Chapter 18: Going Up the Mountain Again

This Golden Brick might be able to be passed down as a family heirloom in the future; besides, it's pitch black, so unless it's an elderly craftsman, it's truly very hard for anyone to recognize it, which is why Zhang Ping'an isn't afraid that someone during the ten-year special period will be able to identify it.

"Good."

The next morning, Zhang Ping'an took Jia Dongxu to go fishing, planning to handle the employment procedures while delivering the fish.

At nine o'clock, the two of them went to the Lou Steel Rolling Mill with an estimated four hundred jin of fish; he had become familiar with the Security Section over these days, but bringing a stranger inside still required a routine inquiry.

"Ping'an, who is this?"

"Oh, oh, my eldest nephew Jia Dongxu, he's here today to handle his employment."

"Oh? Also for the Procurement Section?"

"Right, my eldest nephew is even better at fishing than I am, and he's quite skilled at hunting too; I'll have him bag a wild rabbit for you brothers to have a feast another day."

"Hahaha, that sounds great, we brothers will be waiting then."

"Easy enough."

Zhang Ping'an and the other pushed the cart directly to the back kitchen.

"Qiang Ge, there's a lot of fish today, probably around four hundred jin." Qiang Ge, Wu Qiang, thirty-five years old, is the Warehouse Manager of the back kitchen and also knows Lao Jia.

"Oh? You caught that much by yourself? That's certainly a lot. Is this Dongxu?"

"Uncle Qiang, it's me. I didn't expect you to still recognize me."

"Hahaha, although we haven't seen each other for a while, you look exactly like your father did when he was young, how could your uncle not recognize you? You're here to handle your employment, right? Director Lou just arrived too, you two hurry over, I'll send the slip over to you in a bit."

"Good, many thanks, Qiang Ge (Uncle)."

After the two expressed their thanks, they went directly to find Lou Zhenyu.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

"Director Lou, this is my nephew, Jia Dongxu."

"Hello, Director Lou."

"Hahaha, good, the young man is truly a talent. Bring the documents here, I'll take you to handle the procedures."

"Alright."

The three of them walked out of the office one after another, and before long, they arrived at the Personnel Department.

"Xiao Huang, handle an employment for Xiao Jia."

"Very well, Director Lou." Xiao Huang took the documents and began to register them.

"Ping'an, how about I handle one for you too? Our Procurement Section has flexible hours, as long as the procurement quota is met each month."

"Done." Zhang Ping'an hesitated for a moment and then agreed; it wouldn't interfere with his schooling anyway, so he took his documents out of his satchel.

"Xiao Huang, handle it for him as well."

"Very well, Director Lou."

Twenty minutes later, the three returned to the office, where Wu Qiang was waiting at the door.

"Director, this is the weight of the fish they brought this morning, four hundred and seventy-three jin in total."

"Good heavens, it's almost doubled." Lou Zhenyu took out an abacus and clicked away for a while before counting out over 1.4 million from the drawer.

"You two count it. By the way, that tricycle can be used by you on behalf of the factory; no need to return it to Xiaojun."

"Very well, many thanks, Director Lou."

"Mm, go get busy."

The uncle and nephew pushed the cart out of the factory.

"Dongxu, this afternoon we'll go into the mountains to set traps, and we'll go early tomorrow morning to check the situation."

"Alright, Uncle. Are just the two of us going? I'm afraid it won't be safe to leave the tricycle at the foot of the mountain."

"Mm~ let's set off early this afternoon and go see if there's a suitable place to hide the cart."

"Good."

At noon, the two finished their meal and took a half-hour nap before strapping on their water bottles, taking their firewood knives and iron shovels, and setting off on the tricycle. It was nearly two o'clock by the time they reached the foot of the mountain—riding the cart was faster after all. The two searched around the foot of the mountain and finally found an inconspicuous mountain hollow.

"Let's just leave it here." The two then worked to lock all three wheels.

"Let's go, we're setting off."

It is currently midsummer, the time when vegetation is most lush. Zhang Ping'an held a firewood knife to clear the path in front, and the two followed the same route as last time.

"Dongxu, set a trap here." Zhang Ping'an pointed to the side, where there was wild rabbit excrement.

"Good." Jia Dongxu nimbly set the trap.

Just like that, walking and stopping along the way, the two set a full thirty-eight traps.

"That's about enough, let's go check the pit we dug last time." Zhang Ping'an hadn't filled in the pit from last time; instead, he had propped it up with rows of branches.

After months of weathering, the pit had partially collapsed.

"Dongxu, let's take turns digging."

"Good."

Zhang Ping'an took the lead, throwing his shoulders into the work and digging until it was nearly done before stopping. Jia Dongxu wasn't idle either; he had been collecting branches and sharpening both ends to use as ground spikes.

"Uncle, you take a rest, I'll dig."

"Good." Zhang Ping'an was drenched as if he had been pulled out of water. He gulped down the water in his canteen, and his exhaustion was instantly swept away; he felt like he could still plow two acres of land.

Looking at the darkening sky, it was probably nearly seven o'clock.

"Dongxu, that's about it. You come out and take a break, I'll insert the ground spikes."

"Good." Jia Dongxu came out and also took his canteen to gulp down a drink.

Zhang Ping'an finished setting up the trap and sprinkled crushed sweet potatoes on it. This time he only used ordinary sweet potatoes and potatoes; he was afraid that sweet potatoes ripened with Spirit Water would attract a Wild Boar too early.

It being midsummer, although the temperature in the mountains is relatively low, leaving them for a night would likely result in them being at least close to smelling bad.

Zhang Ping'an inserted a sign next to the trap that any hunter could understand, then clapped the dirt off his hands.

"Alright Dongxu, let's head back; we can check the snares on the way to see if there's any harvest."

"Okay."

Not bad, they harvested three wild rabbits and two pheasants.

"Dongxu, watch how I tie this with the rope," Zhang Ping'an said, explaining as he tied it; don't underestimate this, it all requires technique.

"Okay."

"You try."

"Okay," Jia Dongxu tied it up with nimble hands and feet.

"Not bad," this was thanks to Jia Dongxu having hunted with Zhang Ping'an during summer vacations for years; having seen it so much, he understood as soon as Zhang Ping'an pointed it out.

It was already nearly eight o'clock when the two returned to the Siheyuan.

"Where did you two run off to this afternoon? You didn't even know to come back when it got dark."

"Hehe, San Jie, we calculated the time; look," Zhang Ping'an opened the burlap sack to reveal the wild rabbits and pheasants inside.

"My Ping'an and my son Dongxu both have the bearing of hunters."

"Alright, come inside and eat."

"Okay, San Jie Fu, I've put the pheasants and wild rabbits in the rabbit cage; you can take them to the factory tomorrow morning."

"Done, you two hurry up and wash your hands to eat," Lao Jia had thought they were going fishing in the morning and that it would be inconvenient to carry them.

"Okay."

After finishing their meal and agreeing on an early wake-up time, the two rinsed off briefly and went to sleep, as they were exhausted from the afternoon.

At four in the morning, Zhang Ping'an did some simple exercise in his space, boiled eight eggs, and went to wake Jia Dongxu up.

"Dongxu, it's time to set off."

"Okay Uncle, I'm awake too."

"Let's go, take the eggs and eat them."

"Okay."

The two brought their gear, and Zhang Ping'an rode the tricycle with Jia Dongxu, speeding all the way until they arrived at the foot of the mountain just past five o'clock; they locked the vehicle and headed straight for the mountain.

"Dongxu, let's split up; you're responsible for checking the snares, and I'll go see if there's any harvest in the pit."

"Okay Uncle."

"Be careful."

"Mm."

Zhang Ping'an let himself go and headed straight for the pit, only hearing the faint wails of a Wild Boar when he was close to the trap.

"It really caught one," Zhang Ping'an was overjoyed; he could sell this for another million or so.

Zhang Ping'an saw many Wild Boar hoof prints on the edge of the pit, and the Wild Boar inside was still struggling; he looked around but didn't see the shadow of any other wild boars.

Zhang Ping'an circled the area again, and only after confirming the other wild boars had run away did he feel at ease descending into the pit to pull up the freshly dead Wild Boar and butcher it.

"This firewood knife really won't do, but fortunately I have brute strength; next time I'll have to borrow the Butcher Knife from Zhuzi's house to use."

Zhang Ping'an used the firewood knife to make a simple frame, and just like that, he dragged the Wild Boar down the mountain.