PNB Chapter 301 Jiang Man's husband, Chen Dawei, is gone.
Chapter 301 Jiang Man's husband, Chen Dawei, is gone.
Huang Xinliang was terrified. These days, some people really dare to say anything, and they even got it right. Was he scared? He quickly covered Li Ju'an's mouth, his eyes filled with panic, and said with a laugh, "What are you saying, Mr. Li? Who told you such nonsense? You can believe such rubbish, Mr. Li? A friend asked me to collect it."
Li Ju'an tested him, and it turned out this kid really intended to sell the wild ginseng to a Hong Kong auction house. He had done this kind of thing quite often in his previous life, but he never expected that he would already have connections with an auction house at this age.
Huang Xinliang casually offered him a cigarette, his movements practiced. Li Ju'an took the cigarette but didn't light it immediately, simply holding it between his fingers. Huang Xinliang, unperturbed, lit the cigarettes for both of them, then slowly exhaled a string of smoke rings, asking tentatively, "Mr. Li, where did you hear this news?"
Li Ju'an sneered inwardly, knowing that this kid was all bark and no bite, trying to probe his true intentions. He remained outwardly calm and replied casually, "Life is unpredictable, and coincidences are common. I just happen to have a friend who entrusted me to send something to an auction house. I heard that the price offered by that auction house is really amazing."
As Pang Duo listened to their back-and-forth conversation, his heart was pounding with anxiety. He secretly calculated that Huang Xinliang's offer was already almost unbelievable, an astronomical price. But he hadn't expected that Li Ju'an's involvement would also involve the auction house, which made it difficult for him to calm down.
He couldn't even afford to pay that much for ginseng. That's 9500 yuan, almost ten thousand yuan for a household.
Huang Xinliang frowned, his gaze sweeping over Li Ju'an with a deep look, knowing he wasn't lying. He was well-versed in the ways of auction houses, and even more aware that the foreign buyers at Hong Kong auction houses often competed to drive up prices because they didn't know the value of the items. It was not difficult for an item to fetch a high price of forty or fifty thousand from them, let alone a mere nine thousand five hundred.
He slowly exhaled a string of rising smoke rings, flicked his fingertips to shake off the ash, and with it, his inner hesitation and struggle. After some deliberation, he finally steeled himself and, in a resolute tone, announced a price in a low and sorrowful voice: "Twelve thousand."
"Twelve thousand, Mr. Li. We're both sensible people, so I won't beat around the bush. If you think this price is right, we'll make a deal. If not, there's nothing I can do. This wild ginseng is large and indeed rare, but nobody knows how much it will sell for. We have to take that risk."
Li Ju'an knew he was telling the truth. The price was within the maximum allowed for acquisition, twelve thousand at most, and he hadn't exaggerated. He nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, deal!"
A wild ginseng root that is more than half a meter long and 55 centimeters long is longer than a forearm. The thickest part of the root is as thick as a wrist and weighs 186 grams.
The roots were perfectly preserved, not a single tendril broken. Huang Xinliang carefully examined the beautiful wild ginseng, his eyes shining.
He couldn't help but praise, "This thing is really good; it can fetch a good price."
Li Ju'an chuckled with a hint of teasing, "That's right, brother. You had to be extra careful when you were loading it onto the train. If even one ginseng root broke, it would be like losing hundreds of dollars."
Upon hearing this, Huang Xinliang's expression changed drastically. He quickly took out the simple wooden box from his pocket and carefully placed the wild ginseng, which was meticulously wrapped in cloth, back into its original position as if it were a rare treasure. Then he gently closed the lid of the wooden box, making every movement very careful.
According to Li Ju'an's joking remark, Huang Xinliang's meticulous care for this wild ginseng was even more devoted than when serving his own ancestors.
Huang Xinliang stared at the wild ginseng and suddenly said, "Boss Li, I don't have that much cash on me today. I only brought eight hundred with me. Nobody brings that much money into the mountains, right? I'll go to the city to get some more. I'll come back tomorrow and give you the rest."
He picked up the wooden box, lit a cigarette, took out the 800 yuan from his pocket, and burned the bills one by one.
Li Ju'an wasn't buying it. This guy was incredibly cunning and treacherous in his previous life. He'd taken advantage of acquaintances and deadbeats countless times; otherwise, he wouldn't be known as a shady businessman.
He said with a smile, "Mr. Huang, you're too kind. It's common to be short of cash. Since we're going the same way, why don't I accompany you to the Postal Savings Bank in the city to solve this immediate problem? Tonight, we can have some fun and go to a restaurant for a good meal to celebrate."
Pang Duolai's gaze fell on Li Ju'anle, and he thought to himself, this young man is quick-witted and speaks eloquently, he doesn't seem like a hunter who spends his days in the mountains and forests. His words have a cleverness to them, which is pleasant to listen to and you can't find fault with them.
Huang Xinliang agreed, "Okay, then let's go into the city together."
Li Ju'an was holding a wooden box containing wild ginseng in his arms. How could he let Huang Xinliang touch it? Li Ju'an knew Huang Xinliang's mind all too well. He was the kind of person who would kick someone after they'd served their purpose and was very good at being ungrateful.
Thinking of what happened in his past life, Li Ju'an felt a surge of emotion. Back then, Huang Xinliang was involved in cotton transportation. A fledgling boss in Shanghai, full of enthusiasm and eager to make a name for himself, entrusted Huang Xinliang to transport a large truckload of cotton from the west. Huang Xinliang secretly cheated him, mixing heavy iron wire into the pure cotton, doubling the weight of the cargo.
That businessman from Shanghai, a complete novice, was clueless about the business. He thought he could easily make a fortune by riding the wave of the times, but little did he know that the world was a treacherous place where a single misstep could lead to total ruin. Huang Xinliang's despicable actions resulted in the businessman spending twice the amount of money to buy half a truckload of cotton and even more scrap iron wire.
He was furious. Not only did he lose all his money, but he almost jumped off the bridge. Luckily, a kind person stopped him and called the police.
After Pang Duolai and Li Ju'an finalized the honey contract, Pang Duolai turned and said goodbye. The two agreed that once the honey harvest for this season was complete, the honey was extracted, bottled, and delivered to him, and he would accept as much as he could get.
Li Ju'an nodded in agreement. He then went with Huang Xinliang to the Postal Savings Bank.
There weren't many people inside the Postal Savings Bank today.
Teller Chen Chen slowly raised her eyes, the fine bloodshot veins in them revealing she hadn't slept all night. As soon as Li Ju'an stepped through the door, she quickly covered her slightly swollen eyes with her palm, trying her best to regain her professional composure, and asked in a formulaic manner, "Excuse me, what service do you need? A deposit or a withdrawal?"
Chen Chen wore a crisp bank uniform, the well-tailored clothes still outlining her graceful figure, the waist cinched just right, adding a touch of unspoken charm. However, this usual elegance seemed to be shrouded in a hint of imperceptible fatigue.
Li Ju'an noticed the tear stains remaining in her eyes and felt a surge of concern. He asked softly, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Postal Savings Bank teller Chen Chen looked up and listened to his gentle and concerned words, feeling even more saddened.
Tears welled in Chen Chen's eyes as she stared silently at the deposit record book in her hand. Li Ju'an noticed the black cloth pinned to Chen Chen's left arm and realized that a family member had passed away.
The teller, Aunt Zhang, was no stranger to Li Ju'an. She always had a smile on her face and a knowing look in her eyes.
She knew Li Ju'an's habit of frequently visiting the bank, and she also knew about the deep friendship between him and Chen Chen. Aunt Zhang sighed, her tone regretful, "Speaking of which, Chen's brother is really unlucky. Who would have thought that he'd only been married a few months when that truck crashed into the river. His body wasn't found; the search and rescue team searched for days in the cold water without any luck."
Upon hearing this, Li Ju'an's heart skipped a beat. Chen Chen's older brother, Chen Dawei, was also Jiang Man's husband. He was a burly man who often drove a truck through the country lanes; Li Ju'an had seen him in person before.
He remembered that time when Chen Dawei arrived in Lijiatun fully loaded with goods to visit the Lu family. At that time, Song Desheng and Lu Zhiqiang had joked with him, saying that he was a little slow in pursuing Jiang Man, and that Chen Dawei had beaten him to it and won the beauty's heart.
Who would have thought that fate could be so unpredictable? Truck driver Chen Dawei had been chatting and laughing with him just moments before, and now, after one trip, he was gone?