Chapter 332 - Silver under the mountain
"It's nothing embarrassing!" Su Tao knew that he had to resolve the embarrassment in Shui Junzhuo's heart. "Urinating is a metabolic function of the body, and it cannot be held. Many illnesses are derived from holding the bladder, such as a problem in the prostate or uremia in a serious case!"
"Un…" Shui Junzhuo faintly replied.
"We will be staying in the mountains for a few days, so I hope that you can inform me if you need to relieve yourself." Su Tao realised that this incident did not give rise to Shui Junzhuo's attention, so he continued with heartfelt words, "Don't worry about it. I will know with a glance, and I will find an opportunity for you!"
"Un…" Shui Junzhuo was feeling complicated. She had no idea if Su Tao was trying to persuade her or mock her.
"Food in the mountain is more casual, and it's easy for you to suffer from diarrhoea if your digestive system isn't good. So let me know as well if you have that request. This way, I can also find an opportunity for you!" Su Tao persuaded patiently, hoping to dissolve this awkward atmosphere.
"Enough, you can shut up now!" Even with Shui Junzhuo's good temper, she couldn't hold it at this moment. Su Tao was too hateful. She felt that he had something in his hand that he could use to blackmail her. It was an embarrassment, and if she had a choice, she would rather die from holding her bladder than to give Su Tao this opportunity.
"Alright, it seems that you're thought it through since you can scold me." Su Tao smiled as he stopped nagging and returned to his tent. He purposely examined the tent next door. This time, Shui Junzhuo was having a good sleep and was no longer flipping around.
But in reality, Shui Junzhuo wasn't sleeping. When she heard the rhythmic breathing, the indignance in her heart gradually disappeared.
From a book she read in the past, it mentioned that loving someone means accepting their entire person. From another angle, if her flaws were revealed to Su Tao, and he wasn't disgusted with her, did that mean that Su Tao would fall for her?
Although that was somewhat far-fetched, it made Shui Junzhuo's heart calm down and she finally entered into her sweet dreams.
Even if they're in a desolate mountain, Shui Junzhuo had a good night's sleep. She even had a beautiful dream of reminiscing the taste of Su Tao's barbequed rabbit. When she woke up, she even noticed that she was drooling.
Stretching her waist, Shui Junzhuo pulled open the tent and saw that there was a basin and a pot of hot water placed outside. She took out a towel and toothbrush from her bag and quickly washed up before drinking a mouthful of warm water. When she came out of the cave, she noticed Ah Jun sitting a distance away from the cave and asked, "Uncle Jun, there's Su Tao?"
"They've already left!" Ah Jun replied without any expression on his face.
"What? Left?" Shui Junzhuo subconsciously realised that she had been left behind and locked her brows together. "Why didn't you wake me?!"
Ah Jun replied, "Because this is the right decision! They left at roughly 4 a.m.!"
"You think that I'm a burden to them?" It was rare for Shui Junzhuo to show the tantrum of a little girl. She childishly kicked a few stones with her feet.
"They're here for proper businesses, and it's truly inappropriate for them to bring you." Ah Jun let out a deep sigh.
After a brief pondering from Ah Jun's words, Shui Junzhuo found sense in it. Because of her, Su Tao even had to go the extra mile to relieve himself.
Letting out a sigh, Shui Junzhuo said, "Uncle Jun, I understand. But after you send me down, please come up to look for Su Tao. I hope that you can protect him like how you protect me!"
Her words left Ah Jun briefly stunned before he sighed, "Junzhuo, his survival ability in the mountains is stronger than my own!"
"But I'm still worried about him!" Shui Junzhuo sighed.
"Alright, I'll send you down the mountain first before coming back to look for them." Ah Jun agreed to Shui Junzhuo's request.
With complicated feelings, Shui Junzhuo packed her items and the passion in her heart from yesterday disappeared. This time, Su Tao wasn't here to play, he came intending to find the herb he needed, which concerned the recovery of Cao Dingjun.
I was too selfish!
At this moment, Shui Junzhuo finally understood.
Su Tao had given a lot of thought into this matter. Last night, he was trying to let Shui Junzhuo experience life in the wilderness.
The wilderness wasn't as easy as she imagined. Take the rain last night, for example; the slightest mistake would cause her to slip and fall.
Because she was a woman, it was even more inconvenient.
However, this matter had caused Shui Junzhuo to lay down the determination to train her physique and increase her outdoor skills so that she wouldn't be a burden next time.
As part of Fushan Province's mountain range, the Golden Chicken Mountain wasn't just restricted to Miao Village. The mountain that the Qihuang Charity Funds contracted wasn't just the one behind Miao Village.
Under Xu Dashan's lead, they had quickened their journey without Shui Junzhuo around. Xu Dashan was startled by Su Tao's ability to keep up with him along the way. When he tried to challenge Su Tao, he exhausted himself entirely instead. On the other hand, Su Tao wasn't even panting for breath; his physique was terrifying.
Xu Dashan had water contained in a large plastic bottle meant for soft drinks. Wiping his sweat, Xu Dashan gulped down water before turning to Su Tao. "Up ahead will be Silver Lake Village's territory."
"Silver Lake Village?" Su Tao was baffled.
"Although it's called a village, almost everyone has reallocated." Xu Dashan's eyes flickered with a complicated light as he continued, "Everyone in the village has a short lifespan, and many of them were suffering from mental illnesses. It's also known as Madman Village!"
"Madman Village?" Su Tao smiled as he looked at Xu Dashan.
Letting out a sigh, Xu Dashan pinched his nose, which extracted mucus and he wiped it on a tree. "I know you believe that I'm not a madman!"
"Let's carry on. Let's take a look at this Silver Lake Village." Su Tao's eyes lit up as he spoke to Xu Dashan.
Truth be told, Xu Dashan actually did not want to go there. After all, it was too far away from where he picked the treasure. However, since Su Tao had a request, he naturally went along and brought Su Tao to Silver Lake Village.
Silver Lake Village was beside Golden Chicken Mountain, and there was a lake in the village that was known as Silver Lake, which factored into the name of the village itself. As they walked, Su Tao suddenly stopped and looked at a plant in the forest with his eyes beaming.
He quickened his steps over and nipped a little of the plant and chewed it in his mouth before spitting it out.
"What's wrong?" Xu Dashan could notice the unusual expression on Su Tao's countenance and his eyes flickered with excitement. He could tell that Su Tao was experienced in living in the mountains. He had been searching for the treasure for years, and Su Tao might really be able to find it.
"Madman Xu, I have a piece of bad news for you." Su Tao showed a wry smile as he stared at Xu Dashan.
"What bad news?" Xu Dashan widened his mouth, startled by Su Tao.
"Did you find silver in the mountain in the past?" Su Tao probed.
"Yeah!" Xu Dashan briefly hesitated before adding on, "And I've picked it up many times!"
"Were they compound objects and not pure silver itself?" Su Tao noticed Xu Dashan was avoiding his gaze. He could tell if the latter was lying with a glance.
"Yeah!" Xu Dashan gritted his teeth and asked, "What's going on?"
"If I've guessed correctly, there should be a silver mine under this mountain range." Su Tao pointed at the cluster of plants and explained, "If there's welsh onion on the mountain, there will be silver beneath it; if there are Chinese onions on the mountain, there will be gold beneath it; if there is ginger on the mountain, there will be bronze. This is how people of ancient times searched for minerals. These welsh onions are grown lushly, and it generally means a silver mine is beneath this mountain. I've also tasted it, and there is a metallic composition in it. If it's as I've expected, there should be a silver mine of a considerable size beneath this mountain. As for the reason why the residents in Silver Lake Village went insane and had a short lifespan, it's because of the contamination from metal into the mud and water source."
A silver mine beneath the mountain, this was a massive treasure! But how could a villager like him have the authority and capability to mine it?
Xu Dashan had shock on his face as he took a few steps back. He initially did not think of this possibility and had doubts that his findings were a fluke.
Painfully hugging his head, Xu Dashan roared as he smashed his fists onto the ground.
Letting out a sigh, Su Tao was actually feeling admiration for Xu Dashan. To seek an answer, the latter willingly put up with humiliation. It was perseverance that not everyone possessed.
"I hope that you can keep this news from leaking!" But for Su Tao, it wasn't a piece of good news. He had just rented the entire Golden Chicken Mountain, and if someone knew that there might be a silver mine beneath this mountain, wouldn't it ruin his plans? He encountered an obstruction in his first step out?
"Don't worry about it, and I won't tell anyone!" Xu Dashan stood up in disappointment with complicated emotions going through his pupils. After that, he bowed in the direction of Su Tao. "Thank you for resolving the knot that's been in my heart for so many years. I'm now relieved to receive an outcome."
Letting out a sigh, Su Tao replied, "You understand this mountain well, and I will rent more of the mountain. If you're willing, you can be my assistant and help me take good care of this mountain."
Through their short interaction, Su Tao realised that not only was Xu Dashan not insane; he was a cunning and intelligent person. He had been focused on searching the mountain for more than a decade, which bestowed him a pair of sharp eyes. The Golden Chicken Mountain was akin to his garden, and Xu Dashan could be a good caretaker of the mountain. In this way, he could prevent the mountain he just rented from being ruined!
Looking at Su Tao with a baffled expression, Xu Dashan became curious. "You do not intend to open up this mountain?"
Since Su Tao's Qihuang Charity Funds has already signed a contract with the government, although he might not be able to obtain the developing rights for the mountain if he reported the silver mine to the government, he would be able to receive a fat reward.
"Yeah. I rented this mountain to provide a natural habitat for the herbs here. To me, those herbs are more valuable than the silver mine. The moment the silver mine is developed, the resources will be exhausted. But as long as the mountain exists, those herbs won't die out!" Su Tao explained.
"Although I have no idea what you're talking about, I promise you! Because I do not wish for my perseverance to be a joke and become someone's wealth." Xu Dashan gave his reason for keeping this secret.
"Then we'll have a verbal agreement!" Su Tao smiled. "Please bring me to find the item I need!"
After a brief hesitation, Xu Dashan sighed, "You're smart. When did you realise that I knew the location of the herb that you're looking for?"
"From the first time I laid eyes upon you!" Su Tao smiled. "Although you've acted like a madman, eyes are the window to the soul. So it's impossible for the emotions that occasionally leak out to lie!"