mtl008 Chapter 468 Times Are Changing
Chapter 468 Times Are Changing
Li Xiangyang, with 150 yuan in his pocket, pondered what Boss Liu had said.
On the poplar tree at the village entrance, several sparrows chirped and chattered on the branches. With a gust of wind, they flapped their wings and flew away.
He left a trail of footprints in the snow and went straight home.
Li Xiaoyun was drying pickled vegetables in the yard. When she saw him return, she looked up and asked, "How did sales go?"
“It’s alright,” Li Xiangyang said, pulling out his money, “a bit more expensive than I expected.”
"That Mr. Liu seems like an honest man." Li Xiaoyun took the money and counted it carefully.
Li Xiangyang leaned against the doorframe and said in a low voice, "I'd like to go into the mountains tomorrow."
Li Xiaoyun paused in her work: "Going into the mountains again?"
“Boss Liu will be staying here for a few more days, so take this opportunity to earn as much as possible.” Li Xiangyang walked over and helped her move the pickled vegetable jars to where Xiangyang was. “Besides, there are still a lot of expenses at home.”
Li Xiaoyun sighed, "You just can't sit still. But then again, Wangchen is growing up every day, and there are definitely more and more things to spend money on."
After dinner, Li Xiangyang sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), gazing absently at the darkening sky outside the window.
After clearing away the dishes, Li Xiaoyun sat down next to him: "What are you thinking about? You've been distracted ever since you got back this afternoon."
“I’m thinking,” Li Xiangyang turned his head, his gaze deep, “that times are about to change.”
Li Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment: "What do you mean?"
“Look at that Mr. Liu today,” Li Xiangyang said slowly, “He dared to do business across provinces; that would have been unthinkable two years ago.”
“Yes,” Li Xiaoyun said thoughtfully, “it’s just collecting some mountain goods, how much of a future can that bring?”
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "Mountain products are just the beginning. I think there will be more and more people like this in the future, and their businesses will grow bigger and bigger."
Laughter came from outside; the little guy was building a snowman with Li Xiaohua in the yard.
"What are your plans?" Li Xiaoyun could tell that something was on his mind.
Li Xiangyang paused for a moment, then said, "I'd like to set up a distribution center nearby."
"A distribution center?" Li Xiaoyun frowned. "What's that?"
"It's about bringing together all the mountain produce from the surrounding villages in one place," Li Xiangyang explained. "We handle unified purchasing and transportation. We not only collect the goods, but also provide a one-stop service including warehousing, packaging, and transportation."
Li Xiaoyun was completely confused: "This... will it work?"
“It’s definitely not possible now, but I think it will be soon,” Li Xiangyang smiled. “Once the policy is relaxed, the opportunity will come. We need to be prepared then.”
"And now?"
"Right now, we just need to make more money, taking it one step at a time. We'll start by setting up a mountain produce collection point in the village. There will definitely be more and more people like Boss Liu in the future. Instead of letting outsiders collect our produce, we should do it ourselves. This will give hunters and mountain gatherers in the nearby villages a stable sales channel."
……
The next morning, Li Xiangyang packed his gear and prepared to head into the mountains.
Wang Chen tugged at his sleeve, refusing to let go: "Dad, can you take me with you?"
“You’re still too young,” Li Xiangyang patted his son’s head. “When you’re a little older, Dad will teach you how to hunt.”
"When will that be?" Wang Chen pouted.
"Almost done," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "You should practice your handwriting at home first, and Dad will check it when he gets back."
Wang Chen reluctantly let go of her hand.
When Li Xiangyang pushed open the door to go out, he ran into Wang Ergou.
"Brother Xiangyang, heading into the mountains?" Wang Ergou, also dressed in hunting attire, replied, "Perfect timing! I was just about to go too. I heard yesterday that Boss Liu was buying goods at a good price, so I thought I'd try my luck."
“Let’s go together then.” Li Xiangyang nodded.
The two walked side by side into the mountains, the only sound in the snow being the sound of their footsteps.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou suddenly spoke up, "what do you think of Boss Liu?"
"What's wrong?"
“I just felt this guy’s background was a bit shady,” Wang Ergou said in a low voice. “I inquired about him yesterday, and they said he has connections in the county town…”
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment: "These days, you really can't get this done without connections. But let's not overthink it. As long as the price is right and the goods are legitimate, there's nothing to worry about."
Once inside the mountains, the two split up.
Based on his experience, Li Xiangyang quickly found several traces of wild animals.
On the snow, a string of plum blossom-shaped footprints were clearly visible, and judging by their size, they should have been left by a roe deer.
He crouched down to examine the footprints closely; they were still fresh, so he guessed they were nearby.
Li Xiangyang crept forward quietly and, sure enough, found a roe deer behind a bush.
The roe deer was munching on dry grass with its head down, completely unaware of the approaching danger.
Li Xiangyang held his breath, slowly raised his gun, and aimed—
"boom!"
Gunshots echoed through the valley, and the roe deer fell to the ground.
After packing up his prey, Li Xiangyang continued deeper into the mountains.
As the sun rose higher, the snow in the forest began to melt, and water droplets dripped from the branches from time to time.
Suddenly, a strange noise came from ahead.
Li Xiangyang immediately became alert and hid behind a large tree to observe.
Not far away, on the snow, two wolves were tearing at something.
Upon closer inspection, Li Xiangyang realized it was a dead wild deer.
It seems these two wolves are also out hunting for food.
He did not act rashly; wolves are dangerous animals, especially when they are feeding.
Just as I was wondering whether I should take a detour, I suddenly heard a noise behind me.
Li Xiangyang turned around abruptly and saw Wang Ergou cautiously walking towards them.
"Shh—" Li Xiangyang quickly made a shushing gesture.
Wang Ergou understood, tiptoed closer, and whispered, "Should we fight?"
Wolf pelts are valuable, especially those for winter, as they are thick and warm. Boss Liu will definitely pay a high price for them.
Li Xiangyang hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
The two exchanged a glance and each found a good spot.
"one two three--"
Two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, and before the two wolves could react, they fell to the ground in the snow.
"Great marksmanship!" Wang Ergou jumped out excitedly.
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "I'm lucky, I've had quite a haul today."
After removing their internal organs, the two men worked together to carry the wolf and deer back home.
They found several more rabbits caught in traps along the way, and returned home with a full load.
As evening fell, they hurried back to the village.
Mr. Liu was smoking under the old locust tree at the village entrance when he saw them return and immediately went to greet them.
"Wow, Master Li, Master Wang, you've struck it rich!" Boss Liu's eyes lit up.
Upon seeing the two wolf pelts, he became even more excited: "Good stuff! Really good stuff!"
After some haggling, the two wolf pelts sold for 100 yuan, the deer pelt for 120 yuan, the roe deer pelt for 50 yuan, and with the addition of a few rabbits, the total came to 320 yuan.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou split the profits equally, each earning 160 yuan.
“Master Li,” Boss Liu said, putting away the leather, leaning closer, “I have to leave tomorrow. But I’ll come back again, and I hope you’ll take care of me then.”
As he spoke, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket: "This is my address in the county town. If you have any good products, you can contact me directly."
"Mr. Liu, you're too kind," Li Xiangyang said, carefully putting away the note. "We'll have the opportunity to cooperate again."
After seeing Boss Liu off, Wang Ergou rubbed his hands together and said, "Brother Xiangyang, we really hit the jackpot today! This money will last me for a while."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Don't get too excited yet; these kinds of opportunities don't come every day."
“That’s true,” Wang Ergou nodded, “but Brother Xiangyang, do you think Boss Liu really means it when he says he’ll come again?”
“It should be true,” Li Xiangyang said, gazing at the setting sun. “The situation is changing; there will be more and more people like him.”
"Then won't we be able to sell our goods for a better price more often in the future?"
“Perhaps,” Li Xiangyang said thoughtfully, “but I’m thinking about something else.”
"What's up?"
Li Xiangyang didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the rising smoke from the village chimneys and slowly said, "I'm thinking, if things really do loosen up in the future, is there anything we can do?"