Chapter 42: Into Town! Cash In! Rules Can't Block the Path to Wealth!

A faint fish‑belly white just brushed the horizon.

The cold star has not yet fully vanished.

Shanwan Village is still immersed in a tranquil gray‑blue.

In the Lu Family courtyard, however, there is already movement.

The twenty‑second day of the twelfth lunar month is the day Liu Hua Qiang had previously arranged to run a transport into town.

The bone‑piercing cold wind, like an invisible knife, sweeps across the cheeks, bringing a sharp sting.

Lu Qingshan exhales a heavy puff of white vapor, rubbing his fingers, which are stiff from the cold.

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui have also arrived.

The three of them speak little; the atmosphere is somewhat solemn, tinged with tension and anticipation toward the unknown.

Silently, they move the pork that was portioned last night, along with the six whole Wild Boar skins they specially selected for sale, out of the courtyard.

The meat is already frozen hard, like stones of red and white.

Each piece is hefty, shimmering with an enticing blend of dark red and snow‑white.

The Wild Boar skins are even heavier, rolled up like a bundle of thick oil felt, exuding a distinct wild scent and a faint lingering smell of blood.

These over three hundred jin of prime pork, together with the six skins of excellent quality, piled together like a small frozen treasure.

It carries the heavy hopes of the three families.

"Watch the goods, I'll go to the village entrance to wait for the cart."

Zhao Tiezhu responded in a deep, resonant voice.

Lu Qingshan pulls together his worn yet clean cotton coat, faces the biting wind, and steps unevenly toward the village entrance.

The snow gives off a "creak creak" sound, unusually clear in the silent morning.

Before long, a crisp horse‑hoof clatter and the sound of wheels crushing ice and snow draw nearer.

A cart harnessed to an old horse appears on the small road at the village entrance.

The driver is a man of about twenty, wrapped in a thick cotton hat, his face frozen red, and it is Liu Hua Qiang.

"Brother Huaqiang!" Lu Qingshan waves his hand.

"Hey! Brother Qing Shan!" Liu Hua Qiang, quick‑eyed, immediately reins the horse; the old horse snorts loudly, exhaling a dense cloud of white vapor.

He deftly jumps down from the cart pole, rubs his hands, blows warm air onto his palms, and says, "My dear, this weather can really freeze a person into a popsicle! Want to haul stuff into town?"

"Yes, everything's ready, right at the courtyard gate," Lu Qingshan says, leading Liu Hua Qiang toward his own courtyard.

When Liu Hua Qiang's gaze falls on the heap of frozen meat and skins at the Lu Family courtyard entrance, which resembles a small hill, his eyes—used to transport work and claiming to have seen much of the world—widen to circles instantly!

His mouth stays half‑open, unable to close for a long time.

"My... my heavens... goodness!" He inhales a breath of icy air, circles the pile once, and lets out a series of clicking exclamations.

"Brother Qing Shan! You, you... have taken the Wild Boar's den in one go?!"

Having run transport for so many years, he has hauled plenty of mountain game for hunters, but never before has he seen so much, so fine Wild Boar meat, and skins of such complete quality, all at once!

What kind of luck and skill is this?!

Lu Qingshan merely smiles, offering no further explanation: "Good luck, just happened."

Liu Hua Qiang raises a thick thumb toward Lu Qingshan, his astonishment and admiration unmasked, "Brother Qing Shan, you truly have skill! I, Liu Hua Qiang, am impressed!"

"Brother Huaqiang, lend a hand, hurry and load the cart, it's cold, don't delay."

"Got it!"

With Liu Hua Qiang's help, the loading speed increases considerably.

Each item placed on the cart makes its springs noticeably sag, emitting an overburdened "creak".

Soon, the over three hundred jin of meat and six skins fill the cart to the brim, like a moving little hill.

Liu Hua Qiang pulls out a coarse hemp rope, carefully and securely fastening everything.

"All set!" He pats the grass and ice shards off his hands, looks at the loaded cart, and his eyes shine.

Lu Qingshan pulls three neatly stacked tractor parts from his pocket and hands them directly to Liu Hua Qiang.

"Brother Qiang, this trip's been hard on you; take this modest tip, and when we reach town, have a hot drink."

Three coins!

Liu Hua Qiang's eyes light up instantly!

One should know, normally hauling a load from the village to town, even a single coin as a foot‑labor tip is considered generous.

These three coins are absolutely an unprecedented big gesture!

His assessment of Lu Qingshan rises another notch in his mind.

Brother Qing Shan, not only is his hunting skill terrifying, but his character and conduct are equally commendable!

He doesn't feign politeness; cheerfully takes the money, tucks it carefully into his closest pocket, and gives his chest a hearty pat, producing a "thump thump" sound.

"Brother Qing Shan, you're too courteous! Rest assured, this cargo, I guarantee to deliver it steadily to the purchase point!"

"Tiezhu, Houzi, get on!" Lu Qingshan calls out.

The three climb onto the cart, find a wind‑sheltered spot among the cargo gaps, and sit down.

"Giddy up!" Liu Hua Qiang lifts his whip, snapping a particularly crisp crack in the icy air.

The old horse drags the heavy cart, emitting a muffled gasp, slowly setting off as the wheels crush the packed snow, heading toward Wan Gou Zhen.

The journey is bumpy, the cold wind slicing like a knife.

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui both appear a bit nervous, eyes fixed on the cargo, fearing even a tiny piece might fall during the jolts.

Lu Qingshan remains comparatively calm.

His gaze scans the distant snow‑white mountain ridges and the town's outline gradually sharpening in the morning mist, his mind swiftly plotting each upcoming step.

The Supply and Marketing Cooperative route is currently the safest and most promising channel to dispose of this batch of goods in one go.

Liu JianShe is the newly appointed director; from the brief previous contact, he seems eager to act and his mind is relatively sharp, so he should be able to speak up.

However, taking out so many items at once is indeed a bit eye‑catching.

It must be handled carefully; no mistakes can be allowed.

The carriage finally entered Wan Gou Zhen.

The town was much livelier than the village at dawn.

On both sides of the street were low brick‑tile houses and some mud‑brick huts; the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, grain depot, post office and other units already had some crowds at their doors.

The air was filled with the smoky smell unique to burning coal balls, mixed with a faint hint of food aroma.

Liu Hua Qiang, knowing the way well, drove the carriage to the purchase point in the rear yard of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

"We've arrived!"

The three of them jumped down and began unloading.

The commotion here quickly attracted the staff of the purchase point.

A middle‑aged man in a blue work uniform and wearing sleeve guards walked out.

When he saw the rapidly piled Wild Boar meat and the several thick hides on the ground, he was visibly stunned for a moment, then immediately turned and shouted inside, "Director Liu! Director Liu! Come out quickly and have a look!"

Soon, a middle‑aged man in a crisp Zhongshan suit, wearing black‑framed glasses and looking rather genteel, hurried out.

He was the new director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in Wan Gou Zhen, Liu JianShe.

When Liu JianShe's eyes fell on the excellently graded frozen meat stacked on the ground and the few oily, smooth, almost unblemished Wild Boar skins, even though he had some preparation in mind, a flash of unmistakable surprise crossed his gaze.

He pushed up the glasses on his nose bridge, stepped forward quickly, and began to examine closely.

He bent down, picked up a piece of meat, weighed it, then brought it close to his nose to sniff.

"Hiss… this meat is Black-haired Wild Mountain Boar; look at the fat, look at the grain of the flesh, it's definitely top‑grade!"

He then took a Wild Boar skin, unfolded it forcefully, and inspected the thickness and toughness of the hide as well as the sheen of the bristles.

The hide was thick and sturdy, the bristles glossy and smooth, with almost no obvious damage or flaw.

"This skin is also a rare good thing! Preserved so intact!" Liu JianShe lifted his head, looked at Lu Qingshan, his eyes showing clear appreciation and a barely perceptible curiosity.

"Brother Lu, your haul… truly opens one's eyes!"

"Director Liu, you're flattering me; it's all luck." Lu Qingshan replied calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Hehe, this isn't something simple luck can explain." Liu JianShe smiled meaningfully.

Then he shifted tone, his expression becoming a few degrees stern, adopting an official attitude.

"Brother Lu, these goods—we at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative will take them all."

"The meat is good meat, the skin is good skin; price‑wise, we will certainly follow the purchase station's rules, ensure fairness, and won't let you lose out."

He paused, scanned the surroundings, confirmed no idle onlookers, then deliberately lowered his voice:

"But… your quantity is indeed a bit too large."

"You know the regulations. For purchasing mountain game, the various tickets we can issue at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative are strictly limited."

"Your several hundred jin of meat and these six large skins are valuable. If we convert all of it into tickets, especially the scarce grain tickets and cloth tickets, it would be… difficult."

Liu JianShe's words were very straightforward and candid.

Lu Qingshan understood; this matched what he had expected.

In the early 1980s, supplies were scarce; various tickets were even more valuable than cash, especially cloth tickets, grain tickets, and industrial coupons.

As a state‑run unit, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative had to follow regulations; the issuance quota for tickets was tightly capped, with no unlimited supply.

"Director Liu, I understand your difficulty." Lu Qingshan nodded steadily, showing no sign of panic.

"Then, how should we handle this most appropriately?"

Liu JianShe pondered briefly, tapping his fingers on the table: "How about this: the meat at purchase price, part paid in cash, part in grain tickets and cloth tickets. As for the skins, since they're valuable, we'll give you some industrial coupons or other scarce tickets, and the rest converted to cash. What do you think?"

He added, "But on our books we need to be 'flexible'. Recent inspections are strict; taking such a large batch of wild game into inventory at once easily causes trouble…"

He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

It hinted at needing some flexible handling, while subtly indicating that this purchase also carried a certain risk for him.

Lu Qingshan understood that Liu JianShe was extending goodwill and also reminding him to return the favor.

"Alright, we'll do as Director Liu says." Lu Qingshan replied decisively, "We'll fully cooperate with the specific procedures."

"Good! Very straightforward!" Liu JianShe smiled, "Then let's first weigh everything and count precisely."

He called the staff at the purchase point to start busy work—weighing, registering, and so on.

Watching the astonishing numbers being announced repeatedly, Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui's hearts pounded like drums, thudding, almost leaping out of their throats.

Their faces flushed deep red from extreme excitement and tension, and their breathing grew heavy.

So much money!

So many tickets!

They had never seen so much in their whole lives!

Lu Qingshan looked at the two's almost fainting "good‑for‑nothing" expression and a slight curve formed at the corner of his mouth.

He then turned to the two, speaking in a deep voice:

"Tiezhu, Monkey."

"You two stay here, keep your eyes sharp, watch carefully."

"Those working with Director Liu, tally the numbers, watch the goods, and make no mistake."

He paused, his gaze shifting toward the town street.

"I'm going to the town to handle some private matters."

"I'll be back soon."