Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1222 Money Received, Time to Go Home

There was another very important position in the cooperative, which Li Long didn't tell Xie Yundong and the others.

That's an accountant.

If the cooperative is to be run in the way he described, with each professional performing their own duties, then an accountant position must be set up. This way, someone will be responsible for the statistics and calculation of tasks such as purchasing agricultural materials, converting farmland and agricultural machinery into shares, and paying wages to the "workers" who do the work.

Otherwise, the accounts will be in complete chaos, and in the end, nothing will be done.

Of course, since it's still under discussion, Li Long hasn't brought it up yet. Having all five people at the same table isn't suitable; if they really want to do accounting, they need to bring in someone from outside, someone everyone trusts.

Li Long initially thought his older brother should handle it, but he later rejected the idea. Even if they set up a cooperative, his brother's land would be included, and he had other things to do, so he simply wouldn't have the time.

After the drinking session, Li Long took Li Junfeng and Chen Qianjin to the purchasing station to perform winter maintenance on the high-horsepower tractors, applying grease and doing some oil seal work.

In this matter, Chen Qianjin and his team, who drive high-horsepower tractors, are definitely more professional than people like Liang Shuangcheng.

After sealing up the high-powered tractor, Chen Qianjin and his group returned to the Li family's house and prepared to settle their accounts and go home.

On the morning of November 29th, Li Jianguo called Li Long and asked him to come back to talk about this matter.

Li Long had nothing to do at the purchasing station, so he told his father, Li Qingxia, and drove back.

In the main hall of the Li family home, Li Junfeng, Li Junxian, Li Junhai, Chen Qianjin, and others were all sitting, some nervous, some uneasy, but mostly excited.

In reality, everyone has a pretty good idea of ​​how much money they make, but when the money actually comes in, everyone is still very excited.

The room was filled with smoke, and Li Long was choked when he came in, laughing and scolding:

"Aren't you afraid of setting the house on fire? It's the middle of winter, it's not good to open the doors or windows, stop smoking."

Li Junfeng chuckled and threw his cigarette butt on the ground, stomping it out. The others followed suit. Chen Qianjin, who didn't smoke, finally mustered the courage to grab a broom and sweep the room.

Seeing that the smoke wouldn't dissipate anytime soon, Li Long opened the inner door and then the outer door. A gust of cold wind rushed in, quickly drawing the smoke back out—there was no other way; the windows had been sealed with plastic sheeting in early winter. Although there was a skylight in the kitchen, to be honest, it wasn't very useful at this time.

A cold wind blew in, and everyone woke up. Li Junfeng then smiled and said:

"I didn't notice it before, but now I realize how pungent the room is..."

"It's only because Juan and Qiangqiang aren't here, otherwise I would have kicked you out," Li Long said. "Alright, alright, tell me everything. Are you going back in the next couple of days?"

With his older brother away, Li Long was probably out getting cash. His sister-in-law and Dong Xiaojuan were busy in the kitchen. Now it was time to settle the bill and divide the money; after that, they'd definitely have a good meal to celebrate.

My mother didn't come; I guess she thought it was too humid here.

"We're going to Wucheng tomorrow or the day after," Chen Junhai said. "Tickets should still be easy to buy now. We'll buy them when we get there and then come back."

"Have you prepared everything? Should we buy some local specialties in Wucheng? We should prepare some raisins, dried apricots, and the like," Li Long asked again.

“Yes, I need to buy some, but you can find everything at the train station. Just buy it when you get there and bring it with you,” Li Junhai replied. “I’ve already sent home some of the cotton I saved a few days ago, made it into netting, and brought it along. It’s just some odds and ends.”

In fact, Henan Province itself is also a major cotton-producing county, but the cotton fields weren't as prominent as those in northern Xinjiang. Later, as industries shifted westward, Henan Province prohibited the cultivation of cotton, allowing only grain cultivation, which is why it gradually became what it is today.

As one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, China faces enormous challenges as its ancestral home.

Li Junfeng didn't reply, so he made a joke:

"Junhai, why don't you move your family here too? We can keep each other company."

"That sounds nice, but where will you live after moving in?" Li Junhai glared at him. He was quite envious of Li Junfeng; that guy was decisive, otherwise he wouldn't have moved his whole family over. It was a pity that he hesitated back then, since he had never been here before and didn't know the specifics.

I know it will be difficult to get through this, but I still have to try my best.

Soon, Li Jianguo came in from outside, took off his coat, and said to everyone with a smile:
"You've been waiting impatiently, haven't you? Come on, let's start now."

"Brother, did you go to withdraw money?" Li Long asked. "The credit union?"

“Well, it’s not safe or convenient to keep too much cash at home, so I might as well deposit it here first,” Li Jianguo said. “We can access it whenever we need it.”

As he spoke, he patted the satchel he was carrying and then went into the house.

Li Junfeng hurriedly gave up the seat on the north side of the octagonal table, and pulled over a stool to sit by the fire wall.

"Everyone's here, right? Okay, then I won't waste any more words. First one, forward!" Li Jianguo took out his notebook, placed the bag full of money on the table, looked up, and said:
"Xiaolong, come over here and give them the money."

Li Long, who had been standing at the doorway of the inner room, went over and sat opposite his elder brother, in a seat facing south with his back to the north. The eight-immortal table was now against the west wall, leaving one empty seat facing east.

Li Jianguo gestured for Chen Qianjin to sit in the empty seat and said:

"You mainly drove high-horsepower tractors to plow the fields this year. Before the high-horsepower tractors came along, you helped me plow and sow with the Dongfanghong 75 tractor. You did a good job this year, and your skills are getting better and better."

Chen Qian felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, and smiled shyly with his head down.

"Well, you've earned a total of over three thousand yuan this year, so I'll round it up for you to four thousand! Come on, sign here and get your money."

"Wow!"

"so much?"

"Hey, Qianjin's really going to make it this time!"

Before Chen Qianjin could speak, the others began to exclaim in surprise and discuss among themselves.

They knew Chen Qianjin must earn a lot, since he would get a commission of one yuan for plowing one acre of land.

But I didn't expect so much!
You know, even if you went to work in the south at this time, the couple might not be able to bring back three thousand yuan in cash after a year... That's four thousand!

Back in my hometown, any family that could save a thousand yuan in cash after a year of farming was considered wealthy!

Li Long took out a stack of hundred-yuan bills from his satchel, counted out forty bills, counted them again, and then pushed the money to Chen Qianjin.
"Sign it, and count it."

"I'm not counting anymore..." Chen Qianjin was a little confused himself. He roughly calculated that he should receive a little over three thousand yuan, but he didn't know how much more. If he deducted the food and clothing he had to eat and wear here, and the cotton-padded clothes he was sending home, it would be good if he could get three thousand yuan.

Unexpectedly, the Li family didn't deduct anything and even rounded it up for him!
This wasn't just a matter of personal favors. Chen Qianjin was a bit stunned at the time, and it was only after Li Long urged him twice that he finally spoke to Li Jianguo:
"This... Brother, isn't this a bit too much...?"

Everyone else laughed. "So, there are people who complain about having too much money?"

However, they were all quite happy. Since Chen Qianjin could get so much, they wouldn't get much less.

It will at least not be less than I estimated.

"It's not much, it's not much. You did the work, and you did it well, so naturally you get these." Li Jianguo pushed the notebook and pen towards him and said:

"Sign it, hurry up and get the money, there are other people waiting."

Chen Qianjin then signed his name, took the money from Li Long, and was about to leave.

"Count them," Li Long said, pressing him down. "The procedure must be followed."

Chen Qianjin then hurriedly started counting. Judging from his demeanor, Li Long probably didn't count at all, simply counting the bills once and leaving.

After guessing his brother's money-giving strategy, Li Long laid out the money in stacks of ten in front of him so that it would be easier to count when distributing it.

“Junhai, you’re next. You’ll get a little less, two thousand,” Li Jianguo said. “It’s mainly because the machines aren’t running yet. Physical labor doesn’t earn as much as technical work. But maybe we’ll be able to start operating the machines next year, so work hard.” “Third Uncle, this isn’t bad at all,” Li Junhai said, not feeling he was short at all. “Two thousand! Back home, I might not earn that much in two years… and it’s even harder to earn if I were working odd jobs. I’m content, I’m content!”

Li Junhai got ahead of the pack, followed by Li Juntian, Li Junhan, and Li Junwei, who each received between 1,500 and 2,000. Li Daoming, a grandson, received 1,500, while Li Daocheng received 2,000.

Everyone knows exactly how well they've done their work, so no one feels dissatisfied because they've received less than others—it's already a lot. The other long-term workers in the team are already quite content with receiving a thousand.

Moreover, they were well aware that last year, Li Junxian and Chen Qianjin had only received a little over a thousand points at most.

This year, there were so many more cases. On the one hand, the Li family did make money. On the other hand, when it was time to plow the fields in the fall, sow in the winter, and clear wasteland, everyone else got on high-horsepower tractors and worked for a while, and they also received some share of the profits.

According to Li Jianguo, if more people can operate large machines next year, they will earn even more.

There are two left.

"Junxian, you've had a tough year too. Driving that little four-wheeler must have been quite bumpy, it's not as comfortable as a big horsepower one," Li Jianguo said with a smile.

“Hey, you can’t even open a car back home,” Li Junxian said with a smile as he sat down in the money-sharing seat.

“You did well this year too, three thousand five hundred yuan.” Li Jianguo pushed the notebook in front of him, “Look at the numbers I wrote down for you and the work you did…”

"Hey, then I have to thank Third Uncle and Little Uncle." Li Junxian didn't even look at it, just signed his name on the notebook, then took the money Li Long handed him and stood up to leave.

Finally, it was Li Junhai's turn. He wasn't sure if his third uncle would give him money here, and as he hesitated, Li Jianguo called out to him:
“Junhai, you manage them, and you do all sorts of work. You lead the people to work, you open the commune, you lead the people to pick cotton and weigh it, and you are the one who hits the pole in the end. The work is varied and a bit thankless, but we all see how hard you work.”

These words brought tears to Li Junfeng's eyes, and he almost shed a tear.

To be honest, he envied Li Junxian and Chen Qianjin. They were from the same generation, and they could drive high-horsepower tractors and small four-wheeled tractors, earning a certain amount of money. Unlike himself, he had to do whatever his third uncle asked.

It would be a lie to say he had no complaints. After all, there was no way to measure specific standards or calculate how much money he would earn in a job like leading people to work and supervising cotton picking.

But no matter what, he did the work assigned to him by Li Jianguo or Li Long seriously, and sometimes he even took initiative.

Whether you say it's willing or not, he hopes to stay in the northern border region, where he's at least more comfortable than back home.

Now Li Jianguo's words resonated deeply with him. He calmed himself down, sat at the table, and said with a smile:
"Third Uncle, you can't say that. Isn't that what I should be doing? With our family's situation, we eat meat, white flour buns, and rice every day. If we don't work hard, who will we be letting down?"

Besides, Xiaojuan and her child are here. You've arranged accommodation for us, provided us with plenty of food, and the child can even go to school... How can I not work hard?"

“That’s not very polite,” Li Jianguo nodded and said. “Alright, I won’t say any more. Everyone can see what’s going on. You’ll get more money than them this year, five thousand yuan. Just sign it.”

Li Junfeng paused for a moment, said nothing, and signed.

Li Jianguo just recounted everything Li Junfeng had done this year, so while others thought he was getting a lot of money, now that they think about it, it makes sense.

They did the most trivial tasks, and did them well, so earning more money was definitely not a problem.

Everyone here is holding their own money and discussing what to do with it.

Because when Li Jianguo distributed the money, he not only listed everyone's contributions, but also recorded them in the ledger. This made it clear who did more work and who did less when working together.

So even though the pay is different, at most it's just envy, there's no feeling of injustice.

At most, you can only say that others are lucky enough to drive at high speeds, while you can only pull weeds in the cotton field.

There's nothing we can do about it; they came a year earlier than we did.

This gave those who received less money the idea to come earlier next year. With the Li family's current growth rate, maybe there will be more high-horsepower tractors next year, or maybe Uncle San himself will stop driving them?

Two high-horsepower engines, two Combimo engines, plus a small four-wheeler—if all of these were distributed, even more people could make a lot of money.

The money received actually exceeded the expectations when they came at the beginning of the year, so basically everyone plans to come back next year.

As for whether there will be any unexpected situations when I get home, I can't think of anything at the moment.

In the kitchen, Liang Yuemei also took out a handful of money and stuffed it into Dong Xiaojuan's hand.

"Auntie, what are you doing?" Dong Xiaojuan, blushing, declined, not understanding what was going on. "This won't do..."

“Here you go. You’ve done a lot of work this year, but it’s all been at home, so you can’t get the same pay as the men. That’s why your aunt is giving this to you privately as a reward for your hard work in cooking and doing chores.”

Dong Xiaojuan came here this year, and most of the time she really does cook, do housework, and take care of the children.

In this area, it's generally accepted that the wages are shared as a family when working as long-term laborers. Li Junfeng gets paid for his work, while Dong Xiaojuan and her child stay and eat for free—that's normal.

But to say that Dong Xiaojuan would get a share of the money is practically impossible—because she didn't do any farm work, or even work in the fields. Cooking was just helping out.

However, Dong Xiaojuan was a bit lazy and had some bad habits when she first came, but she quickly corrected them. After taking care of the baby for a while, she did a great job with housework, and even learned to do some of the chores and volunteered to do them, which made Liang Yuemei very satisfied.

The five hundred yuan was given to her after discussing it with Li Jianguo, and they both believed that Li Long would definitely agree to it if he knew.

With the family's financial situation improved, Li Jianguo controlled the family's money, and Liang Yuemei also had her own "pocket money," which Li Long had often encouraged her to do.

"Well... thank you, Auntie, thank you, Uncle." Dong Xiaojuan said, clutching the money, her face flushed.

She genuinely didn't expect to receive a share of the money.

Although her aunt said it was given to her privately, she knew very well that her third uncle had agreed to it.

This can't be kept secret any longer.

Inside the room, Li Jianguo put away the account book and said:
"Alright, go put the money away, then get ready. We'll be having lunch soon. Have a good meal, then we should discuss how to get back."

"Let's go, let's go." Li Junfeng stood up and walked out first. "Don't just stand around in this room."

He could tell that his third uncle had something to say to his youngest uncle, and it wasn't convenient for them to stay together.

After everyone left, Li Jianguo said to Li Long:
"This year, with high-horsepower tractors and Kangmain, our family has made quite a bit of money."

“That’s right. Look at the smiles on Junfeng and the others’ faces. They’ll probably all come next year, maybe even more. But we have to tell Junhai and Junxian before they leave. They need to discuss who’s coming. Those who don’t work honestly can’t come,” Li Long said.

“Of course. I told Junfeng that he and Junhai should discuss whoever comes first,” Li Jianguo said.

"They've taken all the money; what's left is your share of the profits."

Li Long smiled and said, "Then why should I share? If you give them this much money, the total amount will be about 20,000 yuan. You didn't even make that much money from these 100 acres of cotton."

"The cotton harvest counts as part of it," Li Jianguo waved his hand. "We did almost all the plowing and sowing for the team's nearly 3,000 mu of land. Kangmai also went out to harvest wheat."

Let me calculate it for you. The whole team has 3,000 mu of cultivated land. Two rounds of plowing and one round of sowing, plus leveling and harrowing, all of this at the end of the year, costs 25 yuan per mu, which is about 75,000 yuan. There are also more than 1,000 mu of newly reclaimed land. Just plowing it once will cost another 10,000 yuan.

The two Kangmai harvesters harvested nearly 3,000 mu of land outside, which brought in another 20,000 yuan. Excluding the income from the land itself, the gross income was 110,000 yuan. Costs accounted for one-third, leaving 70,000 yuan.

Give them 20,000, and you'll have 50,000 left. Take all 50,000; you've made about 25,000 from farming, and I'll give you more of that…”

"What's the point of splitting it then?" Li Long said with a laugh. "Brother, putting everything else aside, let's split this in half. I'll take more of the machine's cost, 40,000, and the rest is yours. We can't work hard all year and only earn a meager wage, not even as much as Junfeng and the others... That won't do."

She was there to help her older brother get rich, not to exploit him.

That's settled then.

(End of this chapter)