Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Yinqian Mountain, which is 2,000 meters high, has a metal vein in it that is rich in silver, hence the name Yinqian Mountain.

The entire Xizhen town is located at the foot of Yinqian Mountain.

According to the ancient records in the village, there were mines first, then pioneering villages, and finally the large Xizhen town.

This mine provided the metal tools needed for the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Heilongzhai, and the blast furnaces there also produced ceramics and glass.

Today, Yinqian Mountain, covered in snow and bathed in the morning sun, shines as if it were a mountain cast in silver.

In reality, Yinqian Mountain is barren, with its reddish-brown granite body riddled with pits, traces of quarrying by previous generations.

Nowadays, if you want to find something good, you have to go deep into the mountains and into the darkest caves.

Liu Xingmo drove the cart along the mountain road.

The closer they got to the mine, the less snow there was on either side of the road. In fact, wisps of white mist rose from the river ahead, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur.

The upper reaches of this river are hot springs.

Liu Xingmo knew he was very close to the mine.

After crossing a mountain pass, a large crack appeared in the mountain ahead, more than twenty meters high, from which a hot spring river, emitting white steam, gurgled out.

Liu Xingmo swung the reins and whipped the swift turtle into action.

As we drew closer, a mountain path carved into the rock, running alongside the hot spring river, stretched from the dark cave entrance to the pure white snowfield.

A warm feeling filled the air, and even the biting cold wind stopped in its tracks.

"Halt! Where did you come from? Do you have permission to enter the mountains?" A huge marmot suddenly emerged from the darkness.

"We plan to go inside and handle it," Liu Xingmo said calmly.

The groundhog's whiskers twitched, revealing its large front teeth: "Is a mine a place you can come and go as you please?"

Liu Xingmo reached out and hugged Su Mali: "My wife is a second-tier weapon refiner, and she just advanced this year."

Sumari opened her palm, and a blue flame ignited in her hand. The flame was not intense, but it contained extraordinary power within its stillness.

Its beady black eyes suddenly narrowed, and it retreated to the side of the road: "Go inside and find Manager Ishikawa directly; he will arrange accommodations for you."

"Thank you." Liu Xingmo urged Bao Hei to continue forward.

Entering the mine from the blinding snow, the environment suddenly darkened, and my eyes almost went blind.

The mountains and forests were left behind, and they entered the underground world.

The air grew increasingly stuffy, thick with the smells of charcoal smoke, pine resin, and sulfur from the volcanic hot springs.

After Liu Xingmo adjusted, he saw the lights that were shining in the darkness.

Those were rows of stone houses, built like steps on the mountainside, emitting a faint orange glow in the darkness.

A hot spring river, its origin unknown, bubbles and bubbles as it flows through a wide pit.

The old turtle continued forward, pulling the boxcart and the flatbed cart.

You can see workers bustling between the houses, and hear the clanging and tinkling sounds from a great distance.

Following the instructions, Liu Xingmo visited Steward Ishikawa.

It was a giant pangolin, its scales replaced by inlaid steel plates that gleamed wherever it went. This was a talkative old man, whose words revealed the wisdom of years.

Liu Xingmo and Su Mali got a nice house.

Bao Hei pulled the cart, climbing up the gentle, winding slope step by step until he reached the top floor of the stepped stone house.

The houses here are newly excavated and are more spacious than other low-rise houses.

Liu Xingmo found his new home. Pushing open the door, he found himself in a large room. There were small doors on both sides of the room, leading to side rooms. Windows were opened on the walls along the passageways, offering a view of the entire large pit in the mountainside.

The living conditions are passable. The biggest advantage is that it's warm. Compared to the outside of the mountains, it feels like early spring in the dead of winter.

Liu Xingmo began unloading goods and moving.

They carried all the firewood and straw from the cart into a side room.

The three rhinoceros beetles and the old scorpion, who had been huddled inside shivering, have now calmed down and are waking up from their half-asleep state, looking like they're about to come back to life.

A good omen.

We should take good care of Qinghei and try to breed it into a rare beast. Dahei, Erhei, and Sanhei can also help with some physical labor.

Liu Xingmo, covered in grass blades, finally emptied the cart.

Pots, pans, and other utensils were also moved into this room. From now on, this place will serve as both an insect enclosure and a kitchen.

Meanwhile, Sumari arranged another side room, which served as a bedroom and a place to store food.

Bao Hei took off his boots and cap, leaving only a deerskin vest.

Unable to live in a house, it could only block the road in front of the door. It was quite satisfied with its environment, looking at the bubbling hot spring river below, and even thought about jumping in for a bath.

After a busy day, all the belongings were settled.

Sumarie was busy preparing dinner in the new kitchen.

We're having rice today.

Liu Xingmo scooped out two bowls of rice with the husks still on, each grain the size of a fingertip.

Take out a sharp knife and make a slit in the hard shell. Squeeze with your thumb and forefinger to peel out the snow-white, crystal-clear rice grains.

Once everything is ready, put the rice in the pot, pour in cold water to cover the rice grains, and then turn on the fire to steam the rice.

Sumali also prepared a piece of cured meat, cut it into thin slices, arranged it in a flower shape in a circle on a porcelain plate, and steamed it in a rice pot.

The room was dark, with only the stove spewing flames and emitting a flickering red light.

Liu Xingmo sat on the ground, waiting for dinner, chatting with his wife: "Mary, do you know how to prospect for minerals?"

"I've read books on geological exploration, but I have absolutely no practical experience." Sumari took out a stick and poked at the firewood, making the fire burn even brighter.

"So you mean you don't know how?" Liu Xingmo rubbed his hands together and warmed them by the fire in front of the stove. "Then let's see if my skills can find the vein."

"Oh? Using that turtle's magical black magic?"

"Give it a try. But I still need to find a way to go out and let go of this bad luck."

"Even if it's found, who owns the mineral resources?"

"Well, that's true. Logically speaking, they're all from the same family."

……

Inside the stove, the thick grass stems crackled and popped as they burned.

Soon, the sweet aroma of rice filled the entire house.

Liu Xingmo sniffed: "Ah, finally I can eat rice to my heart's content! I've been waiting for a year, it's killing me."

"You still love rice so much." Sumali lifted the lid of the pot and scooped the cooked rice into a bowl.

"That's right. If this stuff weren't so expensive, I'd eat it every day." Liu Xingmo took the rice bowl, not caring that it was hot, and stuffed a grain of rice into his mouth.

The sweet and soft flavor spreads in your mouth, and it's also chewy. The tips of the rice grains near the bottom of the pot are baked into crispy rice crusts, with a crunchy and fragrant aroma.

Liu Xingmo chewed it repeatedly, finding it sweeter with each bite. Finally, he swallowed it, and a warm sensation spread from his stomach and intestines throughout his body, relieving all the fatigue of the day.

Sumali then brought out a bowl of steamed cured pork, and poured a little vinegar and soy sauce on top.

Liu Xingmo ate the cured meat with rice, which added another layer of flavor.

He wolfed down his food.

Just then, a sweet, delicate voice came from outside the window: "Oh dear~, whose turtle is this? It's blocking the way!"

Liu Xingmo frowned.

Judging from the voice, it sounds like Liu San Niang? Why is she down in the mine too?