Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1081 A Trip to Wucheng to Invite Experts

Li Long watched as the person rummaged through the stones by the stream. After searching for a while without finding anything, he stood up.

Seeing that the man was not young, around fifty years old, Li Long thought for a moment, then picked up his gun and strode down.

It is said that going up the mountain is easy but going down is difficult, but he was brave and took big steps when he went down, and soon he reached the stream.

Li Long made a big fuss, which startled the man. He saw Li Long carrying a gun and immediately froze.

Li Long walked up to the man, recognizing him as the one who had entered earlier that day, and asked:

"Where are you from? What brings you into the mountains?"

Unlike ordinary herb gatherers who would be worried about encountering Li Long, that man also realized Li Long didn't seem like a robber or thief. He said:
"I'm from Ma County, what are you doing here?"

The accent of Lanzhou-Yinchuan Mandarin is undoubtedly from Ma County. After all, people in Shicheng either speak Mandarin or Henan dialect, and although they are only separated by the Ma River, their dialects are completely different.

“I’m a forest ranger,” Li Long said, brandishing his gun. “This is the forestry team’s jurisdiction. Let me ask you, what are you doing here? Are you carrying any fire? Setting fires is strictly prohibited in the forest area now.”

After hearing Li Long say he was a forest ranger, the man relaxed and said, "I'm a retired teacher from the county's No. 1 Middle School. I came into the mountains to see if I could find any mushrooms or something."

"Using a shovel to pick mushrooms? Or maybe jade?" Li Long chuckled. "You've run all this way up the mountain. Did you come here yesterday? Otherwise, how could you have run this far? Are you a PE teacher? You're in pretty good shape."

"Hehe." The man, his purpose exposed, chuckled somewhat awkwardly. "Retired, what's the big deal? I heard there's a big piece of jade in the mountains, so I came in to take a look. Don't worry, I definitely didn't start a fire. Besides, in June, the mountains are all covered in grass; we couldn't possibly start a fire there."

Li Long's question about the fire was just a pretext; after his explanation, the matter was dropped. He then asked:

"There must be a lot of people going into the mountains to pick up jade, right? It seems the news that there is jade in the mountains has spread quite widely."

"That's what we were talking about. We heard about it a few days ago. Actually, we'd heard before that there was jade in these mountains. Didn't the retired workers from Shicheng find a big piece of jade? Now there's another one. We thought that if others are so lucky, maybe we can be too."

"Did you find anything?" Li Long asked.

"Sigh, it's not that easy. We did pick some mushrooms, but we didn't see any jade at all. Besides, we're laymen. We've only heard about what jade looks like and seen jade carvings, but we've never actually seen jade from the mountains."

Actually, I picked up a few pieces in the water earlier, and they looked a bit like jade to me, but the people who came with me said they weren't..."

The man let something slip, and by the time he realized it, it was too late.

"So you guys have an organized activity," Li Long said. "How many people came together? Did you all stay together tonight?"

"There are seven people." Since this person had already said it, there was no need to hide it anymore. "They are all friends, and we get along well. Anyway, we had nothing to do, so we decided to go into the mountains together."

"Didn't any of the seven people find it?" Li Long asked again.

"I found a piece, but the one among us who knows about these things said it's cracked and not worth much. But still, it's better than nothing. I went a bit further today, hoping to find something."

Li Long asked some more detailed questions and learned that although these people had come along the road, they were actually searching westward towards the Ma River. After all, the two large jade stones were found upstream of the Ma River.

In their view, the source of the jade should be on a mountain in the upper reaches of the Ma River. Although the road into the mountain was quite deep, it was still some distance from the Ma River, so after finding a place to stay, they dispersed and headed west.

But I won't go too far, for fear of getting lost.

After asking, Li Long told him that there were still wild animals in the mountains and to be careful, and then he left.

After all that commotion, seeing that it was almost lunchtime, Li Long turned northeast.

After watching Li Long leave, the man breathed a sigh of relief, then took out a fist-sized blue stone from his pocket, looked at it, and happily put it back in his pocket.

He was worried that Li Long would search him.

Li Long returned to Meng Hai's place, where they hadn't started eating yet, but the aroma of offal soup was already wafting through the air.

Meng Hai was directing the villagers to work when Li Long told him about the river blocking the road.

“If it’s still more than two kilometers away, I’ll go take a look tomorrow,” Meng Hai said. “Building a bridge isn’t out of the question, but we’ll need cement and steel bars. We can get the other materials here.”

Of course, if we're the ones doing the repairs, we can't expect too much. After all, we're not professionals. It would be better if we could find a couple of professionals from the county to guide us.

Li Long didn't think this matter was in a hurry. It was only two or three kilometers of road. By the time it was finished, Meng Hai and his team would have almost completed their summer road repair work and would have to go back to prepare for the wheat harvest.

So let's discuss it first and think of some solutions together.

After having lunch, Li Long wandered around the neighborhood for a while before heading back.

With a few days left before his appointment with Meng Hai, he planned to go to Wucheng first.

Before heading to Wucheng, Li Long took out twenty paintings from the cellar, intending to test the waters first. As for where to find someone to mount the paintings in Wucheng, he would have to ask around when he arrived.

With Engineer Liu around, and Professors Wu and Luo there, finding out about this shouldn't be too difficult. If all else fails, we can just drive around in the Jeep.

Of course, going to Wucheng isn't just about mounting paintings; I also need to inquire at the Agricultural College about sluice gates and bridge repairs. The Agricultural College has a major in farmland irrigation; surely they'll have professionals there?

The next day, after breakfast, Li Long drove Mingming and Haohao to the fourth team and then drove to Wucheng.

Li Long didn't stop when passing through Beiting. After arriving in Wucheng, he saw that it was almost lunchtime, so he drove to the vicinity of the Agricultural College, found a place to have lunch, and then went inside to find Professor Wu.

Professor Wu was teaching a class, so Li Long went to find Professor Luo. Professor Luo was there and seemed quite happy to see Li Long.

Li Long brought some dried meat for the two professors, which was considered a local specialty.

"Beef jerky? Lamb jerky?" Professor Luo asked Li Long. Although they hadn't seen each other in a long time, he and Li Long didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a jerky, opened the cardboard packaging, and asked, "Did you make these yourselves?"

"Yes, I made it myself. I set up a jerky processing workshop to supply Kou Li. I use the best beef and mutton. How does it taste?"

"Very good, very good." Professor Luo said while eating, "Supplying food to people? You're doing a good job in business."

"Haha, I just do whatever comes to mind," Li Long said modestly with a smile. "I just do whatever comes to mind."

"You're being modest." Professor Luo picked up another piece of dried meat, pointed at him, and said, "Have you been busy with this lately?"

"No, no," Li Long waved his hand. "Someone is in charge of this. I'm currently repairing a road leading into the mountains, and I've run into a problem. I wanted to come and consult an expert."

"What's the problem? Tell me about it." Professor Luo became interested as soon as he heard it. "Even if I can't help, I should be able to find someone who can."

"Two things, no, I should say three things," Li Long and Professor Luo said bluntly. "One is that we encountered a river while building the road and need to build a bridge. Our construction team has no experience in this area, so we're wondering if we can find some experts to consult."

Secondly, there's a small lake south of our village, the place where people catch fish. It's flooded every year, and the dam on the north side is very prone to collapsing. So I'm planning to build a sluice gate on the north side, facing the reed-covered lake. I've never done this before, and I'd like to ask the experts for advice.”

"And the third one?" Professor Luo's expression turned grim. He hadn't been able to solve either of the two problems and could only contact someone, since neither of them were in his area of ​​expertise.

"The third thing is that I bought some calligraphy and paintings in Yanjing and I want to find a place to frame them. I'm not familiar with Wucheng and don't know where there are such professional shops."

“Hey, I can help with this third one.” Professor Luo smiled. “I know where the store is. I’ll tell you the location, and you can go there in a bit.”

Li Long was very happy; one of the three issues had been resolved.

Actually, this is the most important thing. The other two issues can be resolved by the county. Asking about them is just a side matter.

"If the bridge and sluice gate repairs aren't urgent, I suggest you write down the details. I'll ask someone to find out more, and once you have a clear understanding, leave your phone number so I can call you back later. Are you still at the supply and marketing cooperative? If you are, I'll call them to find you."

“Call my purchasing station,” Li Long said. “I’ll leave you the station’s number.”

Li Long took the paper and pen from Professor Luo and began to write. The matter of the bridge and sluice gate was quite simple. Li Long not only wrote down the specific details but also drew a sketch with some approximate data, such as water depth and dam height.

After waiting for a while and not seeing Professor Wu return, Li Long said goodbye. When he left, he entrusted the dried meat he had given to Professor Wu to Professor Luo, asking Professor Luo to give it to him.

Professor Wu didn't return until almost the end of the workday. When Professor Luo handed her the things, she said with some regret:

"Sigh, I should have come back sooner. I was thinking of asking Xiao Li about watermelon cultivation."

Li Long has been selling watermelon seeds to Koukou for the past two years, so he knows a lot about the current watermelon market. Professor Wu felt that he could learn more about the actual situation in agriculture through him.

What I learned from Li Long is not entirely the same as the data obtained from the survey.

"It's alright, I have his purchasing station's phone number here." Professor Luo gave the number to Professor Wu. "If you need anything, just call him directly."

Professor Wu wrote down Li Long's phone number and took the dried meat back home.

Professor Luo, however, was thinking about where he could find someone to help Li Long solve these two problems.

After leaving the academy, Li Long drove his jeep to the calligraphy and painting shop that Professor Luo had mentioned.

This calligraphy and painting shop mainly sells framing services, as well as writing and painting tools, such as brushes, ink, and Xuan paper.

There was only one elderly person in the shop, who was mounting a calligraphy work.

Li Long thought the calligraphy was quite beautiful, written in a flowing, elegant style, so he waited on the side.

Although he was called an old man, he was actually only in his fifties or sixties, with a beard, and had a bit of an artistic air about him.

Li Long watched him work at a leisurely pace and felt quite pleased. The man's movements were practiced; he picked up the tools beside him and used them without hesitation. Soon, a calligraphy work was framed.

Only then did that person notice Li Long and ask:

"Hello comrade, is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'd like to frame a few paintings," Li Long asked. "Is that possible?"

"I can definitely do it. How many pieces do you want to frame?" The man went over to the side, washed his hands, and asked while wiping them with a towel.

“Twenty pieces of calligraphy and paintings,” Li Long said, “some large, some small.”

"Twenty pieces? That many? We can't produce them all in a short time. And let me tell you, young man, this price isn't cheap," the man said.

“Okay, I understand.” Li Long smiled. “Tell me about how many days it will take, and I’ll come and pick it up.”

“I have some work to do, so yours will have to wait. How about this, ten days? Come and pick it up in ten days, okay? By the way, take the item out so I can see if it can be framed. Tell me if you have any requirements.”

Li Long quickly took out the calligraphy and paintings he had brought.

He wrapped it in cloth, and there were some creases, but that couldn't be helped.

"I'm not an expert in this field, so I'm just wondering if I can get rid of these creases. Also, these paintings and calligraphy are all different sizes, so I'd like to see how you professionals would handle them. Of course, the requirement is that the original painting cannot be damaged."

"Of course." The man looked at the paintings one by one and said, "The paintings are not well preserved. They are a bit damp. If they are not framed soon, they may be damaged in a while."

When he said that, Li Long didn't know if it was true or if the man was just saying it for business purposes.

Having seen many people across two lifetimes, he couldn't possibly judge a person's character solely by their appearance.

So this time, the calligraphy and paintings he brought were not so famous in later generations, thinking that at least that would not have too much of an impact.

"These paintings and calligraphy works of yours include hanging scrolls, handscrolls, and album leaves. The mounting styles are different, the materials used are different, and the prices are different as well." After examining each piece, the man took a notebook and began registering them, explaining to Li Long as he did so:
"The materials I have here are rather ordinary, which you should understand, since it's not easy to get good materials here. So, a hanging scroll is five yuan, a handscroll is four yuan, and album leaves are charged per page, one yuan per page. What do you think?"

not cheap.

Considering the price Li Long paid for these paintings, they were really not cheap. Of course, he bought them from an antique shop, where the prices were already discounted in order to earn foreign exchange.

Otherwise, how could you possibly buy such cheap calligraphy and paintings by famous artists on the market at the foreign exchange rate?
Of course, another reason is that it was Yanjing (Beijing), where people had more calligraphy and paintings, and the art market hadn't yet taken off back then. Li Long believes that if those items were placed in Yanjing now, their prices would be much higher than before.

Therefore, relatively speaking, the price for this framing is acceptable.

"Pay a deposit of twenty yuan first, and I'll pay the rest after I finish making it." The man registered each painting and calligraphy piece, had Li Long sign it, and gave Li Long a receipt before saying this.

The receipt is for the calligraphy and paintings, with a list attached, while the 20 yuan deposit is recorded on a separate receipt.

It's quite rigorous.

Seeing how meticulous the procedures were, Li Long felt slightly relieved. He took the receipt and planned to come back to pick up the goods in ten days.

As the sun was setting, Li Long drove to the jade carving factory to check on Liu Gong's situation.

Engineer Liu was preparing to finish work and was putting the glass cabinet back in when he saw Li Long, which surprised him.

"Hello, Mr. Liu." Li Long handed Mr. Liu the dried meat he had prepared. "This is freshly made, please have a taste."

"Thank you so much for bringing all these nice things again," Liu said cheerfully, taking the dried meat. "How was that jade carving from last time?"

"Satisfied, extremely satisfied," Li Long said with a smile. "My friend took the jade carving back to his hometown in Kou Li and immediately put it up for worship."

"Worshiping this?" Engineer Liu had actually heard Li Long mention it before, but he didn't expect that the other party would actually worship it.

It's quite amazing to think that something you carved was worshipped by others, and it wasn't even a Buddha statue or a Guan Yu ornament.

"Well, my friend's wife couldn't have children, and we didn't know whose problem it was. She prayed to that jade stone at my house, and afterwards she gave birth to a daughter," Li Long told Jia Tianlong's story.
“The stone was a gift from someone. I couldn’t sell it to him, so I asked you to carve one for me. You carved it to be very lifelike and full of spirit, so he took it home and worshipped it.”

"Are you still praying now because you're hoping to have a son?" Engineer Liu asked as he took something out of a drawer. "Isn't his family more sexist?"

At that time, the preference for sons over daughters was a common phenomenon, so Engineer Liu didn't find it strange.

"That's a thought I have. Also, my friend is quite wealthy, and he feels that if he doesn't have an heir, the money he earns will just benefit others in the future."

Li Long stopped talking, and at this moment, Engineer Liu took out several good items from the drawer.

To Li Long's surprise, the largest item was actually a jadeite Maitreya Buddha statue in emerald green. He took it and examined it, immediately recognizing that the material was not jasper but jadeite.

“It’s jadeite,” Li Long exclaimed. It’s different from nephrite; it seems to be harder. This piece looks really beautiful, so green. Although his knowledge of jadeite is limited to a few terms he’s learned from short videos and novels, it doesn’t stop him from thinking that this piece is excellent.

"Yes, I got them from the factory," Liu said cheerfully. "My shop has been doing well lately, and the profits are pretty good, so I was able to get some good materials from the factory."

He lowered his voice as he spoke:

“I listened to you. I carved some of the materials, and I bought and stored the rest myself.”

Li Long laughed; Engineer Liu was quite obedient to advice after all.

The time interval between the last visit and this visit was not long, so apart from this jadeite, there were no other large pieces; the rest were small pieces and raw materials.

When Li Long arrived, he brought a bag of dried meat. When he left, he left behind a wad of cash and took a bag of jade with him.

pretty good.

(End of this chapter)