Reborn in the 1980s, starting with fishing and hunting to build a fortune

Chapter 104 Panic

"Brother Weimin, besides the sheep, do you want anything else?" Li Xiangyang asked.

"Yes, yes, I want it all! If you can get anything else from your side, that would be even better. I'm in a real bind, I can't afford to be picky."

Li Xiangyang used to sell fish and other wild animals to Tu Weimin, but now that the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, Tu Weimin doesn't dare to hope that Li Xiangyang can get anything else. He just thinks that since Li Xiangyang is in the pastoral area and can still come to the county town, he should be able to get him some sheep, no matter how many.

Li Xiangyang thought for a moment before replying, "Hmm—I caught a few rabbits and pheasants yesterday. I'll bring them to you early tomorrow morning. As for the sheep—I'll have to think of something. I can't guarantee that for now, since the brigade knows exactly how many there are."

"Great, great!" Tu Weimin's eyes lit up when he heard that Li Xiangyang had a few chickens and rabbits. He said excitedly, "If we can't get sheep, pheasants and rabbits will do. We're not picky."

Li Xiangyang then introduced Liu Xiulan and Zhao Lijuan to Tu Weimin. After they nodded to each other, Tu Weimin hurriedly left.

If Li Xiangyang brings the prey tomorrow, then we'll have some food to eat tomorrow morning. But we still don't have any food for the day after tomorrow, so he has to hurry out and run around and bring back as much as he can.

Since Tu Weimin had given instructions, the chefs in the private room were given priority to cook the dishes. Before long, the waiters brought out all the dishes that Tu Weimin had ordered for them.

All five dishes were delicious and visually appealing, especially the Mapo Tofu, whose aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.

After Li Xiangyang took a small portion from each dish and packed it up, the group began to wolf it down.

Aunt Liu Xiulan started eating in small bites, but she couldn't help herself and started eating freely, since there were no outsiders or elders around.

When Li Xiangyang and his companions returned to the village after a full meal, it was already past one o'clock in the afternoon.

They earned over 300 yuan on this trip and brought back some new dishes rarely seen in the pastoral area for their elderly parents and young child.

As the old saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him, and he who takes another's money is bound to him." Li Zhenshan and Wang Guiying were enjoying their meal and counting their money with great pleasure, so they didn't mention that their two daughters-in-law, Liu Xiulan and Zhao Lijuan, had spent fourteen yuan on fabric that morning.

"Dad, how's this Mapo Tofu? If you like it, I'll buy it for you every day when you're old and have no teeth."

When Li Xiangyang saw Li Zhenshan, he ate a small glass of wine and a bite of tofu with relish, and said with a fawning expression.

Li Zhenshan rolled his eyes at him: "Go away, your father has great teeth, he can even chew on lamb tendons without any problem."

As he spoke, Li Zhenshan stared at Li Xiangyang's face again and asked warily, "Xiangyang, you little rascal, you've suddenly become so attentive today. Are you up to something again?"

"No, no, Father is drinking, drinking."

With a grin, Li Xiangyang picked up the wine pot and filled Li Zhenshan's cup with sweet potato liquor: "Don't think too badly of your son. That was before. Your son has long since reformed and turned over a new leaf. He has no ulterior motives and simply wants to take good care of you, sir."

No one knows a son better than his father. Li Xiangyang really did have something to ask Li Zhenshan, but he was very conflicted. He was worried that if he told Li Zhenshan about it, Li Zhenshan would definitely break his legs.

That is, he wanted to take two sheep from his own ranch and sell them to Tu Weimin.

The ranch currently has 10 sheep left: one breeding ram, seven adult ewes, and two immature female lambs, which were born this spring and are intended by Li Zhenshan to replenish the flock and replace old and weak ewes next year.

One ram and seven adult ewes are obviously not to be sold. It seems that some of the ewes are pregnant with lambs, so it's not worth selling them. If he says that, Li Zhenshan will beat him to death.

However, Li Xiangyang felt that the two immature ewes could be sold.

Take advantage of the current shortage of ingredients at the state-run restaurants, sell them to them at a high price, and then buy two more sheep next year when the price of sheep is cheaper to make up for it.

The concern is that Li Zhenshan might not be able to accept the situation and feel that the herders' act of selling their ewes is cutting off their livelihood.

"Stop with the flattery, just say what you mean. And that laugh of yours—" Li Zhenshan tugged at Li Xiangyang's ear, "Your laugh is a bit off-putting, you know!"

"Uh... okay!"

Li Xiangyang thought he had disguised himself very well, but since Li Zhenshan had seen through him, he simply said it directly: "Dad, in our ranch, besides one breeding ram and seven pregnant adult ewes, aren't there two immature substitute ewes?"

"Sheep?" As soon as Li Zhenshan heard Li Xiangyang mention sheep from the ranch, his expression turned serious. He stopped eating and drinking.

"Those two immature ewes are for next year to replace the old and weak ewes. What are you planning to do with them? Of course, you'd better not even think about it!"

"Forehead------"

Li Xiangyang knew this would be the answer, but he still wanted to try, so he whispered, "Dad, there's a food shortage in Wuzhen right now. If we take these two ewes over there to sell, we'll definitely be able to—"

Snap, snap snap—

"Ouch—it hurts! Ouch—if you don't want to sell, fine, but why are you hitting me with your pipe? Ouch, stop hitting me—Ouch—"

Li Zhenshan was agitated. He pulled out his pipe from his waist, and with a swift motion, began to strike Li Xiangyang on the back, cursing as he hit him: "I'll beat you up, you good-for-nothing! I'll beat you up, you bastard! I'll teach you a lesson for trying to steal my sheep!"

'

Li Xiangyang felt a pain in his back and realized he couldn't continue the conversation, so he pushed open the door and ran out.

He hadn't made any money and had even been beaten for nothing. He walked along the village road, looking extremely depressed.

At this time, people were clearing snow from the village roads and into every household's yard.

Li Xiangyang glanced around casually and saw that everything he saw was piled high with snow, even on both sides of the village road. Not only that, the village road, which used to be three or four meters wide, was now only less than two meters wide in the middle.

The snow disaster is getting worse every day. He remembers that in his previous life, the snow disaster would not improve until the end of February next year.

I wonder if it will be the same in this world; if it is, the herders will truly suffer heavy losses.

Just then, the team's loudspeaker suddenly rang. It was Chen Guodong, and his tone was very urgent, as if something urgent had happened. My heart tightened.

"Hey, hey, hey, all herders, pay attention! All herders, pay attention!"

According to reports from the meteorological bureau and various production teams, this year's heavy snowfall is a disaster unprecedented in nearly a century!

Heavy snow, strong winds, and low temperatures have led to livestock falling off their pens and freezing to death, making the situation extremely serious!

Now all members of the brigade are required to report to the brigade or production team immediately if any livestock freezes to death, dies of disease, or goes missing. No one is allowed to conceal the incident, handle it privately, or skin and eat the meat without authorization!

The broadcast is over. Let me repeat it again, and I'll repeat it one more time—

The loudspeaker's shrill announcement was repeated five times before it finally stopped.

Li Xiangyang could clearly sense that the moment the broadcast stopped, the herders sweeping snow around him immediately erupted in uproar.

This is truly a once-in-a-century snowstorm. Many herders had been clinging to a sliver of hope, thinking they could just hold on a little longer, but now—

Sorrow, helplessness, indignation—countless emotions were mixed into each angry curse.

"Is this weather going to eat people?"

"God is trying to cut off our path to survival!"

"This is terrible! I can't live like this anymore!"

Amidst the wailing and cursing, Li Xiangyang's eyes suddenly lit up.

He suddenly thought of a win-win solution that could help herders reduce their losses while he could also make a profit.

He then turned around and went to Chen Guodong's house.