Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1117 A Small Gathering After Autumn, Dreaming of the Future

Bai Xiuming returned to the guesthouse and went to the front desk to make a phone call. The guesthouse front desk allowed long-distance calls, but there was a charge.

At this point, money wasn't the issue. Although it was already late back home, there was no time to worry about that. I called my friend to wake him up and quickly asked about the price.

"What? You said you need a thousand pairs of leather shoes and three thousand pairs of rubber shoes?" The other party was also a little surprised. "Why such a big order? Are you going into the shoe business?"

"Never mind that, just find out the price for me. I need it shipped to northern Xinjiang. Also, ask about the shipping costs. They definitely ship here; it would be best if they could ship it directly!"

Bai Xiuming only became acquainted with this guy during the last official meeting to relieve their stress. They hit it off quite well at the time and had dinner together twice afterward, so he can be considered one of his connections.

I never expected to come in handy now—the other party isn't a shoe business in particular, but rather a middleman who has connections with various factories and can help connect people with business, earning a referral fee in the process.

"Okay, okay, wait a minute, I'll find out right away. This is a big order worth tens of thousands of yuan!" The other party naturally valued this matter quite a bit.

Although an order worth tens of thousands of yuan is not a large amount for a shoe factory, it is an unplanned order. For him, the intermediary, the referral fee is equivalent to one or two months' wages for an ordinary worker.

After hanging up the phone, Bai Xiuming told the waiter to call him immediately if the phone rang again, as he would be waiting in the room.

He was staying at a state-run guesthouse, where food was still being served, but for the sake of this phone call, Bai Xiuming decided to skip the meal for now. Going hungry for a meal was nothing; if he could really get his hands on this car, he would make a fortune!
Even if I drive it back and don't want to drive it anymore, I'd probably ask for 70,000 or 80,000 yuan and someone would definitely buy it.

At this point, the car doesn't depreciate as quickly.

Bai Xiuming and the others were anxious, looking at their watches every now and then. Why were the hands of the watch moving so slowly at this time?
Normally, five or ten minutes feel like they pass in no time, but now every minute feels so slow.

Finally, after 12 minutes and 33 seconds, he heard the front desk phone ring. Before the clerk could call him, he hurriedly opened the door and ran out.

When we arrived at the front desk, the pretty receptionist had already handed us the telephone receiver.

"Mr. Bai, they're looking for you."

Bai Xiuming took the phone, didn't speak immediately, took a moment to calm his breathing, and then said:
"Hey, Lao Wei..."

"I just asked. For cotton leather shoes, 1,000 pairs can be sold wholesale at 11 yuan a pair. For cotton rubber shoes, 3,000 pairs can be sold at 4.5 yuan a pair."

When you calculate it this way, it's actually cheaper than he expected.

"The shipping cost isn't expensive, just a token amount will do. They have freight services to Urumqi Railway Station in northern Xinjiang. If you want it, they can ship it tomorrow, but you need to pay a 20% deposit first. Given the current situation, you won't be able to pay until tomorrow at the earliest. This amount is quite large, so I can't advance it for you. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

"No problem, no problem. Did you ask for their account details for me? Should I wire the money directly to their account, or should I send it over?"

"Let me ask again. It's quite troublesome, but we're friends, otherwise I wouldn't have taken this job..."

"Brother Wei, Lao Wei, don't worry, if this deal goes through, you'll definitely get your share! I'll treat you to dinner when I get back, and I'll bring you some local specialties!"

"What local specialties? Girls from Daban City? I'm not cut out for those. Some raisins will do."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Xiuming smiled at the waitress and said that he might have another call later and would need her help again.

The waiter wasn't particularly upset; he was just sitting there anyway, and listening to their phone calls would give him some gossip.

About ten minutes later, Lao Wei called Bai Xiuming to tell him the payment method. After Bai Xiuming wrote it down, he hung up and called home to ask for the money to be wired.

Fortunately, he was the head of the household and earned a considerable amount of money, which he also spent on his family. So his wife rarely asked where the money went.

After arranging everything, Bai Xiuming returned to his room and realized he was hungry, but by then the guesthouse's canteen was out of food.

Fortunately, there was hot water, and he had some leftover bread in his bag, so he could just eat a few bites.

After a quick wash in the evening, Bai Xiuming lay in bed, covered himself with the blanket, and turned on the light, but he couldn't fall asleep.

My mind is a mess. On one hand, I'm regretting it a bit. Was my decision today impulsive? Was it worth spending so much money on a used car?
On one hand, I was also a little excited. I guess I got a good deal? At least back in my hometown, a used car in this condition would cost at least 100,000 yuan.

The main reason was that there were relatively few cars at that time, and scarcity made them valuable. Even a used car was still a car, and it definitely looked more upscale than a Jeep.

I kept agonizing over this dilemma until almost dawn before I finally fell asleep.

So I got up late, and by the time I arrived at Li Long's purchasing station with the car, it was almost noon.

It was Li Long who called and urged him to get up. Bai Xiuming was a little annoyed; many things he had planned to do that morning were now impossible to accomplish.

Fortunately, when they inspected the watermelon seeds, they found that the quality was as good as ever, with virtually no impurities and they were all clean. The people he hired were also very efficient, and Li Long's people also helped out. Fifty tons of watermelon seeds were loaded in just half a day.

After recording the payment, the long convoy departed. Before leaving, Bai Xiuming took a good look at the Moskva car and told Li Long to keep a close eye on it, as he would bring the money and shoes over in the next couple of days.

Li Long knew he was worried, so he signed a contract with him in duplicate. Both parties signed it, and Bai Xiuming's smile brightened a bit when he left.

Fifty tons of watermelon seeds cost 50,000 yuan to produce, but they made a profit of over 120,000 yuan. They certainly made a fortune this time. Therefore, Li Long gave Gu Boyuan a share of 12,500 yuan, and Liang Shuangcheng and Sun Jiaqiang each received a 500 yuan bonus.

The main reason is that everyone has been quite busy lately, and the fact that the watermelon seeds are so clean is thanks to their efforts.

"Uncle Gu, I won't be home for dinner tonight. Please tell Xiaoxia." Li Long handed 30,000 yuan to Gu Boyuan as working capital, and said that he would deposit the rest in the bank. When he left, he told Gu Boyuan, "Yesterday when I went to the team, Brother Yundong and the others wanted to treat us to a meal."

"Go ahead, but drink less." Gu Boyuan knew that Li Long was very self-disciplined and wouldn't drink too much, so he was at ease.

Li Long drove his jeep to deposit the money, then went to a deli to buy braised meat and some cold dishes before heading to Team Four.

He wasn't sure who was treating today, but he decided to go to Tao Daqiang's house first.

On the way, they happened to run into Li Qiang riding his bicycle home from school. Li Long rolled down the window of his jeep, slowed down, and walked alongside him, asking about Li Qiang's situation as they went.

"It's alright, I'm usually in the top three in my class." Li Qiang was quite modest. "Our teacher taught my sister, and after finding out I'm her brother, she's been quite caring towards me. Sometimes she even gives me extra practice problems..."

Li Qiang said this with a sense of pride, even a touch of arrogance.

"Good job, good job. Study hard. Your sister is doing well in school and her ranking is still rising. Keep it up!"

"I'm working hard too. Our teacher said that if I can keep it up, I'll definitely be able to get into the top high school like my sister, and then go to university!"

"Good, that's ambitious!" Li Long praised. "Come on, stop here first. I have some braised dishes in my car. Take some back with you and eat them with your lunch this afternoon."

"Uncle, aren't you going home?" Li Qiang asked, somewhat surprised.

"I'm not going back. I'm going to Daqiang's house. We might be drinking tonight."

"Oh, I see." Li Qiang was a little disappointed. It was a rare opportunity to spend time with his uncle, but he didn't expect his uncle to go out drinking instead of going home.

"Uncle, the matryoshka doll you brought back is so much fun! Oh, and the chocolate is delicious too. The candy is just too sweet. And the shredded horse meat is really thick, even thicker than beef! The taste is a bit strange, but also strangely delicious!" Li Qiang said, remembering the things Li Long brought back.

"Hey, as long as you think it's delicious and fun, that's fine. Why don't you save your sister's portion?"

"I'm keeping it!"

"That's good, let's stop now."

Li Long stopped the car, separated some of the braised dishes and meats he had brought, put them in a separate bag, and had Li Qiang carry them back. They chatted together until they arrived at the team's headquarters before parting ways.

Before we even reached Tao Daqiang's house, we saw the group of people standing at the gate smoking and chatting. They all smiled when they saw Li Long's car.

When Li Long got out of the car, he was carrying braised meat and braised dishes. Tao Daqiang said:

"Brother Long, why did you bring food? There's plenty of food prepared at home!"

"Since we're here, we might as well bring some along," Li Long said with a smile. "What are you all chatting about?"

"What else can we talk about? What should we plant next year? Don't you grow cotton? Are the seeds easy to grow? How do you sow them?"

"Sowing? Next spring, I'll go to Shicheng to buy a cotton planter, both spot seeders and row seeders. Then I'll buy plastic film, seeds, and fertilizer, just like everyone else who farms." Li Long was really good at growing cotton; he could rattle off everything without hesitation. He'd been growing it for so many years that he could say it instinctively without even thinking.

"Strip player? On-demand player? What's the difference?" Jia Weidong, being eager to learn, was the first to ask.

"The row seeder sows directly, and then covers it with a plastic film. This way, the seedlings are covered with the film to keep them warm, and they won't get frostbite if there's a cold snap in spring. We often have cold snaps in spring here, and the seedlings might freeze to death when they emerge."

"How can it grow under the film?" Tao Daqiang also planned to grow cotton, and he would definitely follow Li Long's lead, so he listened carefully and immediately discovered the problem.

"Of course, you have to let the seedlings out. As soon as the seedlings grow out, you have to make a hole in the plastic film to let them out, otherwise the seedlings will be scalded to death. After they've grown out, you have to cover the hole with soil again."

"How could it be scalded to death?" Jia Weidong asked, puzzled.

“Once the seedlings grow, their leaves will stick to the film,” Li Long explained. “When the sun shines on them, the film gets very hot, and if the leaves stick to it for too long, they will be burned to death.”

"So covering the soil is to prevent moisture loss and also to prevent other weeds from growing?" Xie Yundong was an expert in farming and understood immediately.

“Yes, that’s exactly right.” Li Long nodded approvingly. “That’s how live streaming works.”

"It's too much trouble. Wouldn't on-demand viewing be better?" Liang Dacheng felt that adding an extra step was really troublesome.

"Yes, seeding with a seed drill is simpler. It first makes a hole in the plastic film, then puts the seed into the hole. The advantage is that it doesn't require pre-seeding..."

"The downside is that if you block the cold during the spring frost, the seedlings will freeze to death, right?" Jia Weidong, who was also very perceptive, added.

"Yes, that's exactly right. You're even answering first now," Li Long joked.

"Sigh, troublesome, all troublesome," Liang Dacheng said.

"After planting, we also need to guard against strong winds. Strong winds are common here in the spring. If a strong wind comes, the plastic film can easily be blown away. If it is blown away, the seeds will have been sown in vain, and we will have to start all over again," Li Long said. "There are many things to pay attention to, but to be honest, cotton will definitely be the main cash crop in the future, so it is best to start planting now."

Starting now, with experience, and gradually getting the hang of it, is better than doing it later.

"Then how about harvesting watermelons?" Jia Weidong asked again.

"It's unstable. Like this year, the buyers didn't come, so many of them ended up stuck with their stock." Li Long didn't mention Bai Xiuming's purchase of melon seeds today. To be honest, he was also worried about this kind of uncertain business. Although he made money, if they didn't come next year, he would be stuck with his stock.

Earning money doesn't feel secure.

"That's true. It's just not stable. It would be great if we could harvest melon seeds like grains." Liang Dacheng sounded somewhat disdainful after hearing how troublesome cotton farming was.

“No way. Harvesting watermelon seeds is a sideline. It’s not a cash crop, so the government won’t buy it in fixed quantities.” Li Long shook his head. “Although cotton is also a cash crop, the government will definitely buy it as long as it’s planted. That’s why I advised my older brother to plant cotton.”

"What?"

"Because cotton can be used to make clothes. Oh, and the short fibers of cotton can also be used to make gunpowder, didn't you know? It's a strategic material!" Li Long whispered, "It's completely different from shooting melon seeds!"

One offers guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, while the other carries extremely high risk; choosing one is essentially a no-brainer.

For nearly forty years afterward, the fourth team never cultivated watermelons on a large scale. In fact, watermelons were never grown on a large scale in the county. On the contrary, pumpkin seeds were cultivated on a large scale later on. Apparently, pumpkin seeds have a higher zinc content or something, so they were planted more often.

When the tourist season comes, many tourists from other places mistake the large yellow and white long seeds in the field for cantaloupes, causing quite a few laughs.

"Dinner's ready, come inside!" Yang Pingping called out, and Li Long and the others stopped chatting and went inside.

Li Long then handed the braised meat and vegetables to Yang Pingping so she could plate them.

"Why is Brother Long buying groceries?" Yang Pingping and Tao Daqiang had the same expression and tone, which just goes to show that birds of a feather flock together.

"We can't come empty-handed," Li Long said with a smile.

"Look at what you're saying, now that you've said that, we're all embarrassed," Xie Yundong joked. "Next time you come to my house for dinner, you can't bring anything, or they'll feel awkward."

"What's there to be embarrassed about? I'd be perfectly fine even if I didn't bring anything," Liang Dacheng said with a smile as he washed his hands and sat down at the table. "I'm shameless."

They sat down at the table, chatting and laughing. Li Long didn't see Tao Jianshe, so he asked Tao Daqiang, "Where's Uncle Tao?"

“My dad has already eaten and went to play cards at the village store. It’s quite lively there now; several tables have been set up for card games.”

"Then I guess my dad might go too." Li Long knew immediately that this was an early development of the team's extracurricular cultural activities.

"Yes, I've met him several times," Xie Yundong said. "Your old man is very generous; Old Zhang at the store likes him the most."

The old man has money, so spending it is naturally convenient for him. Buying cigarettes or something is just a matter of course.

A large plate of stewed fish, a large plate of stir-fried chicken, a large plate of stewed mutton, stir-fried eggs with chili peppers, cold mung bean sprouts, plus the braised meat and vegetables that Li Long brought, filled the table.

As Tao Daqiang was getting the wine, Li Long suddenly said:

"Wait, I forgot, I also brought back some liquor from the Soviet Union, vodka. Wait a minute, let me bring it over so we can have a taste."

Li Long quickly went to the jeep and took out the wine. He only brought one bottle, mainly so that everyone could try it.

To be honest, he had tried Liu Shanmin's wine before, but he didn't like it and it didn't taste good. Although he wasn't very good at judging the quality of wine, he just couldn't get used to it.

Xie Yundong and the others didn't understand the Russian text on it. Li Long said that the wine was around 40 degrees, which wasn't very strong.

Nowadays, most people drink alcohol with an alcohol content of around 52 degrees, so 40 degrees is considered low-alcohol for them.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste. It's brought back from overseas, so it's quite a novelty." Xie Yundong took the wine, looked at it, opened the bottle, and said with a smile, "One glass for each of you, have a taste first!"

Without eating anything, we downed a glass of 50 grams each. With Yang Pingping in topping it, the six of us drank more than half of it in one go!

"This wine..." After finishing his drink, Xie Yundong tasted it. "It tastes a little different from the wine we usually drink."

“Yes, that’s right.” Liang Dacheng nodded in agreement.

"It's quite smooth, but the taste is a little different," Tao Daqiang said.

"I actually think it tastes pretty good," Yang Pingping said, wiping her mouth. "It's not too strong."

Okay, some people like it and some don't.

"Let's drink our wine instead, and leave the rest here."

"Alright, hurry up and eat." Tao Daqiang held out his chopsticks, urging the food to get cold.

The stove in the Tao family's house was already set up, and the room was quite warm. They ate and drank, and soon they were sweating. They took off their coats and started playing drinking games.

When they're not drinking, they mostly talk about what to plant next year and how to make use of their cars in the winter.

"Xiaolong, is that cheap car behind you going to get in or not?" Jia Weidong suddenly asked.

“We probably won’t go in,” Li Long shook his head. “It’s difficult to ship goods, and the drivers there are also nervous. It’s very difficult to get through Guozigou in winter, so it’s hard to drive over.”

Liu Shanmin had already told Li Long that the cars would likely be delivered one by one, and this was all just a side effect. His main goal was to obtain products like sugar, cement, shoes, and cotton clothing to earn foreign exchange and increase his company's visibility, making it easier to complete his mission.

Besides, finding a driver is really difficult. After Liu Gaolou hired one, people weren't willing to do it anymore. Mainly because Guozigou is too difficult to navigate; the money is hard-earned and dangerous.

Jia Weidong was somewhat disappointed.

Li Long thought to himself, "There's nothing I can do about it. Opportunities only come once in a lifetime. If I can seize them, great; if not, there's nothing I can do."

(End of this chapter)