The two of them followed the direction of her finger and saw, growing beside a shaded crevice in the rocks, a plant swaying gently in the breeze. Its leaves were palmate, with five small leaflets arranged in a graceful pattern, topped with a bright red berry in the center.
Jiang Rou’s breathing quickened instantly. She hurried forward, crouched down to examine it closely, and then said with excitement, "It’s a wild ginseng, and it looks to be over fifty years old. This is a rare treasure indeed!"
Sun Xiaoxiao’s face lit up with a delighted smile, momentarily forgetting the pain from tumbling down the hillside just moments before. "Really? Sister Jiang Rou, we are truly lucky."
Wang Li leaned in as well, her face full of surprise and joy. "A wild ginseng of this age must be worth quite a few good things."
None of the three knew much about medicinal herbs like wild ginseng, but they were certain it was something valuable. They carefully dug it up, wrapped it in soft leaves, and placed it into a bamboo basket. This ginseng was an unexpected find and the greatest reward of their trip.
"We must keep this ginseng safe," Jiang Rou said earnestly. "We can take it to the market to trade for some things we desperately need."
Wang Li nodded. "Right, we can trade it for grain and daily necessities; it will make our lives much easier."
Sun Xiaoxiao’s eyes sparkled. "Maybe we can even send some money home."
Carrying their precious prize, the three of them began the careful trek down the mountain, their hearts filled with anticipation for the coming trade.
On the other side of the mountain, Feng Yu had been thinking about tailing the three of them to snatch away whatever they found, while Wei Manni simply wanted to ruin their good fortune. However, the two of them had lost the trail and were now hopelessly lost in the woods.
Jiang Rou, Sun Xiaoxiao, and Wang Li carefully navigated their way down. The mountain path was rugged, and they moved with hurried but cautious steps, terrified of accidentally damaging the precious ginseng in the basket. Suddenly, a chaotic noise came from ahead.
Jiang Rou frowned, signaling for Sun Xiaoxiao and Wang Li to stop. "It sounds like someone is crying for help," she said softly, her eyes filled with vigilance.
Sun Xiaoxiao leaned toward Jiang Rou’s ear and whispered, "That sounds like Feng Yu. Could it be her?"
Jiang Rou nodded slightly. "It’s possible, but let’s observe the situation first."
The three of them slowly approached the source of the noise and saw Feng Yu and Wei Manni standing in a panic beneath a large tree. Surrounded by dense forest, it was clear they were lost.
"Serves them right," Wang Li muttered under her breath. She had never been able to stand Wei Manni’s usual airs of a spoiled young lady.
Just then, the sound of a wolf howl echoed from the distance, followed by the crashing of brush. A lone wolf burst out from the woods, its eyes glinting with hunger; it had clearly been drawn by the cries of Feng Yu and Wei Manni.
"Ah!" Feng Yu shrieked in terror. She and Wei Manni clung to each other, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as they began to run in the direction of Jiang Rou and the others.
The three of them watched as Feng Yu and Wei Manni scrambled toward them, their figures appearing incredibly panicked amidst the dense trees. The lone wolf pursued them relentlessly, its savage expression and sharp fangs chilling to the bone.
"Run!" Jiang Rou shouted. She knew they had to find a safe place immediately.
However, the mountain path was treacherous, and if they were caught by the wolf, it would be the end of them. Sun Xiaoxiao glanced back several times, seeing the wolf drawing closer and closer; she was pale with fear, yet she struggled to keep pace with the others. Wang Li gritted her teeth, praying silently that they would escape the danger.
At that exact moment, a gunshot rang out.
The sound echoed through the silent mountain forest, leaving their ears ringing. The wolf was startled by the sudden blast and stopped in its tracks, looking around warily. Jiang Rou and the others also froze in their tracks, startled by the gunfire.
Then, another shot fired, and the wolf collapsed to the ground.
A young, not-quite-mature male voice called out, "It’s okay, don’t be afraid! My old man has taken care of the wolf."
It was Li Xiaohu from the village. His family had been hunters for generations, and they were the only ones in the nearby villages who still practiced the trade. The two men walked toward the group.
Feng Yu and Wei Manni were already collapsed on the ground in terror, and Jiang Rou and her companions were still shaken.
Hunter Li stepped forward, fired one final shot into the wolf to be certain, and after confirming it was dead, turned to the group. "Are you all alright?"
Jiang Rou looked at them gratefully. "Uncle Li, thank you! If it weren’t for running into you, we wouldn't have known what to do."
Li Xiaohu, carrying two hares, smiled and said, "It’s good that you’re safe. We were hunting nearby and heard the shouting; we knew right away it had to be you city-bred youths who didn't know the risks of wandering into the mountains."
Jiang Rou and the others didn't take offense at being called "reckless city youths." Instead, they thanked the two men, still shaken by the ordeal.
Hunter Li looked at their disheveled state, frowned slightly, and said earnestly, "Though the Back Mountain has goods to find, it is fraught with danger. You city youths have moved here recently and are unfamiliar with these parts. Don’t be so reckless in the future."
Jiang Rou and the others nodded repeatedly. Feng Yu and Wei Manni were too terrified to even speak.
Sun Xiaoxiao looked at the dead wolf, still trembling, and whispered, "Brother Xiaohu, why would a wolf suddenly appear here?"
Xiaohu scratched his head and explained, "This was likely a lone wolf driven out by its pack. Lone wolves are even more vicious than ordinary ones. Because they lack the restraint of a pack, they will use any means necessary to hunt. If you had been surrounded, it would have intentionally made noise to attract more predators. By then, a pack of beasts would have swarmed in, and even if you had ten lives, it wouldn't have been enough."
"My grandfather told me that years ago, a hunter from a neighboring village encountered a lone wolf while deep in the woods. At first, relying on his rifle, he didn't take the wolf seriously. But the lone wolf was too cunning. It circled him, waited for an opening, and lunged, biting off the arm he used to hold his gun."
"The hunter was rolling on the ground in agony, and the wolf just crouched nearby, staring at him while letting out eerie, low howls. By the time others arrived, all they found were remains—not even a complete body left."
Hearing this, Feng Yu turned deathly pale and her body began to shake. She burst into tears. "It’s too terrifying! If it hadn't been for you today, we would have definitely ended up in the wolf's belly."
Wei Manni’s legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed again, her voice thick with sobs. "I will never come to this Back Mountain again, even if you kill me."
Wang Li swallowed hard and said, lingering in fear, "It’s fortunate that Uncle Li and Xiaohu were here today, otherwise we might have ended up just like that hunter."
"You all really don't fear death," Li Xiaohu added. "You didn't realize that even us locals don't come to this part of the Back Mountain often, yet you dared to just barge right in. You’re lucky that my old man and I were hunting here today, otherwise..." He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication left all five of them terrified.
Wang Li suddenly thought of the ginseng in her basket and instinctively tightened her grip on the straps, a flash of worry crossing her eyes, terrified that someone would discover it.
Hunter Li seemed to notice Wang Li’s strange behavior; his gaze swept over the basket, but he didn't ask any questions. He simply said, "It’s getting late. You should head down the mountain quickly. If you wait any longer, the path will be even harder to walk."