sbdcsierra Chapter 1838 The Day of the King's Assembly
Chapter 1838 The Day of the King's Assembly
Chapter 1838 The Day of the King's Assembly
Song San returned to the building and went straight to the third floor.
At the end of the stairs is a corridor, and in the first room on the right side of the corridor are two single beds.
On the bed near the door sat Wu Baoguo and his nephew Shen Qiushan. On the bed near the window sat Song Da and Song Er.
Wu Baoguo previously explained that there were too many people from the ginseng industry, and if they all stayed on the third floor, there wouldn't be enough room. So, these rooms on the third floor were reserved for the ginseng owners who came to attend the conference.
Whether he was telling the truth or not, he arranged for the three Song brothers to live in the two rooms on the north side.
Upon seeing Song San enter, Wu Baoguo and Shen Qiushan stood up to greet him. After greeting them, Song San sat down with Song Da and Song Er.
"How's it going, Third Brother?" Song Da asked Song San, "What conditions did Chief Zhao bring up?"
When Song San went to find Zhao Jun, Song Da and the other three were chatting in the room. Wu Baoguo mentioned that he and his nephew wanted to ask Zhao Jun for help, and he also told Song Da and Song Er about the conditions Zhao Jun had proposed.
Song Da was not entirely satisfied with Zhao Jun's condition of allowing him to graze in the local mountains, but he had no choice but to agree.
"Big brother," Song San said irritably, "that kid gave me a damn good talking to."
"Huh?" Song Da was taken aback. Song Er next to him asked, "What's wrong, Third Brother? Is he showing off?"
Song Er seemed to be a reckless man, and as soon as he said this, Song Da pulled him back.
Seeing his elder brother wink at him, Song Er was about to say something when he remembered the legendary Third Master.
Thinking back on the achievements of those three old men, Song Er picked up his teacup, pretended to drink water to shut himself up, and thus glossed over what had just happened.
At this moment, Song San said, "That guy isn't pretending, he's just bragging."
"What? Bragging?" Song Da frowned and asked, "What did he say? Did he brag?"
"He said his family has businesses," Song San sneered. "He said his family charters trucks for transportation and runs a department store..."
At this point, Song San laughed and said, "He also said his family has a business association."
"A chamber of commerce?" Upon hearing this, Song Da laughed and then said, "What era are we living in? A chamber of commerce?"
But after Song finished laughing, he noticed that Wu Baoguo and Shen Qiushan, who were sitting opposite him, were not laughing.
Seeing Song Da looking at him, Wu Baoguo smiled faintly and said, "Boss Song, Third Boss Song, he wasn't bragging?"
"Huh?" The three Song brothers were all taken aback. Then Wu Baoguo said, "I was chatting with Lao Shao this morning. I asked Lao Shao, and he said that Zhao the foreman is really rich and has influence in the Eighteenth Ridge area."
After saying this, Wu Baoguo paused for a moment, and then continued, "It was his wedding. Old Shao went. He said there were more than a hundred tables, with twenty dishes per table. Old Shao said he had never eaten many of the dishes before."
"What?" The three Song brothers were surprised to hear Wu Baoguo's words.
These days, transportation is difficult, and there's not much to find in Northeast China. Even wealthy people rarely see fresh seafood. What could it be that Shao Tianpeng has never even eaten?
"No?" the impetuous Song Er couldn't help but ask, "Isn't his family from the forest area too? What can he do? Haven't you eaten here yet?"
"They say it's some kind of 'Three Treasures of the Earth'..." Wu Baoguo was only halfway through his sentence when Song Er interrupted him, saying, "He's never even tried the Three Treasures of the Earth, so this old man Shao can't do it either."
"No, that's not it." Wu Baoguo shook his head slightly and said, "They say that the Three Immortals of the Earth were what the emperor used to eat, not the eggplant, potato, and pepper we eat. They eat bear meat, venison, and tiger meat."
"What the hell?" Song Er was dumbfounded. Song Da next to him was also unsettled and asked in surprise, "They...they've all eaten tiger meat?"
Wu Baoguo nodded twice and said, "Old Shao said it was tiger cub meat, so it's probably a tiger cub."
"My goodness!" Upon hearing this, Song Da looked at Song San and said, "If we were to get him to help us clear the mountain, he'd really be a good fit!"
“What can I do, brother?” Song San said with a wry smile. “I talked to him, and he said he didn’t have time and couldn’t come.”
"Hmm?" Hearing Song San's words, Song Da looked at Wu Baoguo. After exchanging a glance, Wu Baoguo asked Song San, "Boss Song San, didn't he mention any conditions?"
"Huh?" Song San was taken aback and subconsciously shook his head, then heard Wu Baoguo press, "You...you didn't discuss it with him?"
Song San shook his head again, and Song Da sighed softly, then said, "Alright, I'll talk to him when I have the chance."
As soon as Song Da finished speaking, Shen Qiushan suddenly spoke up, saying, "Boss Song, why don't you wait a little longer?"
Song Da looked at Shen Qiushan, who said, "My relative in the security department said he'll contact his comrade-in-arms in the next couple of days..."
"That's nonsense." Song Da interrupted Shen Qiushan before he could finish speaking, waving his hand and saying, "There are many tricks to hunting. Being good at fighting and being good at hunting are two different things."
"No, no," Shen Qiushan said, "His comrade-in-arms is also an excellent hunter."
"Really?" Upon hearing this, Song Da immediately became interested.
"Yes!" Shen Qiushan nodded emphatically and said, "That man used to be a rifle caliber in the army, so his marksmanship was beyond question. After he was discharged, he didn't even go to work; he just went hunting."
He'd go up the mountain ten times, and coming home empty-handed twice was considered a lot. That year, my relative went to his house for a stroll and saw that his front and back yards were full of snowdrifts; digging them open, they were full of roe deer and wild boars.
“That won’t work.” Even after Shen Qiushan said that, Song Da still shook his head and said, “Opening up mountains and crossing ridges is not that simple. What are roe deer and wild boars? You have to be able to fight tigers and bears.”
"Yes!" Shen Qiushan said, "They hunted a tiger twenty years ago!"
"Really?" This time, Song Da's expression changed completely, and he asked anxiously, "Chief Shen, this is no joke."
“I’m telling the truth,” Shen Qiushan said. “It was still dark when he shot that Siberian tiger twice and killed it. There’s a Zhang San’er thing going on in my neighborhood, and my relatives are looking for him.”
In Northeast China folklore, there is a story about Zhang San transforming into a wolf. Northeast hunters believed that calling someone a wolf would disturb wild animals, so they referred to him as Zhang San.
This is the same principle as calling a tiger a "big worm" and a snake a "long worm".
There was a wolf infestation in Shen Qiushan's area. The wolves had given the local mountain runners a hard time, so much so that they didn't dare mention the wolves when they went up the mountain, and instead referred to them as Zhang San.
Shen Qiushan brought this up in order to improve his relationship with the Song brothers so that he could sell his ginseng at a higher price.
Song Da knew what Shen Qiushan was thinking, and he was also very tempted by Shen Qiushan's words.
So Song Da asked Shen Qiushan, "Shen, did your relative say how to thank his comrade-in-arms if we invite him?"
“My relative said that after talking to his comrade-in-arms, he will communicate with the forest farm where his comrade-in-arms lives.” Shen Qiushan said, “He will be temporarily transferred here, and he will receive a subsidy according to his salary. Before he leaves, he will be given two packs of cigarettes, and that will be fine.”
"Oh, that works!" Song Da's eyes lit up. "Then, Chief Shen, after you've invited him here, give me a call and I'll come over and take a look, okay?"
“Sure!” Shen Qiushan agreed readily, saying, “Why not? That’s exactly what I meant, hehe…”
Seeing his nephew and Boss Song exchange smiles, Wu Baoguo chuckled and said, "It would be great if we could invite this person over, otherwise that Chief Zhao's demands are a bit too... you know."
"Absolutely!" Song Er retorted in a gruff voice, "Still thinking about coming to hunt in the mountains? What are you dreaming about all day!"
"Stop talking." Song Da tugged at Song Er's arm and then glared at him.
"Boss Song," Wu Baoguo asked Song Dadao at this moment, "Are you still going to talk to Foreman Zhao?"
"Then why would I need to contact him?" Song said with a laugh, then looked at Shen Qiushan and said, "I'm just waiting for Chief Shen's call this time."
"Hehehe..." Shen Qiushan chuckled and said, "Mr. Song, just wait for my call."
After saying this, Shen Qiushan remembered something and asked Song Dadao, "Boss Song, what will the price of ginseng and ginseng be like this year?"
Before he could even find a skilled expert, Shen Qiushan was already thinking about raising and selling ginseng.
“Couple ginseng…” Song Da shook his head slightly and said, “They can’t sell for more than three dragons. Seventy or eighty-year-old ones are worth at most two thousand yuan. We’re talking about ginseng of similar quality. Unless it’s of particularly good quality, the price can go up a bit.”
After saying this, Song Da paused for a moment, then said, "But Yang can't raise it much."
"Boss Song," Shen Qiushan persisted, "what about those who are over a hundred years old... the Great Immortal Child?"
"Husband and wife ginseng... Great Immortal Child?" When he said the last three words, Song Da's voice changed. He stared at Shen Qiushan with wide eyes and asked, "Shen, have you ever seen such a scoundrel?"
At this moment, Wu Baoguo also looked at Shen Qiushan with surprise. His nephew had only said it was a large ginseng seedling, not a ginseng-couple ginseng!
“I’ve never seen it, haha…” Shen Qiushan laughed, “I’ve only heard them mention it once, and I find it quite unbelievable.”
Hearing Shen Qiushan say this, Song Da shook his head and said, "Boss Shen, you must have heard something out of thin air, right? That kind of treasure, I wouldn't even dare to dream about it."
At this moment, Shen Qiushan smiled but hid a sharp edge, seemingly asking Song Dadao unintentionally, "Boss Song, if you guys have connections, you'd have to sell this stick for a fortune, right?"
"What else is there to say?" Song Da shook his head and said, "I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a treasure."
……
In the evening, they ate, drank, and chatted as usual. Without being disturbed by others, Zhao Jun talked with Yu Wanshan and Dai Chunhua about grazing in the mountains.
Li Zhenjiang joined in midway through, and the four of them chatted enthusiastically.
Around 8 o'clock, the gathering ended, and everyone went back to their dormitories to rest.
The next day, June 1, 1988, Zhao Jun and the others woke up to Zhao Jinhui's snoring as usual.
When it came to breakfast, Zhao and Shao's groups ate together.
After they finished eating, Shao Zhiqiang asked Zhao Jun in a low voice, "Zhao Jun, are we going back? Can't you go back?"
"Go back?" Zhao Jun looked at Shao Zhiqiang and asked, "Uncle Shao, aren't we going upstairs to wait for the meeting?"
"Ah, hehe..." Shao Zhiqiang chuckled upon hearing this, and said, "This time, not only will people go, but Bangchui will also have to go."
"What?" Zhao Jun was taken aback. Seeing that he didn't understand, Shao Zhiqiang explained to him, "Isn't this called the Ginseng King Conference? There's no Ginseng King here, but there are still a few ordinary ones, aren't there?"
"Ah..." Zhao Jun smiled after realizing what was happening and said, "Uncle Shao, I don't know either."
Today is the main day of the Ginseng King Conference. Not only will several ginseng dealers come, but leaders from various guilds will also bring ginseng and showcase it at the conference.
To reiterate, as a gang, the Zhao family gang's foundation is too weak.
Now, besides the Great Immortal Child that Xing San gave him, Zhao Jun only has three ginseng seedlings.
One of the rare, long-bearded ginseng seedlings was not intended for sale by Zhao Jun; he kept it at home and has now dried into a dried ginseng.
Then there are two seedlings of stone dragons, one of which was bought from the Pang family gang, and the other was brought out together with the Shao family gang.
Zhao Jun had already paid half the money for the ginseng seedling that the Shao family had brought out, and now the seedling belonged entirely to Zhao Jun.
These two seedlings of stone dragon are sitting in the jeep. But they're meant to be sold to Manager Huang's customers after the Ginseng King Conference.
Therefore, Zhao Jun did not intend to display it at the Ginseng King Conference.
At this moment, Zhao Jun glanced at his uncle and several brothers, and then realized that only Zhao Jinhui had not finished eating.
The chubby boy is eating a steamed bun. The bun is cut into small pieces, about the size of a normal man's clenched fist.
But Zhao Jinhui can make a steamed bun in an average of five bites.
I didn't prepare much for breakfast, just tofu soup and some pickled vegetables.
Zhao Jinhui took a big bite of the steamed bun with his left hand, then gulped down two mouthfuls of soup with his right hand. After chewing, he put down the bowl, picked up his chopsticks, and stuffed a few pieces of pickled vegetables into his mouth.
"No, Jin Hui?" Zhao Jun frowned and asked Zhao Jin Hui, "How many steamed buns have you eaten? Didn't you say you only eat half a bowl of rice per meal?"
Hearing Zhao Jun's words, Zhao Jinhui, who had just taken a bite of the steamed bun, was stunned.
"Nephew!" Wang Qiang raised his hand and patted Zhao Jun's wrist lightly, laughing, "Jin Hui said he only eats half a bowl of rice per meal, but there was no rice this morning! There were only steamed buns, but he didn't decide how many he would eat."
Everyone laughed when Wang Qiang said this. Li Baoyu laughed and said, "According to Uncle, Jin Hui should eat half a bowl less rice."
"Hahaha..." Several people at the table burst into laughter. Zhao Jinhui suddenly lost his appetite for the steamed bun, immediately threw it down, and said, "I'm not eating it!"
"Oh dear, you only have one bite left, hurry up and eat it." Zhang Yuanmin laughed, "Don't leave any food, that's not good."
“That’s right,” Li Ruhai chimed in. “Brother Hui, let’s eat! We’re still growing, we have to eat. If you gain another twenty pounds, you’ll scare Xiao Cui when we get back!”
"Go to hell!" Zhao Jinhui slammed down his bowl and was about to grab Li Ruhai, but Li Ruhai got up and dodged, revealing Xie Chen over there.
Upon seeing that he was facing Zhao Jinhui, Jie Chen immediately laughed and said, "Eat, Jinhui, let's finish eating!"
Zhao Jinhui glared at Xie Chen, but in this day and age, there was no such thing as wasting food. He had already bitten more than half of the steamed bun, and it wouldn't be good to leave it. Zhao Jinhui finished the steamed bun in two bites, drank the soup in the bowl, and then the seven of them walked out chatting and laughing.
The seven men did not return to their dormitory, but instead went to the back of their own Jiefang truck.
Li Baoyu quickly climbed into the back of the car and lifted the tarpaulin covering the items.
Under the tarpaulin were a gasoline can and a tattered burlap sack. Li Baoyu pulled a bulging briefcase from the burlap sack and handed it down, whereupon Xie Chen took it.
Immediately afterwards, Li Baoyu pulled a snakeskin bag out of the tattered sack.
Zhao Jun didn't bring any ginseng to the Ginseng King Conference, but he did bring money!
(End of this chapter)