met free Chapter 83 Bamboo Slips Become Road Signs
Chapter 83 Bamboo Slips Become Road Signs
The three of them carefully stepped into a shady area in the mountains.
A mysterious and damp aura permeated the surroundings, and the spirits around could sense their presence.
Xiao Si secretly pinched her nose: "This smell... is weird, is it ghostly?"
The venomous snake lurked in the grass, its scales occasionally peeking out and gleaming dangerously in the sunlight. "My cloak is a dangerous glint," Little Rhino thought, watching a snake slither past her feet. She screamed in terror, "Oh my god, that scared me to death!"
Zi'an mocked from the side, "Look at you, the snake is more afraid of you than you are."
"Shh!" Brother Mu kept looking around, his eyes alert.
The ground was covered with a layer of bright green moss, which laid out a fluffy, irregularly shaped "green carpet" on the earth.
Little Si kicked the moss under its feet and couldn't help but exclaim, "This moss is so soft! It feels so comfortable to walk on, like a foot massage!"
Zi'an shook his head as he walked: "Are you here to gather ginseng, or to get a foot massage?"
Finally, they reached a secluded corner.
Brother Mu squinted and saw two huge snakes coiled around two precious wild ginseng plants, as if they were guarding some sacred treasure.
The three proceeded cautiously, afraid of disturbing any living creature on this land, let alone the two enormous serpents!
The little rhinoceros stared wide-eyed and whispered to the snake, "Look! Their eyes are cold and alert, silently warning us. And their eyes are vertical, emitting cold rays of light, just like aliens!"
The three of them quietly stopped and held their breath, afraid of angering the "snake bodyguards" protecting the ginseng babies.
Brother Mu solemnly gestured with his hand to indicate "quiet": "We must be extremely careful not to disturb them, otherwise it won't be us enjoying a 'snake feast,' but the snake bodyguards enjoying a 'Tang Monk's flesh' feast."
The three dared not make any rash moves.
Mu-ge's voice was deep and heavy, like it was about to rain: "We need to drive these snakes away quickly, we can't let them keep targeting the ginseng!"
After saying that, he reached for his waist, pulled out a stick, and struck a pose as if he was about to start a big fight.
Xiao Si lit the self-igniting torch, while Zi An threw the bait rabbit far away.
With a wave of their hands, the three began a lively "security snake expulsion" operation.
After a tense standoff, they finally managed to drive the snake away using a clever trick.
Xiao Si quickly pulled out a blessed red rope from her waist, her movements as light as a cat's step, as if afraid of accidentally disturbing the ginseng's "sleep".
She gently tied the ginseng stems and leaves together, as if cradling a toddler who had just learned to walk, afraid of disturbing their peaceful slumber.
"Shh," Little Rhinoceros whispered to the ginseng, "Don't worry, Ginseng Baby, we'll try not to disturb your rest. We wish you a speedy tribulation and a quick ascension to immortality!"
Watching her delicate movements, Brother Mu couldn't help but laugh: "Your ginseng binding technique is truly 'exquisite' and top-notch!"
He then inspected the other ginseng, his face serious: "Hmm, no problem. Tie it up first, and we'll come back to dig it up another day."
Xiao Si nodded, but then said worriedly, "It's okay to tie it for a while, but if it goes on for too long, I'm afraid the red rope won't be able to hold it together anymore."
She continued, "Especially when it rains, earthworms will crawl out of the soil and help the ginseng baby loosen the red string."
Zi'an watched from the side, his eyelids twitching. "The ginseng is tied up? Make sure the giant snake can't come back, right? Let's start digging. Since we've gone through so much trouble, let's dig up both ginsengs."
Brother Mu nodded, squatted down, gave some instructions, and bent down to dig up another ginseng.
His movements were extremely cautious; the shovel seemed to be a newly purchased luxury item from a high-end tableware store, always gently shoveling around as if holding the soil in the palm of his hand.
Each shovel stroke is accompanied by a brief pause, after careful consideration, before digging with skillful hands to avoid damaging the ginseng roots.
"Move slowly, don't use too much force," Brother Mu reminded Zi'an.
“Every shovelful must be handled with the precision of heart surgery to ensure that the roots of the ginseng babies are not damaged!” Si Zi added.
Zi'an gripped the shovel tightly, mimicking Mu-gege's mannerisms, and began digging with a serious expression, his movements as stiff as a child who had just learned to ride a bicycle.
Every time he shovels soil, he stops to check carefully, afraid of missing any "hidden traps" in the soil. He feels as if he is conducting an archaeological excavation, afraid of accidentally digging off a ginseng baby's thigh or accidentally breaking a dinosaur egg.
Watching from the side, seeing how powerful the two big shots were, Xiao Si couldn't help but chuckle: "You two are really the biological fathers of the ginseng baby! The moment the baby sees you, you'll be happy to become dads!"
Time passed second by second, and beads of sweat appeared on Brother Mu's forehead. His hands remained as careful as ever as ever. They were carrying out a "sacred excavation ritual".
Every time they worked on the ginseng, it was as if they were performing a vascular examination, fearing that there might be any problems with the root veins.
"A few more times!" Brother Mu suddenly shouted, like a warrior fighting his final battle.
Finally, after a full three hours, Brother Mu finally "rescued" the ginseng from the soil.
He gently touched the ginseng with his fingers to confirm that it was intact, nodded in satisfaction, and breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, our 'ginseng adventure' has come to a successful end!"
Zi'an was a novice, and his movements were slow and clumsy. Three hours had passed, and he had only dug halfway. He was already exhausted and panting anxiously, saying, "It's been almost two hours! I'm asking you, isn't this the limit of 'slow and steady wins the race'?!"
Xiao Si joked, "Zi An is quick at writing poetry, but can he be faster at digging ginseng too? Let's get down the mountain and go home sooner so we can have a late-night snack!"
Seeing this, Mu-gege teased Xiao-si, "At your speed, Zi-an-gege, it'll probably take you an entire afternoon to dig down the mountain. We won't get home until tomorrow morning."
Zi'an knew that if the roots of ginseng were damaged, its value would be greatly reduced.
Mu Gege assisted from the side, eventually taking matters into his own hands and patiently continuing to dig.
It took them three whole hours to completely free a ginseng from the soil.
Zi'an and Xiao Si exchanged a glance, and finally couldn't help but laugh: "Three hours to dig up two ginseng roots?? You might as well use that time to learn how to 'dig holes'!"
As darkness fell, the three decided to set up camp on the spot.
The campfire was lit, its flames dancing in the night, warm and bright.
Xiao Si took out mosquito coils and a sleeping bag from her backpack, making sure we could get through the night safely.
The next morning, accompanied by birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, the valley was filled with a misty, ethereal atmosphere. With every breath, everyone could feel the freshness and empowerment of nature.
However, the three encountered a new challenge in figuring out the way down the mountain to get home.
Zi'an no longer had the mood to peruse the bamboo slips she carried with her; she simply hung them among the trees as a marker.
They walked back and forth in the woods on the mountain no less than seven or eight times, each time glancing at the bamboo slips on the big tree, but having no interest in reading them carefully.
He found this repetitive cycle somewhat absurd.
They lost their way.
Xiao Si took out her rectangular toy and sighed, "If only it had a navigation function, or at least a compass."
Fortunately, they did not choose to give up.
On the ninth attempt, a stream came into view.
Following the direction of the flowing water, Mu determined their location and identified the cardinal directions. Finally, the three successfully emerged from the valley, as the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon.
However, just as she was talking to Mu-gege, Sizi suddenly realized that Zian was gone.
The two hurriedly turned around to look for her, only to find that Zi'an had accidentally fallen into the swamp.
In the early morning, birds chirped their "good morning song," the fragrance of flowers drifted through the valley, and wisps of ethereal mist rose, as if nature itself had brewed a cup of nourishing tea for the three of them.
The three of them took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt refreshed and full of energy.
However, when they tried to figure out which way to go down the mountain, they encountered a new challenge: an "IQ test".
Qiu Rongmu was originally a meticulous person, but when she looked up at the forest in front of her that seemed familiar yet strange, she began to doubt her life.
Brother Zi'an glanced at the bamboo slips he carried with him, reluctantly hung them on a big tree as a marker, and sighed, "These bamboo slips are for exploring knowledge, not for using as road signs!"
Even so, the three of them went back and forth in the mountains and forests seven or eight times. Each time they went around in circles, the bamboo slips would hang there awkwardly—like a helpless old friend reminding them: you've come full circle again.
Zi An's face gradually showed a hint of speechlessness: "Ridiculous! But, how come this method of getting lost is somewhat similar to the books I used to read?"
Little Si patted her forehead, took out her rectangular toy, and examined it from all angles, muttering, "Sigh, if only it had a navigation function... or at least a compass would be nice." Then, she rolled her eyes at the sky, "God, can you give me a navigation system too?"
Finally, after eight futile attempts, on their ninth wandering, they heard the faint sound of water ahead.
A stream came into view, flowing gurglingly.
Mu Gege's eyes lit up, and he immediately switched to "outdoor survival expert" mode, stroking his chin and pondering, "Water flows downhill, so by following this direction, we can find our way around!"
Finally, the three of them rallied their spirits and steadily moved in the right direction.
As dawn broke in the eastern sky, a ray of light illuminated the road ahead.
The three of them looked at the bright road home and felt a surge of excitement, but they had sacrificed Brother Zi'an's bamboo slips.
"However, we really don't want to see those bamboo slips again..."
However, after taking only a few steps, Xiao Si suddenly realized that Brother Zi An was gone!
She pulled her brother Mu back to look for them, and after walking a few steps, they heard a strange gurgling sound.
They rushed over and saw that Zi'an was half-submerged in the swamp, struggling and yelling, "Help! Why is this ground so sticky!"
Zi'an thrashed about like a fish just thrown into a pot, trying to escape using her knowledge and reason, but only sank deeper and deeper!
Mu-ge suppressed a laugh and handed him a twig, saying, "Here, hold onto this!"
As a result, I didn't have enough strength and couldn't pull it off!
At this moment, the little rhinoceros's eyes widened, and with a wave of its hand, it actually took a bite of the wild ginseng, instantly transforming into a powerful baby rhinoceros!
She gripped the ginseng rootlets tightly with her teeth, and with a sudden tug, she devoured the ginseng stem in no time, dragging Zi'an out along with the mud!
"If I hadn't eaten the ginseng baby, you would have been fed mud!!"
Zi'an was finally dragged out, his expression like he'd fought a hopeless tug-of-war with nature. Panting, he helplessly wiped his face at Xiao Si: "Look at the state I'm in, and you still have the mood to make fun of me?!"
Zi'an was completely stunned, thinking that this "rescue" scene was truly unprecedented. If it were back when he was still Wang Bo, and there had been such a fierce little rhinoceros, he probably wouldn't have drowned.
Seeing this, Brother Mu suddenly remembered something: "I told you long ago, one ginseng is enough! Look, odd numbers go out, even numbers come back!!"
Xiao Si hadn't let go yet, and mumbled, "It's okay, isn't that enough? I took another bite, so you two can each take a bite of the rest!" She was a little smug.
But Mu-gege adopted a "eldest brother like a father" attitude: "Forget it, let Zi-an eat them all!"
Upon hearing this, Zi'an, forgetting all about the mud on his face, waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Alright, alright, you should keep the 'antidote.' I feel like I've become one with this earth..."
Brother Mu told the truth: "No, you eat it. The key is that you two are from the modern era, strong and healthy, immune to all poisons!! My little body can't withstand so many risks! I'll easily bleed from all seven orifices."
And so the three of them continued to wander around down the mountain, and before they knew it, seven days had passed, and the sun, moon, and stars had changed seven times.
While the three of them were enjoying their leisurely stroll and eating, Ninth Master at the foot of the mountain was frantic, jumping around from morning till night, muttering to himself, "Are these little brats going to gather ginseng, or are they planning to make this mountain their home?! Well, when they come back, I'll make them recite the family rule 'Return on Time When Going Up the Mountain' three hundred times!"