Courtyard House: After disbanding the Elderly Care Gang, I went to the countryside to cultivate immo

Lin Shengli had been thinking about hunting in the mountains ever since he talked to Hu Laopao that day.

That afternoon, the weather was hot and humid, and cicadas were chirping loudly in the trees.

Lin Shengli, carrying a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), strolled over to Hu Laopao's house.

Old Hu had just woken up from his afternoon nap and was sitting under the old elm tree in the yard, idly fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes when he saw Lin Shengli.

"Hey, Shengli, what brings you here today?" Old Hu gestured for Lin Shengli to sit down.

"It's hot, and I'm bored staying at home." Lin Shengli placed the bottle on the small wooden stool next to him. "I've been busy building houses and getting familiar with the village lately, so I haven't had a chance to chat with you properly. That's why I brought you a bottle of wine to soothe your throat."

Hu Laopao didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the bottle and looked at it. "Hmm, good wine!" He grinned, revealing his teeth, which were yellowed from smoking.

"Hey kid, you brought me such good wine, you didn't just come here to chat, did you? What's up?"

Lin Shengli chuckled and said, "Uncle Laopao, you're so generous. I came here today mainly to ask you about the situation in the mountains surrounding this village."

Old Hu slapped his thigh and laughed, "Hey kid, is that all? Is it worth bringing a bottle of good wine for you? But since you've already brought it, I won't stand on ceremony."

After saying that, he carefully moved the wine bottle to his side and began to tell Lin Shengli some basic hunting and trapping techniques. Hu Laopao got excited as he spoke, gesturing and talking, and also chatted about the seasons and distribution of common mountain herbs and mountain products. The atmosphere became more and more harmonious.

Seeing that the time was right, Lin Shengli put down his wine bowl, his expression becoming more serious, and asked, "Uncle Laopao, you're an old hand at the mountains, with a lot of experience. I'm thinking that when I have time to go into the mountains to collect herbs in the future, I might go further afield, but I'm always a little unsure. Besides the places we usually go, like the southern slope and western mountain pass, what's it like further in from our village? Are there any special areas we need to be careful of, or places we shouldn't go?"

Hu Laopao paused for a moment, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

He picked up his pipe, slowly stuffed it with tobacco leaves, struck a match, took a deep drag, and the pungent smoke rose slowly into the sweltering air.

He squinted, looking at Lin Shengli through the smoke, his gaze becoming distant and scrutinizing.

"Victory," Hu Laopao's voice deepened, carrying the tone of telling an old story, "You've come to the right person, and you've hit the nail on the head. In our Heisonggou, we live off the mountains. These mountains are a treasure trove, but for those who don't know us well, they can be quite dangerous."

He exhaled a puff of smoke: "Normally when we gather firewood, pick mushrooms, or hunt wild rabbits and pheasants, we just wander around the edge of the mountain. In these places, as long as you pay a little attention, there's not much to worry about. But if you go further in and cross the second ridge, then you have to be extremely careful."

Lin Shengli listened intently.

"Especially," Old Hu pointed roughly north with his pipe, "north of our village, along the North Gully. The first two hills are denser with more wild animals, but old hunters often go there. But if you don't know the danger and go up three hills in..." He paused, lowering his voice even further, "that place, the old folks call it—Ghost Cry Mountain."

Ghost Cry Mountain! Lin Shengli's heart skipped a beat. This name didn't sound like a good place, especially coming from an experienced mountain dweller like Hu Laopao, spoken with such a solemn tone.

"Why is it called that?" Lin Shengli asked.

Old Hu took another puff of his cigarette and slowly said, "It's just the two of us talking here quietly. There are some things I'll only tell you. There are many legends about Ghost Cry Mountain. Some say that during the Qing Dynasty, there was a 'Bearded Man' incident where two gangs fought and killed hundreds of people, whose vengeful spirits lingered. Others say that even earlier, that place was an ancient battlefield, or the last burial ground of a tribe that was wiped out. Anyway, it's very eerie."

"What exactly is this evil method?"

"People who go in are prone to getting lost," said Hu Laopao. "It's not just ordinary getting lost. Even if you're a seasoned mountain traveler with great skills, you can't tell which way to go just by looking at the sun and stars. On a perfectly sunny day, fog might suddenly roll in. The fog is a strange color, grayish and heavy, enough to completely cover a person, making it impossible to see more than a few steps away. What's even stranger is that some people say they've heard strange noises in the fog, like a woman crying, or like many people whispering something. Others have said they've seen eerie green will-o'-the-wisps floating around."

Lin Shengli thought of Hu Bayi and Wang Pangzi, and knew that the world was not so simple. His doubts deepened, so he did not interrupt Hu Laopao.

"Years ago, some skeptics, or those driven to desperation by life, would try to go in and collect some valuable ginseng or tend to their livestock." Old Hu's tone carried a deep sigh. "It was passed down from my great-grandfather's generation. During the Guangxu era, there was an old ginseng trader who was experienced and daring. He didn't believe in this superstition and took two apprentices into Ghost Cry Mountain to look for 'the club.' In the end... none of the three of them came out. Later, some braver people went in in groups to search, and they only found one apprentice's tattered clothes and bow and arrows on the edge. It looked like the person had been dragged away by something, leaving only bloodstains."

"When my grandfather was young, he told me that during the Republic of China era, a group of five hunters chased a wounded wild boar. The boar went mad and ran towards Ghost Cry Mountain. The hunters, blinded by greed, followed it in. In the end, only one of them came back, still insane, only able to say 'Something...grabbing my foot...green eyes...' He died a few days later."

Old Hu tapped his cigarette ash, his eyes filled with awe: "In the first few years after liberation, some people didn't believe it, thinking it was feudal superstition. During the commune era, a cadre from outside, wanting to demonstrate 'man can conquer nature,' insisted on organizing people to 'reclaim wasteland,' claiming it was to break superstition. But as soon as they reached the old forest at the junction of the second and third hills, accidents started happening one after another—some suddenly developed fevers and became delirious, others inexplicably broke their legs. Later, a strange fog rolled in, completely disorienting them, and they almost got trapped inside. Luckily, they retreated quickly. After that, no one dared to mention going in again."

He looked at Lin Shengli, his tone so serious it was almost a warning: "Shengli, let me be frank with you. These days, people outside don't allow us to talk about these things; they call it 'the Four Olds,' superstition. But we mountain folk know in our hearts that there are some things about these mountains, these rivers, these old forests—things we can't help but believe in. You may not believe in the mountain gods, you may not believe in the Weasel God, but you cannot disrespect the 'rules' of these mountains. There are certain areas we simply cannot enter; those are lessons our ancestors learned at the cost of their lives!"

Lin Shengli nodded solemnly: "Uncle Laopao, I understand. I was just asking out of curiosity, so I'll have a better idea of ​​what to do. In the future, when I go into the mountains to collect herbs, I will definitely not go too deep, and I will definitely not touch that Ghost Cry Mountain."

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Old Hu's expression softened slightly. He took another drag of his cigarette and said earnestly, "You're a sensible kid, capable and discreet. I'm not telling you this to scare you, I genuinely care about your well-being. These old forests in Northeast China are so ancient, there are countless things hidden there. Besides Ghost Cry Mountain, we have to be careful in other places too. I've heard there's something called 'Weasel Grave' to the west, it's really eerie."

Upon hearing "Weasel Graves," Lin Shengli hurriedly asked, "Uncle Laopao, do you know a place called 'Ganggangyingzi'?"

Old Hu looked up and asked curiously, "How do you know about this place?"

Lin Shengli scratched his head and said, "We met two educated youths on the train when we went to the countryside. They said they were going to Ganggangyingzi, but after getting off the train, they took a bus with us to the village, and then they continued westward by bus."

Old Hu nodded and said, "The Ganggangyingzi you mentioned isn't far from our village. Although it belongs to Inner Mongolia Province, it's only a day's walk from our village."

Suddenly he remembered something, slapped his thigh and said, "You interrupted me, where were we? The 'Yellow Weasel Grave' I was talking about is not far from Ganggangyingzi you mentioned."

He paused, lowering his voice even further, almost as a whisper: "When I was young, I once chased a fox deep into the western mountain valley. As it was getting dark, I saw some inexplicable things. There were strange patterns made of stones, and in the hollow of an old, long-dead tree, there were scratch marks that didn't seem to be made by a wild animal. I didn't dare look any longer and quickly retreated."

"Uncle Laopao, thank you for telling me all this." Lin Shengli sincerely thanked him. "These are valuable experiences. I will be extra careful when I go into the mountains in the future and will never take any risks. Please give me more guidance as well."

Old Hu waved his hand: "No need to thank me, I'm just glad you listened. In the future, when you go into the mountains to collect herbs, it's best to go in a group, don't go alone. If you really need to go to a more distant place, let me or Captain Hu know first."

"If you are really interested in these old legends and places in the mountains, and want to find medicinal herbs, I can take you to a few places after autumn. They are not deep in the mountains, but they have been around for a few years. Maybe we can dig up some good things there. I can also help you get familiar with the area and know which places to avoid."

This was undoubtedly a great trust and consideration, and Lin Shengli quickly agreed.

The two chatted for a while longer, until the sun began to set and the heat subsided slightly.

Lin Shengli said goodbye and walked on the dirt road back to the educated youth settlement, but his heart was not at ease.

Hu Laopao's words further confirmed his conjecture about the world.