sbdcsierra Chapter 1824 Provincial Colleagues Guarding the Great Serpent
Chapter 1824 Provincial Colleagues Guarding the Great Serpent
Chapter 1824 Provincial Colleagues Guarding the Great Serpent
Yesterday, the Pang family father and son told Zhao Jun that they were coming to attend the Ginseng King Conference, but unexpectedly, they arrived right after the Zhao family gang.
At this moment, Pang Zhendong's face was pale, presumably because he had not yet recovered from yesterday's blow.
When Zhao Jun saw Pang Zhendong, Pang Zhendong also saw Zhao Jun. Their gazes met in mid-air, sparking an invisible electric current.
Wu Baoguo was coming over to greet Pang Zhendong when he sensed something was wrong with Pang Zhendong. Following Pang Zhendong's gaze, he saw Zhao Jun and his group behind him.
"They know each other." This thought suddenly popped into Wu Baoguo's mind. When he turned to look at Zhao Jun, he remembered that Shao Tianpeng had said that Zhao Jun was also from Shibadaogangzi, Yong'an, Heilongjiang Province.
This means that the Shao family gang, the Zhao family gang, and the Pang family gang all came from the same place.
Wu Baoguo observed Pang Zhendong's gaze towards Zhao Jun and sensed that there was likely a conflict between the two groups.
However, Wu Baoguo wasn't surprised by this. As the saying goes, rivals are enemies. As a seasoned veteran, Wu Baoguo had seen far too many conflicts between ginseng gangs over ginseng products and old ginseng.
At this moment, Wu Baoguo was only worried about one thing: that the two gangs would fight on their own turf.
Wu Baoguo was clearly overthinking things. After Pang Zhendong glared at Zhao Jun, he turned around and greeted Wu Baoguo.
Pang Zhendong wasn't stupid; he was pragmatic. He knew he couldn't defeat the Zhao family gang, or rather, he couldn't defeat Zhao Jun. To fight against someone you can't beat would be foolish.
At this moment, Shao Tianpeng glanced at Zhao Jun, and seeing Zhao Jun shake his head slightly, Shao Tianpeng led his men forward to exchange pleasantries with Pang Zhendong. The two families had a relationship, and it was normal for them to exchange a few words when they met outside.
But Zhao Jun didn't plan to go over, or rather, he wouldn't take the initiative to talk to Pang Zhendong if the Pang family didn't talk to him.
This wasn't Zhao Jun's uniform, but rather Pang Zhendong's personal style of doing things, which Zhao Jun disliked.
Although Zhao Jun knew in his heart that the matter of the two gangs exchanging secret techniques yesterday couldn't just be left unresolved, he wasn't afraid now that things had already happened. He was confident that whether at home or outside, as long as Blind Pang dared to lay a hand on him, he could chop off his claws.
Compared to the conflict, Zhao Jun was more afraid of Pang Zhendong's endless tantrums, howling, kneeling, chasing after the car, and his attempt at moral blackmail.
Zhao Jun and his Zhao family gang watched coldly from the sidelines. After Shao Tianpeng and Pang Zhendong exchanged a few pleasantries, when they ran out of things to say, Pang Gaoming secretly tugged at his father's sleeve twice.
Pang Zhendong turned his head and followed Pang Gaoming's gaze to look at Zhao Jun.
Pang Zhendong wasn't blind in both eyes; he had been looking at Zhao Jun just now. Pang Gaoming's reminder was meant to get his father to come over and greet Zhao Jun.
Compared to Pang Zhendong, Pang Gaoming was more rational. He knew that if his family got too entangled with Zhao Jun, they might not even be able to make a living in Yong'an anymore.
Pang Zhendong wasn't stupid, especially since he had suffered losses at the hands of the Zhao family gang.
So after being reminded by Pang Gaoming, Pang Zhendong, along with his son and three underlings, walked towards Zhao Jun with a smile.
Pang Zhendong had only taken two steps when Zhao Jun smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Boss Pang, I should have known we would come together."
Zhao Jun was decisive; he avoided taking the initiative if possible, but if he couldn't avoid it, he would speak first. After all, he was a junior in the mountaineering group, and he wanted to leave a good impression on his colleagues.
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, Pang Zhendong paused, stunned for a second. Because what Zhao Jun had just said was exactly what he had been thinking.
While Pang Zhendong was still in a daze, Zhao Jun looked at Wu Baoguo and said with a smile, "Captain Pang, we're from the same forest farm."
“Yes, I know.” Wu Baoguo nodded and said, “Are you all from Shibadaogang? I’ve been there before.”
"Really?" Zhao Jun said with a smile. "Then, Wu, when you come again next time, you must visit our place."
Before Wu Baoguo could respond to Zhao Jun's words, Pang Zhendong spoke first. The old blind man sneered at Zhao Jun and said, "Zhao, what did you say?"
"Huh?" Zhao Jun was taken aback. He saw Pang Zhendong ignoring his son Pang Gaoming's pulling and said to himself, "It's a rule passed down from the older generation that we can't cross the line when we're roaming. Once we've pulled our own rope, we can't stick it into someone else's burrow."
At this point, not only Zhao Jun was speechless, but Shao Tianpeng and Wu Baoguo were also speechless. The two old men looked at each other.
Are the rules that Pang Zhendong mentioned valid? Yes. But those are all old rules from many years ago.
As times change, societal structures undergo significant transformations. These old-school ginseng gangs still adhere to the mountain rules these days. But in another ten or twenty years, when the post-lunar calendar brings lawsuits and violence, even if you've leased the entire mountain area, you won't be able to stop others from just wandering around.
By then, these so-called old rules will be nothing but a joke.
"Dad, what are you saying?" Pang Gaoming had only whispered half a reminder when Zhao Jun laughed and said, "Chief Pang, you're overthinking it. What did I mean?"
I mean, Wu, the foreman, came to our place a while ago. Now that he's here, we should treat him to a good meal and some good wine.
After saying this, Zhao Jun paused slightly, then pressed Pang Zhendong, "Am I wrong to say this?"
Hearing Zhao Jun's words, Pang Zhendong's lips moved slightly, but he couldn't say anything. At this moment, Wu Baoguo clasped his hands in a fist and smiled at Zhao Jun, saying, "Thank you first, Chief Zhao. You're right, Chief Zhao. Let's keep in touch."
If Wu Baoguo hadn't been the organizer, he would have said a few words to Pang Zhendong. Unlike the Shao family, whose members originally migrated from Shibadaogangzi to Lingnan, the Wu family was familiar with the Lingxi area and even possessed a map showing the distribution of old settlements in the Shibadaogangzi area.
But the Wu family gang was unfamiliar with the area, and they were already in Fuyuan Fusong, the land of ginseng, and guarded the treasure land of Laoheishan. Why would they go to Shibadaogangzi instead of going to the nearest place?
Of course, Wu Baoguo knew that Pang Zhendong's words were directed at Zhao Jun. But at that moment, Zhao Jun was exchanging pleasantries with him, and Pang Zhendong's sudden remark was disrespectful not only to Zhao Jun but also to Wu Baoguo.
What Wu Baoguo didn't know was that while he had no interest in hunting in Zhao Jun's territory, Zhao Jun wanted to come and take a stroll in Fusong.
Zhao Jun recalled that four years later, following the ginseng king of Jilin Hall, Fusong produced another rare and exceptional product—a pair of ginseng plants weighing 340 grams each.
The two rare ginseng roots were intertwined and surrounded by eleven wild ginseng seedlings that had sprouted from their seeds. These ginseng roots were six generations old.
What's even more astonishing is that the wild ginseng seedling was 500 years old. This is an astonishing figure; the ginseng king kept in the Jilin Hall of the Great Hall of the People is only 200 years old.
Zhao Jun remembered that the ginseng was also taken away by the medicinal materials company, which meant that the ginseng had not been included in the Ginseng King Conference organized by Shao Tianpeng and Wu Baoguo, meaning that the ginseng was not brought out by the Wu family gang.
Since that's the case, Zhao Jun had an idea: he wanted to get to know Wu Baoguo and see what kind of person he was.
If Wu Baoguo is just like Pang Zhendong, then so be it; but if this guy is worth befriending, Zhao Jun is willing to join forces with him.
At this moment, Pang Zhendong was unaware of Zhao Jun's thoughts. Seeing Wu Baoguo's response to Zhao Jun, Pang Zhendong's expression darkened slightly, while Shao Tianpeng, standing to the side, smiled.
Back then, when the Shao family returned to Shibadaogangzi to release animals, they were driven out by Pang Sanyanzi on the grounds of mountain rules. This led to a series of subsequent events, including their encounter with Xing San, Shao Tianpeng being stabbed, and the loss of the Great Immortal Child.
After this incident, Shao Tianpeng blamed both Xing San and the Pang family. If Pang San hadn't chased them away, they wouldn't have met Xing San.
Twenty years have passed since then, so let's not dwell on it, but it shows the Pang family's shrewdness. In the past, Pang Sanyanzi guarded his small plot of land, not only driving away outside ginseng gangs but also squeezing out the local ginseng gangs.
"Third brother," Wu Baoguo said to his men, turning around. "Take Chief Pang and the others to their lodgings. When you're done, come find us on the second floor."
After instructing his men, Wu Baoguo said to Pang Zhendong, "Boss Pang, you guys go ahead and leave your things there. Then we'll go upstairs for tea. Boss Dai and Boss Yu are here."
Pang Zhendong responded and followed Wu Baoguo's men toward the dormitory area converted from the factory buildings on the west side.
After seeing Pang Zhendong and his group off, Wu Baoguo beckoned to Zhao and Shao's groups and headed towards the three-story office building.
Upon entering the building, tables and chairs had already been set up on the first floor. Zhao Jun glanced around and saw that there were six tables.
Clearly, dinner will be held here tonight.
Wu Baoguo led the two groups of people to the second floor, and as soon as they went up the stairs, they could hear bursts of laughter coming from the second floor.
Wu Baoguo led the two groups up to the second floor. Zhao Jun saw that a large part of the second floor had been opened up, about fifty or sixty square meters. There were sofas, coffee tables, stools, and more than thirty old men surrounded by smoke.
Upon seeing Zhao Jun and his group come up, the laughter and chatter inside the room instantly ceased. Everyone stood up, and the leaders immediately thanked Shao Tianpeng for his hard work.
The Shao family gang were veterans in the ginseng-growing business, and Shao Tianpeng was one of the initiators of the Ginseng King Conference. These ginseng leaders who were familiar with him naturally greeted him when they saw him arrive.
After greeting his colleagues, Shao Tianpeng gestured towards Zhao Jun and said to everyone, "Come on, let me introduce you all. This is Zhao, the foreman of the Eighteen Gangs of Shanhe in Heilongjiang Province."
Zhao Jun raised his hand and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd, followed by Wang Qiang, Li Baoyu, and others, signifying that they were members of the Zhao family gang.
Next, Shao Tianpeng introduced the three leaders present to Zhao Jun one by one.
When Shao Tianpeng introduced one of the dark-faced men with a mustache, he said to Zhao Jun, "Chief Zhao, this is also from your Heilongjiang Province, Chief Yu."
"The river flows through ten thousand mountains." The dark-faced man clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Jun and said, "Commander Zhao, you've worked hard."
"Thank you for your hard work, Commander Yu!" Zhao Jun replied with a fist and palm salute.
Wild ginseng from China is distributed in the Changbai Mountains and the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains. Because there is less ginseng in the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, its quality and medicinal value are slightly lower.
Therefore, when people mention wild ginseng, they mostly think of the Changbai Mountain range.
However, this does not mean that there is no mountain-climbing culture in the Lesser Khingan Mountains.
If Zhao Jun remembers correctly, a wild ginseng weighing 505 grams was found in Huazishan, Tonghe last year. That wild ginseng was known as the "King of Wild Ginseng" and was kept in the National Museum of China, enjoying the status of a national treasure.
There were two more foremen behind him. Zhao Jun didn't have time to be polite with Yu Wanshan. He heard Shao Tianpeng introduce the next person to him, saying, "Foremen Zhao, this is Foremen Dai from Liaoning Province."
The man Shao Tianpeng was referring to, Dai Batou, was a simple-minded man in his forties from Northeast China. At that moment, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Jun and said, "Dai Chunhua from Kuandian, Dandong. Thank you for your hard work, Zhao Batou."
"It must be hard work wearing the headgear." Zhao Jun responded with a fist and palm salute, already making plans in his mind. Although Zhao Jun was uneducated, he was quick-witted.
Having worked in the ginseng trade in his past life, Zhao Jun inevitably boasted to his colleagues, so he remembered every ginseng king and rare find unearthed in various provinces and regions over the years. Therefore, Zhao Jun never lacked topics when chatting and boasting with his peers.
There's no point in even thinking about the Miao ginseng king at Huazishan in Tonghe; it was already brought out last year.
However, there is a precious seedling in Kuandian County, Dandong, that has never been discovered.
It was a rare and precious plant weighing 469 grams, with four shoots growing together and multiple legs in one piece.
“Zhao, the foreman.” Shao Tianpeng continued his introduction, pointing to a short, thin man who was a head taller than Zhang Yuanmin, and said, “He’s also from Liaoning Province, Li, the foreman.”
Although Li, the foreman, was not tall, he had a ruddy complexion and a loud voice. At this moment, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Jun and said, "Li Zhenjiang of Fushun, Foreman Zhao, you have worked hard."
"Thank you for your hard work, Chief Li." Zhao Jun clasped his hands in response, thinking to himself that these people who came to participate in the Body King Conference were no ordinary people.
Zhao Jun had never seen their methods, but just by looking at their origins, he knew that Baishan Fusong, Bingcheng Tonghe, Liaoning Fushun, and Dandong Kuandian were all major production areas for wild ginseng.
Only when major producing areas have enough wild ginseng to provide for ginseng growers to practice on can excellent ginseng leaders and ginseng farmers emerge. Zhao Jun and Shao Tianpeng also come from Zhangguangcai Ridge, a major wild ginseng producing area.
After Zhao Jun introduced himself to the three gang leaders, everyone took their seats. But no sooner had they sat down than Pang Zhendong and his four men went up to the second floor.
Yu Wanshan, Dai Chunhua, and Li Zhenjiang, who had just sat down, quickly led their men to stand up and greet Pang Zhendong. These men were clearly not first-time attendees of the Ginseng King Conference; they knew each other before.
At this time, nearly fifty people had gathered on the second floor. Among them were seven from the Zhao family gang, six from the Shao family gang, and five from the Pang family gang.
The Wu family gang, including Wu Baoguo, consisted of ten people, while the Yu, Dai, and Li gangs each had five people.
The Wu family is a local group, so it's not surprising that they have many people.
The four groups of Pang, Yu, Dai, and Li all came to the meeting in groups of five because they all arrived in Jeeps and Santanas. After disposing of their luggage, five people per car was the most suitable; six people would be too crowded.
The Shao family sent six people because Shao Jun and Xie Chen squeezed into the passenger seat of a Jiefang truck.
As for the Zhao family gang, needless to say, they are rich and powerful, not only do they own two cars, but they also don't have to pay for gas.
The three leaders greeted Pang Zhendong, while Zhao Jun watched from the side. He could tell that Pang Zhendong wasn't very popular.
Yu Wanshan and Dai Chunhua were rather cold towards him, but Li Zhenjiang, who was cheerful and outgoing, greeted Pang Zhendong warmly.
After everyone sat down again, Yu Wanshan looked at Zhao Jun and asked, "Chief Zhao, the Amber Dragon and the White Dragon that were sold to the big boss in Beijing, were they yours?"
"Yes, it's me." Zhao Jun replied with a smile, and then Li Zhenjiang said, "Chief Zhao is young, but his skills are extraordinary."
"Not bad, not bad," Zhao Jun replied modestly, while Shao Tianpeng said, "Chief Li, Chief Zhao is not only good at hunting in the mountains, he's also good at hunting."
Upon hearing Shao Tianpeng's words, everyone except the five members of the Pang family gang turned their gazes to Zhao Jun.
In the world of mountaineering in Northeast China, grazing is a level above hunting, but the martial arts skills of grazing animals are far inferior to those of hunting animals. Now that such a formidable group has emerged in the grazing community, everyone should keep a close eye on them.
Chinese people value humility and restraint, so Zhao Jun only responded to everyone's gaze with a smile.
At this moment, Dai Chunhua looked at Zhao Jun and asked, "Zhao, you're good at hunting, but do you know what to do when you encounter a big clod of earth?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jun's expression changed. The Ussuri viper, also known as the earthworm, is one of the common venomous snakes in Northeast China. It gets its name from its tendency to coil up into a ball, with skin resembling a clump of mud.
This snake is venomous, but the venom isn't very potent. If not handled properly, it can lead to death.
Zhao Jun was afraid of snakes, even non-venomous ones, let alone venomous ones. But since Dai Chunhua had asked him, Zhao Jun couldn't refuse to answer.
Zhao Jun laughed and said, "Wearing a headdress, that's not a dirt ball, it's a money string!"
There are many rules in mountain trekking. Eating is not called eating, but taking food. Resting is not called resting, but taking shelter. Snakes are not called snakes, but money strings.
You can tell just by looking at the name. Encountering a snake while herding is a good omen, so herders don't kill snakes when they see them. They either avoid them or use a rope or stick to nudge them away.
“No, Chief Zhao,” Dai Chunhua shook his head and said, “That clod of earth is fierce and bites a lot, and it’s also very poisonous. If it bites you, one out of three people will die and two will be crippled.”
"Huh?" Zhao Jun frowned, while Yu Wanshan beside him said, "What kind of 'earth ball' is this? It's so weird!"
“Oh my, that clod of earth is…” Dai Chunhua shook her head as she spoke, her face showing lingering fear, and said, “A clod of earth that’s a meter long, has any of you ever seen one?”
(End of this chapter)