pjbooks Chapter 39: Arrival in Bendigo
Chapter 39: Arrival in Bendigo
The next morning, after having breakfast at the hotel, everyone got into the car with red eyes and yawns.
My biological clock still hasn't changed, and I'm as envious as a rabbit.
Jason originally planned to rest for another day, but this decision was rejected by everyone.
After boarding the plane, everyone closed their eyes, and some even fell into a deep sleep.
Their destination this time was the "Golden Triangle" region of Victoria, where many legends about large gold nuggets circulate.
The "Golden Triangle" region refers to the three historic cities of Bendigo, Ballarat, and Wedburn.
This region has abundant shallow alluvial gold deposits and deep quartz veins.
During the gold rush, miners could easily find large chunks of natural gold exposed or near the surface while digging in streams, riverbeds, and shallow soil.
These gold nuggets can usually be obtained without complicated crushing and chemical refining processes.
The most famous feature here is a gold nugget called "Welcome Strangers," which is also the largest recorded alluvial gold nugget in the world to date.
It weighs 2520 ounces, or about 78 kilograms, and is the size of an adult's torso.
In the 19th century alone, hundreds of gold nuggets weighing more than 100 ounces (about 3.1 kilograms) were discovered in this triangle.
Even today, many gold prospectors are still searching for large gold nuggets here with their detectors, and news of large gold nuggets being discovered comes out from time to time.
This was Jason's original destination, and his target was those big gold nuggets!
The plane landed, waking everyone from their deep sleep.
Yawning, I got into a taxi and headed straight for the hotel.
After putting their luggage away, and with evening approaching, everyone gathered for a meal and then returned to their rooms.
They landed in Bendigo, one of the "Golden Triangles".
The buildings here are full of French style, whether it's the post office, the city hall, the courthouse, or the church, they all have the unique style of that era.
Furthermore, the natural scenery here is beautiful. Although there are no particularly tall buildings, all the buildings blend in with nature.
There are many Chinese people here, and the most obvious landmark is the temple in Victoria that has been preserved to this day and is still in use.
I slept soundly through the night and felt refreshed the next morning.
It's been three days since we arrived here, and everyone has finally adjusted their biological clocks.
We gathered at the hotel restaurant, ordered some food, and chatted while we ate.
After that $20 million accident, Jason is no longer in such a hurry. He will still go gold mining, but he needs to balance work and rest and doesn't need to rush.
Moreover, as outsiders, although they know that this area is known as the "Golden Triangle" and that there is a lot of gold, they really don't know its exact location.
After discussing it with Cass, I contacted the production team and told Jon about the current situation.
Soon, Jason received a phone call.
"Yes, right here in Bendigo's biggest hotel."
"Okay, see you the day after tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone, Jason leaned back on the sofa, looking relaxed.
The problem was solved so simply. This is the benefit of appearing on the show. As a well-known American television station, the resources behind it are incredibly powerful.
I told everyone that a tour guide would be coming the day after tomorrow, and that the next two days would be free time.
Brent and Andy agreed to go to a bar to sample the local specialty drinks.
Albert and his friends planned to visit the Mineral Museum, and then accompany Lillian shopping to buy some local specialties.
As for Old Hart and Young Hart, they planned to go out for a stroll, without a destination in mind.
Everyone is planning their itinerary for the next two days.
Jason's plan was simple: go to the library, check out local information, and ask the old gold prospectors about the situation in the area.
The three of them split into two groups: photographers Kyle and Cass followed Jason to record, while photographer Schlein followed Andy and Cass.
As departure drew near, Lillian still gave some instructions about safety, and after everyone nodded, they dispersed.
Jason certainly attracted a lot of attention walking down the street, as photographers were constantly following him, which inevitably aroused curiosity.
I randomly asked someone for directions to the local library.
Jason knew his destination, but he wasn't in a rush to get there. He strolled along the street, admiring the local culture and architecture, and occasionally queuing up to buy some delicious food.
Of course, Cass and Kyle, who were following along, also brought them a copy.
We arrived at our destination at a leisurely pace.
The library building is magnificent. Although it is not tall, the marble structure and the mottled marks tell the story of its history.
At the entrance, two statues stand on the left and right.
The main gate is made entirely of wood, is very tall, and is wide open, through which you can see the densely packed books and seats inside.
Stepping inside, there's a circular reception area on the right side of the entrance, where a kind old man sits, head down, reading a book.
"What kind of books are you looking for?" the kind old man asked Jason with a smile.
The voice wasn't loud, so as to avoid disturbing those reading inside, but it was clear enough for Jason to hear his question clearly.
Jason replied, "Hello, I'd like to know about local books and data on the gold rush. Do you have any?"
The old man smiled, his expression one of unsurprise. "Second floor, section A15, third row. You'll find what you need there, but it should be occupied now."
The old man, Swell, could tell at a glance that the young man in front of him was not a local.
Not a local, and not even there for tourism, but specifically to find information at the library. Bendigo is most famous for its gold, so the young man's purpose was obvious.
"Thank you," Jason said as he went upstairs and started looking for the location he had just mentioned.
Unlike the quiet of the first floor, this place was filled with whispers, which, though small, were particularly noticeable in the otherwise quiet library.
Finding a spot, Jason pulled out a book, flipped through a few pages, closed it again, and put it back.
There were plenty of empty spaces on the bookshelf, which clearly indicated that those people had the same goal, only Jason was a bit slower.
Jason randomly picked up a book about the local development history and started reading it with great interest, waiting for the others to finish.
Bendigo is famous for its large gold nuggets, and its local customs and traditions are often described in books, with gold being a significant component of the local culture.
After waiting for nearly two hours, the group of gold prospectors finally returned the data.
Before leaving, the group of gold prospectors glanced at Jason, who had been waiting patiently.
In their eyes, the young man looked immature, and his exposed skin on his arms was incredibly fair and tender. They assumed he was a rich kid who had come to have fun.
There were even photographers filming them, which further confirmed their speculation.
They were disdainful, but they didn't say anything, since it wasn't their business.
Jason opened the books and documents that had just been placed inside and began to look through them.
It contains records of the gold rush history in Bendigo, as well as a lot of map data and some photos of large gold nuggets being dug up.
The most valuable information here is the coordinates and the excavated maps. Of course, due to the passage of time, the value of this data has decreased exponentially.
Jason took out his notebook, wrote down the coordinates and situation, and then closed the file again.
Jason didn't know what to say. You could say it's valuable, that's true, but you could say it's very valuable, that's doubtful, the information is too outdated.
Although I had some suspicions before coming, since the fact that this kind of information could be put in the library meant that it was already widely known.
It's a bit of a shame, but it was expected.
After putting away his notebook and going downstairs, Jason returned to the reception desk.
Old Man Swail glanced at Jason. "How was it? Big haul?"
"Not bad," Jason said, looking at the gray-haired old man and the marks on his hands. Curious, he asked, "You've panned for gold before?"
Swail smiled faintly, closed the book in his hand, and looked at Jason, saying, "Kid, trying to get information from me, huh?"
Having lived here for decades, I can tell that this young man's intentions are all too obvious.
"Yes, I'm asking you for information, and it's for a fee. If the information is accurate, the price is 20,000 US dollars." Jason was direct and concise, which is also the way many foreigners do things.
Hearing the price, Swell looked at the young man in front of him with surprise and asked in confusion, "With that kind of money, why are you panning for gold?"
He casually offered 20,000 US dollars; this was the first time he had ever seen someone so generous.
"Kid, give up. Gold mining isn't that easy," Swell said, looking at the fair-skinned, handsome young man.
Jason laughed and said, "I come from a family of gold miners. Let me introduce myself. My name is Jason. I pan for gold in the Bering Sea and came to Australia to develop my gold mining business."
Swail looked closely at Jason, introduced himself, and said, "I'm still at work right now. I'll be taking a lunch break. If you don't mind, there's a restaurant to the right outside the library. Wait for me a moment."
"Of course," Jason nodded. "Then I'll wait for you."
Jason's intuition about the old man was correct; his hands were covered in calluses, his arms were thick, and although his hair was gray, his body was exceptionally robust.
Given the situation in Bendigo, it's clear that this local old man is a gold prospector, and one who has just come from the gold rush front.
Otherwise, the calluses on your hands wouldn't be so obvious.
He's a local, a gold prospector, and quite old. He's familiar with the area, which is why Jason offered such a high price and introduced himself as coming from a family of gold prospectors.
And judging from the old man's persuasion, he is not a bad person, although this still needs to be verified.
Otherwise, does Jason really think he has money to burn and invites an old man he just met and hasn't even said a few words to?