Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1108 Advice for Liu Shanmin from the Perspective of Someone Who's Been There
On the 12th, Li Long once again took Zhao Chengfeng into the mountains.

Meng Hai and his team had completed all the preparations and were just waiting for him to come and guide them in building the bridge.

The temperature in the mountains is already very low, and you can see frost that hasn't melted in some shady places.

"Boss Li, it's good that you reminded me to wear warm clothes, otherwise I might have caught a cold after staying here for half a day." Zhao Chengfeng and Li Long watched the villagers working together.

They used wooden planks to support the bridge deck and began pouring concrete, a method Zhao Chengfeng had changed from the original precast slab method.

It's the dry season now, and the deepest part of the water is no more than knee-deep, so after the dam was built in front, the entire area where the bridge was to be built was exposed.

After the water receded, Li Long saw a piece of jade in the middle of the river, but the jade was of poor quality and had many cracks, so he didn't pick it up.

There were a few small mountain loaches in the puddle, which Meng Hai and the others picked up and threw into the water on the other side of the dam.

The wooden beams and pillars were made from local materials, while the wooden planks were brought over by Meng Hai and his team using a tractor, and were poured layer by layer.

This job requires patience.

Meng Hai and his team were patient. They let Zhao Chengfeng guide them through the most important parts, and then it was up to them to do the rest themselves. Zhao Chengfeng's guidance was then complete.

Qian Lilong had already given the money, but Zhao Chengfeng was still thinking of digging for ginseng and getting some mushrooms in the mountains.

At this time, the only mushrooms that can be picked are poplar mushrooms.

This mushroom is amazing; it can even grow on poplar stumps when the first snowfall has occurred and the snow has partially melted.

The oyster mushrooms sold in the market are somewhat similar, but of course they taste better—or rather, they have a stronger mushroom flavor.

As for Codonopsis pilosula, Zhao Chengfeng wanted to find it himself this time, but he ended up looking for the wrong one.

He thought it looked a lot like the bare stalk that Li Long had dug up last time, and that it should be Codonopsis pilosula. Li Long said that what he was looking for was not Codonopsis pilosula, but just ordinary Artemisia argyi.

Zhao Chengfeng didn't believe it, but after digging a bit, he believed it.

He admired Li Long even more. Li Long felt that this was nothing special; after staying in the mountains for a long time, one naturally develops various skills.

"Those of you who can build roads, bridges, and buildings are the real experts," he said, half-complimenting and half-joking. "Our skills are only useful for wilderness survival."

“The most basic thing for a person is survival; that’s the real skill.” Zhao Chengfeng disagreed with Li Long’s viewpoint. “Only when you can survive well can you talk about anything else.”

"Let me find you another one." Li Long didn't want to flatter him; getting things done was the priority.

Meng Hai and his group will be coming again tomorrow, but Zhao Chengfeng won't be coming. However, with this cooperation, it will be much easier to find them again in the future.

Li Long led him to dig up another rather large Codonopsis pilosula, and then drove him away.

After sending Zhao Chengfeng back to Kuitun, Li Long didn't stop there and ran back under the cover of night.

It's only been a few days since the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon is still mostly full and quite bright.

The jeep's headlights illuminated the road ahead, and occasionally a dark shadow could be seen flashing by on the roadside.

Several times, Li Long slowed down, wanting to see what was on the roadside.

As a result, when he slowed down, those things immediately ran far away.

He walked at night hoping to catch something, but unfortunately, those things were too wary, and he had no chance at all.

As they drove closer to Shicheng, Li Long realized he had no chance, so he sped up and headed back to the county.

Gu Xiaoxia had already coaxed Mingming and Haohao to sleep. Upon hearing the car, she immediately came out to open the door.

Sister Yang also woke up, put on her clothes and went out the door. When she saw Gu Xiaoxia open the door and the jeep drive in, she went inside.

It's too late, let's talk about it tomorrow.

After driving all day, Li Long was tired and didn't have much to say. He briefly explained what had happened that day, washed up, and went to sleep.

The next day, after lunch, Li Long took Mingming and Haohao to kindergarten and then continued into the mountains.

Meng Hai and his group left early, but they arrived around the same time as Li Long.

Today we continued working on the bridge deck. Because of the low temperature in the mountains, the poured concrete hasn't completely dried yet and needs time to dry.

Li Long recalled the quick-drying cement used in later generations for flood control and underwater construction; it was truly a wonderful thing.

It sounds like a good product, but I've never used it.

“It will take at least two more days,” Meng Hai said. “I think it’s unnecessary for all the people here. I’ll send the rest to cross the river and repair the road. Let them repair as much as they can.”

In fact, according to Li Long's idea, it would be a great success if the bridge could be repaired this year.

But Meng Hai felt that they should at least continue repairing that section, and do more work before it snows, otherwise it would be impossible to finish once it snows.

Li Long didn't interfere; he basically didn't get involved. His main responsibility was to ensure that the money was paid in full.

As things stand, Meng Hai's organizational and management skills are sufficient, so Li Long naturally wouldn't say anything more.

"When I have some free time, this year or next year, I'll bring Yang Bo over and let him see this bridge and the sluice gate on our team's site. Let him see your capabilities, and then we can give you a chance to make a living."

Li Long asked Yang Bo to draw blueprints because, on the one hand, Yang Bo was a professional, and on the other hand, Yang Bo and his team had a lot of construction projects in the water conservancy sector and wanted to give some to Meng Hai.

However, Yang Bo still had concerns, since Meng Hai and his group lacked the necessary qualifications, and repairing a gravel road was not a big deal.

But if we can build the bridge and the sluice gate, then we have the initial capability; the rest is just a matter of finding a partner.

In fact, even without affiliation, as long as you have the ability, you will be given tasks at this time.

During the period of ruthless construction, no one cared about anything else.

In the 1960s and 70s, the village handled all the water conservancy projects that required cement and concrete.

Not long after Li Long arrived, he could still see the concrete embankment built back then when he was catching fish in the canal, but it had been abandoned because the slabs were too thin.

"Okay." Meng Hai nodded.

He has made up his mind, and he has also spoken privately with some of the young men in the village during this time.

Those people respected him, and as long as there was work, they would definitely follow him.

As for farm work, there's not much land in Qingshuihezi, so the workload isn't heavy. The women and elderly in the family can manage, and if necessary, you can hire help.

If the money earned is definitely more than the cost of hiring someone, then it's worthwhile.

Li Long saw that some people had already crossed the river and started repairing the road. The Dongfanghong 75 tractor also waded across, rumbling as it pushed gravel and made its way across the river.

On the alpine meadow, the herders of the tribe are gathering their cattle and sheep.

It had already snowed on the hillside not far away, and the young people were still hunting and looking for things to exchange for money nearby.

Beside the yurt, an old man was milking cows with a bucket, while women were boiling milk, skimming off the milk skin, or making mare's milk.

Each yurt was piled high with animal hides, as well as deer antlers and other items.

But fewer than last year.

They had explored almost all the nearby gullies, so to find deer antlers, they would have to go to much farther places.

Hunting is the same. Since we moved here in April, the wild animals in the area have been frightened by the gunshots and have run into the deeper mountains.

Continuing further in, not far ahead lies the central border of the Tianshan Mountains, an area with snow-covered passes and glaciers. Beyond the glaciers and passes lies the southern border of Xinjiang.

Each family has its own pasture, some contiguous, others separated by woods.

There isn't much to do while herding livestock; the elderly and women can manage it, while the young and strong mostly go looking for valuables.

Deep in the Tianshan Mountains, almost no one comes in except for these herders, so there are actually many things in the valleys; you can find them as long as you look carefully.

Yushanjiang also found a skull of a Siberian goat with a pair of horns over a meter long.

That horn really does look like a curved blade, so it seems that the rock paintings created by ancient people weren't particularly exaggerated.

(This picture was discovered by an elder and book lover on a mountain near the archaeological site. Look at that exaggerated Siberian goat horn.)

Although the ram's horn was worthless in Yushanjiang's eyes, they picked it up because they knew Li Long might want it.

The young people would return in the late afternoon or early evening, gather together, and share their day's experiences.

They were all concerned about the road construction at the foot of the mountain. Thinking about how the road would gradually lead to the summer pasture, they naturally hoped to make a greater contribution.

The older folks also stepped in to support it. After all, driving the cattle and sheep to the summer pastures was a challenge for them every time. It was truly a difficult journey.

If the road is repaired, tractors will be able to drive over, the yurts will be built sooner, the elderly will be able to move in sooner, and the young people can bring the cattle and sheep over.

Although they are used to a nomadic lifestyle, they would naturally be happy if the nomadic life could be made more convenient, comfortable, and efficient.

Actually, it's very simple to understand. If it can make life a little better, what's there to not understand?
For the next two days, Li Long came over every day, watching the bridge gradually widen and thicken, the concrete gradually dry, and the bridge slowly take shape. The joy in his heart welled up spontaneously.

I feel even happier than if we had built two or three kilometers of road. Meng Hai felt the same way; with the bridge under construction, his confidence grew even stronger.

By October 15th, the bridge was mostly repaired, but it was still not open to traffic until it was completely dry inside.

It snowed lightly in this area, but not heavily. When I came to work during the day, the snow melted slowly as soon as the sun came out.

The snow wasn't heavy, so it didn't affect our work much.

Li Long knew that the road repairs would only last another ten days at most before they had to stop.

In ten days, they can repair about two or three kilometers. After crossing the bridge, the riverbank narrows a bit, making road construction much more difficult than before.

The altitude has also increased, reaching nearly two thousand meters in this area, but no one seems to have any reaction and feels normal.

It gets a bit cold in the mornings and evenings, and Meng Hai and the others have already started wearing cotton-padded coats when they come to work.

Li Long would bring some cooked offal every day to supplement the villagers' lunch.

He felt it was normal to eat well since the work was hard.

On the 16th, Li Long didn't go to the mountains because Liu Shanmin came over.

Liu Shanmin arrived on the 15th. He didn't see Li Long when he arrived, so he stayed at the county guesthouse.

So on the morning of the 16th, Li Long went to the county hotel after breakfast.

Liu Shanmin had just finished eating and was heading to Li Long's purchasing station when he ran into Li Long at the hotel entrance.

"Since you're here, come to my room." After Li Long parked the jeep and got out, Liu Shanmin said to him with a smile, "It's been a long time. I'm so grateful to you these past few days."

“We’re mutually beneficial, so let’s not talk about who’s losing out.” Li Long walked side by side with him into the room, saying as they went, “Actually, I’m the one who got a better deal, since the things you sold me were cheaper.”

Liu Gaolou remained silent, feeling that there was no point in him speaking at this moment.

When Li Long arrived at Liu Shanmin's room, he discovered it was a suite. The living room was furnished with a sofa, coffee table, and a desk. While not as luxurious as later times, it was still quite comfortable.

Liu Gaolou, acting as a waiter, poured water for the two men. After Li Long sat down, Liu Shanmin said:

"I didn't bring much with me this time," Liu Shanmin said directly. "I only brought one car, a Volga with proper paperwork, which I've driven for less than five years. I'll give it to you."

"Give it to me? I can't accept something for nothing." Li Long was a little surprised. "You have something good happening on your end?"

"Yes, two trips. I completed my mission and received a commendation," Liu Shanmin said with a smile. "They said they'd assign me a new mission in a while, and they really appreciate my current performance."

He sighed, "In that case, I might have to stay there even longer, maybe for the rest of my life..."

"That's not necessarily true." Li Long thought that the Soviet Union would only last another two or three years before collapsing.

When things get chaotic over there, that'll be an opportunity for people like Liu Shanmin.

"Why not?" Liu Shanmin couldn't contact the people he was talking about. He needed to constantly complete tasks to lighten or relieve himself of some of the burdens he carried.

Right now, the only person I can really talk to here is Li Long. My nephew Liu Gaolou, although he's one of us, is noticeably less insightful in this regard and can't offer any constructive advice.

“You’re over there, you should be clear about the current social situation. How long do you think they can hold out?” Li Long asked rhetorically.

Liu Shanmin was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "What do you mean?"

Although at this time, thanks to the existence of CCTV's evening news, many people in China who cared about current affairs knew that the neighboring superpower was in great trouble.

But no one could have imagined that just over three years later, the empire would collapse.

Whether from a rational or emotional perspective, Chinese people are not very convinced.

But Liu Shanmin, being in one of the Soviet republics, felt it even more deeply.

"What else could it mean? You should know better than I do how it is. At the current rate, this alliance won't last much longer."

At this point, the problems in the neighboring country were not just about rigid systems. The United States' peaceful evolution strategy had been ongoing, and nationalism in the member states had been suppressed. The volcano was about to erupt.

Liu Shanmin's expression turned to shock, and Liu Gaolou had the same expression.

"You must have noticed that the main ethnic group over there is very emotional. Although it has been suppressed, you should know that where there is oppression, there is resistance." Li Long smiled, playing the role of a prophet, which he found quite enjoyable. "Once things come to light, your opportunity will arrive, right?"

Liu Shanmin wasn't stupid; he had the ability to stay there for so long and be so successful.

Upon hearing Li Long's words, he immediately replied:

"You mean, if things get chaotic, all the trouble will be brought in, right?"

"Of course, when a behemoth falls, many people will naturally come to tear off a piece of flesh. Good stuff... you'd better start planning now."

Liu Shanmin hissed. This Li Long, he's thinking far ahead.

But will the Soviet Union collapse?

He would never have thought about this before; he would only think that things were so much worse here than in China.

Official corruption, people's livelihood ruin, scarcity of daily necessities, and numerous social conflicts.

Even so, he did not expect the Soviet Union to collapse.

At most, I would think that some chaos or protests might break out.

But after Li Long said that, he started to believe him.

It's already this chaotic, won't it get even more chaotic? And how chaotic can it get?

Wouldn't that mean it split apart?
After all, the Soviet Union was different from China; it was composed of many constituent republics.

If the conflicts between the member states become irreconcilable, they will inevitably split apart.

"Then tell me, what should I do?" Liu Shanmin asked, somewhat convinced.

“Following the current model, we should set up a trading company and accumulate enough US dollars first,” Li Long said with a smile. “If the country really splits apart, what will be the most valuable? Hard currency, besides gold, should be the US dollar, right? And supplies—bring in a large amount of daily necessities from here, and then we can exchange them for whatever we want, right?”

What Li Long said was all from those legends. Down jackets, overcoats, and the like—carry them out in bags, and you can exchange them for bags of money—and of course, other things as well.

Some people even put garbage or substandard cotton into their down jackets, which ruins their reputation.

There are many legends and various versions of the story, but in short, once things get chaotic, everything will be lacking over there.

"The US dollar... it's not easy to deal with over there either," Liu Shanmin sighed.

"If we have the supplies, there's no way we can't get them. They must be running out of supplies over there by now."

"Not only are there shortages of daily necessities, but even food is scarce," Liu Shanmin lamented. "Many people are going hungry."

"Isn't that a grain-producing country?" Li Long asked, somewhat surprised.

"Large quantities of grain were allocated to other member states," Liu Shanmin lamented. "It's a planned economy, you know..."

Li Long felt this deeply.

Liu Shanmin certainly couldn't completely trust Li Long's words, but he felt that Li Long's suggestion was feasible. He could set up a trading company, use his power to import daily necessities from here, and exchange them for US dollars and hard currency on the black market there.

If things really get chaotic, the ruble will definitely become worthless paper, while the dollar and gold will be the real hard currencies.

Having this stuff and supplies is important, but you also need to have some military strength, otherwise you'll just be meat on a chopping block.

Seeing Liu Shanmin deep in thought, Li Long asked Liu Gaolou:

"Bring me a Volga?"

"Well, it turns out my uncle drove himself. He completed his mission quickly this time. I had barely arrived when he said he had already found what was needed back home. He said you brought him good luck, so he cleared customs and drove his Volga directly over to give it to you."

Li Long thought to himself, "How stingy! They're not even going to get a new car."

Of course, it was just a joke; it hadn't come to that. He didn't really believe that he had brought Liu Shanmin good luck.

It's true. Liu Shanmin used the sugar he brought to exchange for "scrapped" military heavy truck parts from some well-connected people, including the parts he needed.

Not just one, but many!

Then they were transported to the port under the guise of scrap and delivered over.

Then they told him that the goods were correct, and the job was done!
Liu Shanmin was still thinking about doing this for the long term, but he didn't expect the matter to be completed so quickly.
He was quite happy to receive the commendation and reward.

The whole thing started with those sugar grains, so it's not wrong for him to attribute some of the credit to Li Longtou.

"After this trip, are you free? I'll take you hunting over there. There are herds of gazelles, antelopes, and red deer now, they're easy to hunt!" Liu Shanmin had already thought it through and extended an invitation to Li Long.

Hunting in the past? Li Long was a little confused; this was quite a leap!

But I really long for it!
(End of this chapter)