Chapter 58: Drowsiness Brings a Pillow! Wild Game Sales Come Knocking!

His resolute tone left Lin Yue'e unable to refuse.

She could only be half‑shy, half‑hopeful as he pulled her toward the state‑run restaurant in the county town, whose façade was modest but whose reputation was considerable.

The state‑run restaurant's façade was small, yet nowadays the word "state‑run" itself signifies status and respectability.

It was lunch time; the place wasn't the most crowded, but it was more than half full.

Inside, most patrons wore official uniforms or four‑pocket civil service attire, speaking with a measured, unhurried bearing.

A server in a white coat wiped the tables, his demeanor neither cold nor warm, exuding the particular restraint of a state‑run institution.

Lu Qingshan paid no mind, chose a clean table by the window, and sat down.

Lin Yue'e and Xiao Xue both seemed a bit restrained, curiously and nervously scanning the tidy tables, chairs, and the promotional posters on the walls; Xiao Xue, especially, held her breath, clinging tightly to her father.

"Yo! Isn't this Brother Qingshan? So it's really you!"

A loud, familiar voice sounded behind him. Lu Qingshan turned, and his eyes lit up instantly.

There stood Chen Zhiguo in a brand‑new police uniform, his shoulder insignia changed, looking even more vigorous.

He was walking toward them with another person dressed in a similar official style, apparently also here for lunch.

"Brother Chen!"

Lu Qingshan quickly rose and greeted him warmly.

What a coincidence; he hadn't expected to run into this "benefactor" of his here.

"Haha, it really is you! I said just by looking at the back, I knew it!"

Chen Zhiguo laughed heartily as he walked over, giving Lu Qingshan's shoulder a firm pat.

"All right, you kid, you've been quite the hero in the village lately?"

"Those few blind ones of Ma Liu, this time they went in; unless they stay a year or a year‑and‑a‑half they probably won't get out, and when they do they'll have to go around your house!"

Lu Qingshan chuckled, a little embarrassed.

"That's all thanks to Brother Chen's help; otherwise our family couldn't be this peaceful."

He noticed Chen Zhiguo's police badge seemed different and tentatively asked, "Brother Chen, have you… been promoted?"

Chen Zhiguo's face broke into a smile, tinged with a hint of emotion.

"I was just promoted to captain of the criminal police team not long ago—just busy for the sake of being busy."

He turned, pointed to a slightly round‑faced, sharp‑looking middle‑aged man beside him, and introduced, "Lu Qingshan, let me introduce you: this is Director Zhang of our county's state‑run restaurant."

"Hello, Director Zhang." Lu Qingshan quickly extended his hand.

"Ah, Comrade Qingshan! I've heard of your great name for a long time, your great name indeed!"

Director Zhang grasped Lu Qingshan's hand warmly, his face beaming with smiles.

"Captain Chen often mentions you to me, the great hunter! He says a single you could bring down a wild boar weighing several hundred jin! You're a true hero of the mountains in Jiangyuan County!"

Lu Qingshan smiled modestly, "Brother Chen, you're flattering me; it's all luck."

In his mind, however, he realized Chen Zhiguo had been spreading his fame outward.

"Bringing your younger sister and child to the county town to buy New Year supplies?"

Chen Zhiguo glanced at the slightly restrained Lin Yue'e and Xiao Xue, and asked with a smile.

"Yes, it's almost New Year, the days are getting better, so we bring the two mothers here to get a few yards of cloth, buy some food and supplies, and have a decent New Year."

Lu Qingshan replied calmly, and gently pulled Lin Yue'e and Xiao Xue forward, "This is my wife Lin Yue'e, and this is my daughter Xiao Xue."

"Hello, younger sister and brother! Your little girl is so cute! Last time we were in a hurry at home and didn't get a chance to greet you," Chen Zhiguo said with a smile.

Lin Yue'e's face flushed; she nervously whispered, "Hello, Captain Chen."

Xiao Xue, hiding behind her father, whispered, "Hello, Uncle."

When Director Zhang heard that Lu Qingshan was here to buy New Year supplies, his eyes lit up instantly, as if recalling something, and he hurried closer, his tone tinged with urgency and anticipation.

"Comrade Lu! Oh, I was just worried! To be honest, our restaurant currently lacks solid dishes, especially wild game from the mountains!"

"With New Year approaching, before and after, county leaders and all units hold banquets and specifically request fresh mountain fare—wild boar meat, roe deer meat, deer meat, mountain chicken, wild rabbit, and the like, the most popular!"

"But the heavy snow has blocked the mountains; where can we get it? I'm at my wits' end!"

Chen Zhiguo chimed in, "Indeed, Qingshan, old Zhang's mouth has been foaming these past few days; without distinctive wild game, the restaurant's New Year business would be missing a huge piece."

Director Zhang rubbed his hands, looking earnestly at Lu Qingshan.

"Comrade Lu, you're a skilled hunter; do you think you could do this brother a favor?"

"The price is definitely negotiable! Higher than Market Price! As for tickets and such, I have ways to sort out part of that for you!"

Lu Qingshan felt a sudden stir in his heart!

Truly, the drowsiness came bringing a pillow!

He was worrying that the village would soon organize a hunt; if the haul were large, his limited channels couldn't handle it, and it would draw unwanted attention and trouble!

Director Zhang of the state‑run restaurant was literally a lifesaver!

And from what he said, price and tickets weren't an issue!

He kept a calm expression, pondered for a moment, then spoke steadily.

"Brother Chen, Director Zhang, not to hide from you, our Shanwan village, responding to the call, is preparing to organize a hunt before the New Year."

"First, to increase villagers' income for a good New Year; second, to prevent wild beasts from descending and destroying crops."

"If all goes well, we should be able to hunt some wild boar, roe deer, mountain chicken, and wild rabbit."

"Really?!"

Director Zhang's eyes widened instantly, and he excitedly slapped his thigh.

"Great! Great! Comrade Lu! Then it's settled!"

"When the time comes, regardless of how much you hunt, you'll deliver it to our restaurant first! I'll take as much as you have! The price will be guaranteed to satisfy you!"

He quickly pulled a small notebook and a fountain pen from his pocket, scribbled a string of phone numbers, tore the page out, and slipped it into Lu Qingshan's hand.

"This is the phone number for our hotel's logistics procurement; call ahead when the time comes, and I'll dispatch a vehicle to fetch it!"

Chen Zhiguo watched the two reach an agreement, nodded with satisfaction, and laughed to Lu Qingshan: "I told you the kid is talented; he has connections everywhere! All right, meeting today is fate, this meal is on me!"

"Lao Zhang, arrange a small private room, order a few good dishes, and we'll eat together!"

"Alright! Team Leader Chen spoke, we must arrange the best!"

Zhang Jianguo was also in a great mood and hurriedly called the waiter.

Soon, in a clean private room, the table was filled with steaming dishes.

The braised pork gleamed with oil, the sliced pork was sweet‑and‑sour and tasty, and there were stewed chicken with mushrooms, scrambled eggs, and a large plate of White Flour mantou…

The aroma filled the air, making Xiao Xue's mouth water.

This meal was unprecedentedly sumptuous and satisfying.

Xiao Xue buried her face in the food, her little mouth stuffed, her face smeared with oil, and her eyes squinted happily into a slit.

Lin Yue'e was initially a bit restrained, eating in small bites, but watching her husband and Chen Zhiguo and Zhang Jianguo chat and laugh, his demeanor steady and magnanimous, never outdone, her gaze gradually filled with surprise, pride, and an indescribable sense of reassurance.

She glanced at Lu Qingshan secretly, feeling the man before her was both familiar and strange, as if reborn.

Lu Qingshan chatted with Chen Zhiguo and Zhang Jianguo while occasionally serving dishes to his wife and daughter, his heart full of emotion.

In his previous life, he was muddled and clueless; how could he ever have let the two mothers have a decent meal?

How could he have ever let them, like today, wear smiles of satisfaction and happiness on their faces?

He clenched his fists in secret; such good days must never be lost again!

After drinking and eating their fill, bidding farewell to the eager Chen Zhiguo and Zhang Jianguo, Lu Qingshan, with his contented wife and daughter, lugging bundles of New Year goods, set off for home.

On the return shuttle, Xiao Xue grew tired from playing, hugged her new clothes, and, nestled in her mother's arms, fell into a deep sleep.

Lin Yue'e watched her husband's sharply defined profile, which, in the sunset glow filtering through the car window, appeared especially resolute.

She hesitated briefly, then softly said, "Qing Shan, you… you seem to have changed a lot, not like before…"

Lu Qingshan turned his head, seeing the complex emotions in his wife's eyes—curiosity, joy, and a barely perceptible worry.

He reached out, gently clasping the hand she had placed on his lap; her hand was still a bit cold, but no longer resisted his touch as before.

"People always change."

He watched the snow‑scape rushing past outside the window, his gaze deep and far‑reaching.

"Yue E, I was wrong to you and your mother before, making you suffer so much with me. It won't happen again, trust me."

Lin Yue'e felt the warmth and strength emanating from his palm, saw the seriousness and resolve in his eyes never before seen, and the last sliver of doubt in her heart gradually faded.

She gently nodded, and placed her head obediently on Lu Qingshan's shoulder.

Since marrying him, she had never felt as grounded and at ease as today, as if a small boat that had drifted for a long time finally found a harbor to dock.

The shuttle arrived at the town, and they transferred to a carriage heading to the village; night had already fallen completely.

The winter night wind howled, cutting the face like a knife.

But the family of three in the carriage felt warm inside.

The carriage moved slowly through the snow, emitting a "creak creak" sound.

Lu Qingshan looked at his daughter in his arms, then at his wife snuggled beside him, and his mind began to calculate actively.

The state‑run hotel's sales channel was now fully opened; from now on, mountain game won't lack good prices.

For the upcoming collective hunt, this is undoubtedly great news.

However, he also knew that relying solely on hunting was not a long‑term plan; it's risky, and the mountain's resources are not inexhaustible.

Perhaps… I could use Mountain Wild Heart's special ability to find another way?

Deep within the vast Guandong Mountain, beyond birds and beasts, there must be many treasures hidden.

Those aged medicinal herbs coveted by city folk?

Like Dang Shen, Astragalus, Lingzhi?

Or perhaps some special ores?

Or even… the legendary Old Mountain Ginseng that can revive the dead?

Mountain Wild Heart not only senses living auras, but also vaguely perceives the forest's "mood"—where danger lies, where good things may be hidden…

This ability might bring him unexpected gains.

Lost in thought, the carriage had already entered the familiar village entrance.

Back home, under the dim oil lamp, Lin Yue'e and Xiao Xue soon fell into dreamland with satisfied smiles.

Lu Qingshan, however, felt no sleepiness; he stood in the courtyard, gazing at the snow illuminated by moon and starlight, and the silent, mysterious forest sea in the distance.

A surge of unprecedented heroism and anticipation rose in his heart.

The year‑end approaches, and the new life canvas has just begun to unfold a corner.

And that great mountain that once nurtured him and once trapped him now seems to await his exploration in an entirely new posture.