wavenovel Chapter 28 An Accidental Encounter While Mushroom Picking
Chapter 28 An Accidental Encounter While Mushroom Picking
The back mountain belongs to the Helan Mountains, but it is not currently within the nature reserve, and individuals are allowed to pick mushrooms there.
The mountains are covered with ancient spruce and pine forests, and the towering trees, some tens of meters high, can make you forget that this is the arid and barren Northwest.
Lu Yuan stood in the forest, breathing in the fresh air of this natural oxygen bar, feeling as if his body had been purified.
On the shady hillside, the rain provides a sufficiently moist environment for the purple mushrooms.
On the ground covered with pine needles and moss, Lu Yuan noticed a slightly bulging spot and squatted down beside it.
He carefully brushed aside the fallen leaves and pine needles on the surface, and a purplish-brown lid came into view.
He didn't rush to pick them, but carefully observed the appearance of the purple mushrooms.
Having not picked purple mushrooms for many years, he had to carefully distinguish whether they were poisonous mushrooms that looked similar.
After confirming that everything was correct, Lu Yuan took out a small knife and gently cut along the base.
Then cover the mycelium with pine needles and fallen leaves again, and the purple mushrooms will continue to grow the following year.
Fresh purple mushrooms have a rich aroma, a fragrance unique to top-quality ingredients.
In one afternoon, Lu Yuan picked a large woven bag full of purple mushrooms and carefully tied them to the back of his motorcycle.
Back then, asphalt roads hadn't been built this far yet; the area below the mountain was all winding, uneven dirt roads.
It rains frequently in the mountains, and the dirt roads become even more muddy and difficult to navigate after the rain.
To avoid the mushrooms getting smashed, Lu Yuan slowed down his motorcycle.
The back mountain is rarely visited by people because the local villagers hardly rely on the mountain for their livelihood.
Apart from people like Lu Yuan who occasionally come to pick mushrooms and hikers from big cities, you hardly see anyone else.
But in this remote mountainous area, Lu Yuan watched helplessly as a Jeep with a Beijing license plate, coming straight at him, plunged into a ditch by the roadside.
This absurd scene, like a pig crashing into a tree, left Lu Yuan dumbfounded.
After a while, the jeep started up again and tried to drive out of the ditch.
But no matter how much gas the driver applied, the jeep only made a buzzing sound and didn't move an inch.
After trying for more than ten minutes, the Jeep seemed to give up and turned off the engine.
Then the car door opened, and a tall girl with a high ponytail stepped out.
The girl was wearing a camouflage outdoor outfit, with bright and clear eyes and a clean and dashing demeanor.
She stood beside the car, staring at the stuck wheels, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
Lu Yuan parked his motorcycle on the side of the road and walked to the edge of the ditch:
"Wouldn't it be wrong of me to just stand by and watch someone die?"
The girl seemed a little annoyed after hearing this, crossing her arms and speaking with a hint of emotion:
"Thank you so much! If I hadn't been trying to avoid you, would I have fallen into the ditch?"
Lu Yuan glanced at the distance between the motorcycle and the jeep, then gestured to indicate the width of the dirt road, and said somewhat speechlessly:
"Beautiful lady, if you try to avoid an Asian elephant, you might fall into a ditch."
The girl realized her actions were a bit outrageous, her cheeks flushed red to her ears, and she said softly:
"It seems like there's something wrong with my driving. Can you help me?"
Seeing that she wasn't the unreasonable or domineering type, Lu Yuan decided to help her.
"Are there any tools in the Jeep?"
"Huh? I'm not sure..." The girl opened the trunk and searched for a long time but found nothing.
Lu Yuan couldn't help but lean closer, only to discover that the trunk, besides the three suitcases, was filled with all sorts of snacks and drinks.
As she got closer, the girl realized how handsome the young man with muddy trouser legs was, and her cheeks flushed even more.
Lu Yuan tapped the bottom of the trunk and pointed out, "Tools are usually under here."
"Oh, oh!" The girl immediately threw all the snacks and drinks into the back seat and tried to pull the floorboard, but the floorboard didn't budge.
She could only take out her suitcase temporarily, but she couldn't lift it and could only look at Lu Yuan embarrassedly.
Lu Yuan said helplessly, "I'll do it, you move back a bit."
So Lu Yuan grabbed the suitcase handle with one hand and tried to lift it up, but he couldn't get it up.
Only then did they realize that the other person's suitcase was ridiculously heavy. They had to use both hands to lift it out.
The girl's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of anxiety on her face, and a blush of apology made her look rather adorable and endearing.
Lu Yuan deliberately gave her a cold look, wanting to tease her:
"Honestly, are you here to dispose of a body?"
The girl immediately shook her head nervously and said, "It's full of books!"
Lu Yuan smiled, said nothing more, and took out the other two suitcases.
After opening the bottom plate, he took out the simple entrenching tool that came with the jeep and gestured for the girl to stand on top of the pit.
Then he squatted down next to the jeep, cleaned the mud around the tires, and found some stones from the nearby forest to place under the tires.
After everything was ready, Lu Yuan gestured for the girl to get in the car: "Put the gear in low four-wheel drive and give it some gas, and you should be out of there."
The girl nodded, and with a leap of her long legs, she jumped over the mud puddle and into the car.
But the jeep didn't move. Two minutes later, the girl got out of the car and stood to the side, looking somewhat embarrassed and blushing.
"Um... I don't know how to engage four-wheel drive..."
"Alright! I'll do it!" Lu Yuan stuck the entrenching tool into the soil beside him and stepped over to the driver's side from the other side.
"Go up there, but stay away, or you'll get splashed with mud."
After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he opened the car door and got into the car. Instantly, a faint fragrance of a girl mixed with the smell of potato chips wafted into his nostrils.
This made Lu Yuan a little excited; this damn dopamine!
After Lu Yuan shifted the gear to four-wheel drive mode, he pressed the accelerator hard and turned the steering wheel slightly. With a whoosh, the Jeep rushed out of the mud pit and onto the road.
The girl's tense expression finally dissipated, replaced by a radiant smile.
After getting out of the car, Lu Yuan opened the trunk and put the entrenching tool and suitcase inside.
Then he got back on his motorcycle, smiled, and said to the girl:
"Alright, let's continue disposing of the bodies!"
Just as Lu Yuan was about to start his motorcycle and leave, the girl blocked his way, saying shyly:
"Um... thank you, here's your payment!"
After saying that, the girl took out a hundred yuan from her pocket, handed it to Lu Yuan, and looked at him seriously.
Lu Yuan didn't answer, but instead started the motorcycle himself, twisted the throttle, and said with a smile:
"No need for hush money, I won't tell anyone about you disposing of the body."
hum!
The motorcycle spewed out black smoke and gradually increased its speed, leaving the girl holding the money standing there in astonishment.
The sunlight gradually took on a warmer yellow hue, and Lu Yuan knew that the sun was about to set, so he added some more oil and sped up the process.
Just then, a jeep suddenly sped up from behind and stopped in front of Lu Yuan.
Then the pretty girl got out of the car and kept waving at him.
Lu Yuan released the accelerator, gradually slowed down, and stopped in front of the girl.
The girl immediately clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes flickering, and asked in a pleading tone:
"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Luwangtan Village?"