Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1159 Road construction has become more difficult, but it cannot stop.
In the afternoon, Li Jianguo and his group continued planting goji berry seedlings, while Li Long took his father to the county.

Li Long thought it would be best to set up a room in the courtyard for the old man to live in, but Li Qingxia felt that since he was in charge of the purchasing station, he should just live in the purchasing station.

Anyway, the room and bed are already provided, and I bring my own bedding, so it's very convenient to go to work.

As for meals, Liang Shuangcheng is here, so we can just eat together.

Li Long was unwilling to do this no matter what, insisting that he must eat lunch and dinner at home. Li Qingxia couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she agreed.

The matter was settled like that.

Gu Boyuan was packing up his things. He greeted Li Qingxia and then continued.

Li Qingxia meant to just follow along and watch, but Li Long insisted on taking him to buy a set of clothes.

You definitely need to get a proper outfit, otherwise you won't be able to command respect.

After buying the clothes, I went to the barbershop to get my hair and beard fixed. When I came out, I looked noticeably more energetic.

Li Qingxia looked in the mirror. Although he didn't say anything, the smile he couldn't suppress showed that he was very satisfied.

Originally, Li Long had thought of letting his father rest, but Li Qingxia felt that he was in very good condition and wanted to go to work immediately.

Since they were both at the purchasing station, Li Qingxia took the initiative to sit next to Gu Boyuan after entering, and began to observe his words and actions.

"My dear in-law, this outfit is quite nice," Gu Boyuan complimented, making Li Qingxia feel very pleased.

"Our main job here is to collect goods. We price the goods based on their quality. For example, look at this pelt. The fur is short and yellow, so it's a yellow sheepskin. The fur has down inside, and the down doesn't fall off easily, which means it's a winter pelt."

Winter fur is more valuable than spring fur, and the value lies in the fur and down.

This hide has two bullet holes, so it's considered damaged hide. The average price we buy damaged hides for here is eighty to one hundred yuan.

"Look again, the bullet holes are located below the thigh and above the neck, without affecting the middle of the leather. It's considered one of the better quality pieces of damaged leather. Plus, this piece is relatively large, so it's worth one hundred yuan."

As Gu Boyuan spoke, he wrote it down: "This is a piece of scrap leather, and the purchase price is one hundred."

Seeing that Gu Boyuan had not only told her about it and set a price for the leather, but also written it down in his notebook, Li Qingxia asked:

"Then write this down..."

"Of course, we keep accounts. After collecting all the goods for the day, we still need to do a final inventory check to see how much we received and how much money we spent."

Xiaolong and I are partners, so we need to be clear about our business dealings. This way, after a while, when Xiaolong ships out the goods from the warehouse, we can easily split the profits.

Besides, keeping track of the accounts like this makes it clear whether the business makes a profit or loss later, and it's easier to adjust prices then.

Gu Boyuan taught seriously, and Li Qingxia listened attentively.

He was literate, though not much, but he could remember these things.

Gu Boyuan gave him a notebook and asked him to write down the things he couldn't remember.

Li Qingxia was also humble, listening to everything he was told. He wasn't stupid; he knew his in-laws were genuinely telling him everything they knew.

Of course, some things can be taught on the spot, but according to Lao Gu, some things are not suitable to be said here. He plans to talk to his in-laws about them after dinner.

Since we're all on the same side, it's good to let Li Qingxia know some business tips.

Sun Jiaqiang listened attentively from the side. Actually, he had understood some of the things he read every day, but since Gu Boyuan didn't explain them, there were some parts he just couldn't understand.

A thin layer of window paper.

Of course, Gu Boyuan didn't care whether he listened or not, or rather, since he would be telling Li Qingxia these things every day, some of the content would inevitably be overheard.

Even if they hear it, it's fine. Sun Jiaqiang's strengths are his reliability and competence. If he really wants to go out and start his own business, neither Li Long nor Gu Boyuan can stop him.

Of course, given Sun Jiaqiang's current wealth, he wouldn't do something like that, nor is he the type to do it.

Most likely, they just want to learn more.

When Gu Xiaoxia went home for dinner that evening, she was somewhat surprised to see her father-in-law arrive.

“Your father-in-law is here to replace me.” At the dinner table, Gu Boyuan made this clear. “I plan to go to Yili in a few days. If the conditions are right there, I’ll open a purchasing station there.”

"What? You're going to open a purchasing station in Yili? That's so far away and so remote..." Gu Xiaoxia was completely taken aback when her father made such a decision, and she stood there stunned.

“I made this decision on short notice.” Gu Boyuan pointed to the bowl, gesturing for her to eat, and then continued, “I’m not even fifty yet, let’s not talk about all the time I wasted in the past.”

I'm used to the work at this recycling station, but I'm getting a little tired of it. I'm thinking about whether I could start my own business. You all have your own businesses, and I want mine too.

Gu Xiaoxia was wondering if her father was unhappy with his life here or had encountered something unpleasant. But after hearing what he said, she realized that he wanted to have his own career.

But considering how far they were going, Gu Xiaoxia couldn't help but advise them:

"You don't need to go that far, do you? Can't you drive to some places nearby? Shicheng, Kuitun... or even Huxian?"

"It's too close, there's no business, and too much competition. Don't underestimate Yili. Although it's in the mountains, it has a border crossing, abundant resources, and a better environment than here..."

“What’s so great about it? I saw on the news that the snow can be more than a meter deep in winter. It’s not suitable for someone like you to live there.” Gu Xiaoxia still didn’t want her father to go so far away.

Li Long, Li Qingxia, and Sister Yang remained silent. It wasn't appropriate for them to interrupt the father and daughter's conversation, so they focused all their attention on the food.

By this time, Han Fang, Mingming, and Haohao had already finished eating and gone off to play, so it didn't affect them.

Unable to persuade her father, Gu Xiaoxia turned to Li Long. Li Long shrugged, indicating that he was also powerless; he couldn't very well try to dissuade his father-in-law from the idea.

Gu Xiaoxia was a little sad, but she also knew that she couldn't change anything.

Yes, Father is right. He has a job, and Li Long is also busy running around. Although he has things to do, it's clear that this current situation is not what Lao Gu wants to do.

But Gu Xiaoxia still felt uneasy about the thought of her father traveling so far.

In the end, neither father nor daughter could convince the other. After dinner, Gu Boyuan and Li Qingxia left together. As they were leaving, Li Long could still hear his father-in-law telling his father what they mainly collected and the approximate prices.

After putting Mingming and Haohao to sleep that night, Gu Xiaoxia unusually put on a stern face towards Li Long.

Why didn't you come with me to try and persuade my dad?

"Me, try to persuade him? Do you think I can persuade him?" Li Long smiled and said, "Your dad is an adult, isn't it normal for him to have his own ideas? You can't see it, can you? Although your dad's life has been more stable these past two years, as a college graduate, working at a recycling station, he'll gradually feel uncomfortable, won't he?"

“What’s uncomfortable about it? I earn a good amount of money every month, I’m not cold in winter or sunburnt in summer, it’s almost the same as sitting in an office…” Gu Xiaoxia was still a little puzzled.

"You don't understand, do you? Everyone outside knows that the purchasing station is mine. We know your dad and I are partners, but outsiders don't. Even the people in the team see it as your dad working for me. For people like them, that's called being dependent on others, so that's why he wanted to go out and work on his own, right?"

This was Li Long's guess, and he felt it was almost certainly true.

After listening to her husband's words, Gu Xiaoxia fell silent. As a cultured woman, she knew how unpleasant it was to live under someone else's roof, especially since it was her father.

"Besides, let's talk about your dad and Sister Yang. Although it hasn't been officially announced, they eat together every day and see each other all the time. Your dad might feel awkward." Li Long brought up another matter, and Gu Xiaoxia finally understood.

That's about it.

Although Gu Xiaoxia was still upset, she knew that there was no way to persuade her otherwise.

"It's not far. Boss Liu and his team will send things over every few days. If your dad really settles down and opens a shop there, we can go and visit him every now and then."

Besides, this is just a site visit; it doesn't guarantee that it will actually open.

Both statements were meant to comfort him, a fact Li Long knew. But at this moment, his wife was upset, so all he could do was offer words of comfort.

Even thirty years from now, it will still take most of the day to drive from here to Yili. The road is still very long. Of course, this is normal in northern Xinjiang.

Knowing she couldn't persuade him otherwise, Gu Xiaoxia stopped throwing a tantrum and instead focused on how to make her father's life better over there. "Don't worry, it's a sub-provincial prefecture over there, governing three areas. It's much more prosperous than our Ma County," Li Long said, somewhat amused, as he watched his wife lying on the bed counting the things she needed to bring.
"Although it's a relatively far place, it's still a city, and it's near a border, so you can buy anything you can here there."

Okay, at this point, Gu Xiaoxia's view of Yili was similar to that of most Chinese people before 2010 when they viewed northern Xinjiang: grasslands, cattle and sheep, herdsmen, yurts...

It seems I should let her go and take a look when I have time.

Li Long had a sudden inspiration and said:

"Why don't you go with your dad this time? You'll feel relieved once you see it."

"Let's go together? When?" Gu Xiaoxia was genuinely tempted.

"Early April, I think? Mr. Liu just took the sugar away. It won't be another ten days until the next shipment comes."

"Early April...how many days will you be gone?"

"It would take at least five days round trip, maybe longer. Because your dad will definitely be checking out the market, and he might stay there for a while."

“I can’t take such a long leave.” Gu Xiaoxia shook her head. “Spring is the busiest time right now, and I can’t leave.”

"Then let's see if your dad is interested in opening a shop there after he's done his research. We can go over there when we have time," Li Long said.

That's the only way.

The next morning, Li Long went to the purchasing station to check on his father's "learning" progress. He found that his father was quite quick to pick it up. At this time, Gu Boyuan had already asked Li Qingxia to talk about the quality first, and then the price, and then he would add to it.

Although Li Qingxia wasn't very good at pricing, he quickly became proficient in quality assessment. Whether it was leather, medicinal herbs, or melon seeds that someone brought over, he could give a detailed evaluation.

The main thing is that these things can all be found in Ma County. Li Long often buys and sells them, and some villages also produce them. Li Qingxia himself has gotten his hands on the leather, so it's not too difficult to comment on them.

Seeing that things were going well with his father, Li Long stopped paying attention and started thinking about how to sell the three cars and the Lada.

Liu Gaolou's words made sense; he suggested that Gu Xiaoxia learn to drive, as it would be faster to drive a car than a bicycle in case of emergency.

After all, it would be a waste not to drive all the cars we have at home.

Today, Liang Shuangcheng is working in the front yard, while Sun Jiacheng is wiping the car in the back. Both of them are very enthusiastic about their work and don't need Li Long to tell them what to do. They won't let any of the chores in the front or back yard go unattended.

The sound of a car engine came from outside. As Li Long walked towards the front yard, a GAZ-69 truck had already driven up.

He saw Meng Hai driving, and Meng Hai saw him too. He smiled, pulled over to the side of the road, got out, and walked over to say:
"I went to your yard earlier and saw the gate was locked, so I guessed you should be here."

"How was the driving?" Li Long asked.

"Great!" Meng Hai said with a smile. "It's much faster than a tractor. There's space in the back to haul things. Old He will be so envious when he gets back."

He glanced around and saw three GAZ trucks parked in the backyard, then asked:
"This is... three more units?"

"Yes, the ones we brought over earlier have all sold out. I saw that this car is quite popular, so I brought over a few more."

“I’ll have to ask Lao He when I get back. If he’s willing, we can buy one. It will make things much easier. You know, our village is too far from the county town. If we want to buy something, it takes two hours to drive a tractor over.”

These are all just idle chatter; Meng Hai came mainly because of the road construction.

“The snow on the mountainside has melted and the road is completely dry. I drove into the mountains yesterday to check, and the snow has almost melted in the mountains as well. So I thought I'd tell you that in a couple of days, I'll bring people into the mountains to repair the road. We'll work on it for half a month first.”

Qingshuihezi is relatively close to Nanshan, and its climate is cooler than that of the Fourth Team. The sowing season is around mid to late April.

Therefore, roads can be repaired for a period of time before and after sowing. Of course, Li Long also understood that this was Meng Hai's way of helping the villagers make money, since it was springtime and money was in high demand.

In rural areas, money usually only comes during the autumn harvest. In places like Team Four, there's a reservoir where some people can catch fish to sell; and along the Qingshui River, which is near the mountains, hunting is possible if there are hunters around.

However, the government is gradually tightening its control over hunting, and it's difficult to use a gun without regular training, so this option is no longer viable.

Although road construction is tiring, it's profitable. The villagers are all looking for Meng Hai, hoping he can lead them to the mountains to build roads as soon as possible and bring back the money so they can buy agricultural supplies when it's time to plant and cultivate the land.

"This road we've built into the mountains is about forty kilometers long, right?" Li Long asked.

“I know, it’s forty kilometers from Halimu’s winter camp. If we count from the entrance to the mountains, it’s forty-five kilometers.” Meng Hai was quite familiar with this.

“Then it will be quite troublesome to travel back and forth every day for road construction.”

Meng Hai nodded and said:

"So I plan to bring more supplies this time, but not too many people. We'll stay in the mountains. My little four-wheeler will carry the supplies, your Dongfanghong truck will be used for road repairs, and I'll drive this GAZ truck in. We can use the GAZ truck to transport anything we need back and forth."

Clearly, Meng Hai had already made up his mind:

"Once we get there, we'll dig dug dugouts so we can stay a few more days."

“How about this, I’ll pay for it, and we’ll buy two large cotton tents from the supply and marketing cooperative,” Li Long said. “That way, we won’t have to dig dug dugouts anymore, and it will be more convenient to live in the tents. Of course, if you want to live in dug dugouts, you can dig them if you want.”

Li Long initially lived in a dugout in the mountains. To be honest, although it was warm, it was really inconvenient and very damp.

"That's great! The tent can not only be used for living, but also for storing supplies." Meng Hai was quite happy.

"If it's for half a month... how many people do you plan to bring?" Li Long asked.

"Around twenty people. Too many and it'll be hard to accommodate everyone, too few and it'll be hard to get the work done," Meng Hai said. "The rest of the road repairs might be quite troublesome."

The further you go in, the higher the mountains become, and naturally, the more troublesome things will become.

“Let me calculate,” Li Long said after thinking for a moment. “I’ll give you three thousand yuan first. Keep it and keep an eye on it when buying supplies.”

“Okay.” Meng Hai nodded. He came here for two reasons: first, to ask Li Long if the road could be repaired; and second, to ask for money, as there wasn’t much money left over from last year’s road repairs.

"See how good my memory is." When Li Long gave Meng Hai the money, Meng Hai hurriedly went to the GAZ truck to get a basket of peeled small fish and said, "I caught them with a trap this morning, and I peeled them right away. You can cook them for lunch."

Besides the fish, there was also a basket of eggs, about forty or fifty in total.

Li Long didn't stand on ceremony and gave him some dried meat and fish when he left.

Meng Hai said there's no rush to buy tents now, and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to haul them back. He'll buy some supplies now, then drive his small four-wheeled tractor over to buy more. Two cotton tents won't fit in the GAZ truck.

After Meng Hai left, Li Long thought he should find some time to visit Halim and the others. He had met Bek's relatives in Yili; they were also Kazakhs, so they might be related.

After Meng Hai left, Li Long first put the fish and eggs back in the courtyard, then drove his GAZ truck to the department store to buy some supplies before driving back to the courtyard.

When Li Long returned, Sister Yang was already cooking. Recently, Sister Yang has become increasingly adept at managing the workshop, no longer needing to be there every day, and has more time to look after things here.

Li Long thought it wouldn't be bad for his father-in-law, Gu Boyuan, to go to Yili. Now, thinking back on his daily life, Gu Boyuan used to occasionally say a few words to Sister Yang at the dinner table, but now he basically doesn't.

Quite embarrassing.

Looking at the small fish and eggs that Li Long brought back, she smiled and said:

"Hey, did someone give this to me? I can have an extra meal today."

The small fish was stewed with chili peppers. It was just the rice that had been steamed at noon. Sister Yang originally planned to stir-fry eggs with freshly picked chives and then stir-fry some shredded potatoes, but now there was another dish to add.

During lunch, Gu Xiaoxia told her father her thoughts, asking him to bring more useful things, be careful when he went, and call her if anything happened over there.

Li Qingxia was also quite excited. At the dinner table, he said that he had learned a lot and didn't expect there to be so many intricacies involved.

Gu Boyuan told Li Long that shortly after he left, a middleman came by selling leather and took a look at the car, saying he wanted to buy it.

Li Long said, "Let's wait and see when I get back from the mountains."

(End of this chapter)