Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1164 Director Wei Wants to Buy a New Car

Since Ma Xiaoyan insisted, Li Long didn't refuse anymore, but told her that it might be quite tiring, since it would be a long drive into the mountains.

“You’re underestimating me,” Ma Xiaoyan said defiantly, feeling slighted. “When I go to the countryside for inspections, I’ve gone as far as Beiwucha Shabaoli. I’ve traveled even more arduous roads. Don’t worry, I won’t hold you back.”

The matter was settled.

After donating books at the school, Li Xiangqian and the others went to the old lady's yard. At that time, Li Junfeng and the others had already started sprinkling wheat tails into the soaked mud, preparing to mix it and begin work.

While the other members of the supply and marketing cooperative were clearing weeds in the yard, Li Long asked Adil to find a tractor, and Li Xiangqian coordinated by asking a few people to follow the tractor to the river to haul sand and gravel.

Seeing that everyone had been assigned to work, Adil wanted to invite Li Xiangqian and the others to sit at the team headquarters, but Li Xiangqian refused and rolled up his sleeves to join the others in pulling weeds.

Li Long wasn't idle either; he was mixing mud with Li Junfeng and the others, asking questions as he did so:
"How's it going? Are you getting used to this job?"

"What's there to be unaccustomed to?" Li Junhai said with a smile. "Before I came here, I was thinking of doing the same thing as Junshan and Junfeng before, working on a construction site."

"Isn't this job a piece of cake?"

"That's good," Li Long said. "Make sure you do a good job. Lots of people are watching and taking pictures, so you can't embarrass yourself."

"Don't worry about it, Uncle. If we can't even do such an easy job well, then none of us will have the face to stay here."

Although Li Long could also do the work of plastering and mortaring, the younger generation certainly wouldn't let him do it today. He was only allowed to do odd jobs like mixing mud.

The old lady's house didn't have a ladder, so Li Junfeng and the others climbed up the wall to the roof, then used a rope to lower a rubber bucket to lift mud up.

Three people were working on the roof, one person was supplying mud, and others were also busy, using shovels to scoop mud to plaster the courtyard walls.

Knowing in advance that someone would help with the chores, the old lady prepared the milk tea well in advance.

Some of Li Junfeng's friends didn't like milk tea, so they had half a metal bucket of brick tea cooled down, with a chipped enamel bowl next to it, so they could drink it whenever they were thirsty.

Li Long hadn't done this kind of work for a while. In the past year, he had been mainly focused on doing business, especially in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.

It feels pretty good to be able to calm down and do something good right now.

Around noon, half of the mud on the roof had been laid, and the grass in the yard had been cleared. Some people from the supply and marketing cooperative came over and started helping to patch up the mud on the yard wall.

Some people may not know how to do it, but this thing is just like playing with mud. The technique is very simple: just fill the hole and smooth it out.

Several women initially watched from the sidelines, but later couldn't resist joining in, getting mud all over their bodies and faces, but they were having a great time.

Adil came over twice to say that the food was ready, but everyone working here was thinking that they wouldn't have as much energy to work if they ate first, so even Li Xiangqian kept putting it off.

Seeing that no one would come, Adil simply brought over the cooked hand-pulled meat in a basin, along with chopped onions and enamel bowls.

As soon as the aroma of hand-pulled mutton wafted out, the workers immediately lost their will to work and rushed to wash their hands.

There wasn't much water here to begin with, and the water mixed with the mud was fetched by Li Junfeng and his team from Halimu. There's not much left now.

The comrades from the supply and marketing cooperative volunteered to fetch water. Several men went out with buckets, laughing. After a while, one of them came back with a bucket of water, which was more than half full.

Li Long realized this wouldn't work either, but the plan was to apply the mud plaster today and then drill the well tomorrow. Right now, the mud plaster work wasn't finished. Although he could finish it ahead of schedule this afternoon, there wasn't enough time left to drill the well.

He discussed it with Li Xiangqian. After dinner, Li Junfeng and the others continued to smear mud, while the remaining men from the supply and marketing cooperative would choose a few with good physical strength to dig the wellhead for the well pressurization project.

Li Xiangqian naturally had no objections. He casually pointed to a few people and told them to follow Li Long's instructions later. Those people also had no objections.

At that moment, those people didn't have any other thoughts; they just wanted to get a couple of bones, some naan, and some hot soup as soon as possible.

It's not just that I'm craving it; it's mainly because I spend most of my time sitting in the office, and even when I'm buying or selling goods, I don't do that much physical labor.

I had a great time working this morning, but I'm really tired now.

Li Long also took an enamel basin, first serving two pieces of meat to the old lady, then taking one for himself, filling a bowl with soup, adding a few ribs and a piece of lamb neck, then getting half a naan bread, and casually finding a place to sit down and start eating.

Li Junfeng and the others washed their hands, grabbed some food, and prepared to come over. However, seeing that Ma Xiaoyan had already come to Li Long's side, they didn't come over and went to the side instead.

"Will we be able to finish this work today?" Ma Xiaoyan asked.

"Hmm, it's not finished yet. If we can finish digging the wellhead today, we can come back tomorrow to drill the well," Li Long said. "Are you coming tomorrow or not?"

“Come here, I need to see water coming out of this well,” Ma Xiaoyan said. “You have to see it through to the end.”

Li Long nodded without saying anything. It's likely that only Li Junfeng and his group will come tomorrow; Li Xiangqian might not even show up.

But that doesn't matter. Anyway, Li Long doesn't do this entirely to get in the newspapers. Every year around this time, he does something.

The main concern is that making too much money might make one arrogant.

"What are your plans after the roads in the mountains are repaired?" Ma Xiaoyan asked while eating.

She was just holding a leg stick and gnawing on it. The meat wasn't really removed, so it was quite a satisfying bite.

At this time, women were not as "elegant" and cautious as they are in later generations when it came to eating. They were just as good as men at gnawing on meat bones.

Not only Ma Xiaoyan, but also the other women in the supply and marketing cooperative were the same, each holding a meat bone and gnawing on it, very heartily.

"We'll see then. Maybe we'll build some houses over at their summer pastures. That way, they won't need to bring yurts when they move their herds," Li Long said casually.
"Wouldn't it be very convenient if the road to the summer pasture is completed and there are still houses there?"

Li Long thought to himself that if he got two GAZ trucks for Halimu and Yushanjiang, it would be much more convenient for them to drive.

Of course, this is just a thought for now, since the road will take more than a year to be completed. We'll talk about it again after it's finished.

Ma Xiaoyan thought Li Long's idea was excellent, since once the road was built, it would be easy to transport the building materials up there.

And those who build houses also benefit, so road construction is a top priority.

Because of this, she felt she had to go and check on the road construction this year.

After eating, we rested for half an hour and then continued working.

Because they had worked too hard in the morning, the comrades from the supply and marketing cooperative were a bit sluggish in the afternoon. However, they had already completed their main task, so there was no need to rush the work of digging the wellhead.

By this time, Li Junfeng and his team had already covered most of the roof with mud, and there wasn't much left when they went up to it.

"Hey, a mouse!" someone suddenly shouted from the roof, and then a mouse scurried down from the roof, rolled twice on the ground, and then started to run away again.

Li Long had sharp eyes. He looked up as soon as he heard the shouts. When the rat fell, he rushed over with his shovel. Before the rat could run away, he slapped it down with the shovel, flattening it instantly.

It was a small house mouse. Li Long picked up the shovel and saw that the mouse was dead. He then shouted to Li Junfeng above:

"Smear mud all over the rat holes and seal them up. Then keep an eye on them and see if any rats come out. If you don't seal them up, they'll leak when it rains."

Because the mud on the roof contains wheat stalks, which may be mixed with shriveled wheat, rats will dig holes in the roof when they can't find food, partly to find food and partly to make a warm nest for themselves.

As mentioned earlier, the adobe houses here have wooden beams on the roof, covered with a thick layer of reeds. Some mice would make nests in the reeds in winter to keep warm.

Li Junfeng agreed and continued to plaster the roof with mud. A little while later, the old lady cried out from inside the house. It turned out that the rat hole was blocked with mud, so the rats dared not break through from above and ended up coming out of the roof and falling down.

Before Li Long could react, several comrades from the supply and marketing cooperative rushed into the house, quickly found the rat, and killed it.

Two mice fell down; I wonder if they're from the same nest as the flat one from before.

The work went much more smoothly after that. By the time the mud was finished, the house walls and courtyard walls had been repaired, and the wellhead for the hand pump had been dug to a depth of 1.5 meters.

However, the groundwater level is quite deep here, and even after digging this deep, the soil underneath is only slightly damp.

Li Long thought he would come back tomorrow to check. He had already asked the blacksmith in the village to weld a pressure head for him, and he could pick it up first thing tomorrow morning.

After finishing the work, the sun was still high in the sky. Looking at the completely transformed house and yard, the old lady and Adil were both quite happy. Li Xiangqian asked the accountant who had come with him to take out thirty yuan and give it to Adil, saying it was for the sheep.

Adil firmly refused, saying that this would be a slap in their face. They came to help with the work, while he only slaughtered a sheep and cooked a meal.

“You can’t just give away this sheep money for nothing. We came here to do some good deeds, but a group of people came and ate a sheep. It doesn’t feel like we’re doing a good deed, but rather like we’re taking advantage of you.”

Li Xiangqian was quite insistent on this point. Adil insisted on not taking any money, but Li Xiangqian eventually compromised and agreed that they would come again tomorrow to get a bag of flour for each of the remaining herding families.

Adil was also surprised and a little embarrassed by Li Xiangqian's decision.

Li Junfeng and his colleagues cleaned up the muddy areas in the yard and told the old lady not to go near the well at night, lest she fall in.

The old lady smiled as Adil finished translating, her missing teeth showing, and then nodded repeatedly.

They drove away, quite tired, but to be honest, they all felt quite fulfilled. Several of the women even sang songs in the car.

"Can you guys drill a pressure well?" Li Long asked as he drove.

“It’s easy,” Li Junfeng said. “I’ve asked my Uncle Jianguo, and he said it’s simple.”

As long as the materials are complete, these people think drilling a well is quite simple. Of course, the premise is that the chosen location should ideally have groundwater and the water table shouldn't be too low.

After sending them back to the fourth team, Li Long didn't linger. He chatted with his mother for a few words and then hurriedly returned to the township to check on the welding of the wellhead.

I didn't expect them to be so quick; it's already done.

“We’ve got the hang of it, so the materials are readily available,” the blacksmith told Li Long. “Now that spring is here, many families are going to dig wells, and this thing is useful, so we have plenty of materials prepared.”

Now that it was all done, Li Long paid to have the wellhead hauled away. The hard plastic water pipes were already prepared, and the steel bars for drilling the well were at home; they could just be put in the back of the truck tomorrow.

Anyway, at this time of year, when a car is on the road carrying goods, basically no one cares. This thing that grows out can just stick out of the car.

Back in the courtyard, Gu Xiaoxia hadn't finished get off work yet. Li Long rested for a while before driving to pick up Mingming and Haohao.

The kindergarten's closing time was around the same time as Gu Xiaoxia's. After picking up Mingming and Haohao, Li Long drove towards the Education Bureau. On the way, he ran into Gu Xiaoxia and told her that he had picked up the children.

Gu Xiaoxia smiled as she rode her bicycle, telling them to go back first.

"Mommy, Mommy, put the bike in the car," Mingming said to Gu Xiaoxia, leaning against the car window. "Let's take the car home together, riding a bike is tiring."

"Mom isn't tired," Gu Xiaoxia said with a smile. "You guys go back quickly, Mom will be there soon. Your dad's car can't fit a bicycle."

It's possible to install it, but it's such a short distance, there's no need.

Gu Xiaoxia urged Li Long to leave quickly, worried that she would feel embarrassed if she ran into her colleagues.

Li Long then drove back first.

Gu Xiaoxia rode her bicycle behind, thinking that she really should hurry up and learn how to drive a car.

In fact, her colleagues at work already knew that she owned several cars and that Li Long was selling cars. Even Director Wang sometimes teased her about why she didn't drive to work.

"Let's just drive, what's the big deal?" Gu Xiaoxia thought to herself. Summer is fine, but in winter the roads are very slippery, and I have to go to work early, and it's still dark. If I don't ride well, I'm likely to fall.

If you drive to work, this situation won't exist.

It's not a big deal if I fall down myself, but it's heartbreaking that I brought Mingming and Haohao along and they both fell.

Thinking this, Gu Xiaoxia pedaled her bicycle faster. She wanted to hurry back to finish her meal and then have Li Long take her to practice riding for a while.

Although there was a problem during the initial driving practice, Li Long handled it well, which prevented Gu Xiaoxia from losing confidence.

This time, Li Long simply drove to a wheat field in the eastern suburbs that hadn't been opened yet. The wheat field was large and the ground was flat, making it perfect for practicing driving.

He still told Gu Xiaoxia to not start the engine for a few times to familiarize herself with it before starting it, and insisted that she not shift up.

It's mainly about mastering the skill; once you can form an automatic memory in your mind, it becomes easier to upgrade later on.

Gu Xiaoxia was particularly energetic today, practicing until it was almost dark before reluctantly turning off the engine and getting out of the car.

"You did well today," Li Long said with a smile. "You didn't make any major mistakes."

Because Li Long only allowed her to shift into gear and start the car, and then brake and downshift after driving two laps, there were no problems except for occasionally glancing down at the gearshift.

"You won't let me drive fast, I can definitely react to such slow speeds," Gu Xiaoxia said, still a little dissatisfied.

She started it about ten times. She felt that she had mastered the process and thought she could try shifting up and accelerating, but Li Long wouldn't let her.

"No, you see, it's just like those martial arts masters practicing swordsmanship. You have to master the basics first."

At first, I was a bit impatient, thinking I should just go through the whole process first and correct any mistakes, but now it seems I can't take it that risky. You should practice the simpler things first.

Although Gu Xiaoxia was a little dissatisfied, she knew that Li Long was doing it for her own good, so she just pouted and didn't say anything.

The next day, after breakfast, Li Long took Li Junfeng and the others to help the old lady dig a well. They dug down nearly a meter, and when they were more than two meters deep, the bottom was already very wet, and water was slowly seeping out.

Just as they were preparing to insert the steel bars, Li Xiangqian and his team arrived in a truck. This time, Zhou Yuan was escorting the truck; Li Xiangqian didn't come.

When Zhou Yuan had someone unload flour at the old lady's house, he told Li Long that Director Wei had come over and that Li Xiangqian had already taken him to Li Long's purchasing station to check on the trucks, and that Li Long should hurry back.

Li Long didn't expect Director Wei to come today. He saw that it would take a while for the well to be dug, so he told Li Junfeng and drove back.

When Li Long arrived at the purchasing station, Director Wei and Li Xiangqian were sitting in the reception room drinking tea.

"Director Wei, Director Li, have you found a car?" Li Long asked with a smile as he parked the car and entered the meeting room.

"Where can we take a look? The car keys are with you, so we can only check the exterior," Li Xiangqian said. "We've been waiting for you, so hurry up and give us the keys."

Li Long wasn't trying to keep anyone away from him; he had always been in charge of the car himself, so he was the one who carried the car keys.

"No rush, no rush. It was my oversight not to call ahead." Director Wei smiled. "Little Li, not bad, not bad. Your business is getting bigger and bigger, and you have more and more good stuff."

"Hehe, just messing around."

"Director Wei, which car have you taken a fancy to?" Li Long asked, taking out the keys. "Or would you like to try them all out?"

"I'll go with that Lada. It looks new to me. I don't know how to fix cars, and if I get a used car that breaks down on the road, it'll be a hassle."

Li Long originally intended to leave the Lada to Gu Xiaoxia, so he hadn't given her a quote beforehand.

Now that Director Wei wants it, Li Long is really having a hard time setting a price.

"It's okay, just tell me. This car is new, so it's definitely not cheap. I was prepared for that. Of course, I didn't have that much money myself, so I borrowed some from someone."

Director Wei's words were watertight, so Li Long naturally had no other comment. He said:

"Director, you have a good eye. This is basically a new car, so it will be more expensive than the Volga. I sold a new Lada to someone before for 50,000."

"Since you're one of us, Director, I won't go for such a high amount, forty thousand yuan..."

"Forty thousand yuan..." Director Wei hesitated for a moment, "Should I give it a try first?"

"it is good."

P.S.: Today, when I got on the bus to visit the Provincial Museum, I saw a family of squid. While eating, Rong Xiaorong and Beetle Ant sat next to me, along with Wang Zijun and his wife.

Actually, I don't know any of them. They were all told to me by others. I have face blindness.

(End of this chapter)