Just past seven o’clock, the bright sky quickly fell into darkness.
Compared to their hometown, the nights here were cooler. After the family freshened up, they changed into long sleeves. Shortly afterward, one of the middle-aged men they had arranged to meet earlier arrived at the door.
Mr. Wang glanced at him and instructed them, "Come back early."
"Sir, we’re familiar with Accountant Lin, and his home is less than ten miles from here. I’ll bring the young brothers back later."
Lin Quan nodded, "Master, don’t worry. If Xiao Wu wants to buy something, he can tell the brothers as well. Their group is trustworthy and knows many people."
Zhang Guoqing smiled knowingly. No wonder they were well-connected.
"Ping’an, want to stay with great-grandfather? There are a lot of mosquitoes outside."
Ping’an shook his head, "Great-grandfather, I want to see the night scenery."
Mr. Wang laughed heartily, "You little rascal, there’s nothing to see in this darkness. Go ahead, come back early, and I’ll take you up the mountain in the morning."
"Thank you, great-grandfather. I’ll be back soon."
After seeing the family off, Lin Quan asked suspiciously, "Master, such a young child, are they really going to let him go up the mountain?"
"You’ll find out in the morning. Haha... secrets cannot be revealed."
On the other side, Zhang Guoqing carried his son out the door. They didn’t encounter anyone along the way, so he asked, "Uncle, may I know your surname?"
"My surname is He, but people call me He Laoer."
"Uncle He, besides what you have, can you help me get other things? Like Heshma Oil, Monkeyhead Mushrooms, Deer Tendons and Antlers."
He Laoer grinned broadly. As expected, his elder brother was right, this gentleman wouldn’t just want wild ginseng. After all, the past medicine merchants always wanted to take some back.
"Little brother, you’ve found the right person. My father used to collect mountain goods and medicinal herbs from ten miles around and then wholesale them to businesses in the provincial city. If he hadn’t been cautious about the situation and didn’t dare to buy a shop, our family might have been criticized.
Years ago, my brother and I had no choice but to take over his network, barely supporting the elderly and young in the family. I know most of the mountain folks, and as long as we brothers visit, there won’t be a shortage."
Zhou Jiao glanced at him wordlessly. This honest reveal, was it intentional or accidental? She didn’t take it to heart; those who tread this path must have their wits, or they’d be swallowed alive long ago. Perhaps to resonate, this is another method.
"Uncle, you’re really modest! But your straightforward personality is what I like to deal with. What’s the fee according to the rules?"
Remembering his brother’s instructions, He Laoer asked softly, "Is the quantity large? If it’s large, the usual rules; if it’s small, the usual rules plus transportation fees."
Zhang Guoqing didn’t answer immediately and instead asked, "Within three days, without word leaking, how much can you get?"
He Laoer paused, "Heshma Oil and Monkeyhead Mushrooms are available now. Not sure how much, but the other party claimed to have around ten thousand yuan worth. Other goods can only be gathered within three days to know the quantity."
Zhang Guoqing nodded satisfactorily. This man spoke honestly, unlike others who would promise unlimited quantities, making him wary about trading.


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