sinovels Chapter 1836 Guanyin of the Mountain-Opening and Ridge-Crossing Hands
Chapter 1836 Guanyin of the Mountain-Opening and Ridge-Crossing Hands
Chapter 1836 Thousand-Hand Guanyin Opening Mountains and Crossing Ridges
The eldest son of the Song family is named Song Jianguo, the second son is named Song Jianjun, and the third son is named Song Jianmin.
The names of these three brothers are very much in line with the characteristics of the era twenty or thirty years ago.
Zhao Jun was surprised by Song San's visit. It had only been a short while since the party ended.
Furthermore, when the event ended, Zhao Jun heard Wu Baoguo say that he was going to take the three Song brothers to settle in. They might not even have reached their rooms yet, so how did Song San manage to catch up with them?
But since they're already here, we have to let them in.
Zhao Jun got up and opened the door. Seeing Song San standing outside, Zhao Jun smiled and greeted him, "Boss Song, come in quickly."
Song San entered the house, smiled and nodded to Wang Qiang and the others, saying, "They tidied up this house quite well, didn't they?"
His words were just polite formalities. Wang Qiang and the others smiled and nodded in response. Zhao Jun invited Song San to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed). Li Ruhai, who was sitting next to him, cleverly took the teacup, poured some warm water from the thermos into the teacup, and then presented it to Song San.
After accepting the gift and thanking Li Ruhai, Song San smiled and asked Zhao Jun, "Chief Zhao, how old are you this year?"
"I'm twenty-two," Zhao Jun said, stating his age. Song San said, "I'm twenty-nine. Well... how about this? Don't call me Boss Song, and I won't call you Foreman Zhao. Just call me Brother Song San, and I'll call you Brother Zhao Jun. Is that alright?"
Whether you arrive unexpectedly or offer a gift, you must have something in mind.
If Zhao Jun refused to agree to a form of address, it would be a slap in the face.
Zhao Jun smiled and agreed. The two immediately changed their forms of address, and then Song San said to Zhao Jun, "Brother Zhao Jun, I just heard Wu, the foreman, say that you are not only the Ginseng Gang, but also the Hunting Gang?"
“Ah, hehe…” Zhao Jun laughed and said, “We follow the seasons. When it’s suitable for grazing, we graze; when it snows in winter, we hunt.”
"Oh, hello there!" Song San exclaimed in surprise, then said jokingly, "You guys make money from two different trades, hehe..."
Zhao Jun smiled, and then Song San continued, "I heard Wu, the foreman, say that you're really good at hunting, you can catch Siberian tigers one by one."
"Hehe..." Zhao Jun laughed and said, "Brother Song, what he said is a bit of an exaggeration."
Hearing Zhao Jun's words, Song San just breathed a sigh of relief, but then Zhao Jun said, "The Siberian tiger is not like other tigers. Every time we deal with it, it's quite a struggle."
Song San: "..."
Song San raised his eyes and scanned the Zhao family members. Wang Qiang, Zhang Yuanmin, Li Baoyu, Xie Chen, and Zhao Jinhui stood together, varying in height and weight, but all exuding the same confidence and composure.
Li Ruhai, standing next to him, looked quite young, probably not even fully grown up yet, but his leather shoes paired with a Zhongshan suit and a pen clipped to his breast pocket—what kid would dress like that?
Finally, Song San's gaze fell on Zhao Jun's face. Looking at Zhao Jun, who had thick eyebrows and big eyes and a casual expression, Song San, who had been traveling with Song Da since he was seventeen, felt that Zhao Jun was definitely not talking nonsense.
At this moment, Song San remembered a sentence his second uncle, who lived in a cowshed, once said: "Many talented people emerge in China, so never underestimate anyone."
Thinking of this, Song San said directly to Zhao Jun, "Brother Zhao Jun, there's something I want to tell you."
Zhao Jun smiled upon hearing this and said, "Brother Song, if you want me to get you a big claw... well, a Siberian tiger. I can't give you a definite answer."
When he got to the last half of his sentence, Zhao Jun shook his head.
“Brother Zhao Jun.” Upon hearing Zhao Jun’s words, Song San hurriedly said, “I didn’t mean to ask you to help me with my big claws. I just wanted to ask you to come with us to open up the mountains and ridges.”
"Oh my." Zhao Jun was taken aback upon hearing this. He looked at Song San in surprise and asked, "Brother Song, is this kind of work still available these days?"
Song San nodded at Zhao Jun, then said, "Brother, you know about Laoye Ridge, right?"
"Of course I know," Zhao Jun said. "After crossing Zhangguangcai Ridge, there's a big ridge at the border of our two provinces. If you go from my house to your place, isn't that Laoye Ridge?"
After saying that, Zhao Jun added with a smile, "That's called Wudaogou, right? I even went there last year when there was a Siberian tiger outbreak."
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, Song San exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my! Brother Zhao Jun, I've heard about this. I heard people say that a man surnamed Zhao took care of the tiger, is that you?"
When Song San asked him this question, Zhao Jun smiled and said, "I didn't handle that, but my father killed the tiger."
"Oh my!" Song San's gaze towards Zhao Jun became even more ardent. He asked Zhao Jun again, "Brother Zhao Jun, you two are truly like father, like son!"
The same words, spoken by someone else to Zhao Youcai, would make him unhappy. But when someone else said the same words to Zhao Jun, Zhao Jun would laugh heartily.
"Oh my, Brother Zhao Jun, your family is really capable." Song San praised Zhao Jun before continuing, "Brother, listen to your third brother, let's go through the mountains and cross the valleys, and if we find a big club, your third brother will treat you well."
The term "opening up mountains and traversing ridges" is jargon used in the ginseng trade, meaning to go ginseng hunting in remote, undeveloped mountain forests.
It is said that where there are mountains, there are roads, and where there are rivers, there are crossings. But some poor and remote mountain areas have been untouched for many years. Without people, there are no roads. Animals can travel through the mountains, but it is difficult for people to do so.
Since the liberation of Northeast China, with the construction of forest farms and the opening of roads through mountains, such desolate places have become rare.
Take Zhao Jun for example. He's lived two lives, and the only time he'd ever been to such a dangerous place was in his previous life when he was hunting in the Rakshasa region. But Zhao Jun was a coward, and he didn't dare go in. And in China, he'd never been to such a place before.
"No, Brother Song?" Zhao Jun asked Song San, "Do we still have places like this around here? We're talking about which mountain area isn't being logged now, right? Besides, even if it's not being logged, wouldn't those people who used to run the mountains go there?"
After Zhao Jun bombarded him with a series of questions, Song San shook his head and then countered, "Brother, you know about the Shangying Forest Farm in Shulan, right?"
"Ah, I know," Zhao Jun said. "It's not far from my home."
At this moment, Song San tapped his chest with his hand and said, "My family is from the Tiannan Forest Farm in Jiaohe. There's a ridge between us and Shangying. This ridge is called Black Pine Ridge. Neither of the two forest farms develops this area."
At this point, Song San paused slightly before continuing, "Like you asked earlier, brother, are there any mountain runners on that ridge? Yes, there used to be. I'm referring to the time when there was an emperor."
After the Republic of China was established, there were no more emperors, so there were no more people running through the mountains there.
"So what's going on?" Zhao Jun asked. Song San replied, "Brother, you wouldn't believe it. There are jackals, wolves, tigers, leopards, and bears all over that ridge."
Zhao Jun: "..."
Seeing Zhao Jun's surprised expression, Song San smiled and said, "What do you hate the most? That ridge is always shrouded in mist."
Hearing Song San's words, Zhao Jun nodded slightly. No wonder no one goes to that ridge; who would go there and what would they be doing there?
Thinking of this, Zhao Jun smiled at Song San and said, "Brother Song, you're not going to go to that place, are you?"
"Look, brother," Song San laughed, "why would I be telling you this if I wasn't going?"
"No?" Zhao Jun scratched his cheek upon hearing this and said, "Brother Song, you said that no one has been there for years, why would you still go? Is there an old shrine there?"
“Brother, didn’t I just say that?” Song San said, “Back when there was an emperor, people went to that place and some people went hunting.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jun frowned. Song San mentioned the emperor twice and repeatedly said that when the emperor was around, there would be people in the perilous place. This made Zhao Jun think of a possibility.
"Brother Song San," Zhao Jun looked at Song San and asked, "You're talking about the Hunting and Hunting Office, right?"
“Ah…” Song San was stumped by Zhao Jun’s question. Seeing Song San’s dumbfounded look, Zhao Jun chuckled inwardly: “Does he really think I’m young and inexperienced?”
When Song San came to his senses, he first picked up his teacup, took a sip of water to suppress his surprise, and then said to Zhao Jun, "Brother Zhao Jun, since you already know, I won't waste my breath arguing with you."
My great-grandfather used to be an official in the Dasheng Wula government office; he held a fairly high position.
Hearing Song San's words, Zhao Jun remained silent. "He's even bringing up ancestors now? Great-grandfather? Before his own maternal grandfather was all that great, Song San would have a hard time even licking his boots, and he's still rambling on about this nonsense."
At this moment, Song San was unaware that Zhao Jun was internally complaining. He continued, "Their hunting and breeding office has special maps. The one passed down in my family is a map made of leopard skin. The route drawn on it leads to Black Pine Ridge."
Over the years, my brothers and I have tried to recruit many hunters, but none of the hunters from the surrounding villages have dared to enter Black Pine Ridge.
Today, I heard from Wu, the foreman, that you're a really good hunter, and you've seen a lot of things, so I thought I'd come and ask you for advice. If you can go, we'll clear the mountains and release some wild boars; I definitely won't let you down.”
Hearing Song San's words, Zhao Jun remained silent for three or four seconds before sighing and saying, "Brother Song San, I dare not agree to this. Why? I don't know anything about the terrain over there, and I may not be able to solve any unexpected problems that may arise."
“It’s alright, brother,” Song San said. “My two aunts’ husbands work in the county’s armed forces department. They can find me a few capable people with military expertise.”
My uncle works as a security guard at our family's forest farm, so we have plenty of guns and all. What we really need now is someone like you who knows how to hunt.
"If you come along, you don't need to worry about anything else. Just rely on your experience running in the mountains and keep an eye out for wild animal tracks. As for the fight, you won't need to lift a finger; my two aunts and uncles will hire some capable men to handle it."
When Song San was saying the last two sentences, he noticed that Zhao Jun smiled.
"Brother, what are you laughing at?" Song San asked. Zhao Jun replied, "Brother Song, hunting isn't what you think. First, you'll have to clear the mountains and valleys. When are you going?"
Song San paused for a moment, then casually replied, "July or August, I guess."
“In July and August, unless it has just rained, where are we supposed to look for wild animals?” Zhao Jun’s question stumped Song San. Seeing that Song San didn’t answer, Zhao Jun continued, “Also, when we’re hunting, if we spot wild animals, we’ll have to fire our guns.”
"It's impossible for me to tell you on my end while you call on your end; that would definitely be too late."
"No, brother, what do you mean, Third Brother?" Song San raised his hand and pressed down lightly, saying, "You're coming with us, and we guarantee you won't be in any danger. Afterwards, you can give us some experience or something. Otherwise, some of us... get lost as soon as we enter the mountains."
At this point, Song San chuckled to himself and continued, "That time, my two aunts and their husbands came with guns, saying they wanted to go hunting for a couple of days at my house. But they got lost in that Deer Horn Gully area."
The two of them said they could get out by following the water, but little did they know that the Deer Antler Gully near my house is just like a big deer antler, with one branch after another. They managed to walk through it, haha…”
As Song San described, this situation occurs to some mountain runners and hunters; they turn around as soon as they enter the mountains. In the trade, this is called "not being able to open the mountain."
At this moment, Wang Qiang and the others chuckled softly at Song San's words. Zhao Jun didn't laugh, but instead asked Song San, "You mean that Deer Horn Gully is a river?"
“It’s not a river.” Song San shook his head and said, “It’s spring water from the mountains. There are many springs that converge into a stream, and it eventually flows into Songhua Lake.”
“Ah…” Zhao Jun frowned slightly upon hearing Song San’s words.
When Song San mentioned Lujiaogou, Zhao Jun suddenly remembered that in his previous life, 08, a rare and amazing commodity appeared in Jiaohe.
That ginseng has a unique shape, with its tendrils and legs spreading out in a V-shape, like radiating divine light and having a hundred arms, hence it is called "Thousand-Hand Guanyin".
The ginseng is about a hundred years old. It is not heavy, weighing 85 grams when fresh and only 25 grams when dried.
But at the ginseng king auction that year, that ginseng was auctioned off for a high price of 860,000.
Zhao Jun showed no interest whatsoever in Song San's talk of clearing mountains and traversing ridges. But he was quite tempted by this Miao "Thousand-Hand Guanyin".
Seeing that Zhao Jun didn't speak, Song San tentatively asked, "Brother, tomorrow is June. Do you have time before July? Why don't you come over to my house for a couple of days?"
"You helped Third Brother traverse that mountain, so he definitely won't let you down."
Zhao Jun had heard similar things all day. He smiled faintly and said, "Brother Song, you may not know, but the rest of us are all formal employees of the forest farm."
"What?" Song San looked at Zhao Jun in surprise. Like Yu Wanshan and Dai Chunhua, Song San didn't understand why a forestry worker would go to the mountains.
At this point, Zhao Jun added with a smile, "We also have a few businesses in our family."
As he spoke, Zhao Jun pointed back to Zhao Jinhui, who was sitting on a bench, and said, "This year we've partnered up to charter several train cars, and we're even opening a department store."
Song San: "..."
“We also have our own chamber of commerce,” Zhao Jun continued. “We trade leather goods and such in Hebei, making several trips a year, so we’re almost never at a break.”
"Cough! Cough!" This time, Song San couldn't suppress his surprise as he drank water again. After putting down the teacup, Song San forced a smile, and while getting off the kang (heated brick bed), he said to Zhao Jun, "Brother, well... well, you guys rest first, I'll go back first. We'll drink together tonight!"
"Hey, let's go, Brother Song." Zhao Jun stood up to see him off, escorting Song San to the door. Watching Song San disappear into the distance, Zhao Jun muttered to himself, "Why does this guy always back down when faced with a tough situation?"
(End of this chapter)