Chapter 13 The Little Leopard's New Name!
Xu Yang strolled through the mountain goods market with Big Yellow, finding plenty of nice things.
Beyond locals, many came from the South, with some specifically there to buy mountain goods.
A saying "Earn in the South, spend in the North" circulates in the mountain goods market, suggesting that Southern bosses are generally more liberal with their spending.
At this moment, Xu Yang saw the pet Sika Deer and found it so adorable that he squatted down to hug and pet it.
The little guy was small, with all four limbs slender, resembling a cute doll.
It was hard to imagine they would grow taller than a person.
Seeing this lovely scene, the friends in the live streaming chat couldn't help but laugh.
[Such a cute Sika Deer, I want one!]
[They can actually keep Sika Deer there, so jealous!]
[There are even people who keep tigers, totally normal!]
Though there weren't many viewers in the live stream, the atmosphere was great.
The mountain goods market looked chaotic, with many middle-aged men, among whom quite a few wore military uniforms, both new and old. It had to be said, camo is the most durable for mountain work.
Despite the chaos, there was an air of authenticity, creating a unique feel.
After taking care of business at the mountain goods market, Xu Yang returned to his tricycle, started it up, and drove off.
"Big Yellow, get in!"
He called out.
Big Yellow wagged its tail and then, with a leap, took off and jumped onto the passenger seat.
After settling in the passenger seat, it skillfully placed its front paws on the handlebars.
Clearly, it was an old hand at this.
Seeing Big Yellow like this, the netizens in the live stream once again exclaimed in astonishment.
"Off we go!"
Xu Yang rode the electric tricycle, slowly departing the mountain goods market, then accelerated towards the outdoor shops in the town below.
Upon reaching the shop, Xu Yang turned off the live stream. Today's broadcast was over.
Selling mountain goods had earned him some money, not a lot, but enough to buy some specialized mountain rushing tools.
Xu Yang purchased a pair of pliers designed to cut wires, with great cutting power that could easily sever the complex root systems in the soil.
Sometimes when ginseng is entangled in grass roots, these sturdy pliers are used to snip through them.
He also bought a new, sturdy little hoe shaped like the number "7," specifically for digging.
Apart from these, digging for ginseng also required an Antler Shovel, which, as the name suggests, is an antler fixed to a stick, used expressly for excavating ginseng.
Using an antler to dig ensures that the ginseng's structure isn't damaged.
These antlers are generally of poorer quality, without too many forks. The deer antlers Xu Yang found in the mountains were very large, not suitable for a shovel but more so as a decorative craft item.
"Preparing to go into the mountains to dig for ginseng?"
The shop owner asked, seeing the tools he bought.
"Yes, it's about time, with the villagers ready to head into the mountains, I plan to go with them."
Xu Yang responded.
"Want to join the ginseng gathering group? That'll be lively but quite tiring."
"No, I plan to explore on my own, try my luck, just to be there together."
"That's also good, finding a few ginseng roots is nice, wild ginseng is valuable."
"Nowadays, finding wild ginseng isn't so easy, with even farmed ginseng being unsold."
"True."
The two chatted casually, and Xu Yang paid for the tools and left.
People here are good talkers. Xu Yang was an introvert, not one to initiate conversations, but he could manage a few exchanges when approached.
Then, Xu Yang took Big Yellow, hopped on his vehicle, and headed home.
Having made some money today, on the way back, Xu Yang also bought some fruits and homemade corn wine, and casually picked up a couple blocks of tofu.
Returning home after graduation, the family pressures were quite significant.
Luckily, Xu Yang's parents were open-minded.
Though he didn't stay in the big city, a good life was all that mattered.
Xu Yang decided to forgo becoming a ranger and instead pursued mountain rushing live streaming, which his parents fully supported.
In modern Northeast, heavy industry smelters, light industry streams, it's not just talk.
Of course, Xu Yang's live streaming differed from others.
Xu Yang earning money made his parents very happy, and the dinner atmosphere that evening was excellent, with Big Yellow sitting on the ground, waiting for its feed, appearing quite cute.
The next day, Xu Yang went to the village to find a mountain rushing team.
He only mentioned wanting to tag along, not joining the group, preferring to move independently.
After all, they were from the same village, and the Boss immediately agreed upon hearing the suggestion.
The so-called Boss is the person in charge of digging for Wild Ginseng.
These leaders are very experienced, knowing where to find ginseng, the necessary steps for harvesting it, and also how to organize people.
After all, entering the deep mountains and forests is a very dangerous undertaking.
There are tigers, Black Bears, Leopards, lynxes, Mongolian Wildcats, Wolves, foxes, and such.
These days, without Hunters, the vast majority of people do not have the ability to deal with wild animals, so unity is essential.
There is strength in numbers.
As long as people stick together, even a tiger would not dare to attack rashly.
After all, it does not know that it could easily take on twenty unarmed humans by itself.
It is utterly ignorant of human weakness.
The day to head into the mountains is tomorrow.
Conveniently, Xu Yang's Treasure Compass had not been used yet, and by tomorrow, it would have accumulated three uses.
By then, he could also go treasure hunting in the mountains by himself.
Xu Yang, who possesses the Agility Skill, is able to protect himself in the mountains.
Everything was arranged perfectly.
In fact, Xu Yang could go into the mountains on his own, but considering safety and the content of his livestream, it was better to go with the group.
Xu Yang's father, Xu Hongshan, was also part of the ginseng digging team.
After all, with nothing much going on in the village, everyone wanted to be involved in the lucrative business of digging ginseng.
In the afternoon, Xu Yang had some free time, so he went to the hills to visit the two Leopards.
The female leopard's injuries had healed very well, she could even put her foot down and walk.
Upon seeing Xu Yang, she lay down comfortably to rest.
The Little Leopard, on the other hand, ran over to play beside Xu Yang.
The little fellow, robust and adorable, jumped onto Xu Yang as he sat on the grass.
Seeing this scene, the female leopard heaved a sigh of relief, her face expressing ease.
A Leopard of the Little Leopard's age was exactly at the phase even a mother would start to find demanding.
It seems animals go through this stage too, including humans.
Being noisy, active, disobedient.
It is precisely because Xu Yang liked the Little Leopard that he found its mischief particularly endearing.
"I'll give you a name so it's easier to call you."
"First, I need to see whether you're a boy or a girl."
Xu Yang promptly grabbed the Little Leopard's front paw and picked him up.
Upon sighting the Little Leopard's "little parts," Xu Yang got his answer:
"A boy, huh."
"We need a good name."
"Leopard, Leopard, how about calling you Xiao Hua? Then I could call the female leopard Big Flower."
"Xiao Hua, what do you think?" Xu Yang asked the Little Leopard.
The Little Leopard blinked its shiny black eyes adorably, clueless about what Xiao Hua meant; for it, this was just a unique name given by Xu Yang.
Not far away, a squirrel peeked out from a tree hole, warily surveying its surroundings.
When it saw Xu Yang and the Leopards in the distance, it froze, staring in their direction for a long time.
A Two-legged Beast playing with a Little Leopard right in front of a female leopard?
Has the outside world become this mad?
The squirrel twitched its ears, then decided not to interfere any longer and went on its own quest for food.
Life in the forest is always leisurely.
The air is fresh, and the scenery lush with greenery.
The only downside are the mosquitoes, which can be rather irritating.
"Alright, I'm off."
"I won't be able to see you for the next few days, so take good care of yourselves."
Seeing that the time was right, Xu Yang stood up, carrying the Little Leopard over to the female leopard to say goodbye.
The Little Leopard looked around in the direction of Xu Yang.
At the moment, it couldn't live independently, but with the female leopard looking after it, perhaps when it grew up, it would choose a different kind of life.