60: Chapter 60 Changbai Mountain

"Phew~"

After ending the call with his teacher, Cao Xiao finally relaxed. As for Cheng Huaiyu, he had already thought of an excuse; a simple phone call would suffice. There were plenty of people who did good deeds without seeking anything in return, and one more wouldn't be unusual.

It was already four in the afternoon when he returned to Biyuntian Villa. Parking the car at the entrance, he began moving things from the trunk into the house one by one. The living room was empty; his parents were likely upstairs watching TV, and Liu Chang and Mi Fan should have gone to class. This worked out perfectly for Cao Xiao. He moved dozens of crates of fruit produced in Tianxing Garden into the wine cellar, while the refrigerators and several large freezers were stuffed with wild vegetables and yams collected from Baiyun Mountain, as well as fish, shrimp, crabs, old turtles, wild boar meat, wild boar stomachs, and python meat. Just as he was about to head out to park the car, a voice suddenly appeared behind him, giving him a huge fright.

"Brother, you're back. Are you cooking? Let me help you."

Cao Xiao turned around and saw that it was Mi Fan, wearing her pajamas and looking at him with excitement. She must have just woken up from her afternoon nap and hadn't noticed him taking things out of his personal space. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Xiao Fan, don't you have classes today?"

"I've completed all my credits, so I don't need to go to class anymore. I'll be looking for a job in a few days," Mi Fan replied.

"Oh, that's impressive! So, what kind of job are you planning to look for?" Cao Xiao asked curiously.

"I'm planning to apply for the position of Chief Fashion Designer at Laili Clothing Company," Mi Fan said with a hint of pride.

"You're that confident? Laili Clothing Company is a listed company with a market value of over a billion; the competition for Chief Fashion Designer must be incredibly fierce." Cao Xiao hadn't expected Mi Fan to aim for the top with her first job. Although he believed she was very talented in fashion design, she was still too young. Large companies were full of internal politics; how could they tolerate a student who hadn't even graduated yet climbing over their heads?

"I'm full of confidence, so just wait for my good news," Mi Fan said self-assuredly.

"Then I'll support you fully. I'll drive you there when you go for the interview, and I'll buy you a car while I'm at it so you can drive yourself to work in the future." Cao Xiao didn't try to persuade Mi Fan to give up; it would be good for her to gain some experience through hardship.

"Brother, there's no need to buy a car. I can just take the bus," Mi Fan refused.

"Just listen to me on this. The weather in Huanghe City is so hot; I'm afraid your small frame won't be able to handle squeezing onto the bus," Cao Xiao said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Alright, thank you, Brother! I'll just buy a cheap domestic car tomorrow." Mi Fan was somewhat moved; Cao Xiao really treated her like a sister, otherwise he wouldn't care for her so much.

"Alright, call those girls and tell them to come back early for dinner. I'm cooking a wild game feast today; you're all in for a treat. I'll go park the car first, come over and help in a bit," Cao Xiao said.

"Okay, they haven't finished class yet, I'll just send them a message." Mi Fan happily went back to her room to get her phone.

Cao Xiao and Mi Fan worked in the kitchen for a while, and his mother also came downstairs to help. The three of them worked together for over two hours to prepare a large table of food. When Liu Chang returned, she was almost ecstatic. Cao Xiao estimated that she wouldn't be eating out for quite some time.

The next day, Cao Xiao booked a flight to Ji Province. He departed from Xianhe Airport and landed at Jiyan Airport five hours later.

This time, his destination was Changbai Mountain. He needed to prepare a formal apprenticeship gift, and the first thing he thought of was ginseng. Tianchi, water monsters, and ginseng had long been synonymous with Changbai Mountain, and the Wild Mountain Ginseng from there was considered the best quality. Ginseng is known as the "King of All Herbs" and is one of the famous "Three Treasures of the Northeast," along with mink fur and deer antler. It is a precious medicinal herb known to both old and young, both in China and abroad.

Ginseng has the effect of strengthening the body and prolonging life. It contains a chemical substance called ginsenosides, which has significant effects on regulating the central nervous system, strengthening the heart, resisting fatigue, and regulating metabolism. Therefore, it has a good therapeutic effect on various diseases of the nervous system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, and reproductive system. In the ancient medical book "Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica," it was believed that ginseng could "supplement the five internal organs, soothe the spirit, stabilize the soul, stop palpitations, remove evil spirits, improve eyesight, and enhance intelligence," and that long-term consumption could lighten the body and prolong life. In some myths and martial arts stories, ginseng is a precious heavenly treasure with the power to revive the dead and grow flesh on bones. Not only can it increase one's power, but it is also an important ingredient for alchemy. Cao Xiao had no way to verify if ginseng really had such magical effects, but it was beneficial and harmless, making it more than suitable as an apprenticeship gift for a master of National Martial Arts.

After leaving Jiyan Airport, he took a taxi to a remote location and got out. He released his Leopard from his personal space and drove along the provincial highway toward Baihe Town. Three hours later, Cao Xiao arrived at the Changbai Mountain Scenic Area. He wasn't there for tourism, of course, but since it was nearly evening, he could only stay in the scenic area for one night and set out tomorrow. He would plan his route into the mountains tonight and head out early tomorrow morning.

The Changbai Mountain Scenic Area is located in the southeastern part of Ji Province, bordering North Korea to the southeast. It is situated on the northern slope of Changbai Mountain, 34 kilometers from the mountain itself and 65 kilometers from the border at Shuangmu Peak. The Changbai Mountain Scenic Area is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, and the Changbai Mountain Reserve, centered around Tianchi, is the largest nature reserve in the country. Changbai Mountain has a wide variety of wildlife and rich resources, with 1,225 species, 50 of which are under national key protection. National first-class protected animals include the Siberian tiger, Leopard, sika deer, sable, black stork, golden eagle, and imperial eagle; national second-class protected animals include the dhole, musk deer, black bear, brown bear, otter, lynx, red deer, goral, osprey, kite, honey buzzard, goshawk, sparrowhawk, and hazel grouse. Plant species are also very abundant, with 2,277 species discovered, belonging to 73 orders and 246 families. Among them, ginseng is a national first-class protected plant, and precious medicinal plants include ginseng, codonopsis, and turkey tail. The complex geological conditions of Changbai Mountain have formed rich mineral deposits. There are eighty types of natural mineral resources produced in nine categories, including energy, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, precious metals, rare metals, non-metallic minerals, construction materials, and water/gas.

Since ginseng has been a precious medicinal herb since ancient times, Changbai Mountain Wild Mountain Ginseng is even more valuable. Consequently, aged Wild Mountain Ginseng is now extremely rare; whenever one appears, it is usually bought at a high price. If a century-old ginseng were to appear, it would cause a sensation, and its price would be driven sky-high, making it something that money can't buy. In recent years, there has been very little news of century-old ginseng. In Changbai Mountain, except for some hidden places where aged ginseng might still grow, it's likely difficult to even find ginseng that is a few years old.

Now, to find aged ginseng, one must go to places where no one has set foot yet. But how to search in the vastness of Changbai Mountain? Ginseng hunters have already scoured every place they can reach. Even with the help of his Detection Function, Cao Xiao could only say he was going to try his luck. However, with the abundance of species in Changbai Mountain, even if he didn't find ginseng, he likely wouldn't return empty-handed. There was no need to force it; he would just treat it as a trip.

Tomorrow, he would first take the cable car from the scenic area directly to Tianchi, then enter the no-man's land from another direction. He would then cross the border on foot, not even considering whether it was an illegal entry. He wasn't doing anything shameful, so as long as he wasn't discovered, it would be fine. After planning his route and organizing the supplies in his personal space, Cao Xiao went to bed early.