Several hundred wild boars is no small number, especially considering the size of this coal mine, which is a large state-owned enterprise with over ten thousand miners alone. Add to that other departments, such as offices, logistics, purchasing, labor unions, propaganda departments, canteens, and transportation teams, and the total number of people is probably close to twenty thousand.
With so many people around, there's bound to be a lot of talk. Old Zheng usually handles a lot of large quantities of goods, otherwise, just this yard full of pigs would scare people half to death.
In Lao Zheng's words, it was a win-win situation. They only left a few pairs of wild boars in the mountains—they couldn't be allowed to go extinct—and in return, she received a bag of cash. Faced with her substantial wealth, she didn't feel anything special; it was Lao Zheng who was extremely nervous.
"How about I send someone to deliver it to you?"
It's no wonder he was suspicious. A beautiful young girl carrying a large burlap sack—whatever it contains—is bound to attract attention. If someone with ill intentions were to come across her, it could be dangerous.
However, Jian Dan is skilled and daring, and he understands his own abilities. If he were to encounter someone with ill intentions, he really wouldn't know who would be in danger.
"It's alright, Uncle. I'll just deliver the payment to him directly. It's not far away, and his people are all nearby. It's perfectly safe."
"...Okay then,"
Seeing this, Old Zheng didn't say much.
"Then you must be careful."
Men are often careless; once they're assured of safety, they feel at ease. After seeing Jian Dan off, they immediately start bustling about, all smiles and excitement.
The same goes for Jian Dan. Once he was out of Lao Zheng's sight, he turned a corner and put the sack into his spatial storage. All the money from the goods was his own.
Then he quickly found his way back to the main road and quietly returned to the oxcart.
"Third Master, let's go back."
This trip was an unexpected bonus; I was able to clear out some space, which made me quite happy.
My mood improved a lot on the way back. I felt so relaxed, with the wind blowing and my legs swinging.
It wasn't until the oxcart swayed and wobbled into the commune and a commotion arose at the entrance of the educated youth office that the two men finally decided to watch the excitement.
A chaotic crowd gathered at the entrance of the educated youth office. Secretary Lin, whom I only vaguely recognized, stood there, his face dark and sullen.
Oh, and there's also Cheng Yuanshan, who's coming this way from the commune's only main road, looking quite hurried.
"What's going on?"
Old Master Liu circled around; his eyesight is excellent.
"It seems so, from Lijiazhuang. Isn't that old Li here too?"
"Hmph, it's probably because of that educated youth thing. Look, isn't that the person behind Secretary Lin an educated youth? And those people next to him, aren't they all educated youth?"
The oxcart was parked by the roadside. Jian Dan looked in the direction the old man had pointed, and to his surprise, he realized that they were no different from the villagers. They all had the same sallow complexion and were covered in dust.
The girl behind Secretary Lin had an even more resolute look on her face. She gripped the stick tightly in her hand, looking wary of the person opposite her. Her braids, which went past her shoulders, were also in a mess.
"Third son's wife, stop making a scene. You two had a little argument, go back and resolve it behind closed doors. Why are you bothering Secretary Lin's time?"
The girl opposite me reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately bristling with anger.
"Who is your wife?"
I've said it before, I won't look for a partner here, I won't get married, so why does he keep trying to get close to me?
Don't say you've taken a liking to me. Who would want to sneak into someone's room late at night and make a scene so the whole village knows? And then you say I'm seducing him?
Bah!
"Don't you even take a piss and look at yourself? Do you think I need to seduce you?"
The villagers across the street kept yelling at him to shut up, and Cheng Yuanshan and the others who had come over tried to smooth things over. Meanwhile, the onlookers were getting a real scoop of gossip.
"Seriously? Is this...is this about starting a relationship? Isn't this going to ruin someone's reputation?"
"Who knows? This girl is pitiful, to have come to such a family."
"Are these villagers? Why aren't their parents with them? Could they be educated youth sent to the countryside?"
"That must be it. No way. What kind of parents would let their child be bullied like that? If it were me, I would grab a knife and smash their house to pieces."
A buzz of discussion erupted, and even Secretary Lin, who had initially wanted to listen further, frowned.
"Explain what exactly happened!"
Old Li, relying on his age and his acquaintance with the Party Secretary, sidled up to him, acting as if he couldn't do anything about his younger relative.
"Oh, Secretary, I'm sorry you had to see this."
"Look, my good-for-nothing son of mine has taken a liking to this young educated youth, Jiang. They're usually inseparable, but when the topic of marriage came up, they had a few arguments. And this kid has a terrible temper; without warning, he ran off here."
Young Jiang, the educated youth, was so angry that his face turned red.
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Look at you, what's the rush?"
I know that you educated youth look down on us peasants. If you marry my son, it just means you'll have to do less work, and we'll accept that.
Sigh, but my family are just old farmers, we really can't afford that hundred yuan dowry. You know, you two have feelings for each other, we've all seen it, we can't just watch you break up like this, that's why we're trying to find a solution. Look at your temper!"
The woman's hesitant manner suggests that she is a reasonable and understanding elder of the groom, showing tolerance towards her future daughter-in-law.
The wind direction at the scene has begun to shift.
Young Jiang, a former educated youth, was so angry that his eyes were practically bursting with rage.
"No, you're lying, you're lying, I didn't do it, I'm going to sue him for bullying educated youth sent to the countryside."
Xiao Li, the suspected lover of Xiao Jiang, clearly understood her father's meaning. She stepped forward a few steps, looking helpless.
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