10121 New Urban Farmers Chapter 166 Returning to Shiya Six Thousand is Too Late
Two people and four pets appeared in the fields at the foot of the mountain. They waded across the field paths toward a farmhouse.
Two of these four pets, with their long, dark fur, resemble slightly smaller male lions. Their imposing presence is astonishing; anyone familiar with the breed would exclaim that such purebred and large Tibetan lions are extremely rare. And two at once!
The other two were blue-green, glossy-coated wolfhounds, but upon closer inspection, these were larger than average and looked extremely fierce. Moreover, their eyes were filled with savagery and coldness; only the occasional flashes of light suggested they were not merely bloodthirsty beasts.
They are Dahei, Erhei, Daqing, and Erqing! This time, Sanqing, Siqing, Da Sha and his wife, and Laoqing are all in Peach Blossom Spring.
The two men beside him were Zhang Guodong and Liu Neng, who had come to Xiqin Province with him.
Zhang Guodong, dressed only in a single layer of clothing, showed no signs of sweating in the sweltering fields, while Liu Neng was drenched in sweat, looking as if he had been pulled out of the water. He would frequently wipe his forehead and shake off the sweat.
Liu Neng kept glancing at the four ferocious beasts beside Zhang Guodong, whose expressions were somewhat frightened. He had wanted to come here with Zhang Guodong to relax, but he hadn't expected that Zhang Guodong would only rest in the provincial capital for one day before eagerly arriving in this remote and impoverished area with four ferocious beasts as big as calves by his side.
Even traveling by car became an ordeal.
The four ferocious beasts' cold and menacing eyes were terrifying, and Liu Neng dared not get too close to Zhang Guodong.
At this point, he was truly impressed by Zhang Guodong. He had never seen such a large and imposing Tibetan manure before, whether online or on television. He thought that if he were to publish photos of Dahei and Erhei, he could probably immediately compete for the title of "King of Tibetan Manure in All of China."
What breed of wolfhounds were the other two with bluish fur? Looking into their cold, beastly eyes, Liu Neng almost doubted whether they were wolves at all.
But can wolves be kept as pets? The answer is obviously no.
In short, the boss is really mysterious.
"Boss, is the person you're looking for in the courtyard of that brick house over there?" Liu Neng pointed to a secluded courtyard at the foot of the mountain not far away. The blue bricks and tiles were clearly visible, but there was an extra pound of something else. It was a fence-like courtyard, or more accurately, a fence.
“That’s right, this guy lives here!” Zhang Guodong nodded and smiled. He was looking for Liu E.
of!
Just as the dust settled on the jade slag craze in Sichuan, Li Daolin was reporting on the results of this investment promotion at the Standing Committee meeting of the National Currency Committee when Zhang Guodong and Zheng Le had already set off on a flight back to the provincial capital.
This avoided a lot of trouble!
The Hongtan Mine has now been depleted after further mining. In addition to acquiring a batch of high-quality gold and jade ore, Zhang Guodong used the remaining raw stones as payment to offset the bill when purchasing jade slag. He also paid an additional 30 million yuan in cash to complete the acquisition of 405 tons of jade slag.
It's safe to say that this high-profile move is coming to an end. Zhang Guodong doesn't like it, but it has to be this way. Fortunately, he managed to extricate himself a step earlier.
What others see as trash, jade scraps, are a priceless treasure in Zhang Guodong's eyes! The essence of jade. This is something only Zhang Guodong, besides Master Yi, understands its value.
So after staying one night in the provincial capital, he said goodbye to his family and Zheng Le, which made his mother, Ye Cuihua, grumble incessantly about him always running away. Zheng Le was quite understanding, and besides, she would have to go back to work after this month-long honeymoon.
Zhang Guodong and Liu Neng drove to Qingmu Township. This impoverished township had hardly changed. Only the surrounding area was now covered in greenery. The locals valued afforestation highly; otherwise, the risk of floods and mudslides would be even higher each year. Generations of them had deep memories and lessons about this.
Seeing the mountain, Zhang Guodong's eagerness grew even stronger. As long as he found Elder Yi's enormous cauldron, he could begin refining. Although he didn't know how long it would take, once the cauldron was complete, he would possess an extraordinary skill: alchemy!
This is different from the existence of Peach Blossom Spring; he created the conditions to obtain it!
Therefore, in his eyes, no amount of money could compare to this large medicine cauldron.
However, as soon as he arrived in Qingmu Township, he inquired about Liu Dewang's situation. What he learned was basically the same as his prediction: Liu Dewang had been abandoned by Li Ningguang! So he and Liu Neng rushed here.
After Li Ningguang nearly lost his life entering the cliff but failed to obtain the green fruit tree, Liu Dewang was abandoned. Now, this good-for-nothing has basically nothing to do, spending his days drinking and gambling, and rarely goes into the mountains anymore.
Fortunately, I still have some spare money to spend.
Zhang Guodong and Liu Neng led Dahei, Erhei, Daqing, and Erqing to the outside of the courtyard wall. They saw that the wooden gate to the courtyard was half-open and not tied up, and the courtyard was very quiet. Several hens and a rooster were pecking at the tender grass in the yard and clucking.
After Li Ningguang's men killed the old wolfhound, Liu Dewang stopped buying dogs. He didn't go into the mountains anymore anyway, so he didn't need any. However, living alone was still too lonely, so he bought a few chickens. The hens could lay eggs, so he could occasionally eat a free-range egg with his drinks, and sometimes he could even slaughter an old hen to satisfy his cravings.
"Liu Dewang really didn't go out." Zhang Guodong laughed as soon as he saw it.
"Boss, how did you know I was home?" Liu Neng asked in surprise.
Zhang Guodong smiled but didn't understand.
"Liu Dewang!" Liu Neng chuckled and shouted at the top of his lungs. They both had the surname Liu, but it was a fate that would be impossible for them to meet in eight lifetimes.
Liu Neng called out twice, feeling his throat burning. The climate here was much drier than [another place]. People coming from over there needed a period of time to adapt, and the temperature in the provincial capital rose rapidly, but the rain couldn't keep up, making the sun seem even more scorching.
After a long while, a response finally came from inside the house.
Who is it?
It was indeed Liu Dewang's voice, but he seemed to be slurring his words, probably because he was drunk again.
The door took a while to open, and a disheveled, unkempt person appeared, his face flushed and his steps unsteady. It was Liu Dewang. He hadn't been seen for two or three months; his skin had darkened considerably, likely from sun exposure, and he looked tired. Wearing flip-flops and only shorts, his upper body was bare, revealing his skeletal frame. As soon as he emerged, he stared intently at Zhang Guodong and Liu Neng.
Liu Neng didn't recognize Zhang Guodong. He looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.
"Who are you looking for?" Liu Dewang was exasperated.
"Liu Dewang, don't you need to work at this time of year?" Zhang Guodong shook his head and chuckled jokingly. "The land here seems quite large, comparable to Jixing Village. But even with such a large area, Liu Dewang is too lazy to bother with anything else; at most, he'll grow some vegetables or something."
"Haha, work? What kind of work? Farming doesn't make money these days. I'm not that stupid. I'd rather work myself to death and starve to death than work on the land!" Liu Dewang said, his tongue not quite fluent.
"Look at the weather they're using to plant crops! It only rained once a month ago, and not a single drop has fallen. It'll be a miracle if even half the seedlings have sprouted!"
He pointed to the farmers in the distance, many of them wearing straw hats and working, carrying buckets of water as if they were irrigating the land. Indeed, as Liu Dewang had said, the land seemed to be rather dry.
News reports also commented that the global drought intensified in 2010, while floods worsened in some areas, making a reduction in grain production inevitable due to extreme imbalances.
It's now almost July, and the drought in Northwest China seems to be continuing. If it's like the severe drought in several southwestern provinces before, then Northwest China will be in serious trouble.
Although it is not a major grain-producing area, many crops will also suffer poor or complete crop failure.
"Sit down and let's get down to business. I'm here to bring you money," Zhang Guodong said with a smile. However, after looking around, it seemed there were only a few rocks to sit on. "Come on, Li Dewang, there are no chairs here."
Although it seemed a bit hot under the sun, it didn't affect Zhang Guodong much; on the contrary, he felt quite comfortable. It was just that Liu Neng was suffering.
My body is covered in fat, so I sweat a lot. I kept wiping away the sweat and then gulping down mineral water.
Money? Liu Dewang shuddered, seemingly regaining his senses. When he looked at Zhang Guodong, he exclaimed with delight, "Ah, so it's Boss Zhang! Money? What money? Where is the money? Please sit down, please sit down! Hehe, I don't have any chairs here, so I'll have to let our distinguished guest sit on the stone. Please sit down first, I'll go get some tea." Liu Dewang hurriedly went back into the room to look for some tea leaves.
"Can the boss really rely on this guy?" Liu Neng said, frowning. This guy is so slovenly and drunk, how can he possibly get anything done for the boss?
“I only want to rent his yard; everything else is secondary,” Zhang Guodong said casually.
Liu Neng suddenly realized what was happening and fell silent.
However, he didn't understand Zhang Guodong's true feelings. Everyone has their strengths; the key is how to utilize them. He needed Liu Dewang, as he needed to rent the courtyard for a long time, and he also needed Liu Dewang, a local, to run errands. It was a win-win situation!
After all, Elder Yi needed a place to stay after coming out of the mountains. The initial agreement was that it would be best to find a place at the foot of the mountain to forge the medicine cauldron, but that wasn't feasible inside the mountains. Moreover, the mountain children like Xiao Hu also needed a place to stay outside the mountains. Liu Dewang's place was very suitable; if that wasn't possible, Zhang Guodong even planned to buy a piece of land here for Elder Yi and the others to build some more houses.
A short while later, Liu Dewang came out empty-handed, looking embarrassed.
"Sorry, Mr. Zhang, we've run out of tea. Should I go to the countryside and buy some?"
Zhang Guodong probably didn't care whether he had tea leaves or hot water. Even if he did have tea leaves, they were probably long expired. He wouldn't dare drink them.
“No need,” Zhang Guodong said. “Liu Dewang asked you to come here to discuss a business deal. I need to use your courtyard for a long time, so you’ll have to live in the ancestral house outside. Also, I need you to run some errands for me. The rent and salary will be 3,500 yuan a month. After it’s all done, I’ll give you a 50,000 yuan kickback!”
"Three thousand five hundred a month? A bonus of fifty thousand?" Liu Dewang finally woke up.
"Will you do it or not?" Zhang Guodong asked with a smile.
"Let's do it! Only a fool wouldn't! Hehe, Boss Zhang, how much time do you need to rent? What do you need me to do? Just say the word. I, Liu Dewang, know Qingmu Township very well; there's nothing I can't do!" Liu Dewang patted his chest and said.
Of course, Zhang Guodong only heard this with one ear and the other. If Liu Dewang was familiar with the area around Qingmu Township, that might be true, but when it came to popularity, Zhang Guodong didn't need to guess much to know.
Dahei, Erhei, Daqing, and Erqing wandered around the yard as if patrolling the place. Meanwhile, Zhang Guodong and Liu Dewang quickly reached an agreement and successfully rented the yard.
Liu Dewang, quite the free spirit, rolled up his bedding and happily went out to rent a room. Zhang Guodong had prepaid him a month's wages, and renting a room was simple: where in the countryside couldn't there be an empty room? Besides, rent in the countryside was very cheap.
"It seems we'll have to clean this place ourselves. This old man's house is uninhabitable without cleaning it," Zhang Guodong said. He looked at the yard and then at the house, but there was practically no furniture. It was also very messy; Zhang Guodong couldn't live there without cleaning it.
"Boss, let me do it!" Liu Neng said first.
Then he volunteered to do it. Although he had lived a privileged life in the city for too long, he grew up in the countryside and could adapt to it.
They piled up all sorts of random things outside. They cleaned the tables, chairs, and everything inside and out. Both of them were covered in dust and dirt. Luckily, there was a well in the yard; otherwise, getting water for drinking and washing would have been a problem.
"Hey Liu Dewang, are you fleeing or some kind of refugee? What are you doing carrying your bedding out here?" Liu Dewang was chatting with someone by the water cellar in the town. His bedding was just lying there beside him. It was cool and shady there; if he was thirsty, he could drink the cool water flowing from the cellar; if he was hungry, there were plenty of small restaurants in the town—as long as he had money, he could find a place.
A passing woman jokingly remarked about Liu Dewang. She knew he was an old bachelor, living paycheck to paycheck, but not a bad person at heart. She'd heard he'd recently made a fortune and was living an enviable life. However, his unkempt appearance was less than flattering.
However, the person involved felt good about themselves.
"I've rented out my yard, hehe!" Liu Dewang said proudly.
"You're just bragging, aren't you? Anyone want to rent your yard?" someone teased. Looking closer, it was Old Zhong, a middle-aged man whose wife had died. His son was a deputy director at the township police station; Old Zhong was a man with connections.
However, he didn't get along with Liu Dewang. The reason was that Liu Dewang had been arrested several times, all because of that damned son of his.
The crowd burst into laughter, clearly indicating that Liu Dewang's words were not very credible. Everyone was just taking it as entertainment!
"Why don't you believe me? I rented it for a high price, several thousand a month!" Liu Dewang blurted out the truth in his haste.
"Why don't you say tens of thousands? That dilapidated courtyard isn't even worth a hundred, yet you're offering several thousand!" This drew another round of laughter.
"Believe it or not, I'm going to rent a place right now. Living in the countryside is much more convenient than where I am!" Liu Dewang's face turned red as he got up, patted his butt, and carried his bedding roll away.
Old Zhong looked at Liu Dewang's retreating figure with some doubt. Could it be that some fool really rented Liu Dewang's "doghouse" at a high price? Otherwise, this kid is the kind of guy who can't say a word. He either drinks and plays a few games or stays at home dozing off for half a day. He probably wouldn't even want to get off the bed to shake his bird.
However, despite some doubts, Lao Zhong and the others didn't care.
Even if someone rents it out, it won't be worth much. Several thousand? Don't listen to his bragging.
As everyone continued chatting, this little incident quickly disappeared like a bubble.
Zhang Guodong and Liu Neng, who were washing themselves, were drawing water from the well by hand, while Hui Neng was wringing a bucket. The large water vat was mostly dry; even the inner walls were covered in a slippery green layer. They washed it once before adding water.
"This guy's place is really filthy. It's probably never been dusted, but thankfully it'll be alright after some sun and ventilation. The room can also be used to store jade scraps, and the yard can be used as a sleeping spot on sunny days. When Yi Lao arrives, we'll see if we can buy some land and build a house." Zhang Guodong rinsed his upper body, the cool water soaking his entire body. He even took off his pants, leaving only...
head.
Anyway, the sun was shining brightly overhead, and this place was remote enough that hardly anyone came here, so it was very free.
If he went back to Jixing Village, held up a parasol, and spent the summer in his underwear, he'd probably have a pretty good time!
Dahei, Erhei, Daqing, and Erqing were also playing in the water. Zhang Guodong would occasionally splash water on them, and as their body temperature dropped, they would shake off all the water droplets.
"Keep washing up, haha. But you should lose weight. If you follow me, you might lose a lot of weight, but you'll be much healthier!" Zhang Guodong wrung out a towel and said with a smile, looking at Liu Neng, who was covered in fat.
"Hehe, boss, I also feel that I can't keep up with my body without exercise. If I work up a sweat every day and do some work, I think I'll lose weight quickly!" Liu Neng said with an embarrassed smile. "Coming here with you was the right decision!"
Zhang Guodong could tell he was being obsequious, but he didn't care. This guy initially didn't want to dissolve the company here, but he'd secretly taken his seductive secretary in; perhaps she was in the provincial capital by now?
He won't say anything about these things.
“Okay, stay here tonight. I’m heading into the mountains tomorrow morning, so you stay here and watch the yard!” Zhang Guodong said.
"Boss, shall I go in with you?" Liu Neng asked, taken aback. Zhang Guodong actually wasn't going to let him into the mountains?
“There are bears, wolves, and a lot of venomous snakes in the mountains, and you’d have to spend half a month trekking through them, eating and sleeping in tents in the wild. It’s not suitable for you; it’s too dangerous!” Zhang Guodong shook his head and said.
"So dangerous? You..." Liu Neng hesitated upon hearing how dangerous it was and how long the journey would take. A day or two would be like a vacation, but half a month, with constant danger, would be torture.
“I have Dahei, Erhei, Daqing, and Erqing with me. It’s okay for one person; bears and wolves generally don’t dare to approach, but it becomes a burden when you have someone with you. Last time we went into the mountains, someone sat down by the roadside and was poisoned by a very venomous snake. If it weren’t for the mountain people rescuing him, he probably would have been in serious trouble,” Zhang Guodong said.
"Hey, then I won't hold the boss back. Don't worry, boss, I'll take good care of this place for you!" Liu Neng said sheepishly.
Zhang Guodong didn't plan to bring outsiders into Shiya Village, not wanting more people to disturb its tranquility. In his mind, it was a paradise, a peaceful place where life was good.
Meanwhile, Sanqing, Siqing, Da Sha and his wife, and Laoqing have been staying in Peach Blossom Spring for quite some time, so it's time for them to come out and have a stroll.
The appearance of so many ferocious animals is probably quite startling; these are Zhang Guodong's secrets, and most people wouldn't know them.
Zhang Guodong stayed in another room that night. But he was busy in Taoyuan until late at night before he went to sleep.
The clear night sky was dotted with stars, making the night very peaceful.
The next morning, Zhang Guodong shouldered an extra-large travel bag and stepped into the mountains. The bag was filled with many things he had specially purchased from the city. These were things Zhang Guodong didn't have in the mountains, which he intended to give as gifts. He still had several bags of these things in Taoyuan.
After all, what attracts mountain people is everything outside the mountains. Of course, it's just curiosity, not a strong yearning, because they are generally quite content.
Once they reached the small hill again, the farmhouses at the foot of the hill seemed quite small. Zhang Guodong put the travel bag full of things into Taoyuan. Then he took out a smaller, empty bag.
"The mountains are dangerous, but they're full of excitement for me! Sanqing, Siqing, Da Sha and his wife, and Lao Qing should come out and get some fresh air!"
Zhang Guodong released them all on a flat area.
"Awoo! Boom!" These guys howled to the sky as soon as they came out!
This greatly increased the number of followers Zhang Guodong had. They were all elite soldiers, and it's estimated that many animals in the mountains wouldn't dare to approach them anymore.
Big Black, Second Black, and Little Green led the way, while the silly couple chased after them with all their might, creating a chaotic scene. Zhang Guodong and Old Green leisurely followed behind. Every now and then, Zhang Guodong would climb up and down the slopes to find some medicinal herbs that had been missed earlier.
Although he doesn't need to be a professional alchemist, the more of these life-saving items the better.
"It's a pity I got quite a few medicinal herbs last time. This time, gathering new herbs was more like picking up scraps. The harvest wasn't much!" On the third day, Zhang Guodong arrived at Qingshuiping and stayed overnight. He was quite disappointed; although he collected some herbs along the way, the total amount was very limited. In four days, he only managed to gather thirteen kinds of herbs. Most were common, with only one being of the rarer grade.
"Forget it, I'll just buy some from the pharmacy later. Although most of them are cultivated, which makes them less fun, they'll still be wild-grade after growing in Peach Blossom Spring for a while!"
Zhang Guodong abandoned the delays along the way, and their progress accelerated considerably. Along the way, besides catching quite a few wild rabbits and pheasants, Daqing and Erqing even caught a live baby larva.
This surprised Zhang Guodong greatly.
This cub wasn't as timid as a fawn. Zhang Guodong knew this creature had incredibly sensitive hearing and was exceptionally perceptive to any movement around it. Yet, it had been caught by Daqing and Erqing but hadn't been killed on the spot.
Overjoyed, Zhang Guodong simply released the animals into Taoyuan to raise.
In Taoyuan, barbed wire has been erected, and important items are fenced off. For example, the medicinal herbs in the hundredfold zone are enclosed separately, and the medicinal herb garden, arboretum, and vegetable garden are all kept in enclosures to prevent Dahei and the others from running around and ruining them. Now that the tender buds have been put in, Zhang Guodong no longer worries about the medicinal herbs being wasted.
Even though many targets have been identified, the area of Peach Blossom Spring is still very large and now much more spacious.
There are fewer food sources for the brood to eat.
"Let's keep it for now and feed it some food every day!"
By the eighth day, the rocky cliff was already in sight.
Zhang Guodong was walking twice as fast as the average person, looking down at the steep, narrow path below the cliff. He was extremely excited at that moment.
By the way: I stayed up all night at the internet cafe yesterday to prepare for the third update. I wrote until midnight and got up very late today. So I'm a little late writing, only 6,000 words. That's equivalent to two updates. I'm going back to rest now and will try to get up early tomorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com