Read Novel Full Chapter 677 - 276 Arriving at Meishan
Chapter 677: Chapter 276 Arriving at Meishan
"We’ve made it ashore, finally."
Old Yang’s feet touched the ground, and he let out a long sigh of relief, filled with emotion.
This Water Marsh Restricted Area is no joke. If he had to cross the river by himself, he would have died eighteen times over.
It’s only because of someone as capable as Mr. Liang that they managed to cross with just a simple raft.
Feeling emotional for a moment, Old Yang quickly began to survey his surroundings.
As a local from Meishan Village, he was extremely familiar with every plant and tree on this mountain.
But now, looking at the vegetation on Meishan, he was immediately stunned.
The vegetation in front of him was desolate, full of various trees and thorns, and some trees had grown into towering giants.
Among them were Yang Mei trees that he was extremely familiar with!
"Goodness, is that still a Yang Mei tree?"
Old Yang stared at an enormous Yang Mei tree not far away, utterly shocked.
This Yang Mei tree must be about twenty or thirty meters tall, standing out prominently among all the trees nearby.
In his memory, there had never been such tall Yang Mei trees on Meishan.
But now, as far as the eye could see, there were similar giant Yang Mei trees everywhere.
Yang Mei also looked around in surprise at the dramatically changed Meishan and said, "How did it come to this? Uncle Lin, are you sure these are Yang Mei trees? I remember the Yang Mei trees on this mountain were at most as tall as a two-story building."
Old Yang, full of amazement, said, "They are definitely Yang Mei trees. Though they’ve grown larger, I recognize the leaves; they’re still Yang Mei tree leaves."
"Wow, imagine how big the fruits from such huge trees would be!" Old Yang said, unable to contain his delight.
All he could think about was how, in the past, this would have meant a bountiful harvest year.
Having been a fruit farmer all his life, his thoughts were always on whether there would be a good harvest.
Liang Yuan said, "In the post-apocalyptic world of the great flood, both humans and animals mutated. It’s not surprising these Yang Mei trees also mutated. Many plants on Yangshan have mutated too."
"This isn’t the time for sentiments. Can you identify where we are on Meishan? Are there any landmarks or structures nearby?"
"Our immediate task is to find people on the mountain."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Liang is right. Xiaoyang Mei, we need to find people first. Let me see where we are."
Old Yang quickly nodded and then swiftly looked around.
With his knowledge of Meishan, it should have been easy to identify the terrain here.
But with the mutated vegetation altering the environment, recognizing the area was challenging.
Suddenly, Yang Mei shouted, "Uncle Lin, look, there’s a grave here."
Old Yang hurried over and said, "Where? Where? Let me see."
Sure enough, among the bushes, there was a grave with a cement base.
The tombstone was covered in moss, and weeds grew through cracks, obstructing the inscription.
Old Yang stepped forward and cleared away the weeds with his hands.
The tombstone read ’Grave of the late Li Mao,’ followed by the names of his filial sons.
Listed were Li Kuirong, Li Kuihua, Li Kuifu, Li Kuigui, and Li Kui’an.
On the right side was a blank space, presumably reserved for their mother.
Typically, elderly couples would be buried together, sharing one tombstone.
The name of the first to pass would be inscribed first, with the other side left blank for the surviving spouse.
The mother of these filial sons likely hadn’t passed away yet, hence the blank space.
Of course, this was before the great flood. Whether she was still alive now was unknown.
Seeing the inscription, Old Yang laughed, "This is Li Mao’s grave. I know where we are. This field also belongs to their family. Follow me, I remember they have a hut around here."
Upon hearing this, Yang Mei also recalled and said, "Uncle Kui’an’s land? Then I know where we are. I used to come here. Their land on Meishan is not very high, it’s relatively flat, a good location. We’re not far from the footpath either."
Liang Yuan asked, "Is this considered a good location?"
Yang Mei nodded, saying, "The closer to the mountain foot, the better. The soil is richer and rock-free, and the terrain is flat, making it easier to go up and down. The higher you go, the more challenging it gets."
"I heard from my dad that when land was distributed, these good spots were snatched up quickly. Our family, lacking members and connections, was allocated land almost at the top."
"I remember my parents had to climb up and down every day to take care of over a hundred Yang Mei trees when I was a kid. It was exhausting."
"Fortunately, later, the government planned Meishan as a scenic spot, and our land was contracted by the government, giving us annual dividends. Our life became easier, and later on, we benefited from relocation. Life got better."
Yang Mei sighed nostalgically, seemingly recalling the tough times of his childhood for his parents.
Finding the way ahead, Old Yang turned and said, "In our time, having many sons made a family strong. Li Mao’s family benefited from having many sons. With five sons – Rong, Hua, Fu, Gui, and An, the five brothers went unchallenged in the village. Li Kuirong was even the village head. How could their land be less than abundant?"
Curious, Liang Yuan asked, "Isn’t everyone in Meishan Village surnamed Yang?"
Old Yang laughed, "Definitely not all Yangs. The main surnames were Yang and Li, with some other surnames too. These were mostly people resettled here from the city, who then made their homes here."