Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1245 Why Not Take Advantage of the Country?
After finishing the bowl of noodles, feeling warm all over, Li Long certainly wouldn't leave the bowl for Sister Yang to wash.

After tidying up the place briefly, the couple turned off the lights and went inside.

Li Long placed the two small cloth tigers next to his two children's pillows, looked at his sons for a while, and then went back to the inner room.

He took out the items and laid them out on the table for Gu Xiaoxia to see, then went to wash up.

After washing up and entering the inner room, Gu Xiaoxia was still sorting things out, thinking about what to give to which relatives and what not to give away but to keep.

Seeing Li Long enter, Gu Xiaoxia said:
"Why did you bring back so much stuff this time? It all looks quite exquisite?"

There were twenty or thirty items of various sizes on the table, each of which could be described as a fine piece of art.

"Most of these were given to me by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission's Beijing office. They have a warehouse full of these kinds of things. They have famous local specialties from all over Xinjiang."

It wasn't just products from Xinjiang, but also specialties from other provinces. They were all gifts; I just happened to be there.

"You haven't been there for several years, and they're still so welcoming when you go back?" Gu Xiaoxia asked, somewhat puzzled. "Your relationship is really good."

"It's not just about relationships." Li Long explained the key points simply, and Gu Xiaoxia understood.

They were essentially using this opportunity to curry favor with Li Long, and the value of getting closer to Secretary Zhang through Li Long far outweighed these trivial matters.

Seeing that Li Long had already washed his face and brushed his teeth, Gu Xiaoxia fetched some water for him to wash his feet. Li Long soaked his feet while Gu Xiaoxia continued tidying up.

Separating the knives, scarves, embroidered bags, and the like, Gu Xiaoxia thought about which items to give to her relatives while asking about their situation, mainly concerning Gu Xiaoyu.

“Xiaoyu’s situation is rather complicated.” Li Long recounted his conversation with Gu Xiaoyu, then sighed and said, “This can’t be rushed. To put it simply, she’s been on blind dates over there, and there are men who have feelings for her, but none of them have worked out.”

"Why not?" Gu Xiaoxia was a little confused.

"You mean—you don't think much of it. I'm thinking, maybe next summer we can have Xiaoyu come over to your dad's place to relax, that might help."

Li Long didn't say much. Gu Xiaoxia didn't go to Yanjing and didn't know what Li Long had seen. However, over the years she had become accustomed to unconditionally trusting Li Long, so since Li Long had said so, she would do as he said.

As for whether we can persuade Gu Xiaoyu to come back, let's do it first and see.

Both husband and wife were tired. After Li Long finished soaking his feet, they tidied up a bit and went to sleep.

They were both quite tired, and falling asleep in each other's arms was already a great happiness.

The next day, Li Long was woken up by Mingming and Haohao—it was still dark.

At the end of December, which is the time of year with the shortest days and longest nights, it's usually not even dawn until after dinner and when I take my two kids to kindergarten.

Mingming Haohao knew the house very well. Wearing a thermal undershirt, he wasn't afraid of the cold. He stumbled into Li Long's bedroom, climbed onto the bed in a few quick movements, and then Li Long smelled a medicinal fragrance.

The two children ran over with their little tigers in their hands. The room was still a bit chilly. Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia, who had already woken up, hurriedly tucked the two children into the blankets. Mingming and Haohao both tried to squeeze closer to their father, so Gu Xiaoxia moved Haohao over as well.

The two children clung to Li Long's arms on either side, calling out "Daddy, Daddy." Li Long felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

Gu Xiaoxia smiled, turned on the light, glanced at the clock on the table; it was already past eight o'clock, time to get up.

When she got up, quickly tidied herself up, and went to relieve herself, she found that Sister Yang was already busy in the kitchen.

Han Fang wasn't among them. When Gu Xiaoxia passed by the east room, she could hear Han Fang reciting English inside. She was a diligent child.

Han Fang will be taking the high school entrance exam next year.

She started school later than Li Juan but earlier than Li Qiang, and her grades weren't very good when she entered school, after all, she had missed some time.

But after being enrolled in school here, he studied very hard, not only catching up on what he had missed, but also continuously improving his grades.

Han Fang could occasionally copy the study materials that Li Juan and Li Qiang got from Yanjing, so they had a pretty good chance of getting into high school.

Neither Li Long nor Gu Xiaoxia asked Han Fang whether she was taking the high school entrance exam or the vocational school entrance exam.

It's easier to get into high school. At that time, you can take the entrance exam for vocational school or teacher training school, and you can go straight to work after graduation. When you turn eighteen, you'll have seniority and start earning a salary. So it's more popular than taking the high school entrance exam.

Therefore, it is difficult to pass the exam.

When I returned to the house, Li Long, Mingming, and Haohao were already up and washing up, laughing and joking. It was mostly Mingming and Haohao who were talking and asking questions, about things at kindergarten and what it felt like for Li Long to fly.

What are some good foods to eat in Yanjing?

After having breakfast and sending the child to kindergarten, Li Long returned to the purchasing station, pulled up a chair and sat by the counter, watching his father collect goods while casually recounting things about Yanjing.

It mainly revolves around things in the courtyard and some interesting things happening there, including the raisins, which are quite appealing.

"Boss Li, do you think I could make money if I carried a sack of raisins to Yanjing to sell?" The one who asked the question was a new middleman who had just started in this business, and his eyes were full of anticipation when he asked Li Long.

"You can make money, but it depends on how you make it," Li Long said half-jokingly. "The wealthier ethnic groups in northern Xinjiang started by selling raisins."

Li Long suddenly remembered someone and wondered if he should call Secretary Zhang.

That guy probably hasn't left the country yet, right?
"...I just don't know where to start. I don't even know where to sell a whole sack of stuff." The vendor was still timid and eventually gave up the idea.

Li Long didn't remind or encourage him; these kinds of things require him to figure it out himself. He suggested it to Meng Yuchao because Meng Yuchao was a neighbor in the courtyard and could help look after it.

And this one?
Li Long helped look after the vendors, noticing that his father's skill level was now basically on par with Gu Boyuan's. Gu Boyuan, being a college graduate, was very knowledgeable, and his habitual use of classical allusions and quotations filled the listeners with admiration.

The old man represents a rural villager. Having lived in his hometown and here, he knows a bit about both places and can chat with them, so he can get along well with these vendors.

That's what you call personal charm.

Li Long didn't get involved much. He hadn't been working behind the counter for the past few years. He knew the older vendors, but he didn't know many of the younger ones, nor did they know him, so there was simply nothing to talk about.

During lunch, Li Long gave his father a small knife, a genuine Yingjisha handmade knife with a jade-inlaid handle. The knife was very sharp, and it even came with a leather sheath. Li Qingxia liked it very much.

He also gave Sun Jiaqiang and Liang Shuangcheng a gift each. Sun Jiaqiang, who smokes now, received a jade cigarette holder; Liang Shuangcheng received a short flute, as the young man quite likes musical instruments.

The piccolo is not a Han Chinese product; it's a specialty of the Beijing liaison office. It's not made of bamboo but of bone; it's a traditional musical instrument and is considered a fine item.

There are several of these things, and Li Long wants to give one to his older brother—his older brother, Li Jianguo, can also play the flute.

As for my second brother and brother-in-law who haven't arrived yet, they all received gifts.

In the afternoon, Li Long drove to the fourth team. To Li Long's surprise, there was a guest at his elder brother's house, Du Jincai from the same village.

The relationship between the Du and Li families was ordinary; they would greet each other when they met, and might not even exchange greetings if they saw each other from afar.

When Li Long returned, Du Jincai had already gotten up and was about to leave, but when he saw Li Long come in, he sat down again.

Li Jianguo was quite happy to see Li Long come in. Yesterday, Li Long called the purchasing station, and his father answered. After Li Qingxia finished speaking, she called Li Jianguo to let them know, mainly because the old lady wanted to know that her youngest son had arrived in Wucheng safely.

After briefly inquiring about the road conditions, Li Long politely chatted with Du Jincai for a bit, asking about his family and daily life.

Then Du Jincai explained his purpose to Li Long:
“Our family plans to plow a piece of saline-alkali land next spring. The application has already been submitted, and we'll start working in the spring. Your older brother will definitely do the plowing, but saline-alkali land needs to be flushed with water to remove the alkali, so we were thinking of seeing if you could drain some water from the small lake. We'll pay for the water!”

Li Long was stunned. Pay his own water bill?

What right do I have to collect water fees?
Isn't this just digging your own grave?

He shook his head immediately: "Impossible. The water isn't ours. It's true I contracted Xiaohaizi, but I can use the water myself. Selling the water? Would I be asking for death?"

As soon as he said that, Li Jianguo laughed, while Du Jincai's face turned red.

When negotiations broke down, they naturally didn't keep him. Du Jincai left with a flushed face, and Li Jianguo said with a smile, "That's what he told me before. He said his family wanted to cultivate two hundred mu of land, which would require a lot of water. Anyway, there will be a lot of water during the spring floods, so they'll release some. The water fee won't be as expensive as the government's, but two hundred mu adds up to a lot..."

I didn't agree. He was originally going to leave, but when he saw you came, and considering that you were in charge of Xiaohaizi, he thought he could try to persuade you.

Li Long laughed: "I don't know if he really doesn't know, or if he's just pretending."

Could the water fee be collected by a private individual?

"It just looks like they're thinking of taking advantage," Li Jianguo said. "I don't even know if that's really what they're thinking."

Just then, Du Chunfang came out of the house. Li Long had actually gone to his mother's room first, but Du Chunfang wasn't there, so he went out to relieve himself. When he came back, he saw Li Long's car parked in the yard, so he rushed over.

"Mom, I went into your room earlier but didn't see you." Li Long helped the old lady sit down by the fireplace—there was a separate sofa there specifically for her. In winter, the old lady was afraid of the cold and liked to sit by the fireplace.

"I'm going to relieve myself." The old lady grinned when she saw Li Long. Li Long then took things out of his backpack. The first thing he gave the old lady was a cardboard box containing small pieces of cut cake.

My mother doesn't have many teeth left, but she likes to eat hard things. She doesn't chew them, but just holds them in her mouth and lets them slowly dissolve.

Moreover, he loves eating snacks, and Li Long thinks this cut cake is pretty good.

My mother also liked the pastries I brought back from Yanjing that year, but she didn't eat them much. However, she could eat a piece of this cut cake for a long time.

"Did you bring this back from Yanjing? What is it?"

"The food is actually from southern Xinjiang. I saw these small packages at the Beijing Liaison Office, and they sent me a few boxes," Li Long said with a smile. "When I went there, they sent me a lot of little trinkets, so I brought them with me."

“Why not keep it at home? Mingming and Haohao eat it too,” Li Jianguo said.

"Yes, I have them all." Li Long continued to pull out his things, giving his elder brother a bone flute and a large short knife—the tip of which was slightly curved, good for carving meat.

The elder sister-in-law was given a shawl and a silk scarf. However, Liang Yuemei had gone to the front yard to talk to Dong Xiaojuan and wasn't there.

Li Juan received a traditional ethnic backpack, the kind from the south, woven with various colorful ropes; it looked very beautiful.

What Li Qiang was given was a toy gun that Li Long had bought over there. It was a large brass revolver, bigger than the ones they had bought before, and it could fire the kind of gunpowder that had eight rotating pins. It made a loud "bang bang bang" sound.

Li Qiang would probably like it.

There are also some other odds and ends.

A moment later, Liang Yuemei arrived, followed by Li Junfeng. Upon seeing Li Long, Li Junfeng smiled and said:

"I saw your car, Uncle Xiaolong, when I dropped my aunt off, so I came over to take a look."

"Here, here, this is for you." Li Long pulled out a knife and handed it over: "These are gifts from the Beijing liaison office to their guests. I brought some back... These knives aren't cheap!"

"Hey, thank you so much, Uncle Xiaolong."

"This silk scarf is for your wife, and these few small sachets are for your children. These are sachets made by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the South to ward off bad luck and prevent disease."

Hey, yes, we have them!

"I have everything, whether it's valuable or not is another matter, it's just a token," Li Long said with a smile.

Old lady Du Chunfang had a piece of cut cake in her mouth, also called Maren Tang, or as it is now, since there are no stalls selling it on the street yet.

She held the rest in her hand, intending to put it away first; this stuff was so sweet and delicious!
Then everyone started asking Li Long about his situation in Yanjing, and Li Long answered them one by one, mainly talking about the courtyard his elder brother had bought and the situation of various universities in Yanjing.

Li Jianguo was naturally aware that there was no hope of getting into Tsinghua or Peking University; the Li family would be extremely grateful if anyone could get into either one.

Li Jianguo didn't comment on the agricultural university that Li Long had strongly recommended. He genuinely didn't know much about it and thought he could call Gu Boyuan to discuss it when he had time, or better yet, Gu Xiaoyu.

If Li Long says that it's possible to bring Gu Xiaoyu back to the Northern Frontier next year, that would be even better.

After a while, footsteps came from the courtyard, and Lu Yingming called out from outside:
"Little Dragon is back?"

When Li Long and his group heard footsteps, they had already packed up their things. Li Long left a few boxes of local specialties on the table, including pastries, maren candy, and so on.

After Lu Yingming entered the house, he greeted everyone with a smile:
"Oh, I heard Xiaolong went to Yanjing. Is he back now?"

"Ah."

"You're quick on your trip, it shouldn't have taken more than a week, right?"

"I flew both ways, and came back as soon as I finished my business," Li Long explained. "The plane arrived the same day, very quickly."

“Hey, being able to fly is a privilege reserved for leaders!” Lu Yingming said with a smile.

Li Junfeng made room for Lu Yingming, and after Lu Yingming sat down, Li Long picked up a box of pastries, opened it, and offered it to him to try.

"This was brought from Yanjing, Brother Lu, would you like to try it?"

"Alright, let's try some of the capital's specialties!" Lu Yingming didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a piece and tasted it, then praised it highly.

Li Long smiled but didn't reply.

Lu Yingming turned to Li Jianguo and asked:
"Du Jincai said he wants to reclaim 200 mu of wasteland next spring? Did he say which piece he had his eye on?"

Lu Yingming knew about the Li family joining the cooperative. He wanted to join himself, but his wife wouldn't allow it, telling him to be cautious, as it was the first year and they didn't know the specifics yet.

If the cooperative really starts making money, it's not too late to join next year.

Although Lu Yingming wasn't a member, he paid close attention to everything in the team, especially the land reclamation. The Du family was making a big fuss about reclaiming land, so he couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

Growing cotton is profitable, so the Lu family also wants to cultivate wasteland, but they haven't decided which area to cultivate yet.

Not everyone has the resources of the Wang family to dig their own wells and clear land. If you want to clear land, you have to choose a good location, at least near a canal. Even if you have to dig your own canal, you only need to dig a short one that can draw water from the main canal for irrigation.

After all, the land that can be cultivated now is all saline-alkali land, which must be irrigated to flush out the alkali. This fact has already spread throughout the team this year.

"He didn't say anything specific. But our team only has a few large plots that can be cultivated, each about 200 mu. He said he'd use water from Xiaohaizi, so it should be near the canal." Li Jianguo analyzed, "Or maybe it's in the area southwest of our settlement, near Xiaohaizi, that area must be about 300 or 400 mu, right?"

"Or it could be north of Xizhuangzi, not far from the grain fields, where there's an irrigation canal along the north side of the wasteland—but irrigating from north to south isn't easy, and that area of ​​wasteland must be over a thousand acres. The remaining wasteland isn't connected to an canal, so it's probably not where he wants to go."

"Use water from Xiaohaizi to water it? That's what he told you? How much will it cost?" Lu Yingming asked.

"You'll have to ask the team how to calculate the money; we don't know either," Li Jianguo waved his hand. "That water isn't ours either."

Lu Yingming was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Li Long. Li Long waved his hand and said, "The fish in Xiaohaizi belong to me, the reeds belong to me, but the water can't belong to me."

Lu Yingming was a little confused, but the Li brothers didn't explain further.

Lu Yingming didn't stay long before going back. Li Long didn't go back until after dinner. He told his older brother that he would detour to the team leader's house on his way back to tell him about the water in the small lake.

“It’s getting dark, you should go home now. I’ll go over and talk to you tomorrow morning.” Li Jianguo waved his hand. “I just got back yesterday, I can’t go home too late today, you should go home now.”

Li Long nodded and drove back to the county.

Li Junfeng, knowing the situation, asked Li Jianguo:
"You really won't charge for the water? There's a lot of water in that small lake. It can be replenished by the spring floods after it's drained. If you really want to charge, it'll probably cost several thousand or even tens of thousands, right?"

“We can’t accept this money; it’s not money we should be accepting,” Li Jianguo said firmly.

(End of this chapter)