Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1170 The new gate takes effect; Gu Boyuan goes to the black market.

The spring floods arrived as expected. By the time Xu Chengjun and his men reached the Xiaohaizi North Dam line, the Xiaohaizi was already almost full of water.

Water gushed down the drainage ditches on both sides, with branches and grass leaves covered in unsightly foam rising and falling in the floodwaters. Other debris was also washed down, and occasionally the corpses of dead dogs and cats could be seen, but after soaking for a long time, they didn't smell much.

"Quick! Lift both gates!" Xu Chengjun didn't hesitate and immediately ordered the militiamen who had come with him to do the work.

The flood came on quite suddenly, and he didn't want to repeat the previous flooding of the village.

Although only the roads in the residential area were flooded, it was still considered a dereliction of duty by the team leader.

The sluice gate wasn't lifted up, of course. The welded cross rotated in circles, raising the sluice gate, and the floodwaters immediately poured down through the open sluice gate.

The water pressure was very high, and it took a lot of strength to turn the cross steel frame, but the four militiamen worked together and finally managed to lift both gates.

After the sluice gate was raised, the floodwater split into two streams. One stream flowed straight down into the reed ditch, while the other stream flowed east-northeast along the Fifth Team Canal.

At Weigou Bridge, a group of militiamen were also on guard. Sandbags had been piled up on the south side of the bridge and along the road, and both people and equipment were on high alert.

The Weigou Bridge in the previous life was well-built, but the road paved in the middle of the Weigou was a bit of a mess. It was just a simple slab of yellow earth with no protective slopes on either side. When a major flood came, the bridge couldn't handle the water, and the flood washed away the paved road.

Thanks to Li Long's reminder, the road now being repaired has been reinforced with gravel and sand along the south slope where water flows, making its protective capabilities significantly different.

Furthermore, to ensure smooth passage for floodwaters, a shallow ditch was specially created upstream leading to the bridge using tractors, guaranteeing that the floodwaters would directly hit the bridge after rushing down.

If the main floodwaters pass under the bridge, they will not have a significant impact on the road.

"The flood is coming!" someone shouted, and then they watched as the reed leaves, which were close to the ground in the reed ditch to the south, slowly floated up. At first, the flood was under the leaves, but as the water volume increased and the water level rose, it submerged the reed stubble. The reed leaves on top could no longer be connected together, and the flood revealed its true nature.

Although it looked slow and not as intense as at the sluice gate, the visibly rising water level made the militiamen guarding the bridge very nervous.

This is the only road connecting the four teams to the outside world. If it gets washed away again, they'll have to wait until the floodwaters recede and it's repaired before they can use it again, which is very troublesome.

The floodwaters carried large amounts of reeds and debris through the bridge arch, and in less than an hour, the water level had risen to two-thirds of the way up the arch, with the booming sound of the water echoing inside.

Over at Xiaohaizi, the water level in the reservoir had clearly dropped considerably. Xu Chengjun breathed a sigh of relief and said to Li Jianguo beside him:

"Hey, the sluice gate you built really works. With the water flowing down like this, at least the small lake is saved, and the water being discharged into the Fifth Team's canal won't overflow."

Li Jianguo felt relieved, though he was worried about whether the sluice gate could withstand the impact of the flood.

After all, those who did the work were essentially farmers like them, and repairing sluice gates and bridges were the only two legitimate projects they were involved in.

Now it seems they've withstood the test, and these people can at least go out and find work.

"Uncle Jianguo, the flood shouldn't get any bigger later, right?" Li Junfeng asked from the side.

"It shouldn't be like that. The first wave of floods is usually the biggest," Li Jianguo said. "Floods caused by melting snow on the mountains will last a bit longer, but the later ones won't be as big as the first one."

Throughout the year, there are several waves of floods coming down from upstream. There are at least two snowmelt floods alone. One is now in early spring, which is a flood caused by the melting snow in the near mountains. The second is a flood caused by the melting snow in the inner mountains, including glacial meltwater.

There are usually floods in July and August. These floods are usually caused by heavy rain in the mountains, and the rainwater accumulates and causes floods. Such floods are usually a single wave, which comes and goes quickly.

With the newly constructed sluice gate in place, the first wave of floodwater passed through smoothly, which put Xu Chengjun at ease. He asked Li Jianguo:

"Brother Li, this flood looks even bigger than last year."

"Hmm, it looks like it. Before even mentioning the sluice gate, the floodwaters were almost completely submerged. It wasn't this dangerous at the beginning last year."

"Hey, Xiaolong really has foresight," Xu Chengjun exclaimed, then went to discuss cotton planting with Li Long. He also planned to buy a pesticide spraying machine. As the team leader, he was too embarrassed to borrow from others, as others might borrow his instead.

“It just so happens that Daqiang also wants to buy one, so why don’t you two discuss going to find Xiaolong together?” Li Jianguo said. “This sprayer is sold at the Shicheng Tractor Factory.”

Although they could buy directly, people at that time still believed in personal connections. With Li Long leading the way, they were bolder, thinking that since they knew someone there, the goods they received should be of good quality.

Even if it's currency, at least if there's trouble later, it's easier to find someone to fix it through Li Long.

The flood was just a side issue. Most villagers only knew that the flood came this year, and that the able-bodied men went to the reservoir and reed ditches for flood control. As long as the flood did not break the dam line and life could continue normally, that was enough.

Only a small number of people connected this incident with Li Long's spending money to repair the sluice gate last year, and most of them felt a mix of emotions.

Li Long has done another good deed.

This was Gu Boyuan's first time visiting Yili.

He was different from Li Jianguo. Li Jianguo came to northern Xinjiang at the age of sixteen, stayed for two years, and was called back by Li Qingxia. He stayed in his hometown for a year before coming out again. Moreover, because he was quite ambitious, he worked in the production and construction corps, local government, county-level units, state-owned enterprises, and then became a farmer.

Gu Boyuan was different. He only wanted to keep a low profile and remain unknown, so he stayed here after arriving and hardly ever left Ma County.

He was quite curious about this trip to Yili.

Traveling westward, the place names in my mind overlapped with those in reality, which made it quite fulfilling.

After passing Guozigou and having a meal in Lucaogou, Liu Gaolou parted ways with them when crossing Qingshui, and asked Bieke to take Gu Boyuan to Yining.

Gu Boyuan and Li Long had discussed that they would visit three places on this trip to the Ili River Valley.

The first is the market. Buick knows of a black market that specializes in selling parts of wild animals, such as flesh, fur, and accessories.

There are several such black markets in the Ili River Valley. Gu Boyuan mainly went to check on the prices and volume of furs sold there.

The second option was to go with Buick to Buick's father's place, the same place Li Long went to celebrate the festival. Hunters like Tursun would know a lot about that place.

As for Wu Yongbo, Li Long felt that since he didn't want to cooperate, he wouldn't bother him anymore; they could each make their own money.

The third is the local bazaar. A bazaar is a market, just like the big market in Kouhe. The bazaars here also have fixed opening days. The bazaars in the commune (township) and county sell local specialties. See if you can find any leather goods or medicinal herbs you need on these small stools.

After completing these site visits, we felt it was a good time to open a purchasing station, and finally went to YN City to find a suitable location.

It's not about renting; it's better to buy it.

The location cannot be too remote, and it must be large, at least like the current purchasing stations, with large warehouses to store goods.

According to Li Long, if they can't buy a ready-made one, they should build one. Of course, it would be best to get a storefront first, or rent one, and use it temporarily until the fritillary bulb season is over before building the actual structure.

So Buick took Li Long directly to the father of Revolutionary Buick, who was also Buick's uncle.

Knowing that this man was Li Long's father-in-law, Geming Bike's father was very hospitable to Gu Boyuan and arranged a house for him to stay in. Geming Bike also rushed over after get off work.

Gu Boyuan knew about Revolutionary Buick's situation, so he quietly asked him if his wife was pregnant. Revolutionary Buick shook his head and said it wouldn't be that soon.

Gu Boyuan laughed and said, "That's true."

Many people thought Gu Boyuan had come to buy hides. After being called over by the father of Revolution Buick, they started asking Gu Boyuan about the price of hides. Some people even brought hides with them.

Gu Boyuan then had no choice but to say that he had come ahead to scout the area and would set up a purchasing station there to buy hides directly.

Those who didn't sell the hides weren't disappointed; on the contrary, they were very happy. They knew that if the shop opened, they could buy hides regularly in the future.

“Actually, our village organizes militia to hunt wild boars in the mountains every spring and autumn, and we also hunt wolves if we encounter them,” said Revolutionary Bek after learning Gu Boyuan’s purpose.
"We'll find a place in our village to sell the wolf pelts we take down."

Gu Boyuan immediately understood. If opening a purchasing station could establish connections with these towns and villages, and secure wolf pelts during the spring and autumn wolf hunts each year, then at least there wouldn't be a shortage of supplies.

He immediately decided to change his plans and go to the countryside the next day.

Although it's impossible to visit every single village, every little bit helps.

Then I heard Revolutionary Buick say:

“I am the armed forces officer in our township. Our township's armed forces minister also handles a lot of work, so I was in charge of organizing the militia to hunt wolves, and I was also in charge of dealing with the pelts and such. Part of the money from the sale is used to reward the militia, part is used as funds for the armed forces department, and part is given to the township.”

He paused here and said to Gu Boyuan:

“We have a good relationship, so we’ll sell all the hides from our village to you from now on. Besides, you’re offering a higher price. We only found out after Li Long came last time that we sold them too cheaply.”

Don't worry, after this wolf-hunting operation is over, I will tell the armed officers in the other townships about your purchasing station.

However, you'll need to come and collect it from us then, as our armed forces department doesn't have a vehicle to deliver it.

"No problem, we can definitely come to your door to buy it. I'll come over in advance."

"No need, no need. You focus on opening the shop first. I'll let you know through Buick when I need to make the call." Revolution Buick casually settled the matter.

Gu Boyuan thought to himself, "So this is how it's done?"

The biggest fear when starting a purchasing station is a lack of supply. Although the first batch of goods isn't fritillaria, it's still important hides.

With these leather goods, the purchasing station can build a solid foundation and gain a foothold.

“In May we will be reorganizing the militia. At that time, the prefecture will organize all the armed forces officers in the prefecture to visit the demonstration sites. I will also talk to the armed forces officers in other counties, so that your purchasing station can also collect hides from other places.” Revolutionary Buick was quite proud of himself.

Although his wife is not pregnant, Li Long is genuinely helping them. He not only had them worship the jade, but also told them that worshipping the jade might not be effective, so he got them some medicinal herbs.

Based on this alone, Revolutionary Buick felt that Li Long was truly good to them, and that he deserved to be called an advanced individual in promoting national unity.

So he was hoping to repay the other party, and now he had the opportunity, didn't he?
Gu Boyuan's itinerary became much smoother after that. With the confidence bolstered by the Revolution Buick, he became even more determined to open a purchasing station. He planned to stay a few more days to finalize the lease on the property and then begin making arrangements.

The next day, Buick took him to the black market.

It's called a black market, but it's actually a free market selling parts for wild animals.

The market wasn't in the county seat, but rather on the outskirts of a small village. It was a well-connected area with several groves of trees nearby.

If someone were to investigate, the person could leave quickly.

Moreover, although the Animal Protection Law has been promulgated, its implementation is not very strict, since the official hunting of wild boars and wolves will continue for several more years.

When Buick brought Gu Boyuan over, some people had already set up stalls. The stalls were set up quite haphazardly, scattered here and there, it seemed like they could set them up wherever they wanted.

Quite a few people come here to buy things, since the prices are relatively cheap when you sell the items you've acquired here.

Gu Boyuan saw people haggling over the price; a kilogram of wild boar meat cost 80 cents, which was more than half the price of domestic pork.

A kilogram of sika deer meat costs a little more, from ninety cents to one dollar. A sika deer hide, still dripping with blood, can be taken away for seventy dollars here. A wild sika deer baby is thirty dollars, and it looks like you can even bargain.

In addition, there were deer antler and deer velvet products. Gu Boyuan also saw small animals and wild birds such as snow chickens and fox fur.

There are quite a lot of varieties, and the prices are not high. Usually, the seller doesn't even mention the price. The buyer gives a price, and if it's suitable, they sell it. If they feel it's not suitable, they ask for a little more.

Sell ​​it all and leave.

There weren't many hides; they made up less than a quarter of the stall's stock.

Gu Boyuan saw a very nice deer hide. It was spread out and dripping with blood, but there were no other injuries. It was basically a whole hide. He took Buick over to negotiate the price with someone. After Buick finished talking, he said that the person said he would sell it for eighty.

This is a male deer hide, quite large, about one and a half times the size of a common sheepskin.

It's rare to find one with a full pelt and a pair of antlers on the side; I wonder if they belong to this red deer.

Gu Boyuan simply paid and bought it. Then he asked Buick to inquire how many hides were sold here each day, since he was a leather buyer.
After receiving Gu Boyuan's money, the man's previously expressionless face softened with a slight smile, and he became willing to answer the questions.

"Twenty or thirty? That's quite a lot." Gu Boyuan nodded.

The small black market has about 20 to 30 pelts available every day, which means there are regular hunters here. You can use this place as a buying point and come here every now and then.

They had a car, so Gu Boyuan simply bought the antlers as well. The antlers were quite large, with six branches, and the asking price wasn't low—fifty yuan a pair.

Gu Boyuan didn't haggle. While sika deer antlers weren't as expensive as deer velvet right now, they weren't cheap either. He took the items, then went over and asked a few more people, buying some decent-quality hides before leaving with Buick.

Just as Gu Boyuan was smugly surveying the market, Li Long was watching Li Qingxia confront that somewhat arrogant person. She wasn't angry, but her attitude was resolute.
"To be frank, this isn't a full leather piece. Although the two bullet holes aren't in the center of the leather, they significantly affect its appearance. The price I'm offering, which falls between a full leather piece and a damaged piece, takes that into account."

"That won't do! In the past, this kind of leather was considered full leather, so you have to charge me the price for full leather!" The man looked unfamiliar, and Li Long couldn't tell that he was someone he knew.

I don't know acquaintances do this. I don't know if they're planning to make a quick buck and then move on to another location, or if they have some other purpose.

“Then go sell it somewhere else,” Li Qingxia waved her hand. “I’m not doing this business.”

"No way!" The man was surprised that Li Qingxia, who had always been kind and gentle, would refuse his leather. He panicked slightly and said no, which made the people next to him laugh.

"What, you want to force me to buy?" Li Qingxia's face immediately hardened. He was already tall, and his stern face made him even more intimidating. "Doing business is about mutual consent. If you don't accept my price, I don't think your hide is worth that much, so forget it."

That person stubbornly persisted in sticking to one point:
“Old Gu used to buy the whole hide. You can’t keep changing your standards. What are we sellers supposed to do? So you’re trying to make more money by driving down our prices? Don’t you all agree? This won’t do!”

A few people echoed him, but no one else spoke.

After visiting a few times, most people would know what a buying station looks like, so most people wouldn't join in the commotion, but that didn't stop them from watching the spectacle.

The newcomer Li Qingxia was not familiar with these people, and most of them would not help him.

"Whether I try to negotiate a lower price or not is my business." Li Qingxia wasn't swayed by his words at all. "I'm not buying your goods anymore. If you leave now, I'll be polite! If you don't leave, believe me, I'll have someone throw you out?"

Li Long was immediately delighted, and he felt relieved.

It seems that Dad won't compromise himself just because he's here to help. You can't be polite when you encounter someone like that.

The price was there; Li Qingxia had clearly already determined that the leather was somewhere between full-grain and damaged leather, and offered a reasonable price. If the other party still made a fuss, then that was just being difficult.

Why be polite to someone like that?
The man hadn't expected Li Qingxia to turn on him so suddenly, and he was clearly a little flustered. He paused for a moment before continuing to speak loudly:

"Big stores bully their customers! This purchasing station is terrible, I'm not selling here anymore! Everyone, let's leave, none of us are selling, let's see what they can do then! We'll just wait for them to close down!"

Li Long was instantly enraged. This guy was just causing trouble. He walked out, glared at the man, and shouted:
"Who the hell are you to be my father? Say it again and see what happens!"

Li Qingxia was already tall, and Li Long was even taller. When they stood there, the sense of oppression was off the charts!

When the onlookers saw Li Long appear, they stopped watching and started criticizing him for causing trouble.

Li Long ignored the others, including those who had greeted him first, and continued angrily:

"My running a purchasing station and treating people kindly doesn't mean I don't have a temper! I've created such a good environment for everyone, offering you free tea every day, watermelons in the summer, and high prices, not to indulge your bad temper!"

"Sell it or leave it!"

Li Long had actually discussed this matter with Gu Boyuan long ago. The service must be excellent, but the guests should not be allowed to develop a spoiled attitude.

The vast majority of customers are reciprocal; if you treat them well, they will treat you well in return, or even twice as well.

But there are always a few individuals, like the one in front of us, who take advantage of our kindness, and we can't be polite to them!
Since you bully the weak and fear the strong, then I'll show you something tough!

Li Long's angry shout startled the guy, causing him to stumble back a few steps and fall to the ground. Everyone laughed happily.

The cheerful atmosphere instantly dispelled the awkwardness from before.

(End of this chapter)