leonardwarren Chapter 29 Horseshoe Taro and Mother Earth's Tears
Chapter 29 Horseshoe Taro and Mother Earth's Tears
You can't go out empty-handed.
Cai Xuan took a spear, a knife, a basket and food on his back, and thinking that Xi'er was strong, he asked her to lead the way with a wood-chopping knife.
Led by Xi'er, they turned left at the foot of the mountain, passed through the former territory of the Red-Maned Jackals, and continued deeper into the forest. Beyond that lay unfamiliar territory that Cai Xuan had never set foot in before.
In the desolate and dense forest, towering ancient trees rise from the ground, thick vines entwine like spider webs, with withered branches and leaves piled up at your feet, and moss growing on the dead trees.
But none of this affected Xi'er; she simply focused on clearing the way.
"Xi Xi, be careful." Cai Xuan gripped his spear, scanning his surroundings warily. This vast forest was fraught with danger.
"Okay," Xi'er replied, but her hands didn't stop. She wielded a long-handled, curved woodcutter's knife with great skill, snapping and felling weeds, shrubs, and small trees wherever it went.
She was much more efficient at clearing the way than Cai Xuan.
It wasn't that her swordsmanship was particularly exquisite, but rather that she possessed inexhaustible divine power.
Those bushes and saplings blocking her way—if one cut wasn't enough, she'd cut them twice; if two cuts weren't enough, she'd kick them, uprooting them. Cai Xuan followed behind her, watching her kick a sapling as thick as a calf in half, opened his mouth, but didn't dare utter a sound.
After crossing a mountain ridge, down a hillside, a peculiar plant came into view.
It wasn't a tree, nor was it ordinary grass; it was a fern that resembled a large palm tree.
For example, the thick stems of the brown fern stand upright, reaching two to three meters in height, with huge pinnate compound leaves extending from the top. The leaves are stiff like palm leaves, with finely serrated edges. Most remarkably, the veins on the stems are shaped like neatly arranged elliptical horseshoes.
Horse chestnut.
Cai Xuan recalled the record in "The Record of Materia Medica of the Great Wilderness": Horseshoe taro, also known as horseshoe fern. A fern with stems and leaves like palm leaves and veins resembling horseshoes. It is powdery and edible, grows in cool and damp places, and can be used as a substitute for food during famine.
Cai Xuan squatted down in front of a large taro plant, took out a short knife, and cut off the thin leaves. He then broke off a palm-sized, horseshoe-shaped tuber from where the stem was attached. The tuber had a dark brown skin covered with fine hairs, and it felt heavy in his hand, like a small taro. He peeled off the skin, revealing snow-white flesh inside. Thick juice seeped from the cut surface, emitting a fragrance similar to taro.
"nice one."
Cai Xuan stuffed the tubers into his basket, marked them, and planned to pick them again when he returned.
To the left of the hillside lies a rocky foothill, with gray boulders piled haphazardly in the soil. Scattered among the damp, shady crevices of the rocks grow some water chestnuts, their leaves thicker and greener than those on the hillside, clearly indicating that the humidity there is more suitable for their growth.
As we walked down the hillside, we suddenly heard the sound of flowing water ahead.
After passing through a patch of low bushes, a pool of water came into view.
The pool water was crystal clear, as calm as a polished mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the lush green shadows of the surrounding trees. The pool's edge and bottom were covered with smooth, round pebbles of all sizes, shimmering like gemstones in the sunlight.
A group of palm-sized fish swam leisurely in the water, their silvery-white scales shimmering in the ripples.
They seemed to have never seen humans before and were not afraid of strangers at all.
As Cai Xuan and Xi'er approached, the animals not only didn't run away, but instead curiously swam to the water's edge to look.
The edge of the pond was covered with all kinds of aquatic plants. Some hung down into the water like thin silk threads, swaying with the waves; others spread their leaves like palm fans, layer upon layer. The most eye-catching were the clumps of aquatic plants with tender green shoots. Their tender shoots emerged from the underwater rhizomes, purple with a hint of green, pointed and crisp, quite charming.
Cai Xuan's eyes lit up; this was yet another abundant source of food.
He secretly memorized the location, planning to make a special trip there later.
Xi'er did not linger there, but continued forward, arriving at the foot of a mountain. To her left was a steep mountain wall that looked as if it had been cleaved by a slanted knife.
"Um?"
Cai Xuan suddenly stopped and squinted at the mountain wall.
The mountain wall was covered with natural cracks that slanted downwards, and on these cracks stood a flock of wild sheep, as recorded in the Great Wilderness Materia Medica.
These creatures seemed to have sensed the commotion below, and stood there motionless. Their amber eyes were fixed on Cai Xuan and Xi'er, as if they believed that as long as they remained still, no one would notice them.
Seeing these foolish attempts to deceive themselves, Cai Xuan shook his head, ignored them, and continued walking forward.
Before they had gone two steps, Cai Xuan's gaze was drawn to a tree by the roadside. He quickly told Xi'er to stop and walked over.
The tree wasn't tall, only a little over ten feet, and its branches were covered with clusters of small, crystal-clear fruits. Each fruit was about the size of a little finger, round and plump, reflecting a rainbow of colors in the sunlight, as if they had been formed from dewdrops that had fallen from the sky.
Cai Xuan picked a fruit from the tree and licked it; it was salty.
This saltiness is not the cloying saltiness of salt, but a refreshing saltiness with a slight mineral scent, like morning dew falling on ancient rocks, or like tears from the depths of the earth, which, after thousands of years of sedimentation, have condensed into these crystal-clear fruits.
These are the tears of Mother Earth, said to be formed from the tears of Mother Earth, and can be used as a substitute for salt.
Cai Xuan was overjoyed. He had been worried about running out of salt, but he hadn't expected to find such a good thing here. Looking at this large patch, once he picked some and processed it, he wouldn't have to worry about running out of salt.
He looked up at the wild sheep standing on the mountainside. No wonder these guys were staying here; it turned out there was something there.
Sheep also need to eat salt, as it is an essential mineral source for maintaining their normal physiological functions. Without it, they may experience decreased appetite, slow growth, rough and uneven coats, and in severe cases, pica and reproductive disorders.
Not only are Mother Earth's tears a good thing, but so are wild sheep.
Cai Xuan hadn't expected to encounter so many wonderful things so soon after he left, and he couldn't help but look forward to the journey ahead.
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"Xi Xi, how much longer do we have to walk?" Although Cai Xuan's strength had recently increased, he was still a little exhausted after following Xi'er through the dense forest for most of the day, going up and down slopes, cutting grass and clearing paths. His calves were aching, and the back of his clothes was soaked with sweat, sticking stickily to his body.
The excitement of encountering those wonderful things has faded, and now all that's left is exhaustion.
"We'll be there soon."
Xi'er spoke without turning her head, but her hands didn't stop, continuing to clear a path with their swords.
Cai Xuan had heard this at least three times.
"Let's rest for a bit." He plopped down on a rock, took out water and food from his basket, and called Xi'er over to eat.
Xi'er wasn't tired or hungry, but she still obediently sat down, took the water bottle Cai Xuan handed her, and took a sip.