Chapter 117: Hidden Valley

Xiao Weiguo stood outside, using his mind to perceive the hillside within his spatial dimension. Compared to before, the changes were significant; it was now covered with various fruit trees. After counting them, he realized he had essentially collected all the fruit trees native to this mountain. Intending to head back, he recalled how that snake earlier had truly given him a fright.

In a daze, Xiao Weiguo thought he heard someone shouting for help. He paused, listening intently. It was indeed coming from the north. Since anyone active in these mountains could be an acquaintance from his own brigade, he decided he had to investigate. He rushed toward the direction of the cries.

Halfway up the slope, the sound became clearer, and he could faintly hear the thud of something colliding with a tree. He hurried forward. Soon, he spotted an old man with a basket on his back, clinging to a tree and shouting for help periodically. Below the tree were three wild boars—one large and two small—constantly ramming the trunk. The adult boar kept snarling at the man above. The tree was not very sturdy, and under the impact of the boars, it swayed dangerously.

Xiao Weiguo had no idea what the old man had done to provoke such fury, but he couldn't just turn around and leave. He had to help—partly to save a life, and partly because he had his eye on the meat of those three boars.

He contemplated how to proceed. If he were alone, he could simply tuck the boars into his spatial dimension, but with a living person in the tree, he couldn't do that. Breaking a sturdy branch from a nearby tree as a defensive tool, he shouted, "Old man! I’m going to lure the boars away. Run as soon as I do—answer me if you hear me!"

He planned to lead the boars to a secluded area and then snatch them into his space, killing two birds with one stone.

"Yes, yes! I hear you! Be careful, young man!" Zhang Shanjiang, hearing that someone was coming to his rescue, nearly burst into tears. He had resigned himself to the fact that his old life was about to end here. He had spent his whole life gathering herbs in these mountains, and to think he would meet his end at the hands of three wild boars—he had felt utterly ashamed while shouting for help. He never expected a miracle; he would surely thank this young man properly later.

Xiao Weiguo didn't know what was going through the old man's mind. He picked up a few stones and threw them hard at the boars, focusing on the large one, while shouting loudly. Gradually, the boars' attention shifted. A stone landed squarely on the large boar's snout, and unable to bear it any longer, the beast abandoned the man in the tree and charged toward Xiao Weiguo.

Xiao Weiguo immediately retreated. When he looked back and saw the old man was no longer in sight, he stopped to wait for the boars to walk right into his trap. The three boars came crashing through the brush, and the moment they reached a distance of about fifteen or sixteen meters, they vanished into thin air. After days of practice, his mental reach had extended to sixteen meters.

Inside his space, he quickly slaughtered the three boars and set them aside for later. He had no desire to eat uncastrated boars, which were notoriously gamey; it would be better to sell them for cash.

He returned to the tree, but the old man was already gone. Xiao Weiguo chased after him. Seeing a figure walking down the mountain, he shouted, "Old man, wait for me! I've led the boars away, don't worry!"

Hearing the young man's voice, Zhang Shanjiang stopped in surprise and turned around, calling out, "Good, good! Thank you, young man!"

As Xiao Weiguo caught up, he saw the man was in his late sixties or seventies. Though his hair was grey, he looked robust. His basket was full of herbs; he must be a professional herbalist.

"Old man, are you out picking herbs? I thought the commune banned that now?" Xiao Weiguo asked.

At the mention of this, Zhang Shanjiang's excitement faded into melancholy. "Indeed, it's banned now. I fear the craft of our village will be lost forever. Young man, thank you for today. It’s nearly noon; come home with me for a meal. I live in the Banpo Brigade, not far from here."

Banpo Brigade—formerly Banpo Village. Xiao Weiguo knew of it. He hadn't realized he had traveled so far. The village was tucked deep in the mountains, built halfway up a slope, hence the name "Banpo."

Having nothing better to do, Xiao Weiguo agreed. "Alright, sir, I’ll take you up on that. By the way, I’m Xiao Weiguo, from the Xiao Family Brigade outside the mountains. You might have heard of it."

Zhang Shanjiang nodded. "Certainly. Your village is a large one compared to ours; we only have a little over a hundred households. By the way, I haven't introduced myself. I’m Zhang Shanjiang, the village doctor. That's why I'm still allowed to pick a few herbs in my spare time without the brigade confiscating them."

So that was it. Xiao Weiguo had been curious how the old man was still gathering herbs. The profession of an herbalist would be suppressed for over a decade, but as long as one did it discreetly and kept it out of the public eye, it was manageable. Even the supply and marketing cooperative buyers would often secretly purchase processed herbs from the commune members. As long as there were no complaints, it was fine.

Suddenly, Zhang Shanjiang warned, "Weiguo, be careful on this stretch. We're about to pass through Venomous Snake Valley. Keep tapping the ground with your stick to scare them away."

*Venomous Snake Valley?* Xiao Weiguo had never heard of it, but in both his lifetimes, he had always been terrified of such creatures. He grew alert. "Grandpa Zhang, is it that deep valley on the left? It looks quite steep and difficult to traverse. Are there really that many snakes?"

"Not just many—it's terrifying. I wandered into it once and was so scared I came home with a three-day fever. The valley is surrounded by sheer stone walls; it's impossible to climb down. It's a shame, really. The valley floor is incredibly fertile—at least fifty mu of land. If that were planted with crops, think of how much more grain we could have," Zhang Shanjiang sighed.

*Fifty mu of land?* This was an excellent spot. Especially with the difficult years ahead, if things became dire, he could potentially reclaim this place. With proper protection, the snakes could even be a source of food, and fifty mu of land was no small amount. During the hard times, many people hid in the mountains, and some villages even organized secret, unofficial farms in remote areas. This valley would be an ideal location for such a venture.

Xiao Weiguo silently noted the location and followed Zhang Shanjiang toward the brigade.