My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 8 Sudden Braking
Gold panning can be done by one or two people, but it is very inefficient and, more importantly, unreliable.

Typically, gold prospectors would team up and work together before heading into the mountains.

Zhou Jingming knew that if he went to pan for gold alone, following the locations recorded in his diary, he would either have his gold mine seized by various teams, or all his hard work would be for nothing, with the gold he found going to someone else, or he might even lose himself.

In the world of gold rush, there is nothing but madness.

One person's strength is far too weak in those deep mountains and forests, or river valleys where there is not a single human being for two or three hundred miles.

Even with Zhou Jingming's experience from his previous life, it didn't work.

After all, in his previous life, he spent five years from 1984 to 1989 in a labor camp, not in Altay.

During those five years, Zhou Jingming only heard snippets of what happened in the deep mountains and valleys of northern Xinjiang, but those snippets were often intertwined with the lives of countless people.

The reason he chose to enter the market at a time he didn't know much about was because it was the freest and most opportune time in the gold rush.

By 1989, the gold rush in China had reached its final frenzy. In 1990, the industry began to be heavily regulated. Although some people were still looking for gold, it was ultimately a small-scale operation that was driven out of control.

By then, most of the gold miners who continued to pan for gold in Altay to make a living had already become employees of various gold bosses, earning wages and living off the land, which was no longer very meaningful.

Zhou Jingming simply wanted to seize this opportunity to build up a substantial fortune. Then, whether he returned home to enjoy a comfortable life, secured a place among the gold merchants in Altay, or ventured abroad, it would all be easy for him.

To achieve all this, the prerequisite is to secure a substantial initial investment to support subsequent development.

The little money he has now is far from enough.

During his time at home, seemingly just ferrying passengers across the river every day, Zhou Jingming was constantly planning how to take this path.

Joining someone else's team has become inevitable.

If you find enough gold to exchange for money, you've succeeded.

However, those small teams are temporary combinations, a mixed bag, and while they stick together for mutual support, there is no shortage of infighting and backstabbing within the team.

Therefore, this notebook should not be in such a team.

Its value will only be revealed when it has a team under its own leadership.

Zhou Jingming originally thought of keeping it at home, but after thinking it over, he realized that it wasn't safe to leave it there. In that old house, the floorboards were practically a playground for rats, and he didn't know when they would tear it apart and make nests for it.

It wouldn't be appropriate for my family to find it; there are some things written inside that I don't want them to know.

He had considered finding a secluded place to hide, but it didn't matter where he hid it. Hiding it in Altay would be the same; he could still use it when necessary. Moreover, much of the information inside needed further verification to confirm its existence.

Therefore, Zhou Jingming still brought it out.

On the morning of the seventh day, just as dawn was breaking, the train finally arrived at Wucheng Railway Station.

After finishing his baked bun and drinking his water, Zhou Jingming got off the train with his lighter canvas backpack. He stretched his swollen, somewhat unresponsive legs on the platform and slowly walked out of the station.

The first thing I did was buy a few packs of cigarettes from a small shop next to the station and stuff them into my canvas bag, keeping only one pack in my trouser pocket.

When you get to a place like this, you have to speak Mandarin, even if people know you're from the mainland, you still have to act like a seasoned veteran.

The cigarettes brought from the mainland can no longer be taken out; we have to switch to cigarettes produced by local factories.

Because both gold prospectors and locals smoke these two types of tobacco.

If someone smokes cigarettes from out of town, it's obvious they're new here, and they're guaranteed to be bullied.

After slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he skillfully took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took out a piece of cigarette paper about two fingers wide and two inches long, rolled a small pinch of tobacco on it, licked it with his tongue, sealed the cigarette paper with his saliva, lit it, and started smoking.

Mohe tobacco is made by crushing and mixing the stems and leaves of yellow tobacco and then drying them. It has a granular appearance and is a relatively rough tobacco product with a strong flavor. It is very popular among locals in Urumqi and even in northern Xinjiang.

Having worked in Wucheng for five years, he was familiar with life there and knew a lot about the local customs and traditions, so his behavior and mannerisms were easily influenced.

He even knows some of the local dialect, which makes communication easier.

At a small restaurant near the station, Zhou Jingming ordered a plate of braised chicken and naan-wrapped meat, enjoying a hot meal. After resting for a while, he bought some Katarima naan, asked the restaurant owner for two jugs of water, and refilled his backpack. Naan, originating from Persian, means bread and is a traditional staple food in the area.

Here, naan has the reputation of being a staple food, with the saying "One can go three days without meat, but not one day without naan." Historically, the people of Gashi were known for making a living by baking naan.

The largest naan is called Aimanke. It is thin in the middle, thick at the edges, and has a pattern in the center. It can be 40 to 50 centimeters in diameter and is known as the king of naans.

The smallest naan is called Tokashi, which is only one centimeter thick and has the most exquisite craftsmanship.

There is also a type of Gejide naan that is 10 centimeters in diameter, 5 or 6 centimeters thick, and has a hole in the middle.

The Katarima naan that Zhou Jingming bought, also known as layered naan, not only tastes good, but also won't spoil after a long time, making it an ideal convenient food.

You won't know how vast the territory is until you go to Northwest China. The Altay region alone is larger than some provinces.

Zhou Jingming's destination was Altay, a small county town in the southeastern part of the Altay region.

There's still a long way to go; we can't afford to delay.

The main reason is that Wucheng is where he has worked for several years, and he doesn't want to run into acquaintances here to avoid trouble.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed straight to the long-distance bus station. Seeing that the bus he needed was almost full, he didn't linger any longer. He bought a ticket from the ticket seller, climbed onto the bus, and sat in an empty seat in the last row.

Coincidentally, it was another seat on the left by the window, which was convenient for ventilation, enjoying the view along the way, and smoking.

Not long after, a few more people got on the bus and sat down next to Zhou Jingming, making it completely full. The bus then started and left Wucheng, embarking on a bumpy ride along the road to Altan, which was in terrible condition.

He glanced around at the people in the car and could easily tell from their behavior that at least half of them were there to strike it rich.

Moreover, many of them were definitely novices, speaking with their local accents and smoking either dry tobacco or the cigarettes they brought from other parts of China. The Gobi Desert, grasslands, and mountains seemed very strange to them, and they pointed and talked about them all the way.

After Zhou Jingming had a general idea of ​​what was going on, he leaned against the window and began to rest.

However, the Uyghur uncle next to him had a strong, fishy smell that made him feel uncomfortable. He must be a herdsman who deals with sheep all year round, which is why he had such a strong smell.

Zhou Jingming didn't say much, but simply opened the car window a crack.

In fact, Uyghurs also feel that Han people have an odor.

You can't smell it yourself, but others can.

Moreover, this is during a season when snow could fall at any time, making it inconvenient to shower, so it's perfectly normal for it to smell.

"Stop the car, stop the car..."

The sudden shouts and screeching brakes jolted Zhou Jingming awake from his daze.

He shook his head and saw three people blocking the car on the road.

It seems they suddenly veered onto the road, forcing the driver to slam on the brakes. This made the driver very uncomfortable, so he stuck his head out the window and started cursing at the three of them: "Anang si gei... Salang..."

Anangsige is an animal called alpaca.

"Salang" means "idiot".

These are some extremely offensive insults. In northern Xinjiang, you have to be careful when saying these things, because a single disagreement could lead to violence, especially since they are considered taboo by certain ethnic groups.

The fact that the driver used such offensive language shows just how angry he was.

Despite his scolding, he still opened the car door and let the three of them get in.

This vehicle was designed to stop and go along the way, picking up and dropping off passengers frequently.

The three quickly climbed into the vehicle, apologized and smiled apologetically to the driver, then bought tickets from the ticket seller. Since there were no seats, they stood in the aisle near the door, holding onto the luggage rack, swaying as the vehicle started moving again.

(End of this chapter)