sinovels Chapter 1817 Having a mule means killing the donkey
Chapter 1817 Having a mule means killing the donkey
Chapter 1817 Having a mule means killing the donkey
As the person in charge of the propaganda front in Yong'an Forest Area, Li Ruhai had already spread the news throughout the entire forest area that the Zhao family gang was both a hunting gang and a ginseng gang.
Unfortunately, the Zhao family gang started as a hunting gang, and their record as a hunting gang was simply too outstanding. As a ginseng gang, they were new to the business and too young, which made them easy to be overlooked by others.
“Yes, Dad, it’s Zhao Jun and his gang.” Pang Gaoming said, “I just heard it from Juanzi. She said that yesterday afternoon, Li Ruhai came to our village. He was selling calves to anyone, and then he said he was the manager of the Zhao family gang.”
The Juanzi that Pang Gaoming mentioned is his wife, Liu Yujuan.
Upon hearing this, Pang Zhendong frowned, then said with disdain, "What can he do as a manager?"
“He has a good tongue,” Pang Gaoming said. Pang Zhendong curled his lip and said, “What good is a good tongue? The ginseng gang leader, back in the day, was like the leader of the bandit gang, he had to be good at shrewd calculations.”
"Dad, what era are we living in?" Pang Gaoming laughed. "These days, all you need to do in a gang is be able to communicate with superiors and subordinates and stay informed."
Pang Gaoming said that these two points were precisely Li Ruhai's strengths, which was also the reason why Zhao Jun appointed him as the manager of the Zhao family gang.
But Pang Zhendong shook his head and then asked, "Then who are those two 'second sticks'?"
"Ergun?" Pang Gaoming was taken aback, then shouted towards the outer room, "Juanzi! Juanzi!"
Pang Gaoming called out twice, and his wife Liu Yujuan came into the east room from the outer room and asked, "What's wrong? Why did you call me? I'm cooking."
"Huh?" Pang Gaoming asked Liu Yujuan, "Did Li Ruhai say yesterday who the second-in-command of their ginseng gang is?"
"Ah, I told you." No one else would even know what Ergun was, but at that moment Liu Yujuan said a name: "Zhang Yuanmin."
"Zhang Yuanmin?" Pang Zhendong and Pang Gaoming were both taken aback, then Liu Yujuan added, "He's the one with the big pants, don't you two recognize him?"
"Ah!" The Pang father and son both suddenly realized, but then frowned.
At this moment, Pang Gaoming waved his hand at Liu Yujuan and said, "Alright, Juanzi. Go cook your meal, it's nothing."
Liu Yujuan rolled her eyes at Pang Gaoming and strode towards the door. But when she reached the door, she stopped and turned back, saying, "By the way, Ru Hai also said that their group's bodyguard is Li Baoyu."
"You guessed it." Pang Gaoming chuckled. "Who else could that big, simple-minded old man be but him?"
Liu Yujuan smiled and turned to leave. After her daughter-in-law left, Pang Zhendong said to Pang Gaoming, "This Zhao family gang isn't very capable. They're just a bunch of good-for-nothings. How did they manage to carry Long'er?"
Pang Zhendong wasn't looking down on people; rather, he firmly believed that the combined experience of the Zhao family gang members in mountain rafting couldn't compare to his own.
If that's the case, how did they manage to bring out the Amber Dragon before they could?
Seeing Pang Gaoming looking blank, Pang Zhendong reminded him, "That pile of pine resin on the top of the bluestone was dug up by them."
"Ouch!" Pang Gaoming realized what was happening after Pang Zhendong's reminder. On the first day that the Pang family gang mobilized, they followed the same route that the Zhao family gang had taken to carry the Amber Dragon. At that time, the Pang family gang also discovered traces left by Zhao Jun and his six men digging up pine resin.
At that time, Pang Zhendong had a hunch that someone had unearthed the Amber Dragon in this area. But he was also somewhat skeptical, because he didn't believe that anyone in the Yong'an Forest Area had that kind of ability.
Now that he knew Zhao Jun had used Amber Dragon to complete the bounty, Pang Zhendong seamlessly connected the two events.
Pang Zhendong was puzzled as to how the Zhao family gang had managed to do it. Then, remembering something, he asked Pang Gaoming, "Gaoming, Han Shengli had Zhao Youcai teach him a lesson, but didn't he say anything afterwards?"
"So what did he say?" Pang Gaoming said, "Han Shengli chickened out."
"So you chickened out already?" Pang Zhendong said with a disappointed look, "This bastard is a coward. He's all talk and no action, but he chickens out as soon as something happens."
Pang Zhendong's ability to say such things clearly shows that he has forgotten his past cowardice.
"Alright, Dad." Pang Gaoming knew what his father was thinking, so he smiled wryly and advised Pang Zhendong, "We can't beat them, so let's just give up. Let's hurry up and figure out how to sell Shilong."
Upon hearing Pang Gaoming's words, Pang Zhendong said, "Have Gaosheng take leave tomorrow. After that, you two brothers, and Xiao Wuzi, come with me to Shuangdianzi tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Pang Gaoming knew that his father wanted to take Shi Long to the Ginseng Immortal Assembly. Realizing this was indeed a way to obtain Shi Long, Pang Gaoming immediately agreed.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jun, who was eating fried dough sticks at home, received a call from Manager Huang from Anguo, Hebei.
“Zhao Jun, huh?” On the other end of the phone, Manager Huang’s laughter grew even more hearty. “My old customer has taken in Little White Dragon, and he’s quite satisfied.”
As the middleman, Manager Huang must have benefited from helping his old customer with this matter.
The Zhao family also felt indebted to Manager Huang, and Zhao Jun immediately said with a smile, "Manager Huang, I will thank you properly when I go there again."
"That's easy to arrange," Manager Huang said with a smile. "When you come again, I'll have to treat you properly. The last few times you came, you left without even eating."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Manager Huang got straight to the point, saying to Zhao Jun, "Zhao Jun, you were the one who told me a few days ago that there was still a broken stone dragon, right?"
"Huh?" Zhao Jun quickly replied, "Yes, Manager Huang, your big customer still wants him?"
“This time it’s not him who wants it,” Shopkeeper Huang said. “This time it’s one of my father’s apprentices, I have to call him senior brother. His wife is about to give birth, and he heard that my old customer bought this ginseng and how good it is, so he wants to buy some Sanlong tonic for his wife.”
"What?" Zhao Jun was taken aback. Earlier at Huichuntang, when Zhao Jun was chatting with Manager Huang and the others, he heard Manager Huang say that although he had inherited the business from his father, he did not join their old master's inner circle.
The fact that he called someone "senior brother" means that person must be older than him.
Considering that Manager Huang is over sixty, how old must his senior brother be? If a wife that old is having a child, Zhao Jun probably isn't a proper wife.
But if someone wants to buy goods, they are a customer, and you shouldn't pry into their business.
So Zhao Jun simply said, "Manager Huang, let me ask him for you."
Even though Zhao Jun knew that the Shao family still had 99% of the stone dragon in their hands, he still had to ask first to avoid any mishaps and delays.
However, after saying that, Zhao Jun asked Manager Huang how much money he could get.
"Five thousand for the damaged ones, twelve thousand for the intact ones," Manager Huang said. Zhao Jun quickly hung up the phone and called Qiaotou Village.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Shao Tianpeng's voice finally came from the other end of the phone.
"Hey, I'm Shao Tianpeng, who are you?" Shao Tianpeng said. Zhao Jun replied, "Master Shao, I'm Zhao Jun."
"Zhao Jun," Shao Tianpeng asked, "when are you coming?"
These days, the story of the Zhao family gang in Yong'an Forest Area of Heilongjiang Province winning a 100,000 yuan reward for a single seedling of Amber Dragon has spread throughout the Changbai Mountain hunting community with the help of the Shao family gang.
Even so, without the Shao family's help, the Zhao family's gang couldn't get into the King's Assembly.
“I’ll go tomorrow, Mr. Shao,” Zhao Jun said. “I’ll arrive before noon tomorrow.”
“Okay, come over here,” Shao Tianpeng said. “I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
"Yeah," Zhao Jun responded first, then said to Shao Tianpeng, "Master Shao, do you still have Miao Shilong?"
"Huh?" Shao Tianpeng said, "Who will I sell it to the other day? I was thinking of waiting to see at the Ginseng King Conference."
Hearing Shao Tianpeng say this, Zhao Jun asked, "Brother Shao, they have someone who can offer five thousand yuan. Would you sell him?"
"Sell! Sell!" Shao Tianpeng exclaimed upon hearing this, "We absolutely have to sell!"
Shao Tianpeng had spent most of his life in the ginseng trade, and he knew the market price of ginseng all too well. For example, the stone dragon ginseng that the two groups were carrying out, if it wasn't for someone with special needs, four thousand yuan was the normal price, and four thousand five hundred yuan was a price you could only get by sheer luck.
So when he heard that someone was offering him 5,000 yuan, Shao Tianpeng agreed without hesitation.
“Alright then, Mr. Shao,” Zhao Jun said. “Wait for my call. I’ll talk to him and then ask him how and when he’s coming to pick up the ginseng.”
"Alright." Shao Tianpeng smiled and praised Zhao Jun, "You're such a capable kid."
Zhao Jun hung up the phone and then called Manager Huang. After the call connected, Zhao Jun said, "Manager Huang, they've agreed to sell it. So, when are they coming to pick up the ginseng?"
The home delivery service is definitely gone. Zhao Jun recently received a new task from Wang Meilan: to get her to hold her grandson as soon as possible.
“Then wait for my call, Zhao Jun,” Manager Huang said. “I’ll ask them, and then I’ll send you a message.”
After saying that, Manager Huang hung up the phone. Zhao Jun didn't wait in the room either, but went out to eat fried dough sticks with Xing San and the others.
About three minutes later, Manager Huang called again.
"Zhao Jun," Manager Huang said, "you can keep the ginseng for now. His son will be going to Bingcheng on business in a couple of days. Then you can contact him and have him come and pick it up."
“Alright.” Zhao Jun had just opened his mouth when he heard Manager Huang say, “He said he wants you to keep an eye out for him these next few days. He wants the good ones, and he wants the damaged ones too. The price is the same as what he told you. He wants you to find a way to get him a five-stem one.”
“I can’t handle that,” Zhao Jun quickly interrupted Manager Huang, saying, “I can’t guarantee that. I can only say that I will give him as many seedlings as I have.”
Manager Huang understood Zhao Jun's words and didn't say anything more. After ending the call, Zhao Jun dialed Lingnan Qiaotou Village again.
While waiting to connect to the phone, he thought to himself, "It's a good thing my mother got a government job and installed a telephone at home, otherwise this would be a real problem."
After the call connected, Zhao Jun told Shao Tianpeng about the buyer's pickup arrangements, and then said, "Brother Shao, I'll go get you two thousand five hundred yuan this time. After that, bring the seedling of the stone dragon back to me, and I'll sell it here."
Earlier, Shao Tianpeng and Zhao Jun had agreed that the two groups would work together to lift the seedling stone dragon. After the ginseng was lifted out, the profits would be divided according to the rule of "two for one day, three for thirty-one".
“Zhao Jun,” Shao Tianpeng said to him, “your ginseng gang has some pretty wild methods.”
"What's wrong?" Zhao Jun asked. Shao Tianpeng said, "You've managed to sell that stone dragon for five thousand yuan in just a few days. I couldn't do that."
"Hey, Mr. Shao." Zhao Jun suddenly remembered something and asked into the phone, "Didn't your connections contact you about this?"
"What's the matter?" Shao Tianpeng asked back. Zhao Jun didn't hide anything from him and only vaguely said, "There's a guy whose wife is in postpartum confinement, and he's willing to spend five thousand yuan to take in the disabled Sanlong."
"No," Shao Tianpeng said straightforwardly. "Normally, our ginseng sells for four thousand yuan. He gave us an extra thousand yuan, which we're happy to accept. But such a small thing shouldn't be talked about in the industry. If you know about it, that's your way of making money, and it's money you're entitled to."
Indeed, the fact that someone offered a reward of 100,000 yuan for the three dragons, which were originally worth 18,000 yuan, could cause a stir in the entire mountaineering trip. However, the fact that someone offered 5,000 yuan for ginseng, which was worth 4,000 yuan, was not enough to cause any ripples in the mountaineering trip.
When Zhao Jun came out of the east hut, he heard sporadic barking from the backyard. Zhao Jun walked to the south window of the outer room and saw Wang Meilan, Ma Ling, and others carrying hoes into the courtyard.
Zhao Jun strode out of the house and walked towards Wang Meilan. After greeting Wang Meilan, Jin Xiaomei, and the other elders, Zhao Jun pointed into the room and said, "Mom, come and see what I brought back!"
Zhao Jun's words not only swayed Wang Meilan, but also Jin Xiaomei and others. The women followed Zhao Jun to the donkey shed, and as soon as they entered, they saw the mules inside.
Seeing Wang Meilan approaching, the little donkey hurriedly greeted her with "ooh-ooh-ooh." But its braying was so unpleasant that Wang Meilan shouted, "Stop braying!"
The little donkey, stopped by Wang Meilan's rebuke, immediately shut its mouth, its ears drooping to the sides, almost forming a horizontal line.
Just then, Wang Meilan asked Zhao Jun, "Son, what are you doing with that? We already have a donkey at home."
Hearing Wang Meilan's words, the little donkey wanted to agree, but seeing that Wang Meilan was leaning on a hoe, it didn't dare to say a word.
“Mom, we didn’t buy this,” Zhao Jun said with a smile. “Before we went to Changchun, we were stopped by some roadblocks. They were driving a mule cart and they blocked the road. After they ran away, they left the mule cart with us, so we brought the mule home.”
As Zhao Jun spoke, Wang Qiang, Zhang Yuanmin, Li Baoyu, and others also came out of the house. Wang Qiang walked up to Wang Meilan and said with a smile, "Sister, my eldest nephew has another surprise for you."
"Huh? What? What's wrong?" Wang Meilan looked at Zhao Jun and asked.
Zhao Jun said, "On the way back, I ran into Aunt Zhou, Zhou Da Kui's wife. She was going to sell her calf here, but her calf died from eating plastic bags. I felt sorry for her, so I bought the calf."
In front of Jin Xiaomei and the others, Zhao Jun gave Zhao Youcai face and didn't mention that he was going to Lingnan with a gun on his back and on a motorcycle.
“I was right.” As soon as Zhao Jun finished speaking, Jin Xiaomei continued, “Sun Yongrong went to the field and was chased away by Ru Hai. It turns out it was all because of this.”
"How big is the calf?" Wang Meilan asked. Zhao Jun replied, "About two hundred jin."
"Then hurry up and pack it up," Wang Meilan said. "Fill the fridge full, and eat the rest quickly. Chop up enough filling. When you go home tonight, take some with you, or you'll get sick."
“Everything’s ready, Auntie,” Zhang Yuanmin said. “The cowhide is hanging on the back wall, and the beef, cow heads, hooves, and stuff like that are all inside. We’ll roast them after lunch.”
Hearing Zhao's words, Wang Meilan nodded slightly, then turned and glanced at the cowshed and donkey shed, before turning back to the crowd and saying, "We only need one donkey to do this much work, but now we have a mule, what are we going to do?"
"Hey, sis, it didn't cost any money anyway." Wang Qiang laughed and stopped Wang Meilan, saying, "If it doesn't work out, we can just kill it and feed it meat."
After saying this, Wang Qiang paused for a moment and then laughed, "I've never eaten mule meat before."
"Oh my god!" Wang Meilan's face changed drastically upon hearing this. She looked at Wang Qiang sternly and said, "Qiangzi, you can't eat mule meat!"
"What's wrong?" Wang Qiang asked. Wang Meilan replied, "Don't you know? People who eat mule meat can't have children."
"Huh?" Everyone was taken aback by what they heard. Zhao Jun asked Wang Meilan, "Mom, who told you this?"
"Then who needs to say anything?" Wang Meilan said, "Mules don't reproduce, and if people eat mule meat, they won't reproduce either."
Wang Meilan spoke with a serious and earnest expression, which added to the credibility of her statement.
At this point, no one mentioned eating the mule anymore. Zhao Jun glanced into the donkey shed and casually said, "If it doesn't work out, we'll just keep it."
"Then you'll need to chew on more food every day." This was what Wang Qiang said, and it was a way for him to save face for his sister.
As soon as Wang Qiang finished speaking, Wang Meilan said, "Isn't that easy to handle? We can't eat that mule, so we'll just kill the donkey."
Little donkey: "..."
(End of this chapter)