Li Long left his bicycle at the Winter Camp. After drinking some stomach-warming milk tea, he and Harimu headed into the mountain forest with two rifles, carrying rope and plastic sheeting on their backs.
They headed east from the Winter Camp, following the mountains for over a kilometer before Harimu turned a bend ahead. Here, a Mountain Pass extended north, but its opening was so narrow that no mountain trail had formed.
"Look, there's a gully in there, with lots of that medicinal herb you Han people talk about-fritillaria, or something." Harimu pointed it out to Li Long. "In summer, around May and June, those upside-down flowers bloom everywhere. They're really pretty."
They did not enter the Mountain Ravine, but Li Long memorized its location—at the mouth of the ravine was an uneven row of pine trees, along with several large wind-felled trees.
"Over there." Harimu pointed toward another gully below Fritillaria Gully. "Lots of mushrooms start growing in that gully in April or May, and they keep growing until August. They're quite pretty, different from ordinary mushrooms."
Like someone surveying his domain, Harimu told Li Long:
"We're not interested in these things, but once summer comes and the snow melts, you can come take a look. I know you're looking to collect medicinal herbs. There are quite a lot in these Mountain Ravines."
Having finished explaining the area, Harimu led Li Long farther east.
"There's a patch of shrubs over there, with no tall trees. Red deer come there in spring. I even saw a fawn there while herding sheep, but it was far too alert. I was out of ammunition then and hadn't brought my rifle, or I would have caught it."
There were red deer here! Li Long immediately grew excited and asked, "Could there be any