These matsutake mushrooms weighed at least ten pounds each, and their appearance was even better than those he had seen on television.
He remembered that last year, a farmer had found quite a few matsutake mushrooms while picking wild fungi on the mountain. He sold them for eleven hundred yuan per pound.
The matsutake mushrooms he had found not only looked better but were also much larger. He figured he could sell them for two thousand yuan per pound.
The biggest problem now was what to carry them in. He had brought nothing but a sickle, which wasn't much use.
Without any bags, his hands could only carry so many.
Just then, the howling of wolves echoed nearby, instantly making his heart race.
"Tongtong, wolves are coming, don't make a sound!" he whispered.
"Daddy, don't be scared. We sprayed the potion, they won't dare to come closer," Tongtong replied with an air of blissful ignorance.
Liu Yifeng wasn't sure if Tongtong was fearless due to his young age and naivete, or if the potion truly had such a miraculous effect.
All he knew was that if a wolf pounced, it could bite off his head in an instant.
So, listening to the wolves' calls, his heart pounded in his chest.
The wolves' cries grew closer. Liu Yifeng dared not make a sound. He held Tongtong close, ready to run with his son if the wolves attacked. While it was highly unlikely a person could outrun a wolf, not running meant certain death.
The air was thick with tension. The earlier cawing of crows had ceased the moment the wolves' howls began.
And there wasn't just one wolf; there were at least three, meaning there was a wolf pack.
Liu Yifeng never knew there were wolves in their deep mountains until he came to look for medicinal herbs.
If these wolves were to appear in the village, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The wolf sounds grew closer, originating from behind Liu Yifeng.
He slowly shifted his body to look back.
What he saw nearly made him faint.
Three wolves were baring their teeth at him and Tongtong, their poised stances suggesting an imminent attack.
He was only ten meters away from the wolves. If they charged, they could be on him in seconds.
"Tongtong, didn't you say that after we sprayed the potion, any wild beast would be scared away?
Why... why are they still staring at us?" Liu Yifeng asked nervously in a low voice.
At the same time, he was ready to bolt.
Tongtong said with childlike innocence, "They're too far away to smell it. They can only smell it within five meters."
"You... why didn't you say so earlier? If they can only smell it up close, and they pounce before they react, won't we be in big trouble?" Liu Yifeng's voice trembled with a hint of tears.
This was the first time he felt that Tongtong could be unreliable.
Just as Liu Yifeng was at a loss, the three wolves were also assessing Liu Yifeng's strength.
If they sensed he was weaker, they would seize the opportunity to attack.
Time ticked by, second by second. It wasn't particularly hot, but Liu Yifeng was already drenched in sweat. Heaven knew how tormented he felt.
He had a premonition that he might lose his life here today.
"Awoo!"
Just then, the lead wolf let out a long howl, and the other two wolves split up, seemingly preparing to surround Liu Yifeng.
It had to be said that wolves were quite intelligent, knowing how to surround their prey from all directions.
Seeing this, Liu Yifeng exclaimed, "It's over, it's over! There's nowhere to run now."
Once their formation was set, the three wolves attacked simultaneously. Liu Yifeng instinctively shielded Tongtong tightly, ready to be bitten first.
As the wolves approached within four or five meters, they let out a howl that only emerged from extreme fear, as if they had been attacked.
Immediately, the three wolves scattered and vanished in an instant.
This sudden turn of events left Liu Yifeng stunned where he stood. This... this was too miraculous!
"Daddy, Tongtong didn't lie to you, did he? I said no wild beast would dare to attack us after we sprayed the potion.
Let alone wolves, even tigers wouldn't dare to attack us!" Tongtong said like a little adult.
Liu Yifeng immediately gave him a thumbs-up: "Tongtong, you're amazing!"
Now, Liu Yifeng was completely unafraid.
He put Tongtong down and busied himself picking wild mushrooms.
He would pick the wild mushrooms first. If necessary, he could take off his jacket and use it to carry them.
As for finding medicinal herbs, he would deal with that after picking these mushrooms, as they represented tangible income.
He didn't even know if he would find any medicinal herbs. Coming to such a dangerous place and encountering wolves, he couldn't return empty-handed; that would be too much of a loss.
"Daddy, this is a poisonous red mushroom. It will cause diarrhea if eaten. Don't pick it!" Tongtong warned.
The hand Liu Yifeng had extended quickly retracted. He gave an embarrassed chuckle: "Daddy was picking too fast!"
"The brighter the color of the mushroom, the more poisonous it is, Daddy. You can't pick them carelessly. You have to be careful!"
"Okay, Daddy understands. Thanks for the reminder, Tongtong!"
Before long, Liu Yifeng and Tongtong had picked all the wild mushrooms they could find nearby.
Looking at the pile of wild mushrooms on the ground, which was almost a small mountain, Liu Yifeng felt a headache coming on. The mushrooms were picked, but getting them out of the mountain was a significant challenge.
"Daddy, do you not know what to use to carry the wild mushrooms?" Tongtong asked from the side.
Liu Yifeng thought of his son's clever mind and quickly asked, "Tongtong, do you have a way?"
"Ta-da! Look what I have!" Tongtong pulled something out of his pocket.
Liu Yifeng's eyes lit up as he saw the bag in Tongtong's hand. "Tongtong, why did you bring a bag?"
"Daddy, don't you remember? We came to find medicinal herbs, and they need to be carried in bags. Tongtong knew you definitely wouldn't remember, so I secretly stuffed a few plastic bags in my pocket when we left. They'll come in handy," Tongtong said, handing the bag to Liu Yifeng.
Liu Yifeng took it and counted. There were three bags, and they were quite large. They would be more than enough to carry all these wild mushrooms.
"Tongtong, you truly are Daddy's wise advisor. If it weren't for you, Daddy might have had to go out half-naked," Liu Yifeng said. He had already resigned himself to taking off all his clothes if there was nothing to carry them in.
Now, that was no longer necessary.
After putting all the wild mushrooms into the bags, there were two large bags full, weighing at least fifteen to sixteen pounds. They were quite heavy.
Liu Yifeng glanced at the time. It was already eleven o'clock. He had been inside for two and a half hours without realizing it. If he didn't go back soon, his father would worry.
However, he still hadn't found the medicinal herb that would make the crayfish lay eggs prematurely.
"Tongtong, we've searched for so long and haven't found the medicinal herb you're looking for. Could it be that it's not here at all?" Liu Yifeng asked.
"That shouldn't be the case. This herb thrives best in these remote, uninhabited deep mountain forests.
Daddy, don't worry. Let's search a bit more carefully. Perhaps it's growing too hidden for us to have noticed," Tongtong replied.
Liu Yifeng nodded: "Alright, let's search for another half hour.
If we still haven't found it after half an hour, we'll stop. Otherwise, Grandpa will worry."
"Mhm!"
Then, the father and son resumed their search earnestly.
"Uncle Liu, have Mr. Liu and Tongtong gone to the mountain?" Su Wanru asked, seeing that it was almost noon and Liu Yifeng and Tongtong hadn't returned, she couldn't help but worry.
Of course, it wasn't a romantic concern.
Liu Chunsheng suddenly remembered that Yifeng and Tongtong had gone to the mountain: "They left around eight o'clock. By rights, they should have returned by now. I'll call him!"
He immediately dialed Liu Yifeng's number.
However, the call from the other end indicated that the number you dialed was out of service area, meaning Yifeng and Tongtong were still deep in the mountains.
Only in the deep mountains would there be no signal.
"They've been gone so long without returning, could something have happened?" he asked Su Wanru, his face filled with panic.
Su Wanru quickly comforted him: "Uncle Liu, don't worry. Perhaps they are already on their way back, or they haven't found what they were looking for yet."
"This kid, really. If they couldn't find it, why keep searching? Doesn't he know I'd worry?" Liu Chunsheng sighed.
If he had known, he would have explicitly forbidden them from going up the mountain in the first place.
"How about this? We'll wait until twelve o'clock. If we still can't reach them, we'll call the police for help!"
"That's the only thing we can do," Liu Chunsheng nodded.
Meanwhile, Liu Ju drove her three-wheeled vehicle back to the residential complex.
As soon as she arrived, the two large watermelons on her vehicle once again attracted considerable attention from many people.