Chapter 22

  Da Niu originally pnned to go to the forest farm, but it started snowing in the afternoon, and for the next three days, the snow fell heavily with the north wind howling. In just two days, the snow was up to the thighs, making it impossible to go out.

  A few days after the snow stopped, before Daniu could go to the forest farm, Zheng Sen came to find her.

  "Can you do me a favor?" Zheng Sen said directly.

  "What is it?" Daniu asked.

  Zheng Sen paused for a moment and said, "I need a rge sum of money. When I went to the mountains before, I found a ginseng pnt, quite old, but the location is a bit dangerous, and I can't get it down alone. I'm not very familiar with the forest environment and need someone who knows the forest well to guide me."

  Daniu frowned. Ginseng, the old ginseng in the forest, all came to her mind. She felt Zheng Sen had other intentions. How much could one ginseng pnt be worth?

  "After we find it, we'll split it fifty-fifty," Zheng Sen said, looking at her.

  Da Niu thought for a moment, "Alright, when do we leave?"

  Zheng Sen smiled slightly, "I've brought everything; it's up to you." He patted a cloth bag on his back.

  Daniu nodded, seeing a rope sticking out of his bag. Clearly, he was prepared to go alone if she refused. "How long is the journey?"

  Zheng Sen thought for a moment, "Normally, a day and a half."

  Daniu stared at him for a while; Zheng Sen looked back at her without much change.

  "Come inside and wait," Daniu said, leading the way.

  She first went to the east room to inform the old man, then asked Dayong to go to the backyard and tell her mother.

  She went to the west room to gather things for the mountain trip. In this weather, going into the mountains required thorough preparation. The reason she agreed to go with Zheng Sen was partly because he had come to inform them that day, which was a favor, and also because she was interested in the ginseng he mentioned.

  "Carry this," Daniu threw a bundled leather cover to Zheng Sen, simir to a sleeping bag, barrel-shaped, with a thin felt surface and thick leather inside, ensuring it wouldn't freeze even in the snow.

  Seeing she also took one, Zheng Sen knew it was for him to use. Soon, Daniu gave him a backpack, a rge double-shouldered one made of some bck leather, "This is sturdier." Then she saw Zheng Sen take out some dry rations from his bag—cornmeal cakes and a pack of sweet potato strips, probably bought from the commune, along with a bundle of tree rope and a dagger of unknown origin.

  Zheng Sen smiled sheepishly, "Couldn't get anything more suitable."

  Daniu didn't say much and quickly packed the backpack.

  "When will you be back?" Ma Hongmei had come over; seeing her daughter preparing many things, she asked.

  "If all goes well, four or five days. If not, a week," Da Niu said.

  Ma Hongmei nodded, went to the old man's room, and took out a bag from the cabinet. "Take this." Inside was fried flour, a staple always kept ready, periodically fried, in case Daniu had to leave without time to prepare.

  Daniu nodded and checked her clothes again. "Let's go."

  Then she looked at her grandfather. "Grandpa, I'm leaving. I'll bring you a rabbit when I return."

  "Alright, be careful," the old man nodded, gnced at Zheng Sen, said nothing more, and waved his hand.

  Leaving the Ma family, Daniu led Zheng Sen into the mountains via the northwest path, not the usual route.

  They walked mostly in silence, heads down. Daniu wanted to test Zheng Sen's stamina. If he couldn't handle walking outside, they might as well not go.

  Zheng Sen was clearly trained, walking the distance without turning red or gasping for breath, which reassured Da Niu.

  By noon, they entered the forest and then went further in. Seeing tall trees, this area was clearly deeper into the forest than Beidianzi. "Which way?" Daniu asked when they reached a hillock, which led to several directions.

  Zheng Sen looked at her, reached into his chest, took out a map, opened it, and handed it to her, pointing to a spot, "West of Tiger Ridge."

  Da Niu took it and saw it was a hand-drawn map, quite clear. The person who drew it used the forest's streams for orientation, with several rivers clearly marked. "You're not thinking of becoming a tomb raider, are you? I won't do that."

  Zheng Sen shook his head. "No, it's not a tomb. My grandfather's family were Manchus, originally from here. But due to bandit troubles, they couldn't stay, so they hid some family belongings and went out to make a living. They pnned to retrieve them when times were stable, but unfortunately, he was injured and passed away when I was six. He gave me this map before he died."

  Ma Da Niu's Journey to the City [1960s] by Qiye Wangqing [Completed] (35)

  Da Niu frowned, "Since it's something from your ancestors, I'll help you retrieve it. I don't need anything in return."

  Zheng Sen smiled, "I agreed to split it with you, so I must honor that. I went there once before and indeed found a ginseng pnt, but the pce is too dangerous for me to go alone. That's why I need your help. Honestly, I don't care much about the money or valuables inside, but there's one particur item I need to retrieve. Also, I really need a rge sum of money right now."

  Daniu gnced at him but didn't say anything more. She studied the map. Although the proportions were a bit off, she could understand what was drawn. Comparing it carefully with the mental map in her head, she said, "So it's there. No wonder you couldn't get to it."

  Zheng Sen's eyes lit up. "You figured it out? Can you find it?"

  Da Niu nodded, "It's the Great Immortal Gully." That pce was one of the more dangerous areas near Tiger Ridge. The surroundings are steep cliffs, as if the nd had suddenly risen, with only one entrance leading into the Great Immortal Gully. The terrain inside is peculiar—it seems like ft ground at first, but as you walk, you will find yourself descending into a deep gully. Looking up, you will see towering stone peaks. The further you go, the deeper it gets, as if it could even reach the underground. If you try to turn back, you will be stunned because the path behind you would have disappeared.

  The entire Immortal Gully is shrouded in mist, and most importantly, it is inhabited by yellow weasels. If you encounter one and it sprays you, you will wander around in circles. The surrounding rocks would seem to come alive, terrifying anyone who stayed too long.

  Even Daniu had only heard about the pce from her grandfather. In the past, many who ventured into the mountains had gone there. While no one was known to have ever died there, most who came out had their minds affected. Some took a long time to recover, while others remained in a daze for the rest of their lives. Over time, people stopped daring to go there.

  "Your grandfather sure knew how to pick a spot," Daniu remarked.

  "I went there once, but there were peaks blocking the way. I wandered around a few times but couldn't get through," Zheng Sen said.

  "You took the wrong path. The area is vast, but there's only one entrance. The map doesn't mark it," Daniu expined.

  Zheng Sen nodded, "My grandfather said the items are inside the gully. I never understood what he meant by 'inside the gully.' But it is too significant, so I didn't dare ask others."

  Da Niu gnced at him, thinking, _You sure trust me._

  Zheng Sen seemed to understand her thoughts. "I trust my judgment." For some reason, he could always understand this girl at a gnce. While others might describe her as extraordinary or formidable, he always seemed to grasp her intentions immediately.

  Daniu didn't say anything more. "Let's go. There's a cabin up ahead. We'll eat there and hurry on. If all goes well, we'll have a pce to stay by tonight."

  "I'll follow your lead. You know the area," Zheng Sen said, having sought her out precisely because of her familiarity with the mountains.

  The two continued their journey, and after another hour or so, they came across a hunter's cabin. They entered to find it empty. Not pnning to stay long, they used a cy pot in the cabin to boil water. Da Niu took out a clean cloth bag from her backpack, then a small brown paper bag from within it. She opened it and sprinkled its contents into the pot. Zheng Sen gnced over and saw finely chopped meat, dried cabbage, and some powder.

  After a while, the dried cabbage and chopped meat in the soup had softened, and the water had thickened slightly. "Have a bowl. My mom made this," Daniu said, taking two wooden bowls from her backpack and serving Zheng Sen a bowl of soup.

  Zheng Sen blew on it, took a sip, and gave a thumbs-up. "Your mom's cooking is amazing."

  Daniu smiled and skewered the cornbread Zheng Sen had brought on a wooden stick to roast over the fire. Soon, it was warm.

  After a hot meal and a short rest, they continued their journey. The recent snowfall made the path difficult, but it also meant Zheng Sen could take time off work. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to come.

  Fortunately, Daniu was very familiar with the terrain and chose paths that were passable. The journey went retively smoothly.

  "Let's rest here today. We'll start moving early tomorrow and try to reach the destination by evening," Daniu said, pointing to a cabin ahead.

  Zheng Sen nodded, "I'll follow your lead." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. They had been traveling all afternoon with only two breaks, and he was feeling tired.

  Entering the cabin, Daniu noted that it was rarely visited, being both remote and deep in the mountains.

  Seeing that there wasn't much firewood inside, she said, "You prepare the rabbits. I'll go gather firewood." They had caught two rabbits on the way, which would be their dinner.

  "Shouldn't I go get the firewood instead?" Zheng Sen asked.

  Da Niu shook her head. "I know where to find it. There's a bucket over there. Go outside and bring in some snow. Be careful not to leave tracks outside. There are wolves around here."

  Zheng Sen nodded, understanding the caution.

  Daniu took a small axe from the side pocket of her backpack—it was small enough to hold in one hand. She went not far east of the cabin and found a long-dead, dried-up tree. She chopped off its branches, gathered enough firewood, and carried it back.

  When Zheng Sen saw her return, his eyes showed admiration as he gnced at the firewood she carried. She really was impressive.

  Zheng Sen worked quickly, and by the time Daniu returned, the two rabbits were ready. He had already lit a fire using the remaining firewood in the cabin.

  After a tiring day, a sip of hot soup and the aroma of roasting meat on the fire made the exhaustion seem to melt away.

  The cabin had only one kang (a heated bed), so the two slept at opposite ends without any awkwardness.

  The next morning, they had a simple breakfast and set off again.

  That day, they pushed hard, and despite the difficult terrain, they managed to reach their destination by nightfall.

  "We'll have to sleep outside tonight. There's no way to go in," Da Niu said.

  Zheng Sen looked at the entrance ahead, a pce even a horse couldn't pass, and sighed. His grandfather really knew how to pick a spot.