pdf-ebookys Chapter 504 There are snakes guarding it
Chapter 504 There are snakes guarding it
The two left the village and headed towards the back mountain.
The mountain path became increasingly rugged, but despite his age, Old Zhang walked steadily in the mountains. After about half an hour, he stopped and pointed to a cliff ahead:
"It's right there, see it? That one growing in the crack in the rock."
Li Xiangyang looked in the direction Old Zhang was pointing and, sure enough, he could vaguely see a patch of emerald green in a crevice in the middle of the cliff.
"What a great place!" Li Xiangyang exclaimed. "Ginseng grown in such a place must be of excellent quality."
Old Zhang nodded: "Yes, I discovered it by chance. I was chasing a rabbit that day, and it ran to the edge of a cliff. I looked up and saw it."
Li Xiangyang circled the cliff and found that although it was steep, it was not entirely impossible to climb. There was a narrow path on the left side of the cliff, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.
"Uncle Zhang, wait for me downstairs, I'll go up and take a look."
"Be careful," Old Zhang said worriedly. "This rock is very loose; it could fall down if you're not careful."
Li Xiangyang nodded and carefully began to climb.
He tested the rock's stability with each step, his body pressed tightly against the cliff face as he slowly moved upwards. The mountain wind howled, bringing with it a chill.
After climbing for more than ten minutes, Li Xiangyang finally approached the target location.
Upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but gasp. It was indeed a top-grade wild ginseng, with a thick main root and dense ginseng roots. Judging from its shape and size, it was definitely over twenty years old.
What's even more remarkable is that this ginseng grows in a crevice in the rock, protected by nature and unharmed by human intervention.
Li Xiangyang carefully cleaned the mud and gravel around the ginseng.
Every movement was done with extreme care, for fear of damaging the precious ginseng rootlets.
Digging for sea cucumbers is a delicate task that allows no room for carelessness. Li Xiangyang first used a small brush to remove the surface soil, and then used a small shovel to carefully peel away the clumps of soil that were tightly attached to the sea cucumber.
It took about an hour for the complete ginseng to finally reveal its full appearance.
This ginseng is indeed a treasure. Its main root is as thick as an adult's thumb, and its entire body is pale yellow. The ginseng rootlets are intact, with not a single one broken.
Just as Li Xiangyang was carefully cleaning the last layer of soil from the ginseng root, a slight rubbing sound suddenly came from behind him.
On this silent cliff, any slightest sound seems particularly jarring.
Li Xiangyang froze, his years of hunting experience instantly making him aware of the danger. He held his breath, slowly turned his head, and glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye.
A snake as thick as a child's arm had quietly crawled onto the stone platform less than a meter behind him. Its triangular head was slightly raised, its yellow-green eyes staring intently at him, its tongue flicking in and out, clearly regarding him as an intruder.
What a close call! I never expected that there would be a snake guarding this ginseng. I don't even know if it's poisonous. No wonder Uncle Zhang felt like something was watching him.
On this precipitous cliff, any slight mistake could be fatal. Li Xiangyang forced himself to remain calm, slowly moving the small shovel in his hand, preparing it as a weapon for self-defense.
At this moment, the snake's body began to move slowly, and its head assumed an attack posture.
In this narrow crevice, he had almost no room to hide.
Time seemed to stand still; the man and the snake faced off, neither daring to make a move.
Just then, a mountain breeze blew by, carrying a few withered leaves that landed on the snake.
Startled, the snake's head shot out instantly, heading straight for Li Xiangyang's face.
Li Xiangyang was prepared. He quickly dodged to the left and swung the small shovel in his hand at the same time.
However, his movements were greatly restricted in this narrow space, and the small shovel only grazed the snake's body without causing any effective damage.
Having missed its first strike, the snake twisted in mid-air and lunged at Li Xiangyang again.
This time, Li Xiangyang did not retreat, but instead stepped forward to meet the snake, grabbing its neck with his left hand and striking its head hard with a small shovel in his right hand.
The snake's powerful strength nearly caused Li Xiangyang to lose his balance. His left foot landed on a loose rock, which instantly rolled down the cliff.
"Watch out!" Old Zhang shouted from below.
Li Xiangyang gritted his teeth, pressed his body against the cliff face, and gripped the snake's vital parts tightly with his left hand.
His vital parts were being pinched, and the snake's tail kept lashing at his arm, but he dared not let go.
Once he let go, he was completely unable to subdue the angry snake in the confined space.
He struck the snake repeatedly with the small shovel in his right hand, finally hitting its vital spot.
The snake's body went limp, and its struggling force noticeably weakened.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Xiangyang forcefully flung the snake into a distant crevice in the rocks.
The snake's body arced through the air and crashed heavily into the stone wall, completely losing its ability to resist.
"Phew..." Li Xiangyang let out a long breath, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Fighting a snake on a cliff is ten times more dangerous than on flat ground. A slight misstep could result in either a snake bite or a fall off the cliff.
"Boss Li, how are you?" Old Zhang called out anxiously from below.
"It's alright, we just encountered a snake, that's all taken care of." Li Xiangyang calmed himself down, took a deep breath, picked up the small shovel again, and continued to clear the soil around the sea cucumber.
This time he was even more careful, not only to guard against any potential dangers, but also to ensure that the valuable old ginseng was not damaged in any way.
Another half hour passed, and the whole ginseng was finally successfully extracted.
Li Xiangyang carefully placed it into the wooden box he carried with him, and then began to slowly descend.
The path down the mountain was more dangerous than the path up, requiring extra caution with every step. The fight had taken its toll, and his arm still ached slightly.
"Mr. Li, you're really something," Old Zhang said admiringly, seeing him safely down. "Anyone else would have been scared out of their wits by now."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Making a living in the mountains, what dangers haven't I encountered? But this snake is certainly fierce."
He opened the wooden box and showed the ginseng to Old Zhang. In the sunlight, the wild ginseng had a pale golden luster, its whiskers intact, and it was of excellent quality.
"Excellent ginseng! Truly excellent ginseng!" Old Zhang exclaimed, "How much is this worth?"
Li Xiangyang carefully examined the ginseng, estimating its value in his mind. According to the current market price, an old ginseng of this quality would be worth at least three or four hundred yuan, or even more.
"Uncle Zhang, without your tip, I wouldn't have been able to dig up this ginseng." Li Xiangyang took out a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to Old Zhang. "This is what you deserve."
Old Zhang's eyes widened in disbelief: "This...this is too much!"
“Not much, this ginseng is worth far more than that,” Li Xiangyang said sincerely. “Without you leading the way, I wouldn’t have been able to find something so good.”
Old Zhang trembled as he took the money, tears welling in his eyes. "Boss Li, you're such a good man. From now on, if there's anything good in the mountains, you'll be the first person I think of."