sinovels Chapter 1661 The Mountain Runner's Oath
Chapter 1661 The Mountain Runner's Oath
Chapter 1661 The Mountain Runner's Oath
When the jeep turned from the south and drove towards the Wang family's house, Shao Tianpeng, Wang Changyou, and the others noticed it.
These days, it's really not easy to see a Jeep in a remote mountain valley.
When the jeep stopped in front of them, the group saw Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu sitting inside.
Zhao Jun pushed open the passenger door and got out of the car. He first called out "Fourth Grandfather" to Wang Changyou, then looked at Shao Tianpeng and Shao Zhiqiang and said, "Uncle Shao, are we leaving already?"
Seeing that Zhao Jun had already found his way here, and hearing Zhao Jun's words, Shao Tianpeng knew that there was no point in trying to dodge the question anymore.
The old man had spent half his life in the underworld and was quite decisive. He immediately gave Zhao Jun a wry smile and said, "Hey, you see, as soon as we heard that Xing Laosan was on good terms with you, my dad and I said that we shouldn't bother with Xing Laosan for Zhao's sake. So we thought, let's go back."
Hearing Shao Tianpeng's words, Zhao Jun couldn't help but smile. At that moment, seeing Zhao Jun arrive, Shao Yunjin and Shao Jun also got out of the jeep.
"Zhao boy." Shao Yunjin called out to Zhao Jun, walked over with a smile, and said, "It's nothing much, why bother you to make the trip."
"Hey, that old man," Wang Changyou suddenly interjected, "why don't we go upstairs and talk about it?"
After saying this, Wang Changyou didn't wait for Shao Yunjin's reaction. He pulled Wang Yongchang next to him and introduced him to Zhao Jun: "Zhao Jun, this is my uncle. You haven't met him before, have you?"
Zhao Jun smiled upon hearing this, nodded to Wang Yongchang, but said nothing.
Then, Zhao Jun looked at Shao Yunjin and said, "Old man, since we've caught up, I'll give you a ride."
"Huh?" Shao Yunjin was taken aback, but he didn't know what Zhao Jun meant.
At this moment, Zhao Jun raised his hand and waved to Li Baoyu, then said to Wang Changyou, "Fourth Grandfather, I'm leaving now."
"Let's go?" Wang Changyou said in surprise, "We've come all this way, let's stay and have dinner before we leave."
As he said this, Zhao Jun had already gotten into the passenger seat. Taking advantage of the fact that the car door was not closed, he replied to Wang Changyou, "I'm not eating anymore, Fourth Grandfather. I'll come to see you again another day."
After saying this, Zhao Jun waved to Shao Jun and said, "Brothers, we'll lead the way and give you a ride."
With that, Zhao Jun closed the car door, and Li Baoyu got in the car and drove out of the village.
Upon seeing this, the four generations of the Shao family exchanged bewildered glances.
……
Two jeeps emerged from Changling Village, one after the other. Inside the second jeep, the four members of the Shao family seemed somewhat uneasy.
"Dad!" Shao Jun couldn't help but turn around and ask Shao Zhiqiang, who was sitting in the back row, "Dad, are we still going with him? Can't he arrange for someone to intercept us on the way?"
Yesterday, Wang Yongchang followed the Pang family father and son to Yong'an Village. He witnessed the scene of Xie Sunshi and Li Tongyun committing the crime. Terrified, Wang Yongchang fled all the way back to Changling Village and told the two old men of the Shao family everything he had seen in Yong'an Village.
After listening, Shao Yunjin concluded that the Pang family would not let the matter rest, and Shao Tianpeng instructed Wang Yongchang to investigate and report back today.
Wang Yongchang got up very early again today, went from home to Yongsheng Village, and then secretly followed the fourteen members of the Pang family to Yong'an Village.
In Yong'an Village, Wang Yongchang witnessed the ruthless side of Wang Meilan.
Wang Changyou and Zhao Jun's maternal grandfather, Wang Changfu, were cousins. Wang Yongchang, Wang Meilan, and Zhao Youcai all grew up together. After so many years apart, Wang Yongchang never imagined that Wang Meilan would have changed so much.
When Wang Yongchang returned to Changling Village and recounted what he had seen that day, the Shao family knew that they would not be able to get the ginseng seedlings back.
This family was very decisive; knowing the situation was hopeless, they immediately made arrangements to leave. But to their surprise, Zhao Jun arrived. And judging from Zhao Jun's demeanor, it seemed this matter wasn't over yet.
"What are you afraid of, kid?" At this moment, Shao Yunjin, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Shao Jun, his tone seemingly full of disappointment.
“I’m not afraid, sir,” Shao Jun said, but Shao Yunjin saw through his stubbornness and immediately sneered, “Jun, things have turned out like this, we know it’s no use, so we’ll leave. If he wants to take us seriously, we can just fight him to the death.”
“That shouldn’t be the case, Dad.” Sitting behind Shao Yunjin, Shao Tianpeng suddenly interjected, “Look at that kid Zhao Jun, he’s quite thorough in his work…”
Before Shao Tianpeng could finish speaking, Shao Jun exclaimed urgently, "Hey? They've stopped the car!"
Before reaching the war preparation highway leading to Jilin Province, Zhao Jun told Li Baoyu to stop the car.
Zhao Jun pushed open the car door and got out. The mountain wind blew in his face, making him squint.
At this moment, Shao Jun brought the car to a steady stop. Shao Tianpeng got out of the car first and helped his father out of the passenger seat.
"Zhao boy," Shao Yunjin called out to Zhao Jun as he got out of the car, "What are you doing here in this wind and howling?"
Zhao Jun smiled and said loudly to Shao Yunjin, "Old man, I have two things I want to say to you, my Uncle Shao, and my Master Shao."
"Huh?" Shao Yunjin stared wide-eyed, seemingly quite surprised, and asked Zhao Jun, "If you have something to say, why don't you say it at your grandpa's house?"
"Hehe, look at what you're saying, old man," Zhao Jun laughed. "It's because I'm afraid he'll hear this, otherwise why would I have come all this way?"
The Shao family and Li Baoyu were amused by Zhao Jun's words. At this moment, Shao Tianpeng, sensing the pleasant atmosphere, raised his hand and smiled at Zhao Jun, saying, "Yesterday in front of his house, he said he was a close relative of yours. I asked him then, 'Zhao boy, you're getting married, why didn't you go?' He didn't say a word, haha..."
"Haha..." Zhao Jun laughed. Seeing that it was getting dark, he stopped talking and said directly, "Master Shao, Grandpa, Uncle Shao, Brother Shao Jun, I told them this afternoon in front of Old Pang's house."
My Uncle Xing has helped me a lot. No matter what he needs, I always take care of it for him. If he owes you money, I'll make up for it. If he needs something else, we'll figure out how to handle it.
"Young Zhao, everyone says you're kind and righteous." Shao Yunjin immediately flattered Zhao Jun, then asked him, "I'm just asking you, does Xing Laosan have Miao Daxiantong in his possession?"
“No.” Zhao Jun shook his head without hesitation and said, “Grandpa, he hasn’t had this for a long time.”
Zhao Jun wasn't lying; the ginseng was indeed no longer in Xing San's hands.
Of course, Zhao Jun felt a little uneasy as he said this. But there was nothing he could do. Xing San had promised to give him the ginseng, but if Zhao Jun wanted to return it to the Shao family, Xing San definitely wouldn't allow it.
"He sold it?" Shao Tianpeng's voice changed as he loudly asked Zhao Jun, "Who did he sell it to?"
Zhao Jun knew that the Shao family had connections in the ginseng trading industry in Lingnan, Lingxi, and Lingdonggou, so Zhao Jun said, "We have a father and son from Hebei here who collect mountain products. One is named Zheng Donghai, and the other is named Zheng something, I forgot, I can't remember."
Zhao Jun deliberately spoke vaguely to make it sound more real; otherwise, it would sound like he was reciting a memorized text, and he probably wouldn't be able to fool the shrewd and experienced Shao Yunjin.
"How much does he sell it for?" Shao Tianpeng asked. Zhao Jun also looked troubled and said, "I think it was four hundred and eighty? Or four hundred and sixty? I can't remember."
"Damn it!" Shao Tianpeng cursed, "This old bastard, isn't he just being reckless?"
"Dapeng," Shao Yunjin called out to Shao Tianpeng, giving him a wink, and said, "Alright, if that's the case, then it's not our money."
"Money doesn't matter." Shao Tianpeng was indifferent again at this moment. He clutched his left side and said, "He stabbed me that year."
"Alright, Dapeng!" Shao Yunjin stopped Shao Tianpeng again, saying, "Let's just leave it at that for Zhao's sake?"
After saying that, Shao Yunjin added, "Then what else can we do?"
"Sigh!" Shao Tianpeng sighed heavily upon hearing this, then looked at Zhao Jun and said, "Alright, Zhao kid, let's not say anything more, let's just drop this matter."
Seeing that the two old men from the Shao family had settled the matter with their words, Zhao Jun was unwilling to let it go so easily.
According to them, Xing San stole Miao Daxiancao and then stabbed Shao Tianpeng in the back. Both of these incidents were let off the hook because of Zhao Jun's influence. How much influence does Zhao Jun have?
In other words, how much of a favor must Zhao Jun owe them?
Some people don't care about this, but Zhao Jun does. He owes people favors, and he has to repay them, and what he has to repay is always more than what he owes.
"Grandpa, Master Shao," Zhao Jun quickly stopped the two old men, then said, "I said, if you owe money, pay it back; if you owe money, we can discuss it. Now, I'll say something, is that alright with you?"
Upon hearing this, Shao Yunjin exchanged a glance with Shao Tianpeng, the two of them exchanging their opinions with their eyes. Then, Shao Tianpeng responded to Zhao Jun, saying, "Zhao Jun, you say it."
“Uncle Shao, I know an old place near your house.” Zhao Jun said, “I’ll tell you where it is. You can go hunting in the mountains this summer. I can’t guarantee you’ll find big ones, but you’ll definitely find small immortal herbs, and not just one seedling.”
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, the four members of the Shao family were greatly surprised. Shao Tianpeng hurriedly asked, "Really? Are you kidding me?"
“Really.” Zhao Jun nodded and said, “We’re all mountain runners, we speak for these mountains and these old forests. If it’s fake, I’ll be gone by sunset.”
This is the oath of the older generation of mountain runners, equivalent to "If the light goes out, I will go out too."
That's a very harsh statement. Most people who run in the mountains believe it, and those who roam the mountains even more so.
Seeing that the Shao family didn't respond, Zhao Jun stated again, "This old village is yours. I won't go, and I won't tell anyone else. I keep my word. Otherwise, I'll be gone by sunset."
After Zhao Jun finished speaking, the four members of the Shao family remained silent. Seeing this, Zhao Jun directly asked Shao Yunjin, "Grandpa, I have to make this clear first. The location of that old village is a bit tricky; the mountain treasures aren't easy to come by, but there are definitely big finds there."
"Zhao boy." At this moment, Shao Yunjin said to Zhao Jun with a serious expression, "Tell me, where is it?"
“Old man,” Zhao Jun stared at Shao Yunjin and said, “We need to make this clear. As long as I tell you about this place, whether you can go or not, whether you dare to go or not, whether you can find the club or the immortal herb, your family’s business with my third uncle will be settled. If we don’t bring up any further issues, then no one can mention it again. Is that alright?”
Hearing Zhao Jun say this, Shao Yunjin and Shao Tianpeng exchanged a glance, and then Shao Yunjin said to Zhao Jun, "Young man Zhao, don't look down on me just because I'm an old man. I'm the boss in my family."
As he spoke, Shao Yunjin raised his hand and said, "I'm going to give you a piece of advice today. Tell an old man in the village who has some kind of magical herb that we, the Shao family, will never mention the matter between our family and Xing Laosan again."
At this point, Shao Yunjin pointed to the mountain and said, "If our Shao family were to do something inhuman, we would all be gone by the time the sun sets."
"Alright, old man." Zhao Jun nodded upon hearing this, then waved to Li Baoyu.
Since I've already told the Shao family about this, I definitely won't let Li Baoyu stand around.
Li Baoyu understood Zhao Jun's meaning and immediately walked away into the distance.
After watching Li Baoyu walk away, Zhao Jun stepped forward and whispered to the four members of the Shao family, "If you go southeast from your house, there's a Xuri Forest Farm, right?"
"Ah!" Shao Yunjin nodded heavily, his eyes suddenly lighting up as if there was something strange about Zhao Jun's words.
Just then, Zhao Jun continued, "There's a place called Toad Gully in Xuri Forest Farm. If you ask around there, everyone will know about it..."
"Damn it!" Before Zhao Jun could finish speaking, he heard someone curse beside him. Zhao Jun turned around and saw Shao Zhiqiang clapping his hands and stamping his feet, saying with a look of frustration, "We just didn't go to Toad Gully!"
Zhao Jun was taken aback; he sensed something was off about Shao Zhiqiang's words.
If the name "Toad Gully" were taken literally, one would expect it to be teeming with toads, forest frogs, and ants. But the toads here are not those mentioned earlier; they are the most venomous snake in Northeast China: Toad Head.
In Northeast China, the most famous venomous snake is probably the Pheasant Neck. However, the Pheasant Neck is a venomous snake with fangs, and its fangs are located in its back molars. Only being bitten by these two fangs will pose a life-threatening risk.
However, the toad's head snake venom is different. While its venom may not be as potent as that of the pheasant's neck snake, it is easier to inject venom into the toad's head snake and is more aggressive. Overall, it is more dangerous than the pheasant's neck snake.
In Toad Gully, countless toad heads roamed the damp places along the stream and in the shade of trees. Zhao Jun dared to capture tigers and fight bears, but he was terrified of snakes. He feared not only venomous snakes, but even non-venomous ones.
Therefore, even though there were eight hundred seedlings of the Great Immortal Herb in that old village, Zhao Jun dared not go there.
“Something’s not right!” Suddenly, Shao Zhiqiang seemed to realize something. He looked at Zhao Jun and asked, “Those mountains and hills in Hama Gully don’t look like ginseng fields.”
It was previously said that the most capable leaders in the ginseng gang could "observe the mountains and judge the scenery." "Observing the mountains" means that these leaders could deduce whether there was a suitable place for ginseng to grow just by looking at the shape and terrain of the mountains from afar.
Ginseng doesn't grow in barren lands, especially in Lao'anzi, which is nestled against mountains and beside water, with fertile soil.
"Zhiqiang." Before Zhao Jun could speak, Shao Yunjin called out to Shao Zhiqiang, saying, "On our map, there's an old village marked over there near Xuri. You haven't found it all these years, so it must be in Hamagou."
"A map?" Zhao Jun felt as if he had stumbled upon some secret of the Shao family gang, but at this moment Shao Yunjin looked at Zhao Jun and laughed, "Young Zhao, last year when you were at my house, you said you knew about 'bangchui' (a type of Chinese martial art), and I didn't believe you. After all this time, it turns out that Manager Wang passed his book to you?"
Zhao Jun: "What?"
(End of this chapter)