Chapter 1723
A Serious Sign of Good Fortune
At noon, Wang An and his three companions ate large pancakes as usual. After eating them for several days in a row, the pancakes they brought into the mountains were almost gone.
Of course, Wang An and his three companions had truly had their fill of food.
However, the "enough to eat" mentioned here does not refer to the taste of the pancake itself, but rather to the chewing experience.
Pancakes taste best when they're fresh out of the pan and can last a day without any problems, but they're prone to becoming quite hard after a few days.
In the local dialect, it's described as "extremely hard," so hard that you can hear a crisp cracking sound when you try to break it.
But if you heat it in a pot, that is, steam it, then this thing becomes quite chewy, like leather, and it's a luxury for people with bad teeth to chew it.
The biggest advantage of pancakes is that they are filling, convenient, and most importantly, they can be stored for a long time. Even when it is hot during the day, they will not spoil or go bad even after several days.
While eating, Wang An suddenly said to Huang Zhong:
"Xiao Zhong, we probably don't have many pancakes left, so let's not eat them for now and save them for later. After that, we'll make something else to eat starting from the next meal."
Huang Zhong nodded and said:
"Okay, brother, I understand."
For this trip into the mountains, the four of them brought not only pancakes, but also rice, millet, wheat flour, and noodles, so they could cook whatever they wanted.
In addition to staple foods, we also brought a lot of side dishes, such as instant noodles, biscuits, canned meat, malted milk powder, and other things that can be stored for a long time.
However, with two horses per person when going into the mountains, the carrying capacity was limited, so we couldn't bring too much stuff. Therefore, we had to plan our food intake carefully.
After the meal, Wang An opened a can of yellow peaches, and the four of them ate them with great relish. Mu Xueli and Wang Li even exclaimed that they would definitely eat their fill of canned peaches after they came down the mountain.
I must say, being able to eat canned food in these deep mountains and forests is indeed a very enjoyable thing.
After eating the canned food, the four of them did not take a nap. Instead, at Wang An's invitation, they headed towards the old village.
Soon, the four of them arrived at the grove of trees where the old man was.
As always, we need to find the omen left by our predecessors first, which will increase the probability of finding ginseng and also speed up the process.
This is the origin of the saying, "If you stay around Lao'anzi, you can have a full meal."
However, finding a large tree with its head cut down in a large forest is by no means easy.
The four of them, still in pairs, used the gunshots as a signal and began to search carefully in the woods.
It wasn't until after 4 p.m. that Wang An discovered the omen, which was almost half covered by the bark that had grown back on a large red pine tree.
After searching for more than three hours in a designated area marked with deerskin, Wang An finally found the omen that had been cut off many years ago. To be honest, Wang An was so excited that he almost cried.
Therefore, it's clear that without those deer hide markings indicating the areas, meaning without even knowing the approximate location of ginseng, finding it in these mountains would be an impossible task. The main issue is the sheer size of the mountains; trying to meticulously survey every inch of land on foot is simply a pipe dream.
After carefully confirming that the half-finished omen before him was indeed the target they were searching for, Wang An turned to Huang Zhong and instructed him:
"Xiao Zhong, fire three shots and call Lao Wu and Xue Li over."
Huang Zhong was very obedient; he picked up his gun and fired three shots into the sky.
While waiting for Wang Li and Mu Xueli to arrive, Wang An pointed to the sign and said to Huang Zhong with a face full of excitement:
"See that? This omen has been there for years, at least a hundred years. Let me tell you, Xiao Zhong, if this old embankment hasn't been waded through before, then we're guaranteed to strike it rich this time, at the very least we'll get several big catches. Hahahaha!"
Normally, after a tree has been cut down, because it has been burned, this area without bark can remain unchanged for at least several decades or even hundreds of years.
The sign in front of us has been partially covered by newly grown bark. Although the markings on it are no longer visible, it also proves that the sign may have been there for over a hundred years since it was cut down.
Otherwise, the bark around the omen would have been burned to death by the fire, and there would be no way it could be revitalized in a short time, and the bark of the living trees around it would not be able to send nutrients to this side.
Therefore, it can be predicted that if this old pit had not been discovered or excavated before, it would definitely yield a large quantity of goods. There would certainly be six-grade leaves, and it is not impossible for mutated seven-grade leaves to also be found.
Upon hearing Wang An's words, Huang Zhong was also filled with excitement and asked Wang An with great interest:
"Brother, why is that? Why does this kind of long-standing omen always guarantee a big shipment?"
Wang An laughed and explained:
"Think about it, that's over a hundred years! Even the small buds back then, like 'horsefoot' or even 'three-flowered' buds, should have grown into large, six-leafed plants by now, right?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong's eyes lit up even more, and he nodded as he said:
"Yes, yes, that's right. More than a hundred years! My goodness, from birth to death, about 80% of a person's bones rot away, but this little stick is only just growing up."
Wang An was taken aback by Huang Zhong's words, not expecting him to say such a thing, but he didn't pay it any mind and continued to laugh happily.
After laughing a few times, Huang Zhong subconsciously scanned his surroundings, hoping to find the so-called large cargo as soon as possible.
After scanning the area for a while, Huang Zhong ran uphill. Wang An looked in the direction Huang Zhong ran, but saw nothing.
After Huang Zhong stopped and squatted down, pausing for a few seconds, he suddenly turned to Wang An and said happily:
"Big brother, you're a fool."
Wang An was stunned again upon hearing this. The main question was when ginseng became so easy to find. He found ginseng as soon as he discovered the signs. Wasn't that a bit too efficient?
After regaining his senses, Wang An immediately asked:
"What grade of leaf?"
Huang Zhong glanced at his feet, then turned to Wang An and said:
"The key to opening the mountain."
Upon hearing that it was the "key to opening the mountain," which is the second Jiazi, Wang An was even happier. The main reason was that with the key to opening the mountain, wouldn't the large quantities of goods be shipped out one after another?
So Wang An asked again:
"How many seedlings?" (End of Chapter)