The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 28: Into the Mountains

Over breakfast, Fang Yun said to Fang Changsheng, “Dad, I’m planning to go into the mountains.” Fang Changsheng was taken aback and quickly said, “What are you going into the mountains for? It’s very dangerous out there.” “It’ll be fine, Dad. I just want to go into the mountains to dig up some medicinal herbs. With my current skills, there’s absolutely no danger,” Fang Yun quickly explained. Seeing that Fang Yun was determined, Fang Changsheng understood his son well. Although he wasn’t always the most reliable, he wouldn’t do anything he wasn’t confident about. Once he set his mind on something, no one could dissuade him. Reluctantly, he agreed, “How long do you plan to be gone?” “Hmm… two or three days, I guess.” Seeing his dad nod in agreement, Fang Yun was overjoyed, thinking that a two- or three-day trip would also let him fulfill a childhood dream. “Niu Niu wants to go too.” Niu Niu, who was wolfing down her food, lit up when she heard her dad was going into the mountains and clamored to come along. “Niuniu, Daddy isn’t going just to have fun. The mountains are very dangerous. When you’re older, I’ll take you there, okay?” “No, no! Niuniu wants to go right now!” The little girl grabbed Fang Yun’s hand and shook it vigorously. Fang Yun felt his head spin—he shouldn’t have brought this up while Niuniu was around. “Be a good girl, Niuniu, or Daddy won’t love you anymore.” “Waaah! Daddy doesn’t love Niuniu anymore! Niuniu’s going to be naughty! Niuniu’s going to be a bad girl! Niuniu’s going to run away from home!” Fang Yun’s words had really stirred up a hornet’s nest; the whole family glared at him angrily. “Niuniu, um… good girls aren’t supposed to watch Crayon Shin-chan.” Fang Yun stared wide-eyed at the chubby little girl with her cheeks puffed out and her lower lip tucked under her upper lip. Who knows who let Niuniu watch Crayon Shin-chan on the home computer—the little rascal had actually started imitating it. He’d originally planned to have Feng Xiu’er keep Niuniu entertained at home, but when he turned around and saw the hopeful look on Feng Xiu’er’s face, he relented: “Fine, you come along too—help look after Niuniu.” Since the three of them were heading into the mountains together, Fang Yun had no choice but to prepare the essentials—like a tent and a machete to clear the path. If he’d been alone, he could’ve just stored everything in his ring and been all set. It took him the whole morning to get everything ready. In the end, at Fang Changsheng’s insistence, Fang Yun had to bring along the old yellow dog, who’d been given a new lease on life at home. Ever since Fang Yun had returned home, thanks to his family, the old yellow dog had been able to sneak a drink of spring water from time to time. Once so old he could barely walk, he’d become as vigorous as a tiger, full of energy, with a glossy, shiny coat—he’d even gained a significant amount of height and weight. An ordinary Chinese native dog had grown as tall and sturdy as a wolfhound. Over the past couple of days, he’d been causing quite a stir in the village with his new little sidekick, Xiao Huihui, leaving the villagers thoroughly amazed. After lunch, the three people and the dog set off toward the mountains, following the reservoir all the way until the path came to an end at its far end. The mountain before them was completely covered in dense trees and undergrowth. The narrow trails once left by hunters had become overgrown with weeds and thorns after decades of disuse, making them completely impassable. Having anticipated this situation, Fang Yun took out the machete he’d prepared in advance and set out to clear a path. Every now and then, they startled small animals like pheasants and rabbits. The old yellow dog tried to chase after them but was stopped by Fang Yun, who told it to stay by Niuniu and her daughter to guard against any snakes that might slither by. Although there was no danger with Fang Yun present, he still didn’t want to scare them. Just as Fang Yun began to feel a slight ache in his arms, the scene suddenly opened up before him—they had made their way through the narrow path to the entrance of a flat, small ravine. The ravine was filled with colorful wildflowers, and flocks of vibrant butterflies fluttered about. Birds and squirrels played and frolicked in the trees. Perhaps because they had never encountered humans before, several wild rabbits poked their heads out of the grass and stared at the group, showing no sign of fear. A mottled male pheasant flapped its wings noisily as it flew right past them, making Niuniu’s eyes light up; she grabbed Fang Yun’s hand and squealed with delight. “Woof, woof, woof!” The old yellow dog’s bark snapped the three of them out of their reverie as they took in the scenery. Fang Yun looked up and saw it was getting late. He said to the other two, “We’ll spend the night here today. Let’s go see if we can find anything good to eat and get ready to cook.” “Oh, a picnic!” Niu Niu excitedly grabbed Feng Xiu’er’s hand and ran ahead, while Feng Xiu’er hurriedly called out, “Slow down, slow down.” Fang Yun scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense, confirmed there were no large wild beasts, and then joined the mother and daughter in their playful antics, while he went off to look for a suitable spot to pitch a tent. Pitching a tent in the wild requires careful consideration. You shouldn’t camp near a hillside, as slopes battered by wind and rain year-round are prone to rockfalls and landslides. Nor should you camp too close to a water source, since many carnivorous animals like to hunt there at night. Finally, Fang Yun settled on a flat spot to set up the tent. Niuniu, who had been having a blast catching butterflies, saw Fang Yun setting up the tent and immediately tugged on her mother’s hand, running over. “Daddy, Niuniu wants to help you, too.” With her little chest puffed out, Niuniu looked at Fang Yun with eager anticipation. Of course, Fang Yun knew exactly what Niuniu was hoping for. “Niuniu, you’re so capable—you’re already helping Daddy with chores.” “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm,” the little girl nodded happily, which made Fang Yun chuckle. Before long, however, Fang Yun’s smile faded. This mother-daughter duo was doing more harm than good—the more they tried to help, the more they got in the way. But it was no wonder; neither of them had ever pitched a tent before, so they simply couldn’t be relied upon. “Niuniu, the tent’s almost up. I’ll take care of the rest. Why don’t you take Mom to pick some mushrooms for tonight’s soup?” “Mm-hmm. Niuniu’s going to pick lots and lots of mushrooms. Mom doesn’t know how.” Niuniu beamed at the thought. Feng Xiuer had absolutely no idea which mushrooms were edible, but Niuniu had picked them a few times with a group of village kids and knew a thing or two. The little girl loved nothing more than playing teacher, so she was thrilled to have this chance to teach Feng Xiu’er how to pick edible mushrooms. Watching Niuniu lead Feng Xiu’er away, Fang Yun finally let out a sigh of relief. However, looking at the crooked tent in front of him gave him another headache. There was nothing he could do—he might as well just set it up again. Resigned to his fate, Fang Yun began to tidy up. “Daddy, Mommy wants to pick this mushroom, but Niuniu said it’s not edible. Mommy’s being naughty—she won’t listen to Niuniu.” Just as Fang Yun had finally finished setting up the tent and hadn’t even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief, a huffing Niuniu tugged on Feng Xiu’er’s hand to tattle to him, still clutching a handful of mushrooms Feng Xiu’er had picked. As soon as Fang Yun saw the mushrooms in Niuniu’s hand, he chuckled. “These are snake mushrooms—you can’t eat them.” “Mom, look—even Dad says you can’t eat them. I’m so smart, aren’t I?” the little girl said smugly. Fang Yun was quick to pay her a compliment: “Niu Niu, you’re so smart—you know even more than Mom does.” “Giggle, giggle, Niu Niu is so smart.” The little girl couldn’t resist a compliment; as soon as she was praised, she stuck her little tail in the air, her face beaming with a smile that made her eyes almost disappear.