Chapter 22: Venturing Deeper into the Mountains.

Chapter 22: Venturing Deeper into the Mountains.
路仁这才想起，咬他脸这条蛇，也不知道有没有毒？不过看他的样子挺疼的，应该是没毒吧？要不？它怎么这么长时间了还活蹦乱跳的，一点儿事儿都没有了？
In fact, Lu Ren didn't know that wild animals have a certain immunity to some toxins, and besides, he lives in the north where there are not many venomous snakes.
Looking at the green grass and blue sky, Lu Ren felt inexplicably relaxed. He turned his head and gently said to the gray wolf, "Although we didn't find any ginseng this time in the mountains, it wasn't in vain to encounter you!"
Lu Ren tore off a corner of his shirt and said to the wolf, "Let me bandage the wound on your face. Although it's not bleeding anymore, it still hurts since you wander in the woods every day and scrape it. If your face gets scarred, it will be hard for you to find a wife." Translation: "
Lu Ren has no idea whether this wolf is male or female. Anyway, Lu Ren just assumes it's a male wolf!
The gray wolf, of course, cannot express opposition because it has no idea what Lu Ren is mumbling about.
The gray wolf remained quiet as Lu Ren looped a strip of cloth around its ear and chin.
Lu Ren loosely tied a knot and happily stroked the wolf's head. The gray wolf's eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly enjoying the moment.
路仁甚是骄傲，心中大喊：看到了吗？这就是老子的猎犬了，我要是把它带回家，是不是很拉风？
念头只是一闪，路仁就摇了摇头，心想：我们一家吃饭都是问题呢！妈妈这次生病，还是老村长从村里借的钱，这吃肉的东西怎么养的起？
"I'm going home!"
Lu Ren stood up and waved goodbye to the gray wolf, muttering, "I hope that next time I come to the mountains, I can still see you. I'll bring you some delicious food. Goodbye?"
Lu Ren followed the rope up and flipped over the cliff.
After reaching the bottom of the cliff, he looked back and saw a gray wolf standing at the edge of the cliff, looking straight at him.
Howling softly, it called out twice. Lu Ren waved goodbye to it, feeling a strong reluctance in his heart.
After leaving the forest, as he turned back, the wolf was still standing on the cliff, looking into the distance!
Lu Ren waved his hand and shouted, "I will come back, even if not for harvesting ginseng, I want to see you because you are my friend!"
路仁回到家已经是下午了，他瞄了一眼隔壁王五的家门，一点儿动静都没有，看样子王五还没有回来。
路仁匆忙做了点饭，伺候张含英吃了，就到院子里一边生火熬药，一边聆听王五家的动静。
When it was getting dark, Lu Ren was absent-mindedly having dinner when he heard a commotion of footsteps outside.
He quickly put down his bowl and ran out, with Zhang Hanying shouting behind him, "Where are you going?"
"Go out for a while, I'll be back soon!"
Lu Ren ran to the door, only to hear Xie Chunhua's voice saying, "You guys said Wang Wu fell off the cliff!"
A deep voice replied, "Yes! When we came back, on the Yizi Cliff, it seemed like Wu-ge found something, his body suddenly leaned out and he accidentally fell off the cliff! We searched below the cliff and couldn't find him!"
Lu Ren's heart sank when he heard this. He thought about his own experience falling into a hunting pit and was still terrified. Uncle Wang's situation was probably even worse. Falling from such a high cliff, he was either dead or seriously injured. And if he encountered wild animals... Lu Ren dared not imagine!
路仁很想打开门出去问个明白，转念一想：自己问了也是白问，谁会再乎自己这个小屁孩儿呢？凭的添乱罢了！五叔是为了帮自己采参出的事儿，自己可不能不管！
After listening for a while, I only heard people talking about calling the police and others suggesting finding the old village chief. It was chaotic and noisy!
Lou Ren decided in his heart to go back home and have a meal with his mother.
After finishing dinner, Lu Ren served Zhang Hanying some medicine and began preparing things for the mountain climb.
A small sickle is essential; it saved our lives today. We should also bring firestarter, slingshot, and ropes. We need to bring everything this time since we're going into the mountains at night. Oh, we also need to bring a flashlight - it's a must-have in the pitch-dark!
Finally, when Zhang Hanying fell asleep, Lu Ren got up and checked his equipment again. He packed each item into his backpack and quietly left the house.
Wang Wu's house was still illuminated, standing out in the pitch-black night!
Lu Ren stared at the light, muttering to himself: Uncle Wu, I must find you!
Under the starlight, Lu Ren left the village.
Heading westward, through a haze, the immense ancient beast-like mountains could faintly be seen again!
The road is difficult to traverse, and it's pitch black ahead. Luo Ren opens his flashlight and slowly searches for a path...
The unseen darkness seems to conceal countless dangers, possibly wild beasts or evil spirits.
Lu Ren nervously observed, feeling a cold sensation on the back of his neck. Unable to resist, Lu Ren turned around for a quick glance but found nothing!
Lu Ren was frustrated and thought, "If only it were daylight and we could enter the mountains!" The thought of Uncle Wang Wu risking his life to help his mother gather ginseng filled Lu Ren with anxiety once again.
It was not easy for Lu Ren to reach the cliff where he had walked during the day. He tugged at the rope that led up to it and wondered, "I wonder where Uncle Wang Wu fell from. This cliff spans several miles. Where should I start looking?" Hmmm~ The platform above is not very long. Wang Wu most likely fell within this range. I'll start searching along this section first.
Lu Ren, holding a flashlight, searched for suspicious traces on the ground filled with fallen leaves and weeds, but he never saw a pair of eerie green eyes on the cliff swaying back and forth with the light of his flashlight!
A piece of torn cloth was discovered by Lu Ren, hanging on the vine on the cliff. It was blown by the wind and brushed against Lu Ren's face.
Lu Ren took it and examined it, and it appeared to be from a man's clothing!
At this time, most men were wearing this kind of dark blue fabric. Lu Ren remembered that Wang Wu was wearing this fabric, and he hadn't noticed Wang Wu wearing any other colored clothes.
Lu Ren was certain that this torn piece of cloth belonged to Wang Wu - even though the six or seven people in Wang Wu's group who entered the mountain today were all wearing this kind of fabric!
With a clue in hand, Lu Ren looked around the chaotic grassland but couldn't make sense of anything.
Lu Ren let out a sigh, looked up at the sky, and then noticed two green lights on the cliff.
“Little Grey - is that you?”
“Howl...”
In response to Lu Ren's call, there came a wolf's howl.
Lu Ren was overjoyed: "It's really Little Grey!"
“Little Grey, wait for me, I'm coming up.” Lu Ren shouted. Translation:
Lu Ren found the rope hanging on the cliff and was about to climb up when suddenly he heard a faint voice saying, "Don't go up... there are wolves up there!"
Lu Ren stopped his movement and listened intently. Huh~ Why does this voice sound so familiar?
接着那微弱声音又说道：“路仁，是你吗？”
这回路仁听出来了——这不是王五叔的声音吗？
“五叔，是你吗？你在哪？我是路仁。”
"I am here."
A beam of light shines down from a nearby spot below the cliff top.
(End of this chapter)