Sun Jiaqiang came to Northern Xinjiang by train in the spring. Although the land in my hometown has been allocated, to be honest, I still can't have enough to eat, let alone make money. Several people in the village went to northern Xinjiang and stayed for two years. When they returned, they carried large and small bags with things and a lot of money, which made him jealous.
He was almost thirty years old and still unmarried, and his family was poor. No one wanted to marry into the family, so he also wanted to go out to make money, make a fortune, come back, marry a wife, and live a down-to-earth life.
But after coming here, I realized that making money is not easy. The work in the fields was tiring, and the factory couldn't recruit you as an outsider. It was too tiring, and you didn't know how to do business. I remembered that the villagers said they went to the mountains to dig medicinal materials and make fritillary hair, so I also ran to the mountains.
Unfortunately, the caladiums have only grown now, and he is not very good at digging. After going into the mountains for several days, he dug less than one kilogram. He was also chased by people from the forestry team and other people who came to dig caladiums. Hurry, those people have occupied a good place and will not let him pass alone.
Sun Jiaqiang was also helpless. He is a bitch in the village and doesn't dare to compete with others. Otherwise, he wouldn't have married a wife yet - all the good things he does are taken over by others. Without his share, those girls think he is worthless. .
Although Sun Jiaqiang was driven away in the mountains, he was not discouraged. After all, in such a big mountain, you can find food anywhere you want. He often runs into the mountains in his hometown, but there are not as many things and riches in the mountains there. Sun Jiaqiang is somewhat capable. Yesterday, he lassoed a rabbit and ate some meat. He still keeps the rabbit skin, and plans to take it out when he has time to see if he can sell it for a few bucks.
The sack he is carrying now is bulging, containing all kinds of things, including dug Codonopsis pilosula, dug fritillaries, things he picked up that he thought could be used, and rabbit skins. and beautiful pheasant feathers.
He just doesn’t know how much these things can be sold for. There was also a rusty knife in the sack, and I didn’t know what year it was from. He found this in the stream when he was fetching water. He thought it might be an antique, so he took it with him.
Sun Jiaqiang walked to a ravine with less grass. Seeing that there were more stones and less vegetation, he wanted to change places. Anyway, there were ravines everywhere in the mountain.
But at this moment, he saw a tall fritillary tree growing near the stone not far ahead, and he immediately walked over happily and bent down to dig it out.
Slightly larger than broad beans, this is a good caladium. Sun Jiaqiang carefully wiped the soil from the caladium and put it into a sack.
Just this ditch, keep going.
Soon, he dug six or seven, and unknowingly went up the slope, and then saw the blocked hole behind the stone.
After entering the mountains, he first lived in someone else’s abandoned den. It rained last night and the den collapsed, almost crushing him to death. He got up and hid under a tree. In the middle of the night, I was worrying about where to settle down. Now that I saw such a hole, I immediately became happy.
It would be nice to find a suitable cave to stay in the mountains. However, Sun Jiaqiang did not dare to go in immediately. He put down the sack and found a thick-armed stick nearby. Then he walked carefully into the cave, tapping the mountain wall with the stick as he walked. If there was a wild beast inside, he would be frightened. run.
When he walked inside, there was no movement, and Sun Jiaqiang was relieved. There is a smell of urine in this hole, and the ground is bumpy when stepped on, it must be the shit of something. But it doesn't matter, these are easy to clean. Although the space in the cave is not big and there are rocks, it is at least much better than staying in the wild.
Sun Jiaqiang just wanted to stay here. He took out a box of matches from his arms and wanted to light one, but then gave up. There are only a few matches left in this box, so we can’t waste them. Matches are a good thing in the wild. If you didn't put the matches in your inner pocket and they got wet last night, you would be in big trouble.
He walked out again carrying the stick. He picked up some dead branches nearby, pulled a few handfuls of hay, and carried them into the hole.
Sun Jiaqiang planned to light a fire in the cave to dry out the moisture in the cave, and at the same time drive away the insects inside, and use the light to clean the ground to make it easier for people to live.
You can’t live with a bunch of shit.
He gathered the firewood into a pile and put hay underneath. He carefully took out the matches and struck them, lighting the hay. The flames slowly rose up, igniting the dead branches, and the cave became bright.
The place is quite big, there are turns, and wind and rain can’t get in. This place is quite nice.
Sun Jiaqiang was quite satisfied with this place. When he was about to clean up the floor, he suddenly discovered that there was light on the wall, and it was colorful!
He immediately went over to take a look and saw the stone on the stone wall. In other words, it should not be a stone. Why is it so transparent?
Sun Jiaqiang suddenly became excited!
There were some broken dregs on the ground. He picked up a slightly larger piece and looked at it in the firelight - it was really translucent and colorful!
Could it be...could it be a gem?
Sun Jiaming was so excited that his body began to tremble! If this thing was really a gem, it would be great!
Gem! It’s natural! Even if it is crystal, just this hole is worth a lot of money!
Although Sun Jiaming was in the village and had not been out much, and this trip was the farthest, he had heard from the elders in the village that the value of gold and gemstones was very high.
Sun Jiaming took out a lighted stick from the fire and shined it at the wall. Seeing that the entire wall was covered with colorful and translucent "stones", Sun Jiaming was so excited that he wanted to cry!
He suddenly ran outside, picked up a stone, got into the hole again, and smashed the colorful "gems" with all his strength, roaring excitedly while doing so.
The sound came from the cave. There was a group of yellow sheep in the east planning to enter the cave, but when they heard the noise here, they immediately turned around and ran away.
There was also a strange deer walking slowly towards the south. After hearing the sound, it ran away.
It’s too scary, just run!
Li Long walked to the mouth of the ditch at this time. He vaguely heard the roar, and his heart tightened. Could someone get there first? Wouldn't that be troublesome?
He immediately quickened his pace, and when he arrived at the cave entrance on the mountainside, he heard the sound of "dong dong dong" knocking on the wall. He knew that this time it was definitely the end of the hammering.
This guy definitely doesn’t look like an animal knocking on the wall. With this rhythm, he is obviously a human!
When he arrived at the entrance of the cave, he saw smoke coming out of the cave. Li Long was not angry anymore. Knowing that his anger was useless, he raised his gun and shouted inside:
< br>"Who's in there, come out!"
After calling Li Long, he thought about coming over. This place didn't belong to him. In theory, there was nothing wrong with what others did here.
That is, you can do whatever you want.
"I, I, I..." Sun Jiaqiang ran out from inside, holding a stick in his hand and looking at Li Long warily.
He finally found the treasure, but he didn’t want to be snatched away!
But when he saw that Li Long had a gun, he was immediately discouraged. He had a gun!
I just ask him to let me pick up a few things and take them away. Of course, if the other party doesn't know what's going on here, I can sneak over later.
"Did you light the fire inside?" Li Long thought that since he had built up his momentum, he couldn't let it go. He raised his gun and said:
"Did you Don’t you know this is where wild animals eat salt?”
“Salt?” Sun Jiaqiang shook. He shook his head and said, "When I went in, I saw a pile of animal feces and urine on the ground. If there are other uses here, can I leave?"
As he said that, he turned around and entered the hole, planning to hit himself. Come down with a few "gems" and take them away. A good man won't suffer the immediate loss. The opponent has a gun in his hand. That thing is not a toy!
Seeing that Sun Jiaqiang had a lot of bulge in his pocket when he came out, Li Long felt a little regretful. Could it be that this guy couldn't afford salt, so he came here to get the idea of rock salt?
He watched Sun Jiaqiang go over and lift the sack, and kindly reminded him:
“Hey, brother, be careful when you eat that salt. There are more minerals in that thing. Too much is not good for your health! If you need it, you can exchange it with me for refined salt.”
“What kind of salt do I have here?” No salt?" Sun Jiaqiang was a little confused, "I would like to change it. Do you have any?"
"The thing in your pocket should have been smashed from the wall inside the hole, don't you? Sorry, eat rock salt. People have been eating it hundreds of years ago. There is no shame in it." Li Long thought he was embarrassed to admit it, so he excused him:
"But the things on the wall have been licked by animals. You'd better wash them before using them."
He just heard the sound of "dong dong dong" and guessed that someone inside was smashing the wall to get some food. Salt block.
This man is so miserable that he has to snatch salt from the mouths of animals.
"What? This is salt? How is this possible?" Sun Jiaqiang looked unbelieving. He took out a colored "gem" from his pocket, shook it in the sun, and looked through it. Sunshine, the color was so beautiful, shook his head firmly:
"Don't lie to me, this is obviously a gem...forget it, just take salt as you say!"
< br>
"Gem?" Li Long was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter. He almost couldn't lift his head from his laughter, which made Sun Jiaqiang stunned.
"Don't lie to me! This is a gem!" Sun Jiaqiang insisted, "There is a hole here, I want these pieces, you don't have to act like this to coax me! You want to take it? If you want, go inside and get it yourself!"
"Have you ever seen such a fragile gem? It breaks when hit with a stone?" Li Long slowly stopped laughing and said seriously, "Try it. Try it, lick your gem with my tongue, um, it’s newly smashed out That side has not been licked by animals. You will know after you try it, bro, this is rock salt! Do you know why I brought a gun here? Because I want to hunt and hunt for myself. It's a pity that even if there are animals, you scare them away." Li Long felt a little pity for this guy. Judging from his clothes, he must have been in the mountains for a long time. The sack is so big and contains a lot of things. It must be all his belongings. I'm crazy about money, and I can treat rock salt as a gem, haha.
Sun Jiaqiang doubtfully took the rock salt, found the newly smashed mark on one side, and licked it gently.
Salty, with a bitter and astringent taste.
It’s really salt.
His face fell suddenly, and his dream was shattered.
Seeing Sun Jiaqiang sitting on the ground, Li Long was also a little embarrassed. It was him who broke his dream with his own hands. He thought for a while and said:
"I have a few steamed buns here. If you are hungry, I will give you one."
Sun Jiaqiang raised his head in disbelief.
"But you can't eat for free. You have to tell me where there are wild beasts where you have walked. Wolves, deer, roe deer and the like." Li Long had to let this person know. There is no such thing as a free lunch. "As you can see, I'm here to fight." If you burn it, the wild animals will not dare to come here for at least half a month. The loss is not small."
"Okay, let me tell you." When Sun Jiaqiang heard that the steamed buns were not given out for free, he immediately became energetic. Although he has a bit of a dumpling personality, he also knows that he can't get a free lunch. Now the other party obviously wants to get useful information, which he happens to have.
Took the bun from Li Long and started to chew it. It is not shameful for a hungry person to eat like this, not to mention that this is a white-flour steamed bun that is only available at home during the Chinese New Year!
Soon, Sun Jiaqiang choked. Li Long ignored him, believing that he had his own solution.
Sure enough, he beat his chest hard, stretched his neck, and barely swallowed the food he was choking on. His face turned red from holding back, but luckily, he didn't hold his breath.
Hiccups are inevitable.
Li Long had water, but he didn’t give it to him.
Who knows if this guy has any infectious diseases?
It wasn’t until he had eaten more than half of the steamed buns that Sun Jiaqiang realized what he was doing and said while eating:
"Go west from this ditch, walk through two ditches and then go south. There is a pine tree ditch. I have seen deer and animals like wild sheep in it twice. There should be good grass there. , there are often those animals.”
“Go south from the ditch mouth and walk three ravines. There is a broken ditch there with a collapsed ditch mouth. It’s easy to find. I’ve seen it before. Deer, I saw it only once from a distance, the day before yesterday, and then it I ran inside. I don’t know whether the other end of the ditch is open or blocked.”
“Is the deer one with antlers or one without antlers?”
“ Half a dime." Sun Jiaqiang gestured. After a moment, he said, "It's less than a stick long, it should be a male deer, but the antlers are too short, but the deer is quite big."
I heard it, Sun Jiaqiang didn't know that the antlers would take off, and now the deer should be It's growing antler.
"Is there any more?"
"No more. By the way, where I used to live, go directly west from here, climb over two mountains, and then walk north through a ditch. There is where I used to live. I lived in a den. I heard wolves howling there two nights ago. I was so scared that I hid in the den and didn’t sleep at all. Even when I came out during the day, I didn’t see anything.”
Okay, that's almost enough news.
“Here, I’ll give you another steamed bun. I’ve been wandering around the mountains recently. If I dig something according to your message and I meet you, I’ll be rewarded. If you dig a caladium, you’ll be rewarded. You can sell it to me and I’ll take it.”
“How do you take the fritillary?” Sun Jiaqiang asked immediately after taking the steamed bun.
"Fresh ones cost three yuan per kilogram." Li Long said the price last year. "If it's big and of good quality, it can go up."
"Then where can I find you?" Sun Jiaqiang thought. One key thing.
"I have a wooden house seven or eight ditches to the west. I will be there in the morning and evening, and I will most likely be there at noon." Li Long is ready to develop another potential customer. Just relying on Polati and the others, he would definitely not be able to collect much from the fritillary.
Now it is obvious that there are more blind people looking for food in this mountainous area than last year. He guessed that there is a high probability that because the market is gradually liberalizing, more people are coming from his hometown, and most locals are working in the fields, so there are many more outsiders in the mountains.
Good thing for him.
The more people who can dig caladiums, the easier it is for him to make money from them.
It is much better than digging it yourself.
Of course, this is a win-win situation. What he gives is much more cost-effective than those who sell it themselves. After all, these people need to go thirty kilometers out of the mountains to sell caladiums, so they basically have to save for a while. If you encounter someone from the forestry team patrolling, you may be taken away directly.
Moreover, if you go out to the county town to sell and then buy supplies, you can’t bring much with you, and it’s a waste of time.
The existence of Li Long’s wooden house perfectly solves this intermediate link.
He had even planned to drive a tractor to the county to buy a batch of supplies tomorrow morning, regardless of whether he had packed anything or not. Rice, flour, oil, etc., as well as tea, wine, sugar, salt and other supplies, these hard currencies can be exchanged for more good things in the mountains.
But before leaving, he planned to go to the place the man mentioned. He guessed that the place the man mentioned might be a spot where red deer often go. They have already grown antlers. Is that right? Already shake off the antlers on your head? If you put it this way, even if you couldn't hunt a deer in the past, you might still be able to pick up antlers.
"If you go further east, there are about five or six ravines. There is a small Baiyang ditch there. There is a nest in the ditch. No one has used it recently. You can live there." Li Long said to Sun Jiaqiang, "Wild animals often come here. I even killed a pack of wolves last year. It's not safe for you here alone at night, unless you can make this hole safe." "Then I won't stay any longer." Sun Jiaqiang also knows that wild animals like to eat salt, and he really can't handle it if he is targeted by a wolf. "I'll leave now." br>
Li Long did not force him to put out the fire in the cave and pick out the things. It was not necessary. The smoke was already there anyway, and wild animals would not come here for a while. Let’s talk about it later.
Sun Jiaqiang gnawed the steamed buns and headed east. Li Long walked out of the ditch and headed south. He planned to check out the ditch with deer over there to see if there was anything in it.
There is a landslide at the mouth of the ditch. Judging from the traces, it should be no more than a month old. I don’t know whether it was caused by melting snow or being washed away when it rained.
Li Long looked in from the outside and saw that the ditch was overgrown with weeds. He felt that there were no traces of cattle or sheep entering. Even if there were wild animals, there should not be many.
If there is a lot of grass, there may be herbivorous animals. He jumped over the creek and walked in with gun in hand.
The bullets of the gun are loaded and the safety is on, so be careful when walking and try not to touch the branches for fear of misfiring.
Of course, this is also done so that if you really encounter an animal, you can shoot in time.
The last two-headed deer failed to catch, which made Li Long a little regretful, so he took such a risky move.
Just look at this trip. (End of this chapter)