sbdcsierra Chapter 2003 The Zhao Family Gang's Firepower Shocks the Guests; A Shout of "Young Master!
Chapter 2003 The Zhao Family Gang's Firepower Shocks the Guests; A Shout of "Young Master!
Chapter 2003: The Zhao Family Gang's Firepower Shocks the Guests; The Young Master Stuns Everyone (10,000 words yesterday + today)
Five jeeps and one Jiefang truck formed a convoy and headed straight from Qiaotou Village to Kunming.
At 11:45, the convoy arrived at Kunming Dafangshan Airport.
The airport has a gate post with military personnel and civil aviation officers on duty, so Zhao Jun didn't let the entire convoy go in.
Zhao Jinhui, Liu Erbao, and Xie Chen drove the two jeeps and the Jiefang truck to a shady spot outside the airport, while Zhao Jun, Lin Xiangshun, and Li Baoyu drove the three jeeps to the railing next to the guard post.
These days there are no electric barriers; these barriers are manually operated, using lever principles to allow vehicles to pass and stop them.
At this moment, a civil aviation GA officer came over with a registration book. Upon seeing this, Zhao Jun took out his ID card and a letter of introduction from the forest farm.
The first generation of ID cards were small, laminated cards with a fifteen-digit ID number and a black-and-white photo of the person.
Zhao Jun and the others' ID cards were all issued by the forestry farm upon their employment, and the information on them was printed in lead type. Lin Xiangshun, who had been employed there for two years, had his ID card information handwritten by the police.
The civil aviation GA officer looked at Zhao Jun's identification and letter of introduction, glanced into Zhao Jun's car, and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to pick someone up," Zhao Jun said. The other party then asked, "Domestic or international flight?"
"Domestic flight." This time, Zhao Jun didn't wait for further questions and answered directly, "It came from Beijing, and the plane arrived at 12:30."
The civil aviation police officer didn't say anything upon hearing this, but simply noted down the license plate numbers of the three vehicles in the registration book before saying to Zhao Jun, "Go inside, and register us again before you come out."
After saying that, he went to lift the pole for Zhao Jun.
The barrier was raised, and the three vehicles followed the road signs to the open-air parking lot in front of the terminal building.
There was an old man in a blue shirt in the shade at the entrance to the parking lot.
Seeing a car approaching, the old man got up from his small stool, waved his registration book, and shouted, "Park inside, don't park in the road!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jun also noticed lines marked with white lime on the open space in the parking lot.
These days, not many people fly, and there aren't many cars in the parking lot either.
Zhao Jun and his two companions parked their car in an open space. Lin Xiangshun and Li Baoyu walked towards Zhao Jun, who then instructed him, "Baoyu, go and offer that old man a cigarette."
These days there are no parking fees, but Zhao Jun thought that since he had come all this way and was unfamiliar with the area, being kind to others was being kind to himself.
Li Baoyu always listened to Zhao Jun, so he quickly went over and handed the old man a Hongtashan cigarette.
The old man hadn't expected this turn of events. After a brief moment of surprise, he grinned from ear to ear, then pointed to the conspicuous waiting area not far away and shouted to Zhao Jun and the others, "Go there to pick up people!"
There was a very conspicuous sign hanging in the waiting area; even if he didn't shout, Zhao Jun could see it.
Even so, Zhao Jun still clasped his hands in greeting to the old man.
The three of them went through security before entering the departure lounge, but there were no detectors, body searches, or scans. If you had a bag, you had to open it to show them. Those of them, like Zhao Jun, who didn't have bags, simply showed their ID cards, registered, and went inside.
Inside the lobby, there are handwritten flight schedule boards, an information desk, and a convenience store.
Zhao Jun went to the information desk, consulted with the staff, and then led Lin Xiangshun and Li Baoyu to wait inside an exit to pick up the person.
"Jun'er," Lin Xiangshun looked around and then said to Zhao Jun, "Second Brother has really broadened your horizons."
Zhao Jun laughed and chatted with Lin Xiangshun and Li Baoyu for a while before the plane arrived.
Manager Huang said on the phone that the plane would arrive at 12:30, but it wasn't until 12:40 that a clear male voice came over the loudspeaker in the waiting area: "China Northern Airlines Flight 304, from the capital, has landed."
"But we've arrived." Zhao Jun muttered as he listened to the broadcast repeating the announcement. "I'm starving."
They ate breakfast before 3 a.m., and it's almost 1 p.m., how could they not be hungry?
"I'm starving," Li Baoyu said. Lin Xiangshun replied, "Didn't my second aunt give you some dry food when you left home this morning?"
"Where is there any left?" Li Baoyu said, "Uncle Shao and Shao Jun ate it all."
“Alright, Baoyu.” Zhao Jun smiled and said, “We’ll have a good meal after we pick up our guests.”
As soon as Zhao Jun finished speaking, a staff member flipped over a sign at the exit, revealing four white characters on a blue background: "Passengers are disembarking."
Upon seeing the sign, Zhao Jun and the other two stopped chatting and craned their necks to look at the exit.
But after watching for ten minutes, someone finally came out.
"Is it really that difficult?" Lin Xiangshun's mutterings were overheard by Zhao Jun, who laughed and said, "Second Brother, when we have the chance, let's take a ride on this plane and see what it's like."
Even when Zhao Jun was rich in his previous life, he never flew on a plane. After he fell on hard times, it goes without saying that he even had trouble taking a slow train.
Just as Zhao Jun finished speaking, he saw Huang Chongshan, who was wearing a light jacket and carrying a bag.
"Manager Huang!" Zhao Jun called out, and Huang Chongshan raised his hand to greet Zhao Jun.
Even if you're picking up guests, you can't block their exit and chat. Zhao Jun gestured for Huang Chongshan to move aside, and then the flow of people exiting the station parted. Zhao Jun saw eight people gathered around Huang Chongshan.
Huang Chongshan said on the phone that there were nine people on the noon flight, including himself.
"Brother Yang." At this moment, Zhao Jun saw a familiar face—Yang Shicheng.
This man is the son of Boss Yang, who bought the broken stone dragon from Zhao Jun.
At that time, Zhao Jun had just returned from attending the Ginseng King Conference in Fusong for the first time. He met with Yang Shicheng in Shulan to complete the handover. Zhao Jun even arranged for Yang Shicheng to have a meal, and the two got along very well.
Later, I heard from Huang Chongshan that Mr. Yang's second wife had a premature and difficult childbirth, and it was the stone dragon she bought that helped her through the ordeal.
During the phone call, Huang Chongshan didn't say whether Mr. Yang had a son or a daughter. If it was a son, Yang Shicheng probably wouldn't be too happy.
Just as Zhao Jun was lost in thought, Huang Chongshan and his group of people stood in front of him.
Huang Chongshan immediately introduced Zhao Jun to the people around him, first pointing to the middle-aged man in a black cloth shirt next to him, and said, "Zhao Jun, this is my junior brother."
As soon as Huang Chongshan finished speaking, the man reached out his hand to Zhao Jun and introduced himself: "Yang Changjiang".
"Hello Mr. Yang, my name is Zhao Jun." As Zhao Jun shook hands with Yang Changjiang, he remembered that when Huang Chongshan talked to him about the sale of the broken stone dragon, he had mentioned that the person who wanted to buy the broken stone dragon had been an apprentice of his father, and later abandoned medicine to go into business.
Thinking of this, Zhao Jun glanced at Yang Shicheng, who was standing next to Yang Changjiang with a smile. Seeing that the two looked somewhat alike, Zhao Jun immediately said, "You are my brother Yang's father, right?"
“Yes, haha.” Yang Changjiang smiled and said, “I should thank you more, Boss Zhao. The ginseng you sold me was a great help.”
"Mr. Yang, you're too kind," Zhao Jun replied with a smile. "The fact that we can use it means that the ginseng wasn't bought in vain."
After saying this, Zhao Jun and Yang Changjiang looked at each other and laughed heartily.
After the two men finished laughing, Huang Chongshan introduced another man in a blue cloth jacket to Zhao Jun, saying, "Zhao Jun, I must give you a proper introduction. Boss Tian is the head of our entire Anguo Pharmacy."
"Huh?" Zhao Jun was slightly taken aback. Huang Chongshan's words were somewhat exaggerated, and Zhao Jun didn't understand them either.
What does "holding the reins" mean? What does it mean to hold the reins? My dad even beat an old ox!
Although Zhao Jun couldn't understand what Huang was saying, judging from the tone of Huang's voice, this Mr. Tian must be no ordinary person.
"My name is Tian Guozhong, hello Mr. Zhao." Tian Guozhong's tone was gentle, giving people a very comfortable feeling.
"Zhao Jun, welcome Mr. Tian to the Northeast." Zhao Jun greeted Tian Guozhong with a smile. Tian Guozhong released Zhao Jun's hand and laughed, "This is really my first time in the Northeast. Before..."
At this point, Tian Guozhong gestured behind him and said, "Every year, my men come to collect some medicinal herbs. As for wild ginseng... we've collected quite a lot, but I've never seen any of those large ones in your photo before."
"Haha." Zhao Jun chuckled and said, "It's perfect that Boss Tian, Boss Yang, and Manager Huang are all here this time. Let's have some wild delicacies and then take a look at the Ginseng King. Hehe... Well, let's go out first. Are you all hungry? It's already one o'clock."
After Zhao Jun finished speaking, he led everyone outside.
As for the other five people, judging from Tian Guozhong's words, they were all his subordinates. In that case, there was no need to introduce them, just like Zhao Jun didn't specifically introduce Lin Xiangshun and Li Baoyu.
After everyone came out of the waiting hall and arrived at the parking lot, Zhao Jun waved his hand and said, "These three jeeps over here are all our cars, feel free to ride in them."
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, Tian Guozhong paused and turned to look at Huang Chongshan.
Upon seeing Ueda Kunitachi's gaze, Huang Chongshan seemed to understand his meaning and quickly called out to Zhao Jun, "Zhao Jun."
"Huh?" Zhao Jun was taken aback and turned around, only to hear Manager Huang say, "This time, our security..."
Huang Chongshan stopped there because he believed Zhao Jun would understand his unspoken meaning.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zhao Jun immediately said, "Manager Huang, don't worry. Since you've all come here for me, I will do my best to entertain you all."
After saying this, Zhao Jun paused for a moment before continuing, "My great-grandmother always said, 'Even if a deal falls through, we can still be on good terms.' I told Manager Huang on the phone that day, 'Since you've come all this way to see me, I certainly won't leave empty-handed.'"
"So, in the end... no matter what, it's okay if we don't make a deal. We're here, so eat, drink, and have fun for a couple of days, and all the expenses are on me. And at the very end, I'll drive everyone here and see them off at the airport."
Zhao Jun spoke very frankly, but he was meeting many of these people for the first time, and going overboard with fancy stuff would be counterproductive. Besides, Zhao Jun didn't know how to do that.
After listening to Zhao Jun's explanation, Tian Guozhong laughed and said, "Boss Zhao, since you're so honest, I'll be honest too. This time, I'm really here for your good ginseng, otherwise I wouldn't have come in person."
As he spoke, Tian Guozhong glanced at his five men behind him, then said to Zhao Jun, "We didn't come with any big or small bags, but I brought bank drafts."
I'll keep my money as long as the deal goes through, but my current concern is safety. Because if the deal is finalized, I'll need to take the ginseng with me, and the journey... I'm afraid there might be danger."
Zhao Jun never expected that Tian Guozhong's long-winded explanation was actually about this.
"Ah, hehe..." Zhao Jun chuckled, then said, "Don't worry, Mr. Tian, there will absolutely be no problem with security."
"Well..." Even after hearing Zhao Jun's words, Tian Guozhong remained skeptical. He glanced around and hesitated, "There are only a few of us..."
"Haha..." At this moment, not only Zhao Jun laughed, but Lin Xiangshun and Li Baoyu also laughed.
"Boss Tian, we have people!" Zhao Jun gestured to the east and laughed, "We have people waiting outside."
"Huh?" Tian Guozhong was taken aback, then heard Zhao Jun continue, "We brought our weapons with us. There are soldiers on guard duty over there. Can we all just come in?"
"Ah..." This time, not only did Tian Guozhong's expression soften, but Yang Changjiang and his son also had smiles on their faces.
This time, when Zhao Jun invited everyone to get in the car, Tian Guozhong, Yang Changjiang, and the others no longer hesitated.
Thus, the Yang family father and son rode in Zhao Jun's car with Huang Chongshan, Tian Guozhong rode with two of his men and Lin Xiangshun, and the remaining three followed Li Baoyu.
The three cars left the parking lot and drove to the entrance. After registering again, the aviation GA raised the barrier and let Zhao Jun and his group out.
In the shady spot not far away, Xie Chen and Zhao Jinhui had been waiting anxiously.
As three jeeps approached, Xie Chen and Zhao Jinhui greeted them with smiles.
Upon approaching, Zhao Jun stopped the car and said to Huang Chongshan in the passenger seat and the Yang family father and son in the back seat, "Manager Huang, Boss Yang, Brother Yang, if you're worried, get out of the car with me and see our strength."
Zhao Jun wasn't trying to show off, but the Yang father and son were still somewhat worried. Even in the few minutes they'd been walking from the parking lot to here, Yang Changjiang was still reminiscing about Yang Shicheng's encounter with robbers last year.
Why did he say that? Didn't he just want Zhao Jun to give him some reassurance?
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, Huang Chongshan and the Yang family father and son quickly got out of the car. This shows that they were both somewhat worried about security.
No wonder, last time Zhang Xinglin and his group came, they were not only robbed, but also tied to a tree and forced to stay up all night.
It's pitiful that Zhang Xinglin is over sixty years old and still has to suffer such a hardship. How could Huang Chongshan not worry about his safety?
As Huang Chongshan got out of the car, Tian Guozhong, in the car behind, asked through the open window, "Master Huang, where are you going?"
Huang Chongshan came over and whispered a few words in Tian Guozhong's ear. Tian Guozhong hurriedly pushed open the door and got out of the car, followed closely by his men.
At this moment, Zhao Jun had already led Yang Changjiang to the rear cargo box of the Jiefang truck.
Zhao Jun raised his hand to signal, and Yang Changjiang peeked inside through the barrier.
With just one glance, Yang Changjiang's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with shock, and his body involuntarily took a step back.
Behind him was Yang Shicheng. When Yang Changjiang suddenly stepped back, Yang Shicheng instinctively raised his hand to support him.
Just then, Tian Guozhong came over. He wasn't very tall, so he stood on tiptoe to look into the back of the car.
Then Tian Guozhong saw thirty strong men sitting or leaning in the back of the truck. Because of the hot weather, they had all taken off their shirts and were shirtless.
Although they worked from dawn till dusk in the summer, the strenuous work inevitably exposed them to wind and sun. Their skin was dark and shiny, and many bore scars. Coupled with the daily burden of carrying hundreds or even thousands of pounds of logs, they were all incredibly robust.
In addition, each of these people had a gun in their hands, a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Some people held the gun in their arms, while others held the steel guns as a support beside them.
Tian Guozhong felt a fierce aura emanating from him at first glance.
The second time Tian Guozhong saw it, he spotted the mortar.
It's impossible for Tian Guozhong, at his age, not to have seen a mortar before, but the sight of dozens of strong men, each holding a gun, sitting around the mortar, was incredibly awe-inspiring.
When Tian Guozhong looked at it for the third time, he happened to make eye contact with Tong Youfeng.
At that moment, Tong Youfeng's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he shouted sharply, "What are you doing?"
Tong Youfeng's shout startled Tian Guozhong and also alerted the people of Xishantun nearby.
Zhao Jun distributed the money six hours ago.
Although so much time has passed, the spirits of the people of Xishantun have not diminished in the slightest. They are all eager to do something for their young master. Otherwise, they feel that even taking those twenty yuan is a waste of their time.
At this moment, Tong Youfeng shouted, and everyone in the car moved. They all looked at Tian Guozhong, their eyes sharp and eager for a fight.
Intimidated by these gazes, Tian Guozhong instinctively took two steps back, only to be supported by his two subordinates.
Seeing Tian Guozhong's face turn pale, Huang Yuanbo, one of his men, sensed something was wrong. But just as Huang Yuanbo was about to step forward, Tian Guozhong grabbed him.
Immediately afterwards, Tian Guozhong and his group of six, along with Huang Chongshan and the Yang family father and son, all saw figures getting up in the back of the truck, each carrying a weapon.
Thirty men on the other side, all armed with identical standard weapons—who wouldn't feel uneasy?
Just then, a voice came from behind them: "What are you doing? Sit down!"
Zhao Jun stepped forward, waved to the back of the truck, and said, "Let's find a place to eat right away."
"Young Master!"
"Young Master!"
For a moment, shouts of "Young Master" echoed from the back of the car.
Huang Chongshan and the other nine men all looked at Zhao Jun, their eyes filled with surprise, shock, and disbelief.
After about three seconds of silence, Huang Chongshan cautiously asked Zhao Jun, "What did they call you?"
Of the nine people, Huang Chongshan is the oldest, turning seventy this year. Of the remaining eight, Yang Changjiang is in his fifties, Tian Guozhong is in his early forties, and the rest are in their thirties.
Those in their thirties need not even think about it; by the time Tian Guozhong could remember, the whole country had been liberated.
Huang Chongshan and Yang Changjiang both experienced turmoil and war in their childhood, and could be said to have come from a semi-feudal society. Among the people present, only they had heard the title "Young Master" before, but that was many years ago.
Huang Chongshan and Yang Changjiang never imagined that they would hear such a title again so many years later.
At this moment, Yang Changjiang quietly tugged at Huang Chongshan and said, "Let's go, senior brother, Boss Zhao is calling us to get in the car."
With such a formidable army in Yong'an, Yang Changjiang had no worries whatsoever. With that kind of strength, no matter how many bandits came, they would just be easy prey.
As for whether Zhao Jun would use force to oppress them, Yang Changjiang wasn't worried. He believed that anyone with that kind of power in the area was no ordinary person, and there was no need for them to go through the trouble of tricking them into coming and being slaughtered.
Everyone got into the cars and headed east. Zhao Jun was in the lead car, asking for directions along the way. Finally, forty minutes later, they arrived at the Changbai Mountain Hotel.
Before coming, Zhao Jun had asked Sun Haizhu to inquire about the Changbai Mountain Hotel. He learned that it was the first hotel in Jilin Province to cater to foreign guests and the tallest building in Changchun, making it quite high-end.
Moreover, this place isn't far from Dafangshan Airport, only about 20 li away, a little over half an hour's drive. Zhao Jun wasn't familiar with the roads, and asking for directions wasted some time.
The car stopped in front of the Changbai Mountain Hotel. After Zhao Jun told everyone to get off the car, he went to the carriage after liberation and told the people of Xishantun to put away their guns and cannons and cover them with tarpaulins.
At this moment, the people of Xishantun were all leaning on the railings, looking at the thirteen-story Changbaishan Hotel.
They'd never seen anything like it before! Everyone started chattering and discussing it amongst themselves.
"Hurry up and pack up, then we'll go eat," Zhao Jun urged, and the people of Xishantun sprang into action.
Tong Youfeng handed the gun to the person next to him, then pointed at the tall building and asked Zhao Jun nervously, "Young Master, is this where we eat?"
"Eating and lodging are both fine," Zhao Jun said. Tong Youfeng's eyes widened as he asked again, "Young Master, are you taking us here to eat?"
"Huh?" Zhao Jun responded, then asked, "What's up?"
"That won't do!" Tong Youfeng quickly waved his hand and said, "Young Master, just buy me some dry food..."
"Hurry up and pack up, let's go!" Zhao Jun laughed. "Since you're with me, can we have two different things to eat?"
"No, young master..." Tong Youfeng wanted to say something, but Zhao Jun interrupted him, "Alright, stop with the nonsense. Come out with me, whatever I eat, you eat too."
After saying this, Zhao Jun waved to the others, urging them on.
The people of Xishantun hurriedly covered up the equipment, then got off the vehicle one by one and followed Zhao Jun into the Changbaishan Hotel with trepidation.
At this moment, Lin Xiangshun, Li Baoyu, and the others had already accompanied Huang Chongshan and his group into the hotel lobby.
Seeing Zhao Jun come in, Lin Xiangshun came over to Zhao Jun and said, "Jun, you need an ID card and a letter of introduction."
"Yes, oh dear..." Zhao Jun was about to take out his ID when he remembered something, so he quickly walked to the front desk.
At this moment, some staff members at the front desk had already gotten up and were waiting. Seeing Zhao Jun approach, a female server in a navy blue short-sleeved uniform with a small collar smiled and said to him, "Hello, sir."
"Hello," Zhao Jun replied, then asked, "Do all forty-seven of us need to show our ID cards for the room?"
"Yes, everyone needs an ID card and a letter of introduction from their work unit." The waitress with her black hair tied up answered politely. Zhao Jun glanced back at the group of people from Xishan Village, knowing that these people had only recently obtained their household registrations, and Wang Meilan had never mentioned that they needed to get ID cards.
“Um… I have my ID card and a letter of introduction,” Zhao Jun said. “It’s just that a few of them don’t have ID cards.”
“No, sir,” the waitress politely refused Zhao Jun, saying, “The police station is checking rooms tonight; they need to verify your ID and accommodation certificate…”
"Accommodation card?" Zhao Jun was taken aback. He then saw the waiter take out a stack of small cardboard cards from the front desk and say, "After we pay the deposit, confirm the room, and get the key, we will be issued an accommodation card. We need to take it when we go out and it will be checked when we come in."
"Well..." Zhao Jun felt a bit troubled upon hearing this, and then asked the waiter, "Do we need our ID cards to eat?"
"Then...no." The waiter laughed as he said this.
"Then arrange our meal first," Zhao Jun said. "Forty-seven people, arrange five tables for me."
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, the waitress responded twice and then called over another waitress to lead Zhao Jun and his group upstairs for dinner.
The saleswoman was behind the counter, so no one could see what she was wearing on her lower body.
Just then, a waitress came out from the side and led everyone to the elevator. Her navy blue knee-length skirt, flesh-colored stockings, and black shiny low-heeled leather shoes instantly stunned many people.
People from small towns have never seen anything like this before. Not only were the people of Xishantun stunned, but even Lin Xiangshun and Li Baoyu were dumbfounded.
It's not that they're lustful; they've just never seen anyone dressed like that before.
The forty-seven people took the elevator separately. Zhao Jun asked Lin Xiangshun to accompany the guests, while he stayed with the people from Xishantun.
Since entering the hotel, the fierceness of the Xishantun people had vanished, and they were all staring intently at each other. Even in the elevator, everyone was filled with curiosity.
Someone else sidled up to Zhao Jun and whispered, "Young Master, was that woman indecent?"
"What do you mean by 'indecent'? You can't just talk nonsense!" Zhao Jun said seriously, but someone next to him said, "Then why is she dressed like that?"
“That’s just how they dress…” Zhao Jun didn’t know how to explain, so he just cautioned, “You can’t say anything like that in front of them.”
As soon as Zhao Jun finished speaking, the elevator arrived. The elevator doors opened, and Zhao Jun told everyone to go first, while he would bring up the rear.
After exiting the elevator, Zhao Jun and his group were led to the Xiuhai Hall by a female waitress.
The hall was large enough to fit ten tables. Zhao Jun invited everyone to sit down. He accompanied Huang Chongshan and nine others, making it ten people per table.
"Come on, Manager Huang, Boss Yang, Boss Tian, let's see what we want to eat?" Zhao Jun handed over the menu, but the three refused.
"Zhao Jun, you keep an eye on things," Huang Chongshan said with a smile. "We'll go along with whatever the host says."
"Well..." Zhao Jun said to the group, holding the menu, "It's already two o'clock. Let's have a quick bite first, and then we'll have a proper meal later tonight. Otherwise, if we cook a big meal now, when will we ever finish it?"
"Boss Zhao, you don't need to be so polite. Whatever you order, we'll eat." Ever since witnessing the power of the Zhao family gang, Tian Guozhong's speech has become much gentler than before.
"Hehe...then I'll order." Zhao Jun chuckled, then took the menu and said to the waitress, "Could you please order a few dishes that will be served quickly?"
Upon hearing this, the waitress rattled off a list of dishes, and Zhao Jun nodded, feeling that it was about right.
Knowing that the people from Xishantun could eat a lot, Zhao Jun ordered twelve dishes, with steamed buns and mixed rice as the staple food.
The waitress took the menu out, and returned a short while later with a few more people.
These people served Zhao Jun and his companions tableware, and then brought Zhao Jun the free boiled water he had requested.
Sets of tableware were placed in front of everyone. The other waiters left, leaving only the waitress who brought Zhao Jun and his group to stand aside, ready to serve them at any time.
Zhao Jun chatted with Tian Guozhong and the others for a bit, then called over a waitress and asked, "I just looked at the menu, and it said 'Mountain Delicacies Feast,' what are those?"
"Our mountain delicacies banquet is divided into a regular mountain delicacies banquet, a deluxe mountain delicacies banquet, and a special mountain delicacies banquet," the waitress said. "It depends on which one you choose."
"What's the difference?" Zhao Jun asked. The waitress replied, "The regular mountain delicacy banquet doesn't have bear paws, the deluxe mountain delicacy banquet does have bear paws, and the special mountain delicacy banquet has whole bear paws and deer antlers."
Aside from these differences, the cold dishes, platters, and hot dishes are all the same.
"What are the hot dishes?" Zhao Jun asked again. The waitress, who was clearly trained, directly announced the names of the dishes: "Eight hot dishes: Flying Dragon Soup, Braised Deer Tendon, Braised Roe Deer Leg, Braised Monkey Head Mushroom with Matsutake Mushrooms, Ginseng Stewed Chicken, Snow Frog Soup, Stir-fried Pheasant Slices, and Stir-fried Bracken with Meat."
"Ah..." Zhao Jun nodded upon hearing this, and then asked, "How much is a table for the special mountain delicacies banquet?"
"Sir, the special mountain delicacies banquet is five hundred per table." After the waitress finished speaking, she paused slightly and continued, "The regular mountain delicacies banquet is two hundred per table, and the deluxe mountain delicacies banquet is three hundred per table."
"Give me five hundred," Zhao Jun said without hesitation. "Arrange five tables for me around six o'clock tonight."
"Um... excuse me, sir." Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, the waitress said, "Dishes with bear paws need to be ordered three days in advance."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jun frowned and his expression darkened slightly.
It's not that Zhao Jun is being temperamental, the problem is you have nothing to offer, so what are you introducing me to? You've been listing this and that, but when I actually ordered something, you didn't have it…
The waitress noticed Zhao Jun's displeasure and quickly said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, sir, bear paws don't keep well this season..."
"Alright," Zhao Jun raised his hand to interrupt the waitress, saying, "If you don't have one, then forget it."
The waitress wanted to ask Zhao Jun if he still needed the regular mountain delicacies banquet, but seeing Zhao Jun wave his hand at her, she stepped aside.
After dismissing the waitress, Zhao Jun looked at Huang Chongshan and the others and said with a smile, "Manager Huang, Boss Tian, Boss Yang, after dinner, I'll get you rooms so you can rest. Then tonight, after I pick up those guests, we'll find a good place for a meal."
"Mr. Zhao," Yang Changjiang smiled and said, "Just like Mr. Tian said, you're too kind. We're fine as long as we're full, no need to go to so much trouble."
It's just polite talk; Zhao Jun would be a fool to take it seriously.
"No trouble at all," Zhao Jun said with a smile. "You are all my honored guests, so you must receive... the best hospitality. My family has also prepared some food, but since we're here, let's try some of the good stuff."
After Zhao Jun finished speaking, a waiter pushed in a small food cart to serve cold dishes.
The first cold dish on the menu is called a wild game platter, which consists of braised wild pheasant chunks, braised roe deer slices, dried venison, and cold mountain fungus salad.
Next came stir-fried bracken, spiced wild mushrooms, pickled cucumber, and crispy fried sparrow.
These are all cold dishes, but there's no other way. It's already 2 PM, and if I make any more elaborate dishes, I won't be able to do anything else.
Then the hot dishes were served one after another, namely pan-fried roe deer meat, braised wild mushrooms with bok choy, stir-fried pheasant slices, wild rabbit meat with hazelnuts, braised wild boar chunks, and crispy venison slices.
There was also a dish of monkey head mushrooms stewed with ham and dried scallops, which was called "Immortal's Longevity Offering Monkey Head" on the menu. Zhao Jun, who was taking the order, was stunned when he saw it.
These twelve dishes, along with a small bowl of assorted mushroom soup, served with steamed buns and rice, were quickly devoured by everyone.
Huang Chongshan and his group were all from the north, so they had no problem eating Northeastern cuisine.
As for the people from Xishantun, there was even less of a problem. They ate plenty of bracken, cucumber, pheasant, and wild rabbit.
But the dishes at this restaurant were so beautifully presented that some people from Xishantun couldn't bear to eat them when they were first served.
After eating a few bites of food, Zhao Jun greeted the guests and didn't forget the villagers of Xishantun.
"Wait until tonight, we'll have a good meal." Zhao Jun said with a smile to the three tables in Xishan Village. As soon as he finished speaking, someone said, "No need, young master, this is good enough. The food is beautifully prepared!"
"That's right, young master, you really don't treat us like outsiders."
"Huh?" The waitress next to her was taken aback. What kind of address was that?
The waitress sensed something was off when she brought these people up.
Later, when I sat down in this hall, it became even more obvious. The people at these two tables all looked like business owners, or at the very least, employees.
But those three tables didn't look like they belonged to wealthy people.
Hearing how the people of Xishantun addressed Zhao Jun, the waitress secretly glanced at him. Thinking of the stories her parents had told her when she was a child, she couldn't help but think to herself, "Could this be a landlord and his farmhand? Are there still landlords in Northeast China these days?"
“Being pretty isn’t enough.” At this moment, Zhao Jun laughed and said, “If we come to Chuncheng and don’t eat something good, you’ll all say when we get home that we went out with Zhao Jun and ate wild vegetables from Laoshan. What do we eat at home? What do we eat when we go out?”
"Hahaha……"
Zhao Jun's words amused everyone.
……
At the same time, a large Jiefang truck drove into Xishantun and went directly to the home of Wang Xiaolan, the women's director.
The car came to a stop, the passenger door opened, and Wang Meilan got out first, followed by Zhao Youcai.
Although it's sweltering in the dog days of summer, the temperature is still there. The bed sheet I washed this morning is already dry by now.
A duvet cover that has been sun-dried has a sunny smell that makes you feel especially comfortable.
The people of Xishantun were incredibly meticulous in their work when it came to Grandma Zhao and Young Master Zhao.
Wang Xiaolan laid a clean sheet on her kang (a heated brick bed), and then folded a quilt cover on top of the sheet.
One by one, the duvet covers were neatly folded, followed by the pillowcases and pillow covers. Once all were folded and stacked together, they were then wrapped in a sheet.
The cleaned and dried slippers were all put into clean flour sacks.
Wild vegetables and dried goods collected from various households were gathered together, while pickled vegetables were categorized and concentrated in the three best jars in the entire village.
"Village Chief, you've arrived! Come on in and rest for a while." Wang Xiaolan and a group of women and children left behind in Xishan Village lined up in the courtyard to welcome them as if they were foreign guests.
After greeting Wang Meilan, Wang Xiaolan turned to Zhao Youcai and said, "Hey, village chief, come on upstairs and have some water."
Zhao Youcai: "..."
Unlike Wang Meilan, Zhao Youcai was reluctant to come to this village. But there was nothing he could do; it had been agreed upon yesterday that he would be carrying the jars today.
"Accountant Li!" At this moment, Wang Xiaolan saw Li Tongyun fall from the back of the truck.
As a colleague in the same team, Wang Xiaolan greeted Li Tongyun warmly.
Hearing how she addressed Li Tongyun, Zhao Youcai became even more displeased.
But the people of Xishantun didn't care whether Zhao Youcai was happy or not, and they didn't think there was anything wrong with it. They just ushered Wang Meilan into Wang Xiaolan's house.
“Village Chief, look.” As soon as Wang Xiaolan entered the room, she pointed to three jars against the wall and said, “These are pickled cucumbers, bracken, and willow shoots.”
"This..." Wang Meilan frowned upon seeing this and said, "Why did you put them all together here?"
"Huh?" Wang Xiaolan was taken aback upon hearing this, and said, "Village Chief, these are pickled vegetables. If we don't pack them together, how are you going to take them back?"
“That’s not what I meant,” Wang Meilan said. “If you’re going to put it all together, then I’ll give you all the money, and you can divide it among yourselves.”
Wang Meilan meant that if the pickling was done separately for each household, she could pay them individually.
At this moment, everyone in Xishantun understood what Wang Meilan meant.
"Village Chief, what are you saying?" Wang Xiaolan's face was unreadable, she only said, "Do you think we'd ask you for money for something this small?"
"Of course you have to pay me," Wang Meilan said. "If it weren't for me, you'd be keeping it for yourselves, wouldn't you?"
"Grandma!" Lin Wenqin, Wu Dalin's wife, shouted from the crowd, "We'd rather go hungry than not give this to you!"
Wang Meilan was taken aback, and then she heard Wang Xiaolan say, "Village Chief, this stuff that was brought back from the mountain is practically worthless."
After saying this, Wang Xiaolan paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, no matter how valuable it is, it can't compare to what you gave us."
"I..." Wang Meilan was about to say something when she saw Wang Xiaolan raise her hand and say, "Village Chief, my husband earned three hundred yuan in the last two months."
At this point, Wang Xiaolan's eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion as she said, "That was three hundred yuan, village head! Before, our family couldn't even earn thirty yuan a year, and this three hundred..."
As she spoke, Wang Xiaolan could no longer continue, turning to the side to wipe her tears with her sleeve.
"What's this for?" Wang Meilan asked in a low voice. Someone next to her said, "Village chief, you can take these wild vegetables. Last year we didn't have that kind of business, so we sold you all those dried vegetables and stuff. This year our village is better off, so we'll give you all the dried fungus and mushrooms we make, we won't take a penny."
Her words drew countless echoes of her sentiments.
"Village Chief, without you, how could we live like this?"
“That’s right. We never had meat to eat before. Now, if my kids say they crave meat, I can go to the market to buy some.”
These words were unbearable even for someone as emotional as Wang Meilan, let alone Zhao Youcai.
"Grandma!" Suddenly, a clear child's voice rang out from outside the window: "They said your child loves those dried mountain pears. When autumn comes this year, my mom and I will go up the mountain to pick some for you. After that, we'll ripen them with mugwort, dry them, and then bring them to you."
Wild pears are sour and astringent, but if you pick them when they are green, take them home and cover them with mugwort until they ripen, they will be sweeter and less sour, and taste great.
Upon hearing this, Wang Meilan turned to look out the window and immediately recognized the speaker as Wu Xiaoshan from the Wu family.
"Child," Wang Meilan said in a slightly hoarse voice, "you'll be starting school in September, right?"
Hearing Wang Meilan's words, Wu Xiaoshan scratched his head.
At this moment, Lin Wenqin picked up the conversation and said to Wang Meilan, "Grandma, do you think I shouldn't send him to school?"
"We must send them!" Wang Meilan said firmly. "The child must go to school. Although not many people in our forest area have been able to get into high school in recent years, there is a difference between going to school and not going to school."
At least going to school will teach them to recognize characters and write their own names. Learning arithmetic will also help them calculate their wages, making it easier for them to become apprentices later.
"Grandma, then I'll take him to school." After hearing Wang Meilan's words, Lin Wenqin said, "I'll do as you say!"
Wang Meilan nodded to Lin Wenqin, then asked Wang Xiaolan, "How many children are there in our village? I mean those who can go to school, six or seven years old, seven or eight years old, under ten years old."
The children of Xishantun have never gone to school. They're too old; by thirteen or fourteen, they're almost ready to get married, so it's not appropriate to send them to school then.
"This..." Wang Xiaolan blinked and said, "There must be at least forty or fifty, right?"
"Forty or fifty..." Wang Meilan muttered to herself upon hearing this, "Two yuan for tuition and miscellaneous fees per semester, plus textbook fees, notebook fees..."
At this point, Wang Meilan seemed to have made a decision. But she turned around first and whispered a few words in Zhao Youcai's ear.
No one knows what Wang Meilan said to Zhao Youcai, but Zhao Youcai's eyes lit up after hearing it, and he said softly, "Lan, let's do it your way."
Upon hearing Zhao Youcai's words, Wang Meilan's entire demeanor changed instantly. She raised her hand and waved it forward, shouting, "All the children in Xishan Village who are six years old or older and under, will be starting school this September! I'll cover all the tuition fees!"
As soon as Wang Meilan said this, the room fell silent. Everyone stared at her in shock. Li Tongyun and some of the children looked at Wang Meilan with a mixture of admiration and respect.
Looking at Wang Meilan beside him, Zhao Youcai recalled a saying his father-in-law, Wang Dacai, had once said: "Raising people is more suitable than raising anything else. If you support ten people, when you encounter trouble, as long as even one of them stands by your side, you won't have lost out!"