Chen Xiaobei nodded, pretending to understand, but in reality, he had no clue. He couldn't fathom why the Emperor was so concerned about such a desolate mountain.
However, these were not matters for him to consider.
After acquiring the repeating crossbow, Chen Xiaobei turned to buy several large water vats, along with some ceramic flower pots and five fishing nets. Once everything was done, he loaded his cart to the brim and prepared to head home.
While Chen Xiaobei was busy with his purchases, at Chen Ping's home in Hetou Village, Chen Dayong, Chen Xiaobo, and others had also gathered.
As the saying goes, people die for wealth, and birds die for food.
The group convened, brimming with excitement. Chen Xiaobo, upon seeing them, impatiently asked, "Brother Chen Ping, when are we heading up the mountain?"
Chen Ping chuckled, "We'll leave shortly. By the way, we'll enter the mountain through the woods west of the village to avoid being seen."
"Right, the fewer people who know about this, the better," Chen Dayong quickly added.
"Also, I need to tell you all something else. As the saying goes, 'a long stream flows far.' We can't clear out all the ginseng and lingzhi today. Each person can take a maximum of two ginseng roots and two lingzhi plants. Do you all hear me?"
"Anyone who dares to take more, I'll never bring them along again."
Chen Ping's words caused everyone to exchange glances. Chen Xiaobo was the first to speak, "Brother Chen Ping, we've gone through the trouble of going. Why not take more back? If we leave them there, who knows which scoundrel might benefit."
Hearing his words, Chen Ping's expression turned serious. "Have you considered this? The six of us, each taking two ginseng roots, that's twelve. And tell me, in a county like Qingniu, with only three pharmacies, can they possibly consume this much at once?"
"If we dig them up and can't sell them, won't we lose money if they're stuck with us?"
Upon hearing Chen Ping's explanation, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they busied themselves giving him thumbs up.
"Brother Chen Ping is right. Everyone should be mindful and not dig up more than their share. Otherwise, don't expect to join us again."
Chen Ping nodded, seemingly pleased with their agreement. "Furthermore, I'm taking you there once. Don't think about going by yourselves later. I'm warning you, there are wolves in these mountains. If you don't follow me and encounter a wolf pack, you know the consequences."
"That's right. There are wild beasts in these mountains. My grandfather told me stories when I was a child," Chen Xiaobo quickly chimed in to support him.
Seeing that his initial objective was met, Chen Ping was overjoyed.
This first step, it seemed, was a good one.
"Brother Chen Ping, let's go. We can talk on the way," someone finally said, unable to contain their impatience.
Chen Ping finally nodded, leading them out of the courtyard. The group hurried towards the western end of the village.
The last house on the west belonged to Carpenter Zhang. Seeing so many people pass by, he was quite surprised. "Isn't that Captain Chen Ping? Where are you all off to?"
Chen Ping waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, alright, focus on your carpentry. Mind your own business."
Carpenter Zhang was left speechless and could only silently turn back to his work.
Chen Ping, not being entirely familiar with the path into the mountain, wandered for a long time in the dense woods. Finally, he emerged from the thicket, oriented himself, and headed towards the Mountain God Temple.
By the time they reached the Mountain God Temple, it was noon, and everyone's stomachs were growling.
Fortunately, they had come prepared, each bringing some dry rations for the journey up the mountain.
Chen Ping sat down on the stone steps at the entrance of the Mountain God Temple.
"It's still about five or six li to our destination. Let's rest here and have a bite to eat."
As they sat down to eat, they began to fantasize about what they would do with the money from selling the ginseng.
Chen Xiaobo chuckled, "I need to save up five taels of silver to buy a donkey, so I can get married."
His remark sent the others into fits of laughter.
Suddenly, Chen Dayong jumped to his feet.
"What did you hear?"
His abrupt question startled everyone. They listened intently, but there was no sound. Chen Ping couldn't help but laugh.
"Brother Dayong, I think you're scaring yourself. What sound could there possibly be?"
Before he could finish speaking, a low howl echoed from afar.
This time, everyone heard it. Chen Xiaobo leaped to his feet.
"That sounds like a wolf howl!"
"Yes, it's a wolf howl," a villager immediately agreed.
Within a few moments, the group snapped back to reality, and almost in unison, they turned and fled down the mountain.
After running for about half a li, several more howls could be heard behind them, much closer now.
Chen Dayong glanced back and saw several gray shadows appearing on the distant steps.
What now? If they kept running, they would be caught within two li.
He turned and saw several large trees nearby. Chen Dayong immediately had an idea.
He quickened his pace to a tree, and with a few agile movements, he scrambled up.
Once he reached a high branch, he shouted down to the others, "Stop running! Quickly, climb the trees!"
The others finally came to their senses.
Having grown up at the foot of the mountain, climbing trees was a necessary skill.
Chen Ping was the last to climb. He had only ascended about ten feet when several gray shadows darted to the base of the tree.
A large wild wolf suddenly sprang upwards, almost biting his heels.
Chen Ping, startled, quickly retracted his leg and climbed a couple more feet.
Now, he was safe. Chen Ping let out a sigh of relief.
The wolves, for a while, growled and barked at the people in the trees.
Fortunately, the trees were thick, and Chen Ping and the others had climbed high enough. After their efforts, the wolves were ultimately unsuccessful.
However, the wolves clearly had no intention of leaving. They tilted their heads back and let out howl after howl into the air, a dozen or so in succession, before lazily settling down at the base of the trees.
They had even begun to doze off.
At this point, the villagers had also gotten over their initial panic.
Chen Ping shouted loudly, "Everyone, don't be afraid. We have food and water, so let's just outlast these beasts. They'll leave eventually."
His words were met with widespread agreement.
"Exactly, exactly. With food and drink, what are we afraid of? If we wait until dark, they'll definitely leave."
Clearly, they hadn't yet grasped the true extent of the danger. They were still joking and laughing.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaobei had already returned from the county town.
The reason for his late return was that Liu Rumei had arranged for someone to thoroughly instruct him on how to use the repeating crossbow.
After over an hour of training, Chen Xiaobei had basically mastered the operation of the repeating crossbow. The most important points were to hold it steady, aim accurately, and fire quickly. In essence, it boiled down to three principles: speed, accuracy, and stability.
Seeing him bring back so many of them, Cui Hongyu was puzzled.
"Husband, why did you get so many repeating crossbows?"
Chen Xiaobei replied mysteriously, "When I went into the mountains last time, I heard wolf howls. These are for self-defense."
Upon hearing this, Cui Hongyu's face also became tense. "If that's the case, then you shouldn't go into the mountains anymore."