Chapter 81

As the grilled fish and beer were served, Xiao Yuanhang and the Wei sisters chatted and drank, but the conversation mainly took place between Xiao Yuanhang and Wei Shan. Wei Wei spoke very little, only managing to interject a few words occasionally, making her seem more like a guest. Moreover, her alcohol tolerance was poor; she hadn't even finished half of her bottle of beer when Wei Shan was already nearly through with her second bottle.

By the time they finished drinking and chatting, Wei Wei had only had one bottle of beer, while Wei Shan and Xiao Yuanhang each had five bottles. After telling Wei Wei the date of his next visit, Xiao Yuanhang saw the sisters off in a cart. He watched the cart drive away before he started walking home. Because he had drunk too much beer, he didn't want to take a car, preferring to walk to digest his food and sleep more comfortably at home.

The next day, Xiao Yuanhang, along with Wang Dahai, Da Guo, and Xiao Qiang, boarded a train bound for Linquan. Since he had called Zhao Bingnan before leaving, this time Zhao Bingnan only brought Li Yifeng to meet them at the station. After getting off the train, they had a simple meal at a small restaurant near the station, then headed straight for Zhang Dashan's house.

Zhao Bingnan and Li Yifeng were very happy to hear that Xiao Yuanhang was coming today, as they had benefited greatly from their last meeting. To save time, Li Yifeng found a truck at around 2:30 PM and loaded four containers to Zhang Dashan's house. After weighing and loading, 8,000 pounds of pine nuts were already packed, and the containers were sealed with wire and lead. They were just waiting for Xiao Yuanhang to arrive, pay, and transport the goods to the freight yard, where they would be loaded onto the train that night.

When they arrived at Zhang Dashan's house, he was inside chatting with the truck driver. Seeing Xiao Yuanhang, he greeted him with a smile, "Young man, you've really helped me a lot!"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled and said, "Uncle Zhang, no need to be so polite. This is a mutually beneficial deal. How many pine nuts do you have left at home?"

Zhang Dashan replied, "About 20,000 pounds!"

Xiao Yuanhang said, "20,000 pounds isn't much. I was worried about where to get more after buying these from you."

Zhang Dashan said, "As long as you can pay, there are plenty of pine nuts. A few mountain owners I know have been asking me about it recently, wanting to sell their pine nuts quickly. The pressure of repaying loans is too high!"

"Oh, how much do they have, and what is the quality like?" Xiao Yuanhang asked calmly.

Zhang Dashan said, "The quality of the pine nuts is excellent, just like mine, guaranteed to be top-grade and full. The three families I know have about 100,000 pounds in total!"

Xiao Yuanhang's heart leaped with joy. He calculated that if they continued at this rate, they could sell all the pine nuts by the end of the year. The new pine nuts would soon be available, and these four sources would provide a steady supply. His plan was to use the pine nut business to build up initial capital, and then he could expand his operations once he had the money.

Xiao Yuanhang nodded and said, "Alright, I'll buy from them after I finish with yours!"

They transported the four containers to the Linquan station freight yard, and the truck driver happily drove away. Xiao Yuanhang knew that Li Yifeng must have given him some benefit, but it didn't concern him. He told Zhao Bingnan and Li Yifeng that he would pay them 50 yuan each for loading one container.

The shipping documents were already prepared, and Xiao Yuanhang just needed to hand over the freight and handling fees to Li Yifeng. He clearly told Zhao Bingnan and Li Yifeng that if he couldn't come in the future, Wang Dahai and Xiao Qiang would handle it. Zhao Bingnan and Li Yifeng nodded in agreement, as long as they were paid the same amount.

The next day, Xiao Yuanhang returned to Guhe with Wang Dahai and the others. In the evening, after getting off the train, Xiao Yuanhang arranged for them to have a big meal at Luming Village Hotel. When ordering the dishes, he asked Da Guo to call Xiaoliang and the others to join them. By the time the food was almost ready, Da Guo had brought Xiaoliang and the others!

As soon as Xiaoliang entered the room, he said, "Second Brother, Lao Wu has been asking me several times if we have more goods. I told him you and Hai Brother went to the mountains to collect more, and you would be back in a few days. He asked me to notify him immediately when the goods arrive, saying that several people are urgently waiting for them!"

Xiao Yuanhang laughed and said, "That's a good sign. It seems our goods are in high demand, and we don't have to worry about selling them!"

Wang Dahai also laughed and said, "Second Brother, you really have the skills. Following you is the right choice!"

"Yes, yes..." Xiao Qiang and Xiaoliang echoed.

Xiao Yuanhang glanced at Wang Dahai and said, "Don't say such useless things. Brothers, let's drink!"

"Knock, knock, knock! Is Xiao Yuanhang at home?" The next day, Xiao Yuanhang woke up around 9 AM after drinking a lot the previous night. He was washing his face in the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door.

Xiao Yuanhang opened the door and saw it was Old Zhang, the shift dispatcher. Old Zhang said, "Xiao Yuanhang, Assistant Wu from the Party Office asked me to notify you to go to her office. She needs to see you."

Xiao Yuanhang nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Master Zhang!"

After Old Zhang left, Xiao Yuanhang washed up and then rode his father's old Forever bicycle to the depot. He knocked and entered the Party Office, where only Wu Yue was present. He joked, "Sister Wu, what good news do you have for me?"

Wu Yue also smiled and said, "Of course, it's good news. Take a look..." She unfolded several newspapers on the table. Xiao Yuanhang leaned over to see. It was the "People's Railway" newspaper from the day before, with half of the third page dedicated to reporting on their train crew's efforts to help the pregnant passenger, Zhao Erni. The article was accompanied by five photos, which were clearly taken by Tang Wanjun.

Wu Yue said, "Xiao Yuanhang, you're famous now. Not only did the People's Daily report on this, but the People's Railway also gave it a large section. The Songtiedao Workers' Newspaper also reported on it yesterday. The division is going to award you the title of 'Advanced Individual in Railway Conduct.' I called you here to write a report on the incident."

Xiao Yuanhang was very pleased and said, "Sister Wu, when do you need it?"

Wu Yue said, "By tomorrow morning at the latest."

Xiao Yuanhang said, "Okay, I'll go home and write it and bring it to you tomorrow morning."

"Good, this is a good thing, don't delay it!" Wu Yue then remembered something and found a long, brown envelope among the pile of letters on the table. "Xiao Yuanhang, this is your letter. I saw it when I picked up the newspaper today. It has the Xinhua News Agency Liaodong Branch's logo on it. It might be from the reporter who helped with the delivery on the train."

Xiao Yuanhang took the envelope and immediately recognized it as a letter from Tang Wanjun. He opened it and found a copy of the "People's Daily" with the article about the pregnant passenger, several photos taken at the time, and a letter from Tang Wanjun!

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PS: It's already a long weekend. Old Qu wishes everyone a happy holiday and asks for some recommendation votes!

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