Back in the 1980s, hiking in the mountains was also a way of life

Both Wang Li and Mu Xueli knew that if someone was driving, Wang An would definitely be the one riding in the car.

So ever since Wang An parked his car on the side of the road and walked around to the front of the car to the passenger side, he has never touched the steering wheel again.

Fortunately, Wang Li and Mu Xueli were very interested in driving, and they were quite happy with Wang An's arrangements.

From DJ County to Bingcheng, it's over 500 li (approximately 250 kilometers) by train and about the same distance by car. Back then, there were no highways, and the national roads were all paved with gravel.

Driving on gravel roads, you can't go very fast; at most, you can only go up to about 60 or 70 miles per hour.

On the way, Mu Xueli gripped the steering wheel tightly and said to Wang An with a hint of excitement:

"Brother-in-law, when do you think we'll be able to afford this Liberation truck?"

Wang An thought for a moment and said:
"This gasoline-powered Jiefang truck isn't expensive, it's less than 4 yuan. If you fill it with diesel, it's more expensive, it seems to be close to 6 yuan."

The Jiefang truck borrowed from Wu Dong is the most classic and the main transport vehicle of that era, the Jiefang CA-141 gasoline version.

That's right, this car comes in gasoline and diesel versions. The gasoline version costs around 39000 yuan, while the diesel version costs around 59000 yuan. The diesel version is a full 2 yuan more expensive than the gasoline version!
If Wang An remembers correctly, the price of this car remained unchanged until 85.

Mu Xue looked into Kaba Kaba's eyes and said thoughtfully:

“If it’s only around 4 yuan, then I can afford it, brother-in-law. What do you think about me buying this thing?”

Upon hearing this, Wang An rolled his eyes at Mu Xueli, then said in an annoyed tone:
"Are you out of your mind? What do you want to do with this thing? What do you even have at home that you need a car to haul it?"

Wang An found it hard to imagine what use such a truck would be if it weren't for transportation. In rural areas, a hand tractor or a four-wheeled vehicle would be more than enough.

Wang An's series of questions immediately made Mu Xueli realize the reality, and she said with an awkward smile:

“I’m thinking that in two years we can collect furs for our own use. Once we’ve collected enough for a truckload, we can drive around and sell them ourselves. We’re sure we can make money that way.”

Wang An was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

To my utter surprise, my brother-in-law actually had the idea of ​​starting a business. But to be fair, there's nothing wrong with starting a business. Although Wang An himself doesn't want to do it, he would still support those around him who do business.

Because in this era, it's safe to say that you can make money no matter what kind of business you do.

So Wang An nodded and said:

"If you're thinking about it, buying a Liberation truck would be a good idea. Although the cost of collecting furs is not small, it's definitely more profitable than hunting in the mountains."

After Wang An finished speaking, Mu Xueli asked:
"Brother-in-law, don't you want to buy furs?"

Wang An shook his head and said:

"I don't have that idea for now. Let's talk about it in a few years."

And so, the three of them chatted and talked about all sorts of things along the way, which made it less boring.

At noon, Wang An and his two companions bought some food at a supply and marketing cooperative in a town they passed through, and then continued on their way to Bingcheng without lingering for a moment.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. After leaving the town, Wang An and his two companions were eating roasted fruit and drinking soda when they passed through a small grove of trees and discovered that a very thick fallen tree was blocking their way.

To be fair, the location of this fallen tree was perfect, because no matter whether you went along the right or left side, the Liberation truck couldn't get through.

The main problem is that there are drainage ditches on both sides of the road, and the snow in the ditches is quite deep. If a large truck were to rush down into the ditch, it would be very likely that it would not be able to get back up.

Wang Li slammed on the brakes, bringing the Jiefang truck to a stop, while cursing under his breath: "Who the hell is hauling timber? They don't even know the timber's been stolen."

As he spoke, Wang Li got out of the car, intending to move the wood aside.

Wang An immediately stopped him, saying:
"Wait a minute, what's the rush? Even if you're in a hurry, you don't need to get down there as a driver."

Wang An said this because he was worried that the fallen tree was deliberately placed there by those highway robbers.

If Wang Li gets off the bus rashly, he may not have the chance to get back on.

After saying that, Wang An moved his head forward, looked to the left and right sides of the road, and then turned around to look behind him.

Because the Liberation truck didn't have a heater, Wang An and his two companions had to frequently scrape off the frost from the windows with a knife, otherwise the truck wouldn't be able to drive at all with the windows covered in frost.

However, they only scraped the side and front windows, and the back windows were basically never scraped because they weren't needed.

When Wang An looked back while scraping off the frost, he found that there was no one on the road behind him.

After looking around, Wang An couldn't help but frown.

The main problem is that there doesn't seem to be anyone around. Could it be that this fallen tree was actually accidentally thrown here, just like Wang Li said?

But no matter what, we still have to keep going!

After a moment's thought, Wang An picked up the rope at his feet and said to Wang Li:

"I'll tie that fallen log to the hook in front, and then you can back up."

During the Great Liberation Army era, there were tow hooks on both the front and rear of vehicles, designed to tow other vehicles or to allow other vehicles to tow them.

Immediately afterwards, Wang An opened the car door and got out.

After getting off the bus, Wang An glanced around again before walking toward the fallen tree.

Just as Wang An was bending over and tying the rope to the fallen log, he saw Mu Xueli leaning out the window and calling out to him:
"Brother-in-law, get in the car quickly, someone is coming."

Wang An was startled and, forgetting about tying the rope, casually pulled out his Type 54 pistol and cocked it.

As soon as Wang An turned around, he saw a group of people in the distance suddenly emerge from the ground like mice.

A quick glance revealed about fifteen or sixteen of them, all of whom were young and strong.

At this moment, this group of people had a very complete set of tools, including shovels, pickaxes, axes, machetes, and kitchen knives—they had everything.

Without hesitation, Wang An fired two shots into the sky.

There was no other way; there were just too many people, and it was absolutely necessary to use firearms as a deterrent.

Sure enough, Wang An's two gunshots immediately calmed everyone down, and none of them dared to run forward.

After firing two shots, Wang An shouted to the people opposite him:

“I don’t care what you’re trying to do, but right now, all of you go back to where you came from, or I’ll shoot him dead.”

As he spoke, Wang An fired another shot with a "bang" at the fastest runner. (End of Chapter)