Chapter 5

After dinner, the family members returned to their respective rooms to rest. Chen Xiangyang quietly returned to his room. The heated kang beds in Northeast China were spacious. The Chen family's three large brick houses were the family fortune that the old man had accumulated over his lifetime. His parents shared one room, while he, his grandfather, and his younger brother Chen Xiangmin, who was in the eighth grade, shared another. His younger sister was still small, so she had a room of her own. Inside the room, Chen Xiangmin was already fast asleep and snoring loudly. Chen Xiangmin and Chen Xianglan were both eighth-grade students at the First Middle School of the Qingxiang Town Forestry Bureau. The village was four kilometers from town, and they walked the round trip every day, regardless of wind or rain. During the argument about going into the mountains the previous night, Grandpa had ultimately made the decision. His parents couldn't go against him and could only repeatedly warn them not to venture into the deep mountains. They could hunt roe deer and wild boars and set traps, but they were absolutely forbidden from provoking large predators such as bears, tigers, and wolves. It was simply too dangerous. The next morning, just as dawn was beginning to break, Chen Xiangyang was awakened by his grandfather. After brushing his teeth with a little tooth powder and washing his face, he went into the main room for breakfast. The moment he stepped inside, he heard Chen Xiangmin chattering away while eating. “Mom, why didn't you wake us up last night? Grandpa and Big Brother hunted such a huge brown bear...” Smack! A perfectly aimed slap landed on the back of his head. It hurt his pride more than his brain. “Why would I wake you up? Just eat your breakfast and be done with it. You're always making a fuss. Are you trying to be the family's troublemaker?” His mother's eyes sharpened. Under her fierce suppression, Chen Xiangmin dared not complain. No, he didn't even dare get angry. He could only turn his frustration into an appetite and keep shoveling food into his mouth. When Chen Xiangyang entered the main room, a smile immediately appeared on his mother's face. “Eldest son, you're awake. Hurry and eat breakfast. Then go with your grandfather to borrow a horse cart. While you're at it, take these two little ones to school.” Chen Xiangyang sat down and looked at his quiet younger sister and his younger brother, whose eyes were constantly darting around. He casually slapped Chen Xiangmin on the shoulder. “Your job is to study hard and try to get into college. Especially you, Chen Xiangmin. Don't let me find out you're thinking about going hunting. Otherwise, I'll let you experience what a fist as big as a sandbag feels like.” “I know, Brother.” His younger sister answered in a soft voice. Chen Xiangmin, meanwhile, was somewhat dissatisfied but didn't dare say anything. Seeing Chen Xiangyang raise his hand, he reluctantly nodded. He didn't dare challenge the authority of the eldest legitimate son because Chen Xiangyang really would beat him up. After the family finished breakfast, Chen Xiangyang carried two jin of bear meat and followed his grandfather to the western end of the village. There stood a small earthen-walled courtyard with its gate open. It had once been the village headquarters' livestock shed and was now home to an old man who had lost all four of his sons in the war. He had neither children nor grandchildren of his own. People his age called him Old Zhang, while the children called him Grandpa Zhang. Every year, the county and town governments included him in their visits to families of fallen soldiers. He had once helped the village headquarters look after livestock and earned full work points. When the village held a lottery, he had drawn a Northeast draft horse. These horses were bred using Mongolian horses as their foundation. They were strong, heavily built, and capable of pulling carts even in temperatures of thirty or forty degrees below zero. They were hardy and durable. “Old Zhang, we're borrowing the horse cart. We're heading into town.” Chen Xiangyang followed his grandfather into the courtyard and saw Old Zhang feeding the horse. When he noticed the two of them, he stood up. “Sure thing, Old Chen. I'll hitch it up for you.” Then he looked at Chen Xiangyang and smiled. “Well, young man, you've come too.” “Hello, Grandpa Zhang. I brought you some bear meat. Let me put it inside for you.” Chen Xiangyang smiled as he spoke and walked into the house, placing the bear meat beside the stove in the kitchen. “You're too polite, boy. If you ever need to borrow the horse cart, just come by anytime.” Grandpa Zhang wasn't one to fuss over things. He simply accepted the meat. Chen Xiangyang liked this kind of straightforward exchange. His grandfather drove the cart. They first returned home and loaded more than 140 jin of bear meat, four bear paws, and two roe deer hides they had accumulated previously. Then they picked up the two younger siblings and set off toward Qingxiang Town. It took more than forty minutes to travel from Poplar Village to Qingxiang Town. After entering town, they first dropped the two siblings off at the First Middle School of the Forestry Bureau. Then the horse cart continued toward the southern end of town. Seeing this, Chen Xiangyang asked in confusion, “Grandpa, isn't the supply and marketing cooperative in the other direction?” Chen De'an saw his grandson's question and answered with a satisfied, somewhat proud expression. “Do you remember the Heilongjiang Wild Animal Management Regulations that the Forestry Bureau publicized last year? They classified the big-clawed animals as first-class provincial protected wildlife, while black bears and brown bears were classified as second-class protected wildlife.” “First-class animals can't be hunted. Second-class animals can be hunted according to a planned quota. Third-class and economic species can be hunted freely. “The supply and marketing cooperative won't buy bear meat, and they don't pay much for bear paws either. Selling them privately could also get you accused of engaging in speculative trading. It's risky. “You're grown up now. It's time I took you around and introduced you to some of the connections our family has built over the years.” Chen Xiangyang fell into thought. This direction should lead to the Qingxiang Town Forestry Bureau. The Forestry Bureau was extremely powerful in those days. It operated almost on equal footing with the local government, with its own finances and security apparatus. The bureau director didn't have to answer to the town government's leaders. They belonged to different systems and couldn't directly interfere with one another. Less than ten minutes later, the horse cart arrived at a large compound. A sign above the entrance read: “Heilongjiang Qingxiang Forestry Bureau.” The exterior wall beside the entrance had been painted white, with the slogan: “Protect the Forests and Prevent Fires; Everyone Is Responsible. Safe Production.” “Master Chen, you're here.” The door of the guardhouse opened, and a short, thin old man wearing a military-style wool overcoat stepped out. Chen De'an jumped down from the cart, took a packet of grapes from inside his coat, and tossed it into the old man's arms. Then he smiled and introduced him. “Old Yang, this is my grandson, Chen Xiangyang. From now on, he'll be bringing our family's mountain goods here. I'm sure we'll be troubling you from time to time.” The thin old man waved his hand and smiled. “Boy, come whenever you want. Even if you don't have anything to do, come over and keep this old man company for a chat. Your grandfather and I have been through life and death together. Don't stand on ceremony with me.” Chen Xiangyang suddenly understood. His grandfather's connections really were extensive. Just looking at the overcoat worn by Grandpa Yang was enough to tell that he wasn't an ordinary person. He vaguely remembered that in his previous life, when his grandfather's funeral was held, several old men had come to pay their respects. Grandpa Yang seemed to have been one of them. “Don't worry, Grandpa Yang. I'm not one to stand on ceremony. I'll definitely be coming to bother you in the future.” As he spoke, he pulled out the hunting knife from his waist, cut off five jin of bear meat, jumped down from the cart, and carried it into the guardhouse. He placed it on the worn pinewood desk. “I just hunted it yesterday. Have a taste while it's fresh.” “You're too kind, boy.” It was clear that the two old men truly had a close relationship. Neither of them bothered with unnecessary formalities, and Grandpa Yang simply accepted the meat. Outside, Chen De'an wore a satisfied smile. His eldest grandson had truly grown up. He now knew how to maintain relationships. “All right, Old Yang. We won't keep you any longer. Xiangyang and I are heading inside.” After saying that, he called Chen Xiangyang back onto the horse cart. They drove into the compound and headed directly toward the auxiliary building on the right. As they went, his grandfather explained, “Xiangyang, the main building is where the offices are. The auxiliary building we're going to belongs to the Commercial Department, which can also be called the Foreign Trade Department. “They don't purchase mountain goods from ordinary villagers. They only deal with hunters who hold hunting licenses and firearms permits and have established cooperative relationships with the Forestry Bureau, as well as families of bureau employees. “Selling mountain goods here is safe, the prices are better, and you can build connections.” Chen Xiangyang already knew this. In some places, the Forestry Bureau was so powerful that the local government could hardly interfere. After all, they belonged to two different systems. Besides, the Forestry Bureau could issue official purchasing documents, making the transactions both legal and safe.