Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1161 The Secret to Growing Cotton – You Did Know All Along!

While Liu was carving, a young man was explaining the jade carvings to two girls at the counter.

Li Long looked at the young man and realized he was a bit unfamiliar with him, having never seen him before, so he called out to him, "Engineer Liu."

Engineer Liu turned his head and saw Li Long, and said with a smile:

"Little Li is here! Come in, come in."

The young man opened the door and let Li Long in, glanced at Li Long curiously, and then continued to introduce the jade to the customer.

The customer was also quite curious about Li Long, but after taking a look, he continued looking at the things he wanted to buy.

Li Long could overhear the conversation between the two parties. It was nothing more than that the jade here was of good quality and there were master craftsmen, but it was cheaper than the shops at the entrance of the jade carving factory, and that's why the customers came.

"Mr. Liu, business is good." Li Long came in to greet him and put down a package. "I went to Yili a few days ago, and a friend there gave me some dried meat and dried fish. Try some."

"Alright, alright, look at you, you always bring things with you every time you come..." Engineer Liu said with a smile, putting down his carving knife and standing up to pour tea for Li Long.

The room was a bit small, so Li Long tried to stand on the side so as not to hinder his movement.

After the two girls spent over fifty yuan to buy what they wanted and left, the young man turned around and looked at Li Long curiously.

Just as Mr. Liu was about to introduce the product to them, another person came over wanting to buy something, and the young man quickly turned away.

"They all come during their lunch break," Liu said quietly. "They're not this busy during rush hour. Come on, let him do his thing, we'll watch ours."

Knowing Li Long's main purpose for each visit, Engineer Liu smiled and opened another drawer, saying:
"Look, these three pieces are carved by me. Our jade carving factory has a lot of work now, so we don't have many good pieces left for me. These are the only three pieces for the next level up. I didn't save any of the other smaller pieces for you."

By the way, I know you really like jadeite, so I kept two pieces of jadeite rough, both already cut, but I haven't worked with them yet. The rough was from the factory's inventory; not many people around here work with jadeite, so I got them for myself.

This jade is hard, so it will take a while to work with it. Would you like the raw material, or would you like to wait until I've carved it before taking it?

Li Long first looked at the three Hetian jade carvings. Each piece was larger than the largest one Yu Sufu had given him: two bracelets and one hand-held piece. On the table was also an unfinished "Peace and Safety" plaque, which Li Long guessed was carved from the core of a bracelet.

Those two pieces of jadeite were quite large. One was almost entirely green, very beautiful, and probably of icy type. It already had markings made, enough to make a bracelet.

The other piece is a red and yellow jadeite, which is quite rare.

"Give me all the jadeite," Li Long said with a smile. "I'll just keep the raw materials. I'll take all three pieces as well. You can calculate the total cost."

Liu always gave Li Long a price slightly above cost, considering their past relationship. However, Li Long didn't want to make things too difficult for the old man. Liu told him to keep 1,000 yuan, but Li Long left 1,500 yuan; after all, he had to pay the labor costs.

Li Long chatted for a while longer, then, seeing that it was almost time, he said goodbye. Since there were no other customers, the young man came over to ask Engineer Liu for some information:

"Master Liu, who is this person...?"

“He used to be a regular customer,” Mr. Liu said with a smile. “He would come to buy jade every few days. Even though there were customers at the counter every day, he was the only one who could be considered a big customer. All the other small orders that came in and went in total didn’t amount to what he bought.”

The young man then began to take Li Long seriously. He was originally an apprentice carver in the factory, but he didn't have the talent, didn't want to work hard, and had some connections. In addition, Liu's counter business was improving, so he was transferred here, thinking that he could attract more customers and, with the backing of the jade carving factory, still have a future even if he didn't work as a factory worker.

Li Long packed up the jade and drove to the Agricultural College.

After registering as usual, I went to see Professor Wu first.

Professor Wu had no classes in the afternoon and was writing something in her office. She glanced at Li Long when he knocked on the door before recognizing the young man.

"Little Li, come in, come in quickly," Professor Wu said with a smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you."

"A bit busy," Li Long mumbled as he carried his things. He noticed that Professor Wu's office was as "full" as ever. But in the blink of an eye, the professor moved two stacks of documents from the wooden sofa onto a chair, making room for Li Long to sit.

Li Long put down the dried fish and dried meat, saying that one portion was for Professor Wu and the other was for Professor Luo.

“He’s still here. If you come back in a few days, you might not see him anymore. He submitted another report this year to study soil improvement in southern Xinjiang.” Professor Wu poured a glass of water and handed it to Li Long. “I won’t invite him over. It’s too messy here, and it’s not a good place to sit.”

"Then I'll go see him later," Li Long said, taking the water glass. "Professor, are you busy lately?"

"Yes, it's definitely not easy," Professor Wu rarely complained. "Some things are clearly very simple, but when I explain them to students, they just can't understand. It was so easy for us back then..."

Li Long couldn't help but laugh. It's the same principle as Qian Xuesen saying that children should learn calculus by age fourteen, or Yuan Zhen scratching his head when he complained that his students couldn't keep up and their papers weren't passing—isn't it?

It seems difficult for both good students to find good teachers and good teachers to find good students.

“It’s also possible that you’re on a different level from them,” Li Long couldn’t help but say, “so your understanding is different too.”

"Sigh." Professor Wu sighed and asked, "How are things on your end?"

"I'm planning to plant cotton this year. I've almost finished preparing the agricultural supplies, and I've also called some people from my hometown to help. But I'm still not sure what to do when it comes to planting," Li Long said.

"Want to consult some experts here?" Professor Wu asked with a smile. "You're really honest. Hmm, let me think... There are quite a few cotton growers in our Northern Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and several professors in the academy research cotton..."

"Okay, let's find Old Yang. He's a local from northern Xinjiang, and his family is from the Production and Construction Corps. Let me see if he's there."

As she spoke, she stood up, walked a few steps out the door, and called out to another office:
"Lao Yang?"

"Hey! I'm here!" A middle-aged man with slightly disheveled hair came out of the house. Li Long followed him out and looked at this tall man who was a little unkempt.

“I have a student here who grows cotton and wants to ask you some questions,” Professor Wu said, getting straight to the point. “Since you study this, please explain it to him in detail.”

"Growing cotton? Which county?" Professor Yang looked Li Long up and down, smiled, and said, "Doesn't seem like it."

"Ma County," Li Long replied. This Professor Yang had big eyes and a lot of hair, but he didn't groom himself much; his stubble looked like it hadn't been shaved for two days. If you looked closely, he was quite a handsome middle-aged man, but he just didn't take care of himself.

"Ma County—Six households or North Five Crossings?" As soon as Professor Yang spoke, Li Long knew that this person really knew something, otherwise he wouldn't have known where cotton was grown so quickly.

"No, I'm in another township, and I plan to plant 100 mu this year."

“Hey, a hundred acres, that must require a lot of manpower.” Professor Yang also became interested. “Come, come to my office. I have nothing to do at the moment, so I’d like to learn about the current situation of cotton cultivation.”

"Here, these are the things he brought." Professor Wu came into the room and took out the package of dried meat and dried fish that Li Long had left. Li Long hurriedly waved his hand: "I have more here. I kept some for Professor Yang. Professor Wu, this is for you."

"Hmm, you little rascal... Alright, I'll take it then. You guys chat, and contact me if you need anything else."

Professor Wu smiled, picked up his things, and went back.

Li Long entered the room and took out another bag of dried fish and dried meat from his backpack. Using the same excuse, Professor Yang didn't refuse. After putting the items aside, he asked Li Long:
"Have you ever grown cotton before?"

“I’ve looked into it. I have friends in Beiwucha, Liuhudi, and the production and construction corps,” Li Long said. “I know that growing cotton is quite troublesome, so this year I’ve bought the agricultural supplies and also asked people from Koukou to help.”

"The preparations are fairly thorough," Professor Yang nodded and said. "Cotton cultivation is different from other crops; you have to pay attention from the very beginning. Our northern and southern Xinjiang regions have long hours of sunshine, which is very suitable for cotton growth. However, cotton is much more delicate than other crops and is easily damaged from the seedling stage..."

Professor Yang has a very good understanding of cotton cultivation. He talked about everything from planting to harvesting. As Li Long listened, it was like reliving his life experiences from his previous life.

After all, he gradually withdrew from cotton planting after handing over his land to the cooperative when he was in his fifties, and had less contact with it.

My memories are mostly of automated and mechanized planting after drip irrigation was implemented. The experience of planting by hand, which used to be the most basic, is now being rediscovered.

"Do you have any questions?" After finishing his explanation, Professor Yang began asking questions. "I have several questions. One is about the planting time for cotton in northern Xinjiang. When is it approximately? The second is about the prevention and control of cotton pests and diseases. What pesticides are used for which pests? And also, which type of cotton is most suitable for the soil in northern Xinjiang..."

"Hey, you're asking some really important questions." Professor Yang smiled and said, "I'll answer them one by one."

Li Long hurriedly took out a notebook from his backpack, intending to take notes carefully.

He genuinely forgot which insecticide to use for which type of insect. Although it was written on the medicine bottle, Li Long thought it would be better to ask. As for cotton seeds, there aren't that many varieties now, so the competition isn't very fierce, but upland cotton and mulched cotton use different seeds, so asking around wouldn't hurt.

"...That's how cotton seeds are, and that's how spraying pesticides is too. Spraying pesticides is a tough job..."

“I bought a sprayer,” Li Long interjected. “It’s one of those tractor-mounted ones. It can spray six to eight narrow films at once, which will be much more convenient.”

"A pesticide sprayer? That can only spray the top, right?" Professor Yang didn't know about this thing and asked, "Red spider mites live on the back of cotton leaves, so they're hard to spray."

“Dual nozzles, can spray both upwards and downwards,” Li Long said. “The top nozzle sprays downwards, and the bottom nozzle sprays upwards; that will be better.”

"Excellent, excellent! I never expected such a machine to exist. This machine is sure to be a hit!" Professor Yang nodded. "With this machine, dealing with cotton will be much easier. By the way, where is this machine made?"

"Kuitun Agricultural Machinery Factory." Li Long was too embarrassed to say that he designed it himself.

"I understand." Professor Yang nodded. "I can recommend it to others later. By the way, let me know if it's effective when you administer the medication..."

Li Long spent more than two hours with Professor Yang, asking all the questions he needed to before taking his leave and going to find Professor Luo.

Professor Luo was also quite happy to see Li Long. After learning that he planned to plant goji berries and cotton in the saline-alkali land, he earnestly told him to call him and let him know what changes would occur after planting.

Or he might wait a while and then go to Li Long to check on the crop cultivation in the saline-alkali land.

Li Long agreed.

After he left, it was almost closing time here. As Professor Wu was locking the door, he saw Professor Yang come out and asked:
"So, did you explain everything?"

“He talked and talked, and that young man practically emptied my knowledge. And I could tell that he’s not your average farmer. There are some things he knows about farming that I don’t even know. Actually, I learned a lot from him today. Is he really your student? I feel that he has a lot of practical knowledge, but he lacks a lot of basic knowledge.”

"Haha, I knew it would be like this." Professor Wu laughed and said, "You wouldn't believe it, would you? He's actually just a farmer who didn't even graduate from junior high school. But he's quite self-taught and very diligent. Actually, I wanted him to come to the academy for further studies, but he didn't want to."

"Why didn't you come when you had the chance?" Professor Yang was somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, he doesn't even want a government job, he just wants freedom. Isn't that strange?"

"Are you talking about Li Long?" Professor Luo locked his office, walked over carrying the things Li Long had given him, and said with a smile, "His pursuits are different from the young people we usually see. Last time I took my students to their area, we stayed for a month, and he almost won them over."

It's only because he's been married and has high moral standards that things get complicated. As for Li Long, just don't treat him like any other young person these days.

"Yes, they are indeed different." Professor Wu agreed with this view.

Li Long was unaware that several professors were talking about him; he was on his way back.

The sun hadn't set yet, but he figured by the time he got back to Ma County, it would be completely dark.

There was no highway for him to speed on at this point. After leaving Wucheng, he headed west. Before leaving Beiting City, pedestrians, dogs, sheep, and the like would occasionally appear on the roadside, so he couldn't drive too fast.

Only after passing Beiting City do the uninhabited areas on both sides of the road expand, allowing cars to speed up.

However, the road conditions weren't great, with potholes appearing from time to time, so Li Long decided it was best not to rush. There weren't many repair shops around at this time, and if he got a flat tire or something else went wrong, he'd be in a real mess with no shops or facilities nearby.

When the car arrived in Dafeng Town, the sun had already completely set and it was getting dark. Fortunately, it wasn't too far from the county seat.

By the time we entered the county town, the lights were already on in every household. The power supply was much more stable than it had been two years ago; at least there weren't so many power outages anymore.

Once the power plant is completed in two years, the electricity supply will be more stable. Right now, every household still keeps candles and kerosene lamps on hand, just in case of power outages. In a few years, these things will be put into vacant houses, and some people will simply throw them away.

The next day, when Li Long was about to go to the fourth team to talk to his older brother about planting cotton, Li Xiangqian called and asked him to go to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Li Long hurriedly went to the supply and marketing cooperative, greeted Zhou Yuan who was waiting in the courtyard outside, and went inside.

Li Xiangqian's car was parked in the yard, spotlessly clean; no one knew who had done it. The Lada from the commune wasn't there; nobody knew where it had gone.

The door to Li Xiangqian's office was open. When Li Long knocked on the door, he saw Li Xiangqian holding a book and reading.

Huh? "Ordinary World"? That's quite tasteful.

Li Long knocked and entered. Li Xiangqian pointed to a chair and asked him to sit down, then put down his book and said:

"What have you been busy with lately?"

"Just busywork," Li Long said, making himself a cup of tea and sitting down to drink it. "A jumble of random things. Oh, by the way, I went to Yili and brought you some dried fish. The fish in the river there are really big..."

"I know, I know. I recognized that smoked fish you gave me for the New Year." Li Xiangqian nodded. "You're quite interested."

"No, it's mainly to go and see if there's any business worth expanding on over there," Li Long said in a very official tone.

"Alright, what could there be over there?" Clearly, Li Xiangqian also had a "prejudice" against that place. "I called you over here to talk about two things. One is how to deal with the road repairs. The second is that Lao Wei said he doesn't know if you have any cheap cars there. He wants to get one."

"Yes, it depends on whether he wants a GAZ-69 or a Volga. There's a newer Volga than yours, but it's a bit more expensive. The GAZ is cheaper."

"Is there anything else?" Li Xiangqian asked.

“There’s a new Lada, which is even more expensive. I plan to let my wife drive it—these cars all have proper paperwork, so naturally they’re more expensive,” Li Long explained.

"Okay, I'll ask him."

Li Xiangqian picked up the phone and made the call.

After listening to Li Xiangqian's introduction, Lao Wei carefully inquired about the price of the car.

Li Long has good hearing; he asked on the other end and immediately gave a quote:

"Since Director Wei is one of our own, I won't quote such a high price. The Volga is 30,000, and the GAZ truck is 20,000 and 25,000 respectively. If Director Wei wants it, I'll reduce the price by 5,000 for each."

However, I suggest that Director Wei come and take a look when he has time, and try them out to see which one he finds most comfortable.

He really did offer a friendly price. If this Volga were released, it would easily sell for over 50,000 yuan, and the price of the GAZ has also dropped.

Director Wei had treated him well before, although not as closely as Li Xiangqian, but he had taken care of him several times, which Li Long remembered.

Li Xiangqian reported the price, and Director Wei said he would come over to take a look in the next couple of days.

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangqian sat down and said:
"Luckily, I didn't tell them how much I bought it for when they asked, otherwise I would have been in trouble. Your car is really much cheaper than the market price, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?"

"That's definitely not the case, don't worry," Li Long smiled. "I don't do anything illegal."

"That's good, that's good." Li Xiangqian smiled.

(End of this chapter)