Chapter 246: Go into the mountains to collect herbs
“Go up the mountain, dig herbs, I’ll come, sing a few times...”
The melodious folk songs dispel the early morning mist and scare the mountains and forests. Medium and large resident birds.
The genius is bright, the mountains are bright and dark, and the clouds and mist are like ribbons. Occasionally, two long and long "cuckoo, cuckoo-" calls make the mountains and forests even more tranquil.
The sun has not yet risen, and the quiet mountain forest is slightly dim. Only in the bright places, the blue background of the clear sky is revealed.
An old man and a young man were walking slowly in the forest, breathing in the cool air with dew and moisture in the forest, and listening to the chirping of birds in the mountains. The old man and his son-in-law suddenly became interested, and they sang folk songs back and forth. .
In front of the two of them, a tall and handsome tiger-headed yellow hound, with golden hair all over its body and calm eyes, trotted in front of them, stopping from time to time to smell carefully and constantly explore the surrounding situation.
Behind the golden-haired hound, there were three little things with tawny hair, running up and down among the grass and shrubs. They were extremely fast and came and went silently. You couldn't even see them if you didn't pay attention.
Sometimes I am very lively. When I hear the chirping of birds, I will quickly climb up the tree to catch the birds.
Of course these are Xiao Jin and the three little weasels.
Heiwa was not taken with him. Heiba was left at home to look after the house. Today, neither the father-in-law nor the husband were here, and the chickens, ducks and geese were not let out. They were all kept in a pen. Heiwa was at home to watch over him. Gao Xiulan remembered Just go and add water to feed.
I didn’t take the little yellow dog with me either. It is not suitable for following the mountains. The puppy Wang Cunye bought was originally raised as a pet dog. It is enough to be able to look after the home and the nursing home. There is no need to ask too much. many.
As for the kite not following, it is because its injury has not healed and its wings are still weak and need to be nourished.
So besides Xiao Jin, I brought three little weasels with me.
Although these three little guys play tricks on cats and dogs all day long, their abilities are not weak, and they can be useful if they are brought here.
Chen Ling and Wang Cunye and his son-in-law were also fully armed, with their heads wrapped in coarse indigo cloth, wearing shabby clothes like sacks, with thick and long hemp ropes wrapped around their waists, and medicine hoes and sickles on their backs. Carrying bamboo baskets, the two of them walked slowly through the forest on fallen leaves.
Chen Ling also carries an extra set of trolls.
You can tell from the outfits of the two of them that the place they are going to today will definitely not be nearby.
Indeed, there are no valuable medicinal herbs near the mountains. You have to go deep into the mountains to get them.
Weng and his son-in-law came mainly to dig dendrobium and uncaria.
When Wang Cunye went into the mountains alone to collect herbs a few days ago, he accidentally discovered dendrobium growing on a cliff. It was old, numerous, and growing very well.
Unfortunately, he is old now and has poor legs and feet, so he cannot pick on the spot.
In addition, he walked quite deep at that time. If he did not return in time, it would get dark quickly in the mountains and he would not be able to go back. Therefore, he did not dare to be greedy and only left a mark.
In addition, there are many snakes and insects in the northern mountain of Wuyun Mountain. In addition, the terrain is steep, the creeks are deep, and there are many twists and turns. Therefore, it is inaccessible and wild animals are often disturbed. It is better not to stay alone for too long.
However, in a place like this, as long as you are brave enough and dare to go deeper, rare medicinal herbs are not uncommon.
In addition to dendrobium, the old man also took aim at Uncaria.
In other words, dendrobium was an unexpected surprise, and Uncaria was his target for going to the mountains to collect herbs.
He is a medicine farmer, not a herbal medicine shop. In order to cure diseases and prescribe any herbs, he needs to collect them. The first thing is to collect valuable ones.
In addition to very valuable rare medicinal materials, herbs that can be sold at a good price and grow in large quantities are the best choices.
Uncaria fits the bill perfectly.
The landform and climate of the northern mountain of Wuyun Mountain are very suitable for the growth of Uncaria.
In steep, dark, humid ravines and canyons, green uncaria often grows.
As long as they find one canopy, it will be enough for them to harvest for three or four days. After they go back and cut sections to dry, they can sell them for more than 100 yuan.
“Have you ever come to the mountains to collect medicine before?”
After feeling comfortable with a few mountain songs, Wang Cunye walked in front and asked.
"I've been here, and He Susu has come here several times to collect herbs. We still don't collect many herbs here. It depends on the season."
Chen Ling thought about it. Growing up, he went to Xishan to collect herbs. The two hunts and collecting herbs were just like catching scorpions for fun, so he said: "This is my first time to go into the mountains to collect herbs in such a formal way."
" Haha, you have fields here, so don’t worry about collecting herbs.”
Wang Cunye laughed loudly and said, “Collecting herbs depends on the weather and your life. If you trade your life for money, there is no need to worry about growing food. .”
“That’s true.”
Chen Ling responded, medicine farming is a family skill passed down from father to son, but neither his eldest uncle nor his second uncle likes to do this. On the contrary, his daughter Wang Susu is interested.
It is because there are too many uncertainties in collecting herbs, and if you want to collect valuable goods, you often need to take risks.
"For the first time, I was far better than your eldest and second brothers. Now they all look down on our work. They think the money comes slowly and we earn less."
Wang Cunye walked in front. Without looking back, he said to himself: "I think you are very interested. If you want to learn, I will teach you more in the future."
This made Chen Ling feel a little embarrassed and thought: "I'm not interested, I just love to play."
Of course.
In addition to playing, I also want to recognize herbal medicines, use Cave Sky to save endangered rare medicinal materials, and do something meaningful.
Weng and son-in-law were chatting, while a dog and three weasels were running ahead to explore the road.
Slowly, after crossing two ridges, the sun rose, the mountains and forests were bright, and the chirping of birds became louder and sweeter.
We went down along the ridge and followed a mountain stream.
When we reached the gentle terrain, the stream turned in front of us, and it suddenly became clear.
Amidst the sound of running water, there are dense bamboo bushes beside the stream. There are open spaces among the bamboo bushes, which are short grass growing close to the ground. There are many dandelions, gray cabbage and wild garlic mixed in among them.
The two found an open space to rest and eat temporarily.
I came out early and haven’t had breakfast yet.
Breakfast is very simple, steamed vegetable pancakes and boiled eggs.
Chen Ling also brought some fried fish segments, wrapped in newspapers and lotus leaves. When he took them out, his father-in-law stared.
After mumbling, he finally just said: "You still know how to eat."
But I thought in my heart, how could this son-in-law collect medicine like this.
I don’t know who to follow with this temperament, and everything I do is just like playing.
“Don’t be stunned, Dad, eat fish.”
"Oh."
Wang Cunye took a piece of fish in a daze and ate it with vegetables and steamed cakes.
I have to say, this guy is really good at it. The fried fish segments are so delicious, and the fish bones are crispy and fragrant.
The old man ate deliciously, while Chen Ling ate two small pieces and then put them down. He took out the eggs and cracked them on the bamboo basket.
As soon as the sound of "tap-tat-tat" of eggs was heard, Xiao Jin and the three little weasels in the distance immediately raised their ears, ran back in a hurry, and circled around Chen Ling wagging their tails.
Even the three little weasels stood up and eagerly put their front legs on Chen Ling's pants, looking like greedy cats.
"I haven't eaten yet. I have to finish it before giving it to you."
Chen Ling said helplessly and stuffed the egg into his mouth.
Both the two dogs and these weasels at home like to eat eggs, not only the eggs laid by the chickens raised at home, but also ordinary eggs.
Whenever I hear the sound of eggs being cracked while eating at home, I will immediately run over to them, even faster than I usually call them.
Wang Cunye looked at Xiao Jin and the little weasels humming and begging for food, and said with a smile: "These ones you raised are like little babies, look at how noisy they are in front of you."
My father-in-law didn't like seeing these things in the past, and always felt that he was not doing his job properly.
Not to mention taking human food to feed them?
But now that he is getting older, he would rather have some of these gadgets at home. It would be nice to be lively and cheerful.
“More greedy than the little kid.”
Chen Ling smiled, continued to crack two eggs, peeled off the shell and fed one to Xiao Jin, and divided the remaining one and fed it to the three little weasels.
As a result, the little weasels didn't like the food enough and ate all the egg shells on the ground into their mouths. They crunched and ate so deliciously.
"Good guys, you are just like me mistreating you."
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 eggs in the forest are enough for them to eat. There are also all kinds of bugs and mice in the fields during this season, so they can’t starve.
But after being raised at home, even if he is not hungry, he still likes to join in the fun and get close to him.
“Have you finished eating again? I won’t give it to you if I feed you another one.”
Chen Ling took out two eggs, gave one to Xiao Jin, and divided it among the three little things. .
Wang Cunye watched with interest.
It’s not unreasonable for my son-in-law to like to play. If he could raise such a smart gadget, he would also like to play.
……
After breakfast, continue to set off.
There are various kinds of herbs everywhere on the road, but they are not very valuable and not worth picking.
Just like beard and trichosanthin.
Qianhu: Also known as wild celery, it looks like celery and is mainly used to treat coughs and asthma. It grows on a damp low slope, one by one, like celery, and the price is average.
Trichosanthes: Trichosanthes is a vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. Its roots are medicinal. They are white, about 10 centimeters long. The texture is not too hard, somewhat like a sweet potato. After harvesting, it can be cut into slices and dried in the sun. Used to clear away heat and promote fluid production. The purchase price is average.
There are also herbs of medium value that can be sold at a reasonable price.
Because we have to leave space for Dendrobium and Uncaria and cannot pick them on the spot, we mark them.
For example, Aristolochia: It is the fruit of a twining herbaceous plant. It looks very cute, like a bell hanging from a horse's head. Lung-clearing and antitussive medicine. Its vine is also a kind of medicinal material, called Tianxian Teng, which is used to dispel wind and activate blood circulation. Its root is also a kind of medicinal material, called Qingmuxiang, which is used as a detoxification and diuretic medicine.
The purchase price of this thing is not bad, but it needs to be specially marked.
Along the way, because Chen Ling fed the little weasels eggs, he deliberately took them with him this time. The three little guys were so excited that they would often climb up on his shoulders, rub and lick him, and please him as much as they could, as if they were recognized little kids, so happy that they didn't know how to get better.
Chen Ling rushed several times, but to no avail.
Just like now, he hasn't paid attention yet.
There was a little guy on the short rock cliff next to the stream in front, biting off a red fruit, then jumped down, climbed onto his shoulder, and handed it to him like a treasure. Around the mouth.
"What is it?"
"Is this a fig?"
Chen Ling took the fruit and looked at it carefully before he recognized what this wild fruit was. The figs in the mountains are better than those grown outside. Compared with those, they are a bit too small, only about the size of a thumb. They are as red as mountain red and are already ripe.
“Hey, wild figs, these are good things.”
Wang Cunye took a look and said in surprise.
There are very few wild figs in the mountains, and most of them are grown from seeds brought by birds and animals.
Chen Ling walked forward, and sure enough he saw a clump of fig trees. This thing was so wild that it would grow into a large fig tree if it was not pruned.
“It looked quite ripe, so I went up to pick it, otherwise it would be overripe and rotten, and would be eaten by ants and bugs.”
After saying that, Chen Ling put down the bamboo basket and unloaded it. Shotgun, picked some red fruits and came back.
Weng and son-in-law tasted it, and it tasted surprisingly good.
After the fruit is broken open, there is a layer of jelly-like fat inside, which is as sweet as honey and has a delicate fragrance. It is much more delicious than figs grown outside the mountains.
There are many wild fruits in the mountains, but in this season, if you want to say that they taste better, there are only a few kinds, such as: water hyacinth, wild jujube, prickly pear, kiwi fruit, wild apple Sweet potatoes, etc., now you can add these figs.
The wild figs in the mountains are no worse than water hyacinth jujube and kiwi fruit. They have their own merits and are quite delicious among wild fruits.
“It’s a pity that such delicious food will rot when taken out. I can’t even bring some food to my family, and I can’t grow it and take it out.”
How many times did Wang Cunye finish eating? A road that is still unfinished.
Indeed, if figs are not improved, they will not be easy to grow locally and cannot be grown as an economic fruit tree.
The fruit-bearing time of figs is from June to October. The natural ripening cycle is relatively long and can be picked continuously. From this point of view, it is a very good fruit.
Unfortunately, one problem with figs is that they turn red and overripe at night. If they are not picked early in the morning, the fruits will easily rot when the sun comes out, making them difficult to preserve.
"Haha, there are so many wild fruits, not least of this kind."
Chen Ling comforted, and then the two of them continued to move forward.
Dendrobium is relatively far away, while Uncaria is nearby.
But the same thing about Uncaria and Dendrobium is that even Uncaria hangs on steep slopes and cliffs.
Wang Cunye has no way to pick it, so he still has to rely on his young and strong son-in-law to pick it.
Having not gone far, we encountered a patch of wild bayberry trees and prickly pears.
The wild bayberry trees in the Qinling Mountains are all tree species brought by traders and birds. The number is extremely small, and the taste is not good. Most of them are used to make wine, and not many people eat them.
The prickly pears are not yet ripe and cannot be eaten now.
Prickly pear, as its name suggests, is covered with thorns. It is a very good Chinese medicinal material. The roots, leaves and fruits can be used as medicine. It can be said that the whole body is a treasure.
It will turn red when ripe in autumn and will be very sweet after being frosted, so people also call it the sugar bowl.
In the past, Chen Ling might have dug two trees for it, but now he has no interest in them. They are basically found in the cave.
It’s just that there is no suitable opportunity to take it out.
The two walked along the stream and walked through several mountain streams, and finally came to a canyon area.
After getting closer, there was a piece of early-ripening kiwi fruit, which was very close to Uncaria. It was growing luxuriantly and the fruit was already ripe.
Kiwi fruit sounds like a tree species, but it is actually a vine plant. Wild kiwi fruit often attach their vines to cliffs, but most of the vines do not grow too high and are not difficult to pick.
Chen Ling picked two ripe kiwi fruits by the branches, peeled them open and tasted them, then shook her head and spit them aside.
“It looks ripe and feels ripe, but it’s actually not yet done.”
As he said that, he wiped his mouth and looked at the sun in the sky. It was not too late, but after picking Uncaria, he still had to go to the Dendrobium.
“Forget it, don’t eat anymore, hurry up and get to work.”
“Well, there are trees over there, find a strong one and tie the rope to it.”
< br>Wang Cunye pointed in one direction and said.
"OK."
"Be careful. The cliff is not too steep. I'm just afraid of snakes and poisonous insects. Let's spread the snake repellent again."
"I got it."
In terms of collecting herbs, Chen Ling didn't know anything, so he relied on his father-in-law to direct everything.
First of all, you need to climb to the top, then untie the hemp rope around your waist, tie one end of the hemp rope to a tree, the other end around your waist, and slowly slide down while holding the rope with your hands.
Arrived at the edge of Uncaria, tightened the rope and started working.
Chen Ling didn't have much experience in picking herbs, but he was young and strong, and he could pick them very quickly with his sickle swing.
When he got excited about his work, he saw the little weasel chasing some birds on the top of the cliff. The cheerful look made him feel good, so he sang a folk song loudly and waved his sickle while singing. Less than half of a large Uncaria spp. was quickly harvested.
After harvesting, they were thrown down the mountain wall, and Wang Cunye simply collected and packed them underneath.
When the amount harvested was enough for the two of them to carry out, Chen Ling stopped, grabbed the rope, and climbed up like a monkey.
“There are a lot of uncaria in this valley, we can still come a dozen or so times.”
After Chen Ling untied the rope and came down, he looked at the clumps of Uncaria hanging on the cliff. He thought to himself that there wasn't much of it down there, but when he harvested it, he realized that only a small part had been harvested.
“Well, there’s no rush, just come when the weather is nice, and you’ll have to dry it when you get back.”
Wang Cunye nodded, squatted on the ground and bundled Uncaria, and looked at it Above the two-eye cliff, "This is a good place, but it's a pity that no other good medicine has been produced."
"Huh? Is this valuable herb grown in a local place?"
"Of course, I'll follow you. You tell me, the more valuable the medicinal herbs are, the weirder they are..."
Weng and son-in-law were talking when suddenly Xiao Jin started barking.
"Is there something wrong?!"
Chen Ling quickly stood up, holding the woodcutter in one hand and reaching for the shotgun with the other.
As soon as he reacted, he saw a group of wild monkeys rushing over from the forest in the distance, baring their teeth and howling as they ran wildly.
“Damn, it’s these wild monkeys again.”
Chen Ling became furious when he saw it. He threw the woodcutter aside and raised his shotgun to shoot.
However, before the shot was fired, Xiao Jin was still shouting a warning. He realized that something was wrong, and he took a closer look to see the clues.
Immediately screamed: "It's a wild bee. The monkey provoked the wild bee."
As soon as he said this, a loud "buzzing" sound came.
"Dad, there are wild bees coming, spread the medicine quickly."
When Wang Cunye heard this and saw the black swarm of bees covering the sky behind the monkeys, he was shocked and shouted: "These are bees that explode the nest. Spraying pesticides is useless. Run, run away." Let's do it."
He said angrily: "These stinky monkeys have provoked a swarm of bees and deliberately attracted them to us."
Chen Ling didn't care when he saw this. Say anything more.
There was nothing he could do. If he was on his own, the swarm would dare to sting him. If it fell on him, he would be taken away into the cave. But it couldn't be done with his father-in-law beside him, so he carried Wang Cunye on his back. He got up, found the opposite direction and ran away.
Xiao Jin and the little weasels also fled one after another.
They are no match for a swarm of bees.
The wild bees in the mountains are extremely poisonous. If they sting someone, they will cause a big swelling, accompanied by adverse reactions such as fever, vomiting, and upset. How can they resist it?
So Chen Ling ran very fast and did not put Wang Cunye down until he could no longer hear the buzzing sound in his ears.
Taking a breath and looking around, I found that this place is near a mountain stream with gurgling water and is quite quiet. However, the nearby forest is deep and dense, blocking the sky and the sun, so the light here will appear very dark. , there is an eerie feeling.
After arriving here, Xiao Jin sniffed, barked twice at Chen Ling softly, and then stared in one direction of the mountain stream.
This was a signal for him to follow and look over.
"What's wrong? What's wrong again?"
Wang Cunye felt a little nervous when he heard the dog barking.
Chen Ling walked to Xiao Jin and looked into the mountain stream. At this sight, he immediately relaxed his brows.
“It’s okay dad, it’s just a wild boar that fell to death here. It has been dead for a long time and its bones are rotten.”
After Wang Cunye heard this, he slowly walked over to take a look.
I saw the corpse of a wild boar lying quietly on the pile of rocks in the mountain stream. It should have weighed about three to four hundred kilograms, and it was an out-and-out large wild boar.
"Good guy, a big boar, is there a fight here?"
Wang Cunye was stunned for a moment and said.
Then I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Even the wild boars in the mountains could die here.
Otherwise, you should not let your son-in-law learn how to collect herbs.
It would be good for him to open a farm and raise some things.
(End of this chapter)