Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1141 Returning Home After the Excitement, Section Chief Hu's Good Fortune

Li Long came to Yanjing without intending to have any dealings with his mother-in-law, but if Gu Xiaoyu got into trouble, he would naturally step in.

For no other reason than that his sister-in-law had traveled two long trips to northern Xinjiang to find her father and sister, Li Long would not stand idly by for that reason alone.

However, there aren't that many things to do right now; we'll have to wait until Gu Xiaoyu comes tomorrow to find out the specifics.

"Wangfujing is so lively!" Yerjiang exclaimed excitedly. "There are so many people from all over the country, it's packed with people. Even our sheep in the mountains have never been this crowded..."

Li Long was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by Yerjiang's description.

“No, no, no, our sheep are even more crowded than this, but at least when they enter the pen, their heads are all facing the same direction,” Ganaguli offered a different perspective. “But here, I saw several people lose their shoes in the crush. I don’t know why they were so impulsive. Couldn’t they have slowed down?”

"They're worried that if they're slow, someone else will buy it," Li Long joked. "There should be a lot of stuff inside, right?"

"Wow, so much!" Nathan exclaimed. "I thought the Stone City Mall already had a lot of stuff, but this place has even more, and the buildings are taller too. I even saw some foreigners!"

Sasken nodded vigorously. After Nathan finished speaking, he could only nod in agreement.

"Do you like it here?" Li Long asked with a smile, clearly seeing that the children were very excited.

“I love it! I love it so much!” Nathan exclaimed loudly.

“I like it too.” Sasken’s voice was a little soft. After saying it, he blushed and lowered his head when he saw everyone looking at him.

“It’s fine,” Yerjiang said in a way that was hard to understand.

“Then study hard,” Li Long said with a smile, “and try to get into a university here so you can live here.”

“Really?” Nathan asked in surprise.

"It's not easy to get in; it's not that simple." Ye Erjiang was very clear-headed and shook his head. He was in junior high school now and knew that even high school was difficult to get into, let alone university.

"But the thing is, you have an easier time than us in the college entrance exam. You get a 120-point bonus, which makes it easier for you than for others," Li Long said with a smile. "So, if you put in the effort, you definitely won't be able to succeed without giving it your all, right?"

His words made the children fall into deep thought.

Yes, if there's a chance to get into Peking University, who wouldn't want to come?
"By the way, I'd like to tell you that there are quite a few professors from our northern Xinjiang working at the Central University for Nationalities," Li Long added.

There were two things he didn't mention. The one about the extra points was something he had heard about when Li Qiang took the college entrance exam in his previous life.

Another incident involved a professor from northern Xinjiang at a university for ethnic minorities who made outrageous remarks and was deemed no good.

There are always some people who take the preferential treatment the country gives them as a right they should enjoy, and then fabricate stories and do shady things on that basis.

That's all Li Long said, and then he went to eat. When Gu Xiaoyu and the others returned, they brought Li Long some hot food, which Li Long didn't want to have to reheat after it cooled down.

After the courtyard house was renovated, the lights were bright and the electricity was stable. Unlike the situation in Team Four, where there were frequent power outages and people had to keep kerosene lamps on hand.

The coal storage rooms in the three courtyards were stocked with a considerable amount of coal and firewood. It was unclear whether Gu Xiaoyu or Wang Pengcheng had prepared them, but they were enough to last a long time.

After finishing his meal, Li Long went to his room to read. The children were still discussing what had happened in Wangfujing that day; they had even forgotten to turn on the TV.

Li Long never expected that Wangfujing would be even more attractive than television.

Of course, this is also a good thing, giving hope to the children in the mountains. They already have certain advantages, but most children don't think these advantages are so good and don't cherish them. Or rather, the inertia of tradition is very strong, which means that although there are extra points, not many ethnic minority students are admitted to university each year.

I won't say much more, because the textbooks are a mixed bag.

The next day, after breakfast, Gu Xiaoyu didn't come over, so Li Long discussed taking the children to see the Chairman's Memorial Hall, which was for the elders of the tribe to see.

Although Nathan's grandmother didn't come, she insisted that Harim, Nathan, and Sasken must go and see the Chairman and the memorial hall, and that they should go back and tell her what it was like.

Their generation has very deep feelings for Chairman Mao.

After visiting the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in the morning, everyone felt quite heavy-hearted. Although the children didn't quite understand this feeling, as they queued to enter and then came out with the flow of visitors, they remembered the stories about Chairman Mao told by their elders at home, and their mood wasn't good either.

Li Long wanted to invite them out for lunch, but Halimu and the others weren't in the mood, so they had a simple meal at home.

In the afternoon, Li Long took Halim and the others to buy some local specialties. Since they had come all this way, they couldn't go back empty-handed. Halim figured the other herders in the tribe probably already knew Li Long had brought them, so he decided to buy some local products on their way back.

Even some candies produced in Yanjing (Beijing) are of great significance to the elders in the tribe.

After getting off work in the evening, Gu Xiaoyu came to the yard, where Li Long and Halimu were sorting out the things they had bought.

Clothes, headscarves, bags, toys, etc., are all quite practical.

"Your mother contacted you yesterday? Was it about the jade?" Li Long asked directly. "I'll say it again: if you have any trouble and need my help, just tell me."

"It's alright now," Gu Xiaoyu said with a smile. "I told my mom that this matter is over. I'm not going to do this anymore. I'll just focus on being a university teacher. They shouldn't try anything with me either. I don't want to be used."

Gu Xiaoyu was indeed in a difficult position, as she didn't want to lose either side.

She was disappointed by her mother's actions, which led to her current decision.

Li Long could tell that Gu Xiaoyu had made a serious decision, so he stopped talking about it and changed the subject.

“You must have spent a lot of money on these courtyards, right? I’ve earned some US dollars recently, so I’ll make up for it for you,” Li Long said. “We’ve almost finished what we needed to do since we came here. Tomorrow, I plan to look around and see if I can buy some antiques or something. Also, I’ll leave you some US dollars so that if you come across anything nice in the future, you can buy it for me.”

Gu Xiaoyu did not refuse, but nodded slightly.

During Li Long's absence, she did indeed take the time to collect antique furniture. Because of the renovations in these courtyards, she also got to know some craftsmen who could repair old furniture, so if there were any problems with the furniture she found, she would ask those people to repair it.

Of course, this is basically limited to furniture, and most of it is purchased through stores.

Because she wasn't an expert, she only dared to buy things from authorized stores that had explanations.

Li Long gave Gu Xiaoyu five thousand US dollars, which was a huge sum of money. Gu Xiaoyu was stunned when she saw so much money.

Five thousand US dollars! The official exchange rate is just over ten thousand yuan, but the black market price is more than double that!
Gu Xiaoyu still remembers the humble state of her colleagues at school who were preparing to go abroad and had to beg and plead for a few thousand dollars.

How many things can you do or buy with five thousand dollars?

“Then I’ll take them to see the university tomorrow,” Gu Xiaoyu said, taking the dollars. “The children are still in school, so it’s always a good thing for them to visit a university.”

In fact, Gu Xiaoyu was not sure whether these children could get into university. She could sense that these children were different from Li Juan and Li Qiang; they didn't have the same talent or perseverance in their studies.

But if it can plant a seed in their hearts, then it's a good thing, isn't it?
"That's fine too." Li Long nodded.

The following days passed uneventfully. Huang Yufei and Li Long's mother-in-law didn't come looking for them again, and Li Long didn't go to Liulichang or Panjiayuan to try and find bargains; he didn't have the skills, nor would he bother with that kind of activity.

Consignment shops and antique shops are where he wants to go.

Unfortunately, when he went there, the largest inventory of over nine thousand paintings and calligraphies in the antique shop had already been bought for two hundred thousand yuan. That bargain was gone.

Although Li Long felt some regret, he wasn't too disappointed. After all, he wasn't a chosen one of this world, and he couldn't expect to have all the good things happen to him. For someone who hadn't even finished high school, getting to where he was now was already quite impressive, especially considering that even in his previous life he wasn't exactly a very knowledgeable person.

Because he had US dollars and some prior connections, Li Long bought some things at the antique shop, something better than nothing.

When it was time to leave, Gu Xiaoyu took a day off to see them off. Ye Erjiang and the others were quite sad to say goodbye to Gu Xiaoyu. In their eyes, this young aunt was a truly good person, very patient with them, and had shown them many wonderful places. They would definitely remember her.

The train ride back was relatively peaceful, with nothing much happening.

Knowing they were about to go home, the children were much happier. Although Yanjing was a nice place, it didn't seem as free as the grasslands and mountains, and at least for now, they didn't particularly like living there.

Upon returning to Wucheng, Li Long and his group did not leave immediately. Instead, they stayed for a day, taking the children to visit the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum and learning about some of the history of the Kazakh people before taking a bus back to the county.

After returning to the county, Halim and his group were unwilling to stay any longer and insisted that Li Long take them back to the mountains, thus ending their journey.

After returning to the mountain, Halim and his group showed the photos to the elders of the tribe who had come to see them, including pictures of Tiananmen Square and the Monument to the People's Heroes, and recounted their visit to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

The children then told their friends, who hadn't been there, about the university, the museum, the bustling Wangfujing area, and the toys they brought back.

Everyone was very excited.

After returning home, Li Long took a long nap after learning that Mingming and Haohao hadn't come back yet.

He's been quite tired these past few days in Yanjing, traveling back and forth. Although the children are generally not a big problem on the train, they still need to be looked after no matter what.

However, he had to get up again the next day to go to the purchasing station because Liu Gaolou had arrived.

Looking at the long row of trucks parked at the recycling station and the people unloading hides from them, Li Long knew he had nothing to complain about.

These hides are currently in a high price range, and each hide can bring in a profit equivalent to a month's wages for an average worker.

Every time Liu Gaolou brings over, it's in the thousands. What else can I complain about?
"I brought over three thousand hides this time," Liu Gaolou said, sipping hot tea in the reception room. His face was visibly weary. "Recently, there's been a food shortage there, and more and more people are going hungry, forcing them to hunt to survive."

Although Liu Gaolou didn't elaborate further, he did clarify the origin of the leather.

Li Long knew this situation would continue. After all, with reduced grain production and the inability to buy grain on the international market, ordinary people would have no choice but to tighten their belts.

Fortunately, Kazakhstan has a vast territory with a sparse population and abundant wild animals. Although they may not taste as good as farmed ones, at least they are edible, right?
“Besides the hides, there are also a thousand pairs of antelope horns,” Liu Gaolou continued. “They’re a byproduct of hunting. Oh, and my second uncle said the shoes are for the cost of a new car. I brought a Volga this time, a four-year-old used one, for about a thousand dollars.”

Li Long smiled and said, "That's good."

"In addition, I also need to transport fifty tons of white sugar over there. Of course, if there is cement, I will give priority to cement. I don't know why they are so short of cement in the dead of winter."

“The cement hasn’t arrived yet,” Li Long said. “Let’s wait until early February.”

“That works too,” Liu Gaolou said.

The hide is worth 240,000 yuan, that's the old price. The antelope horn is worth 30,000 yuan. This is the money Li Long has to pay Liu Gaolou.

Liu Gaolou was to give Li Long 49,000 US dollars, which was the amount of sugar after deducting 1,000 US dollars for the car expenses.

It's clear that Liu Shanmin is earning US dollars much faster these days, which is why Liu Gaolou paid in full in US dollars this time.

Li Long went to the bank and managed to scrape together 270,000 yuan to hand over to Liu Gaolou.

Liu Gaolou didn't have the money for long. He wired half of it away, and kept the rest with him, not knowing whether he wanted to buy something or use it for other purposes.

In the afternoon, Li Long took Liu Gaolou and the convoy to the sugar factory. Section Chief Hu had already returned earlier. Liu Gaolou had said privately that if the people at the sugar factory wanted to contact them privately, they would have to bypass Li Long and trade directly with them.

However, Liu Gaolou refused, and the sugar factory hoped that Liu Gaolou would keep it a secret, which Liu Gaolou agreed to on the surface.

Li Long didn't know if this was Section Chief Hu's idea or the idea of ​​other leaders, but he didn't intend to expose it.

After paying $10,000 and 50,000 RMB, Liu Gaolou took away 50 tons of white sugar, while Li Long chatted with Section Chief Hu in the office.

"Xiao Li, let me tell you, I really have to thank you this time." Section Chief Hu said with emotion, "If I hadn't met other people returning from the same trip at the Khorgos border gate, I probably would have thought we were just on an ordinary trip and inspection."

"What's wrong?" Li Long was a little surprised. He noticed that Section Chief Hu looked like he had just survived a disaster.

"Thank you for making such good arrangements. Or perhaps it's only because we've never been abroad that we have such a wonderful image of foreign countries," Section Chief Hu said with a wry smile.

"Section Chief, what happened to you?" Li Long asked regretfully. "You seem to be terrified?"

"It's more than just being frightened." Section Chief Hu poured Li Long a glass of water, then poured one for himself. "If I could do it all over again, I'd rather not go on this trip."

He took a sip of water before slowly saying:

"I really didn't expect things to be so chaotic in the Soviet Union, Big Brother!"

Li Long didn't say anything more; he knew Section Chief Hu would speak up.

"Our inspection trip went quite smoothly. The overall arrangements were very good. Although the place was a bit old, the places we visited and inspected were quite nice, and we were very satisfied with the food and accommodation."

When I got back, I ran into two other groups of people who had also come back. Listening to their stories, I realized we were actually quite lucky. Or rather, not lucky, but because you all made good arrangements.

Both groups were extorted by the local police when they arrived. "We never expected this to happen, and according to them, there's no way to file a complaint; we have nowhere to turn for help," Section Chief Hu said with a wry smile.

Extortion has actually existed there for decades.

Li Long wasn't surprised, mainly because Chinese people were too easy to bully.

"Extortion is considered relatively mild. One group consisted of people who went there for work exchange. One of their engineers disappeared while working there, and another woman also suffered some degree of harm."

Section Chief Hu sighed and said, "But it seems there's no way to resolve this kind of situation properly. The murderer can't be punished. Although they say they're still searching, it's said that it's very difficult to find him."

Li Long also looked somewhat dejected.

The chances of this happening are slim, but if it does happen, you're just unlucky. It's really hard to get it back properly.

Since the perpetrator is not even known, the local police are unlikely to cooperate.

Almost no other country treats foreigners as well as our country.

Super-national treatment, huh.

"So we are truly fortunate that we were protected from beginning to end." Section Chief Hu said with gratitude. "Xiao Li, I know that without you, we wouldn't have been able to go so smoothly, nor would we have been able to return so safely. So thank you so much!"

Li Long smiled and said, "This was arranged by that person over there. I was just making the introductions. It's not as important as you think. You should thank them instead."

"I know, I know," Section Chief Hu said with a smile. "I also know that without you, we wouldn't be enjoying this kind of treatment at all. It's ridiculous that one of our leaders was thinking of bypassing you and directly negotiating cooperation with the other party... They must be out of their minds!"

Li Long didn't expect Section Chief Hu to bring this up so directly.

"Fortunately, our factory manager is still very clear-headed. After this incident, he directly stated that our cooperation will continue to deepen. We can't keep taking advantage of you. From now on, we'll give you white sugar at the wholesale price, and the quota will be increased to one hundred tons. Of course, this quantity will be once a month. How about that?"

What can happen? Of course it's great!
PS: A few points to note. 1. I went back to Manas a few days ago, so the daily word count for updates is inconsistent. Generally, if I'm at home, updates will be consistent, but I should let you know in advance that I'll be attending a conference in the middle of the month, meeting many influential figures, so there might be a few days of inconsistency then.

Secondly, I'd like to thank the following readers for their generous donations: 实无此人 (Shiwuciren), 开向东风 (Kaixiangdongfeng), 书友20250901233434430, 书友20240115104421705, 谢蓝庵 (Xie Lan'an), 书友20250302212659988, and others. By the way, the densely packed melons you see along the Northern Xinjiang Expressway are seed pumpkins, used to harvest pumpkin seeds. The yellow circular pillars are for harvesting cotton.

　Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)