My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 44 Issues of Principle
The gold that was placed on the fire pipe to dry was almost completely dry by the time the rice was cooked.

Peng Yuanchao rummaged through a cloth bag hanging above the earthen bed in his dugout and found a round magnet and a small mechanical balance he had bought from a stationery store.

He first stirred the gold dust in the bowl with a magnet.

The iron-containing black sand powder immediately adhered to the magnet, reducing the impurities in the gold sand.

He then blew away the light dust floating on the gold, and what remained was the gold dust that could be sold.

Those who buy gold have certain requirements for the purity of the gold, but they also know that in the Gold Rush Valley, not many people have the conditions and ability to make it very pure, so their requirements are not particularly high.

Of course, the price of gold will be slightly cheaper.

As Peng Yuanchao did these things, the crowd, who had been eagerly anticipating the day's harvest since the start of the gold panning work, gathered around, watching with bated breath as Peng Yuanchao carefully poured the gold dust onto the scales.

The few novices present could hardly understand the scale on the balance, or even know how much a gram was. However, they could see that when the weights placed on the balance pan made the balance bar straight, it meant that the weights and the gold dust weighed the same.

So when the horizontal bar was straight, someone urged, "Boss, tell me quickly, how many are there?"

Peng Yuanchao examined the weights, then looked at the pointer, and grinned: "It weighs more than seven grams!"

"Only seven grams..."

Looking at the small, pointed mound of yellow "bran" crumbs in the balance tray, a man from Yuzhou still felt it was too little.

Peng Yuanchao glanced at him: "It's already pretty good. This is just the surface. And we spent a lot of time this morning peeling away the surface sand and gravel. We haven't even dug up the real gold-rich layer yet. Once we reach the gold-rich layer, we might be able to get gold every day."

Seven grams, according to the bank's buyback price, that's 112 yuan. The black market price is even higher, over 200 yuan. You think that's too little? This is already a very good haul.

Upon hearing the specific amount of money, the clueless novices suddenly grasped the concept. They weighed it in their minds and realized it was indeed a considerable sum. Then, thinking about how much more they could get in the future, they beamed with joy again.

At this moment, Zhou Jingming said, "Don't get carried away. From now on, no matter who asks you how much gold you can pan for in a day, you are not allowed to tell the truth. You can only say less. This is a matter of principle."

Upon hearing this, Peng Yuanchao's expression also turned serious: "You better remember everything Brother Zhou said. This is no joke."

"Anyone who can't control their tongue and says something that makes others jealous, causing trouble or disaster for the camp, don't blame me for turning against them."

The number of gold panning teams in the valley will increase, eventually reaching several hundred. It will be impossible for them to have no contact with each other at all.

When that time comes, keeping your mouth shut will be a very serious matter.

Someone else asked in a low voice, "So if someone really asks, how much should we say?"

Upon hearing this question, Peng Yuanchao also looked at Zhou Jingming.

Zhou Jingming weighed the options: "Looking at the gold dust mined today, it's about four or five tons. Let's just say five or six grams. That's equivalent to a little over one gram of gold per ton of sand. This grade is barely acceptable. If it were any higher, it would easily attract unwanted attention."

Peng Yuanchao nodded, then glanced at the group: "Did you all remember?"

Everyone said they remembered it.

In fact, Zhou Jingming knew that such a thing could not be kept secret for long. Experienced gold prospectors would not even need to investigate; they could make a rough judgment just by looking at it from a distance.

Peng Yuanchao stood up with satisfaction, put away the gold, and placed it into a small glass bottle containing penicillin: "We'll divide it up once we've collected fifteen grams by tomorrow."

From now on, it will be like this: every time you save up enough, you will immediately distribute it. I will not keep it for you. Once it is distributed to you, you will feel at ease, and you will not have to worry about me doing anything underhanded.

As for how you keep the gold once it's in your hands, that's your own business. If you lose it or it's gone, it has nothing to do with me.

The rules in the agreement are clearly stated, and you are aware of the penalties for theft, embezzlement, and causing trouble.

I won't hold the unpredictable things that have happened along the way against you, but if they happen again in the future, there's nothing more to say.

The real gold rush has begun. If you want to make money, don't try to slack off or cheat in the group. I've invested my initial capital; I want to make money. Anyone who ruins my path to wealth, don't blame me for turning my back on them.

His words were forceful and resounding, leaving the newcomers momentarily stunned, but their expressions quickly relaxed.

Along the way in, Peng Yuanchao made quite a few harsh remarks, and it seems he's gotten used to it.

But Zhou Jingming knew that Peng Yuanchao was serious this time.

Although the team members all come from rural areas and are used to physical labor, they always have plenty of rest time before and after the New Year, and their bodies relax when they have free time.

Now, even though we dug dug pits and drainage ditches a few days ago and got used to it, the weather eventually made the work slow and unhurried. Apart from feeling a little tired, there was nothing else to worry about.

Today we started panning for gold, and under Peng Yuanchao's urging, the intensity increased, and everyone was finding it hard to keep up.

Zhou Jingming and Peng Yuanchao were responsible for using a cart to transport mud and sand to the side of the sluice. They were doing relatively well, but the six people who dug mud and sand and lifted it out of the sand pit, as well as Wu Yang and Xu Youliang who were responsible for shoveling sand into the sluice and flushing water to wash away the sand, were all struggling.

When dinner was ready, we sat around the pot to eat, and everyone's arms and backs trembled uncontrollably. Even sitting down and standing up were difficult.

A bowl of soup can be held in your hand and half of it can be spilled.

My hand holding the chopsticks wouldn't obey my commands; I couldn't pick anything up. Even when I managed to pick something up, it would tremble as I brought it to my mouth, and it would often fall.

Perhaps the only thing that could comfort everyone was the small handful of fruits of Peng Yuanchao's labor, which he had put in a glass bottle of penicillin and hung on the beam above the earthen bed in his dugout.

Physical fatigue is an inevitable process. The same intensity of work will take several days to gradually subside, and then it will become a habit.

After the meal, Sun Chenggui took over the task of washing the pots and pans, tidying them up, and carrying them to the well he had dug outside to clean them.

After being reprimanded by Peng Yuanchao, the newbies got together and discussed taking turns doing these trivial tasks, and they were relatively well-behaved.

Peng Yuanchao and the other novices cried out in pain as they climbed onto the earthen beds, lay down, and smoked and drank tea.

Zhou Jingming was busy making corn porridge for Jinwang.

Wu Yang then left the dugout and went to the woods behind it to continue his boxing practice.

Once the cornmeal porridge was cooked, stirred and cooled, Zhou Jingming took it out of the dugout.

Even before he started making corn porridge, Jinwang was already wagging its tail and waiting at the entrance of the dugout. When it saw the corn porridge being served, it jumped and pounced on him, being incredibly affectionate and happy.

Now, Jin Wang is already familiar with his name, and he will rush over as soon as Zhou Jingming calls him.

These past few days, while they were working, at first it would follow Zhou Jingming around, running back and forth. But it probably realized that they were doing repetitive things. After following him several times, it would either lie down to the side or run to watch the river, trying to catch the fish that occasionally swam into the shallow water, or run to the woods behind the dugout to cause trouble, chasing mice or birds.

With enough to eat and drink and plenty of exercise, Jinwang's condition has improved considerably.

The change in his condition also changed his temperament. Although he was only a half-grown puppy, he already had a majestic feel to him.

In particular, its calls gradually became deeper and more resonant.

After Jinwang finished eating, Zhou Jingming led it up into the woods behind the village, hoping to see Wu Yang's training and perhaps learn a trick or two from him for self-defense.

Having been given a second chance at life, he wanted to explore a wider world and live a more exciting life.

Then it's very necessary to learn more.

Especially in this increasingly chaotic Gold Rush Valley, the first priority is to ensure one's survival.

　Thank you for the generous donation, Brother Hei A Niu!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)