Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

Back home, Aimin told his father about the "Five Tiger Brothers'" plans to start a mine. The usually calm Qin Yunhai reacted with unusual excitement and immediately called his two nephews over for a meeting to discuss countermeasures.

"Second Uncle, right now in the village, those five bastards from the old hunter's family are the most troublesome! I also heard that Yang Dalin, the brigade leader, is getting very close to them. It seems that this group of people are determined to dig stones in the mountain. Should we stop them this time? You say the word."

Qin Laishun possessed extremely detailed intelligence. Although he was the production team leader, he still sought the opinion of the clan head when faced with such a major matter.

Qin Yunhai didn't reply directly. He picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and turned to Qin Shuangling beside him, saying, "Shuangling, mining is no small matter. Why don't you say something?"

"Uncle, I don't have any ideas. You and my brother decide, and I'll follow your arrangements." Qin Shuangling's energy is currently focused on the two siblings, Yue Chuan and Yue Shan. He's willing to run errands, but making decisions is a bit much to ask of him.

Perhaps the tobacco leaves were a little damp, because Qin Yunhai suddenly started coughing violently. Seeing this, Aimin quickly handed the water glass to his father.

Qin Yunhai took a sip of water to steady his breathing and slowly said, "You all know how those five bastards are. They won't give up until they're taught a lesson! What I mean is, if they dare to bring their mining equipment up the mountain, we'll take men to stop them. Not only stop them, but we'll stop them! Otherwise, this beautiful mountain will be completely ruined sooner or later!"

Even if Qin Yunhai didn't say it, everyone else present could tell what he was thinking. In his youth, he fought as a guerrilla in the mountains, and after liberation, he even fought in the Korean War, only surviving thanks to the tunnel fortifications. In the old man's mind, these mountains were not only shelters and natural barriers, but also his lifeline for escaping disaster!

Knowing his second uncle was about to launch into another long-winded explanation of the mountain's importance, Qin Laishun quickly picked at his ear and interrupted, "You just said Qin Dahu showed you a stack of land acquisition contracts. Who signed them?"

"I only glanced at it, but the first one should have Qin Gensheng's name on it..." Aimin replied without hesitation.

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Laishun jumped up from his stool. He first "greeted" the old hunter's family, then turned his attention to Qin Huozi, saying, "Huozi is a pushover! He must have signed some lousy land transfer contract behind Ma Xiangju's back!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shuangling, who had been silent all along, suddenly muttered softly, "Huozi's family has three acres of land over at Shuanglingxi. I wonder how much money Qin Dahu gave him..."

"Give them a damn paycheck!" Qin Laishun waved his hand, interrupting his cousin, and said emotionally, "These bastards must have coaxed Huozi into signing the papers first. Road repairs and equipment purchases cost money; where would they find the money to compensate the commune members!"

Qin Laishun's strong reaction wasn't because the "Five Tiger Brothers" were cunning or treacherous, but because they were furious that the other party had bypassed him, the team leader, and actually colluded with Yang Dalin from another village to mine. The five brothers signing contracts with the villagers behind his back—wasn't that a blatant attempt to kick him out?

Ultimately, Qin Laishun was nothing like Qin Yunhai and his father. He had no grand ambition to protect the mountains and forests; like the "Five Tiger Brothers," he had also profited from the mines. That old mine pit in Dongling even owes a debt to Qin Laishun! When Qin Yunhai fell ill and was hospitalized, he took over as team leader and immediately discarded his second uncle's principles. First, he brokered a reconciliation between Qin Family Village and Lao Family Slope, then turned around and sold the stones from the mountain to out-of-town mine owners. Without his cover, could those out-of-towners have dug such a huge pit? If it weren't for the frequent accidents involving explosives and the sharp drop in ore prices, the out-of-town owners would never have run off with the money; they probably would have leveled Shuangling Mountain by now.

From beginning to end, Qin Laishun only considered his own interests. However, he was very good at hiding them, and apart from Qin Yunhai, no one in the entire clan could see through his ulterior motives.

"Since Qin Dahu has already convinced Qin Huozi, they can just start building the road directly. Why do they still need me to sign a contract? Isn't that redundant?" Aimin was an educated man, and he really didn't understand the intricacies of the village, which is why he asked such a "foolish" question.

"Aimin, although you're well-educated, it's normal that you don't understand things like mining stones in the mountains. They're obviously trying to win us over by contacting you. Besides, mining requires dumping slag; what other options do they have besides acquiring all the land at the foot of the mountain?"

"But Shuangling Creek is right next to Shuangxitian! If we dump slag there, won't that block the river? What if there's a flash flood? Where will it drain?" Aimin's focus on problems is always so "unconventional." Precisely because he doesn't value economic interests, he hits the nail on the head.

"Yang Dalin knows a bit about water conservancy, and he might have already planned to change the course of the river. But now is not the time to talk about that. Right now, we still need to test the waters with those tiger cubs and make them run into a brick wall before we talk about anything else..." Qin Yunhai brought the topic back. Then, he discussed specific countermeasures with his two nephews. The group talked enthusiastically, and before they knew it, it was already past midnight.

Qin Yunhai's health was no longer that of a young man; he coughed throughout the conversation.

Aimin urged him to rest early, but the old man wouldn't listen. Seeing his father's eyebrows furrowed into a knot, the son felt terrible. "Dad, don't worry about this! These people don't have a mining permit at all. At worst, I'll report them to the county land bureau and make them regret it!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Laishun and Qin Shuangling exchanged a glance and said in unison, "No way!"

"Aimin, you're still young. You're capable at work, but getting things done in the village isn't as simple as you think. I advise you not to get involved. Focusing on teaching is far better than anything else!"

Qin Laishun chimed in, "That's right! Shuangling is absolutely right! Aimin, you're a government employee, so don't be the one to stick your neck out. Don't worry, with your two brothers backing you up, you can just focus on your work!"

Having said all that, Aimin stopped talking, and the group quickly dispersed without further conversation.

As Qin Shuangling saw his two cousins ​​off, he unexpectedly pulled Aimin aside, hesitated for a moment, and then said these words:

"Aimin, let me give you a heads-up. There are a lot of shady characters in the village. If you can avoid something that might cause trouble, do it. Who is Qin Ergou? If it weren't for his instigation, how would Qin Huozi have dared to go to the fields and harass you? But don't take it to heart. I've already dealt with Qin Ergou. If he dares to say anything filthy again, don't get angry or lay a hand on him. Just tell me, and I won't let him off easily!"

Although it's incoherent, how could the lovely people not understand?

This was clearly referring to Qin Huozi's "catching adulterers" in Shuangxitian. Aimin was so ashamed that his ears burned. If it weren't for the darkness, he would have crawled into a hole right now—it was really bad luck for him to be involved in such a sordid affair.

Knowing that his cousin was a shy intellectual, Qin Shuangling didn't say anything more. Aimin didn't thank him either. There was no need for formalities between cousins. Knowing that the other party was protecting him was enough.