Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1139 The Root of the Problem Lies in Money: My Stepbrother Has Ideas
In the end, the man was rendered speechless by the combined arguments of the group, and left in a rage, his face flushed red, leaving the girl somewhat at a loss.

The waiter urged Li Long and the others to go upstairs, but Gu Xiaoyu stayed for a while longer. When they finally went up, she said something.

"The girl was introduced to the man by someone. At first, the man kept talking about how great his ancestors were, and the girl thought that the man's ancestors were revolutionaries."

Before we even got to the destination, Yerjan went over to ask about the jade ball. He said he found the jade on the ball to be quite pretty with its colorful patterns, so he wanted to ask about it.

The man was bragging enthusiastically when he got impatient and yelled at Ye Erjiang and the others, even mocking them. Then, brother-in-law, you came down. Now he's run away, and the bill hasn't been settled yet.

Fortunately, the girl said she wasn't short of money for the meal, and that it was good to get to know someone better through a meal. After finishing, she planned to go back and give the matchmaker a piece of her mind—what kind of person was this? Oh, and she also said, "You speak with such authority; I'd like to get to know you."

Li Long waved his hand and said:

"Let's not. I was a little impulsive just now, but we didn't cause any trouble, so we're not afraid of anything. Come on, let's keep eating. Yerjiang, you did a good job just now. Nathan, when you go out again, you'll need an adult to accompany you. Not everyone you meet will be a good person like Teacher Cai; you might run into bad people too, understand?"

"Understood." The children knew their reckless behavior had caused trouble, so they were all behaving themselves.

Halim wanted to scold the children, but Li Long stopped him.

After dinner, we went out and hailed a minivan to return to the courtyard. The children didn't say much along the way.

After entering the courtyard, Gu Xiaoyu said to them:
"As your Uncle Li just said, there are good people everywhere. There are more good people than bad people in this world, but you're bound to encounter some who aren't so good. But you can't think that the outside world is unfriendly to you because of that, understand?"

She didn't want these children to have a bad impression on their first day in Yanjing, so she tried her best to teach them some principles.

The children liked Gu Xiaoyu very much, and they all nodded after listening to what she said.

"Alright, let's take a break. We can wander around the neighborhood this afternoon. If you want to watch the flag-raising ceremony tomorrow, you'll have to get up early, so you should all get a good rest today."

The children all nodded in agreement. Gu Xiaoyu planned to stay with Li Long and the others for a while longer, but Li Long said to her:
"You should go back and rest too. You must have been very busy cleaning up here these past two days. Go back and rest. You don't need to come for the flag-raising ceremony. I've been there before, and I know how to take them there."

Gu Xiaoyu thought about it and agreed, so she went back. She was actually quite tired, and she had taken leave to come here. Although there wasn't much to do during the school break, there were still some things to take care of.

After Gu Xiaoyu returned, Li Long told Halimu, then went to the post office to call the purchasing station and his elder brother to let him know he was safe.

Knowing that Gu Xiaoyu's place was quite nice, Gu Boyuan didn't say anything, just told Li Long to take good care of himself and go back after he finished his business.

On the other hand, when Hao Hao heard that it was their father calling, he wanted to talk to him, chattering about what he had eaten, drunk and played these past two days. Hao Hao also clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Li Long not taking them to Yanjing.

Li Long appeased the two children's dissatisfaction by saying he would go back and bring them toys, and then hung up the phone.

After making the call, Li Long took the gifts to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission's Beijing office. Director Dai was not there; he was in a meeting. Xiao Wang was there, so Li Long divided the gifts he had bought from Kazakhstan, giving some to Xiao Wang and asking him to give the rest to Director Dai.

Li Long expressed his sincere gratitude to Xiao Wang, mainly because Xiao Wang often looked after his courtyards when he was away, and sometimes he would run into Gu Xiaoyu.

Gu Xiaoyu had mentioned these things on the phone before, which touched Li Long quite a bit.

To say that he has no power or influence is an understatement. Xiao Wang was initially assigned by his superiors to look after the yard, and he has persisted in managing it for so long, which is quite commendable.

Therefore, Li Long felt that this person was worth getting to know, so he specially included a gift for him in this gift.

Xiao Wang was also happy to see Li Long and said he would treat Li Long to dinner that night. Li Long politely declined, saying that he would treat him later, mainly because he had just arrived today, brought people with him, and had some other things to take care of.

Xiao Wang didn't insist, telling Li Long to sit down together whenever he had free time, and that he would hand over the things to Director Dai.

After leaving the State Ethnic Affairs Commission's Beijing office, Li Long went to the post office and made a phone call. He planned to meet the leader, but he didn't know if the leader was available, so he called the secretary. It would be great if he could meet him, but even if he didn't, the thought was appreciated.

To Li Long's surprise, the secretary surnamed Zhang answered the phone. After learning that it was Li Long, she asked where he was and what he planned to do the next day. Then she went to consult with her superior and came back to tell Li Long that her superior could meet with him the next afternoon.

Li Long had already made it clear that he had brought his herdsman friends with him, but the secretary named Zhang Haiyang did not mention that Li Long should bring his friends, so Li Long knew that he would have to go alone.

After hanging up the phone, Li Long went back. Everything was arranged, and now he just had to carry it out one by one.

When I got back to the courtyard, the sun had already set. The days were short then, and lights were already on in some of the nearby houses.

Li Long assigned rooms to Halim and the children, helped them wash up, and told them to go to sleep quickly so they could get up early the next day to watch the flag-raising ceremony.

Halim put the children to sleep, while Li Long took a walk around the yard, then locked the door and prepared to go to bed.

There were a few more pieces of furniture in the house, which Gu Xiaoyu must have bought. The snow in the yard was cleared very cleanly, which Xiao Wang must have done.

That's good. Even though I'm not here, the yard hasn't become deserted because of it, and it will be much more convenient for people to move in later.

Li Long went to bed early and had something on his mind, so he woke up before the alarm clock went off.

He rubbed his face, got up and got dressed, and then heard the children next door talking quietly. It turned out they weren't asleep after all.

Li Long smiled, and you could tell from his tone that the children were very excited, so let's get up then.

Seeing that it was still early, Li Long got up and went to the yard, saying to the children's door:

"If you're not asleep, get up, wash up, I'll cook some porridge, and then we'll eat and wait for the flag-raising ceremony."

"Great! Great!" Nathan burst out of the house, opening the door. "We've been waiting for this for ages!"

"Didn't you guys sleep all night?" Li Long asked. "Why are you all dressed so neatly?"

"Sigh, I can't talk to them!" Halim came out rubbing his eyes. "I slept for less than an hour yesterday, and they started talking. They all talk so much. I don't know how they have so much energy."

Li Long laughed. Halim couldn't understand the children's feelings about watching the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square.

Of course, it's also because the textbooks have been changed; otherwise, these children might not even have this impression.

After all, the textbooks before the revision mainly focused on a certain classic.

Li Long was quite proud of himself, thinking he must have contributed to the success of this project.

The kitchen has cabbage, radishes, potatoes, rice, and noodles.

Seeing that there was still time, Li Long set up the stove to cook porridge and stir-fry cabbage.

They brought naan bread, and that's what they ate for breakfast.

Seeing that Li Long was busy cooking, Halim took the children to light the stoves in the other rooms, and then washed up and cleaned.

When staying in someone else's home, whether it was Halim or Yerjan, they all took the initiative to help with cleaning, and they folded the bedding neatly and put the things inside in their proper places.

After breakfast, Li Long told them not to pack yet, but to get dressed and head to Tiananmen Square. The children were very excited. Sasken tied his red scarf into a knot that was difficult to tie properly, and he was so anxious that he almost cried. It was Ganaguli who helped him untie it and tie it properly before they went out.

When they got to the main road, there were few cars around. They waited for a while before they were able to flag down a minivan. The group got in and pointed to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony.

The driver was very talkative. When he heard that they had come all the way from northern Xinjiang specifically to watch the flag-raising ceremony, he immediately started telling them where was the best place to watch it, and then said that this was a good thing and that he would give them a 50% discount.

Li Long also took a special look and found that the van did not take a detour. The driver introduced the places they passed along the way, including scenic spots and museums. He could tell a story about every place name, which was really good.

When they arrived at the destination, the seller really only wanted half price. Li Long felt embarrassed and offered the full price, but the seller still refused to accept it.

Fearing he'd miss the flag-raising ceremony, Li Long gave him a 50% discount. As the noodles were leaving, Ye Erjiang whispered:
"The people here are quite nice."

Li Long smiled.

He didn't want one or two people to affect his child's experience, but he didn't expect to encounter a positive role model so quickly, and his child's attitude changed rapidly.

There weren't many people watching the flag-raising ceremony. Perhaps it was because it was cold, and perhaps people are mainly busy making a living. As the saying goes, "Only when people have enough to eat and wear can they know honor and shame, and only when the granaries are full can they know etiquette." They have to earn enough to make ends meet before thinking about anything else.

Upon seeing Tiananmen Square, the children's expressions became even more excited. When the national flag guard came out of the gate, they instinctively raised their hands in salute, their expressions becoming solemn.

Li Long felt that there was no need to say anything; this was the best form of patriotic education.

Sure enough, when it was time to raise the flag, the children sang the national anthem with incredibly solemn expressions.

After the flag-raising ceremony ended, people walked back in small groups. Some people who saw these people immediately sensed that they were different.

"You're from northern Xinjiang, aren't you?" an old man asked from the side.

“Yes,” Ye Erjiang said before Li Long could speak, “We came from the northern border region, how did you know, grandpa?”

His Mandarin wasn't very good, it had a regional accent, and the old man exclaimed "Ouch!" and said:

"I knew it! I felt something was different when you sang the national anthem and saluted. Hey, I know, Uncle Kurban rode his donkey here to see Chairman Mao. Let me tell you, I was a railway soldier who built roads over there. I'm retired now. Hey, good boy!"

As the old man spoke, he touched his clothes, as if instinctively wanting to give the child something, much like an elder instinctively offering food to a younger person. But there was nothing there. He looked around and immediately smiled, saying:
"Since we're here and have seen the flag-raising ceremony, we should at least take a picture with Tiananmen Square and the Monument to the People's Heroes, right? It's on me! Come on, let's take a picture! Let me tell you, back in northern Xinjiang, I ate plenty of naan baked by the locals..."

The old man was very hospitable. When Ye Erjiang and the others looked at Li Long, Li Long nodded.

He could tell the old man was genuinely excited, not a shill. Besides, since the children were already there, taking a picture was only right.

There are professional photographers here. Li Long came out in a hurry and didn't bring a camera, so this time he's letting the professionals take his picture.

Each person took individual photos, and there were also group photos. The old man tried to pay, but Li Long firmly refused, mainly because there were quite a few photos taken, which would definitely be expensive, and he couldn't rip him off.

In the end, they compromised. The old man paid for two photos together, and Li Long paid for the rest.

"Young man, you're the one who got me out of this predicament. I didn't even understand the price. If I paid the full amount, I really wouldn't have enough on me," the old man said to Li Long after watching the photographer finish calculating the bill.

Li Long laughed and said, "We can't let you suffer any losses. You're building roads in northern Xinjiang for the sake of us ordinary people. If you suffer any losses in this regard, then we people of northern Xinjiang will really be letting you down."

The old man wanted to invite Li Long and the others to breakfast, but they said they had already eaten. The old man then chatted with them all the way to the museum before leaving.

Li Long didn't plan to let Yerjan and the others visit the Forbidden City. He felt the Forbidden City wasn't really suitable for the children's education, but the National Museum would be more appropriate. He also planned to show them the exhibits at the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum when they returned.

The main purpose now is to let them know how great our motherland is, and how great its civilization and history are.

People go to the museum in the autonomous region to see the history of their own ethnic group's development.

The children were a little confused by these things, but fortunately, Li Long had lived two lives and knew more about them. Since there was no explanation here, he explained it to the children himself.

After visiting the museum, we were tired, so we decided to go back to the courtyard.

Li Long actually wanted to treat them to a meal, but since they had breakfast in the yard, Halimu and the others thought it was fine, so they decided to cook for themselves instead.

After buying beef from a butcher shop, Li Long wondered whether to make noodles or pilaf.

When they arrived at the courtyard, they found someone waiting outside the gate.

A man who is not yet thirty years old.

Upon seeing Li Long and his group approach, the man's face immediately broke into a smile. He quickly walked over and reached out to take the meat and vegetables from Li Long's hands.

To make pilaf, you need yellow carrots. Don't get me wrong, it's not a mistake. It's the yellow kind of carrot. It's just that the vegetable shop Li Long found didn't have them, so he just bought red ones, onions, and some other ingredients.

If you're staying for a few days, you can't just eat pilaf all the time; cooking for yourself isn't too difficult.

Before Li Long could refuse, Harim stepped in front of him.

The man stopped and explained with a smile:
"Li Long...brother-in-law, right? I'm Huang Yufei, Xiaoyu's brother."

Li Long immediately understood that this man was Gu Xiaoyu's "porridge brother," the stepson of his mother-in-law's new family.

Li Long nodded and said:
"Hello."

"Knowing you were coming, I came to see you all, but I didn't expect you to have gone out. I've been waiting here for a while now."

You guys are planning to cook for yourselves? Oh, that's too much trouble! Come on, come on, I'll treat you to dinner! Our Yanjing city has the best Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste)..."

Li Long's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

The meat sauce used in Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is made from pork. Li Long didn't believe that Huang Yufei couldn't tell that Halimu and his group were Kazakhs.

Is it because they don't understand this concept, or is it intentional?

Li Long shook his head and said:

"No need, we'll do it ourselves. Just tell us what you need, we're quite busy."

Huang Yufei's smile became somewhat forced; Li Long wasn't giving him any face.

But for now, only Li Long can approve this. He smiled again and said:
"Alright, I'm a decent cook. Let me help you. Don't be shy, we're all family..."

Li Long thought about Gu Xiaoyu's reluctance to engage in jade trading. Could it be that this person was up to something?

(End of this chapter)