sinovels Chapter 1865 The traitor will never die
Chapter 1865 The traitor will never die
Chapter 1865 The traitor will never die
When Li Baoyu rushed to Zhao Jun to deliver the news, Zhao Jun was carefully placing the pair of ginseng roots on the moss.
Xing San and his companions watched from the sidelines. When they saw Li Baoyu rushing over, Xing San asked in a low voice, "What's wrong, Baoyu?"
"Third Uncle, those guys are back again." Upon hearing Li Baoyu's words, Xing Sanyi frowned and immediately cursed, "Damn it, they've given them too much face."
As he spoke, Xing San reached down to his lower back.
"Hey?" Zhao Jun saw this and quickly pulled Xing San back.
The old man was very kind to him, giving him such a valuable ginseng king. Zhao Jun was willing to take care of Xing San in his old age, not treating him like a death knell.
Knives have no eyes, no sense of depth, and disputes in the mountains are not like fighting bandits and highwaymen. If someone dies, Xing San will be sent to jail.
"What happened?" Zhao Jun asked. When Xing San brought Li Ruhai and Ma Yang back just now, Zhao Jun was carrying ginseng. Xing San was afraid of disturbing Zhao Jun, so he only said "It's nothing," and Zhao Jun didn't ask any further questions.
“Brother, a group of rafters are coming.” Li Baoyu said, “There are eight people in total. I don’t recognize six of them. They don’t seem to be from our forest area. Then there are two more, that… Han Wenxue from Yongli and Pang Zhihua.”
"Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua?" Upon hearing these two names, Zhao Jun frowned and said, "Aren't they members of the Pang family gang?"
“Kid.” As soon as Zhao Jun finished speaking, Xing San said, “Baoyu doesn’t recognize those people. One of them is from this area.”
After saying this, Xing San paused for a moment before continuing, "His name is Wang Yaoguang, and his father is Wang Daxi."
"Wang Daxi?" Upon hearing the name, Wang Qiang reacted first, and then Xing San nodded and said, "Yes, Wang Daxi."
As he spoke, Xing San raised his chin and gestured towards Wang Qiang, saying, "Is his family related to yours?"
"Yes, sir." Wang Qiang responded, then said to Zhao Jun, "Nephew, this Wang Daxi is the older brother of Wang Sanxi, the man you were looking for before."
In the beginning, in order to find the Wang family's lost gold treasure, Zhao Jun identified a man named Wang Sanxi based on information provided by Shao Yunjin.
Later, through the Song family's connections, Zhao Jun learned of Wang Sanxi's whereabouts. However, by then, the treasures left behind by the wealthy Wang had already been acquired, so Zhao Jun didn't go to see him.
Unexpectedly, a relative of Wang Sanxi suddenly appeared today, and according to Li Baoyu, that person is a herdsman.
The fact that the herdsmen have come here means there's something wrong.
Zhao Jun frowned as he listened, and then Xing San asked Li Baoyu, "Didn't I just chase them away? Why are they back?"
"I don't know, Third Uncle," Li Baoyu said. "When he came back, he said a bunch of nonsense, it all sounded like gossip."
"A winding path?" Li Ruhai asked in surprise, "Do those who hunt in the mountains also use winding paths?"
It wasn't that Li Ruhai and his group were ignorant; rather, since liberation, mountain herders had rarely engaged in this practice.
"What did he say, Baoyu?" Zhao Jun asked. Li Baoyu scratched his head and said, "Brother, he said a lot, but I can't remember it all."
At this point, Li Baoyu suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, brother. He was just shaking his rope stick, and after looking at the copper coins hanging on it, he asked how many were hanging on your rope stick."
Hearing Li Baoyu's words, Zhao Jun blinked and pointed back at the bag hanging on the tree branch.
The quick-witted Li Ruhai ran over, took off his satchel, and rushed back to Zhao Jun in three quick steps.
"Big brother." Li Ruhai handed over the bag, but Zhao Jun didn't take it. Instead, he reached into the bag and pulled out a small handful of copper coins.
In those days, copper coins were not a rare commodity. When hiking in the mountains, copper coins were always hung on the ropes and the locks of the clubs.
Although the Zhao family gang was unorthodox, when Zhao Jun went to Lingnan to attend a gathering of his peers a few days ago, he deliberately grabbed a small handful of copper coins from the treasures left behind by the wealthy Wang and put them in his pocket.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Jun found a small bundle of thin hemp rope, threaded four copper coins through it, and tied the rope to one end of the rope-pulling stick.
"Third Uncle," Zhao Jun said to Xing San, "You stay here with my uncle and Jin Hui. The three of you watch over the shack and the sticks."
"Kid, I'll go with you," Xing San said. "Just in case things get heated..."
"We're not afraid of him even if he makes a move," Zhao Jun laughed. "This is our territory."
“That’s right!” Wang Qiang chimed in, laughing, “Nephew, don’t forget we still have the forest rangers under our command. If they get angry, we’ll teach them a lesson and make sure none of them are allowed to roam the mountains.”
"Hehe..." Zhao Jun chuckled upon hearing this and said, "Uncle, we can't do that so easily. If we do, the people at the forest farm will say we're bullying them."
No matter the era, those who prosper will always attract envy. The Zhao family, in particular, has become the object of envy, jealousy, and hatred for some.
Fortunately, Zhao Jun has a good reputation and is protected by higher-ups, so even if some people are envious, it's all in vain.
Under these circumstances, Zhao Jun paid extra attention to his reputation.
People who live near mountains live off the mountains, and people who live near water live off the water; this has been the way of life for thousands of years.
Who in the forest area doesn't go hunting in the mountains? If Zhao Jun uses his power to restrict anyone from hunting or releasing animals, the rumors will be quite unpleasant.
These days are nothing like they would be twenty or thirty years from now. Now, whether in forest areas, rural areas, or cities, everyone is afraid of being gossiped about behind their backs.
A tall tree catches the wind, and public opinion can be a fearsome thing. Zhao Jun was afraid that if things got out of hand, even Li Ruhai wouldn't be able to control it, so he didn't pursue Han Shengli too much recently.
At this moment, Zhao Jun picked up his rope and stick, and led Li Baoyu, Li Ruhai, and Ma Yang to meet the Wang family gang.
When Zhao Jun and his three companions arrived, Wang Yaoguang was trying to get close to Zhang Yuanmin.
Zhang Yuanmin ignored him. Seeing Zhao Jun leading his men over, Zhang Yuanmin hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Boss, you're here."
Zhang Yuanmin called him "boss" instead of "brother," which made the occasion seem quite formal.
Zhao Jun looked at Wang Yaoguang, and when Wang Yaoguang heard Zhang Yuanmin call Zhao Jun "boss," he quickly raised his hands and clasped his fists.
At this moment, Zhao Jun shook the rope in his hand and pulled out the stick, with four copper coins on top, and said, "You ask me how many copper coins are on this stick? Let me tell you, the number on this stick corresponds to the four seasons. It only recognizes the mountain rules and not people."
At this point, Zhao Jun tapped the ground with his stick and continued, "There are rules in the mountains. Don't step on other people's territory."
Zhao Jun's words were very clear: this land belonged to him, and he wanted Wang Yaoguang to leave immediately.
Logically, Wang Yaoguang should have raised his hands in a fist salute and said, "A wise man doesn't wade into muddy waters. After drinking this spring water, I'll turn around and take another path."
But Wang Yaoguang had come all this way, clearly he had designs on this mountain area, and he was unwilling to give up easily.
"We know the rules of the mountain, but we only seek to make a living." Wang Yaoguang clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Jun and said, "We dare not disturb the head of the family's nest. We only pick up the loose change and do not dig up the foundation."
His words were a clear indication that he intended to raid the mountains in this area. As for his claim that he would only collect the easy money and not the fundamentals, Zhao Jun would never believe him.
The three conjoined ginseng roots haven't even been unearthed yet. If these people manage to take them away, will the Zhao family gang be able to swallow this insult?
In the current situation, Zhao Jun's decision to drive away Wang Yaoguang and his party is neither an act of tyranny nor an act of bullying.
According to the mountain rules, the Zhao family gang has already set up their huts here, and other ginseng gangs have to wait for the Zhao family gang to leave before they can come and ginseng hunt.
Moreover, Wang Yaoguang is not a local, so Zhao Jun's decision to chase him away is perfectly reasonable.
Seeing that Wang Yaoguang was being unreasonable, Zhao Jun's face darkened, and he said, "Don't play dumb. We've put up my family's mountain grass markers all over this place. Are you deaf or blind? Get out of here before we have to use our weapons."
They were politely asking people to leave earlier, but now they're not so polite. However, it's not wrong to start with courtesy and then resort to force.
Wang Yaoguang was also thick-skinned. He wasn't angry when Zhao Jun drove him away. He still smiled and said, "Honey, we're all just poor mountain herders. We'll run into each other all the time. There's no need to hurt our feelings over a few leaves. If we're really talking about it, our old foreman used to hang banners on this mountain in his younger days."
"Hanging banner?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Jun couldn't help but ponder the background of the person in front of him. He had never heard Wang Meilan mention that any of Old Wang's relatives were mountain herders.
Besides, back then, Shibadaogangzi was their own territory. Whether they were herders, hunters, or bandits, they all worked for Wang the rich.
Thinking of this, Zhao Jun picked up the rope and the stick, and said in a deep voice, "Stop talking nonsense. If you don't move today, I'll fight you to the bitter end, whether it's bloodshed or the officials!"
"Seeing an official?" Wang Yaoguang was taken aback and subconsciously turned to look at Han Wenxue. Seeing Han Wenxue quickly winking at him, Wang Yaoguang took a step back and asked in a low voice, "What's going on?"
"Brother Wang, let's go." Han Wenxue whispered in Wang Yaoguang's ear, "This guy is related to the forestry bureau secretary, and he's also the head of the forest protection team in this area."
"Damn it!" Wang Yaoguang couldn't help but swear, then glared at Han Wenxue and said, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Wang Yaoguang was furious. Just now, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua said that Zhao Jun and his group were hunters and herders, but they didn't mention that they had this background.
If Wang Yaoguang had known this would happen, he wouldn't have spoken like that.
"Didn't I tell you not to leave, Brother Wang?" Han Wenxue said with a bitter face, "Let's hurry up and leave, we can't afford to mess with this guy."
Wang Yaoguang's lips twitched, and when he turned to look at Zhao Jun, his face was full of smiles again. He said, "The mountain wind is strong and the forest is dense. We dare not disturb the peace of the master. We'll leave after we finish this bowl of spring water."
Hearing this, Zhao Jun's expression softened. The so-called "leaving after drinking the spring water" was just a polite remark; it meant they would leave immediately.
To be honest, Zhao Jun was in a very bad mood at this moment.
Although Wang Yaoguang has left, the location of this old village is no longer a secret.
Not only Wang Yaoguang's Wang family gang found out, but Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua were also from the Pang family. From now on, the Pang family gang also knew.
If Zhao Jun and his men hadn't brought out the three ginseng roots, this treasure might have fallen into someone else's hands.
Although he was angry, he couldn't vent it. Zhao Jun raised his hand and, following the rules of the trade, said to Wang Yaoguang, "This mountain hollow is called Zhao Family Pass. Don't go to the wrong door again."
Hearing Zhao Jun's words, Wang Yaoguang laughed and said, "We've got it. Boss, please wait, we're leaving now!"
After saying that, Wang Yaoguang turned around and hurriedly left with the seven men.
Zhao Jun and the others stayed where they were, watching Wang Yaoguang and his group of eight disappear into the woods. Only then did Zhao Jun say to Zhang Yuanmin and the others, "Alright, let's go back."
"Brother, they can't come back, right?" Zhang Yuanmin asked. Zhao Jun shook his head and said, "I don't know about the future, but they can't come back for the next few days."
After saying that, Zhao Jun quickly walked back. He was in a hurry to get back to eat so he could continue carrying ginseng.
Li Baoyu and the others followed Zhao Jun back. As they walked, Ma Yang excitedly said, "Brother-in-law, is it always this interesting to go hunting in the mountains?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jun paused, gave Ma Yang a strange look, and then let out a "heh," but said nothing.
At this moment, Li Ruhai stepped forward and pushed Ma Yang aside, then smiled at Zhao Jun and said, "Brother, what you said just now was too harsh. Why don't you teach us later? That way, when we go out and run into trouble, we can handle it."
"Okay," Zhao Jun said. "Go back and get your food first. I'll teach you how to get the food before you do that."
……
Meanwhile, Wang Yaoguang, having left the forest and returned to the rocky beach, looked back at the woods with a reluctant expression.
"Brother Wang, let's go." Pang Zhihua advised Wang Yaoguang, saying, "We can't afford to mess with this guy. It's good enough that he didn't tie us to a tree."
As he spoke, Pang Zhihua pointed at Han Wenxue and said, "Last time, the third brother and Brother Han tied them to a tree for an afternoon and then overnight."
Upon hearing Pang Zhihua's words, Han Wenxue nudged Pang Zhihua.
"Brother Han? Han Shengli?" Wang Yaoguang asked Han Wenxue, "Is he home? I didn't see him yesterday."
"They're the ones who did this." Han Wenxue pointed towards the woods and said, "They even made my older brother owe money."
"Damn it!" Wang Yaoguang looked at Lin Zi with a gloomy face and said, "These guys must be carrying a huge load."
"What can a big truck do, bro?" Han Wenxue quickly advised Wang Yaoguang, seeing that he was still not giving up. "What kind of strength do they have? Can we beat them?"
"Damn it!" Wang Yaoguang spat on the ground and said, "If we can't beat them openly, we'll do it in the dark."
"Huh?" Han Wenxue was taken aback, and then heard Wang Yaoguang ask them, "Wenxue, Zhihua, he did all that to you, can you just swallow this?"
“We have to swallow it even if we can’t,” Pang Zhihua said. “Let alone us, even Pang and his father, who treated them like they were beating up that bastard, didn’t dare to say anything, did they?”
"Huh?" Upon hearing Pang Zhihua mention Blind Pang, Wang Yaoguang asked, "When exactly will Blind Pang be back?"
"I don't know, Brother Wang," Pang Zhihua said. "Let's go back to the village and take a look later."
"Let's go!" Wang Yaoguang picked up the rope in his hand and tugged at the stick, saying, "Let's go down the mountain and go back to see if Blind Pang has returned. If he does, I'll discuss it with him."
……
Wang Yaoguang and the others went down the mountain, and the Zhao family gang started getting their food.
Today, Xing San cooked rice and fried egg sauce, which, along with the dipping vegetables and red sausage he brought from home yesterday, were quite delicious with everyone.
After the meal, everyone let Zhao Jun, Zhang Yuanmin, and Li Ruhai, the three main players, go back to their huts to rest.
After kneeling there picking at things all morning, Zhao Jun and the other two were really exhausted, so they took a nap to rest their eyes.
Outside the shack, Li Baoyu led Xie Chen and Ma Yang to wash pots and bowls, while Xing San, Wang Qiang, and Zhao Jinhui peeled tree bark to weave fishing baskets.
Xing San said he had nothing to do in the afternoon, so he went to the riverbank to put his fish basket down and catch some small fish to improve his meals.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Zhao Jun and the other two got up. Feeling refreshed, they walked out of the shack. Wang Qiang moved the basket that had been turned upside down on the ground, revealing the four elephant trunk buds.