My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 247 Raising Snakes
"Chirp! Chirp!"

Suddenly, a few melodious bird calls reached Chen Ling's ears. He looked in the direction of the sound and found several strangely shaped birds flying over from the other side of the mountain stream. They were not afraid of them at all and boldly perched on a tree not far away, stretching their necks and singing loudly and clearly.

These birds are about the same size as sparrows, but much prettier.

White, maroon, brown...

It's astonishing that even among the same species of bird, there are so many different colors.

Moreover, their tails are very long, like colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind, which is extremely beautiful.

"What kind of bird is this? It's so beautiful. There are three different colors among just a few of them."

Chen Ling was immediately drawn to it, his face filled with amazement.

These birds seem to be similar to the golden pheasant, but they don't have the fiery red brilliance of the golden pheasant. Instead, they possess a different kind of ethereal beauty.

Hearing his son-in-law's exclamation, Wang Cunye turned his gaze away from the wild boar carcass and glanced at it. "Oh, this one? This bird is called 'One-Flower Bird,' which means it looks like a flower blooming on the mountain. It's incredibly beautiful."

"They also have another name, referring to their tails, which flutter around when they fly, like a ribbon; they are also called ribbon birds."

"These birds are quite interesting. The white one is called 'Liang Shanbo,' and the spotted one is called 'Zhu Yingtai.' Didn't you hear them when you were a child?"

"Ah? So this is Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai!" Chen Ling suddenly realized.

He had only seen this kind of bird a few times when he was a child.

Looking back now, perhaps I was too young at the time, and in a child's eyes, the bird might have seemed a bit too big.

Now that I see it, I can hardly recognize it.

Actually, when I first saw it, I thought it was beautiful. It felt like when it flew over from afar, the sun shone on it, and the birds seemed to be radiating light. It was so beautiful.

He saw three birds at that time.

Two large birds, one white and one spotted, with long tails, flew side by side. A third bird, slightly smaller and with a shorter tail, flew at the very back.

Then I pointed it out to my father, who said that it was the incarnation of Liang Shanbo, Zhu Yingtai, and Ma Wencai, and that the smaller one in the back was Ma Wencai. I still remember it quite well.

So when his father-in-law mentioned the ribbon bird, he only vaguely understood what it was, but when he heard about Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, he immediately remembered it.

"Dad, you know a lot, and you even talk about birds very eloquently."

Chen Ling looked up at the birds in the tree and said.

"Haha, this bird is also a medicinal ingredient; I know a bit more about it."

Wang Cunye smiled.

The paradise flycatcher, also known as the long-tailed bird, is frequently seen in traditional Chinese paintings and embroidery.

However, it is also an excellent traditional Chinese medicine.

It is used for intestinal bleeding and to stop toothache caused by cavities.

"That's it."

Chen Ling nodded and whistled at the ribbon-tailed birds in the tree: "These birds are really beautiful, especially the white one, with black hair, a white dress, and ribbons hanging from the dress. It looks like a fairy."

The white paradise flycatcher was indeed beautiful, with a graceful and flowing tail. When it stood on a branch and swayed its body, its long tail feathers fluttered like a soft ribbon.

It perfectly and vividly explains the origin of its name.

"What fairy? That's Liang Shanbo, a male. Stop looking at him. What's so interesting about a bird? These birds aren't easy to raise. Stop thinking about him. Our stuff is still behind us."

"Oh right, we haven't taken our supplies and herbs yet."

Chen Ling slapped his forehead and quickly turned back with his father-in-law. When the swarm of wild bees attacked, he was only concerned with escaping and didn't have time to worry about anything else.

However, they hadn't gone far when the area around the mountain stream suddenly became lively and noisy.

The father-in-law and son-in-law were surrounded by all sorts of bird calls—crisp, loud, hoarse, and deep—and even the somewhat gloomy environment of the place seemed to suddenly become full of life.

The two looked back in surprise and saw a dark mass of birds flying over, their numbers and species unknown. They landed one after another in the mountain stream and on the nearby trees.

A rough estimate puts there at several hundred.

They flew intermittently for a few minutes, some disappearing into the branches and leaves of trees, others landing in the mountain stream.

Soon, the surrounding trees were almost covered with fallen leaves.

But that's not all.

Flocks of birds continued to fly in from afar, some as large as geese, others as small as sparrows, some familiar and some not, all gathering here.

There is a trend of more and more people gathering together.

In this slightly dim environment, the sudden appearance of hundreds or even thousands of birds surging into the mountain stream is a truly spectacular sight.

Even Little Gold and the little weasels were stunned, gazing curiously at the spectacular sight of birds continuously falling into the mountain stream in the distance.

"What's going on? Why are so many birds suddenly flying in?" Wang Cunye frowned.

"Well, maybe there's a bird trail around here."

Chen Ling thought for a moment and said, "In the past, every autumn, many birds would fly over these mountains, and the noise and scene were even bigger than this."

Bird trails are places where birds frequently pass by.

Bird migration routes are generally surrounded by ample food, water, a safe environment, and special terrain that helps them orient themselves.

Bird Path, like an ancient post station.

Whether it's long-distance migration or localized activities, providing them with access roads also provides them with good water and food supplies.

"But it's not even autumn yet, so why are they already flying south?" Wang Cunye wondered.

"It hasn't entered autumn yet, probably because the surrounding provinces and cities have been flooded, and they were affected as well, which is why they flew outwards," Chen Ling guessed.

With so many birds around, they weren't afraid of people. The two of them stopped to watch for a while before returning the way they came, amidst Chen Ling's regret at not being able to take pictures because he had forgotten to buy a camera.

Before long, after returning to the canyon where they had gathered the hook vines, the monkeys and bees had disappeared.

Little Jin, however, trotted back from the edge of the nearby forest with a beehive and gently placed it in front of Chen Ling.

Before Chen Ling could say anything, his father-in-law was startled, "Oh dear, how did you manage to bring this thing back?"

"Aren't you afraid that the swarm of wild bees will come back and sting you?"

As he spoke, he quickly took out a piece of burlap from the bamboo basket, rolled up the honeycomb, and then poured out some medicinal powder from the gourd and carefully patted it onto the burlap until it was evenly mixed. Only then did he put it at the bottom of the bamboo basket and quickly weigh it down with a large bundle of hook vines.

This action left Chen Ling somewhat stunned, and he hurriedly asked, "Did you check if there's any honey in the beehive, Dad?"

"Oh, no need to look, it's definitely there, I can smell it."

Wang Cunye waved his hand and said, "Even if you don't trust my nose, you have to trust Xiao Jin. It's much more serious than Heiwa. It's not a dog that just picks up things randomly for fun."

These words flattered Xiao Jin so much that he was practically deaf. He stuck out his tongue and gave the old man a kind look, then wagged his tail and circled around Chen Ling, eager to claim credit.

"Alright, alright, it's so hot, stop mooching. I'll make you a good meal when we get home, just for you, no Heiwa allowed. Okay?" Chen Ling squatted down and patted Xiao Jin's head. Then, he and his father-in-law finished packing up all the hook vines and continued towards the location of the dendrobium.

……

"Look, this is another place where we need to mark the herbs so we can come and harvest them after autumn."

As they walked through the mountains, Wang Cunye taught his son-in-law some knowledge about herbal medicine. At this moment, he used a stick to clear away the weeds, turned to Chen Ling and said, "See this? This is asparagus. The purchase price is not bad."

Chen Ling quickly went over to take a look.

Asparagus has branch-like leaves that are small and very soft to the touch.

Moreover, some plants have pale green flowers, while others have red berries. "This thing is also called tiger's tail root, because it looks like the root of a tiger's tail."

"It's easy to find them. Asparagus usually grows in these barren, thorny thickets. If there's water nearby, it's easy to find them."

Listening to his father-in-law's words, Chen Ling silently wrote them down and then made a mark next to them.

"Look, this is wild hemp. Wild hemp is a little different from the cultivated hemp. This thing also has a name called 'sheep epilepsy grass,' because after sheep eat it, they will laugh like idiots, jump around wildly, roll down the hillside, and then they can't even control their own poop and pee."

Wang Cunye pointed to a type of herb and spoke to Chen Ling with a serious expression.

After explaining it, I warned him about the downsides of this thing.

“I know this, it’s similar to those duck slices.” Chen Ling nodded.

Wild hemp, also known as Dama, is not allowed to be cultivated by individuals.

Moreover, the harmful components in this plant vary depending on where it grows.

It is relatively easy to confuse with ordinary cultivated hemp.

The type of hemp that can be cultivated is hemp, also called fire hemp, which is the kind of hemp used for ordinary ropes and sacks. It is long and thin, with sparse branches and hollow internodes.

The fruit of the plant, hemp seeds, can be used in medicine.

However, wild hemp is different; its appearance changes as its growing environment changes.

Compared to hemp, it has more and denser branches, which are thick and short, with solid internodes, and produces more resin.

Although it can be used as a traditional Chinese medicine, excessive consumption of wild hemp seeds can cause hallucinations, similar to mushroom poisoning, where one may see fairies flying around and feel ethereal.

What's even more dangerous than mushrooms is that they're addictive.

Therefore, one must be cautious in both collecting and using medicinal herbs.

Wild hemp, Solomon's seal, gastrodia, tree fungus, and all kinds of medicinal herbs are everywhere.

The two walked and identified the objects as they went.

……

In the summer, the mountains are covered with lush green grass and blooming wildflowers.

Few people come to the deep mountains, and the wildflowers bloom very brightly. Along the way, various small flowers in pale yellow, light purple, and pink are hidden in the forest, and all kinds of wild fruits are adorning the branches. The fragrance of green fruit and flowers are mixed together, creating a unique aroma.

Soon these fruits will be ripe, and the mountains will be even more lively then.

The father-in-law and son-in-law walked along, searching for medicinal herbs. They marked the valuable ones and glanced at the worthless ones. Wang Cunye would then comment on them and continue on his way.

After crossing the mountains and forests, we turned into a valley. The valley was filled with large rocks and a babbling brook. Walking through it, we could see traces of the river changing its course several times. Thick moss covered the round, huge rocks, and tender yellow flowers bloomed by the water. We could feel the antiquity of the past, and at the same time, we could see the lush green life everywhere.

It possesses both the weathered charm of time and a refreshing beauty.

After winding and turning at the bottom of the valley, going upstream with the water, a large gray-white rock suddenly appeared before us. A rock, a mountain, the top of the rock was very flat and smooth, like a jade maiden, standing gracefully in front of us.

Chen Ling was surprised and amazed when he saw it. He reached out and touched it. The stone was extremely warm. He thought to himself that it must be very comfortable to lie on it and sunbathe in winter. This is a natural stone bed.

"Look, the dendrobium is right ahead."

Wang Cunye pointed ahead and said.

Then he looked up at the sky and saw that it was already noon. "Let's go up and pick some first, and then we can eat. Otherwise, I'll keep thinking about it."

"it is good."

Chen Ling nodded. Actually, the mountain where his father-in-law found the dendrobium was not high or steep, but the environment was relatively damp and there was a lot of moss. It was very slippery during the climb and it was easy to have an accident. The old man couldn't get it down by himself.

Just like when he was harvesting Uncaria rhynchophylla, Chen Ling found a safe spot near the rocks, tied a rope to it, and then went to dig for Dendrobium.

There are quite a few dendrobiums growing on this rocky mountain. They have oblong leaves and are about 20 to 30 centimeters tall. The main stem of the dendrobium is like sugarcane, cylindrical, with branches. The overall color is emerald green and very fresh. The leaves have a thick, fleshy feel, indicating that they are quite old.

Plus, the current season is just past its flowering period, making it perfect for harvesting.

"Pick the older ones, don't touch the younger ones."

After he went up, his father-in-law called out to remind him from below.

"understood."

Dendrobium orchids need to grow for a certain number of years before they can fetch a good price. If they are harvested too young, they won't sell for much money, and the roots of the Dendrobium orchids will be broken after being dug up. It's better to let them continue to grow.

Dendrobium is not commonly found in the Qinling Mountains, and is limited to a small section on the southern slope. Although this area borders three provinces and has a humid and hot environment for its growth, the quantity of Dendrobium is not much better than that of wild ginseng.

So when Chen Ling finished harvesting the dendrobium, he took the opportunity to collect a small section of its root into the cave.

Once inside the cave, this small section of roots is enough to multiply into a large area.

When Chen Ling came down, untied the hemp rope, and handed the dendrobium to his father-in-law,

The old man finally breathed a sigh of relief, a happy smile spreading across his face: "Alright, this haul is quite good."

"Dad, how much can we sell these for today?"

"How much does it cost? It should be at least a thousand or eight hundred." Wang Cunye calculated that five hundred grams of Dendrobium now costs around a thousand yuan, and with all that Uncaria rhynchophylla, it's definitely not bad.

After saying that, he picked up the dendrobiums and examined them one by one, looking extremely satisfied.

Even if I'm just staying at my son-in-law's house, I still need to do something.

Otherwise, herding sheep all day would be too boring.

It's still more comfortable to come to the mountains to collect herbs.

Gathering different herbs in different places is fresh and exciting.

Besides, they can be sold for some money; otherwise, it would be a bit unreasonable to always have the son-in-law take care of the eldest daughter and then the youngest.

"Well, at least we can make some money now. In a couple of days, we'll raise the snakes and teach my son-in-law how to raise them too." Wang Cunye thought to himself happily, then followed Chen Ling to the riverbank to cook a simple meal.

It was noon, and I was hungry. It would take half a day to walk back, so I decided to eat in the mountains instead.

Breakfast is simple, and so is lunch.

The leftover eggs, and the baked buns.

The steamed buns weren't seasoned much; they were just tossed into the woodpile and roughly roasted until the outer shell was charred and hard, like lumps of coal.

But once you peel off the charred outer layer and put it in your mouth, it's incredibly fragrant and sweet.

After eating, a drink of cool spring water is all that's needed.

And so, the father-in-law and son-in-law set off on their return journey, completely satisfied.

The two continued to chat as they walked.

"It's not too late yet. On the way back, come with me to catch a few nests of snakes, and we'll get some snake boxes to raise them," the old man said with a smile.

"Oh? You're raising snakes on a farm?"

Chen Ling was stunned. He already raised so many poultry. What if he also raised snakes? What if they escaped and harmed the poultry?

"Yes, you can keep them, don't worry. Keeping snakes can sometimes be a way to keep them away from snakes. I'll teach you a few tricks, otherwise, the chickens and ducks at the foot of the mountain are more likely to attract thieves to steal their eggs."

"Okay, but Dad, wouldn't it be the same if we went out to catch snakes?"

"It really is different. You don't know, the snakes in these mountains are much better."

(End of this chapter)