Era: Rise from the Wilderness

When the headcount was finally taken, apart from Lü Ruoxi and her three female companions, only Li Yunjing, Ma Xingyuan, and Ma Guofeng were willing to go.

"Then it's settled!"

Li Yunjing looked around and said, "Meet at the convenience store at the foot of East Mountain at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Remember to bring your own food and water, as we may be climbing until noon."

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the playground, casting long shadows of the boys.

Everyone chatted and laughed as they dispersed, the seven people who had made the appointment saying goodbye to each other and promising to meet again the next morning.

Li Yunjing pushed his bicycle, watching Lü Ruoxi and her female companions walk away, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

This summer seems to be getting more and more interesting.

Back home, Li Yunjing rinsed his sweat-soaked vest at the sink and said to his mother, who was busy in the kitchen, "Mom, I'm going hiking with my classmates tomorrow, so I won't be home for lunch."

"climb mountains?"

He Ling poked her head out from the kitchen: "Why are you climbing mountains in this heat? Be careful not to get heatstroke."

"It's okay, there are several of us."

Li Yunjing shook the water droplets off his hands and turned to go into the storage room.

He started rummaging through the rusty toolbox in the corner.

Pliers, wrench, screwdriver... Finally, he pulled out a sickle wrapped in tarpaulin from the bottom.

The blade is somewhat rusty, but the edge is still quite sharp.

He picked up a pickaxe handle and weighed it in his hand.

In the early 1990s, Dongshan was not considered a deep mountain forest, but there were occasional rumors of wild boars appearing there.

Not to mention the snakes and insects hiding in the grass.

Li Yunjing was not one of those ignorant and reckless young men; he made all the necessary preparations.

He placed the sickle and pickaxe behind the door and then checked his army green water bottle.

The pot is dented and bumped, but its seal is still good.

"Are you going to start a new era of agriculture?"

He Ling brought out the dishes and was startled when she saw the things behind the door.

"It's always better to be prepared."

Li Yunjing grinned, "The situation on the mountain is unpredictable, so bring this for self-defense."

He Ling shook her head but didn't say anything more.

My son has indeed grown up a lot this summer, and he is more thoughtful in his actions than before.

At dinner, Li Yunjing deliberately ate an extra half bowl of rice.

I'm going hiking tomorrow, so I need to conserve my energy.

As he ate his rice, he mentally planned his route for tomorrow.

Which path to take up the mountain, which peak offers the best view, and which grove is the coolest...?

As night fell, Li Yunjing went to bed early.

The cicadas chirping outside the window gradually thinned out, and a few barks of dogs occasionally drifted from afar.

He closed his eyes, and the familiar silhouette of Dongshan appeared in his mind.

By 6:30 a.m. the next morning, Li Yunjing was already ready.

The army green water bottle was filled with cooled boiled water, and the dry rations were wrapped in oil paper and stuffed into the satchel.

He tucked his sharpened sickle into his lower back, concealing it with the hem of his undershirt, while the short-handled pickaxe was wrapped in cloth and held in his hand.

Before he left, He Ling chased after him and stuffed two boiled eggs into his hand: "Eat these on the way, don't go hungry."

The small shop at the foot of Dongshan Mountain has already opened.

When Li Yunjing arrived, Ma Xingyuan and Ma Guofeng were squatting on the stone stools by the door, eating fried dough sticks.

Upon seeing Li Yunjing's attire, Ma Guofeng's eyes widened: "Holy crap, are you going to war?"

"Safety first."

Li Yunjing leaned the pickaxe against the wall and looked toward the intersection.

At 6:50, Lü Ruoxi and three female companions arrived on time on bicycles.

Today she wore a light yellow short-sleeved shirt with blue sweatpants, and her ponytail swayed back and forth, exuding youthful energy.

Good morning!

She jumped off her bicycle, beaming with a bright smile.

"morning."

Li Yunjing nodded, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

Lü Ruoxi turned and went into the convenience store, returning shortly with a bundle of items: "One serving for everyone, it's on me!"

As she spoke, she began distributing the leaflets.

Each person received a white sugar popsicle, a loaf of bread, and a sausage.

This was considered a fairly lavish standard for outings in the early 1990s.

"Sister Lü is so generous!"

Ma Xingyuan took the popsicle and eagerly tore open the wrapper.

Li Yunjing also took his share.

The popsicles were steaming in the morning air, the bread was wrapped in plastic, and the ham sausage was Shuanghui brand; these days, ham sausages still have a high meat content.

"Let's go."

Lu Ruoxi tore open the popsicle wrapper, took a small lick, and smiled at Li Yunjing, saying, "You lead the way today."

The seven people began their ascent up the mountain along the winding dirt road.

Li Yunjing and Lü Ruoxi walked side by side at the front, followed by Ma Xingyuan, Ma Guofeng, and three other girls.

The mountain breeze in the early morning carried the coolness of dew, and glistening dewdrops still clung to the roadside grass.

Li Yunjing held a pickaxe in one hand while naturally introducing the scenery along the way to Lü Ruoxi.

"I've walked this road since I was a child."

He pointed to a fork in the road ahead, "The road on the left is shorter, but steep; the road on the right is gentler and has better scenery."

"I'll listen to you."

Lu Ruoxi turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a smile.

Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the winding mountain road.

The laughter of the young boys and girls startled the birds in the forest.

After walking for about an hour, the mountain path gradually became steeper.

The girls were starting to pant, and Ma Xingyuan was covered in sweat. He plopped down on a roadside rock, saying, "Let's...let's rest for a bit!"

The seven people found a relatively flat patch of grass and sat down.

Li Yunjing handed the water bottle to Lü Ruoxi: "Have a drink of water."

Lü Ruoxi took the water bottle, tilted her head back and drank a few mouthfuls, the glistening water droplets sliding down her fair neck.

She wiped her mouth and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes beside her.

What was that sound?

A girl nervously grabbed her companion's arm.

All eyes were drawn to the patch of grass that was half a person tall.

The sound came and went, like something moving through the grass.

Ma Guofeng subconsciously took two steps back, while Ma Xingyuan gripped the wooden stick in his hand tightly, which he had picked up casually on the road earlier.

Li Yunjing frowned slightly and slowly stood up.

He tossed the pickaxe to Ma Xingyuan: "Here, for self-defense."

He then drew the sharp sickle from his lower back.

The blade flashed a cold light in the sunlight.

"Be careful!"

Lu Ruoxi stood up nervously.

Li Yunjing waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He gripped the sickle and carefully approached the bushes, gently parting the dense foliage with the tip of the blade.

As the grass parted, a green snake as thick as the rim of a cup suddenly appeared before our eyes!

It coiled up in a circle, its triangular head slightly raised, its bright red tongue flicking out with a hissing sound.

"ah!!!"

Lu Ruoxi screamed in fright and instinctively grabbed Li Yunjing's arm, almost pressing her entire body against him.

The other three girls were also terrified and hid behind Ma Xingyuan and Ma Guofeng.