"Boss, I've brought him!" Azalina walked into a dilapidated, drafty factory building, dragging a man who was limp all over, his head covered with a black cloth bag. Inside the factory, a man was sitting – to be precise, it was Jiang Hai. Looking at the person brought before him, Jiang Hai chuckled softly.
"Hello there!" Jiang Hai walked up to him and removed the bag from his head. When the man saw Jiang Hai, he immediately regretted his actions deeply. He hadn't expected Jiang Hai to be so swift.
"Big Brother, I, your humble servant, was blind and ignorant. If I have offended you in any way, please, Big Brother, show me the right path." Head bowed, Zhao Chen was no ordinary person. In such a situation, he didn't panic too much and was still negotiating with Jiang Hai.
"You should be grateful this is China, this is Bingcheng, and there's no sea here. If this were America, you'd already be shark bait. But honestly, even in China, if I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't be a difficult task. An existence like you from the underworld, even if you die, no one will seek justice for you, don't you agree?" Jiang Hai smiled and bent down, looking at the bruised and swollen man before him. It seemed Azalina and Wallis Shelley had given him a good beating on the way here. Indeed, it would be strange if they didn't erupt when someone dared to attack Jiang Hai.
"Big Brother, I think you know, I was just used as a pawn in this matter. I didn't know your capabilities, Big Brother. Whatever you command, just say it, and I, your humble servant, will surely do it! Do you want money, my family fortune, or something else? Just say the word." Looking at Jiang Hai, Zhao Chen managed to lift his head, panting as he spoke.
"Tsk tsk, you're so cooperative, I almost feel bad saying anything. But don't worry, I don't want your money, nor your land. My money is something you can't even dream of. Come on, let me ask you a question first: who is the person behind this?" Looking at Zhao Chen, his cooperation saved Jiang Hai a lot of trouble.
"The person behind me is Director Liu from the city bureau. The person who attacked you is a guy named Qi Zhengtao. He said he's the young master of the Qi family." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Zhao Chen immediately revealed both the person behind him and the one who instigated him to attack Jiang Hai.
"Tsk tsk, I knew it was that guy. But you're really stupid, aren't you? You believe whatever he says? Didn't you bother to investigate? Is Qi Zhengtao really the one in charge of the Qi family?" Hearing him speak so readily, Jiang Hai couldn't help but rub his chin. The target was now confirmed; it seemed the ones causing trouble behind the scenes were the Qi Yuanlong family.
"Heh, hehe…" Hearing what Jiang Hai said, Zhao Chen gave an awkward laugh. If he hadn't investigated, he wouldn't have dared to act. It was precisely because he had investigated and found that Jiang Hai himself wasn't a powerful figure that he dared to make a move.
Who would have thought that this time he'd hit a solid brick wall, and quite firmly at that? Now his own life was in the other party's hands.
"I'm a petty person, with a vengeful nature. Logically speaking, since you sent over forty people to cause me trouble, you're dead. Whether or not your family is implicated is up to my whim. However, seeing how cooperative you are now, I really can't bring myself to just kill you outright. Tell me, what reason do you have that I should let you go? Don't mention money, don't mention possessions. I'm not short on money, so I'm not short on anything money can buy, including your life." Hearing Zhao Chen's words, Jiang Hai squatted down, looking at him and speaking slowly. In truth, according to his nature, it would be impossible not to cut the grass and remove the roots, but he couldn't do it easily.
This was China, not America. If someone truly wanted to harm Jiang Hai here in China, all they lacked was a reason.
Jiang Hai didn't believe that there weren't powerful figures in China interested in his beef, his fish, and his pasture grass formula.
So why hadn't they acted against Jiang Hai, or sent a clerk or someone to tell him to dedicate his formula for the rise of China, and that he would then be a national hero?
Why didn't they do that? It's because Jiang Hai's main business is abroad. However, if there were any disturbances in his domestic affairs, these people wouldn't let him off the hook. Although Jiang Hai had helped connect the country with Dubai.
But in the face of profit, whether you've made contributions before or not isn't important, because merits don't outweigh faults, or merits and faults cancel each other out, it's just a word from those above. People are unequal from birth, and there's no need to deny this truth.
"I, I'll turn myself in. I have a recording of my conversation with that person. I'll turn myself in." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Zhao Chen finally saw the light. Compared to dying, turning himself in would probably be much better. He had money, so as long as he wasn't sentenced to immediate execution, he would find a way to survive. As long as he took responsibility for this matter, whether he spent ten or fifteen years inside, he would be a good man again once he got out. As for that Qi Zhengtao, he certainly wouldn't let him off easy.
"Good, I'll wait for news of your surrender. You have four hours. If I don't hear the news after four hours, you can say goodbye to this world." Checking the time, it was only a little past six in the morning. Jiang Hai pointed to the time above and said to Zhao Chen, then gave Azalina a look. Azalina didn't stand on ceremony.
She directly pulled the guy, put the hood back on him, took him back to her car, and then dumped him where she had caught him. Azalina then drove away. When Zhao Chen pulled the cloth from his head and saw the familiar car in front of him, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. He had thought about escaping, but from the situation just now, if he were to drive out of the city now, he would probably be seen again, but this time from inside the Songjiang River.
He was sure Jiang Hai wasn't joking, because the killing intent in Jiang Hai's eyes just now was incredibly concentrated, proving that this man had at least a few, or even dozens, of lives on his hands. He naturally wouldn't care about one more.
Although he didn't know why Jiang Hai wanted to use the weapon of law to deal with himself and Qi Zhengtao, he dared not resist.
Getting back into his car, Zhao Chen started the engine and returned to his club. After going upstairs, he pondered for half an hour, then started making calls to people he had connections with, and began to use them. Then he retrieved the recording of his conversation with Qi Zhengtao from that day and went to the city bureau to surrender. The people from the city bureau and provincial department were still interrogating and had just found out that Zhao Chen was the one behind it, preparing to deploy and arrest him, when Zhao Chen surrendered and told everyone that Qi Zhengtao was the mastermind.
Upon learning of this, the city bureau acted quickly, especially with higher-ups watching over them.
They immediately drove to Qi Yuanlong's house. At this time, Qi Yuanlong's family had no idea what had happened. Qi Yuanlong had just sold everything he owned yesterday to help his son pay off that ten million gambling debt, and the whole family was waiting for news.
But this morning, they had just woken up, and no news came, but the police did, directly arresting Qi Zhengtao.
The charge was suspected kidnapping and attempted murder of Jiang Hai. Upon hearing this news, Qi Yuanlong was stunned, while Zhang Yu was already preparing to flee.
She knew Jiang Hai's revenge had come. Now it was Qi Zhengtao, and next it might be her. If she didn't run, she would be dead. Thinking of this, Zhang Yu became even more panicked. After Qi Zhengtao was taken away by the police, Qi Yuanlong immediately went to the hospital. He wanted to beg Jiang Hai to be lenient. He hadn't considered what would happen if his son had actually succeeded; he only knew that his son couldn't go to jail, couldn't be harmed. But unfortunately, Jiang Hai hadn't thought that way.
But unfortunately, when he arrived at the hospital, he didn't see Jiang Hai or even Qi Li's mother.
Because Jiang Hai had already taken them to his villa. Even if Qi Yuanlong searched the Qi family mansion, he wouldn't find them. While he was searching the world for Jiang Hai, Zhang Yu had taken the remaining money from home and fled.
But unfortunately, do you think she really got away? On her way to the airport, Zhang Yu's car brakes failed, and she crashed into a roadside barrier. The cause of death was similar to how the An family died, but the outcome was different, because there were no cliffs in Bingcheng. Instead, the barrier pierced through the car window and into the car, impaling her directly through the chest.
No one knew how long she lived, but such a death was quite tragic.
When Qi Yuanlong, who was searching for Jiang Hai's family, heard this news, he fell apart. He sat dejectedly on the road and began to wail. People are like this: when they are courting disaster, they don't think they are courting disaster; they think they are making history. Only when they truly bring about their own demise do they realize that they really were courting disaster, and there's nothing they can do about it. If Qi Yuanlong's ambition hadn't been so great, if he had properly educated Qi Zhengtao, if he hadn't had illicit thoughts after his elder brother's death, perhaps he would still have a position on the board of directors now.
The most important thing for a person is not talent, but mindset. You need to know when to be in what position.
Chinese people always talk about the Doctrine of the Mean, which is actually the essence of human life. But in this somewhat ostentatious world, everyone wants to be number one. People only see the first place drinking and eating meat, but they don't see that 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...100 are all dead. Is a one-in-ten-thousand, or even one-in-a-million chance of success, really that easy to achieve? (To be continued.)
Gathering of Friends
"Huff, huff..." Lying on Jiang Hai's chest, Qi Li panted heavily while slowly moving her legs. The battle just now had exhausted them significantly. Jiang Hai brushed away the strands of hair stuck to her face by sweat, gazed at her pretty face, and gently kissed her forehead. Qi Li smiled sweetly in response.
"Phew, you didn't... do that just now, did you?" Lifting her head to look at Jiang Hai, Qi Li asked in a low voice.
"Oh, I already did. That was the second time." Although Qi Li's words weren't very explicit, Jiang Hai understood what she meant. He chuckled and spoke to her, and hearing his words, Qi Li nodded.
"It's good that you did. Mom has been constantly pressing us about having children; your seeds need to be sown in the right place to work." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Qi Li said with a laugh. At the same time, she moved slightly, feeling something still inside her body. She couldn't help but pinch Jiang Hai's waist and shot him a sideways glance.
"Go find those young girls. Remember to come back in the morning, and also, don't let Mom or Zheng Xiue find out." Looking at Jiang Hai, Qi Li whispered into his ear. Hearing her words, Jiang Hai was stunned for a moment, but then he shook his head.
"I'll have plenty of opportunities with them, but I have relatively little time with you. Let's just sleep like this," Jiang Hai said softly as he held Qi Li. Hearing this, it was impossible for Qi Li not to be moved. After giving Jiang Hai a light punch, she didn't say much more, just lay there as her breathing gradually stabilized.
"Tell me, what will happen to Third Uncle's family in the future?" Listening to the powerful heartbeat in Jiang Hai's chest, Qi Li suddenly asked him.
"What else can happen? They're finished!" Hearing her words, Jiang Hai knew she was being sentimental again. He couldn't help but swat her bottom to stop her from thinking about it. Hearing his response, she smiled and closed her mouth.
Since the events of that day, Qi Yuanlong's family was completely ruined. Zhang Yu was dead, and Qi Zhengtao had been thrown into prison. Following Jiang Hai's request to deal with him as harshly as possible, it was estimated that Qi Zhengtao wouldn't be getting out for at least eight or ten years.
And even after ten years, he might not necessarily make it out. Don't forget that Zhao Chen was also inside. Would Zhao Chen easily let go of the guy who had ruined him? Anyone could guess that was impossible.
Knowing this, Qi Li still felt somewhat emotional; after all, they were close relatives.
That was her father's brother, after all. To be in such a miserable state—even if he brought it on himself—she still felt a bit of lingering pity.
"Alright, alright. In a while, give your Third Uncle a 0.3% share for his retirement. He can get dividends, but he has no right to manage them." Seeing Qi Li's expression, Jiang Hai sighed. Women truly find it hard to be cold-hearted.
"Really?" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Qi Li's eyes widened, and she spoke with a face full of smiles.
"Yes. Alright, don't think about that now. Tomorrow, Fu Yuan said there's a barbecue at his house. Have you thought about what to bring?" Hearing her words, Jiang Hai changed the subject. Now was not the time to think about those things.
"beef! I already marinated it with Qi Ya and the others this afternoon," Qi Li said happily upon hearing Jiang Hai's question.
"Just bringing beef? Isn't that a bit little?" Looking at Qi Li, Jiang Hai asked with some concern.
"What else do you want to bring? Those things of yours are meant to be sold for money," Qi Li said with a pout.
"Fine, fine, fine, you have the final say." Shrugging, since Qi Li was there, he'd let her decide. Women really could be quite stingy.
The next morning, under the envious gazes of Qi Jie and Qi Ya, Jiang Hai and Qi Li drove away.
This was Jiang Hai's sixth day back in Ice City. The first three days were spent handling matters, and the latter three were spent taking care of his mother-in-law. Originally, Jiang Hai thought his mother-in-law would need surgery or something this time, but as it turned out, it wasn't necessary.
Perhaps the foundation from previously eating beef and seafood was still there. After taking out some of the frozen beef and seafood that Zheng Xiue hadn't had time to throw away and cooking it, the old lady's heart gradually returned to normal.
As long as she could be temporarily brought back from the brink, Jiang Hai's spiritual energy could cure the old lady's illness.
The old lady's condition was gradually improving, so Jiang Hai and the others breathed a sigh of relief. These past few days, Qi Ya had been teaching Zheng Xiue how to cook and how to take care of the old lady. Since Qi Jie herself was a doctor, she naturally stayed at home.
Azalina, Wallis Shelley, and Du Ning had nothing to do, so they all stayed in Jiang Hai's villa. Instead, Jiang Hai and Qi Li were the ones who were relatively idle. Originally, according to the old lady, she wanted Jiang Hai and Qi Li to go back.
But Jiang Hai didn't dare leave without Qi Jie and the others, so he could only wait here. As for Qi Li, since Jiang Hai was in the country, she wasn't in a hurry to go back. Currently, the Qi Corporation was slowly getting back on track, and she could remotely control it without any issues.
Recently, she has been training talent to take over the Qi Corporation. It might sound hard to believe, but the person she favored most was Lü Si.
However, after this incident, even if Lü Si didn't harbor any resentment, Qi Li would no longer trust her.
So she had to look for someone new and train them again, which was no easy task.
Training someone meant she was destined to be briefly separated from Jiang Hai. Since that was the case, how could she not seize every minute to stay by his side? So these past few days, she had been very clingy. Except for when Jiang Hai went to the restroom, she even followed him when he went to shower, no longer feeling shy. It was precisely because he knew what she was thinking that Jiang Hai didn't leave last night.
Today's gathering was set when Jiang Hai and Fu Yuan went to the bathhouse that day. Now that Jiang Hai was back, his group of friends definitely had to get together. Fu Yuan had bought a house the year before last; it was a completed unit, but he hadn't moved in because the community wasn't finished, the supporting facilities weren't done, and the location was quite remote.
Of course, even after two years, the location was just as remote, and things still weren't finished.
However, Fu Yuan wasn't in much of a hurry, as he didn't have a steady girlfriend to marry yet. But over these few years, he had finished the interior decorations. Since Jiang Hai was back and everyone was available, they were going to his house to take a look, treating it as a housewarming celebration.
For new houses like this, people are usually invited over to 'tread' on the place, mainly to add a lively atmosphere and invite out any 'guests' who might have been living in the empty house. Of course, that was just an old wives' tale.
However, this saying did seem to have some merit. Look at places where people are constantly coming and going, like hospitals; you know many people have died there, but when you go during the day, few people feel the hospital is deathly still—though night is an exception. And schools; usually when children are in class, no one feels it's eerie.
But as soon as the children leave school, the whole place feels like a haunted building. This is quite typical.
Although Fu Yuan didn't have such thoughts, his parents were quite superstitious about these things, so he specifically invited Jiang Hai and his friends over to fill the place with human presence. Naturally, Jiang Hai and the others wouldn't refuse; they were coming to have fun, after all.
Driving that bmw, Jiang Hai and Qi Li brought ten pounds of beef to Fu Yuan's new home.
To be honest, his new home was indeed quite remote. Of the four directions, only the east and south had anything. To the east, across another community, was a Wanda under construction, which included an indoor ski resort—a very high-end one.
To the south was the main road; his community was at the head of this area, and across from it was another new community.
To the north and west was a vast wilderness, with not even a tree, just waist-high grass. This wasn't Jiang Hai's first time here. Last time he came, he said that if Fu Yuan and his wife ever got bored playing at home, they could go play in there... Driving all the way over, there were quite a few people, mostly decorators, and many vehicles—both private and freight. But the nearby supporting facilities clearly hadn't caught up yet. Along the drive, there were many shops selling steel pipes, bathroom fixtures, and paint, but very few restaurants or small supermarkets, only a few convenience-store-type places.
Fortunately, Jiang Hai and the others were prepared. After driving over and parking the car, Jiang Hai and Qi Li went straight to Fu Yuan's home. They rang the doorbell and took the elevator up, finding that some people had already arrived.
Because they needed a crowd, quite a few people had indeed come. Besides Jiang Hai and Qi Li, there were Xu Wei, Xiang Hua's family of three, Huang Yunfei and his wife, Wang Yong and his wife, and Wu Ming and his wife with their two children. There was also a cousin of Fu Yuan's whom Jiang Hai had met before, and one of his classmates. Not counting the children, there were fourteen people in total. It was quite lively as they walked in.
Several children, some older and some just infants, were running around the house.
The women all went to the kitchen to help. Wang Yong, Wu Ming, Huang Yunfei, and Xu Wei were playing Mahjong. Fu Yuan, his cousin, and his classmate were playing Fight the Landlord. It was very boisterous. When they saw Jiang Hai and Qi Li arrive, everyone looked over.
"Here's the beef. Slice it and marinate it so we can eat in a bit." Seeing Fu Yuan come to greet them, Jiang Hai handed him the beef first. Obviously, a dozen or so people couldn't get full on just beef, but today wasn't primarily about eating beef anyway.
"This beef of yours, tsk tsk, I have to save a bit. I've got my eye on a girl lately; whether I can get her or not might depend on this beef of yours." Taking the beef from Jiang Hai's hand, Fu Yuan smacked his lips. He knew that Jiang Hai's stuff was top-notch quality.
PS: Recommending a buddy's new book, 'Mixed-World Farmer's Portable World'. It's a very good farming novel. Friends looking for something to read can check it out. The author is Dong Dapao, known as the'Self-Propelled Artillery of Reading Literature'. A super veteran driver and the 'God of Racing at Mount Akina', he knows the seeds of various vegetables and fruits as well as military unit designations by heart. If needed, you can check if he has a fan group. Xiao Fei can only help you guys this much... (To be continued.)
I Should Have Met You Sooner!
"If you want to eat them, just tell me. I definitely support your marriage plans. I've prepared all of these today. Drive over to my place to pick them up in the next few days; I still have more there." Hearing Fu Yuan's words, Jiang Hai replied to him with a chuckle.
Hearing Jiang Hai say this, Fu Yuan gave him a thumbs-up, then grinned and took the items into the kitchen. Naturally, there were people busy working in there. Although Fu Yuan didn't have a girlfriend yet, there were quite a few female guests today. It was inevitable that they would come over and help out, but the main thing was that they truly didn't need to do much.
As a bachelor, Fu Yuan naturally kept things simple. For lunch today, Jiang Hai and the others were having a barbecue. The best feature of Fu Yuan's apartment was its H-shape, which meant his living room faced the rooftop of a lower-level building nearby. That rooftop could be used for grilling—not by building a direct bonfire there, of course, but by using proper grilling racks.
He had anticipated a large crowd, so he specifically prepared two charcoal grills. One was very wide and required a wire mesh laid over it, used for grilling meat, scallops, and fish. The other was narrower, meant for skewered items (kebabs). Jiang Hai wasn't the only one who brought food today.
Xu Wei bought all the vegetables: lettuce, chives, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, scallions, garlic, and chili peppers.
Xiang Hua bought chicken wings, chicken breast meat, and a bottle of *baijiu*.
Huang Yunfei brought two bottles of red wine, plus a bucket of oysters. Of course, these couldn't compare to the ones Jiang Hai ate at Old Man Clive's place during the Sea God Festival. These were just the most common type of oysters. Since it wasn't oyster season, the price was slightly higher—five yuan for two. Well, this item was never meant to be expensive anyway.
Wang Yong bought pre-skewered meat kebabs—lamb and beef. Whether they were authentic or not was unknown, but he brought a huge pile, along with some hot dogs. Wu Ming prepared the beer: three cases, twelve bottles per case. That was certainly enough for the men today, especially combined with the ten pounds of beef Jiang Hai brought. They had more than enough food!
Naturally, the host, Fu Yuan, also prepared quite a few things, including plenty of frozen sea fish and shrimp.
After Jiang Hai and Qi Li arrived, Qi Li, being sensible, took off her coat and went into the kitchen to see if she could help. To be honest, while Jiang Hai and the others were buddies, the main thing women did when they got together was compete... but they couldn't compete with Qi Li. How could they? She was the head of a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and her husband was worth tens of billions of US dollars. She had looks, money, and education. So, there was nothing to compete over. What was there to show off? 'Look, my husband bought me a diamond ring,' or 'My husband bought me a coat'? One piece of Qi Li's jewelry might be worth more than all of their combined jewelry combined. There was no comparison. Therefore, when Qi Li went into the kitchen, she was assigned the easiest task: tearing apart the enoki mushrooms, not too large, just piece by piece.
Then they started chatting with each other. The topic shifted from 'What we bought for our home' and 'What my husband bought me' to 'What are the fashion trends this year,' 'What interesting things are happening online recently,' and 'All the bad habits of my husband.' Well, women's topics are always very sharp, and Jiang Hai could only chuckle internally about it.
Jiang Hai sat next to Fu Yuan and watched him play mahjong. Fu Yuan, his classmate, and his cousin were quite good because they played often, though they weren't playing for high stakes. At least, Jiang Hai figured he probably couldn't beat them.
After one round, Xiang Hua managed to coax his child to sleep and joined them. Since there were more people now, they switched to playing Texas Hold'em.
Of course, they were betting some money, but the stakes were small: one yuan for the ante, and a maximum raise of five yuan per round. The total wins or losses would only amount to a few hundred yuan, and none of them cared about a few hundred yuan anymore.
Jiang Hai and the others left home at ten o'clock and arrived at ten-thirty. After playing for less than an hour, it was almost lunchtime. Once they packed up, everyone moved to the outdoor platform. Plates of food were brought out. Today's main chefs were Xu Wei and Wang Yong. These two enjoyed figuring out how to cook things. Each manned a grill, and the charcoal had already been properly prepared.
Now they could start grilling immediately. While waiting for the first batch, Fu Yuan brought out some dried nuts and fruits from inside the house for everyone to snack on.
After helping move the alcohol, tables, and other items, Jiang Hai had nothing left to do. He happened to see Qi Li sitting there eating pine nuts, so he walked over and grabbed a handful to eat.
After shelling just two, Jiang Hai's eyebrows involuntarily rose—the pine nuts tasted great... Northeast China is famous for pine nuts, and many pine nuts sold across the country are shipped from there. Every Chinese New Year, even people in the Northeast buy pine nuts. Outsiders know the 'Three Treasures of the Northeast': ginseng, sable fur, and antler velvet.
But actually, in the Northeast, 99.99% of ginseng is farmed, and its medicinal effects are often no better than a radish. Sable fur is also very expensive in the Northeast; a single sable coat can easily cost twenty or thirty thousand yuan.
As for antler velvet, it's widely sold, but Jiang Hai had never eaten it once until he went to the United States.
Compared to those items, the local specialties Northeast people are more accustomed to are pine nuts, hazelnuts, wood ear mushrooms, and regular mushrooms.
Especially the wood ear mushrooms. To be honest, once you get used to eating the Northeast variety, you might find it hard to get used to the ones sold elsewhere.
Pine nuts are the same. Currently, there are mainly three types of pine nuts in China: Brazilian pine nuts, Northeast pine nuts, and *luoshui* pine nuts (also called sea pine nuts). Brazilian pine nuts are also sometimes called American pine nuts, but Jiang Hai knows from his time in the US that America doesn't really have pine nuts. There are only two types of pine trees there: American pine and Douglas fir. The former is like the pine trees used in domestic greenbelts; they produce cones, but those nuts, *heh*, even rodents won't eat them. Americans mainly eat Brazilian pine nuts, which are long and large, but honestly, they don't taste as good as the domestic ones, and they are quite expensive in China.
Northeast pine nuts mainly come from the Korean pine (*Hongsong*). This species doesn't exist on the American continent; apart from China, it is only found in Russia and some European countries. *Luoshui* pine nuts primarily come from Jilin Province and Yunnan.
Of course, there are many pine trees that produce nuts, but only these three varieties are edible and delicious.
"Hey, where did you get these pine nuts?" Jiang Hai patted Fu Yuan, who had walked over, and asked with some confusion.
These pine nuts were indeed delicious—not too oily or greasy, but the flavor was wonderfully fragrant, making you want to eat more after the first bite.
"Good, right? A classmate from my hometown brought them for me," Fu Yuan said with a smile, hearing Jiang Hai's question.
"Whereabouts?" Jiang Hai knew Fu Yuan's hometown was Mudanjiang City, but that area was known for fish.
"Hailing area. The hazelnuts are good too. His area has great wood ear mushrooms and other things." Hearing Jiang Hai, Fu Yuan spoke happily. Hearing this, Jiang Hai smacked his lips. He was extremely serious about food.
"Whenever you have time, take me to see it." After thinking it over, Jiang Hai decided he should go check it out. If there was good food, he always needed to bring some back to his manor, or else he wouldn't feel right.
"Sure, no problem! Let's see, maybe the day after tomorrow or the day after that!" Hearing Jiang Hai's request, Fu Yuan chuckled and set a time with him. It was only early spring, so he wasn't busy yet and had time to go back home.
After setting the time, Jiang Hai and the others started eating. After snacking on dried nuts for a bit, the first batch of grilled meat and kebabs was ready. Everyone started eating, and while waiting for the second batch, the beer and other drinks were opened. There was nothing more to say—time to drink!
Including Fu Yuan's house (which was already there), these people drove a total of four cars today: Jiang Hai's car, Xu Wei's car, Huang Yunfei's car, and Wang Yong's car. Wang Yong drove Wu Ming over, and Xiang Hua rode in Xu Wei's car.
Aside from Xu Wei, Huang Yunfei, Wang Yong, and Jiang Hai's wife could all drive, so there was naturally no issue with drinking alcohol.
Immediately, they were eating large chunks of meat and drinking heavily. If you haven't been to Northeast China, it's hard to truly feel the hearty and generous spirit of the people there.
As Jiang Hai and the others started eating meat, drinking, and bragging, the atmosphere steadily heated up.
Beer, *baijiu*, and red wine were mixed, and consciousness was slowly fading away. Fortunately, the women were controlling the pace. Drinking was fine, but they shouldn't drink too much or get sick—that was the most important thing.
The meal lasted from noon until evening. It was around eight o'clock in the evening when the children started acting up—some needed to sleep, some were tired, some were bored, and some needed to go home. Only then did the gathering finally break up.
Jiang Hai had drunk quite a bit today, but given his physical constitution, the alcohol wasn't a big deal, though he was feeling a bit dizzy. He still let Qi Li drive while he leaned back in the passenger seat for a quick nap. Looking at Jiang Hai sitting there and thinking about the day's events, Qi Li couldn't help but smile faintly. This kind of life was actually quite good.
There was no scheming in the business world, no deception within the family. She was starting to enjoy this life.
While driving, watching the city lights turn on outside, Qi Li murmured, "If I could let go of the Qi Group, life would be like this every day. I heard Xiaojie and Xiaoya say that besides taking a stroll through the vegetable fields, all they do every day is simply eat, drink, and play. That's practically the life of an immortal. If only I had met you sooner..." (To be continued.)
Buying Pine Nuts
"Click, click!" With the sound of a door lock turning, Jiang Hai and Qi Li returned to Jiang Hai's home around nine in the evening.
As soon as they entered, they saw Qi Jie, with her long white legs dangling, sitting bored on the sofa watching TV.
Besides her, only Azalina's trio was playing 'Fight the Landlord' in the distance; they also had nothing else to do.
Qi Ya was likely in the kitchen, as there were some sounds coming from it. As for Qi Li's mother, she was still sick and went to bed early. Although Zheng Xiue had also come along, she felt somewhat guilty. Usually, she would wake up when Qi Li's mother woke up and go to bed when Qi Li's mother slept, rarely appearing alone.
"Hey, you're back!" Seeing Jiang Hai and Qi Li return, Qi Jie's eyebrows lifted, and she said with a smile.
"'Hey' what 'hey'? Call me'Sister' and him 'Brother-in-law'." Hearing Qi Jie's words, Qi Li couldn't help but glare at her. Qi Li was still upset; what kind of situation was this? Three sisters having a relationship with the same person—it was truly absurd.
But it had happened, and she had no choice but to accept it. So, every time she saw Qi Jie and Qi Ya, it was natural for her to feel an inexplicable surge of anger. After all, acceptance was one thing, but deep down, she was still somewhat unhappy.
"Hmph..." Hearing Qi Li's words, Qi Jie pouted and then sat back on the sofa.
"I'm going to take a shower first." Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Jiang Hai, irresponsible as he was, decided to escape. After saying a word to Qi Li, he darted upstairs. Qi Li watched Jiang Hai's retreating back and slowly started walking upstairs herself. However, halfway up, she suddenly stopped and looked at Du Ning in the distance.
"Du Ning, you come too!" Qi Li waved at Du Ning and then went upstairs. Hearing Qi Li's words, everyone looked at Du Ning with a half-smile, and Du Ning's face turned red, but she didn't refuse. She threw down the cards in her hand, even though she had two Kings, and decided not to play this round. She quickly went upstairs with Qi Li.
Qi Li's consideration had a reason: she couldn't leave the imperial capital for now, and Du Ning was responsible for protecting her, so naturally, she couldn't easily leave either. If she monopolized Jiang Hai these past few days, wouldn't Du Ning be a little pitiful?
So, Qi Li, who would never have accepted being with others around Jiang Hai before, made an exception today.
However, she did tell Du Ning when they left to quietly return to her own room afterward, so her mother wouldn't see. Otherwise, who knew how distressed the old lady would be.
Upon arriving at Jiang Hai's master bedroom, Jiang Hai was already showering in the bathroom. After Qi Li and Du Ning exchanged glances, they both took off their clothes and entered the shower room. When Jiang Hai saw them, he couldn't help but smile, walked over, and pulled them both under the shower. Qi Li glared at Jiang Hai, then, while being drenched by the water, wrapped her arms around Jiang Hai's neck and kissed him. As for Du Ning, after a quick kiss, she voluntarily knelt down. What happened next no longer needed detailed description; the night was still long... The night passed without a word, truly, only some exclamations. The next morning, when Jiang Hai and Qi Li woke up, it was just the two of them. After washing up, Jiang Hai and the others didn't go anywhere today; they simply stayed at home all day. At the same time, Fu Yuan also called to tell Jiang Hai to depart tomorrow morning.
He couldn't move today. Those people didn't have Jiang Hai's physical fitness. All day today, these people were weak and sore all over, but some still had to go to work and do what they had to do. Whether it would have an impact, he didn't know.
Jiang Hai, on the other hand, was still full of vigor. After spending a day at home, just wandering around nearby, he and Qi Li drove the BMW to Fu Yuan's house early the next morning.
"Hey, you're here. You drank so much the day before yesterday, weren't you uncomfortable?" After a call that felt long, Fu Yuan walked out of his house, swaying. Seeing Jiang Hai, he specifically greeted him.
"I'm alright. I drink often in America, so it's fine." Hearing Fu Yuan's words, Jiang Hai found an excuse for himself and said with a smile. Fu Yuan had also been to Jiang Hai's place and naturally knew that there were many heavy drinkers on Jiang Hai's estate.
Beer, vodka, brandy, tequila, and so on, were all mixed and drunk together. Jiang Hai probably had a strong alcohol tolerance.
Sighing, he got into his small car, stepped on the gas, and drove Jiang Hai towards Hailin City.
Fu Yuan's hometown was also in Heilongjiang Province, Mudanjiang City, and Hailin was a county-level city subordinate to Mudanjiang City. You could call it a district or a city, just like Harbin has a city within a city that is administratively a district but actually a city.
There are many such cities throughout China, and it's less than three hundred kilometers from Harbin, so driving there isn't too much trouble. Besides the time to leave the city and get on the highway, if there's no traffic, it takes about three hours.
They departed at exactly eight o'clock, and by eleven, they could catch up and then have lunch.
The entire Northeast China is almost entirely vast plains, the Songnen Plain. There aren't many mountains in the Northeast; the largest mountain range is the Changbai Mountains, but that's in Jilin Province and Liaoning Province. Heilongjiang Province doesn't have many mountains. Small hills a few hundred meters high near Harbin are considered decent mountains. This cannot be compared with the famous mountains and rivers in the south. The only advantage is that highways and high-speed trains, because the roads are built very straight, can run very fast.
However, although Heilongjiang Province doesn't have many mountains, it does have two ranges: the Greater Khingan Range and the Lesser Khingan Range. The Greater Khingan Range is too vast, and honestly, it's truly sparsely populated, but the Lesser Khingan Range is a bit better. However, none of these are related to where Jiang Hai and the others are going today.
Hailin has many names, but the most famous should be 'Forest Sea and Snowy Plains.' Yes, events like those involving 'Mountain Eagle' happened here. Of course, whether these events actually occurred, no one knows.
But to be honest, there are indeed many mountains here that are not very high. The topography here is described as 'nine mountains, half water, half field.' Indeed, in the Northeast, it's not a good place for cultivation, but precisely because there are many mountains, there are also quite a few products from here.
Various mountain products, berries, dried fruits, and medicinal materials are all specialties of this city.
As soon as they got off the highway, Jiang Hai saw many people on both sides of the road leading into the city, selling various berries.
Among these berries, strawberries accounted for the vast majority. Jiang Hai also liked to eat strawberries, but to be honest, Harbin's strawberries—uh, Heilongjiang Province's strawberries—mainly come in two types. One is greenhouse strawberries, which look very appealing but taste very poor, almost flavorless. The second type is field strawberries, or wild strawberries. Their taste is decent, sweet and sour, but their appearance is too poor, small and uneven, and compared to strawberries from other regions, they are indeed far inferior.
In the Northeast, the best strawberries are said to be from Dandong City, followed by Shandong Province, Sichuan, and so on. Strawberries from these places are also quite delicious, but Heilongjiang Province is not included in the places with delicious strawberries. However, although Heilongjiang's strawberries are not good, another type of berry, blueberries, from Heilongjiang are considered the best in the world. Even if other cities also grow them, the taste is quite a bit worse.
However, speaking of Hailin, its two most famous specialties are pine nuts and ginseng.
This is a key pine nut producing area in Heilongjiang Province, with tens of thousands of acres of Korean pine forests. It is also one of the earliest cities in China to transplant ginseng under trees. It can be said that although this city is not large, it has quite a lot of resources. Every day, people from all over the country come to buy pine nuts and ginseng, making it very lively. Fu Yuan's classmate lives in the mountains near this city.
It wasn't Fu Yuan's first time here, so naturally, he didn't stand on ceremony and went directly to his classmate's house. When Jiang Hai and the others arrived, his classmate and his classmate's wife had already prepared a meal of local specialties.
After introductions and getting to know each other, everyone didn't stand on too much ceremony and started eating directly. Although Jiang Hai arrived in a BMW, his inherent down-to-earth demeanor made it easy for him to make friends. Before long, they all became quite familiar with each other.
After eating and drinking to their fill, the group went into the mountains behind. Jiang Hai had come this time for two reasons: first, to buy some pine nuts to eat, and second, to see if he could get some Korean pine seeds to plant. However, after inquiring, he learned that this was not an easy task. The pine trees sold now are mostly saplings. The current Korean pine seeds, which are pine cones and pine nuts, are all for eating. They are large and high in oil content but cannot be planted. And pine trees are not like willows; their regenerative capacity is quite poor.
There's an old saying that goes, 'With wind, you rustle; without wind, you rustle; one cut down, no sprouts.' This refers to pine trees. Once broken, whether it's a branch or anything else, it's useless and won't live. Therefore, transplanting pine trees is quite a troublesome matter.
However, Jiang Hai, still with a mindset of trying, got some raw pine cones. These were freshly picked from the trees, and their scales had not yet opened. Only these had the potential to be planted. After Jiang Hai takes them back to the United States, he can dry them to release the plump seeds before planting them. This might work.
After looking at the pine nuts, Jiang Hai went down to see the ginseng, also known as forest-grown ginseng. He was also interested in this. (To be continued.)