"Yes, now that Chen Xiaobei has set up this thing, we don't have to worry about it. We'll head over there later," Sun Gui chuckled.
Sun Jian, however, shook his head. "No rush, no rush. We'll go when it gets dark. Otherwise, if Chen Xiaobei finds out, it'll make us look bad."
By the canyon edge, after the arrival of Lidong, the sky had completely darkened. Seeing the pitch-black surroundings, Lidong became a little timid. "Brother Xiaobei, why don't we find a place to rest and wait until morning?"
In fact, Chen Xiaobei was thinking the same thing. Visibility was poor at night, and it wouldn't be worth it to get bitten by a snake.
He clearly remembered a small patch of woods not far ahead.
Upon entering the woods, Chen Xiaobei gathered branches to start a bonfire, while Lidong went out for a stroll and soon returned with two wild chickens. Su Dan Novel Network.
Roasting the fragrant wild chickens, the two began to chat about the future.
Chen Xiaobei's appearance gave Lidong hope; he no longer had to worry about feeding his family every day. "Brother Xiaobei, ever since you became the village head, our entire Hetou Village has been living a better life. Everyone praises you."
Chen Xiaobei smiled and shook his head. "What are they praising me for? Besides giving everyone two catties of wolf meat, I haven't done much else."
Lidong looked at him, his expression serious. "Yes, nothing else, but you've given everyone hope. You've shown us that we don't have to rely solely on farming, but can also earn money through other means."
Hearing Lidong's words, Chen Xiaobei sighed. Yes, earning money through other methods.
But now, he didn't have any good avenues. Fish farming was just a trial. Moreover, if so many nets were cast into the river all at once, the large fish would quickly become scarce.
Therefore, this was merely a temporary measure and could not be a long-term reliance.
Fishing wouldn't work, what about growing vegetables? Growing vegetables was also limited by the seasons. They could be grown in the summer, but not in the winter.
Alas, plastic hadn't been invented in this era. If there were plastic, greenhouses could be built in the winter.
Thus, finding a long-term way to lead the people to prosperity gave Chen Xiaobei a headache.
As the two chatted, Sun Jian had already led his men across the canyon and was cautiously advancing.
After all, it was dark, and they desperately needed to find a place to rest.
However, they didn't know where Chen Xiaobei was, so they dared not light torches.
As they walked, Sun Qing, who was scouting ahead, ran back. "Big brother, there's a patch of woods over there, and there's light inside. It should be Chen Xiaobei and his group."
Sun Jian nodded. "Excellent, we've found their whereabouts. We can rest easy now. Let's continue forward and find a place to stay."
Sun Jian led his men around the woods and pressed on. But he clearly hadn't expected that as they moved forward, the vegetation on both sides would become shorter and shorter, until only shrubs remained.
Seeing a patch of dogwood ahead, Sun Jian had no choice but to make do with the spot.
"Alright, we'll make do here. Everyone spread out and gather some branches," Sun Jian said, collapsing onto a rock, too tired to walk further.
The men scattered, each attending to their tasks. Amidst the busyness, they suddenly heard someone exclaim, "Ah!"
Sun Jian sprang to his feet. "What's going on?"
After a long while, Sun Qing's voice, trembling and stuttering, finally came through. "Just now, just now there was a big snake, thicker than my arm. It scared me to death."
Hearing it was a snake, someone couldn't help but curse. "A snake scared you? You're really a coward."
Amidst the laughter of the others, Sun Qing returned, holding a few branches, and sat down next to the fire, looking helpless.
Then, he nimbly took out a lamb leg from his bundle. The lamb leg was already roasted and wrapped in oiled paper, requiring only a brief warming.
As the lamb leg roasted, its savory aroma wafted through the air, making everyone's mouths water.
Smelling the fragrance, the others who were still busy couldn't help but laugh and curse. "Good job, Sun Qing! You're useless at working, but you're the first to get the meat."
Sun Qing said nothing, but skillfully cut off a piece with his knife, threaded it onto a skewer, and offered it to Sun Jian.
Sun Jian took the lamb and took a bite. He surveyed the surroundings and finally spoke. "The trees are getting fewer and shorter. We must be close to the mountaintop."
"Sun Qing, after you finish eating, take a few men and fall back. Keep an eye on Chen Xiaobei and report any of their movements immediately."
"Big brother, do you think Chen Xiaobei is also heading to the mountaintop?" Sun Qing asked.
Sun Jian tilted his head and thought. "If he's also going to the mountaintop, it means one thing: our opponent has found him."
"Big brother, not necessarily. Maybe he came on his own," Sun Qing said, looking confused.
Sun Jian pointed into the distance. "The surroundings are all rocks. What's he doing here? We'll observe tomorrow. If he heads for the mountaintop, then my guess is correct."
"Big brother, if that's the case, why don't we just get rid of him? No one would know in this wilderness."
Sun Jian shook his head. "No rush, no rush. Reaching the mountaintop is just a small step. We haven't fully understood the entire Qingniu Mountain yet. He's still useful."
"However, from now on, we need to be more cautious when dealing with him and not be deceived."
The next day, as dawn broke, Chen Xiaobei and Lidong set off.
Looking at the misty mountaintop in the distance, Chen Xiaobei suddenly felt a surge of excitement. He had some regret about not making it to the mountaintop with Da Lao Hei last time. Now, he could fulfill that dream.
"Brother Lidong, it's still early. Why don't we go up to the mountaintop and see what Qingniu Mountain looks like?"
Lidong looked up at the main peak of Qingniu Mountain in the distance and grinned. "Alright, I've lived half my life and finally have a chance to go to the mountaintop. Why wouldn't I?"
The two chatted and laughed as they headed for the mountaintop. Sun Jian, watching from behind, understood.
His suspicions confirmed, he couldn't help but sigh. "Chen Xiaobei, oh Chen Xiaobei, why are you, a mountain villager, getting involved in these matters! Wouldn't it be better to just farm your land and catch your fish?"
Chen Xiaobei and Lidong knew nothing of this. They chatted and laughed, leisurely making their way to the mountaintop.
The further they climbed, the steeper the mountain became. However, for the two of them who weren't carrying much, it was still passable, albeit a bit strenuous.
The main peak of Qingniu Mountain was strange.
It was abrupt and very small, giving the impression that Qingniu Mountain was like a large disc, and the main peak jutted out like half a chopstick from the center of the disc.
After climbing for three to four li, they reached the summit of Qingniu Mountain.
The summit was not large, only spanning a few dozen zhang in area.
Standing on the mountaintop and looking back the way they came, the canyon, which was over ten zhang wide, looked as thin as a strand of noodles.