The whole country is red

“Mr. Han!”

Huang Laosan pushed open the door from the front yard and walked in, respectfully calling out to Zhao Dongchuan.

“Sit down!”

Zhao Dongchuan pointed to the stool beside him.

Seeing his serious expression, Huang Laosan didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down.

“The New Year is coming soon. Have you bought New Year's goods?”

“I bought a lot of clothes for my old mother at Hometown, and the house has many new items. Now we don’t have to worry about food and clothing. Thank you, Mr. Han, for your life-changing kindness!”

At this point, Huang Laosan stood up again, somewhat agitated, and bowed to Zhao Dongchuan.

“Hahaha, you deserve it. You work for me, and I certainly won’t treat you unfairly!”

Saying that, he took out 100 yuan from his pocket and handed it to Huang Laosan.

“This 100 yuan, 50 yuan is your year-end bonus, and the remaining 50 yuan, you distribute to your subordinates, so they can have a good New Year!”

Huang Laosan was very touched to see Zhao Dongchuan giving him money again. He used to scam people everywhere, but he never made money this fast.

Moreover, sometimes when he scammed people, he would get beaten if he encountered strong individuals, and after being reported, he would have to hide everywhere.

Although it was still considered speculation and profiteering in name, it was considered a legitimate business in the past.

He knew very well in his heart that he would definitely be able to do business normally in the future.

The world will never be without “merchants”!

Now he was completely convinced by Zhao Dongchuan, no longer just under the influence of Hypnotism.

“I’m planning to go back to Hometown for the New Year. My train is tonight. You should also take an early holiday. Relax, relax. Take this time to think things over. We’ll plan everything out properly after the New Year!”

Huang Laosan nodded in agreement.

Afterward, Zhao Dongchuan gave a few more instructions, then let Huang Laosan go back.

He sat alone for a while, then also got up and left the place, heading towards the train station.

Halfway there, Zhao Dongchuan took off his glasses, and both he and his bicycle were put into his storage space.

He walked into the waiting room with his bag on his back.

At this time, the waiting rooms at train stations were simple long benches with stone slab floors, very rudimentary.

“A hundred things are waiting to be done!” Zhao Dongchuan mused silently.

It was not like later generations where the Spring Festival travel period saw a surge in crowds. At this time, far fewer people took trains. It wasn't that there was no demand, but rather that demand was suppressed.

This was due to expensive tickets, the need for identification to buy tickets, and in some stricter places, ticket sellers even required a letter of introduction.

Especially in the vast rural areas, many people actually had no opportunity to go out, being confined to their small plots of land.

If Zhao Dongchuan hadn’t submitted his poems, hadn’t been valued by the curator, and hadn’t been recruited into a unit, then he would have had to slowly wait for the college entrance examination to resume in Shuangshui Village.

Naturally, he wouldn’t be as carefree as he was now.

He could openly wander around and develop instances everywhere.

Of course, he had the system, so it would just be a matter of time before it erupted, and it wouldn't be too difficult.

Zhao Dongchuan shook his head, pulled back his wandering thoughts, and found a secluded, empty corner to sit down.

Just as he sat down, preparing to take out a book to read, he heard someone call his name.

He was very surprised. He hadn't heard that anyone was coming to see him off, and he hadn't told anyone that he was taking the night train.

Zhao Dongchuan turned his head, following the sound.

He saw a man with a tattered black woolen hat, dressed in a ragged cotton padded jacket, with a dusty face, large eyes looking at him, slowly walking over.

“Zhao Dongchuan?”

The man called out timidly, looking at him.

Zhao Dongchuan looked closely, and after a while, recognized him. Wasn’t this Sun Lanhua’s husband, Wang Manyin?

“Wang Manyin? Why are you here? Aren’t you in Shuangshui Village?” Zhao Dongchuan asked in surprise.

Wang Manyin pouted, scratched the back of his hand somewhat awkwardly, and said, “There’s nothing much to do at Hometown, and I was a bit idle, so I left Shuangshui Village to do some business and earn some money. I came to Huangyuan City, had no place to stay, so I’ve been making do in this waiting room for a few days before going back!”

“You really can’t sit still!” Zhao Dongchuan felt quite helpless hearing Wang Manyin say this.

Wang Manyin had a good-looking wife and two children at home, so why did he always want to wander around all day?

This was a “wanderer’s constitution”! It was quite speechless. If he had earned a lot of money and improved his family’s life, that would be one thing. But after so many years, besides burdening Sun Shaoan’s family, he hadn’t gained anything.

“How about it, have you made any money this time in Huangyuan City?” Zhao Dongchuan was also a little curious, so he asked.

“I just sell some needles and threads, and trade a little pig hair and bristles. I don’t make much money!” Wang Manyin said somewhat sheepishly.

He knew that Zhao Dongchuan was now successful, working for the government in Huangyuan City, with a salary of dozens of yuan every month, and fixed grain and tickets.

He initially didn’t dare to recognize Zhao Dongchuan, but his natural sociable nature made him unable to resist, so he went up to strike up a conversation.

“The New Year is almost here. You should hurry back to Shuangshui Village. Your wife and children are waiting for you at Hometown!”

“How about this, show me what goods you have. If there’s anything I need, I’ll patronize your business! That way you can go home earlier!” Zhao Dongchuan suddenly said, a thought occurring to him.

He had to help this “loafer” brother-in-law for Sun Shaoan’s sake.

When Wang Manyin heard Zhao Dongchuan say this, his heart immediately rejoiced.

Oh, a big customer has arrived.

He immediately led Zhao Dongchuan to a secluded corner and pulled out a small, dark package from a nook.

Wang Manyin opened the package, revealing its contents. Inside were all sorts of miscellaneous “goods.”

“Needles and threads, socks, sheepskin, pig hair, broken bowls, old books…”

Zhao Dongchuan looked on somewhat bored. These were indeed all small items. Suddenly, he saw some scattered small stamps in a corner of the package.

He curiously picked them up and flipped through them.

Seeing Zhao Dongchuan interested in these paper stamps, Wang Manyin explained, “These are all things I picked up from discarded envelopes during my travels over the years. I was planning to take them home for Mao Dan and Gou Dan to look at as pictures! If you like them, take them all. They’re a gift!”

Zhao Dongchuan nodded and said, “These things are quite interesting…”

Suddenly, Zhao Dongchuan saw a familiar-looking stamp. He seemed to have seen this style somewhere before.

“Is this ‘the whole country is red’? And looking at the size of the stamp, this is the “da yi pian hong” stamp!”

He suddenly remembered that in his original world, in 2018, he had once seen a news report. He had forgotten the specific content, but it was about a stamp that sold for an astronomical price of 12 million yuan at an auction.

At the time, he had scoffed at the stamp’s design, thinking it was fake news, and scrolled past it. Later, he heard colleagues discussing it and realized it was true~

Looking at the stamp in his hand, with the exact same pattern, the same style, and in perfectly preserved condition, Zhao Dongchuan couldn’t help but get excited.

This was truly a “big find”!