My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Yu Bo's madness, like a black wind carrying the smell of blood, swept out from the office of the county food factory.

The wind first swept through the streets and alleys of the county town, and then, along the bumpy dirt roads, it penetrated into every village and hamlet in the surrounding area.

"Have you heard? Factory Director Yu is buying ginseng at a high price!"

"We'll take anything! As long as they're from the mountains, we'll pay!"

"The price is 20% higher than at the supply and marketing cooperative!"

The news spread faster than a rooster crows.

At first, no one believed it.

But when those purchasing agents from the food factory, who were usually arrogant and haughty, actually came with a lot of money and went door to door asking questions, the entire mountain village surrounding Hongshi County was in an uproar.

In an instant, all the "wild ginseng" that had been hidden in the kang (heated brick bed), buried at the bottom of the granary, or even dried out enough to be used as firewood, were unearthed.

The threshold of the Yu family's house is practically worn down by the constant stream of visitors.

Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan was at the factory of his newly purchased "Xiushan Industrial" with Sun Dahai, planning the renovation of the famous factory buildings.

"Boss, look, these old furnaces still have good refractory bricks left after they were taken down. They can be used to build a boiler room to provide heating for the brothers in winter, which will definitely be enough."

Sun Dahai, carrying a small notebook, followed behind Lu Qingshan, his face glowing with a radiance he had never shown before.

Since Lu Qingshan took over the factory and brought back all the old workers, this gaunt old man seems to have become twenty years younger, full of inexhaustible energy.

Lu Qingshan nodded.

His gaze passed over the dilapidated factory buildings and looked towards the distant, rolling mountains.

Scarface Liu jumped off a truck, walked quickly to Lu Qingshan's side, and lowered his voice.

"Boss, we've found out everything."

"That old bastard Yu Bo has gone mad."

"His purchasing agents are like lunatics, buying ginseng all over the world. If it looks like it, they'll pay without batting an eye."

"Now, the mountain product vendors around the county town, as well as those mountain tourists, are flocking to Yu's house like flies attracted by the smell of blood."

Scarface Liu's face showed a mixture of confusion and worry.

"What is he trying to do? Is he just burning money?"

Lu Qingshan didn't say anything, but took out a cigarette from his pocket, handed it to Scarface Liu, and lit one for himself.

He took a drag and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

The smoke blurred his unfathomable eyes.

Yu Bo knew better than anyone what he was planning to do.

That was the gambler's last and most reckless bet after losing all his chips.

They risked their own lives and other people's money at the gambling table.

He was betting on that elusive "purple ginseng," the myth that could turn his fortunes around overnight.

Lu Qingshan had heard this story in his previous life.

However, at that time, Yu Bo was still the high-ranking director of the food factory. He just treated this as a joke, a scam, and boasted about it to people at the dinner table.

He never dreamed that in this life, he would become the protagonist of that joke.

"It's not that he has a lot of money."

Lu Qingshan flicked his cigarette ash, his voice calm.

"He's out of money."

Scarface Liu was stunned for a moment, not understanding.

"Boss, you mean...?"

"Where did a factory on the verge of bankruptcy get so much cash to buy goods?" Lu Qingshan looked at him. "What he spent was the factory's last lifeline, embezzled public funds."

Scarface Liu's expression changed instantly.

He had been involved in the underworld and knew better than anyone the seriousness of the matter.

"Then...then what do we do?" Scarface Liu asked anxiously. "Should we just let him keep taking them? What about our mountain produce business..."

"Let him take it."

Lu Qingshan interrupted him, a cold smile curving his lips.

"The more he takes, the faster he dies."

"He wants a high-stakes gamble, so I'll make sure he doesn't even have the chance to get to the gambling table."

Lu Qingshan threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it out with the toe of his foot.

"He wanted to buy ginseng, so I told him to use real money to buy a bunch of radish roots instead."

That evening.

The Lu family.

The kang (heated brick bed) was warm and cozy, and Lu Qingshan and Lin Xiulan were checking the various receipts that the factory had purchased under the lamp.

Lin Xiulan's abacus clicked rapidly, and she remembered every single expense clearly.

Looking at her serious profile, Lu Qingshan felt a sense of peace.

Lu Qingshan only spoke after Lin Xiulan finished calculating the last account.

"Xiulan, I might have to go into the mountains in the next couple of days."

Lin Xiulan raised her head, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

"Going hunting again?"

"No," Lu Qingshan shook his head, "it's about doing business."

"A big deal."

He got up and went into the inner room.

Grandpa Lu was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), carefully wiping his old hunting rifle with a clean cotton cloth.

He polished the gun barrel until it gleamed black, and every part of it seemed like a part of his body.

"Master."

Lu Qingshan sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Grandpa Lu grunted in response, his eyes never leaving the gun in his hand.

"I want to start a business selling mountain products," Lu Qingshan said bluntly. "I need some manpower."

"They need to be trustworthy, agile, and able to stand firm in the mountains."

"The price is negotiable."

He didn't mention Yu Bo, nor did he mention ginseng.

He knew that when talking to the old man, there was no need to beat around the bush.

Grandpa Lu stopped cleaning his gun.

He raised his head, his cloudy eyes looking at his grandson in the dim light.

Those eyes seemed to see through everything, reaching into his heart.

Lu Qingshan met his gaze calmly.

Inside the room, only the howling wind outside the window could be heard.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Grandpa Lu lowered his head again, picked up his pipe, and filled it with tobacco leaves.

He struck a fire with a flint and steel, taking two puffs.

The strong smell of smoke filled the room.

"the day after tomorrow."

The old man finally spoke.

Before dawn.

"Have them all wait at the gate of your yard."

After saying that, he lowered his head again and continued cleaning his gun, without saying another word.

Lu Qingshan stood up and nodded at the old man's back.

"Eh."

He walked out of the inner room and saw Lin Xiulan standing at the door with a worried look on her face.

"Did Master... agree?"

Lu Qingshan smiled and took her hand.

"Go to sleep."

"Starting tomorrow, I'll be very busy."

the day after tomorrow.

It was still dark; the eastern horizon was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Hongshitun is still asleep.

The entrance to the Lu family compound was already bustling like a market.

There were about twenty or thirty people standing there, their figures indistinct.

These people were all wearing thick cotton-padded coats and durable cloth shoes with multi-layered soles, and each carried a bulging satchel on their back.

They came from various villages and hamlets within a radius of hundreds of miles.

There were elderly men with gray hair, and young men in their prime.

They all carried a unique scent from the mountains and forests, a blend of the smells of wind, frost, and vegetation.

These are the most elite group of "veterans" in this mountainous area.

They are true mountain runners who make a living off the mountains.

They gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones, occasionally rubbing their hands together and exhaling white breath.

"What did Uncle Lu call us here for?"

"Who knows? They say his grandson is going to do some big business."

"I know that kid from Qingshan, he's something else! He even took down Hei Xiazi a while back!"

"Even if they're important figures, they can't just summon us all with a single word, can they? My village is almost half a day's walk from here!"

A man with a scar on his face complained impatiently.

He had barely finished speaking.

The oldest man next to him gave him a cold look.

"What? Wang Mugun, you dare disobey Uncle Lu?"

The man named Wang Mugun shrank back and instantly lost his temper.

"No, no, Mr. Liu, I was just... just curious."

Just then.

The gate to the Lu family's house creaked open.

Old Master Lu, wearing an old sheepskin coat and with a pipe in his mouth, came out from inside.

The noise at the courtyard gate disappeared in an instant.

All eyes turned to that direction.

"Uncle Lu!"

"Uncle Lu, you're still in good health!"

"Uncle Lu, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

The thirty-odd men, all of whom were tough and imposing men outside, became respectful and deferential the moment they saw Old Master Lu, like a group of students seeing their teacher.

Grandpa Lu simply waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Inviting everyone here today is not my business."

He turned around and pointed behind him.

Lu Qingshan walked out of the door.

Lin Xiulan followed behind him.

Lin Xiulan was holding the suitcase containing the remaining money she had brought back from the county town.