After breakfast, Lin Moyang changed into his work clothes. He then shouldered his wicker basket, locked the door with Shen Youwei, and the two set off for the mountain, sickles in hand.
The cluster of matsutake mushrooms he had discovered that morning had sparked a bold idea in Lin Moyang's mind: developing a business in mountain goods. So, taking advantage of the post-rain dampness, he and Shen Youwei were heading up the mountain to hunt for mushrooms like shiitake and termite mushrooms. If they could find any, they could transplant them to the pine forest for cultivation.
Coincidentally, that pine forest was private land belonging to the Old Lin Family. Under the guise of developing side-line food products, Lin Moyang could openly farm the mushrooms. While these goods weren't worth much at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, they were highly valuable in Sakura Country—matsutake, for example, fetched prices twenty to sixty times higher there than in the domestic market. This disparity had led to many opportunists buying them up in bulk on the black market at high prices. He would definitely have to tap into that black market. It was risky, but with enough caution, he could navigate it without issue. Besides, once the doors to a free-market economy swung open, such profitable opportunities would vanish.
As for the matsutake in the pine forest, Lin Moyang planned to wait until everyone was asleep at night before harvesting them. If he went in broad daylight and was spotted by a passerby, the risk of dealing with the black market would skyrocket.
They left the house and walked along the village path toward the northeast. After passing about ten households, they reached a fork in the road. Lin Moyang didn't hesitate, taking the wide cattle path on the far right. The first stop of their journey was a junction along this path.
"Y-Yang, Brother Yang... are we going to catch a wild boar?" Shen Youwei asked cautiously, trailing behind him.
Lin Moyang couldn't help but laugh to himself. The two of them, armed with nothing but a pair of sickles, were going to catch a wild boar? It was more likely the boar would catch them!
"Those wild boars are vicious. Are you scared?" Lin Moyang asked with a chuckle, not bothering to deny it.
Shen Youwei shook her head. "No... I'm not scared. You... you surely wouldn't leave me behind, right?" She turned her head, looking at him with an expectant expression.
"Haha..." Lin Moyang couldn't keep a straight face anymore. "Xiaowei, if I get eaten by a wild boar, you'll be a young widow."
"Pah, pah, pah!" Shen Youwei spat three times in rapid succession—something she had never done before. "That's bad luck." After all, Lin Moyang was her only support now, and she didn't want any accidents to befall him.
Seeing her serious expression, Lin Moyang stopped teasing her. "Don't worry, we aren't going to hunt any boars!"
As they spoke, they reached a fork at the foot of the mountain. Without stopping, Lin Moyang led the way onto a small trail at the base.
"Hm?" Shen Youwei looked confused. "We aren't going into the mountains?"
"We are, how could we not?" Lin Moyang said as he walked. "But we need to go check out Diaoshui Cliff first."
Hearing "Diaoshui Cliff," Shen Youwei froze in her tracks, unable to move. The villagers called it "Hang-Yourself Cliff." Although it was the mountain closest to the village, no one ever went there. According to local legends, back when the Sakura Country forces invaded, a group of soldiers was besieged at Diaoshui Cliff. The cornered Sakura Country general, unwilling to surrender, led his subordinates to hang themselves from the tree branches atop the cliff. Just thinking about the scene was chilling—who would dare tempt fate? The area had been abandoned, and the path leading there was long since choked with vines and brush, making it impossible to traverse.
Learning that Lin Moyang intended to go there, Shen Youwei was instantly overcome with fear. This man was good in every way, but he could be a bit eerie!
Seeing her stop, Lin Moyang understood her concerns. "Don't worry, you can wait for me at the intersection. I'll go alone!"
"But... it's very... very evil." It wasn't that she didn't dare go; she was afraid for him.
Lin Moyang smiled and gently stroked Shen Youwei's head. "Forget it, we have the living Bodhisattva protecting us. Let's go."
He turned to leave, but after only two steps, noticing she wasn't following, he turned back and said with a smile, "I promise you, if there's any danger, I'll run immediately. How's that?"
"T-that's... better!" Shen Youwei muttered stammeringly before finally following him.
Chatting as they walked, they eventually reached the end of the small path. It was just as he had expected: the area was surrounded by dense woods, thickets, and vines. There was no path at all. Lin Moyang scanned the surroundings, searching for an opening by looking for faint traces of an old trail. Eventually, he identified a way into the mountain.
"Xiaowei, wait here for me while I go inside to check," Lin Moyang said with a smile, trying his best not to let her feel afraid.
Shen Youwei didn't speak; she seemed to be pondering something. Thinking she had agreed, Lin Moyang turned to head inside. However, she followed right behind him, clearly intending to go into the mountain together.
Lin Moyang turned back, patiently urging her again, "Be good, wait for me here. I'll go take a look and be right back."
Shen Youwei moved her lips, looked at him pleadingly, and stepped forward. "Together!"
Seeing her resolute expression, Lin Moyang couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Fine, stay behind me."
"Mm!" A flash of joy crossed her face as she nodded.
Lin Moyang then nested her wicker basket inside his own and used the sickle to clear a path ahead. Along the way, they were mostly hunched over. The ground was covered in lush green grass, made slippery by last night's heavy rain, but the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass. Lin Moyang moved slowly, hacking and pausing, checking every inch of the ground for fear of snakes. Every few steps, he would look back to ensure Shen Youwei was safe and sound. Feeling his concern, she moved carefully, sticking close behind him. Because of this, their progress was very slow.
After a long while, the sound of splashing water reached their ears, growing clearer with every step. Lin Moyang habitually looked back, only to find that Shen Youwei was a dozen meters behind him, staring blankly to the side as if she had spotted something.
"What's wrong?" Lin Moyang asked softly.
Instead of replying, she raised her sickle and pointed in the direction she was looking. Lin Moyang followed her gesture, but saw nothing.
"Is it a snake?" Lin Moyang asked in a hushed, cautious tone, a flicker of unease rising in his heart.
Shen Youwei shook her head. Relieved, Lin Moyang set his basket down and crouched, moving quickly toward her. Once at her side, he looked in the direction she was pointing. Underneath a loose rock on the slope, a piece of military-green fabric was pressed into the dirt. Had the rock not shifted, it would never have been discovered!
On the fabric, one could faintly make out a yellow and red striped epaulet, with a five-pointed star near the edge. Lin Moyang's heart leaped into his throat. In his previous life, he had seen these in history books—this was, at the very least, a lieutenant colonel's rank insignia!