Chen Lan, while silently lamenting the countless unsung heroes who had silently contributed to the nation's liberation, took two scythes from her large backpack, or rather, from the system's warehouse. She kept one and handed another to Xu Mingxuan. The couple then joined the two Chang brothers in cutting back the thorny bushes lining the small path, pushing them to the sides. Although this year had been dry with little rain, it couldn't stop the tenacity of thorny plants that were easy to grow and thrived on even the most barren land.
As the Chang brothers walked ahead, cutting thorns, they mentioned they would soon reach the Sino-Russian border. Chen Lan asked, "Uncle Chang, these mountains are continuous, and there are no boundary markers. How do you distinguish the Sino-Russian border? Is it possible to accidentally cross it?"
Uncle Chang chuckled and replied, "Daughter, you're right. It does happen. Sometimes, while gathering wild vegetables, picking mushrooms, or collecting wild fruits, one can accidentally cross the border. But it's fine if you cross it; as long as you return quickly, it's okay. Besides, it's sparsely populated here, and you rarely encounter people. As long as you don't talk about it, no one will know you went across the border to pick wild vegetables, right?"
Uncle Er, also chuckling, added, "Exactly. The mountain goods we've been looking for in Dongshan recently, and the wild vegetables we dug in the spring, were all gathered from the mountains beyond the border." He then pointed to some scattered white houses in the distance on the opposite mountain and said, "Daughter, see that white house? That's the earliest Russian outpost. The Sino-Russian border station is a line connecting these hills and the mountain peak over there. Across from us is 'Station Four,' Pogranichny. We call this side 'Station Five.'"
Chen Lan followed the direction Uncle Er pointed, looking into the distance. Nestled among the mountains was a small town, which was the Russian town of Grodekovo, also known as 'Station Four,' Pogranichny.
As the four of them chatted and cleared the thorns from the path, they spotted quite a few wild rabbits and pheasants on the mountain. However, they were too busy clearing the path to pay attention to these small animals. The two Uncle Changs kept lamenting the abundance of wild game.
The Chang brothers mentioned that people had encountered brown bears, wolves, Siberian tigers, and Siberian leopards in these mountains. Therefore, while clearing the thorns, the group also kept a watchful eye on their surroundings for any signs of ferocious wild beasts.
This slowed their progress considerably. After working for a long time, they hadn't covered much distance. Chen Lan realized this wouldn't do; it was taking too much time. Winter had set in, and the days were short. If they continued like this, the two Uncle Changs might not reach Chang Sanmei's house before dark. The deep mountains in winter were extremely dangerous. Even a small possibility of them encountering ferocious wild animals would be a grave consequence.
Chen Lan recalled her past life's knowledge of animal behavior. She reasoned that the chances of encountering wolf packs, Siberian tigers, and Siberian leopards during the day in the forest were not high. These animals, along with wolves, generally slept during the day and preferred to move and forage at night. As for the brown bears, they were likely already hibernating and posed little threat.
With this thought, she no longer hesitated. She mentally opened the system warehouse, took out a chainsaw from her backpack (which was the system warehouse), and led the way, clearing the path with the chainsaw. Xu Mingxuan and the two Uncle Changs followed behind, and with their scythes, their progress became much faster.
It took the four of them a full four hours to finally clear the thorn-infested path. They had also crossed the border and were now standing on Russian soil. They couldn't worry about that now. After a morning of strenuous work, all four were ravenously hungry. As soon as they emerged, they found a relatively large stone, sat down, and prepared to eat some dry rations before continuing their journey.
Chen Lan took out a bag of cornmeal steamed buns from her large backpack. She gave two buns each to the two Uncle Changs. She and Xu Mingxuan each took one and started eating. Chen Lan had a small appetite. After eating one bun and drinking a few sips of water from her portable water bottle, she was full. She handed the remaining buns to the three men, telling them to eat slowly while she went into the woods for a while.
While the Uncle Changs and Xu Mingxuan were eating, Chen Lan mentally opened the warehouse, retrieved a crossbow, six carbon steel arrows, and a back basket from the system's warehouse. She used the system's search function to scan for animals within a five-hundred-meter radius. She planned to hunt some wild pheasants and rabbits to present as a welcoming gift to Chang Sanmei's family. Chen Lan felt it wouldn't be appropriate for the brothers to visit her sister's home empty-handed.
With the advantage of the system as a cheat tool, and Chen Lan's deliberate efforts as an experienced hunter, she quickly filled a large back basket with wild pheasants and rabbits.
When Chen Lan returned with the large basket of game, the three men had just finished eating. Xu Mingxuan looked at the basket of game with a calm expression. The two Uncle Changs, however, opened their mouths in astonishment, their eyes wide.
After Chen Lan explained the reason, the brothers were deeply moved. They repeatedly waved their hands and said, "No need, Comrade Chen. You are too kind. We've already brought gifts for the children of little sister's family; they are in the large bundle behind us."
Chen Lan felt this was not the time for such back-and-forth. She said, "Uncles Chang, please don't be so polite with us. This is a gift from Mingxuan and me for the children of Aunt Chang Sanmei's family, thanking them for their help and effort in facilitating the grain exchange. To be honest, if the matter is truly settled, we will offer generous rewards later!"
The two Uncle Changs repeatedly waved their hands, "Comrade Chen Lan, you are too polite. Generous rewards are unnecessary. These hunted animals are already a very substantial gift. Besides, the grain exchange involves Honghualing Village as well. It's only right for Sanmei to contribute to her family and help mediate the grain exchange with their collective farm!"
Since the matter had not yet been concluded, it was indeed too early to discuss generous rewards. Chen Lan didn't continue to debate the matter of rewards with the Uncle Changs. She used her scythe to cut some thin vines and tied the wild pheasants and rabbits in batches, making them easier for the Uncle Changs to carry.