Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1162 Let's be teachers for once
After telling Li Xiangqian about the car, Li Long explained the road construction situation in detail. According to him, the supply and marketing cooperative's people were not suitable to go into the mountains due to the current conditions.

"That's true. It's a 40-50 kilometer walk from the entrance to the mountain, plus the road from the county town to the entrance, it takes five or six hours just to go back and forth. All that time is wasted on the road, how can we get any work done..."

Although Li Xiangqian was somewhat unwilling, after all, organizing such an event every year had become a major activity outside of his normal work.

Most of the certificates and awards displayed in the office came from this source. Now that it's suddenly impossible to do that anymore, I'm really sad to see it go.

Of course, as reluctant as he was, Li Xiangqian wouldn't blame Li Long for this. He asked:
"Are there any other activities we can participate in within our club?"

"If it's short-term... yes, there are." Li Long's mind raced through the examples of ethnic unity reported in news articles from his previous life, and four or five thoughts popped into his head. He said:

“Although we can’t go into the mountains, the herding team has a support point in the county. Our team can go to the support point and deliver some supplies to the elderly and children left behind, and we can also donate some books and school supplies to the herding team’s school.”

These are all things that genuinely help them. If they want to work, many of the courtyards at the outposts are quite dilapidated. Director, I don't know if you remember, but the first time I was featured in a news article in the Autonomous Region Daily was about repairing houses for Halim and the others.”

“That’s right. Although we can’t go into the mountains to build roads, we can help them solve their worries.” Li Xiangqian thought Li Long’s idea was pretty good. “Hehe, Little Li, you’re quite clever.”

“It’s not that I’m particularly clever, Director, you’re just used to listening to me in these matters. If it weren’t for the road construction, you could definitely have come up with these ideas yourself.” Li Long didn’t take credit for it.

These are the general methods used in local efforts to promote ethnic unity; they are safe and effective.

“Okay, I’ll talk to them about this in the next couple of days. I’ll handle the county publicity department this time,” Li Xiangqian said. “You can come along too. You’re more familiar with that area, so you can act as a liaison.”

“Okay.” Li Long had no objections; he was quite familiar with the livestock team’s post.

After returning from the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Long went to the purchasing station to inspect the vehicles. The vehicles were very clean, obviously wiped down every day.

As he was looking at the car in the yard, someone came over and called him. Li Long turned his head, glanced at it, and said with a smile:

"Old Fan? What are you here to sell today?"

Fan Mingcheng, a seasoned middleman who frequents this place, buys almost anything the purchasing station wants from the countryside. He's been selling here for a long time and knows the purchasing station's procedures very well. The goods he brings in have undergone secondary cleaning, so he can always sell them for a high price.

According to Gu Boyuan, Fan Mingcheng was a high-quality customer.

"We only collected a few hides. It's getting harder and harder to collect things now," Fan Mingcheng complained to Li Long. "Your purchasing station has such a big reputation that many people know that you offer higher prices for goods. Those villagers would rather drive all the way here to sell than sell to us."

"Haha, then go further away. The fare to nearby places isn't much. You guys are driving the price down too hard, so naturally they won't want to sell to you." Li Long jokingly exposed his words, "There are no buses to remote areas, so it's inconvenient for them to come over. Naturally, they can only sell to you."

"That's what I was thinking too. So I came here to sell the leather and buy a GAZ truck from you. I think that truck can be driven even on rough roads, and it's lighter than a tractor."

"You have no idea, I was driving my tractor to Beiwucha to collect some things, and it started raining on the way. I got soaked, it was really awful."

"Sure, these two are 20,000 each, and this one is 25,000 each. Which one do you want?" Li Long said, pointing to the three GAZ trucks. "The paperwork is all done. By the way, do you have a driver's license?"

"No, but there are small four-wheeled ones. Aren't they all the same?" Fan Mingcheng said casually, his eyes already fixed on the car. "Four wheels, a steering wheel, and a gear shift."

Okay, that makes a lot of sense.

At that time, driver's license checks were not strict, so Li Long didn't care too much, lest people say, "You're meddling in other people's business and eating donkey balls for a living."

Fan Mingcheng has made a lot of money through Li Long's purchasing station over the past few years. Although he has never kept a tally, Li Long guessed from Lao Gu that it should be at least 30,000 to 40,000 yuan.

Especially during the fritillaria season in spring and summer, and the fritillaria bark season in winter, as well as the melon seed harvesting season a couple of years ago. This guy drives a tractor to sell his stuff, and each time he makes a transaction worth thousands.

Fan Mingcheng went straight for the used GAZ motorcycle that cost 20,000 yuan. In his opinion, all motorcycles were pretty much the same, as long as they could run. The cheaper ones might last a little longer, but from the outside, the differences weren't that significant.

That's a Jeep, after all. A new minivan costs 30,000 to 40,000 yuan these days.

Compared to the 212, the GAZ truck is more popular with people like Fan Mingcheng, after all, it can carry both people and goods, and it also has a high-class image.

"Can I drive it?" Fan Mingcheng looked around and chose the one in the middle. He didn't know if it was because it was protected by the two cars on either side, or if he just felt that a car in the middle would be better.

Li Long guessed that Fan Mingcheng would be less likely to choose items on the side when shopping at the supermarket in the future, and would instead choose items in the middle, either directly or subconsciously.

“It can be driven,” Li Long said, handing him the keys. “You know how to drive it, right? Just don’t crash into a wall or someone.”

When other people like Wang Mingjun came over and said they wanted to test drive, Li Long didn't even ask them. They were all acquaintances; anyone who came to drive was basically confident in their abilities. But Li Long wasn't particularly familiar with Fan Mingcheng, so he still asked him.

"I even spent two packs of cigarettes to hire one of our team's drivers who had practiced driving large trucks," Fan Mingcheng said with a smile, not hiding anything. "I was prepared."

"That's good. Drive slowly, the tank is full." Li Long handed him the keys. "Don't test drive outside, just drive around in the backyard, there's plenty of space there."

"Okay." Fan Mingcheng readily agreed, took the keys, opened the car door, and got in.

Li Long stood to the side watching, and not only him, but many of the vendors were also watching.

These people were quite envious, and some were even sour. After all, they were all dealers, so why was it that you were able to get into the ranks of car buyers?

Ever since Li Long's recycling station started selling cars, every single one of these sellers, especially the dealers, has dreamed of owning a car.

Fan Mingcheng took the first spot, so it's impossible for these people not to have some thoughts about it.

Some people have enough money but are reluctant to spend it on a car, while others don't have enough money and feel they should save up more.

Others feel that this kind of thing has nothing to do with them; buying a car is something only rich people do.

But when Fan Mingcheng suddenly wanted to buy a car, those who had been harboring this thought suddenly realized, "Damn it, why can he buy one but I can't?"
They're all the same person, aren't they?

So some people looked at Fan Mingcheng with envy, while others looked directly at the other two GAZ trucks.

Now the recipient has become Li Qingxia, and Lao Gu has truly become an advisor.

Seeing that the vendors were distracted, the two men were happy to have some peace and quiet.

Fan Mingcheng was quite cautious. He didn't drive immediately after getting in the car, or even start the engine. He first figured out the gears, then familiarized himself with the other things, and finally started the car.

Seeing his actions, Li Long felt slightly relieved.

After driving around the backyard twice and parking the car, Li Long smiled. He was still clumsy and could only park on the side of the road, not daring to back up between two cars.

"Okay, okay." Fan Mingcheng got off the truck, his face covered in sweat, whether from nervousness or excitement, it was hard to tell. "It's much better than a tractor, but with the canopy blocking it, it doesn't look very good. Mr. Li, could you lower the price of this truck a bit?"

“No.” Li Long refused outright. “This is the bottom price. Although the car is a second-hand car, it was imported from the Soviet Union, and all the paperwork is complete. Moreover, it was originally a military vehicle.”

Li Long didn't get off the bus. Just those two words were quite appealing to ordinary people.

Of the three cars, Fan Mingcheng chose the military green one, not the two modified civilian versions.

In Li Long's opinion, the modified vehicle was better; at least it didn't have a canopy roof, so it would have better insulation in winter.

Sure enough, Fan Mingcheng stopped haggling, looked at the car again, glanced at the other two cars, and said:
"Okay, I'll take it!"

Fan Mingcheng brought his deposit slip with him. He went to the bank to withdraw the money and then came to Li Long to make the payment.

Li Long handed over all the paperwork and the car to him, wrote a simple contract, and that was it for the transaction to be completed.

After Fan Mingcheng drove away in his GAZ truck, someone asked Li Long, "Mr. Li, will you have this truck again in the future?"

"Yes, but we're not sure what the future holds." Li Long thought to himself, "We already have several of these sitting here, and you guys aren't planning on buying any?"

"Can trucks get in?" someone asked. "Like those 141 trucks, they're convenient for hauling goods."

“We can bring them in, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to sell them,” Li Long said. “We already have a lot of domestically produced trucks. Imported ones are not only expensive, but the parts are also hard to find.”

Li Long had also considered trucks, but after inquiring with transportation companies, he found that domestically produced trucks, such as the 141 and 140, only cost 20,000 to 40,000 yuan new, and even cheaper used ones.

If trucks were brought over from Kazakhstan, even secondhand ones, they would definitely be much more expensive. For ordinary people these days, cost-effectiveness is always the top priority.

So there is no need.

After telling his father and father-in-law, Li Long drove to the fourth production team. He planned to talk to his older brother about some things related to cotton planting, since his older brother was the one who did the farming, and although he had some technical skills, he couldn't go to the fields to check on things every day.

When Li Long arrived at the Li family's house, he saw the Dongfanghong 75 tracked tractor parked by the roadside, making a rumbling sound.

Li Long parked the car and got out. He saw his older brother and Li Junhai sitting in the driver's seat, with the other young men gathered around.

Seeing Li Long get out of the car, Li Junfeng walked over and said:
"Uncle Jianguo said that the tractor will be put into use in the fields in a few days, and he wants us to get familiar with it first so that there will be a shift change later."

"Have you finished planting the goji berry seedlings?" Li Long asked.

"We've finished planting and watering it," Li Junfeng said with a smile. "The soil here is really saline; I don't know if it will survive."

"Let's plant it first and see how it goes." Li Long naturally couldn't guarantee anything; this kind of thing depends half on the person and half on the weather.

After explaining things to Li Junhai on the tractor, Li Jianguo let him test drive it. After driving a short distance, he turned back. After getting off, he took the towel Li Junfeng handed him, wiped his hands, and asked Li Long:

"How's Dad doing over there?"

“Okay, we’ve already started receiving the goods.” Li Long said with a smile, “My dad is quite enthusiastic about it, he and Xiaoxia’s dad talk about tips for receiving things every day.”

"That's good." Li Jianguo nodded.

“I went to the agricultural college,” Li Long said. “I consulted a professor who grows cotton. He talked about cotton seed selection, planting, pest control, and so on. I listened and took notes.”

"Then tell me about it." Li Jianguo immediately perked up at this, "Where's the information you wrote down?"

Li Long then took out the notebook he had written down and later compiled from the GAZ truck and handed it to his older brother, then recounted what he had written down.

It mainly covers pesticide application and cotton topping.

As for the others, Li Long will come and keep an eye on things when it's crucial.

After all, this was the first time in this life that so much cotton had been planted in this team, and both Li Jianguo and Li Long attached great importance to it.

The two engaged in a question-and-answer session, with discussions and explorations in between. After all, Li Jianguo had previously grown cotton in the Production and Construction Corps. Although he hadn't experienced the entire process, he had at least seen it and had some impression of it.

Based on his impressions from that time, and after hearing Li Long's explanation, he understood the entire process and what to do at some key points.

Li Junfeng and the others listened attentively, but they mostly remained silent. No one in their hometown grew cotton, so they didn't understand it, but this was their main task going forward, so they were simply listening carefully.

Around lunchtime, Xie Yundong and his group arrived. Just as Li Long had expected, these four people had come to ask about cotton planting.

They naturally followed Li Long's lead in wanting to plant cotton, so Li Long repeated what he had told his elder brother to them.

As a result, when lunch was served, they hadn't finished talking yet. Liang Yuemei wanted to invite a few people to stay for lunch, but Xie Yundong and the others didn't. After asking Li Long and learning that he wasn't leaving after lunch, they said they would come back after lunch.

As it turned out, not only Xie Yundong and his three companions came after the meal, but also Xu Haijun, Xu Chengjun, and several others, as well as the Lu couple from across the street.

These are all people I have a good relationship with, and they all plan to plant cotton this year. After learning that Li Long went to the agricultural college to consult with a professor, they all wanted to come and listen.

Xu Chengjun even joked:

“Xiaolong, why don’t you come to my house? I’ll turn on the loudspeaker for you, and you can speak into it. That way, the whole team, including Team Three, can hear you.”

“That won’t do.” Before Li Long could speak, Sister-in-law Lu objected. “Xiao Long went all the way to Wucheng to consult the professor. Our team can just listen to what he said; we can’t let them learn it for nothing.”

Everyone knew it was a joke, so they all laughed.

Li Long felt a little embarrassed, as he had to tell so many people at once. But when he thought about how many of them were planning to grow cotton, which was basically due to his influence, he felt a sense of responsibility.

So he started from the beginning again, talking about everything from seed selection and mulching to picking cotton and plowing the land.

His mother, Du Chunfang, would occasionally pour him a bowl of water to soothe his throat. Li Long finally understood why those leaders always brought a glass of water when they spoke.

I can usually chat with others for two or three hours without feeling thirsty, but now, in order to make sure that the people sitting in the courtyard can hear me clearly, I have to raise my voice a little, and my throat gets dry after a while.

Fortunately, the explanations were all logical, combining some of Professor Yang's lectures with some of his own farming experiences from his previous life.

"I'm planning to buy a sprayer for spraying pesticides, otherwise it will be very tiring to carry it around while spraying," Li Long said, getting to the heart of the matter. "You can borrow a sprayer. But if you plan to plant a lot, I suggest you buy one for your own home. It's not expensive, just a few hundred yuan."

As Li Long had previously mentioned, the most troublesome thing about growing cotton is pest control. Many pests can affect cotton, so you have to be on guard at all times. When the cotton is growing vigorously, you need to go to the field frequently to check for pests. If there are any, you have to kill them immediately.

“My family farms ten acres of land, so we don’t need to buy any, right?” Sister-in-law Lu asked.

“No need, ten mu of land, my family’s will do,” Liang Yuemei said from the side.

The Li and Lu families have a good relationship, and they often borrow tools from each other, which both families are used to.

No one else spoke; as to whether to buy a spraying machine or borrow one, everyone had their own thoughts.

After Li Long finished speaking, he stopped talking and sat there slowly drinking water, thinking back to see if there was anything he had overlooked.

"Xiaolong, why do you say that cotton is used for topping, but why do you want to remove the top?" Aunt Lu asked again.

"Didn't Xiaolong say before that cotton plants shouldn't grow too tall, otherwise they won't grow bolls or bloom?" Xie Yundong listened carefully and answered in his own words.

"What's that bell?" Sister-in-law Lu asked persistently.

“It’s the flower bud,” Li Long said. “Cotton buds need to grow before they can bloom, then produce cotton bolls, and then cotton. The buds look like bells when they grow, so they’re called cotton bolls.” This time it was Li Long who was speaking.

This question-and-answer session was just like a student asking questions in school.

Xu Haijun, Xu Chengjun, and others all asked questions. They knew their relationship with Li Long wasn't as close as Xie Yundong's or Tao Daqiang's. Those people could contact Li Long anytime, but they could only rely on chance encounters.

This is a rare opportunity, so it won't hurt to ask more questions.

By the time everyone was settled, the sun was already setting. Li Long felt a little tired, but also a sense of unprecedented relief, and a touch of pride. He felt he had made an outstanding contribution to the cotton industry of Team Four.

(End of this chapter)