The little dumpling is five and a half years old, which made his father so angry that his head split

Roasted chestnuts are delicious, but they should be saved for last.

Just use the residual heat of the charcoal fire to grill it.

After a hearty dinner, the chestnuts thrown into the fire emitted a fragrant aroma.

Liu Wei brought back only wet chestnuts, which were moist enough that there was no need to worry about them turning into a pile of charcoal if left for too long.

The aroma grew stronger and stronger.

The boys had barely put down their bowls and chopsticks when they eagerly grabbed twigs and started digging out chestnuts, impatient to taste them.

Sweet, sticky, sandy, fragrant, delicate, indescribably delicious.

They stopped talking as soon as they started eating...

The tents had been set up long before dinner.

I sprinkled salt around it to repel leeches.

They sprinkled another layer of medicinal powder to drive away snakes and insects.

Old Shen also lit some mugwort to fumigate the inside and outside of the tent.

They crawled into their tents before it got completely dark.

During dinner, Mr. Shen specifically reminded everyone to drink less water, as getting up to relieve oneself in the middle of the night is the easiest way to encounter snakes and insects, and one should try to avoid getting up at night.

As a result, Mr. Shen didn't even drink any porridge.

He ate some meat, vegetables, and wild fruits.

Although everyone went to bed early, they didn't wake up early.

Even though an elderly person like Mr. Shen doesn't need much sleep, he didn't get up immediately after waking up.

The tent was warm and dry, much more comfortable than outside.

Rainforests are a paradise for plants and animals, but they are not suitable for human survival.

When lying down became uncomfortable, Old Shen got up.

As soon as he stepped out of the tent, Old Shen was startled by a dark figure curled up on the ground.

My first impression was that it was a wild animal.

My first instinct was to call out to Liu Wei.

But then I thought, that doesn't make sense. If a wild animal is coming, why would they be so docile?

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the shadowy figure was a person.

Old Shen knew his own limitations; he couldn't defeat anyone. He squatted down and gently shook Liu Wei, who was still fast asleep, awake.

Upon hearing that something was amiss, Liu Wei quickly dressed and crawled out of the tent.

He was startled when he saw the figure.

He was terrified afterward.

You slept so soundly last night? Didn't you hear anyone nearby?

They've been living too comfortably and their vigilance has dropped considerably.

Liu Wei's mind raced as he reflected.

Seeing that the man only had a wood-chopping knife in his arms, Liu Wei kicked him.

"Hey, wake up, wake up..."

The man on the ground shivered and curled up even more.

It was obviously frozen.

"Get up! What are you doing?"

Seeing this, Old Shen first found something to start a fire.

They didn't have any extra clothes, but they could let people warm themselves by the fire.

Regardless of what this person does or whether they are good or bad, we can't just stand by and watch them die.

Once the fire was warm, the person moved over automatically.

As my body warmed up, I gradually regained consciousness.

"I'm lost in the mountains, I keep going in circles and can't find my way out..."

Liu Wei sized up the man's clothes; they were standard gear for entering the rainforest, including rain boots and a raincoat.

They spoke with their heads down and eyes downcast, as if they were afraid of strangers, like local people.

Old Shen was naturally also scrutinizing this person.

"Are you from around here? How come you're lost?"

However, since the man didn't force his way into the tent, Old Shen felt that he didn't seem like a bad person.

The man ignored their stares and wanted nothing more than to hug the fire and roast his whole body.

"My home is quite far away, so I'm not very familiar with this area."

"They went into the mountains to find medicinal herbs."

Old Shen didn't quite believe what he said.

"Getting lost while looking for medicine? What medicine are you looking for?"

The man still didn't look up.

"I'm not familiar with this area."

Old Shen and Liu Wei exchanged a glance, both becoming suspicious.

This person isn't as honest as I thought.

Old Shen sat down, took out the pot, and started boiling water.

The man licked his lips.

"Uncle, can we share a meal? I brought some food in my basket."

Old Shen nodded.

The man smiled and brought over his basket, taking out glutinous rice cakes and cured meat.

Mr. Shen started using platitudes.

"Fellow villager, it's almost Chinese New Year, what kind of medicine do you need that requires such a rush to get into the mountains?"

The man chuckled as he sized up Old Shen and Liu Wei.

"What brings you two into the mountains?"

Old Shen understood what this person was after in the mountains.

What's the point?

"I'm a doctor, and I'm here to get medicine."

The man's smile remained unchanged, convinced that they were on his side.

Besides, what doctor nowadays would personally collect herbs?

Are you looking for a pangolin or a podocarpus tree?

Old Shen sat up straight.

He knows about Podocarpus macrophyllus.

Podocarpus macrophyllus is extremely rare due to its low natural fruit production and very slow growth.

With its elegant and vigorous shape and long lifespan, it is said that "a family with a Podocarpus macrophyllus will never be poor," symbolizing longevity, wealth preservation, and good fortune. It is considered an "aristocrat" for high-end courtyards and bonsai.

It is a top-quality material for garden landscaping trees and bonsai.

A beautifully shaped finished tree can easily sell for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan.

The wood is fine and uniform, easy to process, and is also a good material for carving and high-end handicrafts.

"Has my fellow villager found a buyer?"

The man continued to chuckle.

"A generous businessman came to our village and asked for two thousand for a single Podocarpus macrophyllus."

"Two thousand yuan, that's more than we could earn in ten years."

"Nobody hates money, and every household has sent people out to look for this thing."

"With money, every day can be like Chinese New Year."

Old Shen glanced at Liu Wei, and Liu Wei looked back at him.

They didn't do anything to their fellow villagers, nor could they do anything to them.

He was just one of the many illegal miners, an ordinary person driven by profit.

If he doesn't do it, someone else will.

But if he didn't say anything, Old Shen's conscience wouldn't be at peace.

"Fellow villager, old trees are treasures. They've lived for so many years. It's such a pity to take them away like this."

"The mountain god will be angry."

"Pangolin scales are just like our hair; they're not as miraculous as people say, and they don't have much medicinal effect."

The man smiled faintly.

When has the mountain god ever cared about their lives?

They didn't know whether the items were valuable or not.

If someone comes to buy it, it means that the item can be sold for money.

Anything that can make money is worth doing.

Old Shen knew that a few words wouldn't change anything, so he stopped trying to persuade him.

The three children inside the tent also woke up and heard the conversation outside clearly.

For a fellow villager like this, it's really a matter of not being too lenient or too harsh.

Even if a teenager with law enforcement authority had encountered this situation yesterday, it would probably have been difficult to handle.

The three of them came out of the tent one after another.

The man was relieved that he hadn't acted rashly last night.

I heard there were quite a few people in the tent, but I didn't expect there to be this many.

Since further discussion was pointless, neither of them brought up the previous topic again.

There is no harm without buying and selling.

The key lies in the source.

Since no one offered a high price to buy them, the people stopped paying.

After breakfast and cleaning up the ashes, the two groups went their separate ways.

Those who are not on the same path need not travel together.

Even within the team, they stopped discussing the matter.

Mr. Shen simply explained why Podocarpus macrophyllus is so valuable.

Ultimately, it is still the wealthy and powerful who are acting recklessly.

After returning to Beijing, each of us can contribute our efforts to intervene.

Empty talk is useless.