By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 115 The Price of Stubbornness [6.5 words!]

The campfire crackled, its warmth barely dispelling the chill of the mountain night.

As soon as Old Zhang finished speaking with a hint of pride, Li Younan looked at the plastic bag he had opened.

The flickering firelight illuminated the mushrooms, their caps a light brown, their stems thick and sturdy—at first glance, they did indeed resemble the "Qiaoba mushroom" from his hometown.

But the moment he picked up one of the mushrooms to display its gills, the firelight clearly illuminated the color of the gills. It wasn't a clean white or pale yellow, but an uneven, somewhat dull grayish-white.

Immediately afterwards, Li Younan's gaze locked onto the upper part of the stipe—where the annulus should be, but there was a very inconspicuous ring of dark brown material, like tattered cotton wool.

This is not a characteristic that "Qiaoba fungus" should have.

"Old Zhang, wait a minute."

Li Younan stood up, trying to keep his voice calm, but those around the campfire could tell something was off.

He walked over to Old Zhang and held out his hand, saying, "Let me take a closer look."

Old Zhang paused for a moment, perhaps not expecting anyone to question him, but he still handed over the bag. The excitement on his face faded a bit, replaced by a look of indifference: "What? You know about this too?"

Li Younan didn't reply. He took the bag and, by the light of the campfire, completely extracted one of the mushrooms.

Pinch the stem with your fingers, and carefully part the edge of the cap with your other hand to let the firelight illuminate the depths of the gills and the details of the stem more clearly.

Indeed, the grayish-white gills, the remaining dark brown, fragile ring of fungus on the stem, and the barely perceptible bluish-gray hue showing through the edge of the cap in the firelight—these features combined point to a poisonous fungus that is not uncommon in the southwestern mountainous region and is easily confused with other fungi. Ingestion can lead to severe gastrointestinal reactions and even neurological symptoms.

“Old Zhang,” Li Younan put the mushroom back in the bag and handed it back to him, his voice low but clear, making sure everyone around the campfire could hear, “this mushroom is probably not the buckwheat mushroom from your hometown.”

“Look here…” Li Younan pointed to the dark brown residue in the upper part of the stem. “This is the ring of the fungus, which has rotted, but the shape is wrong. Also, the color of the gills is grayish-white with a dull tinge, which is not right.”

"I've seen similar ones, they're poisonous."

The atmosphere momentarily froze, subtly.

Ma Jing was the first to look at Li Younan, but she didn't say anything at first.

The crackling of the campfire and the sound of the stream were exceptionally clear.

The other teammates, who had initially looked on with curiosity, also changed their expressions, glancing at Li Younan and then at Lao Zhang.

Old Zhang's face darkened.

He grabbed the bag, pinched the spot Li Younan had just pointed out to him hard between his fingers, frowned, and said with obvious displeasure and stubbornness, "What do you know? There are plenty of these in the mountains where we live! The ring of the fungus is just rotten, it looks pretty much the same! I've been picking them up since I was a kid, how could I not recognize them?"

He raised his voice slightly, as if to emphasize his authority, "Look at this stem, how sturdy it is! Poisonous mushrooms don't look like this!"

“Old Zhang…” Li Younan remained calm, knowing that in this hastily assembled team, a head-on confrontation would only escalate the conflict. “Mushrooms are different from place to place; a slight difference can make a world of difference. Especially those with fungal ring marks, the risk is very high. The fungal species in the Hengduan Mountains are complex; judging by appearance alone is too risky. For safety’s sake, it’s better not to…”

Li Younan certainly wouldn't misjudge; damn it, how could the system possibly err!

The moment he saw this mushroom, he instinctively knew it was poisonous...

"Safety? I'm responsible for the mushrooms I picked!"

Old Zhang interrupted him, his tone somewhat sharp, clearly feeling that Li Younan was challenging his experience and judgment, especially in front of everyone, "You've only been here a few days? How much do you know about the things in these mountains? I dare to pick them and eat them! If you don't want to eat them, fine!"

He gripped the bag tightly, his eyes filled with distrust and defiance.

No one spoke by the campfire.

Everyone is mature enough that no one wants to rashly take sides and escalate the conflict at this time.

Some people were poking at the fire with their heads down, while others were drinking water.

Just then, Qi Shunyi, who had been listening quietly to the side, cleared his throat.

As the organizer of this time travel, he naturally had the obligation to make the final decision.

To be honest, this kind of scenario is unlikely to happen among truly experienced time travelers. Even if wild mushrooms are 100% safe, no one would voluntarily suggest adding them to a communal meal.

But there's nothing we can do about it; these are all novices who are traversing the world for the first time, so it's not entirely unexpected that this situation would occur.

Instead of directly judging who was right and who was wrong, he spoke in a calm and problem-solving tone: "Old Zhang, finding something good is luck. But this brother also has a point; it's always good to be cautious with things in the wild, especially unfamiliar mushrooms. So..."

He looked at Lao Zhang and then at everyone else. "Put your things away first. Tomorrow morning, when it's light and the light is good, we'll take them out again and let the deputy leader take a look. He's done this route a lot and knows the local species better. If he thinks it's okay too, then... we can dry them and keep them for a treat after the trek. Safety first when you're traveling. If you get sick, the rest of the trek will be delayed. What do you all think?"

Old Chen's words were very practical; he was actually giving both sides a way out.

Old Zhang's face was tense, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but looking at the team leader's calm but unquestionable eyes, and then at the silent but obviously agreeable attitude of his teammates around him, his stubbornness deflated like a punctured balloon.

He gave a heavy "humph," didn't argue further, slammed the plastic bag shut, and stuffed it back into his equipment box.

His actions clearly showed his resentment and annoyance at being offended.

He muttered something, turned around and sat back on his folding stool, no longer looking at anyone, and silently poked at the campfire.

The campfire continued to burn, but the atmosphere had changed.

The previous fatigue seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by this silent struggle.

Li Younan sat back down, knowing that Lao Zhang was definitely angry, but at least for the time being, that bag of dangerous mushrooms wouldn't end up in the pot.

On this point, Li Younan didn't care what Lao Zhang thought of him. Anyone who wanted to eat the mushrooms could eat them, but putting them in everyone's pot was absolutely out of the question.

Li Younan sighed slightly. He originally thought that traveling through the world with a caravan was a good thing, but he found that traveling with a bunch of newbies was not as safe as traveling alone.

Everyone was a little tired tonight, and after all that commotion, no one was in the mood to sit around the campfire any longer. Everyone went back to their tents or cars.

Li Younan returned to his car. He opened the tailgate, took out his phone, and took a picture of the scene inside. The unfolded folding bed looked really comfortable.

Li Younan turned on the camping light, hung it up, changed into slippers, put his shoes into a special storage box, and was about to close the door and rest when Ma Jing slowly walked over.

Li Younan greeted her: "Aren't you going to rest?"

Ma Jing smiled slightly: "You're really bold."

Li Younan adjusted his posture, looking more comfortable, and said with a grin, "Of course I have to take things seriously when it comes to my safety."

Ma Jing's expression turned slightly serious, and she asked earnestly, "Is that mushroom really poisonous?"

Li Younan also became serious and nodded: "Although it's not fatal, the experience of being poisoned is something no one would want to go through a second time."

Ma Jing stroked her chin: "How confident are you?"

Li Younan originally wanted to say 100%, but after thinking about it, he said, "It's about 99%."

Ma Jing was amused and chuckled. She put her hands on her hips and said, "If you're wrong, you'll become the laughing stock of the team. Old Zhang will definitely bring this up repeatedly for the rest of the journey."

Li Younan smiled and said, "If I really say something wrong, will you laugh at me along with them?"

Ma Jing crossed her arms and said, "They won't laugh at you. Everyone here is shrewd and won't laugh at you openly, but I'll still think you're a rather unreliable guy."

Li Younan shrugged: "You're really honest."

Ma Jing smiled again: "But to be honest, even if you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have eaten these kinds of mushrooms of unknown origin, and the chefs in the team certainly wouldn't have cooked them either."

Li Younan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that, in that case, it was originally the chef or team leader who had offended someone, but it seemed that he had taken the blame for them.

Ma Jing smiled and said, "Did you realize that? Hehe..."

But Li Younan smiled and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. I don't care what they think of me. After this journey through time is over, we may not even meet again."

Ma Jing's gaze shifted, revealing a meaningful expression.

See you tomorrow.

"See you tomorrow."

It's almost October, and the weather is already getting a bit cool.

……

But it's definitely much warmer to sleep in a car than in a tent.

Li Younan has four units of electricity available, enough to at least use an electric blanket.

A regular electric blanket plus a down comforter—it couldn't be more comfortable.

Li Younan took out her phone and filmed a video to show everyone her cozy home. Then she sent all the footage from the day to Jk Dragon.

In a room in Chengdu at this moment.

As the girl watched the video, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, her eyes sparkled, and she unconsciously chuckled twice.

But as she looked on, her smile slowly faded, and she let out a soft sigh.

……

As dawn broke, the sound of the stream was exceptionally clear and crisp.

The campsite was already bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of tents being dismantled and equipment being packed up.

Old Zhou, the chef in charge of breakfast, was a taciturn middle-aged man who was setting up a large pot to boil water, preparing to cook noodles.

The air was filled with moisture and the smell of firewood.

Li Younan was bending over to tie up his sleeping bag when he caught a glimpse of Lao Zhang taking out a tightly tied plastic bag from his equipment box.

Old Zhang's face was expressionless, but his movements were deliberate.

He walked straight to Old Li's big pot and poured the mushrooms from the bag onto a clean stone next to him.

"Old Li, add another dish."

Old Zhang's voice wasn't loud, but the quiet of the campsite in the early morning made it exceptionally clear, carrying an undeniable air.

Old Li paused for a moment while holding the spoon.

He glanced at the damp, blackened mushrooms, then quickly looked at Li Younan, who was straightening up not far away, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only mumbled an "uh-huh," stirring the water in the pot with the spoon in his hand without touching the mushrooms.

The argument by the campfire yesterday had clearly reached his ears.

As the chef, he never intended to add anything of unknown origin to the team's large pot, and now he was even more eager to avoid it. Old Zhang clearly caught Old Li's momentary hesitation and avoidance.

His face flushed red, not from the heat, but from the shame and anger of being publicly humiliated and having his authority challenged.

He stared at Old Li's back for a few seconds, his eyes like knives.

Then, he suddenly bent down, grabbed the mushrooms from the stone, roughly rinsed them in the bucket, and shook them off.

"Fine! Fine!" He practically gritted his teeth, his voice rising eight octaves, with a defiant, reckless spirit. "Good things need no recognition, right? I'll make them myself! I'll eat them myself! No need for you, chef!"

Everyone else in the camp stopped what they were doing and looked over in this direction, some openly and some secretly.

The air seemed to freeze instantly, leaving only the sound of the water boiling in the pot and Old Zhang's heavy breathing.

Old Zhang stopped looking at anyone. He took a small outdoor cookware set and stove from his car and set it up with a "snap" on the other side away from the big pot.

The movements were fast and heavy, carrying a fierce intensity.

He skillfully lit the stove, poured in some of the oil he had brought, and dumped the mushrooms, which he hadn't really washed properly, into the small pot. With a sizzle, oil splattered everywhere.

No one spoke throughout the entire process.

Qi Shunyi was inspecting the vehicle's tires, his body turned to the side, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.

To be honest, we're all adults and should be responsible for our choices. However, Qi Shunyi felt that since Lao Zhang was so confident, there shouldn't be any problem with the mushroom. Perhaps Li Younan misjudged it... Li Younan is young, how could he possibly know more than Lao Zhang?
The other teammates had different expressions.

Someone lowered their head, pretending to be focused on adjusting the straps of their backpack.

Someone exchanged a subtle glance with the person next to them, a mixture of curiosity, a hint of amusement, and perhaps a barely perceptible worry.

Some people simply turned away to avoid eye contact.

The focus is no longer on the mushrooms themselves, but on Lao Zhang's almost self-destructive act of "proving his innocence," and the chain reaction triggered by the meddlesome Li Younan.

Li Younan could clearly feel several gazes falling on him, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

If Lao Zhang is fine after eating, then his reminder yesterday would be seen as "pretending to know what he doesn't" and "alarmist talk," and he would have completely offended Lao Zhang.

Ma Jing came over and hit him, her eyes filled with a gloating smile, as if to say, "Let's see what you can do about it."

Li Younan chuckled silently... Human nature, indeed.

But Li Younan was unusually calm, even somewhat indifferent.

Watching Old Zhang hunched over in front of the small pot, intently—or rather angrily—stirring up those grayish-brown mushrooms, emitting an aroma that was neither particularly fragrant nor strange, his only thought was… safety.

Old Zhang's pride and how others perceive him are as insignificant as a feather in the face of the potential risk of poisoning.

He was too lazy to argue anymore; he had already said what needed to be said yesterday.

He turned around and continued checking the tire pressure and fluids of his vehicle, his movements steady, as if the scene of him cooking in a fit of pique had nothing to do with him.

Old Zhang's solo meal was ready in no time.

He picked up a few slightly wilted mushrooms with his chopsticks, blew on them, and then, with an almost defiant look in his eyes, glanced around the camp, deliberately avoiding Li Younan, before stuffing them into his mouth and chewing them vigorously, making a loud noise.

"Mmm! Fresh!" he mumbled loudly.

He picked up a few more flowers and handed them to a teammate he was somewhat familiar with: "Here, Lao Liu, have a taste! Good stuff!"

The teammate named Lao Liu forced a smile, waved his hands repeatedly, and leaned back slightly: "No, no, Lao Zhang, I... my stomach isn't feeling too well this morning. You'll have to enjoy it yourself!"

Old Zhang snorted, not forcing the issue, and ate the entire small pot of mushrooms by himself, leaving not even a drop of soup.

After finishing his meal, he put the small pot aside, wiped his mouth, deliberately made a loud noise, then stood up and began to clean up his stove, his movements still carrying the lingering anger.

Everyone else in the camp, including the team leader Lao Chen, tacitly sped up their packing.

No one discussed the pot of mushrooms anymore, nor did anyone mention the argument from last night.

Everyone silently loaded their luggage into the car and started the engine.

The roar of the engine temporarily broke the awkward silence.

……

The convoy set off again, heading deeper into the mountains.

Li Younan sat in the driver's seat, looking at the winding mountain road ahead.

In the rearview mirror, you could see Old Zhang's car following closely behind. His face didn't seem to be anything unusual, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the steering wheel were a little white.

The atmosphere within the team became somewhat somber; the previous ease had vanished, replaced by an invisible barrier and a cautious avoidance.

Li Younan knew very well that his shrewd teammates had probably already placed their bets and were waiting to see the outcome of this gamble—whether Lao Zhang would prove his experience with his iron stomach, or whether his "meddling" would ultimately be proven right.

For Li Younan, the outcome is no longer important.

However, at a bumpy corner, he subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror, and an indescribable heaviness swept over him, causing him to sigh softly.

……

The convoy left the camp in Wanba Town and drove back onto the winding dirt road.

Li Younan deliberately positioned himself slightly ahead of the group, closely following the lead car driven by team leader Lao Chen, but kept his speed slower than usual.

The mountain road was bumpy, and the low speed made the cars behind feel uncomfortable.

Old Zhang's suppressed frustration came through the walkie-talkie: "What's going on up ahead? Why are you moving so slowly? We're in a hurry!" His tone carried the anger of lingering resentment and impatience at being dragged along so slowly.

Li Younan picked up the walkie-talkie and said calmly, "Don't panic, Lao Zhang, the tire pressure seems a bit unstable. Check it out."

This is a reasonable excuse, but it can only provide temporary relief.

Just kidding, Old Zhang's poisoning will definitely take effect soon, and if he hallucinates, and the car is opened too quickly...

Sure enough, just over half an hour after setting off, Old Zhang's voice on the walkie-talkie changed. It was no longer angry, but rather a series of painful gasps and broken sentences: "...Stop, stop for a moment! I...I'm a little...unable..."

The time has come.

Li Younan immediately called out in the channel: "Everyone stop! Something's wrong with Lao Zhang!"

The convoy quickly pulled over and stopped.

Li Younan jumped out of the car and walked quickly towards Lao Zhang's car.

He had already pushed open the car door, his face deathly pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat, clutching his stomach and curled up in the driver's seat, panting heavily, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

Seeing Li Younan approach, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but suddenly pushed open the car door, staggered to the roadside, and began to vomit violently, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The scene became tense instantly.

Everyone gathered around, their previous subtle glances and spectator mentality replaced by shock and a lingering fear.

No one spoke; only Old Zhang's painful retching echoed through the valley.

Upon seeing this, Qi Shunyi frowned: "Oh no, it really is a mushroom!"

To be honest, from the time this happened last night until just now, he was actually inclined to side with Lao Zhang...

In fact, he also mistook the mushroom for an edible porcini mushroom... although it wasn't called a Choba mushroom, he only refrained from letting it into the pot as a precaution, out of his duty as the team leader.

But now it seems... I misjudged him too.

After realizing this, he was also somewhat frightened.

He immediately pulled out his phone and started searching for a signal, while decisively ordering, "Old Zhang definitely can't walk like this! He must be taken to the hospital immediately!"

At this moment, Uncle Chen, who was privately teased for "looking just like Dao Lang," stepped forward.

Everyone calls him "Dao Lang Chen".

His gray hair was always habitually hidden under an old baseball cap, his face bore the marks of time, but his eyes exuded a calm and worldly air.

His quiet, young girlfriend in her early twenties looked at Old Chen.

“I’ll take him down!” Dao Lang Chen’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was decisive. “I drive fast and I know the way well. Xiao Min will come with me; she can look after him on the way.” His girlfriend nodded immediately, without a trace of hesitation on her face.

"Okay! Thanks for your hard work, Dao Lang Chen! Hurry up!" Qi Shunyi immediately agreed and finally dialed the emergency number, quickly reporting his location and the situation.

Everyone hurriedly helped Old Zhang, who was so exhausted that he could barely stand, up from the ground.

He was limp, his clothes were stained with vomit, his face was ashen, and his eyes were unfocused. His previous stubbornness and resentment had vanished, leaving only immense physical pain and an overwhelming sense of shame.

As several men helped him into the back seat of Dao Langchen's Guardian 110, he passed by Li Younan and, with great difficulty and indistinctness, managed to squeeze out a few words, his voice heavy with sobs and deep regret: "Brother...brother...I...I'm sorry...I..."

Before he could finish speaking, another wave of intense nausea hit him.

Li Younan patted him on the shoulder, said nothing, and simply gestured for him to get in the car quickly.

It's pointless to dwell on right and wrong at this point.

Dao Lang Chen's girlfriend, Xiao Min, quickly sat in the back seat to take care of Lao Zhang.

Dao Lang Chen started the car, the engine emitting a low roar. He nodded to the team leader and Li Younan, his eyes conveying "don't worry," then sharply turned the steering wheel, the car turned around, kicking up a cloud of dust, and sped down the mountain.

As for Lao Zhang's car, it can only be left on the roadside for now. He can come back and drive it himself when he has recovered enough.

The convoy fell silent again, with only the sound of engines idling remaining.

The atmosphere was so heavy it was impossible to break.

At this moment, Xu Chengcai in the team chuckled: "I remember Lao Zhang telling Li Younan and Ma Jing at the dinner table not to leave the team unexpectedly... I didn't expect that. Sigh, you really shouldn't make promises you can't keep..."

No one said a word.

The look of anticipation and expectation that was about to be "made a fool of" disappeared, replaced by a complex mix of emotions.

They watched the departing car in silence, then glanced at Li Younan. When their eyes met, some looked away, while others nodded slightly with a hint of solemnity.

Li Younan nodded, making no grand pronouncements, and simply turned to walk towards his car. "Let's go, the road ahead is long."

(End of this chapter)