Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1070 The Fritillaria Season Finally Ends

Mo Linsheng was extremely nervous as he watched the two people walking towards him step by step.

During the past month or so in the mountains, he didn't actually catch many fish, not even more than ten people.

However, now that he is so weak, even if he encounters one of them, something could happen again like yesterday.

Now he deeply regrets ever thinking of coming out. Wouldn't it have been better to wait patiently for Polati or Li Long to arrive before coming out?
But now that he's shown his face, he has no choice but to persevere.

Looking intently at the two people getting closer and closer, Mo Linsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief when he could see them clearly.

The Wu family, uncle and nephew.

so far so good.

He was no longer nervous, and slowly dragged his injured body to start a fire in the stove.

Wu Bensheng and his nephew brought a rather large quantity of fritillaria bulbs this time, which surprised Mo Linsheng. Usually, they would bring several kilograms at a time, and although they were clean, the quantity was always relatively small.

I thought it hadn't been long since I last came here, so how come there are so many?
Did these two rob someone together?

When the uncle and nephew arrived at the case, Mo Linsheng looked at the two large bags of fritillaria bulbs and pondered.

Wu Bensheng and his nephew not only carried the fritillaria bulbs on their backs, but also carried their own bags containing their bedding.

"Are you coming out of the mountains this time?" Mo Linsheng asked proactively. "Aren't you going to dig anymore?"

“I’m not digging anymore,” Wu Bensheng said with a smile. “That’s enough. I don’t want to do it anymore. More and more of them are blooming in the ditches we’ve dug. We should be content. After all, we can’t dig this thing out completely.”

Seeing that Mo Lin had started a fire, Wu Bensheng asked:
"Boss Li hasn't arrived yet? I saw you standing by the door. Are you a partner now?"

"More or less." Mo Linsheng wasn't sure if Wu Bensheng and the others would be watching them from afar these next few days, so he gave a vague answer.

"Boss Li didn't come. It was Bolati, the forest ranger, who let me stay in the house. He said there were wolves outside, and that I should stay here while Boss Li wasn't here, and to let him know if anyone came by."

Wu Bensheng said "Oh," without knowing whether he believed it or not.

The broth from yesterday's wolf meat cooking pot is still there, not much, and it's already cold. Because of the oil, it's in a semi-solid state.

After Mo Linsheng started the fire, the broth quickly melted and began to boil in the pot. Wu Bensheng hesitated, wondering whether to ask Mo Linsheng to lower the price and buy the fritillaria bulbs, or wait and see if Li Long would come over.

Before he could make a decision, Morinson spoke up:

"You're planning to come out of the mountains to exchange the fritillaria for money, right? I think we should wait until Polati or Boss Li come over. I don't have that much money for so many fritillaria, and you wouldn't be willing to lower the price if we wanted to exchange them, right?"

“Yes, yes, that’s very open and spacious,” Wu Bensheng said with a smile. “That makes sense. Okay, then we’ll wait here.”

As he spoke, he patted his nephew on the shoulder: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help with the work!"

Wu Donghai now has immense respect for his uncle. Several times recently, if it weren't for his uncle's decisions, they would have suffered significant losses.

When Wu Donghai and his uncle disagreed, his uncle was always right. Therefore, he now basically obeys Wu Bensheng's every word.

Mo Linsheng hurriedly said no need, and Wu Bensheng smiled and said:
"It's alright, it's alright. Young people should do more work to get some exercise. You're injured, so you need to rest. Don't push yourself too hard, or you might hurt your bones."

Mo Linsheng was startled and looked at Wu Bensheng. Wu Bensheng smiled at him, walked to the wall of the wooden house, sat down, and squinted his eyes to bask in the sun.

That old guy's shrewd!

Mo Linsheng understood. Wu Bensheng had seen through his true intentions, but he was expressing it subtly in this way, indicating that the uncle and nephew had no intention of caring about his health.

They planned to wait for Li Long to come, exchange the money, and then leave.

Mo Linsheng sighed inwardly, thinking, "He's definitely an old fox. This is the typical type of person among medicinal herb hunters."

Mo Linsheng, who had difficulty walking, simply directed Wu Donghai to do the work, and sat down next to Wu Bensheng.

Anyway, it wasn't any heavy work, just boiling water and starting a fire, nothing serious.

"Was that shot yesterday fired by Polati?" Wu Bensheng suddenly asked. "Although Boss Li also carries a gun, he usually only uses it for hunting and doesn't fire it around here very often."

“Yes,” Morinson nodded and said, “He arrested the two herb gatherers.”

Mo Linsheng didn't say what exactly happened, and Wu Bensheng didn't ask any questions either.

Actually, Wu Donghai and his nephew were nearby when the gunshot rang out. Wu Donghai wanted to come and check on the situation, but Wu Bensheng stopped him.

“Bullets have no eyes. What if we get hurt by stray bullets?” These were Wu Bensheng’s exact words at the time. “The people who can fire are either forest rangers or Boss Li. Those who get shot by them are basically people who have committed crimes in the mountains or outside. Let’s not get involved.”

Wu Donghai was still very curious. When Wu Bensheng asked the question, he also pricked up his ears to listen, but the two of them didn't say much, and he didn't understand.

After washing the pot and ladling in water, Wu Bensheng, following Mo Linsheng's instructions, started cooking porridge. He hadn't had any rice originally, but there were some supplies left in the small room of the wooden hut, including rice, flour, and other items.

Mo Linsheng still had some cooked food left, but he didn't have enough tools, and it was unlikely that he would pry open the large room. So he simply used some of the rice and flour here, thinking that he could pay Li Long later.

It's already come to this point, how much worse can it get?

While the porridge was cooking, someone else came over. Actually, over the past few days, people had been observing from time to time in the woods. Some wouldn't come over unless they saw a jeep, while others would come over to check things out once they saw people there.

More people actually mean more safety.

When the man who had come over learned that the Wu family uncle and nephew were waiting for Li Long there, he also stayed.

There was a lot of porridge cooked, and Wu Donghai would stir it by the stove whenever he had free time. When the rice grains had opened up, Mo Linsheng said that everyone should get a bowl and drink it.

At this point, there were seven people in the cabin, including him.

His words won everyone's praise. An old herb gatherer who came over later said that his actions showed the magnanimity of Boss Li, and that he was indeed worthy of being the agent Boss Li had chosen.

Mo Linsheng couldn't explain, so he just smiled.

There was plenty of porridge; one bowl per person and there was still some left. Mo Linsheng told Wu Donghai to turn off the fire at the bottom and put water in another pot to boil, as it would be useful later.

Several people, some standing and some squatting, held bowls and chatted as they drank.

People from all over the country, speaking in different dialects, talked about their experiences in the mountains and the situation in their hometowns.

At this point, everyone seemed to be quite normal, and each of them seemed to have an unfortunate past. After comparing their misfortunes for a while, Wu Bensheng started by saying that now that they were digging for fritillaria bulbs to exchange for money, their lives were much better.

His words finally changed the atmosphere of the conversation, and a herb gatherer in his fifties sighed:

"Yes, if it weren't for the money we can bring back from digging for fritillaria bulbs here every year, my husband's illness might not have been cured."

To be honest, it's tough staying in these mountains, but the money comes in fast. A month of hardship yields a year's income. Where else can you find such a good deal?

“It would be even better if there were no forest rangers,” another person said.

"Alright. Without the forest rangers, if those criminals came here, we might have been killed." The old herb gatherer replied, "This mountain originally belonged to them. We're digging things up on their territory to make money, hehe, we're already taking advantage of them."

This logic was sound, so the others remained silent. After all, many of the mountains and forests in their hometowns had been owned and designated as areas. The forest rangers guarding the mountains were, in themselves, protecting the mountain resources.

If you're lucky enough to get caught, they'll usually just take the fritillaria bulbs and won't take you back for deportation, unless you're stubborn and resist giving them the bulbs.

Then you'll just be unlucky.

Experienced herb gatherers know the situation, so if they encounter a forest ranger when leaving the mountains, they simply accept whatever the ranger says. This applies not only to herb gatherers from other areas but also to locals entering the mountains.

Some people finished their porridge, washed their bowls at the spring, and then returned to the cabin to continue chatting. Others, still hungry, went to the stove and ladled out half a bowl of porridge.

When there's free porridge, some people naturally want to drink more.

Then I heard the sound of a jeep.

When Li Long arrived, he was somewhat surprised to see so many people in the wooden hut. Earlier that day, after sending Mingming and Haohao to the team, he first went to find a bricklayer and a carpenter to enlarge the door of one of the rooms in the jerky processing workshop and move the drying machine inside.

It's late May now, and there's still some time before winter. The shed is fine in the summer, but the dryer definitely can't be outside in the winter.

He planned to bring it inside first, and while processing it there, he would build a row of houses in the yard as a preparation.

The dryer also encountered a problem when it was in use. The voltage of the residential power supply was unstable, so he went to the power company to install industrial three-phase power.

The thermal power plant in Ma County is not yet built. The electricity used is usually supplied by lines from other power plants. Things will be better once the thermal power plant is built.

Before the electrical wires were properly installed, the old method of making jerky was still used.

After arranging these things, Li Long drove his jeep, purchased supplies, and went into the mountains.

Seeing so many people in front of the cabin, Li Long was somewhat surprised, but he didn't pay much attention. He parked the jeep in front of the cabin, got out, greeted a few familiar faces, and then, seeing Mo Linsheng stand up, asked:

"What? You got hurt again? Old Mo, you really need to rest. I offered to take you to the hospital, but you wouldn't listen. I brought you some medicine this time, so you can go to the hospital by yourself later."

He saw the door to the small room was open and was about to ask a question when Morinson spoke up:

“Polati came over yesterday, and he said, pointing to the door lock, “that it’s dangerous for me to be out here.”

"Yes, yes, yes, that's right, I should have put you in here back then." Li Long chuckled. "Hmm, wow! So many in here!"

There were quite a few fritillaria bulbs in the cabin, a quantity that exceeded Li Long's expectations.

They just sighed briefly, then started moving things inside. Wu Donghai and the others helped.

Those who still had doubts about Mo Linsheng's identity saw that Li Long and Mo Linsheng were obviously quite familiar with each other, and their doubts were dispelled.

Then they took turns selling fritillaria bulbs.

Yes, they are selling. These people come here with the intention of selling the fritillaria bulbs and then leaving the mountains as soon as possible.

Just as Li Long had finished collecting fritillaria from two groups of people, he heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance; Polati had arrived.

Yesterday, Bolati took the people to the forestry team for a trial, which uncovered some past issues between the two individuals. After sending them to the police station, thinking that Mo Linsheng might be in trouble, he came over earlier today.

Upon seeing Li Long's jeep, Borati felt relieved and slowed down.

Today, because I wanted to get here early, I didn't patrol the mountain checkpoints and didn't bring any fritillaria bulbs. Some of the people here at the cabin are used to living peacefully with the rangers in this area, while others are still a little nervous.

"You're here?" Li Long greeted Polati. "You're here quite early today."

"We caught two robbers here yesterday and even fired shots. We came over today to check on things." With so many people around, Polati didn't say much. "It's alright."

Seeing that there was still porridge in the pot, he retrieved an enamel basin from the back of Li Long's jeep, ladled some out for himself, and drank it without saying much.

The herb gatherers became quieter after Polati's arrival. Li Long didn't pay much attention to it and chatted with Polati casually. Some of these people had more than 30 kilograms of fritillaria, while others had only about 10 kilograms.

The largest group was actually Wu Bensheng and his nephew. Li Long was also somewhat surprised that there were so many of them this time.

"The last few times we came here, we just exchanged some daily necessities. We two don't fight, and if we take too much stuff, people will inevitably misunderstand. Some of the medicinal herbs we dug are drying in the mountains."

Since they were leaving anyway, Wu Bensheng explained, "Those fritillaria bulbs are easy to dry in a suitable place in the mountains."

The original money was for pocket money; selling this will bring us money back home.

Some people suddenly realized that this was a good idea.

The Wu family uncle and nephew mainly exchanged money, and used the rest to buy cooked food. After eating, they said goodbye to Li Long and the others, and then left.

This area is within Polati's patrol range. Now that he's here, it's safe for him to leave the mountains.

The others understood this as well. After exchanging their money, they immediately headed out of the mountain, afraid that if they were too late, Polati might not want to stay there anymore and they would run into trouble when they came out of the mountain.

Even though I didn't bring any fritillaria bulbs, they still want to check. With so much money on me, I'm bound to attract their attention.

As these people left one by one, Li Long's supply of fritillaria bulbs increased.

Knowing his habits, the fritillaria bulbs these people brought were generally quite clean.

After the last herb gatherer left, Polati sighed:

"Since all the fritillaria bulbs have ended up here, our income has decreased significantly."

"Alright, you've made quite a bit this year too." Li Long exposed his true colors. "You've probably gotten a quarter of the fritillaria bulbs they dug up, haven't you?"

Mo Linsheng smiled to himself, and Li Long said to him:
"Here, all that's left is your fritillaria. Now tell me, what happened yesterday?"

Since Polati already knew, Morinsheng told Li Long everything without hiding anything.

"Hey, they're getting their revenge," Li Long chuckled. "But you've had your share of good things too."

"I still have two bags!" Pollati said hurriedly. "These two bags are mine!"

After accepting the fritillaria bulbs from Polati and Morinsheng and paying them, Li Long said to Morinsheng, "It's even less safe for you here with so much money. I'll take you down the mountain later."

This time, Mo Linsheng didn't object. His injuries made it unsuitable for him to stay here. If he were to walk back, given his current condition, he wouldn't be able to get out before dark.

Riding in Li Long's car will naturally be faster.

Thinking that he could take a car out of the mountains, Mo Linsheng was completely relaxed this time. He leaned against the wall of the wooden house and basked in the sun. Before long, he fell asleep.

Li Long and Bolati were chatting when another person came to sell fritillaria. Li Long collected them and loaded the bags of fritillaria into his car.

This time the car was truly packed full.

To make room for Morinson's front passenger seat, there was practically no space left in the back, and the jeep's roof was stretched so much that it was somewhat deformed.

"Alright, take him back first." It wasn't even noon yet, and Li Long had to leave. After all, even if he collected more money, he still had enough; the Jeep simply didn't have enough space.

Li Long was carrying supplies, and Pollati said:
"I'll eat here before I leave. The chopsticks you made taste really good."

"Then fix my lock," Li Long ordered him without any politeness. "There's something inside, so don't let anyone find out."

“No problem,” Polati replied, waving Li Long away.

Li Long woke Mo Linsheng up, had him sit in the passenger seat, and then drove out of the mountains towards the county.

Upon arriving in the county, Mo Linsheng felt somewhat lost. Although he carried nearly ten thousand yuan in his bag, a considerable sum, he wondered what he would do.
Li Long originally planned to take Mo Linsheng out for a meal, but Mo Linsheng said he wasn't hungry.

"Shall I take you to the county hospital first so you can get your injuries treated? Or should I take you to the guesthouse so you can stay there first?" Li Long asked.

"Then, let's go to the guesthouse first." Mo Linsheng slowly recovered, and some memories of his previous life reminded him that he needed to settle down first and take care of his appearance. Even without looking in the mirror, he knew that he looked like a wild man.

Going to the hospital isn't urgent, since it's just a superficial injury and not a big problem.

Li Long took him to the county guesthouse and watched him check in before leaving.

Mo Linsheng was not a real savage after all; he had life experience. In this county, he wouldn't get lost, nor would anything happen to him.

Li Long drove to the purchasing station. He would be going into the mountains for the next few days. Judging from today's situation, the fritillaria season was coming to an end, and the days for collecting fritillaria in the mountains were numbered.

Sun Jiaqiang and Liang Shuangcheng were astonished when they helped unload the fritillaria bulbs; this was the most fritillaria bulbs Li Long had ever brought back from the mountains.

"Brother Long, it must weigh five or six hundred kilograms, right?" Liang Shuangcheng guessed.

"Pretty much." Li Long smiled; he had indeed gained quite a bit.

(End of this chapter)