20demayo Chapter 73 Wine Yeast
Chapter 73 Wine Yeast
Li Mu had heard from the village elders that the Oroqen people were different from the Han people; they had their own tribes and rules and rarely interacted with outsiders.
If we can learn a couple of tricks, fishing and hunting will be much easier in the future, and everyone won't be relying on him alone.
"If we come looking for someone and happen to run into an Oroqen person, we can learn a thing or two from them."
Upon hearing this, Tian Xiaohu's eyes lit up: "Really? Then wouldn't we also become experts in the mountains and forests?"
Li Mu smiled, said nothing more, and continued to lead the group deeper into the mountains.
After walking for a long time, everyone was tired, but they still couldn't find anyone.
"Brother Mu, have we taken the wrong road?"
Li Mu shook his head: "No, I remember clearly, it's right here."
He remembered clearly from his past life that once, unable to sleep, he drank a lot of strong liquor and went into the deep mountains. He didn't know what got into him, but he insisted on hunting a tiger to show off.
He didn't see a tiger, but he encountered a pack of wolves, and the fear and despair he felt still haunt him. Just when he thought he was going to die in the wolves' jaws, the Oroqen people appeared, drove away the wolves, and saved his life.
The sight of those dozen or so wolves being driven away by bare hands deeply shocked Li Mu. He wanted to thank him, but the Oroqen man only gave him a cold look before turning and disappearing into the forest.
Although they only met once, Li Mu kept it in mind. He was amazed by the Oroqen people's skills and archery, and he always wanted to find an opportunity to see them again and learn a few moves from them.
Just as everyone was feeling discouraged and preparing to head home, a series of hurried footsteps approached.
Li Mu's expression hardened, and he gestured for everyone to hide.
Several figures emerged from the woods, dressed in animal skins and carrying bows and arrows; they were Oroqen people.
"Aren't they cold? Half of their arms are sticking out, aren't they afraid of freezing to death!" Before Li Mu could stop Li Siming from muttering, the Oroqen people had already spotted them.
The Oroqen man turned his head, his bow and arrows aimed at them, his expression cold and stern.
Li Mu quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully, and said, "Brothers, we are villagers from Li Family Village. We mean no harm and just want to learn some skills from the mountains and forests."
The Oroqen people did not put down their bows and arrows. One of them said in broken Chinese, "Han Chinese? What are you doing here?"
Li Mu quickly explained, "We just wanted to go into the mountains to hunt some wild game, and we ended up here by accident."
"This is our territory! Get out of here!"
"What do you mean your territory? Is your home marked on the ground? The mountains belong to everyone, and anyone can come here!" Li Siming muttered from the side.
Li Mu glared at him, signaling him to shut up.
The Oroqen people's faces darkened further. One of them stepped forward, his bow already fully drawn. Guessing that Li Mu was their leader, he aimed at Li Mu's chest and shouted, "Han Chinese, get out! You've seized our territory, you're asking for death!"
Li Mu could sense the killing intent emanating from the Oroqen people, and knew that he absolutely could not confront them head-on at this moment.
"Gentlemen, we meant no offense, we'll be leaving now."
After saying that, he turned around and gestured for everyone to retreat quickly.
Li Siming was somewhat unwilling: "Are we just going to leave like this? Are we still going to fight those wild beasts?"
Li Mu glared at him and hissed in a low voice, "Are you looking for death?! Can't you see they've already drawn their bows? Get out of here!"
Li Siming then realized the seriousness of the situation, dared not say anything more, and quickly retreated with everyone else.
Along the way, everyone was terrified, fearing that the Oroqen people would catch up.
Only after they were far away from that mountain forest did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
"Brother Mu, those Oroqen people are too fierce! We didn't do anything to them, is it really necessary?"
Li Mu shook his head: "They have lived here for generations, making a living by hunting, and have a special affection for this mountain forest. If we intrude rashly, they will naturally be unhappy."
"So, will we still come here to hunt for wild game in the future?" Tian Xiaohu asked.
Li Mu thought for a moment and said, "Let's talk about it later. In the meantime, let's behave ourselves and not cause any more trouble."
Li Chuzi cast his net and waited for tomorrow's harvest. Seeing that they returned empty-handed, he was a little puzzled: "Why didn't you catch any wild animals? There are plenty of wild animals in these mountains."
Li Mu smiled and said, "I wasn't very lucky today, I didn't run into any. But it's okay, we still have fish, we won't go hungry."
Upon hearing this, Li Chuzi stopped asking questions.
The group returned to the village, and it was already dark. Li Mu turned the corner and headed towards the Huang family's house at the far end of Li Family Village.
The home of widow Huang Xiue.
Huang Xiu'e lived alone with her two children. Not long after she married Huang Laowai, a winemaker from Lijia Village, Huang Laowai died of illness, leaving her, her two children, and herself to depend on each other for survival.
But no one dared to cause trouble for Huang Xiu'e, simply because her winemaking skills were among the best in the entire Lijia Village. The wine she brewed was fragrant, smooth on the palate, and had an unforgettable aftertaste, making it an essential beverage for weddings and funerals in the village.
Everyone called her "Immortal Huang" and hoped that she could brew more good wine so that they could have a few more drinks during the festivals.
Li Mu walked to Huang Xiu'e's door and gently knocked.
Huang Xiue opened the door and saw Li Mu.
"You must be Mu Zi from the Li family? Come in and have a seat."
Huang Xiu'e warmly greeted Li Mu and welcomed him into the house.
The room was simply furnished, but neatly arranged. Two children were eating steamed buns at the table. When they saw Li Mu, they shyly hid behind Huang Xiu'e.
Huang Xiue smiled and patted the two children's heads: "Don't be afraid, this is our village's Shepherd Brother. If he comes to our house in the future, you must treat him well."
The two children nodded, peeked out from behind Huang Xiu'e, and looked timidly at Li Mu.
Li Mu smiled at them, took out a few candies from his pocket, and handed them to them: "Here, brother will give you candies."
The two children's eyes lit up when they saw the candy.
She quickly reached out and took it, sweetly saying, "Thank you, brother."
Seeing how kind and approachable Li Mu was, Huang Xiu'e felt a greater liking for him.
She poured Li Mu a glass of water and asked, "Mu Zi, is there something you need from me today?"
Li Mu took a sip of water to moisten his throat and said, "Aunt Huang, I just wanted to ask if you have any extra yeast on hand? I'd like to buy some from you."
Upon hearing this, Huang Xiu'e hesitated, saying, "Muzi, it's not that Aunt Huang doesn't want to help you, it's just that my family doesn't have much yeast left, and we need to save it for brewing wine."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu felt somewhat disappointed, but he didn't give up: "Aunt Huang, I know this yeast is very important to your family, but I really need some urgently. How about this, I'll give you the money first, and after you brew the wine, you can sell some to me, okay?"
Huang Xiu'e asked curiously, "What do you need the yeast for?"