Wang Li and Mu Xueli both knew that as long as there was someone capable of driving, Wang An would absolutely be the one sitting in the passenger seat.
Thus, from the moment Wang An parked the car by the roadside and walked around the front to the passenger side, he never touched the steering wheel again.
Fortunately, Wang Li and Mu Xueli had a great interest in driving, so they were more than happy with Wang An's arrangement.
From DJ County to Ice City, it was over 500 li by train, and the distance by car was roughly the same. In this era, there were no highways, and the national roads were paved with gravel.
Driving on gravel roads meant speed was limited; at most, one could reach sixty or seventy kilometers per hour.
Along the way, Mu Xueli gripped the steering wheel with both hands and said to Wang An with some excitement
"Brother-in-law, when do you think we'll be able to afford one of these big Jiefangs?"
Wang An thought for a moment and said
"The gasoline-powered Jiefang isn't that expensive, less than 40,000 yuan. The diesel ones are pricier, I think they're nearly 60,000 yuan."
The Jiefang they had borrowed from Wu Dong was the most classic and the mainstay transport vehicle of the era: the Jiefang CA-141 gasoline version.
Indeed, this vehicle came in gasoline and diesel versions. The gasoline version cost around 39,000 yuan, while the diesel version cost around 59,000 yuan—a full 20,000 yuan more!
If Wang An remembered correctly, the price of this vehicle remained largely unchanged until 1985.
Mu Xueli blinked and said thoughtfully
"If it's only around 40,000 yuan, then I can afford one too. Brother-in-law, what do you think about me buying one of these things?"
Hearing this, Wang An gave Mu Xueli a sidelong glance and said irritably
"Are you crazy? What would you do with a thing like this? What do you even have at home that requires a truck to haul?"
Wang An truly couldn't imagine what use a cargo truck would have if one wasn't in the transport business. In the countryside, a walk-behind tractor or a four-wheel vehicle was more than enough.
This string of questions immediately brought Mu Xueli back to reality. He chuckled sheepishly and said
"I was thinking that in a couple of years, we could use it to collect furs. Once we've collected a full truckload, we could drive it ourselves to sell. It would definitely make money."
Wang An was momentarily stunned.
He had never expected his brother-in-law to have a business mind. That said, there was nothing wrong with wanting to do business; although Wang An himself had no desire for it, he would support those around him who did.
In this era, basically any business could make money.
Thus, Wang An nodded and said
"If you have that ambition, buying a Jiefang is a good idea. Although the cost of collecting furs isn't small, it would certainly earn much more than our mountain hunting."
After Wang An finished speaking, Mu Xueli asked
"Brother-in-law, don't you want to collect furs?"
Wang An shook his head and said
"I don't have that thought for now. Maybe in a few years."
And so, the three of them spent the journey chatting and discussing various things, which kept the trip from being boring.
At noon, while passing through a town, the three of them bought some food at the supply and marketing cooperative and continued toward Ice City without daring to delay for a moment.
Unfortunately, fate was not on their side. After leaving the town, while the three were eating roasted chestnuts and drinking soda, they passed through a small grove and discovered a very thick fallen log blocking the road ahead.
The position of the log was perfectly inconvenient; whether they tried to hug the right edge or the left, the Jiefang could not pass.
The main issue was that there were drainage ditches on both sides of the road, and the snow in the ditches was quite deep. If the Jiefang ventured in recklessly, it would likely be unable to climb back out.
Wang Li slammed on the brakes to stop the Jiefang, cursing under his breath
"Who the hell was hauling logs? They didn't even notice they dropped one."
As he spoke, Wang Li prepared to get out of the car to move the log.
Wang An immediately stopped him
"Wait a second. What's the rush? Even if we're in a hurry, there's no need for the driver to get out."
Wang An said this because he worried the fallen log had been placed there intentionally by bandits.
If Wang Li stepped out recklessly, he might never get the chance to get back in.
Having said that, Wang An leaned forward, looking to the left and right of the road, and then turned to look behind them.
Because the Jiefang lacked a heater, the three of them frequently had to use knives to scrape the frost off the glass; otherwise, the windows would be completely obscured, making it impossible to drive.
However, they only scraped the side and front windows. Since the rear window wasn't essential, they had basically left it alone.
As Wang An scraped the frost and looked back, he saw that the road behind them was empty.
After scanning the surroundings, Wang An's brow furrowed.
It really didn't look like anyone was around. Could the log really be an accident, just as Wang Li had suggested?
Regardless, they had to keep moving.
After a moment of thought, Wang An picked up a rope from the floor and said to Wang Li
"In a moment, I'll tie the log and hook it to the front hitch. Then you just reverse the car."
The Jiefangs of this era had tow hooks both in the front and back, intended for towing other vehicles or being towed.
With that, Wang An opened the door and stepped out.
After exiting, Wang An scanned the surroundings once more before walking toward the fallen log.
Just as Wang An was hunched over tying the rope to the log, he heard Mu Xueli shouting to him from the window
"Brother-in-law, get back in the car! People are coming!"
Wang An was startled. Forgetting the rope, he whipped out his Type 54 pistol and chambered a round.
Turning around, Wang An saw a group of people suddenly emerging from the fields like rats.
A quick glance revealed about fifteen or sixteen of them, all young and strong men.
These people were well-equipped with tools: iron shovels, pickaxes, axes, firewood cleavers, and kitchen knives—they had everything.
Without hesitation, Wang An fired two shots into the air: *Bang! Bang!*
There was no other way; there were too many of them. Without a display of force, they wouldn't be deterred.
Sure enough, the two gunshots immediately calmed the group, and none of them dared to rush forward.
After the two shots, Wang An shouted at the people opposite him
"I don't care what you're planning, but right now, all of you go back where you came from, or I'll shoot you dead!"
As he spoke, Wang An fired another shot—*Bang!*—right in front of the youth who had been running the fastest.