Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 960 The Generous Li Long and the Stingy Li Long (Updated First, Revised Later)

The train traveled from Yanjing back to Wucheng, and Li Long cooperated well with Chen Xiangdong's actions, so nothing went wrong.

Upon arriving in Wucheng and reporting back to the Ethnic Affairs Commission, Li Long was received by the leaders, who gave him a good encouragement and told him that they would compile and distribute materials about his deeds, and that they would need his cooperation in the future.

Li Long readily agreed, and after some registration and photography, the mission was officially over. Li Long asked for Chen Xiangdong's office phone number, saying they would keep in touch.

Chen Xiangdong also took the initiative to get Li Long's phone number, because he always felt that Li Long was different from the advanced individuals he had met before.

The local specialties he bought in Beijing were shipped back, so Li Long wasn't in a hurry to return to the county. After picking up the items from the railway station's shipping department that night, he stayed overnight at the Bayi Guesthouse. The next day, after breakfast, he began distributing the items.

Li Long's first stop was the August 1st Agricultural College. He had brought some local specialties to Professor Wu's place during the Spring Festival, and also brought some for Professor Luo, but hadn't seen him. This time, he came specifically to see Professor Luo.

"If you had come two days later, you wouldn't have seen me." Professor Luo said with a smile as he poured water for Li Long in the office. "After completing the saline-alkali land improvement experiment in your area last year, I went to other places and gained some results. When the semester started this year, someone invited us to go. After consulting with the school leaders, I will be taking a few students to the Dongjiang area in a couple of days to stay for one or two months."

“That’s quite tough,” Li Long said, standing up to take the water. “It’s windy and hot over in Dongjiang, much tougher than where we are.”

“We are quite aware of the importance of agriculture,” Professor Luo said as he sat down. “To be honest, it was thanks to your suggestion that we discovered some new problems and found some new research directions when we were conducting soil improvement experiments.”

We have been invited by many people to help them conduct soil improvement experiments, soil testing and fertilization, which is very helpful to our research.

To be honest, when we went to different places, the locals took us very seriously. While the conditions weren't quite up to par with what you initially provided, they were generally better than the local average, and the support and benefits were excellent.

Li Long smiled, took a sip of water, and said:

"That's only right. Our country has always valued capable people. Your visits to the countryside bring real benefits to the people, so everyone should definitely treat you well."

To be honest, the fertilizer formula you left in our county has worked well for all the other saline-alkali land we've reclaimed. It has genuinely benefited us, so we definitely have to thank you.

"Alright, alright, let's not flatter each other anymore," Professor Luo said with a smile. "We'll accept this local specialty you brought. When we gather, we'll share it with the members of the experimental group."

I heard you received the National Outstanding Individual for Ethnic Unity Award. That's amazing, truly amazing! Congratulations! I'll definitely visit you again sometime, and we can't lower our standards then!

"Don't worry, it will only improve, not decline." Li Long knew that Professor Luo was joking, so he went along with it.

After saying goodbye to Professor Luo, Professor Wu had just finished his get out of class. Seeing Li Long waiting at the office door with his things, Professor Wu said somewhat apologetically:
"Comrade Xiao Li, look, I've kept you waiting for a while. I should have told you to find a place to do it."

"It's nothing, I only waited a little while." Li Long followed Professor Wu into the office. "I went to Yanjing again these past two days and brought back some local specialties, so I came to visit you."

"You went to receive an award, right?" Professor Wu knew about it, probably from the newspaper. "That's impressive, receiving national recognition. It means what you did was really excellent."

"Hehe," Li Long said with a smile as he placed the two bags of local specialties he was carrying on the table, "Anyway, I did accomplish some things, and I'm quite proud of it."

But to be honest, I also benefited a lot from it. My family used to be poor, and we traded some things with the people in the mountains and ethnic minorities, making a profit from the difference. Gradually, our lives improved.

But their lives were still quite impoverished, so we wanted to improve their lives as well.

"If everyone thought like you, our society would be a much better place," Professor Wu said, pouring water for Li Long. "People don't farm anymore, right?"

“I’m not farming anymore. I’ve handed over all my land to my older brother, and he’s farming it now. Quite a few people in our village are growing watermelons this year.”

“Watermelon, as an economic crop, cannot be planted continuously on the same piece of land,” Professor Wu said after thinking for a moment. “Moreover, it has relatively high requirements for soil quality, and watermelon fields that do not meet the planting conditions will not have high yields.”

“Everyone understands these things,” Li Long said, holding his teacup. “But no matter what, the average purchase price of a kilogram of watermelon is around two yuan. Even if you only harvest a hundred kilograms or less from an acre of land, the income is still more than growing grain.”

Therefore, many people expand their planting area in order to earn more money.

"That's true. Our grain production in northern Xinjiang is quite high, and we've long since surpassed the level of simply having enough to eat. People want to improve their lives, so they're thinking about making more money from the land."

Professor Wu remarked with emotion that to achieve the Four Modernizations and enable farmers to enter a moderately prosperous society, their lives must be improved. Where does the money come from? Farmers can only earn money from the land.

“We are doing relatively well in northern Xinjiang,” Li Long said with emotion. “At least each person has five mu of land for their own food, and there are still large areas of saline-alkali land that can be reclaimed. If you calculate it, each person has more than ten mu of land.”

Growing just some grains will be enough to eat, and the rest can be used to figure out how to grow cash crops. Cash crops bring in money faster than grains, so the standard of living can be higher.

"What kind of cash crops do you have in that area now?" Professor Wu asked with great interest.

"Besides watermelons and sunflower seeds, the Corps also grows cotton, sugar beets, and a small amount of safflower, etc." Li Long thought for a moment and said, "In the future, cotton will probably be planted more often."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because cotton can grow in saline-alkali soil, its ability to resist salinity and alkali is stronger than that of other cash crops. Most cash crops are picky about the land, but cotton is not."

"That makes sense. However, cotton is prone to insect infestation, and if pests and diseases become rampant, it could very well lead to a total crop failure." Professor Wu, who knew more, reminded Li Long, "This is the most important thing to be careful about."

“Yes, once the planting scale increases, it won’t be enough to rely solely on manual spraying.” Li Long agreed. “I have a collaboration with an agricultural machinery factory in Kuitun. We previously developed harvesters and cultivators, and we plan to develop a sprayer that can be mounted on a small four-wheeled tractor in a year or two when cotton planting is widespread.”

"Hey, I bet it was you!" Professor Wu patted the table and said with a smile, "When the harvester came out earlier, we contacted the agricultural machinery factory. They said it was a collaboration with someone else, and the name of the project was Li Long."

I was wondering if it might be you, but since you're from Kuitun, I didn't ask you directly. Xiao Li, not bad! It's clear you have a real talent for agricultural machinery. Haven't you considered further studies at a school? I think you could definitely achieve even greater things in this field.”

“Further studies are out of the question,” Li Long shook his head and said. “My theoretical foundation is too weak; I definitely wouldn’t be able to keep up. This is purely a hobby for me. Besides, I have too much to do right now. I need to go into the mountains to build roads, manage my purchasing station, and I have regular quotas to meet with the supply and marketing cooperative…”

"You really are a very busy person," Professor Wu said with a smile. "No wonder you received national recognition. The things you've done are things that ordinary people can't do."

That's great. Young people are bold and ambitious; it's beneficial for them to explore different fields.

Li Long smiled but didn't say anything.

Professor Wu found some magazines about agricultural machinery and books on basic mechanical theory for Li Long to take home and read.

After leaving the agricultural college, Li Long took the remaining local specialty to the jade carving factory.

There were no customers at the moment; Mr. Liu was hunched over his table, carving jade. He wore a small headlamp and held power tools, slowly working on a small piece of jade. Li Long's approach startled Mr. Liu; he put down his tools, turned to look at Li Long, and smiled.

"I just got back from Yanjing and brought you some local specialties." Li Long waved the things in his hand on the shop window. "You go ahead with your work. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Xiao Li, wait a minute," Engineer Liu hurriedly put down what he was holding and stood up. "I have something good for you."

Li Long stopped, also curious to see what Engineer Liu had prepared for him.

Engineer Liu took out something wrapped in newspaper from the cabinet under the table; it was about the size of a baby's head.

Engineer Liu carried this item to the shop window, placed it on the window, and unfolded the newspapers layer by layer, saying as he did so:

"This was given to me by an old jade farmer I know. It was just fished out of the river this year, and I think it's pretty good."

When the newspaper was opened, there was a piece of white jade pebble with a jujube-red skin.

“Look at the outline of this piece of jade. Doesn’t it look like an old man fishing?” Liu Gong turned the jade over and pointed to the piece of jade.

Li Long looked in the direction Liu Gong pointed and found that it was indeed the case.

That maroon leather piece looks like an old man sitting by a rock, wearing a straw hat and fishing. There's a fishing rod, but you can't see the fishing line. However, the few thin stripes at the bottom of the fishing rod look a bit like swimming fish.

That's a perfect description.

"Hey, it really is!" Li Long exclaimed. "It's truly a masterpiece of nature."

"This jade is made of mutton fat jade, and it's quite rare to find one this big," said Engineer Liu, touching the jade. "Do you want it?"

"Yes, yes, how much?" Li Long would definitely like such a natural jade pebble. "I'll double the price for you."

"No way, I don't consider you an outsider, so don't even think about taking the jade. I'd be sorry. Eight hundred yuan is fine. I bought it for seven hundred, plus a one hundred yuan resale fee."

"Then I'll give you a thousand, to round it up," Li Long said with a smile. "This kind of material is extremely rare."

Mr. Liu didn't refuse. Business at the small shop had improved in the past two years, and two hundred yuan wasn't a large sum for him, let alone for Li Long.

After carefully wrapping the jade piece and putting it in his backpack, Li Long bid farewell to Engineer Liu with satisfaction and returned to the Bayi Guesthouse.

He has almost finished dealing with things in Wucheng and can now return home with honors.

After taking the bus back to Ma County, Li Long walked to the courtyard with his backpack on his back.

Mingming and Haohao were playing on the cushions in the yard, while Sister Yang was tidying up the vegetables while watching them.

Seeing Li Long return, the two children dropped their toys and ran over calling for their father. Li Long quickly squatted down and picked up Mingming and Haohao, one in each arm, showering them with kisses.

"Daddy, stab!"

"It's prickly!"

The two children were quite uncomfortable with the stubble on Li Long's face and protested, but Li Long just laughed it off.

"His uncle is back?" Sister Yang stood up, holding a bunch of celery, and said with a smile, "He looks a bit thinner since this trip."

"Yanjing is better, but the food there isn't as good as what you make, Sister Yang," Li Long said with a smile, hugging Mingming and Haohao. "I'm really craving your hand-pulled noodles."

"That's perfect, we'll have noodles for lunch today." Sister Yang smiled broadly after receiving Li Long's praise. "I have plenty of noodles, I'm going to have a good feast today."

Li Long responded, put Mingming and Haohao down, and let them play on the playmat. He then went into the bedroom to tidy up his things.

Li Long believes that the jade should be kept safe, as it will definitely be worth a lot of money in the future.

When they came out of the house again, Mingming and Haohao were playing with two lambs, and another lamb was secretly nibbling on the grass in the vegetable garden.

Everything is wonderful.

During lunch, Li Long told Gu Boyuan and Gu Xiaoxia about things in Yanjing, including the renovation and Gu Xiaoyu's situation.

Because Gu Xiaoyu didn't want her family to worry, she specifically told Li Long not to tell them about the harassment she was experiencing by a male colleague. So Li Long didn't mention it or tell them about his heroic deeds.

He planned to ask Gu Xiaoyu when he had some free time: Had that man done anything bad again?
"You mean the people from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission's Beijing office specifically contacted you to oversee the renovations?" Gu Boyuan put down his chopsticks and asked Li Long with some surprise.

"Yes, Director Dai from the Beijing Liaison Office is very enthusiastic. He's the one who arranged the renovation team, and now he's even sent someone to oversee the renovation for us. I'm planning to send him some things to thank him properly."

"Of course, of course," Gu Boyuan said. "We can't let people work for free."

"So what are you planning to send over there?" Gu Xiaoxia asked.

"Send me a deer antler and a deer penis," Li Long said. "They are both highly nourishing medicinal herbs; they should like them."

Actually, there are even better options, such as things related to tigers. But these things can't be shown to the public. Li Long plans to keep these things for his family and not expose them to outsiders.

Hearing Li Long say that, both Sister Yang and Gu Xiaoxia blushed.

"Won't people think we're stingy?" Gu Boyuan was a little uncertain.

“No, a single deer antler costs over a hundred yuan, plus a deer penis, that’s two or three hundred yuan in total, which is equivalent to two or three months’ salary,” Li Long said. “Any more and he’ll make a mistake.”

The matter was settled.

(End of this chapter)