seeing Li Xiangyang return, she looked up and asked, "How did it go? Any success?"
Li Xiangyang patted the dirt off his hands, shook his head and smiled, "Today was mainly about learning the rules and getting familiar with the environment. Grandpa Zheng taught us quite a bit; we'll try it out again the day after tomorrow."
"That's good, don't rush." Li Xiaoyun brought a steaming plate of scrambled eggs to the table. "Hurry up and wash your hands and eat, Wangchen is waiting."
At the dinner table, Li Xiangyang shared what he had learned and seen that day with his wife and son.
"Dad, I want to see ginseng too!" Li Wangchen stared with bright, curious eyes.
Li Xiangyang patted his son's head: "When you're a little older, Dad will take you."
After dinner, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou discussed the tools and supplies to prepare for the next day in the yard.
"Brother Xiangyang, Grandpa Zheng said we can't use iron tools to dig. Should we prepare some tools made of wood or bone?" Wang Ergou asked with a frown.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Yes, I still have a few old willow trees at home. I'll whittle some into tools for digging clubs tomorrow."
The next morning, Li Xiangyang got up early to begin preparations. He selected several pieces of hard willow wood and carefully shaved them into shovel and hook shapes, polishing the edges until they were smooth and sharp.
Around noon, Wang Ergou arrived at Li Xiangyang's house carrying a cloth bag.
"Brother Xiangyang, I'm ready!" He excitedly opened the cloth bag, inside which were several carefully sewn small cloth bags. "These are bags my wife made to hold the clubs. She even specially sewed them with red cloth, saying it's for good luck."
Li Xiangyang picked up a small red cloth bag, smiled and nodded: "Good, let's set off early tomorrow and try to find as many places as possible."
On the morning of the third day, while it was still barely light, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou, carrying the tools they had prepared, set off again for Daqinggou. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, following the rules taught by Old Master Zheng, they first lit incense and respectfully worshipped the mountain god before entering the forest.
"Brother Xiangyang, which direction should we look?" Wang Ergou looked around.
Li Xiangyang recalled the route taken the day before yesterday and pointed to a pine forest on the right: "Let's go check over there first. Grandpa Zheng said there are some Acanthopanax senticosus trees there, let's follow that path and see."
Following the methods taught by Grandpa Zheng, the two diligently searched for places where ginseng might grow. They carefully examined every possible plant they encountered, leaving no potential target unchecked.
At lunchtime, the two found a sheltered spot to sit down and rest, eating the dry rations they had brought.
"Sigh, this seems to be no simple matter," Wang Ergou sighed. "We've searched all morning and haven't even found a trace of him."
Li Xiangyang patted him on the shoulder: "Take your time, don't rush. Didn't Grandpa Zheng say that good things aren't easy to find?"
In the afternoon, the two arrived at a relatively secluded mountain valley. The trees were dense, and the sunlight was filtered through the layers of the canopy, leaving only dappled spots of light on the ground.
"Brother Xiangyang, look over there!" Wang Ergou suddenly lowered his voice and excitedly pointed to a patch of land in front of him that seemed to have been turned over.
Li Xiangyang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw something flashing at the edge of that piece of land.
The two approached cautiously. Li Xiangyang squatted down and brushed aside the withered leaves and weeds around him. The sight before him made his heart race.
“The club is showing its head.” Li Xiangyang lowered his voice and carefully pointed to a green plant with five leaves at the top and a few red berries hanging in the middle.
Wang Ergou squatted down as well, his eyes wide: "It really is! And it looks quite big!"
Li Xiangyang carefully observed the surrounding soil and vegetation. After confirming that everything was correct, he gently took out a wooden tool from his pocket and began to carefully dig around the ginseng.
"Remember what Grandpa Zheng said, dig from the perimeter towards the center, don't damage the roots," Li Xiangyang instructed Wang Ergou as he dug.
The two worked together seamlessly. Wang Ergou was responsible for clearing away the surrounding weeds and soil, while Li Xiangyang carefully loosened the soil around the ginseng roots with a wooden shovel. Gradually, a yellowish-brown rhizome emerged, its shape somewhat resembling a human figure, with its tip connected to the green plant.
"What a fool!" Wang Ergou's voice trembled with excitement.
Li Xiangyang took a deep breath and continued digging carefully, making sure not to damage any of the fibrous roots. After nearly half an hour of meticulous work, he finally dug out the entire ginseng plant intact.
"It's quite old. Look at how thick the main root is, it must be at least fifteen years old." Li Xiangyang carefully picked up the ginseng and examined it closely.
The ginseng is yellowish-brown all over, with a thick main root and several fibrous roots distributed around it. Overall, it does look a bit like a little person with flowing hair and outstretched limbs.
"Brother Xiangyang, hurry up and pack it up!" Wang Ergou quickly took out the prepared red cloth bag.
Li Xiangyang first gently washed the dirt off the ginseng with clean water, then carefully put it into a cloth bag and tied the bag tightly.
"Offer sacrifices to the mountain god!" Li Xiangyang reminded him, taking a few copper coins from his pocket and burying them in the pit where he had just dug the ginseng, muttering, "Thank you, mountain god, for this gift."
Just as Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou finished burying the copper coins to worship the mountain god, a discordant snicker came from the bushes nearby.
"Oh my, look at this, people still believe in this stuff?" A young man carrying a shovel walked out from behind a tree with a contemptuous smile on his face. Behind him were two companions who looked to be in their early twenties.
Li Xiangyang frowned, said nothing, and carefully put away the ginseng he had just dug up.
"Hey, what are you doing? Burying money? Have too much money to spend?" The young man in the lead took a few steps closer, his eyes fixed on the red cloth bag in Li Xiangyang's hand. "Worshipping mountain gods these days? That's so superstitious!"