```
The deeper he walked, the closer he got to the isolation zone, the more he could see the figures wriggling along the edge of the isolation zone.
"The snakes here… indeed, there are many."
Feng Yi's face turned pale.
The driver was fine; it wasn't his first time running this route, so it wasn't strange for him, "They just like to gather at the edge of the isolation zone to watch the passing vehicles and pedestrians."
"They're that bold?"
"These snakes are generally bold and fierce. Now, relying on the fact that everyone is afraid to eat them, they've become even more rampant. Alright, we've arrived!"
The driver parked the car at the designated spot. The road ahead could only be traversed on foot by Feng Yi, as outside vehicles were not allowed up the mountain.
Seeing Feng Yi all tensed up, the driver patted his shoulder, "Don't be afraid, it's just cauliflower snakes."
Feng Yi wasn't consoled.
A field of cauliflower might just be a rural drama, but a field of cauliflower snakes is a horror movie!
The driver glanced around the parking area and parked the car in a smoking area. He hadn't dared to smoke while driving, and Xiao Feng Mountain had a designated smoking area where drivers didn't need to leave their cars.
Lighting a cigarette, the driver watched Feng Yi suit up in gear.
Fully armed to the teeth.
With a chuckle, the driver said, "We have an old saying here, 'One li of King Jin Snakes, ten li without venomous snakes.'"
The saying could be interpreted in two ways:
Ten li/without/venomous snakes—This place is devoid of venomous snakes.
Ten li without venomous snakes—There are snakes everywhere here! It's just that they're not venomous.
Really, it's all the same!
The driver said, "Although it sounds exaggerated, King Jin Snakes do eat snakes. You have to believe in the power of food enthusiasts."
Feng Yi forced a smile, "Thank you, master, you're really comforting!"
With a laugh, the driver shook his head, "I mean, you, being so afraid of snakes, what are you doing here? Isn't this just asking for trouble?"
Feng Yi answered gloomily, "Life's not easy."
This statement immediately resonated with the driver's sense of hardship, as he smoked pensively, "It's tough for all of us."
Feng Yi asked, "Aren't you afraid of snakes?"
The driver replied, "Why should I be afraid if I don't leave the car?"
Feng Yi: "…" That made a damn good point.
The driver: "As long as I stay in the car, not a single snake can sneak into my vehicle! I won't even go to the restroom! I'll find a place to deal with it after I leave here."
Feng Yi: "...Very meticulous."
The driver: "We have another saying here, 'Early March brings thunder, insects, and snakes abound.' After Early March this year, the elders were saying that there might be more insects and snakes than last year. The weather is getting warmer now, and indeed, there are more snakes, rodents, and ants on the mountain, so watch out."
"Thank you, master. Leave me your number, and I'll contact you when I'm returning. I'll add to the fare," Feng Yi said.
"Alright." The driver was quite impressed with Feng Yi, not wanting to miss out on a potentially lucrative fare, and he was also somewhat concerned for Feng Yi.
After a moment's thought, the driver said, "Like this, if you don't call me in three days, I'll call you myself. If I can't get through, I'll report it to the police, okay?"
"Okay!"
Feng Yi was also worried about his personal safety, and the driver's suggestion suited him just fine.
They exchanged phone numbers, and after the driver finished his cigarette and checked the inside of the car once more, he immediately left.
Carrying his pack and adjusting his uncomfortable helmet, Feng Yi took a deep breath and, with a snake-repelling stick in hand, started up the mountain.
Having come this far, what was there to fear?
Further up the mountain, the isolation nets were pulled up on both sides of the road. The cauliflower snakes gathered on the other side of the net hissed, and as Feng Yi moved, they shifted along.
Two-meter-long cauliflower snakes were not uncommon here, and there were even bigger ones, but Feng Yi didn't look.
```
He now felt his entire body goosebumps nearly bursting open.
Having lived in the city for over twenty years, closeness to nature meant visits to major scenic spots or stylish country resorts. He had never before approached a wild nature reserve where flora and fauna grew with such abandon and human footprints were barely seen.
Every so often, he would see swarms of insects whose names he could not call to mind, and as Feng Yi walked past, several of them would rest right on his helmet visor.
Something flew onto his shoulder and then flew away after a while. Feng Yi only caught a glimpse of a black figure.
It wasn't even summer yet, and these insects were already active.
Continuing the climb, he came upon a checkpoint with a guard. Only after registering was Feng Yi allowed to ascend the mountain, and the guard also informed him of the location of the Feng Family Ancestral Home.
"There's only one old mansion up the mountain, and I think it belongs to the Feng Family, though I'm not entirely sure. Only one person lives there. If that's the mansion you're referring to, just follow this road all the way up, and you should see it. You can also ask anyone you meet on the way; they all know about it."
After thanking the guard, Feng Yi continued his ascent.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before he heard the sound of a car approaching and managed to hitch a ride.
The two drivers worked at a feed factory at the base of the mountain and were heading up for a work task.
"The Feng Family Ancestral Home? Are you going to see Mute Uncle?" one of them asked.
"Mute Uncle? Probably, my family elders just told me someone looks after the place. I have some business at the old home," Feng Yi said.
The other person looked over Feng Yi's gear, "From your getup, I can tell it's your first time here."
"Do you two live on the mountain? Is it nice living there?" Feng Yi asked.
They both laughed.
One explained, "Nowadays, who wants to live on the mountain? Not even with WiFi. At night, you can't even get takeout delivered, and out here, squatting in the toilet, you could get eight snakes watching you. Would you want that?"
"Isn't there a quarantine zone?" Feng Yi said.
"The quarantine net is right next to it. When you're squatting and look out the window, you'll see seven or eight snakes clinging to the net not far away, staring at you. Apart from shifts or temporary assignments, we live in company dormitories down the mountain. Those who can live comfortably up here are no ordinary people."
"Like Mute Uncle?"
"Yeah, Mute Uncle is no ordinary guy, and he seems pretty happy with his life up there."
"What's Mute Uncle's last name? How should I address him?" Feng Yi asked.
"Address him? Just call him Mute Uncle. I don't know his last name; everyone calls him that, and he can't speak."
The mountain looked desolate, but the road was well-maintained; the small car rode smoothly, with not even slightly larger pebbles in sight.
"There's a vehicle that clears the road daily," one of them explained. "Mute Uncle often has people bring things for him, the vehicles coming up and down the mountain are not many, but they're not rare. We'll drop you off on the mountain first, and then we'll head back."
The car continued on for a while, and after passing the middle part of the mountain, the quarantine belt gradually moved away from the road. The woods by the roadside showed signs of human activity, with deliberately planned trees, some of them fruit trees already bearing fruit, and others Feng Yi had never seen before.
Just as he pondered this, Feng Yi suddenly heard the person next to him exclaim, "Hey, I see Mute Uncle over there! Mute Uncle!"
The car pulled over to the side of the road and stopped.
Feng Yi followed their gaze.
An old man who appeared to be about seventy years old, dressed like a peasant from the mountains, emerged from the woods.
His face was heavily tanned from frequent outdoor work, with deep wrinkles etched across his features. He was dressed in cloth clothes and rubber shoes, carrying a large bamboo basket, his trouser legs marred by half-dried mud, and a straw hat slightly askew on his head, allowing stray locks of salt-and-pepper hair to peek out and sway with his steps.
The old man's bamboo basket was filled with freshly picked vegetables and fruits, most of which Feng Yi could not recognize, all specialities of the mountain.
The young driver rolled down the window and waved at the old man, "Mute Uncle, a guest has come to your place. I brought them to you!"
Mute Uncle looked over at the car.
Feng Yi met his gaze, but he did not see a trace of gloom in the old man's eyes.
Mute Uncle wiped the sweat from his brow and flashed Feng Yi a radiant smile.
Then Feng Yi saw the old man pull out the latest model smartphone from his muddy, crumb-covered pocket—
It was the same series as Feng Yi's phone, except the old man's had a "plus."
The top-end model, three thousand more expensive than the one Feng Yi had. And much harder to obtain.