Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1099 We Acted as International Middlemen
After the three truckloads of supplies were unloaded, Liu Gaolou did not immediately calculate the money. He told Li Long that he would calculate the remaining money after he loaded the white sugar onto the truck.

Liu Gaolou went to the guesthouse, while Li Long, Liang Shuangcheng, Sun Jiaqiang, and others moved the medicinal herbs to the warehouse, and the sheep horns were still dragged out to the courtyard.

If Liu Gaolou brings in more antelope horns later, he will put them in the courtyard.

If Jia Tianlong comes over, I'll sell him some. As for the remaining antelope horns, Li Long plans to ship them out more slowly.

Next, we need to consider the sugar.

The supply and marketing cooperative had white sugar, but Li Xiangqian couldn't possibly give him that much. After all, at that time, white sugar was still rationed in most places. Urban residents who ate commodity grain had a monthly ration, while in Ma County it was half a kilogram.

This depends on the sugar supply in different areas. It is said that in Yili, each person receives only one or two hundred grams per month... There are no sugar factories there.

However, for ordinary people in Ma County, Shicheng, and Shawan, white sugar was much easier to obtain because of the Shicheng Sugar Factory. So, when children were difficult to soothe, they would be fed white sugar soaked in hot water with steamed buns.

Most of the sugar produced by sugar beets in sugar mills is supplied under a planned system, with a small portion available for free supply.

So Li Long decided to go to Section Chief Hu to see if he could get some unplanned sugar.

After lunch, Li Long, as usual, brought some dried meat and, after thinking for a moment, also brought a pair of antelope horns. He then drove to the Shicheng Sugar Factory.

In some areas, the sugar beets have already been harvested, so there's a long queue at the back gate of the factory. Most of the trucks are small four-wheeled tractors delivering sugar beets, and a few are horse-drawn carts with planks on all four sides, standing tall so they can carry more.

When Li Long's jeep arrived and saw that the gate was open, he drove straight in.

Li Long used to be a regular visitor, but he hadn't come for a while. The security guard carefully registered him and then let him in.

Li Long didn't go to the office building immediately. He parked his car and went around to the unloading area to check on Song Ming.

Song Ming was talking to a female employee when Li Long, wondering whether he should interrupt their good time, noticed Li Long first and nudged Song Ming with his elbow. Song Ming turned around, saw Li Long, smiled, and greeted him loudly:

"Comrade Li Long, when did you arrive?"

The female employee smiled, muttered something under her breath, and turned to leave.

Li Long walked over, gestured with the corner of his mouth towards the female employee, and asked:
"Your partner?"

“No, fellow villager.” Song Ming didn’t hide anything. “She said her uncle raises pigs and asked if I could spare some time to haul a truckload of sugar residue for her uncle’s family, and she would pay me.”

Li Long didn't ask any more questions and handed him a bag of dried meat: "This dried meat is made at my processing plant. Take it back for your family to try."

"Hey, thanks!" Song Ming didn't stand on ceremony. Judging from the packaging and the smell, he knew it wasn't cheap. He smiled and said, "What brings you here at this hour?"

Song Ming still delivers sugar residue to Lao Ma's every week, with the delivery fee settled each time. With this extra income, he has already bought a house in Shicheng and furnished it with new furniture.

"I need to ask Section Chief Hu for a favor," Li Long said. "I want to buy a few tons of white sugar."

"Buying white sugar?" Song Ming asked, not surprised. Seven or eight out of ten people who came to the sugar factory to ask for favors were there to buy white sugar, after all, this place produced sugar, or rather, it was the largest sugar factory in northern Xinjiang at that time.

"Yes, a customer needed to exchange sugar for supplies, so I bought some."

“Section Chief Hu has some signing authority, but if it’s several tons, it’s a bit difficult.” Song Ming shook his head. “I don’t know the specifics either. You should go and ask around.”

Li Long then took the dried meat and antelope horns to Section Chief Hu's office.

Section Chief Hu was also somewhat surprised to see Li Long. He stood up with a smile and said:
"Comrade Li, it's been a long time! I heard from Xiao Song that you opened a purchasing station? You're an entrepreneur now!"

"No, no, it's just a small matter," Li Long said with a smile, placing the dried meat and antelope horns on the table.

"This is jerky produced in my workshop. Please try it, section chief, and give me your feedback. This is antelope horn brought back from the Soviet Union; it looks quite nice."

"Antelope horns! That's quite rare!" Upon hearing that they came from the Soviet Union, Section Chief Hu's eyes lit up. "They look rather novel."

“Yes, it should have been done in the last few days. There are many antelopes over there, and a friend of mine brought some with him when he came over these past few days,” Li Long explained. “We use this as a medicinal herb here, but there are no traditional Chinese medicine practitioners over there, so they don’t know about it.”

"That's very thoughtful of you. I like this!" Section Chief Hu said with a smile, making no attempt to hide his feelings. "Did you come here on business?"

"Yes," Li Long nodded and said, "I'd like to buy some white sugar from you, section chief, outside of the planned purchase."

"Unplanned? How much do you want?" Section Chief Hu thought that he and Li Long were old acquaintances. Li Long had helped him solve some problems before, and the young man was quite capable. Cooperating with him wouldn't be a big deal.

The price of sugar within the planned range is 1.5 yuan per kilogram, while the price outside the planned range isn't much more expensive, around 2 yuan per kilogram.

"A dozen tons." Li Long thought about the three trucks; less wouldn't make much difference.

"No, that's not the case." Section Chief Hu shook his head and said sincerely, "As the section chief, I don't have the authority to manage sales. Of course, I've been working here for so many years, and if I ask, I can get approval for one or two tons, but I don't have the authority to approve more than that."

Li Long had prepared what to say before he arrived, so he wasn't disappointed that Section Chief Hu refused. He said:
"Section Chief, what if it's sold abroad, specifically to the Soviet Union?"

"Selling overseas? Can we get foreign exchange?" Section Chief Hu asked, his breath catching in his throat. "In cash?"

The sugar factory had export quotas, but the foreign exchange earned from selling sugar was centrally allocated by higher authorities.

After all, the country is still very short of foreign exchange; otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible to sell such a powerful weapon to camels.

However, some private individuals also need foreign exchange, and factories are no exception. Very little of it can actually be returned to the factories. Fortunately, the sugar factories can obtain the raw materials they need domestically, so it doesn't need to be used in the public accounts.

But it's different for private individuals.

"I'll try my best to negotiate with them," Li Long smiled. "If we send the sugar over there, and the person receiving the goods specifies the percentage that will be returned to the factory when they pay for the goods, what do you think..."

"This..." Since it was uncertain, Section Chief Hu couldn't make a decision directly.

He thought for a while and said:

"If you're not in a hurry, wait a moment, I'll go and report to my supervisor."

At that time, ordinary people basically had no need for foreign exchange; it was mainly leaders who could use it. When leaders and their families went abroad for visits, studies, and exchanges, the amount of foreign exchange they could exchange was limited. Since they wanted to buy too many things, they could only find ways to do so privately.

This was an opportunity, and Section Chief Hu believed Li Long wouldn't lie to him. This young man was reliable, and this trust was earned through repeated collaborations.

Section Chief Hu stood up, and Li Long followed him out of the office. Section Chief Hu thought this young man really knew how to behave, so he asked someone to take Li Long to the conference room before he went to find his superior.

When he returned, Section Chief Hu had a smile on his face and said:

"The manager has agreed. You can take the goods away first, and then hand them over to us when you receive payment. Of course, for such a large order, we need to sign a contract, and you'll need to pay a deposit first."

"RMB or USD?" Li Long asked.

"What do you mean? You can pay in US dollars now?"

"No, no, I was just asking." Li Long smiled. "Please rest assured, Section Chief, I will definitely make this deal happen."

"I believe you." Since he had already agreed, Section Chief Hu naturally wouldn't say anything discouraging. "I'll wait for your good news."

Transactions with neighboring countries also used US dollars, as that was the accepted currency for foreign exchange. Although the Soviet Union's official currency was the ruble, transactions between the two sides used US dollars, making the US dollar truly dominant at that time.

Li Long followed Section Chief Hu to sign the contract and paid a deposit of 10,000 yuan. The next step was to pick up the goods.

Li Long took the contract and approval slip, drove his jeep away from the sugar factory, and went back to the county to find Liu Gaolou.

He was confident that Liu Shanmin would agree.

Section Chief Hu watched the jeep drive away from the window. Someone next to him asked:
"Old Hu, do you think this can work? This young man..."

"I trust Xiao Li to get things done," Section Chief Hu said. "In the past, he has always exceeded my expectations in handling every matter. I think this time will be similar."

"These young people nowadays are amazing," the man exclaimed.

"At such a young age, he's been recognized as an advanced individual nationwide, can drive a Jeep, and even runs a recycling station..." Section Chief Hu smiled, "He's no ordinary person."

He also wanted to see what kind of surprise Li Long could bring him.

Ten tons of white sugar is nothing to the sugar factory. In fact, he could approve it, but it wouldn't be that easy. Unexpectedly, this refusal led to a pleasant surprise.

Li Long drove to the guesthouse, where Liu Gaolou was reading a book, which surprised Li Long.

At that time, there was no television during the day except on Sundays.

"Did you get it done?" Liu Gaolou asked as soon as Li Long came over. The first thing he asked was about the matter at hand.

"It's half done," Li Long said. "We need to discuss this with your uncle."

"How can we discuss this?" Liu Gaolou asked. "It's difficult to contact my uncle right now."

“They want foreign exchange,” Li Long said bluntly. “We have sugar, and we can have more if they want, but they need to pay in foreign exchange. The first time, it will be half RMB and half foreign exchange.” Liu Gaolou was a little reluctant.

The difference between the official foreign exchange rate and the rate at which private exchanges are conducted is too great; if you try to exchange foreign currency, you will lose a lot of money.

“Neither you nor I can make the decision. Let’s ask your uncle,” Li Long said with a smile. “White sugar costs two yuan a kilogram here, but it’s different over there. It’s a daily necessity here, but it’s a hot commodity over there.”

Liu Gaolou immediately understood.

Liu Gaolou knew very well that he could actually earn more money by taking the three truckloads of goods he brought back to Koukou. Koukou also had sugar, but exchanging it for it would be difficult.

Moreover, it was uncertain whether he could even keep his three truckloads of goods once he reached the border. He wasn't naive; he knew that traveling thousands of kilometers would never be as safe as the journey from Khorgos to Ma County.

Therefore, Liu Gaolou knew that this matter could only be handled by Li Long.

As for whether Liu Shanmin agrees to pay half of the foreign exchange, that's his business; Liu Gaolou is only responsible for relaying the message.

If all else fails, they can get the payment first and then look for other channels. However, Liu Gaolou felt that Li Long wouldn't break his promise.

At least his uncle praised Li Long repeatedly.

Liu Gaolou said he could only call his uncle tomorrow, so Li Long drove the Jeep back to the compound.

Han Fang has already started school, and Mingming and Haohao have also been sent to kindergarten. Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia will pick them up whichever is free.

In order to pick up Mingming and Haohao, Gu Xiaoxia modified her bicycle by adding child seats in the front and back, so that two children could sit in it.

Getting on the bike is a bit of a hassle; you can't get on from the front or the back. You have to put your legs up first and then pedal forward.

While Li Long was preparing the meal, the phone rang in the house.

Li Long wiped his hands and went to the bedroom to answer the phone.

The call was from my mother. My mother, Du Chunfang, hadn't seen Li Long for two days, so she called to chat for a bit, nothing more. Later, I heard from my father, Li Qingxia, that my mother always counted the seconds on her calls because she heard that phone calls were charged by the minute, so she would hang up after about fifty seconds or a minute and fifty seconds.

This time, my mother told me something that surprised Li Long.

Li Qiang entered the first year of junior high school. A week after the start of the new semester, the school organized junior high students to go to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps to pick cotton.

The 15-day program, with each student carrying an 18-kilogram load, will depart on September 13th.

Li Long thought about it and realized he didn't seem to remember this.

He asked hurriedly:

Do you know where to pick it up?

My mother didn't know, she just remembered that we went to the Production and Construction Corps, and then my father next to her mentioned a place.

Hey, isn't this Wang Mingjun's company?

What a coincidence!

I wonder what Wang Mingjun will think then?

"I understand, I'll go there then," Li Long said.

Du Chunfang just hummed in agreement and then hung up the phone, probably knowing that the time was up.

Li Long hung up the phone and continued cooking. When he was almost done, Sister Yang came in, and Li Long went to pick up Mingming and Haohao.

It's always more convenient to pick people up in a jeep than by bicycle.

Mingming and Haohao weren't that spoiled when they started kindergarten, or rather, most kids these days are pretty much the same. The two children chattered away in the car, talking about the funny things that happened at kindergarten.

They had attended a preschool in the village for a while, so they adapted quickly. They also mentioned that some children in the class cried and wanted to see their mothers, so the teacher made them stand as punishment.

Kindergarten teachers back then weren't as gentle as they are decades later; they had to manage so many children, so they naturally had to be more assertive.

"You didn't get scolded by the teacher, did you?" Li Long asked while driving.

"No, the teacher even made us class monitors!" Mingming exclaimed loudly, "saying that the two of us are the most sensible!"

"My brother will be the class monitor, and I'll be the vice class monitor!" Hao Hao nodded vigorously.

Although he was born a little later than Mingming, Haohao is still very clear about his identity as his younger brother.

Hey, that's great.

"So what did you do as class monitors?" Li Long continued the conversation.

“Help the teacher move chairs, tidy up toys, and tell naughty classmates to be quiet!” Mingming said.

"I also have to help distribute the food, and when it's time to sleep, my brother makes sure that the students who don't sleep well get some rest."

"Haohao even comforted a girl to stop crying," Mingming praised her younger brother.

They displayed a truly harmonious and respectful brotherly relationship.

When they returned to the courtyard, dinner was already prepared. After getting out of the car, Mingming and Haohao greeted Sister Yang loudly, which made Sister Yang very happy.

“It really makes a difference once you start kindergarten.”

When Mingming Haohao saw that it was time to eat, he took the initiative to wash his hands and then moved his little chair to the table, just like a little adult.

Li Long knew this situation wouldn't last long, but he definitely wanted to praise and encourage him.

During dinner, Gu Boyuan asked about the transaction.

Li Long carefully reviewed the paperwork and knew that it was compliant, so he didn't worry about it anymore.

Whether Liu Shanmin can bring the US dollars back remains to be seen tomorrow.

"If they send over this many antelope horns every time, these things will become commonplace."

“That’s impossible,” Li Long shook his head and said, “There are only a few million over there. We have a large population here, and these things can be used in medicine, so there’s no way we can have enough. Besides, we can’t keep up with the killing of those creatures, so they will become fewer and fewer in the future. The country over there will also realize this and start protecting them sooner rather than later.”

Actually, by the time they started protecting them, it was too late; they were almost extinct. Fortunately, tens of thousands of them can still reproduce normally, which is much better than those seven birds.

So in just over a decade, they multiplied to several million.

As for the last ones, they started sending them to our side, sending the sheep along with their horns.

They sent out thousands at a time.

During lunch and dinner, Li Long and Gu Boyuan usually talk about business, while Mingming and Haohao also share funny stories from kindergarten, which makes the adults laugh.

Next year, Han Fang will also be taking the high school entrance exam. She already knows that Li Juan has been admitted to the county's No. 1 high school and is living on campus to prepare for the college entrance exam. She is also working hard to prepare herself.

Going to school in the county is different from going to the countryside. Her grades were first in her class, second in the whole school, and occasionally slipped to third.

So I also have a strong drive in my heart.

The next day, Li Long didn't go to see Liu Gaolou. He had already stated his terms: the sugar could be picked up at any time; it was just a matter of whether Liu Gaolou could reach an agreement with his uncle.

In the afternoon, Liu Gaolou arrived at the purchasing station. Li Long was not there. Gu Boyuan knew that the matter was important, so he called Li Long over.

In the reception room, Liu Gaolou said to Li Long:
“My uncle said that paying in US dollars is fine, but not too much at a time. He also uses US dollars to buy things, and he can't keep too much for himself. And my uncle also said that we can't use the official exchange rate, otherwise we'll be losing out too much…”

"How do we calculate that?" As long as there's something, Li Long doesn't care about anything else.

After all, he could make a lot of money from just this antelope horn later. It's a one-of-a-kind item, and he'd be willing to pay even the black market price.

“One to four,” Liu Gaolou said. “Each time cannot exceed five thousand US dollars.”

"Deal." Li Long was naturally happy to agree. "Now I can take you to get the sugar."

Twelve tons of white sugar, at market price, is worth twenty-four thousand yuan. If half is paid in US dollars, that's three thousand US dollars. Li Long has some on hand, so even if Liu Gaolou breaches the contract, he can cover the loss.

But he trusted Liu Shanmin and believed he wouldn't ruin his integrity for such a small amount of money.

Of course, Li Long also had to give Liu Gaolou money, since the goods they brought over were worth 100,000 yuan.

(End of this chapter)