Chapter 858
Money Delivered to Your Door
Throughout the spring, Yue Feng devoted all his energy to the breeding and training of raptors at the farm, and the days flew by.
By the end of April, the snow on the sunny slopes of the mountain had melted, leaving only some areas on the shady slopes that had not yet completely thawed.
Traditionally, the period before the snow melts on this shady slope is a good opportunity for some hunters or villagers from the surrounding area to go into the mountains to hunt.
These people are not pure hunters, nor do they follow the rules of releasing animals in spring and killing them in autumn. When the ice thaws, roe deer and wild deer are easy to get stuck in, so even if they bring a few hunting dogs with passable hunting skills, they can easily have a good harvest.
The window of opportunity is very short, lasting at most ten days to half a month. Many people may not go into the mountains to hunt even when the leaves fall in autumn or when there is heavy snow, but they will look for this opportunity to go into the mountains to pick up bargains and supplement their family income.
Xiao Wu's leg injury had completely healed. While Yue Feng was busy hunting raptors on the mountain, the Zhang brothers persuaded Xiao Tao to also come and ask Yue Feng to go into the mountains to pick up some bargains.
Yue Feng politely declined all of them.
With their current strength, the mountain range within a hundred kilometers of the back mountain is practically a piece of cake for them, and they no longer need to get involved in these trivial matters.
"Boss, we brothers haven't gone into the mountains to fire a few shots in months!" Xiao Tao muttered, scratching his head, a little restless.
Yue Feng curled his lip and teased, "You little rascal, did you agree to some famine relief agreement with someone again?"
"A hunter who knows the rules doesn't kill in spring. Have you forgotten what my master told us about the rules?"
Xiao Tao chuckled and scratched his head: "Hehehe! I knew I couldn't hide it from you! I promised Panpan's colleague last time that I'd get her some roe deer meat or something!"
The remaining stock in the cellar is from last winter; it's been frozen for so long, it won't look very good as a gift!
Yue Feng curled his lip: "Go to my freezer and find that unskinned female roe deer! The meat is good since it hasn't been skinned and butchered, so take it and give it away!"
You're about to get married and have kids, so stop having any improper thoughts! Consider it doing good deeds for the next generation!
"Huh? That's not appropriate! I was thinking you could take us guys for a spin in the mountains!" Xiao Tao said, scratching his head.
Yue Feng rolled his eyes and glanced at Xiao Tao: "What nonsense! In about ten more days, it will be completely thawed!"
Then your house will start construction!
If we bump into anything while hiking up the mountain, all our progress will be affected! Listen to me, be careful and don't get cocky!
"Okay! Then I won't go!" Xiao Tao scratched his head and agreed.
"Did my uncle find people to build the house and arrange for bricks and tiles in advance?" Yue Feng continued to ask.
Xiao Tao replied, "It seems we've found enough manpower. For the main workers, we'll use a few old bricklayers from our own village. I didn't ask him about the materials! We should buy them near the South Gate!"
Yue Feng nodded: "You're a grown man now, don't just think about where to go for fun all day long, you need to pay more attention to things at home!"
When it comes to building materials and personnel, if anything comes up, just let me know and I'll ask a friend to help you!
"okay!"
"Go to the back and get the roe deer meat! Take the whole one. There's still some in the cellar over at the old house; we have enough to eat!"
"Mmm!"
……
Just as Yue Feng finished settling Xiao Tao, who was still quite playful, his brother-in-law Wang Mingyu arrived at the new house, panting heavily.
"Brother-in-law! The village office has a phone number for you!"
Yue Feng was slightly taken aback when he saw his brother-in-law arrive, and asked, "Did the person say what he came for?"
As the village secretary, Yue Feng had many friends from other places, so it wasn't uncommon for the village office to receive calls looking for him. He would get calls every few days, and he had long been used to it. However, most of them weren't urgent matters, and Yue Feng had gotten used to it.
Wang Mingyu answered clearly, "He didn't say, he just said he's an old friend of yours and wants to catch up with you in person!"
He said his surname was Zhang and that he had lived in the mountains!
His surname was Zhang, and he had even stayed in the mountains before; he was an old friend of his! Yue Feng scratched his head and thought for a moment, but after a few seconds, he still couldn't recall this person.
"Didn't they say anything else?" Yue Feng continued to ask.
"Oh, by the way, he said he knows Grandpa Zhao!"
Upon hearing the other person mention his master, Zhao Dashan, Yue Feng slapped his forehead, got up, and walked into the courtyard.
The person surnamed Zhang, who knows both myself and Zhao Dashan, is none other than Zhang Wenhui!
Ever since Yue Feng helped Zhang Wenhui resolve her identity issue, he had been out of contact with her since leaving the mountain. He didn't even call home during the Spring Festival, and Yue Feng had almost forgotten about his friend who was in trouble.
After Yue Feng and his brother-in-law quickly returned to the village office, the phone rang back after a few minutes.
"Hello? This is Yue Feng, who is this?" Yue Feng asked politely.
"Brother Yue, it's me! Zhang Wenhui, do you still remember me!" Zhang Wenhui's cheerful voice came through the phone.
"It's Brother Zhang! Of course I remember you! How are you doing now? My master mentioned you around Chinese New Year. I hadn't heard from you since, and I thought you'd gone to another place to make a living!"
Yue Feng responded immediately, and his attitude was very friendly.
“Hehe, my brother Zhao guessed right, I am indeed making a living outside! Now I have settled down in Mandalay!” Zhang Wenhui replied in a relaxed tone.
Upon hearing the name Mandalay, Yue Feng frowned slightly.
This place is already at the border. Compared to the stability of the mountain villages, those places are much more chaotic, and can be described as a mixed bag.
"Oh, that's great! We're not strangers, so there's no need for formalities between us brothers. You called me, so you must have something on your mind, right?"
After getting a preliminary understanding, Yue Feng got straight to the point.
"Yes, I do have something to ask of you. I'll be going back to Fengcheng in the next day or two, and I'll come to your house then to discuss it in detail! You won't be traveling far during this time, will you? I'm calling you because I'm afraid you'll be out of town and I'll be disappointed!"
Hearing that the other party said they would meet at his home to discuss the details, Yue Feng's tense mood finally relaxed.
If it's urgent, you'll definitely say it over the phone. If you don't say it over the phone, then it's not urgent.
"I've been staying at home the whole time, basically just going between home and the breeding farm on the mountain! During this period since the beginning of spring, I've been taking care of the eagles at the breeding farm, so they haven't been running around much!"
"That's good. I'll come straight to your house when I get back to the village. I miss my brother Zhao too. We'll talk in detail when we meet!"
"Okay, is there anything else? If not, I'll hang up now!"
"That's all for now!"
...After hanging up the phone, Yue Feng frowned slightly.
Yue Feng's previous impression of Zhang Wenhui was that she wasn't the kind of person who was good at talking; she was rather reserved in her behavior and knew how to maintain appropriate boundaries.
In less than half a year, he seemed much more cheerful on the phone.
In his own little corner of the world, Yue Feng could almost say that he had achieved preliminary 'financial freedom'. He could walk around his doorstep without having to worry about anyone's opinion.
Zhang Wenhui knew about Yue Feng's background, so if she wanted to ask for help, she shouldn't be in this situation.
Could it be that Zhang Wenhui called me not to ask for my help, but because she had something good to say?
Yue Feng pondered for a few seconds, but still had no clue, so he shook his head, put the phone away, said goodbye to his mother-in-law, and went home.
The next morning, Yue Feng had just delivered supplies to the breeding farm and was riding his motorcycle home when a Beijing Jeep 212 with a grain depot license plate drove into the village and parked in front of Yue Feng's new house.
Upon hearing the car engine, the dog in the yard barked a few times. Yue Feng put his son on the kang (a heated brick bed) and then pushed open the door to greet him.
Just as they stepped out of the north room, they bumped into Zhang Wenhui, who had just opened the courtyard gate.
"Haha, Brother Yue!" Zhang Wenhui greeted him with a smile.
"Brother Zhang, you're here! Come on in and have a seat!" Yue Feng quickly walked a few steps, hugged the other man, and then led him to the living room.
Zhang Wenhui waved her hand: "No rush to go inside, let's unload the things from the car first! I finally made it back, so I brought some things for you and my brother Zhao!"
Yue Feng took a look at the car parked outside. He had seen many 212s, but this was the first time he had seen one in such good condition.
Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that many parts show signs of refurbishment, and the engine sounds rather heavy, suggesting that it is a refurbished and repaired vehicle that was scrapped and then sold off.
"You've struck it rich! You've even managed to buy a car!" Yue Feng joked with a look of surprise.
Zhang Wenhui waved her hand: "These are scrap goods from the border, with a fake label on them, they'll do for now!"
As he spoke, he lifted the modified spare tire rack at the back of the car and revealed what was inside.
Having lived two lives, Yue Feng was a man of experience and knowledge, but he still couldn't help but frown slightly when he saw the gifts in Zhang Wenhui's car.
The whole case contained foreign cigarettes, including Marlboro, 555, 7 Star, and other foreign brands that Yue Feng didn't recognize.
The whole case of liquor, including whiskey and brandy, are things that are not commonly found in the domestic market.
In addition, there were two ginseng roots in excellent condition, a Citizen watch, and finally two brand-new wool coats folded very neatly.
Seeing these things, Yue Feng could guess what Zhang Wenhui was doing without her even having to say a word.
These scarce goods are hard currency smuggled along the border; many of these items are difficult to buy through ordinary channels, even with money.
"Brother Zhang, what are you doing! You brought so much stuff to my house!" Yue Feng said in a slightly somber tone.
Zhang Wenhui smiled and shook his head: "Compared to the help you gave me back then, this little thing is nothing! We brothers don't do those superficial things!"
Besides, this isn't all for you; there's a share for me, Brother Zhao! Don't tear it up, okay? It'll look bad if the neighbors see it!"
Having said that, Yue Feng nodded and helped unload the gifts from the car and carry them into the back room of the north house.
When guests arrived, Yue Feng asked his wife to prepare lunch for them, and then he brewed tea and drank tea with Zhang Wenhui in the living room.
"From what you told me on the phone, you've established yourself in Mandalay and are in the business of smuggling goods?" Yue Feng didn't mince words and asked directly.
Zhang Wenhui nodded: "That's right! I used the identity documents you gave me to find a job in a private coal mine in the city to earn money, but I was bullied and a fight broke out. When something happened, I ran away and fled to the border of Mandalay!"
There were many opportunities over there, and I met a few decent friends, so we started a water line business together! It's doing quite well now.
"When you have time to go to Mandalay, just mention my name, Zhang Wenhui, and your underworld friends will definitely give you some face!"
Hearing the other party casually recount their experiences over the past six months, Yue Feng did not press for further details.
If someone with legal status gets into trouble during a fight and flees, it's most likely due to actions like assault. If they can establish themselves in a chaotic border region, they'll definitely rely on their fists.
After listening to the other party's description, Yue Feng clearly realized that he and his master had not misjudged Zhang Wenhui. This girl was ruthless to the core.
"Haha, white rice or black rice, as long as it fills you up, it's good rice! In this day and age, there are many opportunities on the border, which is suitable for people with courage like you to develop!" Yue Feng said, holding the rice bowl.
Zhang Wenhui picked up her teacup and took a sip: "What courage or not, it's all about risking your life! If you win, you eat meat; if you lose, you give up the land!"
Hearing this, Yue Feng nodded slightly. These words confirmed his judgment. The other party might have gone even deeper than he had anticipated, and might even be licking blood off the edge to make a living.
Yue Feng changed the subject: "On the phone, you said you needed my help with something? There's no one else in the house now, what's wrong? If I can help, I'll try my best to find a solution!"
"It's nothing too important! Our water transport team wants to expand its business. You have many friends and acquaintances around Fengcheng. I wanted to ask if you could help me find channels to sell our supplies!"
Of course, one thing at a time. I'm not asking you to do this for nothing; you'll get your due commission according to the rules!
Hearing this, Yue Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
This person isn't asking for help; they're personally handing over money.
Smuggling involves goods that are in high demand and short supply. Once they are brought into the country, there is no worry about selling them.
Anyone who operates these things, if they are even slightly shrewd and have the connections established, can easily find a municipal supply and marketing cooperative, a hospital, or a regional black market to establish a stable sales channel.
Zhang Wenhui has now stabilized her position, which means the entire business line is running smoothly. She came to me ostensibly to ask for help, but in reality, she was just giving Yue Feng money.
With Yue Feng's connections in the area around Fengcheng, he could easily arrange things through any means, whether it was the black market, department stores, supply and marketing cooperatives, forestry systems, coal mining systems, or scarce resources, with just a word.
After that, Yue Feng didn't even need to worry about it personally, nor did he need to worry about his share of the profits.
"Brother Zhang, you're not here to ask me for help, you're here to give me money!"
Although I'm not in this industry, I still move around in society.
"I've heard friends talk about these things. Goods from the border have no trouble selling at all!" Yue Feng said with a smile, looking into Zhang Wenhui's eyes.
Zhang Wenhui's face was calm, but her voice trembled slightly: "Giving it to anyone is the same as giving it to anyone else, and everyone who earns it is the same as earning it, so why not give it to our own people?"
You and Brother Zhao saved my life, Zhang Wenhui! Without you, I would have died in the old forest long ago! (End of Chapter)