Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

The banquet in Old Gu's courtyard lasted until five or six in the afternoon before it ended. It was mainly a group of half-baked friends reminiscing about the old days, drinking quite heartily, and the banquet lasted for a long time.

These people got drunk and tried to pull over Lao Gu, who had already finished toasting, and Li Jianguo, who was busy. Li Jianguo shook his arm and said he was too busy, so Lao Gu simply pretended to be drunk and let Teacher Song help him into the house.

Because Gu Xiaoxia had to go to work the next day, she drove Mingming, Haohao, and Sister Yang back to the county after finishing her meal around 3 PM. Li Long and Gu Xiaoyu stayed behind to see if there was anything they could help with.

Actually, it wasn't anything serious. He didn't need to greet people; he just needed to say hello to the villagers and do some odd jobs. Gu Xiaoyu was chatting with Teacher Song in the inner room, helping to keep the onlookers at bay.

Although Teacher Song could feel everyone's enthusiasm and goodwill, she still felt a little uncomfortable. Some of the aunties and older women habitually went into the new house to see the "bride." When Liang Yuemei was there, they would say a few words, and when Liang Yuemei went to clear the dishes, Gu Xiaoyu was there and could always play a role.

After the guests left, Li Long helped everyone clean up. Du Chunfang, the old lady, had gone home early. She had originally planned to take good care of Mingming and Haohao at the banquet table, but Mingming and Haohao were already full before the banquet even started and didn't even bother to sit at the table, instead going to play with some of the preschool children in the group.

When Gu Xiaoxia was about to take them back, Mingming was fishing in the ditch in the vegetable garden with the others, covered in mud. Haohao, on the other hand, was correcting a little girl's Mandarin, speaking very seriously and meticulously.

So when Gu Xiaoxia wanted to take them away, the two of them were unwilling, but they had no choice. Their mother's suppression methods could come down at any time, and they were also afraid of Gu Xiaoxia spanking them.

Today was a busy day, mainly for this feast. After the guests left, the work still had to be done. Although the average income of the fourth team is now much higher than that of the other teams, the leftover dishes from the feast, folded together, are still considered a delicacy by many.

It was summer, and these things couldn't be stored away, so each family who was cleaning up the dishes took some home—Liang Yuemei didn't want them, as she had better ones at home.

After the young men who served the dishes finished eating at the last table, they put the tables and chairs back together, as they needed to return them the next day. Besides, Xie Dong was going to prepare a delicious meal for them the following day.

The two master chefs had worked incredibly hard all day and had already gone home; they were too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

Looking at the courtyard now quiet and deserted, Li Long smiled; this matter was finally over.

He remembered Old Gu saying he'd stay in the fourth team for two more days, then drive back to the valley on the 8th. He figured he wouldn't be back until either the Lunar New Year or the fall.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Li Long greeted his older brother who was taking inventory, then called out to Gu Xiaoyu and drove back to the county.

Back home, Gu Xiaoxia whispered to him in the bedroom:
"Aunt Song gave each of Mingming and Haohao a red envelope. I don't know when she gave it to them. There was a hundred yuan in the envelope."

"Since it's from an elder, then take it," Li Long said. "I guess Mingming and Haohao called for help, so this is what we should give them."

In the Gu family lineage, Gu Xiaoyu never married, and in three generations, there is only Mingming and Haohao—although they are grandsons, they are still blood relatives.

That was the end of it.

The next day, Gu Boyuan drove to the county and stayed at the purchasing station for a while. On one hand, he introduced the place where he used to work to Teacher Song, and on the other hand, he wanted to catch up with Li Qingxia and exchange experiences on running a purchasing station.

Li Long was also at the purchasing station, helping to wash and sort the fritillaria bulbs. The last batch of fritillaria bulbs that Liu Gaolou brought over were spring fritillaria bulbs, which weren't cleaned very well and would attract flies if left in the warehouse. They needed to be washed, salted, and sorted again.

Otherwise, insect infestation will affect the quality and price.

On June 8th, Gu Boyuan drove away from Ma County and returned to the valley with his newlywed wife.

Gu Xiaoxia had to go to work and couldn't see them off. When Li Long and Gu Xiaoyu saw them off, they told them to be careful when crossing the Guozigou Valley.

"Don't worry. Think about the last trip. If I hadn't been decisive, we might not have been able to get here." Gu Boyuan said confidently.

Li Long didn't say much, afraid that if he said too much, Gu Boyuan might say something unpleasant, and it would be troublesome if his words came true.

Fortunately, two days later, Gu Boyuan called to say that they had arrived safely in the valley and that things would return to normal.

Gu Xiaoyu's vacation was coming soon. On Sunday, June 11th, Li Long drove the two sisters, Gu Xiaoxia and Gu Xiaoyu, to Wucheng to buy some local specialties. Some of them were for Gu Xiaoyu to take with her, while others were to be mailed back.

Liu, the jade craftsman, wasn't at the jade factory; the apprentice was there by himself. He knew Li Long and was quite enthusiastic towards him, so Li Long let Gu Xiaoxia and Gu Xiaoyu choose some jade pieces they liked.

Although Gu Xiaoxia already had quite a few items, many of them high-quality, a woman can never have too many. She barely spent her own salary, mostly buying things for her family, so she still bought a few items. Gu Xiaoyu hesitated a bit, but in the end, she only bought one.

Gu Xiaoxia, however, took out her own money to buy her two more items, saying that such an opportunity was rare and that she didn't know when she would come again.

I also bought some dried fruit and other dried fruits, and then mailed them from the post office at the train station, which was the easiest way.

After returning from Wucheng, they went to Shicheng, where there were fewer things to buy. On June 13th, Gu Xiaoyu packed her luggage and boarded a bus to Wucheng.

She insisted that Li Long not take her to Wucheng, so Li Long didn't force her and told her to call him after she arrived in Yanjing.

With Gu Xiaoyu gone, the matter of Gu Boyuan's marriage was finally put to a complete end.

Although it was quite busy and involved a lot of back-and-forth travel, both Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia felt that the effort was meaningful.

Next, Han Fang became the busiest person in the courtyard. With the high school entrance exam approaching, she became very nervous, afraid that she might miss something in her review.

The school teachers also came to visit her home. Actually, the teachers wanted Han Fang to apply for high school. In their opinion, with Han Fang's grades, she would definitely have no problem getting into high school, and she would also have a high chance of going to university later.

But both Han Fang and Sister Yang insisted on taking the entrance exam for a vocational school, and they were aiming for Beiting Teachers College, so the teacher had no choice but to give up.

Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia had actually given each other advice in private, with Gu Xiaoxia even using herself as an example to illustrate the benefits of a high level of education.

But Han Fang just shook her head.

Let them take the exam; after all, it's their life.

On June 17th and 19th, Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui came one after the other and took away the fritillaria and hides from Li Long.

The fritillaria season is basically over. This year, the purchasing station received far fewer fritillaria than last year. Although Li Long still goes to the wooden house in the mountains every two days to look for Polatira fritillaria, in the end, he only received less than eight tons of fritillaria this year.

According to the price given by Jia Tianlong, the gross income is about 1.5 million yuan, and after deducting costs, the net profit is more than 400,000 yuan - including tax.

As for the hides, the price of spring hides is not good, and Zhao Hui still hopes that Li Long can get some high-quality hides. Li Long also explained his situation.

“There are good tiger skins in the southern border region, but I don’t have the connections. Other people can get tiger skins, but even if I went there, I wouldn’t be able to find the place.” Li Long had originally planned to go to the southern border region, but then he thought better of it.

He wasn't clear on the situation in southern Xinjiang either. Being unfamiliar with the area, it wouldn't be safe to bring too few people, especially since this wasn't forty years later. Bringing too many people wouldn't be convenient either, so he decided to let Zhao Hui figure it out himself.

I have plenty of ways to make money now, there's no need to take risks for a few tens of thousands of yuan.

Zhao Hui was still a little unhappy, but Li Long didn't pay him any mind. Now that he had a steady supply of goods, he held the initiative, so he didn't care whether Zhao Hui was happy or not. As long as he bought the hides, that was fine. If he didn't buy them, he had other places to sell them—the county leather factory had contacted Li Long more than once to ask for his hides.

After the two left, Li Long went to the tax office to file his taxes and paid a considerable amount of back taxes, which earned him praise from the tax authorities once again.

Li Long reiterated that he only wanted to make money legally and didn't intend to touch the gray areas.

On June 22nd, Liu Gaolou called the purchasing station in the morning, saying that he would leave Khorgos immediately and arrive in Ma County the next day.

Fortunately, the warehouse space has been cleared out. In less than a month, he has sold five or six cars. There are still quite a few cars left, but Li Long is not in a hurry.

Thinking he had nothing to do today, Li Long called Factory Director Du, made an appointment, told his father, and then drove to Kuitun with his drawings, intending to talk to Director Du. He figured if things went smoothly, he could return today; if not, he'd go back tomorrow, and maybe even run into Liu Gaolou and the others on the way.

Li Long also brought some things. In the past two years, both his brother-in-law and second brother have changed their attitudes toward their parents and eldest brother.

So Li Long brought some candy that Lao Gu had left behind from Khorgos, intending to give it to Xue Ping and Xue Qin.

The 312 National Highway from Ma County to Kuitun was also under maintenance in the summer, with some potholes being filled. So it took Li Long a little over an hour to reach the military post. After turning off the bend, he quickly arrived in the city.

He didn't go to his second brother's house first—mainly because there was no one there now; his second brother and sister-in-law had gone to work, and their two children were at school.

Li Long drove directly to the agricultural machinery factory. Director Du was discussing matters with the technicians in the yard. When he saw Li Long drive in, he greeted him with a smile.

After Li Long got out of the car, he greeted Lao Du, and the two of them walked towards the office together, followed by the technicians.

"This is Deng Xianhua, a newly hired engineer from Wucheng, who specializes in agricultural machinery." After arriving at the office, Director Du introduced him to Li Long. "Engineer Deng, this is Li Long, as you know."

"I've heard about him before." Deng Xianhua was in his thirties, with a receding hairline. It was unclear whether this was due to excessive mental exertion in scientific research or a pre-existing condition. He had slightly plump, cheerful features and wasn't very tall. His work clothes were greasy. Li Long felt a sense of goodwill towards him and shook his hand with a smile.

"Hello, Engineer Deng."

"Good, good, good. To be honest, the machines you developed are really creative and highly practical. I have to learn from you when it comes to creativity."

Engineer Deng was very modest, and Li Long smiled modestly and said:

"I work in the countryside. I liked machinery when I was young, so I studied it. But when it comes to expertise, you guys are the best."

Since Deng Xianhua was so polite and didn't act like an engineer at all, Li Long naturally wouldn't look down on him. Besides, if they really wanted to make this drip irrigation tape processing machine, they would most likely need this engineer Deng to improve it.

This is different from the previous machines. Li Long designed the main components of those machines himself, but this one is a combination machine, which involves more processes. Li Long had only seen the general idea before. Although he had a concept, he was not very clear about the specifics.

He needs someone to help him improve it.

"Comrade Li Long, your arrival is timely. Our pesticide sprayer shipments were quite high in the first half of the year. Although harvester sales have declined, the decline is relatively slow. Moreover, we have already opened up the market in several prefectures and cities in southern Xinjiang, and there may be another increase in sales later."

I just checked with finance, and the second-quarter dividend hasn't been transferred to you yet. Since you're here, you can collect it.

“Okay, that’s not the point,” Li Long said. “I brought with me the design and sketches for drip irrigation tape production equipment, which we need to study together.”

"No problem," Director Du said with a smile. "At first, I didn't really care about this drip irrigation system. I think it's a bit redundant for us in northern Xinjiang right now, since we don't lack water and we have plenty of land."

However, after our last conversation, and after further discussions with agricultural research institutes and other units within the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, my thinking has changed. To be honest, currently, the rural land area in northern Xinjiang is expanding very rapidly, not only locally but also within the Corps.

However, our natural water volume is relatively stable and is declining. Experts from agricultural research institutes and water conservancy departments told me that our groundwater level is declining year by year, mainly due to the expansion of the number of wells.

In addition, some saline-alkali land needs to be transformed. The current extensive farming model does not meet our goals for agricultural modernization, so drip irrigation is indeed the main direction for future agricultural development.

"However, the equipment for producing drip irrigation tape is indeed quite complex," said Engineer Deng. "Although we are working on this in China and have purchased relatively advanced equipment from abroad for disassembly and research, progress is not very fast."

Li Long could tell that both Director Du and Engineer Deng were very optimistic about the former's work, but were also quite worried about the research difficulties involved.

Li Long then said with a smile:

"Three cobblers with their wits combined can outwit Zhuge Liang. Let's take a look. Once this thing is developed, it will definitely fill the gap in the country's agricultural machinery, and its significance will be much greater than the snowplows, sprayers, and harvesters we have produced before."

Factory Director Du and Engineer Deng were well aware of this, otherwise why would they have treated Li Long's arrival with such seriousness?

However, the difficulty involved was truly immense, and they were unsure what kind of preparation Li Long meant when he said he had made some changes.

If the preparations are really as he described, then the agricultural machinery factory will definitely take advantage of this opportunity.

If Li Long is just a concept, then they might not necessarily devote themselves to it.

Li Long was naturally aware of this as well. The agricultural machinery factory was such a large factory, and Director Du had to be responsible for the factory and so many employees. He couldn't just gamble on this matter based on a few words. So in the end, it all came down to the actual results.

So he took out the sketch he had drawn.

Factory Director Du and Engineer Deng immediately gathered around to listen to Li Long's explanation.

Li Long talked about everything from the feeding port to the output port, from the voltage used to the standards of the raw materials.

Li Long explained each of the screening machines and other equipment in the middle.

Initially, the main purpose was to give the two people a general understanding, so Li Long gave a comprehensive explanation.

But as soon as he said that, both Director Du and Engineer Deng immediately fell silent.

To be honest, when Li Long told Director Du about this, he actually did look into it. But the information he could gather wasn't much, though he knew the prospects were very good.

So he and Engineer Deng did some research, but without the actual object, they only had a picture in a magazine they could find, so they couldn't really understand it in detail.

Now that Li Long had explained things in such detail, they immediately perked up. Many of the questions that had been posed on paper were immediately revealed on the blueprints. Some were easily resolved, while others left them even more confused.

The drip irrigation tape production machines that Director Du and Engineer Deng learned about from magazine papers were currently mainly from abroad. However, Li Long's drawings depicted the most advanced technology in China forty years later.

Some unnecessary things were eliminated in the middle, but some automated facilities were added.

Therefore, in the eyes of Director Du and Deng Xianhua, this set of equipment was really very attractive.

Originally, Li Long planned to give a simple explanation, showing them the principles and each step of the sketch he had drawn, and then let their technical team handle the rest.

But both Director Du and Deng Xianhua wouldn't let him go, demanding that he explain in detail the specific function of each part, the materials used, the process dimensions, and the production efficiency, etc.

Li Long understands some things about this, but not others. He can explain what he understands, but for what he doesn't, he can only say he doesn't know.

Li Long was also familiar with the production process; it was more refined than that of spraying machines and harvesters, and couldn't be done too casually.

Therefore, the dimensions cannot be approximate. If he can explain it clearly, that's fine; otherwise, he simply pushes it onto them: "When you're doing the trial production, just take a rough range and see the results."

In any case, such a complete set, and for current agricultural machinery factories, is a large-scale trial production of equipment, so it will definitely require multiple adjustments and the production of more spare parts to achieve the best results. This is inevitable.

The three of them talked for so long that it was noon before they knew it. Director Du simply called someone to bring them lunch from the canteen, and they ate and talked in the office.

Li Long truly admired the professionalism of these two, and he was also finding it difficult to keep up. The questions they asked were becoming increasingly professional, and there were some he genuinely didn't know the answers to.

"I saw the things they imported from Germany in Kazakhstan, and then I modified them based on my own understanding," Li Long finally said. "So some of it is my understanding, and some of it is their original technology."

"You're really impressive," Deng Xianhua exclaimed. "To be honest, if I just went to take a look without doing any detailed research, even if I knew some of the general contents of this equipment, I still wouldn't know its specific functions."

Factory Director Du explained to Li Long from the side:

"Engineer Deng has also visited and inspected foreign countries. He went to another country in the Soviet Union—Tajikistan, and saw some of their machinery. But when they allow you to visit, they don't let you see it in such detail, and they don't give you a very detailed explanation."

Li Long nodded, indicating that he understood. Inwardly, however, he was sweating profusely. Thankfully, the places they went to were different; otherwise, if Deng Xianhua had asked him to reveal where he had seen it, he wouldn't have been able to make up a story.

After dinner, they continued their research. Li Long could explain some of the issues, and he could give a general direction for others. Then, Director Du and Engineer Deng could deduce a rough idea. However, there were still some issues that lacked direction and required further research.

But at least for now, both Director Du and Deng Xianhua have a general idea and image of what the drip irrigation tape production machine is like, unlike before when they only had a low-resolution photo and didn't know where to start. The three of them studied it until after 6 PM. Li Long checked his watch, stopped the discussion, and said:
"Let's call it a day. I still need to go to my second brother's place. I'll come back tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay." Only then did Director Du realize that his neck was a little sore, mainly because he had been tilting his head for too long and couldn't take it anymore.

Engineer Deng rubbed his wrist. Of the three, he was the one who held the pen the most, wrote and drew the most, raised the most questions, and summarized the most results. Finally, he put away the papers and said:
"When I get back to the office, I'll work overtime tonight to perfect this drawing. I'll sort out the data and instructions that are basically confirmed so that it will be easier for us to discuss it tomorrow."

"Then I'll have to trouble you," Li Long said.

"Hey, what are you talking about? Without your sketch and all that stuff, we wouldn't have achieved so much. To be honest, Comrade Li Long, you've really impressed me today! You can handle such a complex set of machinery and equipment; are you sure you haven't attended a professional school?"

"No, I didn't. I just made it up on my own," Li Long said. "Alright, let's talk about it again tomorrow. I have to go now."

"Wait a minute, I'll see you out. You're going to your second brother's place, right? I'll ask the logistics department to bring you some things. We came all this way, we can't let you leave empty-handed—we were originally planning to have you eat dinner here, and then we'd eat out and have a good chat."

However, since you're visiting relatives, I won't keep you any longer.

Factory Director Du took Li Long to the logistics department, where he had the warehouse manager bring out a box of special liquor from the warehouse and put a bottle of cooking oil on the car before letting Li Long leave.

When Li Long drove to his second brother's house, there were already pedestrians on the city streets. Some were walking in a hurry, while others were strolling leisurely.

When Li Long arrived at the courtyard gate, he saw Xue Ping and Xue Qin, who were carrying schoolbags, just walking in and arguing about something.

Li Long stuck half his head out of the car window and shouted:

"Xueping, Xueqin!"

Both children heard the commotion outside, then turned around at the same time. Upon seeing Li Long, they paused for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise:

"Uncle!"

After saying that, they ran over together.

"Don't come any closer, let me park the car first," Li Long quickly called out. "Don't bump into you."

He parked the car and got out. Chen Lirong had already come out of the house. She was cooking, wearing an apron. She came over to check when she heard the noise outside.

Then they saw Li Long giving candy to Xue Ping and Xue Qin.

"Xiaolong's here? Come in, come in!" Chen Lirong greeted him with a smile. "Your second brother will be off work soon. Come in and sit down."

Li Long then carried the case of wine upstairs, and then asked Xue Ping and Xue Qin to help, one to carry the oil and the other to carry the bag of sugar.

The two children weren't picky. Xueping, being older, took the oil and was quite proud of herself, holding her head high. She was proud that she could do the work.

Xueqin held the bag of candy without looking to the side. To show that she wouldn't steal the candy, she held it tightly with both hands. After taking the candy back into the house, she quickly came out again.

Li Long put the bottle of wine in the kitchen, and Chen Lirong complained:

"You're here, why are you spending money to buy things?"

"The sugar was brought by me, and the wine and oil were given to me by the factory manager. I was at the factory on business, and they knew I was there, so they brought them over."

Only after he said that did Chen Lirong understand, and she said:
"Hey, that's owing a favor. When your second brother comes back, I'll talk to him and see if we can send him some too. When it comes to favors, you have to give and take."

Li Long smiled but didn't say anything. He went to wash his hands, and Xue Ping had already washed her hands and poured him some tea.

"Hey, Xueping's great, and Xueqin's great too," Li Long said with a smile, praising his two little nieces. "Are you doing well at school now?"

"Apart from academic performance, everything else is pretty good." Chen Lirong said while cooking. "In terms of academics... sigh, he's far behind Juan and Qiangqiang. Mingming, Haohao, you and Xiaoxia need to start training him from a young age, otherwise, we'll be in trouble."

"If all else fails, let's hire a tutor," Li Long said, remembering the two children from Yushanjiang. "My friend is from an ethnic minority group and attended a vocational school. Later, he wanted to take the entrance exam for a technical secondary school, so he hired a retired teacher to tutor him. The results were surprisingly good, and now his grades are in the middle to upper range of the Han school class."

His words made Chen Lirong somewhat tempted.

"I think one reason why Xueping and Xueqin's grades are not good is that they used to live in their hometown. After transferring here, they probably need an adjustment period in terms of both life and studies. Children in the city are exposed to those things earlier, but it's different for us who came from elsewhere."

After hearing what Li Long said, Chen Lirong felt that it made a lot of sense. Just like her, although she now had an urban household registration and a temporary job, she still felt a little out of place with those locals who had been living there all along.

Some people still have a sense of superiority.

Just then, Li Anguo returned home from get off work. He recognized Li Long's car as soon as he saw it outside. After driving his car into the yard, he said to Li Long, who came out to greet him:

"Xiaolong, why don't you drive your car in too? It's not safe to leave it outside."

"It's alright, I'll stay at the guesthouse tonight," Li Long said.

“Why would you stay in a guesthouse? We’re practically at your doorstep. Do you think you can stay in a guesthouse? That would be an insult.” Li Anguo said firmly. “You haven’t been here for a while. Have your sister-in-law cook a couple more dishes later. I’ll go call Junshan and Yang Yongqiang over, and we’ll have a drink here.”

"Xiaolong brought over a case of liquor," Chen Lirong said, pointing to the liquor in the corner. "It's a special grade."

"Hey, you're here now, what did you bring?" Li Anguo turned and walked out. "I'm going to buy a few pounds of meat and some braised dishes. You wait here."

After saying that, he drove off—although he had lived here for several years, he still used the word "jin" in his colloquial speech, but what he meant by "jin" was actually kilograms.

Li Long then stopped insisting and watched Xueping and Xueqin do their homework. The two children were happy to be close to him, and would ask him to help them solve problems when they didn't know how, and would ask him to check their homework after they finished.

Soon, Li Junshan arrived on his bicycle and was quite happy to see Li Long.

Since settling down here, Li Junshan has only returned to his hometown every year and occasionally visited Ma County, so he rarely sees Li Long.

But he still remembered the days in the fourth team before he came here. He was able to become a worker here thanks to Li Long.

So when Li Anguo told him that Li Long had come, he rode his bicycle over without even finishing his meal.

"Uncle Xiaolong, when did you arrive?" Li Junshan asked with a smile. "Are you here on business?"

"Yeah, I'm going to the farm machinery factory to take care of some things, and then I'll come see my second brother," Li Long said with a smile. "How are you? You look great, just a little tanned, but you've gained weight, not bad."

“Hehe, not bad, we had a son this year,” Li Junshan said. “My wife still remembers you. She said when your young uncle is coming over, we have to invite him to dinner.”

When Li Junshan got married, many people from the Li family came to support him. Because Junshan's father had "broken his leg," Li Long and his family were considered part of the groom's side. Li Long also invited Factory Director Du and Section Chief Ma, showing that the groom's side had a wide network of connections, and the bride's side was quite satisfied.

Li Long only heard from Li Anguo later that Junshan and his wife were living a good life, so he didn't pay much attention.

The two chatted for a while before Yang Yongqiang arrived.

I didn't see Yang Yongqiang very often, mainly only when I returned to the fourth team for the Chinese New Year.

Yang Yongqiang used to be Li Long's right-hand man, but after he came here, they naturally communicated less—after all, without cell phones, it wasn't easy to communicate at this time.

Yang Yongqiang entered the courtyard with a smile on his face, waving hello from afar:

"Brother Long, when did you arrive?"

Li Junshan and Yang Yongqiang have both switched to Mandarin, but Li Anguo still speaks his hometown dialect—this place really can change people.

A little while later, Li Anguo returned, carrying a lot of things from the car, including mixed cold dishes, braised meat, and pork belly for making braised pork, etc.

Xueping and Xueqin had already finished eating and gone to the inner room. Since there were mosquitoes outside, Li Anguo set up a table in the living room and laid out the cold dishes first.

"You guys eat first, I'll stir-fry some hot dishes," Chen Lirong said as she came in, then went out to cook.

"Hey, it's so nice to have a big yard," Yang Yongqiang said enviously. "This is so much better than the small yard the company provided."

"You're all set, I'll stay in that little courtyard." Li Junshan said with a smile, "By the way, I heard you're applying too?"

"What, Yongqiang has a girlfriend and is getting married?" Li Long asked.

"Yes, I've talked to someone at a cotton mill. It was someone introduced to me," Yang Yongqiang readily admitted. "I think it's alright. I plan to get it done once I'm less busy."

"Then remember to invite me then," Li Long said.

"Of course, it's fine if anyone else in the team doesn't come, but you definitely have to come," Yang Yongqiang said with a smile. "Without you, how could I be a worker here?"

Although every time Yang Yongqiang returned to the team, he envied those who had made a lot of money following Li Long and now all owned cars.

But considering that he lives in the city and his future children will have urban residency and enjoy urban resources, Yang Yongqiang doesn't have too many regrets.

After all, life isn't just about money. Once you've lived in the city for a while, you'll realize that there are some hidden benefits that rural people can't enjoy, or even imagine.

Besides, my father farms in the team. When he gets married, he can get rice, flour, and oil from the fourth team just like Li Anguo. That way, his living costs will be reduced a lot, and he can save more money.

While saving enough to buy a car might be unrealistic with his current salary, little by little, it adds up. Having lived in the city for several years, Yang Yongqiang's mindset has become more like that of a city dweller, so his ideas are more pragmatic.

While drinking, Yang Yongqiang asked Li Long what he had come for, and Li Long replied that he had come to the agricultural machinery factory to see what new agricultural machinery they were working on.

"I heard from my dad that the sprayer used for cotton planting in the team was invented by you, and considering the harvester you made before, Brother Long, you're amazing!" Yang Yongqiang said with genuine admiration. "What kind of machine are you planning to make this time?"

“The production equipment for drip irrigation tape,” Li Long explained. “Now we are planting more and more cotton, but the yield can’t be increased, and the price can’t be increased either.”

I was thinking about whether I could update my planting techniques and try drip irrigation. If I could increase the yield, and harvest an extra 100 kilograms of cotton per acre, I could earn an extra 200 yuan... that would be much better.”

The three people in front of me were all unfamiliar with cotton planting, but they could earn an extra two hundred yuan per mu, which was equivalent to more than a month's salary for them.

Yang Yongqiang now knows that the cooperative planted more than 1,000 mu of cotton this year. If Li Long's goal can be achieved, how much money will that be?

Hundreds of thousands!

Even after deducting costs, each member of the cooperative should still get a considerable share, right?

He was filled with mixed feelings. If he hadn't chosen to be a worker, he would definitely be a member of the cooperative now.

"Come on, Brother Long, let me toast you." Yang Yongqiang remembered his father's phone call, saying that his family needed to consult Li Long about cotton growing techniques. So he said, "My dad said that our family also grows cotton, and there are some things we don't understand that we will definitely ask you. Don't think it's too much trouble. Just say what you need to say and remind us of what needs to be reminded."

"Look how polite you are." Li Long picked up his glass and clinked it with his. "What's our relationship? You don't need to tell me. If your dad asks me anything, I'll definitely tell him everything I know."

After drinking the wine, Li Long picked up a piece of braised meat and said while eating:
“It’s obvious you’re doing quite well in the city. Actually, we’re doing just fine living in the team too…”

“You’re still in the team. I heard from my older brother and father that you’re basically in the county now,” Li Anguo revealed.

"Hehe, my household registration is still with the team, so I still consider myself one of them." Li Long smiled and said, "Each has its own advantages."

To be honest, the children's education is better in the city. Soldiers returning from the city are even offered jobs, and there are more opportunities there too.

What he said is all based on reality. Even forty years from now, when middle-aged and elderly people talk about having a courtyard in the countryside to retire, most people will still feel that living in the city is more convenient. Whether it is medical care, education or daily life, the convenience of the city is indeed incomparable to that of the countryside.

Of course, rural areas also have their advantages: they are more welcoming, have more space for activities, and have better air quality, among other things.

The four of them drank and chatted, and Chen Lirong brought out three hot dishes in no time.

Stir-fried eggs with chives, fried peanuts, and braised pork.

Li Long urged her to sit down and eat something, but Chen Lirong shook her head and said she would go check if the two children were asleep.

“Don’t worry about them, they’ve all eaten,” Li Anguo said. “Let’s continue—Xiaolong, you’ve come all this way before, and you haven’t eaten on several previous visits, so you should at least have a good drink today.”

Li Junshan asked more about Li Junfeng and his other cousins ​​and nephews.

He initially decided to stay, but Li Junfeng didn't because he was already married and his family was doing well. Unexpectedly, this time he brought his whole family with him.

Not only did he come, but he also brought some relatives. Li Junshan was quite moved when he heard from Li Long that some people also wanted to stay.

I was right to make that decision early on.

Otherwise, we wouldn't be living such a good life now.

By the time the drinking session ended, it was completely dark, and midnight had arrived.

If it weren't for the fact that Li Anguo and the others had to go to work tomorrow, they wouldn't have been able to leave anytime soon.

When Li Junshan left, he was pushing his bicycle and was already wobbling a bit. Yang Yongqiang, on the other hand, surprised Li Long a bit—he had a much higher alcohol tolerance and left with Li Junshan, as if to see him off.

Li Long's resting place had been arranged. He went out and drove the car into the yard. Li Anguo locked the door, and then they each washed up and went to bed.

While drinking, Li Anguo told Li Long that he would have to pay for the car later. Li Long waved his hand and said it was fine, he would pay when he had the money.

This made Li Junshan and Yang Yongqiang very envious.

The next day, when Li Long got up, his second sister-in-law Chen Lirong had already started making breakfast. When he went to wash up, the two children, Xueping and Xueqin, had also gotten up. They greeted Li Long with sweet smiles, then rushed over, hastily wiped their faces, and went to the kitchen.

They need to finish their breakfast quickly and then go to school.

Li Long took on the job and said during breakfast that he would drive the two children to school, which made Xueping and Xueqin very happy.

"That would be too much trouble," Chen Lirong said, not wanting to bother Li Long.

"No trouble at all. I'm going to the farm machinery factory later, so it's fine if I go a little later." Li Long waved his hand. "Second brother, I'll finish my business this morning and then head back. Do you have anything to tell Dad and eldest brother?"

“Then take that bottle of wine with you. Dad and Mom both enjoy a drink, and your older brother has a good capacity for alcohol. It’s better to take this wine back than leave it here,” Li Anguo said. “After you’ve seen Xueping and Xueqin off, come back and your sister-in-law will go buy some pastries for you to take back to Dad and Mom.”

"Alright." Li Long had no objections; he was happy to see his second brother being so filial to the elders. (End of Chapter)