Seeing that Zhuang Rui wanted to go, Adila encouraged him vigorously from the side.
“Alright, Master Uncle, you can stay here with peace of mind. I'll go up the mountain with the jade mining team to take a look…”
In fact, Zhuang Rui didn't care much about the ownership of the jade, but he wanted to see the legend of the jade miners, which had been passed down for thousands of years.
Upon hearing this, the old man's face showed a strange expression, and he asked Zhuang Rui, "Have you really decided to go? You might not be back for ten days or half a month..."
Zhuang Rui nodded and replied, "Yes, I'll go and take a look. Uncle Tian said that all the jade we find belongs to us. If I'm lucky, I might find a piece of mutton fat jade."
In Zhuang Rui's mind, however, he regarded this trip into the mountains as a vacation. A lot had happened during this period, and he felt that he needed to think about things in a quiet place, as well as his future career plans. He couldn't just run around aimlessly every day, could he?
"Well done, young man, you have drive. I'll have someone prepare your luggage right away."
When Adila saw that Zhuang Rui had agreed, she happily stood up and went out.
"Travel bags?"
Zhuang Rui looked at the old man with a puzzled expression.
The old man looked at Zhuang Rui with a half-smile and said, "Kid, do you think jade mining is like tourism? The environment in the mountains is very complicated. In the past, every year some jade miners went into the mountains and stayed there forever. In recent years, the equipment has improved, and the danger has been reduced a lot, but it is definitely not as comfortable as you think. So, do you still want to go?"
Searching for jade mines and mining jade in the mountains is extremely difficult and dangerous, requiring a high level of physical fitness, knowledge, and wilderness survival skills from the accompanying personnel. Despite Zhuang Rui's tall and strong physique, Old Master Gu was still a little worried.
"go!"
Zhuang Rui nodded firmly. He had heard many legends about Kunlun Mountain, and now that he had the opportunity to explore the mountain, he would definitely regret it if he didn't go.
"Xiao Zhuang, you'll go into the mountains with Da Zhi tomorrow. He's been there a few times before and is very experienced. You young people will get along well with him..."
Just then, Old Master Adila pulled in the driver who had driven Zhuang Rui at noon, patted Zhang Dazhi hard on the shoulder, and said, "Young Zhuang is my honored guest, you must take good care of him."
"Uncle Tian, I'm actually two years older than Dazhi."
Zhuang Rui was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by Adila's words.
“The mountains are different from the outside world; you rely on experience. Xiao Zhuang, once you go into the mountains, listen to this young man’s advice and don’t make decisions on your own. Otherwise, you shouldn’t go.”
The old man put on a stern face and spoke very seriously to Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 266 The Mineral Vein (Part 1)
"I understand, Senior Uncle. Don't worry..."
Zhuang Rui also became serious. He had not learned any wilderness survival skills, and all he could rely on was his relatively strong body and the intelligence in his eyes. Zhuang Rui knew that without unified command in the wild, it was easy for things to go wrong.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, around five o'clock, Zhuang Rui was woken up. After getting dressed and walking out of the small building, he found the courtyard already packed with people. Zhuang Rui estimated that there were at least several hundred people, but no one was making a fuss; it was very quiet.
In the middle of the courtyard, there was a large square table with a sheep's head on it, and a table full of fruit platters. These were offerings to the mountain god to bless the jade miners who came into the mountains with safe and sound matters.
The ceremony was presided over by an old man, and it was very simple. After saying a few words, he offered wine to heaven and earth, sprinkling it on the ground. Then all the men who were about to go into the mountains took a bowl of wine and drank it down in one gulp. Zhuang Rui was also given a bowl of wine, but luckily it was red wine, otherwise, half of the people present would probably have collapsed after drinking that bowl.
After the ceremony, the crowd dispersed immediately, with each group searching for their members. Some of the men's families came to see them off, and the scene became noisy.
"Brother Zhuang, come here, let me introduce you..."
As Zhuang Rui craned his neck to look for Zhang Dazhi, Zhang Dazhi waved to him from a distance of more than ten meters away, with three other people standing beside him.
"Brother Zhuang, this is Brother Tiezi, this is Wang Fei, and this big, simple guy is called Mengzi. Don't let his size fool you, he's a year younger than me. We're all in a group of five this time, so let's all get to know each other. Brother Zhuang is a distinguished guest of Prince Yu. He was specially assigned to our group."
Zhang Dazhi introduced the group to each other.
When Zhuang Rui shook hands with the group, he sized them up. Tie Ge was a bit older, around thirty-four or thirty-five years old, while Wang Fei was younger, about the same age as Zhang Dazhi. Neither of them were tall, but they looked very capable.
Mengzi, on the other hand, was all muscle and over 1.9 meters tall. He had a rather honest-looking appearance and didn't get angry when Zhang Dazhi called him "Big Fool." He just kept chuckling.
Tie Ge and Wang Fei's attitude towards Zhuang Rui wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't exactly enthusiastic either. They were somewhat reluctant to have a newcomer like Zhuang Rui in their team, since having a newcomer would affect the progress of jade mining.
Furthermore, according to the rules of jade miners, the jade mined by a team is to be divided equally among everyone. Since Zhuang Rui has no experience in jade mining, he will also have to share his share. This is why Tie Ge and Wang Fei are unhappy. However, since Zhuang Rui joined the team at the Jade King's behest, the two of them didn't show any displeasure towards Zhuang Rui.
"Xiao Zhuang, and you guys, come here..."
Not far away, Old Master Gu and Adila were standing there, waving to Zhuang Rui and the others, who quickly walked over.
The old man pointed to a large backpack that was over a meter tall next to him and said to Zhuang Rui, "This was specially prepared for you by your Uncle Tian. Look, this trekking pole is your Uncle Tian's beloved tool, and he's letting you use it too."
As he spoke, the old man handed Zhuang Rui a hiking stick he was holding, saying, "There's a little mechanism on the handle of this stick. Look, press your finger here, and this claw will appear underneath. It can pick up stones the size of a fist, saving you the trouble of bending down to pick them up. This claw is made of a special alloy, so it's very sturdy. Thank you, Uncle Tian."
"Hehe, no need to thank me. If you knew nothing about jade, I wouldn't have given you this item. But let's get this straight: whatever good stuff you find this time, you'll have to sell it to this old man first."
Adila waved his hand and said to Zhang Dazhi and the others, "Are you all complaining that the old man arranged a new person for you?"
"No, no, Uncle Tian, you're joking."
Tiezi and the others quickly shook their heads in denial. Even if they had a thousand complaints in their hearts, they dared not show them in front of the Jade King. In the Xinjiang jade industry, no one dared to offend the Jade King.
"Don't let Xiao Zhuang's youth fool you, he's a director of the National Jade Association. His jade appraisal skills are no less than mine. Having him with you guys is a blessing..."
Adila's words surprised the group. They had assumed Zhuang Rui was Old Master Gu's nephew who was just there to join in the fun. But upon hearing Zhuang Rui's identity, they were taken aback. After all, the Jade King himself was merely a director of the Jade Association.
"Ahem, Uncle Tian, you're joking. Brother Tie and the others are veteran jade miners. I should learn more from them..."
Zhuang Rui offered only a limited degree of modesty. Old Gu had already told him about the team's resource allocation yesterday, but given the special nature of Zhuang Rui's eyes, he was naturally full of confidence and there was really no need for excessive modesty.
"Alright, you guys go eat. The trucks are all arranged, and we'll be leaving in twenty minutes..."
After Uncle Tian finished speaking, Zhuang Rui stepped forward and picked up the large backpack. It was quite heavy, weighing at least fifty or sixty pounds. It wasn't that Zhuang Rui couldn't carry it, but carrying this thing up the mountain, he probably wouldn't be able to go very far.
"Brother Zhuang, I'm here..."
Mengzi stepped out from behind Zhuang Rui, took the backpack with one hand, casually tossed it behind his back, and slung it over his shoulder as if it were nothing, leaving Zhuang Rui speechless.
In a corner of the courtyard, there were several large pots filled with porridge. On the table next to the pots, there were also fried dough sticks, steamed buns, and other breakfast items. Several women were serving porridge to everyone. Behind them, there was a pile of backpacks that looked like schoolbags. Zhuang Rui could see that there was a water bottle in each backpack.
Zhuang Rui noticed that everyone received a small backpack when they got their porridge. When it was his turn, he was also given one. Holding the porridge in one hand and a fried dough stick in his mouth, Zhuang Rui opened the backpack and saw a heavy green military water bottle inside, as well as dried meat and flatbread wrapped in oilcloth. These were their supplies after they went up the mountain.
During the meal, Zhang Dazhi introduced everyone's strengths to Zhuang Rui. Tiezi was an old jade miner who had been going up the mountain with adults since he was fourteen or fifteen years old. He was very familiar with the terrain of the Kunlun Mountains and the Yulongkash River, and naturally had a lot of experience in jade mining.
Wang Fei was Zhang Dazhi's comrade-in-arms. They had gone up the mountain together several times. Wang Fei was an excellent marksman, and he was in charge of the squad's only shotgun. Mengzi was physically strong and did all the physical work, such as setting up camp. As for Zhang Dazhi, he had extremely strong survival skills. Last year, during a trip to the mountains to mine jade, he got separated from his squad and survived alone in the mountains for nearly twenty days without any food supplies, eventually making it out safely.
Overall, Zhuang Rui's jade-mining team was a well-organized group, taking into account various aspects such as safety. It was probably Jade King's intention to accommodate Zhuang Rui, who was entering the mountains for the first time.
At six o'clock, a whistle blew, and the people squatting in various places to eat stood up. According to the usual rules, when it was time to leave, they had to get on the bus and leave immediately, and no one would wait for the latecomers.
"Hurry up, everyone get on the bus..."
"You little rascal, where are you going to hide? Get in the car now."
“Eniwar, are you still reluctant to part with your water tank (Uyghur for wife)? Why don’t you take it with you? You can have some fun tonight.”
A chaotic commotion filled the courtyard as teams called out to their teammates. A Uyghur youth, who had recently married, was saying goodbye to his wife, drawing jeers from a group of bachelors.
The young man was going to replace the people working at the mine, and it was estimated that he would be gone for about half a year. His wife was reluctant to part with him and stood there quietly sobbing.
There were six vehicles parked outside the courtyard, including only one minibus and the rest were large trucks with canopies. Zhuang Rui and the others naturally boarded the minibus. After sitting down, Zhang Dazhi happily said to Zhuang Rui, "Brother Zhuang, we're really lucky to have you here this time. Last year, I had to take a truck up the mountain..."
After hearing what Prince Yu had just said, Tiezi and Wang Fei became much more enthusiastic towards Zhuang Rui. This wasn't because the two were mercenary, but because they only had one chance to go up the mountain each year, and their entire income depended on this opportunity, so naturally they were unwilling to mentor newcomers. However, Zhuang Rui had a specialty in appraising jade, so that was a different story.
There are many jade stones on the mountain that are extremely difficult to identify, and each person has a limited weight limit. With Zhuang Rui accompanying them, they can choose to carry valuable jade stones. A master who can identify jade is of great help to them.
"Brother Zhuang, there's no turning back, that's the rule."
After another short whistle, the convoy slowly started moving. Zhuang Rui and his group were in the last minibus. Hearing shouts from the crowd behind them, Zhuang Rui was about to turn around to look when Zhang Dazhi stopped him.
The jade miners standing on the large trucks at the front were all facing forward, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the poignant lines, "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs, never to return."
Hotan is located at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains, and after driving for more than an hour, the terrain gradually rises.
Everyone has probably heard of the Kunlun Mountains from various myths and legends. Starting from the Pamir Plateau in the west, the mountain range is 2,500 kilometers long, with an average altitude of 5,500 to 6,000 meters. The highest peak is located at the border of Xinjiang and Qinghai, with an altitude of 6,860 meters.
Legend has it that the immortal ruler of Kunlun Mountain is the Queen Mother of the West, and the "Jade Pool" recorded in many ancient books is the Black Sea at the source of the Kunlun River. At an altitude of 4,300 meters, the lake is clear and beautiful, with flocks of birds and wild animals, and ever-changing weather. The Wild Buffalo Gully, which flows through the Kunlun River, contains the precious Wild Buffalo Gully rock paintings.
Not far from the Black Sea are the legendary places where Jiang Ziya cultivated the Five Elements Dao for forty years: Yuxu Peak and Yuzhu Peak, which are covered in silver all year round and shrouded in clouds and mist. Kunlun Spring, located on the north bank of the Kunlun River, is the largest non-freezing spring in the Kunlun Mountains.
The non-freezing spring creates the spectacular "June Snow" phenomenon of the Kunlun Mountains. With a large and stable water volume, it is said to be the spring water used by the Queen Mother of the West to brew nectar, and is considered high-quality mineral water. The Golmud River, originating in the middle reaches of the Kunlun Mountains, has long eroded the slate, forming a breathtaking canyon with sheer cliffs dozens of meters deep.
Because Zhuang Rui and his group were going deep into the Kunlun Mountains, they still brought thick cotton-padded clothes even in June. It should be noted that there are many snow-capped peaks in the Kunlun Mountains that are covered with snow all year round.
As the car headed into the mountains, Zhuang Rui noticed that the trees he saw along the way were all low shrubs, not the tall, broad-leaved trees typical of the south. Just now, on a hillside, he had spotted a herd of wild donkeys. As soon as Zhuang Rui picked up his camera, the roar of the car engine caused the herd to scatter.
The car drove for more than three hours on the mountain road, and in the distance, the towering peaks were covered with snow.
According to Zhang Dazhi, the altitude here is already over 3,000 meters, and most people would experience some altitude sickness. However, Zhuang Rui, who had experienced a trip to Tibet, did not feel any discomfort. He was just a little regretful that Bai Shi could not accompany him, otherwise he could have experienced the charm of the snow-capped mountains.
"Brother Zhuang, we're almost there. Do you see that mountain pass ahead? That's the transit point for entering the mountains."
Zhang Dazhi and the others had been here several times and were already used to it. Fearing that Zhuang Rui might feel stifled, they started telling him about the legends of the place.
After the car passed the Karakoram Pass, Zhuang Rui could clearly see a mountain peak appearing ahead, separated by a babbling ditch.
This is the famous legend of "The Old Man Gazing at the Mountain." In ancient times, an old man's son went to the Kunlun Mountains to mine jade but never returned. The old man then sat at the mountain pass, waiting. Day after day, year after year, generation after generation of jade miners followed in the footsteps of their predecessors into the mountains, only to descend wearily. The old man carefully observed each passerby, but he never saw his son. Thousands of years have passed, and he has remained there, motionless, hoping and watching…
Besides the Jade Pool of the Queen Mother of the West, many more beautiful stories are told about Kunlun Mountain.
However, after getting off the bus, the Kunlun Mountains didn't feel so beautiful to Zhuang Rui.
The place where we got off the bus was a transfer station. Whether people were going into the mountains to mine jade or workers going to the mines, they all had to stop here. In this open space of more than a thousand square meters, there were dirty garbage such as plastic bags everywhere.
The so-called transit station was just a two-story building. Next to the building was a shed with four or five camels inside, which made Zhuang Rui take a few more glances.
Zhuang Rui's group wasn't the only convoy heading into the mountains. Three trucks were already parked in front of the small building at the transfer station. The noisy crowd swarmed towards the building. Zhuang Rui was confused and, in a moment of distraction, realized that of the more than one hundred people who had been standing around him, he was now all alone. Even Zhang Dazhi had disappeared.
Looking at the dense crowd, Zhuang Rui had no interest in squeezing in. After about four or five minutes, the crowd dispersed a little, and then Zhuang Rui saw Zhang Dazhi walking over carrying two enamel mugs.
"Brother Zhuang, eat up. This is the last hot meal we'll have in the mountains. There are many restrictions on starting a fire in the mountains, and most of the time we'll only be able to eat the food we brought."
Zhang Dazhi handed Zhuang Rui an enamel mug containing two steamed buns and some mutton soup. Five or six hours had passed since morning, and Zhuang Rui was very hungry, so he took the mug and started eating.
After the meal, the various jade mining teams joined together and headed into the mountains. Some teams consisted of only two people, which Zhuang Rui knew were people with extremely rich jade mining experience. They were unwilling to team up with novices, fearing that the jade they mined would be split evenly. Such teams were usually longtime friends or relatives.
"Brother Zhuang, the prince asked me to take you to the jade mine first, and then we'll go into the mountains to mine jade. What do you think?"
"Dazhi, you make the arrangements. I'll just go with you."
Zhuang Rui did not forget the instructions given by the old man before he came.
"Let's go then..."
Dazhi called out to Tiezi and the others, then followed the miners into the mountains.
The transfer station is more than ten kilometers away from the mining area. Normally, when there are fewer people, they can ride camels up, but today that is obviously not possible. There are more people than camels, and the camels are used to transport production and living materials, so the miners have to walk. Zhuang Rui looked around and saw that most of these workers were Uyghurs.
On flat ground, a distance of more than ten kilometers is nothing to anyone, but it is different on a mountain at an altitude of three or four thousand meters. Severe lack of oxygen makes people feel chest tightness and shortness of breath, especially new workers who have just come up the mountain without experience. Their headaches are like wearing a tight headband, and every step they take makes their heart pound, their breath catch in their throats, and their legs tremble.
At the front were several camels carrying supplies, with the workers following closely behind. Although they weren't used to it, they were all gritting their teeth and persevering.