Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

Su Wanqing waved her hand: "No need, I'll go for a walk with you first. I've already informed Old Zhang; they're going to set up monitoring points and lay cables this afternoon, and I can't help with operating those instruments."

Of course she wanted to go out with Zhou Yanshen, not only to hunt some game to improve their lives, but also to explore the surrounding area for any clues about beryllium ore.

……

The afternoon exploration work officially began.

The terrain in this area is complex, consisting of rolling hills on one side and steep mountains on the other. To search for beryllium ore, a survey line must first be laid out, scanning bit by bit with magnetometers and gravimeters. The instruments are very heavy, some weighing tens of kilograms and others over a hundred, and they have to be carried into the mountains by people on their shoulders. A measuring point is set up every fifty meters, data is recorded, anomalies are marked, and then the line is moved to the next point. Walking a one-kilometer survey line takes at least half a day.

Old Zhang and Li Guodong are at odds again.

Li Guodong's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Pointing to a rocky slope, he complained, "I told you we should have started with my route! I thought it through carefully—that route is closer to the highway, and cars can drive to the foot of the mountain, saving time, effort, and money! This route, on the other hand, plunges straight into the deep mountains and forests, relying entirely on people carrying and oxen pulling! Look at this road, we either have to carry the equipment over the mountain or take a ten-mile detour! It's risky and inefficient. What do we do now?"

Old Zhang opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but suddenly remembered that Su Yatou had gone out to scout the terrain—well, without the humanoid detector, he was no match for the three of them, master and apprentice. He shrank back and said weakly, "Fine, fine, you're right, you're in charge today."

Li Guodong snorted, finally regaining some ground. But then he frowned: "Where's your precious girl? Where did she run off to at a time like this?"

"They've gone out to survey the terrain; that's serious business," Old Zhang straightened his back. "That girl is really skilled in this area."

Li Guodong sneered, "At least she knows how to do something worthwhile."

……

On the other side, Su Wanqing followed Zhou Yanshen on horseback patrol.

This mountainous area offers a wide view, with rolling grasslands and layers of mountains in the distance. The meadows are golden in late autumn, dotted with scattered spruce trees, creating a magnificent scene. The only downside is the wind; it feels like tiny knives on your face.

Su Wanqing pulled her coat tighter and tucked her trousers into her socks—the grass was so thick in this area, and if a grasshopper got stuck, it would be no joke. The patrolling soldiers were all experienced and fully armed.

She rode on horseback, Zhou Yanshen holding the reins, their pace quick. He stood ramrod straight, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, occasionally crouching down to examine the tracks on the ground. As they walked, he explained, "We need to search the surrounding twenty li for any traces of wild animals or danger. We also need to be on the lookout for anything unusual; if there are any poachers or suspicious individuals, we have to make a note of them."

Su Wanqing nodded, keeping her 30-meter passive perception ability active. She wouldn't use a paid one, but she figured she might as well use the free one.

She hadn't walked far when she found a lot of wild vegetables and mushrooms. Wild mushrooms in Xinjiang are very plump in autumn, growing in clusters in the meadows. She pointed, and Zhou Yanshen stopped to pick them, soon filling a small half-basket.

Just as she was happily collecting the snakes, Su Wanqing caught a glimpse of a dense cluster of small holes on a distant hillside—snake burrows. These snakes were sand pythons, unique to Xinjiang. They were non-venomous, small in size but very plump, with tender meat and few spines, making them excellent for soup.

Before she could speak, Zhou Yanshen had already squatted down, staring at the several small holes on the ground and the fresh excrement at the entrances, his eyes lighting up: "There are snake holes. Wanqing, you wait here, I'll go get some good stuff."

His voice finally showed some emotion—being able to catch some wild game for a treat when on a mission was the happiest thing.

Su Wanqing nodded with a smile, without reminding him what kind of snake it was.

In less than five minutes, Zhou Yanshen returned carrying a bulging sack, a rare smile on his face: "The whole family of six is ​​here." Six sand pythons, each fatter than the last, wriggled around in the sack.

Su Wanqing swallowed hard: "Let's make snake soup tonight, and roast a few more. I brought ginger slices, goji berries, red dates, and cooking wine—I guarantee it will taste ten times better than what you used to roast."

Zhou Yanshen recalled past missions where they would catch snakes and throw them into the fire; roasting them and sprinkling salt on them was considered a luxury. Now… his mouth was already watering.

This uninhabited area is rarely visited, but it has abundant water and an astonishing abundance of wild game. In addition to snakes, they also found a nest of wild eggs, collected several kilograms of wild mushrooms, and even encountered a few slow-moving wild rabbits.

Taking advantage of Zhou Yanshen's inattention, Su Wanqing secretly released three silly-looking rabbits from her spatial storage—the batch she kept in her space had multiplied to several hundred, and they were so fat they could barely walk. Since she hadn't seen any rabbits in the mountains, she decided to create some herself.

Zhou Yanshen was quick-witted and agile, catching them one by one with each stone. He picked them up and looked at them, feeling that these rabbits looked somewhat like the ones he kept at home, but then he shook his head—how could that be? Could the rabbits at home have escaped to this deep mountain?

He casually stuffed the rabbit into his basket.

When the two returned to camp after their patrol, their horses were laden with sacks and baskets, a testament to their successful mission.

……

However, this good mood only lasted until the moment they stepped into the camp.

The atmosphere in the camp was tense. It was eerily quiet, and everyone's face was grave. As soon as Su Wanqing dismounted, Commander Zhao rushed over as if he'd seen a savior:

"Xiao Su! You're finally back! Quickly, there are wounded inside waiting for you to treat them!"

Su Wanqing was taken aback: "Didn't you go out to set up the sites this afternoon? How come you're back so soon?" The sun hadn't even set yet, and the equipment had already been taken out. This efficiency is not right.

Commander Zhao wiped his sweat and spoke rapidly: "Don't even mention it, it was really weird! We were setting up our positions along the route you chose, and halfway there, a section of the mountain suddenly shifted, and a pile of rubble rolled down! Several soldiers used their bodies as cushions to protect the equipment and got badly hit! Some of the equipment was also damaged, so we had to retreat. The medic couldn't handle it all by himself; there were still five or six people inside who hadn't been treated..."

Old Zhang also came out of the tent, looking exhausted. He sighed and shook his head: "An inauspicious start."

Li Guodong followed them out and immediately saw the wild vegetable basket Su Wanqing was carrying, then the sack Zhou Yanshen was carrying on his shoulder and the wild rabbit in his hand. His face turned dark on the spot.

He had been holding in his anger all afternoon, and now it all exploded:

"What kind of time is this? You still have the mind to go sightseeing, picking wild vegetables and hunting game? We're here risking our lives, our machines are smashed, our people are injured, and you guys go out for a stroll and come back carrying this junk! What did I say in the first place? This route should never have been chosen! You're just a young girl, what do you know about prospecting for minerals? You choose a route, pack your bags, and leave, making us risk our lives for you? Now look what's happened, we've suffered heavy losses before even getting started, are you happy? Satisfied?"