Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1068 The uses of a dryer are quite numerous!

The next morning, a truck arrived at the courtyard to pick up Li Long.

Li Long, who had already sent Mingming and Haohao to the village's preschool, got on a truck and headed west.

Now everyone in the family has their own role and tasks. Sister Yang is the busiest; she gets up early to cook for everyone, and after finishing cooking and cleaning up, she goes to the meat processing yard to lead people in processing meat into jerky.

Gu Xiaoxia goes to work, and Han Fang goes to school.

In two months, Mingming and Haohao will be going to kindergarten, and then everyone will really be busy with their own things.

This time, the task was quite demanding and time was tight, so Li Long didn't plan to go to his second brother's house. Director Du said that because they needed to wait for him to arrive before debugging the machine, it would take a long time to load it onto the truck after it had run.

Heading west, unlike the cotton fields that lined both sides of the road in later years, there were now vast stretches of Gobi Desert. Although it was already late May, there wasn't much grass growing in some places. All that could be seen were scattered saxaul and red willow, and some short green grass growing among the stones on the ground, making it look very desolate.

Although development had begun at this time, nature was still the main factor, and there was much more wasteland than arable land. Unlike later generations, where everything that could be developed was developed, and even areas that could not be developed were gradually covered with photovoltaic panels.

In areas where solar panels were installed, the grass underneath grew better because of the reduced evaporation.

The truck was moving very fast. The driver, surnamed Liu, was quite talkative. He had driven to many places and chatted along the way, so it wasn't boring at all.

When the car arrived at the Kuitun Agricultural Machinery Factory, Li Long found that the factory had expanded considerably since he last visited, with several more rows of workshops. Although the office building remained largely unchanged, the factory was much more bustling.

When the truck arrived at the gate, Li Long got out to register. He noticed that the gatekeeper was unfamiliar, probably because they had hired more people to rotate shifts.

After registering, the gatekeeper, clearly instructed by Director Du, told Li Long to go to the second workshop upon arrival and say that the director was there.

The security guard also pointed out the location of the second workshop to Li Long.

As Li Long drove his vehicle in that direction, he saw another row of workshops with trucks lined up to load goods, and what they were loading were snowplows!

Why use a snowplow in the middle of summer?

Thinking about it, it makes sense. The orders that weren't processed in winter must have been booked up until now. Although we didn't need them for snow removal last winter, buying them now means they won't be useless this winter.

The truck arrived at the entrance of the second workshop, and Director Du had already come out.

Fortunately, there wasn't that much engine oil on hand this time. After getting out of the car, Li Long shook hands with Factory Director Du. Factory Director Du smiled and said:

"Come on, come on, we've finally developed some new equipment."

Li Long could understand Factory Director Du's feelings. The three best-selling machines in the factory right now—the harvester, the tiller, and the snowplow—were all designed by Li Long.

Factory Director Du and his team of technicians felt quite frustrated – a group of professionals couldn't beat a self-taught amateur.

It makes me look incompetent!

This dryer is a niche product, but Factory Director Du and his team are taking it very seriously. Li Long's proposal to develop it is also a challenge for them. Another reason they're taking it so seriously is that Li Long only offered an idea, without providing a concrete design.

Therefore, they had to come up with these things themselves, which ironically fueled the fighting spirit of Director Du and the factory's technicians.

Sure enough, by pooling everyone's wisdom, it only took a few days to design and produce the product.

Of course, Li Long wasn't entirely without merit. Although he didn't know the workings of a dryer in his previous life, he knew about ovens and things like heating elements. A dryer, after all, is simply an internal space where the heating elements are distributed more evenly.

For example, layering or similar structures.

Of course, it was mainly Director Du and his team who did the work. So when they came up with the design, completed the production, and found it useful during the inspection, Director Du and his team were happy.

At least it makes me look less incompetent.

"Come on, come on, we just turned the machine on for a test run, and the baked goods turned out pretty good," Factory Director Du said with a smile.

"Roast? I need a dehydrator, not an electric oven," Li Long said, half-jokingly.

"It's the same as before. Just adjust the temperature properly. This is a multi-purpose device," Director Du explained with a smile.

Upon entering the workshop, I saw a large square box in the middle, already plugged in, but the switch was probably not turned on.

The box was quite large. Li Long estimated that it was about 1.67 meters high and at least 2 meters long and wide. Looking through the open door, he could see that it was indeed divided into many layers, each of which was made of metal frames, not solid ones.

"Theoretically speaking, 50 kilograms of meat can be dried in one go, according to our design requirements, within two hours."

"Of course, the degree of drying needs to be adjusted by the time. And the drying temperature can't be too high," Factory Director Du explained. "We just happened to receive some steamed buns from logistics today, so let's try drying them on-site."

Li Long didn't find it strange. It's a common practice in this village to break up steamed buns and dry them into dried buns.

Firstly, we tend to steam more than usual. Secondly, while it's fine for now, if we steam too much, the steamed buns will dry out and harden if left out in the open when the weather gets hotter, and they are prone to mold if placed in a steamer.

Don't believe what you read online that nothing in northern Xinjiang gets moldy; things just get drier and drier. Naan wrapped in plastic bags will still get moldy. It won't get moldy if it's left open, but if it's dry and hard, you can only break it into small pieces and soak it in milk tea.

Some people might say that you can just let the steamed buns air dry, why break them apart and dry them in the sun?
If you break it open, without the outer skin of a steamed bun, it will be very crispy when dried. But if you leave it open to dry and harden naturally, because it has an outer skin, it will taste like a rock when it dries.

The taste is completely different.

A technician brought over a plate of steamed buns, and Factory Director Du said to Li Long:

"Come on, let's break it down together. You can try it out from beginning to end. Once you've done it, you'll be proficient. That way, when you go back, you won't make any big mistakes."

Li Long didn't stand on ceremony and began operating the machine step by step, starting from the moment it was turned on.

"Li Long, you're doing great! Such a large, electrified machine, and you're not nervous at all operating it," Factory Director Du said with a smile, watching Li Long's operation. "Not bad, not bad at all, even better than some of our workers and technicians."

Li Long smiled, not at all smug. He had operated countless machines over his two lifetimes, giving him far more experience in this area than most others.

He arranged the pieces of steamed bun on the shelves. After arranging them, Factory Director Du explained:

"There's a heating element underneath this rack, but don't worry, it's separated and not directly connected. So it won't burn during drying. Of course, if you use the baking mode, the temperature will be controlled to a higher level, and it won't be the kind of baking you usually see."

"Where does the moisture from the drying process go?" Li Long asked.

"Hey, you're quite professional after all." Director Du pointed to the steam vents above and said, "Look, there are several here, which makes it easy for hot steam to escape quickly. Of course, it's best not to touch these vents while the oven is baking."

The dryer has insulation material inside and out, but the temperature of the steam coming out of the vent is hard to predict.

He gestured for Li Long to close the dryer door, and then turned on the power switch.

The machine made a soft noise, and Factory Director Du took the opportunity to say:

"Steamed buns are different from dried meat. They take a shorter time to dry. We've tested it, and it's about five to six minutes. Any longer and it won't be good."

Li Long nodded; Factory Director Du's meaning was clear. He would have to figure out the desired level of dryness and the specific drying time himself.

After all, they didn't use dried meat during the experiment, and they didn't know what level of dried meat they needed.

Of course, by analogy, not only dried meat, but also medicinal herbs such as fritillaria and dried wild mushrooms can be made using this drying machine.

So Li Long thought that once it was brought back, if there were no major problems with the dryer, he would order at least five more.

After all, the purchasing station uses this stuff for several major purchases, except for leather.

The vent on the dryer emitted a faint hissing sound, and you could vaguely see some steam coming out, but not much. After all, the number of steamed buns being dried this time was not large.

A few minutes later, the exhaust sound stopped, and Li Long turned off the machine and opened the dryer door.

The steamed buns inside were visibly smaller than expected, and as he reached for them, Director Du quickly stopped him:

"Be careful, even though you've turned on the drying mode, the heating element is still hot, wait a bit."

After waiting a while, he reached in again, picked up a piece of steamed bun, and found that it was indeed very dry.

Break it open and feel it; the bread chunks are very dry and crumbly, crumbling easily. It really feels like bread that's been sun-dried for two or three days. Not bad!
"Okay, okay, this is it, it looks good." Li Long said with a smile, "Great!"

"It's not that simple. There are a few things to keep in mind, which I need to tell you." Director Du was quite pleased with Li Long's affirmation, but he was still focused on the important matter at hand. "You can't put too many things in this dryer. Try to keep the heating element away from the items you're drying, otherwise it might start a fire."

Also, some of these are consumable parts; I'll tell you how to replace them. Actually, if used normally according to the operating procedures, they generally won't break. The problem arises when someone else uses them improperly, and then it's hard to say what will happen.

Factory Director Du knew that Li Long's family was very wealthy and he wouldn't be able to operate the machines himself, so he made this suggestion.

That's good, very thoughtful.

Li Long listened patiently as Director Du and the technicians explained other precautions for operating the dryer, and he took out his notebook to jot down important points.

"Director Du, thank you so much." Li Long said after listening, "When I get back, I'll train my people there and get it running for a while. If there aren't any major problems, I might order a few more."

“Hey, no problem! I plan to use this dryer as our new R&D product when I go to the conference in the autonomous region this year,” said Director Du. “I think the market prospects for this dryer are quite broad, and we need to promote it properly.”

"Okay, okay," Li Long nodded. He then thought of another idea: when buying and selling watermelon seeds, they could be flattened and dried using a dryer to speed up the recycling process. After all, relying solely on the weather for drying was quite limiting.

For the next few years, or even a decade or more, products like fritillaria bulbs, watermelon seeds, and dried wild mushrooms will continue to provide Li Long with cash flow. Wild animal hides may gradually fade from the market in the coming years, as wildlife protection laws will be implemented more frequently.

But actually, these medicinal herbs and ingredients are definitely not a problem.

Drying machines play a crucial role in the initial processing of these ingredients.

The next step was to pack the dryer and load it onto the truck. To ensure the dryer wouldn't be bumped or damaged during transport, technicians and workers worked together to lift it onto the truck, secure it tightly on all four sides, and even wrapped the corners with soft cotton batting to secure it.

"It looks like it's lunchtime, Comrade Li Long, come on, let's go to our canteen for a quick meal." Director Du was in high spirits. "After we finish eating, I'll settle your snow removal machine profit share. Now that the hundred yuan is out, the profit share will be easy to collect."

"How are the snowplows selling this spring and summer?" Li Long asked casually.

"It's not as good as when it snows in winter, but it's still pretty good." Factory Director Du looked quite spirited. It's understandable, really; a small agricultural machinery repair shop now has several very popular products, with orders pouring in and profits steadily increasing.

He himself went from being an unknown figure to a guest of honor of city leaders. When attending relevant meetings, he went from being ignored and having to ask the popular factory directors and secretaries to greet him, to now sitting in the main row and having people from other related industries come to him to greet him and build relationships.

"Orders for harvesters have started coming in now." Director Du led Li Long to the canteen, where their meal was already served. After they sat down, Director Du continued, "We have orders not only from the north and south of Xinjiang, but also from as far away as Gansu and Shaanxi provinces."

I guess I've made a name for myself this time!

"Haha, good news, good news." Li Long knew that at this point, talking about patent protection would be a joke, but original products usually still have some protection.

Many people generally believe that the first to create something is the original and authentic version, which is why they buy it.

Therefore, even if counterfeit products appear on the market, as long as the original manufacturers don't do anything reckless, they will still receive orders.

After all, the market is vast right now, and it's not like a few factories would fight to the death. Everyone will try to occupy their own territory.

The meal was quite plentiful; it was clear that Director Du had put a lot of thought into bringing Li Long here.

Li Long also felt that he had made the right choice in selecting this partner. At least when the company was already profitable and its status had been greatly enhanced, when he made a phone call to order a dryer, Director Du personally took charge, rushed to develop it, and quickly produced the finished product.

There was also the market potential of this dryer, but Li Long felt that at least Director Du was a reliable person. He hadn't become arrogant or neglectful of people just because he had become rich.

After all, this is the most common situation.

After the meal, Director Du took Li Long to his office, chatted for a while, and then the finance staff brought over the dividend money and detailed data.

"Although the dividends during this period are not as good as before the spring, they still add up to a considerable amount," Director Du said with a smile. "Take a look at these sales figures."

Li Long only glanced at it briefly. The specific dividend was more than 30,000 yuan, which was a lot for ordinary people. Although it wasn't much for him, it meant that the snow removal machine had a continuous cash supply capability, which was still very good.

It was just a casual game of placing chess pieces; any gains were just extra.

After putting the money away, Li Long said goodbye to Director Du and prepared to leave.

The driver rested for a while and was quite energetic. He got some strong tea from the canteen, filled a large can with it, and carried it onto the bus.

At that time, using large canned food jars as teacups was quite popular.

The staff here also prepared a bottle for Li Long to drink on the way.

It's easy to fall asleep while driving at midday, and the passenger usually has to chat to keep the driver awake. This strong tea should help.

After shaking hands with Factory Director Du to say goodbye, Li Long led the truck back.

The return trip was relatively slower. Firstly, we had just eaten, so it wasn't advisable to drive too fast. After all, the road conditions weren't great at that time. Secondly, we were towing the machine, and we were worried about it getting jolted.

By the time they got back to the county, it was already afternoon. Li Long had the truck parked at the purchasing station, went inside and told Gu Boyuan to hold off on collecting the goods for now. He then called Sun Jiaqiang and Liang Shuangcheng to come with him to the jerky processing workshop to unload the machines.

Together with Li Long, the driver, and several other people working in the drying workshop, they unloaded the machine. The truck driver left, and Li Long told Sun Jiaqiang and Liang Shuangcheng to go back. He and Sister Yang then began experimenting with the process and time of drying meat jerky.

The timing is crucial. According to Li Long's idea, the temperature control can be fixed. As long as the timing experiment is done well, this can be written into a standard. The cooked and chopped jerky is put in trays to bake, and then the machine is turned off and taken out when the time is up.

No matter how low the education level of the people doing the work is, or how mindless their operation is, the possibility of errors will be relatively low.

So he plans to go to the department store and buy a large wall clock as soon as he finishes the experiment here.

It was placed right next to the machine.

The machine was unloaded in the yard, and Li Long thought he should add a shed for it to prevent it from getting wet in the rain.

While the big things are done well, there are still many small things to deal with, and each one needs to be implemented.

Of course, these are not particularly troublesome tasks, but they all require people to do them.

After explaining the process to Sister Yang, Li Long asked her to experiment first, using some cooked meat to test the timing.

Li Long himself began preparing to build a simple shed for the dryer. The weather changes quickly, and no one can predict when it will rain, so it's best to take precautions first.

Because it was a temporary project, Li Long went to the department store and bought a large piece of plastic sheeting. After returning home, he took some wood from his own house, went to the jerky processing workshop, first built a frame, then laid the plastic sheeting on it and fixed it with thumbtacks. That was it.

Of course, he will need to find some time to build a more sturdy one, and he will find a professional to do it.

For now, we'll just have to make do with this.

Ideally, it would be best to put it inside the house, but the doors to the houses here aren't big enough, and this dryer is quite large, so it's inconvenient.

(End of this chapter)