Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1238 Heavy Snow in Yanjing, How to Persuade Gu Xiaoyu?

Although the winter was cold, Li Long's heart was burning with warmth.

The things he wanted to send to Yanjing included beef jerky, cotton quilts, sunflower seeds, and other "local specialties." Li Long also wanted to carry some things with him, such as milk curds and other food items he had gotten from Harim and his group.

He has done some things over time, and these things serve as proof.

After spending a little over a day packing everything up and sending out the necessary items, Li Long called Secretary Zhang to let her know he was ready.

Secretary Zhang said:
"Okay, I'll call the autonomous region today. You'd better go there tomorrow and get a certificate from the Ethnic Affairs Commission."

Li Long had more contact with the Ethnic Affairs Commission, and Secretary Zhang's words were exactly what he wanted to hear.

His family all knew he was leaving, so there wasn't much to say. Gu Xiaoxia simply told him to be careful and to call home to let them know he arrived safely.

The next day, after breakfast, Li Long drove the 212 Jeep to Wucheng.

Although this Jeep isn't driven often, it's regularly maintained, so its performance is fine.

Without stopping along the way, Li Long arrived in Wucheng around noon. Seeing that it wasn't yet closing time, he headed straight for the Ethnic Affairs Commission.

Although it might seem like he was just trying to freeload, Secretary Zhang said it would be best to get the certificate today. Li Long didn't know when his flight to Yanjing would depart, so he wanted to get the letter of introduction first.

The people at the Ethnic Affairs Commission were quite familiar with Li Long. After Li Long explained his purpose, someone immediately gave him a letter of introduction and told him that he could have lunch at the Ethnic Affairs Commission's canteen and buy tickets at the Hongshan Airport ticket office when he went to work in the afternoon.

Li Long did not refuse, and did not run into any acquaintances while eating at the Ethnic Affairs Commission's canteen.

In the afternoon, Li Long went to the Hongshan ticket office and bought a plane ticket with his letter of introduction and work ID—yes, he also had a work ID from the state supply and marketing cooperative. Seeing that it was for tomorrow morning, Li Long felt relieved.

He had already arranged with the people at the Ethnic Affairs Commission that he would leave his car there. He had nothing to do in the afternoon, so he planned to take a drive around.

This turn of events led to Yusufu.

Yusufu and his son also sell dried fruit and jade there, and surprisingly, they still have quite a few customers even in the dead of winter.

To Li Long's surprise, the customers next to him were also selling jade and some small ethnic ornaments.

Clearly, this diversified business model attracts more customers, a point that has been accepted by other stall owners.

Upon seeing Li Long approach, Yu Sufu nodded to him in greeting and quickly dismissed the customer in front of him—meaning he would no longer haggle and would sell the jade Buddha statue according to the customer's offer.

"Adasi, it's been a long time." Yusufu greeted Li Long warmly, shaking his hand with a smile. "Aren't you busy lately?"

"Not bad." Li Long looked at the young man who was explaining the varieties and characteristics of dried fruits to the customers and said with a smile, "Your son can run the business on his own now, you can retire."

“How could that be? He’s a child, he’ll get married when he grows up, and we need to earn money to buy him a house. House prices in Wucheng have been rising higher and higher in the past two years, I’m afraid I won’t be able to afford one.”

“How could you possibly not be able to afford it? If you set up a stall here for half a year, buying a courtyard in a slightly out-of-the-way area shouldn’t be a problem.” Li Long’s words exposed his lie.

Yu Sufu wasn't embarrassed by being exposed. He smiled and said, "By the way, I asked my friend about the tiger skin when I went back last time. There are indeed people in the oases in the desert who have tiger skins, but they are very expensive."

The old man in their family was in charge of the tiger skin. His son wanted to sell it for a high price and then move out of the desert to settle on the outskirts of the city. The old man, however, just wanted to stay in his old home and didn't want to move. He'd been there his whole life and didn't want to go anywhere else.

Li Long understood this difference of opinion, or rather, that such things would continue to happen in both northern and southern Xinjiang for decades to come.

“I plan to talk to that young man again next time I go there, to see if I can lower the price,” Yu Sufu said.

"How much does he want?" Li Long asked. He could tell that Yu Sufu intended to pay for the hides and then resell them to him to make a profit.

"Ten thousand." Yu Sufu held up one finger. "Ten thousand as an offer? You're crazy for money! Even a very rare tiger skin isn't worth ten thousand, is it?"

Li Long thought that buying it for ten thousand yuan was acceptable. However, he couldn't possibly steal Yu Sufu's business; this was different from the acquisition station he had with Beiting. Yu Sufu was his friend and partner, and besides, he didn't have the young man's contact information and couldn't find him even if he wanted to.

“It’s okay, take your time, I can wait,” Li Long said.

"By the way, I brought some jade back with me on this trip. Would you like to take a look?"

"I'm going to Yanjing tomorrow, I'll look at it here when I get back." Li Long shook his head. "Just save the good stuff for me, you know, all I want now is the good stuff."

"I know, I know, now that you have money, you don't care about ordinary things anymore," Yu Sufu joked. "Don't worry, I brought back some good stuff this time."

I chatted with Yusufu for a bit, bought some nice dried fruit there, and then left.

He only carried a large backpack when he boarded the plane this time, so he couldn't bring too many things.

After dinner, Li Long drove to the Ethnic Affairs Commission compound, where accommodations had been arranged for him.

The next day, after breakfast, Li Long hailed a taxi to the airport. The driver was quite curious about him, constantly asking questions about Li Long the whole way. He couldn't believe that someone so young could be flying.

Li Long told him he was on a business trip and didn't say anything more.

At Diwopu Airport, security was very simple. They looked at his letter of introduction and work ID, and did a quick check of Li Long's backpack before letting him board the plane. At that time, people who could fly were not ordinary people, so there was no need to go through all that trouble.

The Tu-154 aircraft, unlike the previous Il-76, is larger and appears to be relatively safer.

Li Long was still a little apprehensive, after all, there had been several incidents involving domestic aviation before 2000.

Of course, there's no use worrying now. After boarding the plane and putting away his luggage, he simply closed his eyes and went to sleep.

He didn't care who was sitting next to him. As an ordinary person, he had never thought about any extraordinary encounters. He just wanted to stay put.

I was in a daze, but we ate some food along the way and it seems we stopped somewhere. By the time we arrived in Yanjing, it was already afternoon.

As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I saw snow falling heavily. Considering that the plane landed smoothly, it was a good thing.

Li Long hailed a taxi to the city—it would be a bit late to go to the leader's place at this hour. However, he got out of the taxi when they were almost at the compound, went to the post office, and called Secretary Zhang to let him know he had arrived.

Secretary Zhang must have planned it all out, telling him to arrive at 10:30 tomorrow morning.

After agreeing, Li Long called the purchasing station to let his father know he was safe, and then walked towards the yard.

It wasn't time to leave work yet, and there were occasional pedestrians hurrying along the road, as well as people struggling to ride bicycles, all with their heads down.

There were more cars on the road than last time, and they were of a wider variety, but with the heavy snow, he didn't have time to look around and hurried along like everyone else.

When Li Long arrived at the courtyard, it was a bit dark. According to the time, it wasn't dark yet. Although the snow was light, there were still dark clouds in the sky, so it was normal for it to be a bit dark.

He went to that large courtyard. The snow on the alleyway in front of the courtyard had been swept away, but the snow that fell today had accumulated to a not-too-thick layer.

Li Long opened the door and went in, then opened the inner door to put his bag down. He first set up the stove—it was clear that a stove had been used here before.

It must have been Gu Xiaoyu who took some time to come and tidy up.

After setting up the stove, Li Long went out into the yard, grabbed a large broom, and cleared the snow from the front yard. Having spent the morning on the plane, he took the opportunity to stretch his body and clear his mind.

After shoveling the snow in the front yard, Li Long was a little hungry. He put down the broom and went into the kitchen. Seeing that there wasn't much food, he put down his backpack, locked the door, and decided to go out for a meal.

Not long after Li Long left, Gu Xiaoyu rushed over. It was a bit dark at the time, and she didn't notice the footprints that were covered by snow. But when she opened the door and saw that the snow in the yard had been swept, she immediately knew that Li Long had come.

Gu Xiaoyu rushed into the house and found that Li Long was not there, only his backpack, so she guessed that he must have gone out.

Knowing that Li Long would definitely come back, Gu Xiaoyu simply cleaned the snow in front of the house. Then she noticed that the kitchen door had been opened. She regretted not leaving some ingredients in the yard, otherwise Li Long would have cooked and eaten there.

Less than twenty minutes later, Li Long rushed back. He had already eaten and bought some rice, potatoes, and pickled vegetables from a nearby shop and vegetable store, planning to make breakfast the next morning.

Seeing that the door was open, Li Long thought that Gu Xiaoyu should have arrived. Just as he pushed the door open, Gu Xiaoyu put down the big broom.

"Brother-in-law, you're here? When did you arrive?" Gu Xiaoyu greeted him and took the things from his hands, asking, "This snow really came at the worst possible time!" "I arrived around 5 p.m.," Li Long said. "The plane was pretty fast."

After entering the house, Gu Xiaoyu inquired about the situation in northern Xinjiang. She already knew that her father was staying in Yili, and that her older sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews were all doing quite well.

Li Long also asked her about her work and life, since Gu Xiaoxia usually talked to her on the phone and they could chat for a few words, but not much.

Since we've already come all this way, it's only natural to ask.

Gu Xiaoyu explained her situation in detail, including her mother's circumstances. She knew Li Long would tell her sister and father about it when he got back, so she tried to be as detailed as possible.

Li Long listened and took notes, and he was indeed thinking of going back to tell his wife about it.

He was even thinking of inviting Gu Xiaoyu to visit and have some fun in northern Xinjiang next summer.

Seeing that it was getting dark, Li Long offered to take Gu Xiaoyu home.

"I live not far from here," Gu Xiaoyu said with a smile. "Brother-in-law, no need to see me off. You should get some rest; you have important business to attend to tomorrow."

Li Long insisted on seeing her out of the alley. The streetlights were on on the main road outside, and there were many people and cars coming and going, so he didn't continue to see her off.

They rested in the house that night. Although no one had lived there for a long time, and Gu Xiaoyu would occasionally come over to set up a stove, Li Long could still feel a damp and cold atmosphere in the room as he lay in bed.

This aura won't dissipate within a day or two.

Li Long plans to finish his business tomorrow and then set up stoves in the other two courtyards to dry them for a couple more days. Since no one lives in these houses, dampness and mold can easily cause them to spoil.

There was a television in the room, and it had far more channels than the one in Northern Xinjiang. Li Long watched for a while, then felt sleepy, so he turned off the television, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Li Long got up and set up the stove to make breakfast. Secretary Zhang had said the time would be quite late, so he had plenty of time. After breakfast, seeing that he still had some time, he went to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission's Beijing office, greeted Director Dai and Xiao Wang, and gave them some local specialties he had brought with him.

"Comrade Li, the leadership values ​​you highly," Director Dai said to Li Long with a smile. "Secretary Zhang has called several times to inquire about your situation."

In fact, opinions on Li Long from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission were mixed, mainly because some of Li Long's remarks on ethnic unity had sparked discussions within the Commission.

Some people think Li Long is right, while others think he is wrong and that it is not conducive to unity.

However, the impact on the Ethnic Affairs Commission office was minimal, mainly because the leaders and Secretary Zhang clearly valued Li Long highly. Director Dai didn't need to take sides, so he welcomed Li Long's arrival.

This young man is quite adept at interpersonal relationships; Director Dai has no need to offend such a promising individual.

"I'll be over there in a bit," Li Long said. "The boss said he has something to discuss with me."

"Hey!" Director Dai was clearly jealous. "You're here to show off, aren't you? What time is it?"

"10:30." Li Long smiled, knowing the director was joking, "So I have to leave right away."

"Come on, I'll bring a car to take you there." Director Dai stood up. "Xiao Wang, go arrange a car."

"There's no need, Director," Li Long said. "I can just go out and hail a taxi."

"How can that be?" Director Dai said enthusiastically. "We're from the northern frontier, we can't let you fight alone in Yanjing. Don't be shy, we're all family here."

Having finally found a reason to go see the leader, how could Director Dai possibly let it go? Even though he was in Yanjing, getting to see the leader wasn't easy for him.

There are quite a few offices of the Northern Frontier in Yanjing, and the leaders can't possibly meet with them all, so they basically don't meet with any of them.

We must seize the opportunity.

Li Long had no idea what was going on in Director Dai's mind. He couldn't argue with him, so he simply obeyed.

Xiao Wang looked at Li Long with great envy—this guy is really lucky.

Director Dai drove Li Long to the leader's place, and the guards let them in after they learned that it was Li Long.

Director Dai was an acquaintance, so he was allowed in, and the driver drove to wait nearby.

Secretary Zhang's expression changed slightly when she saw Director Dai arrive with Li Long. Director Dai quickly stepped forward to explain:

“I brought Comrade Li Long here… He’s one of our Ethnic Affairs Commission members, after all. It wouldn’t be right for him to walk all the way here.”

Secretary Zhang nodded and said to Li Long:
"The boss is on the phone. I'll take you in in a few minutes. Just answer whatever the boss says... The main thing is to understand the specific situation on your end."

Director Dai stood by without saying a word.

He didn't ask for anything, just wanted to show his face occasionally. If the leaders inside asked Li Long how he got there, Li Long would just say he brought him over himself, and Director Dai would have achieved his goal.

Even if it's not mentioned, Secretary Zhang knows about it, and it will benefit him later.

Li Long took off his backpack and handed the contents to Secretary Zhang, mainly the local specialties he had brought. These had to be inspected by Secretary Zhang.

When Secretary Zhang was conducting the inspection, Director Dai was there to help.

A few minutes later, Li Long entered the leader's office.

Forty minutes later, Li Long came out, and to his surprise, Director Dai was still waiting outside. Secretary Zhang was busy with her work; seeing Li Long come out, she smiled and pointed to his backpack, saying:

"I put some things inside for you, all of which were gifts given to the leader by others. The leader doesn't need that much, and as I mentioned before, I'm giving you some to take with you."

Director Dai was very envious—this young man was truly blessed with good fortune.

Li Long thanked Secretary Zhang and went out with Director Dai. Secretary Zhang saw Li Long to the door and said:
"Don't go back for the next couple of days. Wait for my call. Where are you staying now?"

"Secretary Zhang, you can just call me. Comrade Li Long often visits us, and he lives nearby," Director Dai said hurriedly.

"That works too." Secretary Zhang nodded.

Driving back, Director Dai, who had been waiting for so long, wasn't in a hurry at all. He was in a good mood and was even humming a song.

Li Long felt a little guilty, rummaging through his backpack and looking at the contents, wondering if he should offer some to Director Dai as a token of appreciation.

Director Dai saw through his thoughts and said with a smile:

"Keep the things yourself, and it's best not to give them to anyone else. This is a blessing that others can't enjoy, so just keep it to yourself. As for today... actually, I should thank you. How about we have a simple lunch in the cafeteria and then have some drinks together tonight?"

Li Long roughly understood what Director Dai meant, and he wasn't offended. This man was shrewd and resourceful, truly cut out to be an official, unlike himself, who relied purely on luck.

Director Dai never asked Li Long what he said inside or what the other person's attitude was.

But just by looking at Secretary Zhang's attitude towards Li Long, he could already guess about 80% of the truth.

Just try to improve the relationship from now on, and build a good connection.

Back at the Beijing office, Director Dai asked Xiao Wang to take Li Long to rest and to give him some local specialties from the office's warehouse.

After Xiao Wang took the items out, Li Long realized that what he was holding really was a "local" specialty.

This is a gem-encrusted Engisa knife, an exquisite Adras silk scarf, a small bottle of snow lotus safflower tonic wine, a very pretty flower hat, a delicate and beautiful little whip, and so on.

Not only do we have specialties from Northern Xinjiang, but also from Yanjing and other places. We can give Northern Xinjiang handicrafts as gifts to other guests, and specialties from other places to guests from Northern Xinjiang.

The Beijing Liaison Office really thought of everything!

Following Director Dai's instructions, Xiao Wang was generous and got Li Long a big bag of food!

(End of this chapter)