sbdcsierra Chapter 1864 Three Joys After Ginseng Gang's Path
Chapter 1864 Three Joys After Ginseng Gang's Path
Chapter 1864 The Descendants of Sanxi Ginseng Gang Discusses the Way
Following the path north from behind the shack, through the woods, you arrive at a rocky beach.
After entering the rocky beach and walking north for another three or four hundred meters, you will encounter a river blocking your way.
At this moment, a group of seven people walked along the riverbank, stepping on the stones.
The leader was a man around forty years old, tall with a long face, leaning on a 1.7-meter-long oak stick that reached past his shoulders and eyebrows.
This oak stick is thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom, with the thicker end slightly thicker than an egg. A hole is drilled five inches from the top, through which an animal skin rope is threaded. Three copper coins are tied to the left side of the rope, and three more are tied to the right side.
This is the authentic Suobo Liaobang. The Suobo Liaobang used by the Zhao family gang, who used a wild style, was just a stick they casually chopped up in the mountains.
Five men followed behind this man. These five men varied in height, weight, and build, but they were all strong and fit men in their thirties or forties.
This man and the five people behind him were not all locals of Yong'an, but the two people on his left and right were Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua from Yongfutun.
Previously, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua went hunting in the mountains with Han Shengli and found the Zhao family's black tiger.
This was originally a good thing. As long as they delivered Black Tiger to the Zhao family, the Zhao family would not only give them money, but also owe them a favor.
How valuable are the favors from the Zhao family?
But they couldn't go against Han Shengli's wishes, and in the end Han Wenxue and Han Shengli suffered the consequences. Not only were they beaten, but they were also tied up in the mountains and left to freeze overnight.
As for Pang Zhihua, although he didn't suffer as much, he was still tormented for a whole day and night.
After that, Han Shengli felt ashamed to face anyone and stayed at home all day, rarely going out.
Han Shengli doesn't go out much because his family is well-off, but Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua have to support their families and can't afford to stay at home.
They were accomplices of the Pang family gang. They happened to be there when Pang Zhendong led a group of people into the mountains to carry a stone dragon, and the two of them made a small fortune as a result.
However, neither Han Wenxue nor Pang Zhihua were Pang Zhendong's confidants. Pang Zhendong did not take them with him when he went to Fusong to attend the Ginseng King Conference. Somehow, they got to know the ginseng leader from outside the region.
At this moment, the ginseng leader, who was leaning on a rope and pulling on his staff, asked Pang Zhihua, "Zhihua, when will Old Pang the Blind and the others finally come back?"
That's right, the Pang family father and son who went to Fusong for a meeting haven't returned yet.
"I don't know, Brother Wang." Pang Zhihua frowned when he heard Pang Zhendong mentioned. "Logically speaking, he should have been home yesterday, the day before yesterday...."
"Tsk!" Upon hearing Pang Zhihua's words, the man surnamed Wang smacked his lips and said, "Old Pang the blind isn't home, his eldest son isn't home, and his second son's word doesn't even count. Doesn't this cause any trouble?"
"Then why are you in such a hurry, Brother Wang?" Han Wenxue said with a smile, "It's not a good time for grazing in the mountains right now. Why don't you wait for him to come back and then we can discuss it?"
"We can't wait any longer!" said the leader surnamed Wang, raising his hand to lift the rope and pointing south, towards the direction of the Zhao family's shack, saying, "There's some amazing herb in these mountains!"
His words startled Pang Zhihua and Han Wenxue.
The two looked in the direction Wang was pointing, and their hearts skipped a beat.
At this point, heading south from the Zhao family's shack, passing Qing Shi La Zi and entering Yongxing territory, is the place where the Zhao family carried the amber dragon and the Pang family carried the stone dragon.
Pang Zhihua and Han Wenxue saw Wang pointing in that direction and assumed he was referring to the place where the stone dragon was being carried.
If Chief Wang really goes and goes looking for them, then even if Pang Zhihua and Senior Han Xue have eight hundred mouths, they won't be able to explain themselves clearly.
Those who knew the truth would have thought that Wang had touched his head himself, but those who didn't would have thought that Pang Zhihua and Han Wenxue had betrayed the Pang family gang.
Although the Ginseng Gang doesn't have the concept of "three cuts and six holes" these days, if this misunderstanding gets out, Pang Zhihua and Han Wenxue will never be able to hold their heads high again.
The most crucial point is that if they were truly traitors, that would be one thing. But they got nothing in return and are now unjustly accused of this; nobody can be happy about that.
"No, Brother Wang?" Pang Zhihua sensed something was wrong and quickly asked Wang, the foreman, "How do you know there's a great immortal child here?"
The names differ in different places, but the "Great Immortal Herb" mentioned by Wang Batou and the "Great Immortal Child" mentioned by Pang Zhihua are the same thing: Ginseng King.
"Hehe..." Wang, the foreman, chuckled upon hearing this, then pointed with his stick at the turbulent mountain river and then at the place where Zhao Jun was carrying ginseng, saying, "The mountain river leads the way into the mountain valley, the black soil is moist and the wind is blowing. The water flows constantly without being exposed to the sun, it must be the place where the ginseng immortals have moved their nest."
Pang Zhihua and Han Wenxue were not very cultured people, and they didn't understand what Wang Batou was babbling about, but they heard the words "ginseng immortal" very clearly.
"Brother Wang." Han Wenxue looked at Wang Batou in surprise and said, "You're amazing! How could you figure that out?"
"Hehe." Wang, the foreman, smiled faintly and said, "Back in our Eighteen Ridges area, there was a guy called Old Liu the Chiselman, do you guys know him?"
"Oh my god!" Han Wenxue said, "Brother Wang, how could we not know that guy? I heard from Chief Pang that Shao Yunjin was the most skilled at gouging eyes in the Eighteen Ridges. Besides Shao Tianpeng, there was also Old Chisel Liu."
As soon as Han Wenxue finished speaking, Pang Zhihua chimed in, "I heard that Old Liu can lift a club with a chisel, and he can lift it completely intact."
Hearing what the two said, Wang smiled slightly and said, "Old Liu is my master. I learned my skills from him."
"Holy crap!" Han Wenxue exclaimed, "I was wondering how you, Brother Wang, could be so amazing. Turns out you're his apprentice."
"Hey, Brother Wang?" At this moment, Pang Zhihua asked Wang, "Old Liu the Chiselman hasn't been around for many years, how did you find him?"
“My third uncle took me there,” said Wang, the foreman. “My third uncle knows him.”
"Your third uncle?" Pang Zhihua was taken aback and asked, "Brother Wang, who is your third uncle?"
Wang glanced at Pang Zhihua and said, "You're young, you might not know my third uncle. My third uncle's name is Wang Sanxi."
Upon hearing this name, Pang Zhihua was taken aback again; he had heard it before. Back when his parents were still alive, whenever the old couple argued, his father would mutter about this name, as if Wang Sanxi had some unknown past with his mother.
However, Pang Zhihua was a son, so he didn't inquire about the matter and immediately pretended he had never heard of this person.
As they talked, they entered the woods. The moment they entered, the barking of dogs reached their ears.
"Huh?" A look of surprise appeared on Wang's face. "There are still people beating dogs at this hour?"
Upon hearing the strange "howling" of the dog, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua both looked rather uneasy.
"Brother Wang," Han Wenxue hurriedly said to Wang Batou, "Let's go."
"Where are you going? Go?" Wang raised his head and pointed in the direction from which the barking was coming, saying, "They'll leave after they've surrounded the dogs for a while. Let's wait here for a bit. After they leave, you two can come with me to go hiking."
"Going hunting in the mountains..." Upon hearing Wang's words, Han Wen and Pang Zhihua both looked troubled. As members of the Pang family gang, it was fine for them to go hunting in the mountains with Han Shengli in their spare time, but it would be problematic if they went hunting with others.
Seemingly sensing Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua's predicament, Wang, the leader, laughed and said, "Wenxue, Zhihua, I'm five or six years older than you. We can't say we're complete kids, but you two were just kids before, weren't you always playing around with me?"
"That's right." Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua both agreed with what Wang, the foreman, said.
"That's settled then," Wang said with a smile. "When you're little, I'll take you out to play; when you're older, I'll take you mountain climbing..."
"Brother Wang." Han Wenxue frowned, interrupting Wang Batou, and then whispered, "The key point is that you've been away from home for so many years, and now you're back to tending the mountains. That's against the rules of the mountains."
Han Wenxue is right. Let alone his headman, back when Shao Tianpeng brought the Shao family gang back to the mountains, they were all driven back to Lingnan by the Pang family gang. What's the big deal about him?
But Wang, the head of the group, just smiled and said, "It's alright, Wenxue. I'll talk to Old Pang when he gets back."
Wang Batou spoke casually, but it was unclear where his confidence came from.
Just as Han Wenxue was about to say something more, he heard a commotion coming from the south.
Han Wenxue turned his head and saw a tall man, over 1.9 meters tall, carrying a 56.5-inch stalk of grass, striding towards him.
"Li Baoyu!" Upon seeing this person, both Han Xuewen and Pang Zhihua felt a tremor in their hearts.
"What a tall guy!" Wang, the foreman, exclaimed in surprise when he saw Li Baoyu, but he didn't take Li Baoyu seriously.
It wasn't that he looked down on Li Baoyu, but when he heard the dogs barking earlier, Wang, the foreman, thought there was a hunting party going on. Now, seeing Li Baoyu's tall and strong physique and the steel gun in his hand, he thought Li Baoyu was a hunter.
But then, Wang, the foreman, saw Xie Chen, Zhang Yuanmin, Xing San, Li Ruhai, and Ma Yang following behind Li Baoyu.
Apart from Xing San, the other five people were all carrying guns, and they were all Type 56 semi-automatic rifles.
This startled Wang, the hunter. How many ordinary hunters carry a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle? These six men were carrying five Type 56 semi-automatic rifles; their firepower was formidable.
Just then, Li Baoyu had reached a distance of five meters from Wang Batou.
"Brother..." Wang was about to greet him when he saw Li Baoyu stop, gun at the end, and shout, "What are you doing?"
Who wouldn't be afraid when a dark gun barrel is pointed at them?
Hunting? What kind of hunters do that?
Seeing that Xie Chen and the others were all like this, Wang Ba Tou broke out in a cold sweat, with only one thought in his mind: "Do people still have beards these days?"
Seeing that Wang Batou and the others remained silent, Li Baoyu shouted, "What are you doing? Speak!"
Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua had already hidden in the back when they saw Xing San.
At present, only Wang, the leader, stood in front. But this man was a man of some experience. He raised his rope and wielded his staff, clasped his hands and said, "A cloud hangs over the northwestern sky, a crow alights on a flock of phoenixes. The table is full of heroes, but who is the ruler and who is the subject?"
Wang's words resonated with the Li brothers. Li Baoyu's eyes lit up, and he loudly replied, "The ruler is the ruler, and the subject is the subject; there is a leader in the mountains. Black Clouds White..."
"What do you mean, 'white'?!" Li Baoyu was interrupted by Zhang Yuanmin before he could finish speaking. Seeing Li Baoyu's unhappy expression, Zhang Yuanmin whispered, "Baoyu, why are you blindly following along? We're not highway robbers!"
"Ouch!" Li Baoyu suddenly realized what Zhang Yuanmin meant. At that moment, Li Ruhai saw Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua hiding in the crowd.
"Hey!" Li Ruhai put away his gun and called out with a smile, "Aren't these Uncle Han and Uncle Pang from Yongli? What's up, you two heard the dog barking again and came to pick it up?"
Li Ruhai's words made Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua blush deeply. But because of Li Ruhai's words, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua had an opportunity to act as peacemakers.
"Ru Hai, Bao Yu!" Han Wenxue stepped forward, smiling as he greeted the crowd, and said, "And there's also... Yuan Min, hehe..."
"Heh!" Zhang Yuanmin sneered. Don't think he didn't realize that Han Wenxue, that old bastard, wanted to call him Big Pants.
At this moment, Xing San raised his hand to push aside Li Baoyu and Zhang Yuanmin who were blocking his way, and took two steps forward.
Upon seeing Xing San, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua both took a step back. Pang Zhihua swallowed hard and called out, "Uncle Xing San."
"Get out!" Xing San said decisively, swinging his arm and brandishing his knife at the same time, "Get out, all of you!"
The five men brought by Wang didn't know what the old man did, but the semi-automatic rifles in Li Baoyu's group kept them from uttering a single word.
Upon hearing Xing San tell them to get lost, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua turned around without saying a word and grabbed Wang Batou's arm.
"Huh?" Wang raised his head and stopped the two of them, then smiled at Xing San and said, "Third Uncle, don't you recognize me?"
“I know you, you son of a bitch! Get lost!” Xing San’s answer was straightforward. Over the years, he hadn’t even managed to find a nephew, let alone someone he wouldn’t recognize upon meeting him.
"Third Uncle, it's me!" Wang took two steps forward, pointed to his chest, and said, "Big Horse Face! The one who plays best with your little ball."
Upon hearing Wang Batou's words, Xing San was taken aback. The "Little Ball" that Wang Batou mentioned was his son's nickname.
Recalling the nickname "Big Horse Face," Xing San remembered who the person in front of him was.
"Alright." Xing San's tone softened, and he waved his hand gently, saying, "Since you've mentioned my little ball, you can leave now."
"Huh?" Wang was taken aback. He thought Xing San would give his old friends face and let them stay here to graze. Little did he know that Xing San was only letting them go because of his deceased son.
Seeing that Xing San's tone had softened, Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua each grabbed Wang Batou on either side and left.
This guy surnamed Wang hasn't been around Yong'an for years, so he had no idea that the group in front of him were the top bosses in both the legitimate and underworld circles of Yong'an. If he kept arguing, he really wouldn't be able to leave.
The five men brought by Wang had no objection to Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua's actions. The eight of them only had one No. 32 tree, how could they dare to compete with them?
Seeing the group leave, Xing San said to Zhang Yuanmin, "Yuanmin, you, Baoyu, and Xiaochen stay here and keep watch. If they come back, stop them."
As he spoke, Xing San pointed in the direction of the shack and said, "I'm going back. Your brother's still carrying a wooden club."
When they arrived, they left only Wang Qiang and Zhao Jinhui to guard Zhao Jun and Bangchui. Now that the invaders have been repelled, Xing San must hurry back to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.
"Alright, Third Uncle." Zhang Yuanmin responded, then told Li Ruhai and Ma Yang to go back with Xing San.
At this moment, Wang, who had been pulled out of the woods by Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua, broke free from their grasp and asked, "Wenxue, what exactly do those people do?"
"Oh dear!" Han Wenxue sighed upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "Brother Wang, these people are not people we can afford to offend."
"What the hell? We can't afford to mess with them," said Wang, the foreman. "Tell me, what are they doing up the mountain? Do they run wild in the mountains too?"
Upon hearing Wang Batou's question, Han Wenxue nodded and said, "They do go into the mountains, and they also hunt in the mountains."
"Rafting?" Wang, the foreman, raised an eyebrow and loudly asked Han Wenxue, "Why didn't you say so earlier that they were rafting?"
"I should have said so earlier, Brother Wang?" Han Wenxue smiled wryly and said, "You're an outsider, and they're locals. What are you going to say to them? Won't they kowtow to you?"
"Then you don't know the rules!" Wang, the foreman, grabbed the stick with one hand and pushed Han Wenxue aside with the other, saying, "Let's go, I'll go see them!"
"Brother Wang..." Pang Zhihua was about to stop them when he saw this, but then he heard Wang, the foreman, say, "Don't be afraid, come with me! This time I'll teach them a lesson!"
Han Wenxue and Pang Zhihua couldn't stop them, so they had no choice but to go with the Wang family's helpers.
Seeing them return, Li Baoyu brandished his spear and shouted, "What are you doing? Why are you back again?"
To Li Baoyu's surprise, Wang, the foreman, picked up his rope and stick, clasped his hands and said, "Three brothers, are you stepping on the land marked by the old foreman? Did you bring the order to open the mountain?"
Li Baoyu: "..."
Zhang Yuanmin and Xie Chen: "..."
Seeing that the three remained silent, Wang, the foreman, continued to ask, "Which gang are you from? You're not stepping on the old foreman's ground; is that a newly opened farm?"
Hearing this, Li Baoyu and Xie Chen looked at Zhang Yuanmin, who also looked bewildered.
Seeing that the three remained silent, Wang, the gang leader, smiled and flicked his staff with a rope, causing the copper coins on either side of his head to sway. He asked, "May I ask, esteemed gang leader, how many copper coins did you flick on that staff?"
"You...you..." Zhang Yuanmin pointed at Wang Batou and said, "Don't say anything yet, you guys wait here for a while!"
After saying this, Zhang Yuanmin turned to Li Baoyu and said, "Guard Li, please let us lead the way!"