Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him otherwise, Dr. Gu sighed and stopped trying to stop him.

He knew Jiang Xing's temperament; once she set her mind to something, no one could stop her. He had no choice but to pull Xiao Niu and Tie Dan to his side, step back about ten paces, and stand far away under a large tree, gripping a wooden stick tightly in his hand, ready to rush over at any moment.

Jiang Xing calmly rummaged through his basket and pulled out a large cloth bag. He then took out two sharpened bamboo sticks, handing one to Shi Tou and keeping the other for himself.

She squatted at the entrance of the snake hole and explained to Shi Tou in a low voice: "Snakes hibernate at this time of year and move slowly, but if you startle them, they can still bite. In a little while, I'll use a bamboo stick to pry the snake out of the hole. You need to aim for the seven-inch mark and hold it down with the stick so it can't raise its head. Then I'll put it in a bag."

Stone listened intently, his eyes fixed on the cave entrance.

Jiang Xing inserted the bamboo stick into the hole with light and steady movements, slowly probing for a while. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he picked out a grayish-brown snake.

When the snake came out of its hole, it was still stiff, its body limp and hanging on the bamboo stick. Jiang Xing quickly used another bamboo stick to press down the snake's head, reached out and pinched its seven-inch mark, and neatly threw it into the cloth bag.

"Did you understand?" she asked Stone, turning to him.

Stone nodded vigorously: "I understand!"

"You give it a try."

Shi Tou took the bamboo stick and, imitating Jiang Xing, probed into another hole. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from excitement.

The bamboo stick stirred inside the cave, pulling out a black-tailed snake. Its body was thicker than the previous one, and it began to wriggle as soon as it emerged. Shi Tou remained calm, using the bamboo stick to pin down the snake's head. Although his hand wasn't very steady, he found the right spot. Jiang Xing helped him, pinching the snake by its seven-inch mark and lifting it up, nodding at him: "Not bad."

Stone grinned, the first time he'd smiled so happily all day.

Watching this scene from afar, Dr. Gu saw that Shi Tou, who couldn't even recognize all the medicinal herbs, was actually following Jiang Xing in catching snakes in an orderly manner. One dared to teach and the other dared to learn, and they cooperated in a very professional manner. His expression changed from tension to helplessness, and then from helplessness to admiration.

The two men squatted beside the snake pit, picking out snakes one by one, making the bag heavier and heavier.

These snakes are hibernating and slow to react, but once they come out of their burrows and are exposed to a cold wind, they will slowly wake up. Jiang Xing must seize their vital spot before they are fully awake.

Stone became more and more skilled, and eventually he was able to independently pick the snake out of the hole and hold it down.

They caught more than thirty snakes in total, all kinds, including black-banded snakes, red-banded snakes, pit vipers, and a few five-step snakes, stuffing most of the bag with them.

The bag was heavy, and occasionally a hissing sound could be heard from inside, making one's hair stand on end.

When the last snake was pulled out from the deepest crevice in the rock, Dr. Gu's eyelids twitched violently.

The snake was dark brown all over, with a triangular head and a pointed, upturned snout. It was thicker and larger than any of the snakes we had caught before.

When it was pulled out of the hole, it reacted much faster than the other snakes. It twisted its body and coiled up, raising its triangular head high and hissing threateningly.

"A mountain wind!" Doctor Gu cried out, his voice trembling. "Jiang girl, retreat quickly! This thing is extremely poisonous and it will chase and bite!"

Jiang Xing did not back down.

She stared intently into the eyes of the snake, her bamboo stick firmly planted on the ground. She crouched slightly, remaining completely still. The snake raised its head and confronted her for a few moments, seemingly assessing the size of its prey. Just as it was about to pounce, Jiang Xing's bamboo stick slammed down with lightning speed, striking its vital spot.

The snake writhed violently a few times, its tail slapping against the rocks with a crackling sound, but its vital spot was crushed, preventing it from biting anyone.

Jiang Xing reached out and pinched the snake below its head, tightening her grip and lifting the snake up. The snake's body was as thick as an arm, and it was still struggling desperately in her hand, but it was too late to break free.

She put the snake into a small pocket outside the cloth bag, tied it tightly, and then straightened up, patting the dirt off her hands.

Dr. Gu stood at a distance, opening his mouth but ultimately saying nothing. Having practiced medicine for most of his life, he knew the ferocity of the mountain snake; its venom was potent, and a bite from it would leave one unable to walk more than ten steps. Yet this girl was not only fearless but had also dealt with it all by herself. He shook his head and muttered to himself, "This girl, her courage is boundless."

Xiao Niu and Tie Dan hid behind Doctor Gu, their faces pale with fright. Xiao Niu tugged at Doctor Gu's sleeve, his voice trembling, "Sister...Sister, have you packed the snake away properly?"

"All packed." Jiang Xing tied the bag tightly, picked it up and weighed it in his hand as casually as if he were carrying a bag of sweet potatoes. "Let's go down the mountain."

Stone followed behind her, his little face still showing a look of lingering enjoyment. He would take a few steps and then turn back to look at the snake holes, as if he wished he could go back and catch a few more.

The descent was slower than the ascent; everyone's baskets were overflowing, and they also carried a heavy cloth bag full of snakes.

Everyone wore a satisfied expression. The children were happy to return with their bounty, Doctor Gu was pleased with the quality of the medicinal herbs, and Jiang Xing was satisfied with the dozens of snakes in the bag, especially the mountain wind snake. He felt the trip up the mountain was worthwhile.

By the time they returned to the end of the village, it was already dusk. Several oil lamps were lit in the courtyard, and the firelight from the stove illuminated half of the yard in a red glow. Mrs. Shen and Widow Sun had already started simmering the coarse rice porridge in the pot, and the aroma of rice wafted far away on the evening breeze.

Several families were waiting in the courtyard. When they saw Jiang Xing and the others returning from afar, Aunt Wang was the first to stand up and wave to them: "You're finally back! If you hadn't come back, we would have gone up the mountain to look for you!"

As they got closer, everyone realized just how full the baskets on their backs were, and they all stared in astonishment.

"My goodness, so many?" Old Wang put down his work and peeked into Doctor Gu's medicine box. "There are so many medicinal herbs on this mountain. I should have gone with him."

Everyone's attention quickly shifted from the basket on Jiang Xing's back to the large cloth bag in his hand. The bag was heavy and bulging, with a small pocket tied to it, and you could vaguely see something moving inside through the gap at the opening.

"Jiang girl, what's in this bag?" Aunt Wang's eyes lit up. "It's so heavy, it couldn't be meat, could it?"

"It's definitely meat!" Mrs. Hu rushed over from the stove, her eyes fixed on the cloth bag. "This bag is so big, how much meat must it hold! Let your auntie see!"

Chen Xiaoxiao stood at the back of the crowd, tiptoeing to look this way. She was also curious about what was in the bag and wanted to get closer to take a look, but when she caught a glimpse of her mother, Hu Shi, rushing forward, she pulled her feet back and dared not move forward.

Hu was quick; before Jiang Xing could speak, she grabbed the bag and ripped it open.

As soon as the bag was opened, the densely packed snakes inside were startled by the cold wind, and several of them began to wriggle, their heads hissing and flicking their tongues.

"Ah—snake! Snake!" Hu screamed, jumping backward as if she had been burned. The bag slipped from her hand and fell straight to the ground.

In a flash, Jiang Xing reached out and grabbed the bag, his fingers gripping the opening tightly. He pulled the bag back before it hit the ground. The snake inside the bag was startled and hissed. The bag bulged a few times, but thankfully, the snake didn't jump out.

Jiang Xing tied the bag back up tightly, raised his head, and stared coldly at Hu's face.

"Aunt Hu," her voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as an icicle, "Do you know how many poisonous snakes are in here? If you let go, and all the snakes jump out, there are so many people in the yard. If one of them gets bitten, even the King of Heaven himself can't save it."

The courtyard fell silent instantly, everyone startled by the sudden turn of events. Several women instinctively pulled their children behind them, and Aunt Wang even took two steps back, her face turning pale.

Hu felt a chill run down her spine under Jiang Xing's gaze. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.