Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Jin Wanfu was stunned for a long time after hearing this, then suddenly slapped his thigh and burst into laughter.

"That's great! You really understand life, buddy!"

He laughed for a while before shaking his head and sitting down again. He reached for the cigarette case on the table, lit one for himself, took a deep drag, and said, "Well, it seems I don't even need to ask Director Li to do that favor."

Zhao Shanhe raised an eyebrow: "What is it?"

"What else could it be?"

Jin Wanfu exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a wry smile, "Before I came, Director Li specifically instructed me to try and persuade you to return to Hongxing Factory. After all, many people in the factory felt it was a pity that you left, and Director Li also felt that it would be a waste for you to return to Kaoshantun with all your skills. But now it seems that I wasted my breath. You, Zhao Shanhe, are not the kind of person who can stay there peacefully at all. If I really try to persuade you, I'm afraid I'll end up getting cursed at as well."

Zhao Shanhe grinned: "Good to know."

"Alright, alright, I won't try to persuade you otherwise."

Jin Wanfu waved with a smile, but after the laugh, his hand holding the cigarette suddenly paused, and his expression became more serious. "But then again, you're not planning to go back to Hongxing Factory, but you can't just stay in Kaoshantun sunbathing every day, can you? Shanhe, what are you planning to do next?"

Zhao Shanhe's smile faltered slightly.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lowered his head, looked at the half-burnt cigarette in his hand, and remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking:

"To say I have no thoughts at all wouldn't be accurate. I've already spoken frankly with Erga and the others. Since they're willing to follow me, Zhao Shanhe, I can't just lead them to risk their lives. Back when we were poor, we all followed me into the mountains to hunt and trade, risking our lives, all for the sake of one day being able to make a living, right?"

"But what happened at the Red Star Machinery Factory this time made me see things for the first time."

"Whether it's trying to infiltrate the system and play mind games with those people, or going to the underworld and fighting to the death, this path is simply not suitable for us. Those above just talk, and we, the people below, have to risk our lives to pay the price. I don't want Da Niu and the others to go back to those dangerous businesses. I have to find them a safe and secure way to settle down and make money with dignity."

Zhao Shanhe flicked his cigarette ash lightly, his tone becoming somewhat heavy: "I don't really have much to worry about right now. My family has enough to eat and wear, and we have some savings. As long as I don't mess things up, Lin Xiu and Niu Niu's future will be pretty good. But Da Niu, Er Ga Zi, and all the brothers who have followed me all the way to this point are different. They've all risked their lives for me. I can't just eat my fill and then look back and see the people who followed me still living in dilapidated houses, worrying about a few dollars all year round. At least I have to make sure that each of them can stand tall, have money in their hands, have food at home, and that their wives and children aren't poor."

At this point, he frowned and looked up at Jin Wanfu: "As for what exactly we should do, I'm really not sure yet. Boss Jin, you've traveled all over the country these past years, what kind of business haven't you seen? When it comes to making money, you know more than I do. Can you give me some advice, is there any way that's suitable for our group?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Wanfu did not immediately answer. He squinted, took a drag of his cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and thought for a moment before slowly speaking:

"Brother, if we're just talking about making money, that's too simple."

Jin Wanfu counted on his fingers for him, "First of all, it's what you're doing now: continue collecting hides and mountain products. Mushrooms, pine nuts, medicinal herbs—collect whatever's valuable in the mountains. You're close to the mountains, and your men are all incredibly resourceful. As long as you can collect the goods and deliver them to the city, I'll find a way to sell them for you. You know this route well; you can make money steadily by continuing down this path."

"Take transportation for example."

Jin Wanfu held up another finger. "With your connections in the city and the influence with Director Li, if you really want to do this, finding a way to get a few vehicles and set up a transport team isn't that difficult. Factories need vehicles for transporting goods, foreign trade needs are needed for hauling goods, and so many units in the county and city need vehicles. Once you get the hang of it, it's a long-term business. Even if you feel this isn't enough and want to go further afield, to the south, to other places, with the people you know now, as long as you really want to venture out, you can always find a way."

He suddenly stopped. Jin Wanfu, cigarette between his fingers, looked at Zhao Shanhe, his expression gradually becoming extremely serious:

"But in the end, these are all just ways to make money, and you can actually go down any of them. So the real issue isn't whether there are other options, but what you yourself really want."

Zhao Shanhe looked up at him but didn't say anything.

Jin Wanfu pointed at him: "Shanhe, you need to figure this out first. Do you want to stay in Kaoshantun, lead Ergazi and the others to make a living and never have to worry about food or clothing? Or do you think this small plot of land is too small and want to expand your business to the county, city, province, or even further afield? Or do you not want to stick to one business at all and just want to do whatever you want? If you're after something different, the path you take will naturally be different."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

Zhao Shanhe kept his head down, remaining silent for a long time. The cigarette between his fingers burned slowly until a long, grayish-white ash accumulated, at which point he seemed to snap out of his reverie and flicked it lightly.

What do you want? This question sounds simple, but he couldn't give an answer right away.

In the past, when life was poor, he thought about how to feed his family. Later, troubles came one after another, and he thought about how to get rid of the people in his way. Then he joined the Red Star Machinery Factory, and his mind was full of those machines, those brothers, and all sorts of messy schemes behind the scenes.

It seems that from beginning to end, there was always something in front of him forcing him to move forward.

But looking back now, life at home has returned to normal, those who needed to be taken care of have been taken care of, and even the production line at the Red Star Factory has started running again.

Suddenly, no one was forcing him to move forward, and he genuinely didn't know where to take his next step.

Seeing his silence, Jin Wanfu did not press him further.

After a while, he smiled and patted Zhao Shanhe on the shoulder: "Alright, this isn't something you can figure out by sitting here smoking a couple of cigarettes. You should use this time at home to think it over carefully and figure out your future path. As for those brothers down there, don't stop your business of buying hides and mountain products. Keep buying things like wood ear mushrooms and sending them to me. That'll be some income, and it'll keep them from getting bored and causing trouble."

He looked at Zhao Shanhe with utmost sincerity: "No matter what you decide to do in the end, I'll support you. Whether you need money, connections, or people, as long as I, Jin Wanfu, can lend a hand, just ask."

As he spoke, he braced himself on his knees to stand up, patted the dust off his trousers, and said, "Think it over carefully. I've been staying in the city most of the time. I haven't finished dealing with the backlog of foreign trade orders and those messy accounts with the Soviet Union, so I'm not going anywhere for now. When you've figured it out, come find me."