Chapter 47: Journey into the Deep Mountains, Where Danger and Opportunity Coexist

Leng Tian had thought he would have to wait a long time, but in just the time it took to turn around, Eldest Brother had not only caught up but even overtaken him!

“Eldest Brother, didn’t you say goodbye to Sister-in-law?”

“I already did.”

Tsk, Eldest Brother is too cold. It’s not easy for Sister-in-law to put up with him.

After silently complaining in his heart, Leng Tian quickened his pace to catch up. “Eldest Brother, let me walk in front.”

The person leading the way is more likely to encounter poisonous snakes or insects. In a ginseng-gathering team, the most skilled leader usually stays in the middle.

With just the two of them, Eldest Brother was naturally the most important!

Leng Xiao’s cool, moon-like phoenix eyes swept over Leng Tian briefly before turning back to focus on the narrow mountain path ahead.

Leng Tian felt a chill run down his spine from that glance. So cold.

Then, Leng Xiao tossed a remark his way, making him realize that something even colder was yet to come.

“No need. You don’t know the way.”

…

From the faint light of dawn until the sunset glow faded, they walked.

From sparse, low-lying trees and weeds into dense, towering forests that blotted out the sky.

The endless mountain ranges stretched and undulated, complex and intricate. Walking among them, they felt as small as grains of dust.

The deeper they went, the thicker and taller the weeds grew, until the path disappeared entirely. Leng Xiao, walking ahead, used a machete to hack through the weeds and shrubs, carving out a path by sheer force.

Leng Tian’s expression gradually grew serious. His right hand gripped the machete tightly, while his left hand rested quietly on the axe tucked into the hemp rope at his waist.

They had reached the deep mountains!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a dark shadow flew up from the thicket of grass, startling Leng Tian into a jump.

Before he could react, he saw Leng Xiao thrust forward with a custom-made iron rod, its tip sharp as a needle.

His movements were incredibly fast!

From the moment the shadow appeared to when Leng Xiao struck it, then pulled it out without even looking and tossed it back to Leng Tian—all of it happened in the blink of an eye.

Still shaken, Leng Tian instinctively caught it, only to realize it was a plump pheasant.

Whew!

Even the pheasants in the deep mountains were much plumper.

After letting out a long breath, Leng Tian realized just how big the gap was between him and his elder brother.

When faced with an unknown danger, he was still caught in fear, while Eldest Brother had already reacted swiftly and eliminated the threat.

“Eldest Brother, I—”

“You don’t have time to learn slowly. You can only adapt quickly.”

“This isn’t just about your life. When necessary, it’s about mine too.” Leng Xiao spoke succinctly.

Leng Tian’s expression turned grave. He knew that every year, ginseng gatherers and hunters failed to make it out of these deep mountains…

“There’s a cave not far ahead. About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense to the left, there’s a water source. Go clean the pheasant, fetch some water, and gather dry firewood to bring back to the cave.” Leng Xiao instructed one by one.

“Alright!”

When Leng Tian returned to the cave with the cleaned pheasant and a filled iron kettle, he saw that Leng Xiao had already chopped some dead wood and started a fire.

Using a sharpened thick wooden stick, he skewered the pheasant and set it over the fire along with the iron kettle to roast.

Silence settled between the two.

Leng Tian wasn’t quite used to this quiet atmosphere. After all, these past few days with his sister-in-law and the two little ones, there had been constant laughter and cheerful chatter every day.

Wanting to start a conversation, Leng Tian glanced over at his elder brother and noticed that behind the flickering firelight, Eldest Brother seemed slightly lost in thought?

How could that be?

The always calm and composed Eldest Brother, lost in thought?

What was Eldest Brother thinking about?

Was he thinking about how to find ginseng?

But ginseng really was hard to find. He had originally thought that once they entered the deep mountains, it wouldn’t be easy, but it shouldn’t be too difficult either.

But who would have thought that the trees deep in the mountains were countless times larger than those on the outskirts! The dense foliage blotted out the sky, waist-high wild grasses grew unchecked, and thickets of shrubs intertwined throughout. Forget about finding ginseng buried underground—even if it were hanging high up, he might not be able to spot it!

The one who had been so confident about earning money to buy two horses grew increasingly hopeless the deeper he ventured into the mountains.

The iron kettle began to gurgle. Leng Tian watched as his eldest brother skillfully removed it, set it aside to cool, and sprinkled salt over the pheasant roasting to a golden brown.

“Eldest Brother, how did you find ginseng before?” Not only did he find it, but he found enough to build a brick-and-tile house for the family, treat their mother’s illness, pay for tuition, and support them all.

Leng Xiao’s expression was cool as he looked at his puzzled younger brother. “Set out after daybreak and continue deeper into the mountains. Observe and listen carefully along the way.”

Leng Tian was even more confused. He understood the need to observe, but what did listening have to do with gathering ginseng?

“Observing mainly means checking if there are any patches of bark clearly cut away on the trees. That’s left by ginseng gatherers to record how many leaves the ginseng found here had. Search carefully around the area, and usually, more ginseng will have grown nearby.” Leng Xiao suspected that the soil in such spots was fertile and suitable for ginseng growth, making it easier for scattered ginseng seeds to sprout nearby.

But this was just his speculation, and there was no need to tell his younger brother.

“Listening means paying attention to a ‘wang-gan-ge-ge’ call. When you hear it, quickly locate the source and look for a bird with red eyes, yellow eye rings, and a spotted tail.”

Leng Tian listened intently. He knew his eldest brother would never mention anything irrelevant—every word he said was crucial!

“This bird loves to eat the fruits of ginseng. Following it can lead you to top-grade ginseng with many years of growth.” Only top-grade ginseng with long years of growth could fetch a high price.

Leng Tian’s mind suddenly cleared, and he connected the dots. “So, Eldest Brother chose this time to enter the mountains because of the ginseng fruits?”

“Yes. If it’s too early, the ginseng fruits aren’t ripe, and the birds won’t come to eat them. If it’s too late, the fruits will have matured and fallen, and the birds won’t come either.”

Leng Tian immediately understood. No wonder they entered the mountains every September and always descended before October. It wasn’t just because of the sudden drop in temperature but also because, by then, there would be no reference points left in these vast mountains, making it impossible to find ginseng.

“Eldest Brother, everything in this world follows patterns and rules. No matter where you go in the future, whether in favorable circumstances, adversity, or desperate situations, do your utmost to discover these patterns and seek a way out.” Leng Xiao watched the flames of the campfire flicker wildly in the mountain wind, his tone calm but his words carrying a deeper meaning.

Leng Tian felt a surge of emotion and silently engraved his eldest brother’s words deep in his heart.

Unlike his meticulous eldest brother, he had always been reluctant to use his brain, preferring tasks that required strength over thought.

In the past, his eldest brother had always guided him. But what about the future?

Was his eldest brother willing to share these words with him tonight because he had grown up? Did his eldest brother believe he needed to stand on his own and would also be capable of doing so?!

The thought of this possibility excited Leng Tian. His heart felt like the blazing campfire before him—warm and glowing.

Leng Xiao’s phoenix-like eyes were deep and profound. Knowing his younger brother had understood the meaning behind his words, he said nothing more.

After daybreak, they filled their water pouches in the cave, shouldered their bamboo baskets, and continued climbing toward another, even higher mountain peak.

“Eldest Brother, there’s a mark here!” Leng Tian shouted excitedly.

After Eldest Brother successfully found two plants, he finally spotted a place where ginseng might grow!

Leng Xiao examined the markings on the tree branches, and together with Leng Tian, they searched carefully.

“Strange, why aren’t there any bright red ginseng fruits?” Ginseng fruits are eye-catching and easy to spot if present. Since they hadn’t seen any fruits yet, could it be that there was no ginseng here?

“Ginseng under five years old doesn’t bear fruit. Check if there are any flowering ones?” Leng Xiao instructed.

Following the guidance, Leng Tian carefully parted the thick grass, examining it bit by bit. “Found it!”

After the initial excitement, he finally remembered to take out the red velvet rope and tie it around the plant. Then, he pulled a hatchet from the hemp rope at his waist, cleared the weeds around the ginseng, and prepared to dig it up with a deer bone probe.

“You can dig closer; there’s no need to stay so far away.”

“Why?”

“This ‘lantern stand’ is only four years old. Its roots won’t spread too wide or deep.”

“Oh!” Leng Tian felt a little disappointed. The one they had finally found was only four years old, probably weighing just a few qian. Could it even sell for one tael of silver?

When would they ever find one over twenty years old?

And when would they have enough silver to buy horses?

“Higher up where there’s more sunlight, the chances of finding older ones are greater.”

Leng Tian felt a bit embarrassed that Eldest Brother had seen through his thoughts, but at the same time, his words boosted his confidence.

With renewed vigor, he dug out the ginseng, carefully wrapped it along with the moss in the red cloth he had brought, and placed it in the bamboo basket.

For eight or nine days in a row, they ate dry cakes when hungry, drank water from their flasks when thirsty, and slept in a cave they discovered at night. Though their clothes and shoes were torn and scratched with countless holes, the thought of the over twenty ginseng plants in the basket brought an unstoppable smile to Leng Tian’s sun-darkened face.

Even though only four of them were over twenty years old, these four alone would be enough to buy horses!

There were also a dozen or so younger ones, which together could sell for several dozen taels of silver—enough to cover Eldest Brother’s expenses on his journey to the imperial exams.

Leng Tian, mentally calculating the bountiful harvest from this trip, couldn’t stop grinning.

Looking up, he saw Eldest Brother’s frowning profile and asked, puzzled, “In just eight or nine days, we’ve already gathered so much! After buying horses, we’ll even have enough for next year’s travel expenses. What are you worried about, Eldest Brother?”

What was there to worry about?

He was overjoyed!

“We can stay in the mountains for at most seven more days. After that, regardless of whether we find anything, we must return.”

“That’s fine too! Our current harvest is already more than enough.” Confident, Leng Tian replied naively.

“It’s not enough.”

Leng Tian looked at his solemn-faced Eldest Brother, thinking how demanding he was of himself!

“A single century-old ginseng can fetch over eight hundred taels.”

Leng Tian’s mouth fell open in shock, momentarily forgetting about the smaller ginseng in the basket.

The difference was enormous!

If he could, if he could find just one, how many horses could that buy?

How much rice and fine flour?

How much cotton cloth?

Wouldn’t that mean the five of them would never have to worry again?

“So much silver! Enough for our family’s expenses!”

“Buying a house in the capital? Greasing palms in official circles? The three of you starting families and careers?”

Leng Tian couldn’t close his astonished mouth. He had been thinking about the next year or two, but Eldest Brother was already looking decades ahead, even a lifetime!

Hearing Leng Xiao’s words, Leng Tian suddenly felt pressured.

He didn’t care whether he started a family or built a career—he felt perfectly content following Eldest Brother and his wife for the rest of his life. But Second Brother and Little Brother were different. They had to start families and careers, and they couldn’t do it shabbily.

“Then, Eldest Brother, let’s hurry and find more ginseng!” What had seemed like a plentiful amount in the basket now felt far from enough!