CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: UP THE MOUNTAIN AGAIN

EDITOR: CTCTRANS

The next day

The morning sunshine accompanied by the gentle breeze filtered through the lush leaves outside the window, softly spilling inside.

Shen Qinglan shielded her eyes with her hand and took a good while before crawling out of bed.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A sudden rapid knocking on the door sounded, followed by Shen Qingzhu’s somewhat excited voice: "Third sister, third sister, get up, Uncle and I are going hunting on the mountain. Are you coming?"

Shen Qinglan stretched slowly, then replied leisurely: "I’m going."

She dressed and then opened the door.

Shen Qingzhu said: "Hurry up and freshen up, Uncle is still waiting for us."

Shen Qinglan looked up and indeed saw Shen He sitting in the yard, chatting with Shen Shan.

She went into the kitchen to rinse her mouth with salt, washed her face, and ate the cake made by Dong Yao before heading out together with Shen Qingzhu and Shen He.

Lishui Village is established on the banks of a large river called Yingyang River. Because it lies in the east, every time the sun rises, the mist over the lake clears, leaving behind a shimmering reflection.

The paddy fields of Lishui Village are distributed in two places on the middle and lower reaches of the river.

It was early autumn, and the rice in the fields was half ripe, looking down from the mountain, the alternating colors of green and yellow were very beautiful.

In the past few days, Shen Qinglan had been preoccupied with making money and hadn’t noticed such magnificent scenery.

"Third sister, let’s go!"

Seeing Shen Qinglan standing by the boulder, staring in a daze at the mountain, Shen Qingzhu couldn’t help but remind her.

Shen Qinglan snapped back to reality and heard Shen He advising: "There are many traps on the mountain, be careful when you walk, and don’t step carelessly on places with thick leaves."

Speaking of which, Shen Qingzhu remembered Shen Qinglan’s various behaviors when she first went hunting on the mountain.

She seemed to know where there were traps and where there weren’t.

Sometimes, where he thought was safe to go, Shen Qinglan would avoid, and where he thought was unsafe, Shen Qinglan would deliberately step.

Later, Shen Qinglan didn’t go the path he thought was safe, and when he tested it with something, there were indeed traps, making him secretly admire Shen Qinglan’s sensitivity to danger.

Lishui Village has no less than dozens of households, and Shen He’s traps are not the only ones set in the mountains. Besides, even Shen He can’t necessarily remember where all his traps are, let alone other people’s.

That’s also why he’s hesitant to venture into the depths of the forest.

Usually, he just wanders around the outer circle of the forest at the foot of the mountain and returns home if he doesn’t find any game.

Shen He checked the traps one by one, and although he didn’t catch any big game, there were some small ones.

Like wild chickens and rabbits, not many, totaling just three or four.

The purpose of Shen He’s trip to the mountain was not only to check the traps but also to witness Shen Qinglan’s skill in hunting with stones.

For this reason, he specifically asked Shen Qingzhu to pack a small bag of pebbles.

The deeper they went, the more tranquil the forest became.

Shen He led the way with a scythe, clearing the path for the two.

"Watch out!"

As Shen He was about to pull and cut a branch, Shen Qinglan suddenly spoke.

Startled by this unexpected voice, Shen He instinctively released his grip, only to see a green thing fly out.

Shen Qingzhu exclaimed: "It’s a green snake!"

Shen Qinglan said: "It’s a bamboo pit viper."

If accidentally bitten, it wouldn’t be a laughing matter.

Fortunately, Shen He’s quick reflexes allowed him to quickly release his hand.

Shen He, shocked, clutched his chest and said: "This snake is very venomous! Oh dear, I almost got bitten!"

Though a bite from a bamboo pit viper may not be deadly, it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.