Alaska Gold Rush Diary

Chapter 23 Wooden Box

Obviously, even if the staff at the pet facility didn't recognize it as a tundra wolf, they would still classify it as one of the most dangerous large dogs.

Moreover, Logan is not fully grown yet. When it is fully grown, it will be more than two meters long and weigh more than one hundred pounds.

One or two adults, unless they risk their lives, would absolutely not be a match for it in their bare hands.

Zhou Xin decided to stop procrastinating and go through the formalities today.

Before it was time for work, he shoved Logan into his beat-up pickup truck and drove to the pet facility to wait.

It must be said that the efficiency of the United States is really low.

After completing the entire process, it was already 4 PM.

Logan, exhausted from the ordeal, lay listlessly in his seat.

Fortunately, it was very obedient to Zhou Xin; otherwise, the staff member's right hand might have been bitten off when the first vaccine was administered.

Fearing that the landlady would discover Logan's presence, Zhou Xin decided to drive around town for a while before going back.

When he goes shopping, he usually chooses to go to the more bustling Fairbanks.

Therefore, although he had lived here for several years, he had not explored much of Salcha Town except for the street where the Brown Bear Bar was located, and was not particularly familiar with the rest of the town.

With $35 in hand and a bright future ahead, he felt relaxed for the first time in a foreign land.

So he drove aimlessly around the town.

Although it was only a little past four in the afternoon, there were hardly any pedestrians on the street, and most of the shops on both sides of the street had already closed.

"It's so deserted! Back in China, it'd be busier at 4 a.m. than this!"

However, he had long since gotten used to the pace of life here. Although he occasionally missed the days of eating skewers at night markets back home, he knew that without money, that seemingly carefree life was nothing more than making the best of a bad situation.

All he wants to do right now is make money!

As his thoughts wandered, he suddenly spotted a shop with its lights still on in the dark street.

The name of the shop caught his attention: Jessie Wood Products Shop.

When he was panning for gold, he thought of a problem: storing gold in glass jars would be too conspicuous.

Perhaps for convenience, or simply to see their catch at a glance, almost all gold prospectors are accustomed to storing gold in glass jars.

Zhou Xin didn't care about any of that; he only cared about the numbers on the ounce scale.

Gold prospectors with teammates are better off, but lone gold prospectors with shiny gold containers are too easy targets.

He parked his car and walked toward the wooden goods shop, intending to buy a few wooden boxes to store the gold.

The shop was dimly lit, and rows of wooden shelves were visible, displaying various wooden items, including wood carvings, wooden tableware, wooden tables and chairs.

The shop owner was at the counter, head down, intently making a wooden box in his hands.

Zhou Xin soon noticed that the shelves behind the shop owner were filled with various exquisitely crafted wooden boxes.

It seems I made the right choice; wooden boxes appear to be the main product here.

"Boss, I'd like to buy a few wooden boxes."

The shop owner looked up, and Zhou Xin saw his face clearly.

This is a middle-aged man in his fifties. He has many scars on his face, most of his hair is white, and his face looks very weathered. He is clearly a man with a lot of stories to tell.

But he remained calm, with a faint smile on his face.

"I have all kinds of wooden boxes here, and they're all handmade by me. You can choose whatever you like."

It's clear that he's very confident in his skills.

"Can you recommend one? I don't care much about the appearance, as long as it's sturdy enough. If possible, I even hope they look ordinary enough."

The shop owner gave a knowing look: "If you're using it to store valuable jewelry, I suggest you choose pine. Its oily properties can help preserve it."

"Moreover, it is much cheaper than walnut or sandalwood."

"Believe me, being sturdy is useless. Even if you make it out of steel, you'll lose what's inside if someone tries to open it."

The shop owner was very clever; from Zhou Xin's request, he immediately guessed that Zhou Xin wanted to use it to store valuables.

However, he never imagined that Zhou Xin wasn't hiding jewelry, but rather the gold used to make jewelry.

As someone who works in the renovation industry, Zhou Xin has a certain understanding of the properties of wood.

He shook his head: "I still hope the box can be sturdier."

Seeing his insistence, the shop owner nodded, turned around, and took a box from the shelf.

The box had no engraved patterns on its surface and looked quite ordinary.

Even with such a simple design, the owner still put a lot of thought into it. Not only was it polished to a very high shine, but it was also clearly polished a second time with tung oil, giving off a unique fragrance.

"This is made of rosewood. The wood is dense and sturdy enough, and the price is relatively inexpensive."

Zhou Xin could tell that the shop owner was indeed a good person. He didn't try to sell him expensive items to make more money, but was genuinely considering his own needs.

The box that the shop owner showed him this time did indeed perfectly meet his requirements.

"I want five of these boxes."

The shop owner turned around and searched in the storage cabinet under the shelf for a while before taking out two identical boxes, a hint of apology on his face.

"I'm sorry, I only made three of these boxes, and they're all here. If you're not in a hurry, I can make two more for you. You can come and pick them up in a few days."

"If you're in a hurry, I can pick out two more similar ones for you, but they'll be a bit more expensive."

Zhou Xin had a good impression of the sincere shop owner: "Then could you please help me pick out two other styles? It doesn't matter if they're a little more expensive."

The shop owner nodded and picked out two more beechwood boxes from the shelf.

Rosewood ones are $100 each, and beech ones are $150 each.

Five boxes, totaling $600.

"So cheap?"

This is indeed very cheap in a place like the United States where labor costs are high, because according to Zhou Xin, handmade products here are generally very expensive.

The shop owner smiled and said, "I don't have any other hobbies. I just like working with this wood. I'm content as long as I can make a living from it."

Zhou Xin greatly admired his boss's nonchalant attitude, but that didn't affect his eagerness to make money.

Watching the shop owner pack the wooden box, Zhou Xin casually asked, "Have you always lived in Alaska?"

The shop owner shook his head: "I was born and raised in Alaska, and only moved here more than ten years ago."

"I might be returning to my homeland in a few days. As someone from there, do you have any advice?" Zhou Xin asked.

He wasn't really seeking advice; it was just casual conversation.

But the shop owner's answer surprised him slightly.

"My advice is to remember who you are and not to trust anyone too easily."

Zhou Xin pondered the shop owner's words carefully. The surroundings became quiet for a moment, with only the sound of the shop owner packing the food remaining.

Before leaving, Zhou Xin gave high praise to the shop owner's service.

"You are a very sincere boss, and today's shopping experience was fantastic. It was a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zhou Xin, and I am Chinese. Could you tell me your name?"

The shop owner had a friendly face and a calm voice.

"My name is Whiteman, Jesse Whiteman."