sbdcsierra Chapter 28 Entering the Mountain Again
Chapter 28 Entering the Mountain Again
“Since I’ve already told my older brothers, I naturally want you two to participate as well. But I hope you’ll keep it a secret and not tell Mom and Dad for now,” Qin Yingxue said earnestly to the two of them.
Qin Dahai and Qin Dajiang both looked troubled.
Now they understand why Qin Yingxue said she didn't want to put them in a difficult position.
Having lived for twenty years, I've never hidden anything from my parents, but this is the first time...
But they also knew their father's temperament.
If he finds out that Sanghuang mushrooms can be sold for money, he will definitely tell the villagers.
"If it puts you two brothers in a difficult position, just pretend you don't know anything about this," Qin Yingxue said from the side.
"Big brother, listen to your sister, don't tell Dad." Qin Dajiang gritted his teeth and quickly made a decision.
Qin Dahai looked conflicted and did not respond.
Qin Yingxue said quietly, "Not only are Sanghuang mushrooms scarce, but we should try to pick the larger ones and leave the smaller ones behind."
"Why?" This time, it was Qin Dahe's turn to be puzzled.
My sister never used to demand this of herself.
"Don't go to extremes! Always leave room for maneuver." Qin Yingxue didn't elaborate further.
But Qin Dajiang immediately understood: "Is your sister afraid of arousing suspicion in the village?"
Qin Yingxue looked at Qin Dajiang with admiration.
After spending some time with them, Qin Yingxue had already discovered that her three older brothers were not as honest and simple as they seemed.
They are hardworking, frugal, hard-working, and quick-witted.
With just a little encouragement, even if they don't become extremely wealthy, they will certainly have no worries about a comfortable life.
"Okay, we'll keep this from Mom and Dad for now." Qin Dahai finally made his decision, his face full of determination.
After the matter was discussed, Qin Yingxue went back to her room to prepare.
This time, Qin Dahe was with her, so she had to bring something to make it seem like she was there.
For example, warm clothes, a kettle for hot water, and some dry food.
After packing up her things, Qin Yingxue sold the Sanghuang mushrooms that Qin Dahe had given her to the mall.
After two days of saving, it weighed a total of 80 jin (40 kg) and cost 2400 yuan.
In other words, Qin Dahe has already left 4884 yuan with him.
It's just sixteen yuan short of five thousand yuan.
This is why Qin Yingxue wanted Qin Dahai and Qin Dajiang to also pick Sanghuang (a type of medicinal herb).
If each of the three brothers earns five thousand yuan, their family will be quite wealthy.
Whether they go to the county town to develop their careers or stay in Qin Village and build a new house, as long as they don't cheat or do anything dishonest, they won't have to worry about the rest of their lives.
In case of an emergency at home, it can be used as a backup.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Qin Yingxue and Qin Dahe walked towards the county town, watched by their family.
Once Qin Village was out of sight, Qin Dahe led Qin Yingxue onto a side path, where he retrieved a homemade bow and arrow and a sharpened wood-chopping knife from a thicket of reeds as tall as a person.
Seeing Qin Dahai's simple equipment, Qin Yingxue silently followed behind him into the deep mountains.
If Qin Dahe hadn't led the way, Qin Yingxue would never have known that going to the deep mountains didn't require passing through the mulberry grove, and that it was actually much closer.
When Qin Yingxue saw the swaying pontoon bridge, she felt a pang of regret.
Below my feet was a bottomless abyss; there was absolutely no guarantee of safety.
It seems I won't be able to come with my third brother anymore.
Qin Dahe brandished his machete, deftly chopped several vines, then tied them around Qin Yingxue's waist. After tugging to make sure they were secure, he tied them around his own waist before leading Qin Yingxue towards the pontoon bridge.
Looking into the fog, Qin Yingxue couldn't see the other side at all except for the bridge surface. Trembling with fear, she regretted her actions even more.
"Come on, take my hand." Qin Dahe took the lead and walked onto the bridge, causing the pontoon bridge to sway a few times.
Qin Dahe struggled to maintain his balance, and once the pontoon bridge was stable, he slowly extended his right hand towards Qin Yingxue.
Qin Yingxue took a deep breath and saw the unusual seriousness and focus on Qin Dahe's face. She couldn't help but reach into Qin Dahe's hand.
As soon as I stepped onto the bridge, the pontoon bridge swayed a few times due to the sudden increase in weight.
Qin Yingxue was so frightened that she grabbed Qin Dahe's hand tightly, and used her other hand to grab the railing.
"Don't be afraid, follow me slowly." After the pontoon bridge gradually stabilized after getting used to Qin Yingxue's weight, Qin Dahe took Qin Yingxue's hand and walked step by step towards the other side.
At first she was scared, but by the time they were halfway there, Qin Yingxue had completely gotten used to it. She then let go of Qin Dahe's hand and followed closely behind him.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Qin Yingxue's legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. Looking back at the swaying pontoon bridge, she was still shaken.
"You're great, little sister!" Qin Dahe took out the water bottle, handed it to Qin Yingxue, and praised her.
"Third Brother, isn't there any other way?"
Qin Yingxue took a few sips of water and then asked.
“No! I heard my great-grandfather say that this pontoon bridge saved the lives of everyone in the village during the War of Resistance Against Japan.” Qin Dahe looked back at the pontoon bridge, a deep expression on his face that seemed out of place for his age. “Back then, the Japanese devils were ruthless and massacred the village. My great-grandfather led the whole village across the pontoon bridge and then decisively cut it down. We lived in the mountains for three whole years. We escaped the Japanese devils’ cruelty, but because there were wild animals in the mountains and limited resources, many children and the elderly died because they had no medicine when they got sick.”
Qin Yingxue's mood also became heavy.
That history is etched in everyone's heart.
Even without firsthand experience, it is enough to affect every conscientious citizen.
This is also why, no matter how big Qin Yingxue's business became in her previous life, she was unwilling to cooperate with the Japanese.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Qin Yingxue took out a few boiled eggs from her bundle. Li Hehua had boiled them early that morning; there were ten of them.
I guess they boiled all the eggs in the house.
"Third Brother, let's fill our stomachs and head into the mountains. Is the trap you made far from here?" Qin Yingxue changed the subject and asked.
Qin Dahe reached out and took one, peeled off the shell, ate one, and refused to eat any more.
Qin Yingxue had no choice but to take out a few pieces of White Rabbit candy.
“It’s just ahead, I’ll take you there.” Qin Dahe took the lead.
Qin Yingxue ate a boiled egg with her cheeks puffed out while looking around.
The trees here have been cut down and are sparse, which makes the weeds seem even more lush.
It's estimated that they went into the mountains to avoid the Japanese soldiers, but they were afraid of wild animals and dared not go in.
Therefore, they only dare to operate on the periphery.
After walking for about ten minutes, Qin Dahe led Qin Yingxue to the first trap.
"Ah...this..."
It's a huge pit, the kind that even a tiger couldn't climb out of if it fell in.
Below were sharpened bamboo and thorns, suggesting that Qin Dahe might not come often. There were several rotten animal skeletons in the trap, the kind that were impossible to identify.
"What a pity, there were two wild rabbits and a roe deer inside." Qin Dahe inspected the place, his face full of heartache.
"Third Brother, how long did it take you to dig this trap?" Qin Yingxue was more concerned about this.
Such a big trap, only able to catch wild rabbits and roe deer, is too uneconomical.
“Five days,” Qin Dahe said as he cleared the trap.
Qin Yingxue gave Qin Dahe a thumbs up.
Ruthless!