Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Li Long's absence didn't prevent the cooperative members from finishing up their cotton field work.

The small four-wheeled tractor has a recycling device on its bucket that can collect five sheets of drip irrigation tape at a time. These collected drip irrigation tapes are taken to the government's processing plant, where they are crushed, mixed with some new materials, and made into new drip irrigation tapes.

After all the drip irrigation tape was collected, the mulch removal machine that Li Long had brought back, pulled by a high-horsepower tractor, began to remove the mulch.

The taller cotton stalks are knocked down and piled up. The roots and plastic film are removed. The plastic film is collected, compressed, and recycled. The roots of the cotton stalks are broken up and then scattered back into the ground, where they will be composted into fertilizer the following year.

Although the amount of recycled film per acre is relatively small, it adds up and can eventually provide some raw materials for drip irrigation tape factories.

Most importantly, it reduces the residue of agricultural film in the soil, which is beneficial to crop growth.

After all of this is done and the land is plowed, water will be released for flood irrigation to remove alkalinity again.

Cotton can be repeatedly cultivated without needing fallow, which is a good thing.

While the cooperative members were wrapping things up, Xu Jianjun went to the home of village head Xu Chengjun.

Xu Chengjun was worrying about how to arrange a job for Mingwa when Xu Jianjun arrived. He asked impatiently, "What are you doing here?"

The main problem is that whenever this cousin comes to me, it's never anything good. Even when he comes to ask for my help, it's as if I'm the one who should help him; he's the kind of person everyone says has no sense of propriety.

"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?" Xu Jianjun said half-jokingly. "This Mingwa didn't get into high school either, and he's been at home for two years. Aren't you going to arrange a job for him? If all else fails, you could send him to a vocational high school or an agricultural extension school, so he can take over your job in the future."

“What kind of succession is this? I can’t just decide who gets the village head position. They have to be elected. Right now, Mingwa isn’t even a member of the Youth League. Hey, Mingwa, you should write up an application to join the Youth League.”

"See? If I hadn't reminded you, you wouldn't have gotten this done," Xu Jianjun said smugly. "And you still dare to say I'm useless?"

"Alright, alright, alright, if you're useful, hurry up and say it, what is it?" Xu Chengjun really didn't want to see this cousin.

"Aren't the cooperative's land leases about to expire?" Xu Jianjun quickly asked, seeing that his cousin was getting really angry. "After they expire, won't they have to be taken back to the team? At that time, can anyone contract them?"

Xu Chengjun immediately thought of what Li Long had said earlier. This kid from the Li family probably already knew that someone wanted to steal his thunder.

He warned Xu Jianjun, "Don't even think about taking those lands. They've already planned it out. They've talked to the township and informed me beforehand. There are projects from the autonomous region and on-site meetings in the county. They'll renew those land leases when they expire."

"That's against the rules!" Xu Jianjun exclaimed anxiously. "Other people's reclaimed wasteland has to be taken back after the lease expires, why aren't they taking it back?"

"Given their connections with people at the autonomous region, county, and township levels, if you had that ability to get someone from the autonomous region or county to call me and contract these lands, I wouldn't have a problem with it," Xu Chengjun said.

"I knew you weren't capable enough, so don't come here to cause me trouble. I'll agree to give you this land today, but I might not be able to be the village chief tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jianjun realized that the road was blocked and went home somewhat dejectedly.

Xu Chengjun saw Mingwa scratching his head as he wrote his application to join the Youth League, and slapped him on the head:
"You didn't study hard when we told you to go to school, and now you can't even write a membership application? You went to junior high school for several years, what can you do?"

"We weren't taught how to write a Youth League application when we were in junior high school, were we?" Mingwa covered her head, feeling somewhat wronged.

"How did Li Qiang get into the Youth League? I heard he got in in the second year of junior high, but you didn't even get in by the third year!" Xu Chengjun said with exasperation. "If you could just get into high school, I would have pulled some strings and arranged things for you. But now you're stuck in the middle, and all you can do is farm with me."

Thinking of Xu Jianjun's words, he wondered if he should arrange for Mingwa to go to Li Long's factory to get some experience, since being a farmer is not an easy job.

Hmm, when can I talk to Li Long about letting my son go there for some training? Maybe he can become a talent in the future.

As the weather turned cold and snow began to fall in the mountains, in early November, Halim led his men to drive the sheep down to the countryside. However, instead of returning directly to the large courtyard built for him in the village, he organized the newly hired Kazakh young men to continue grazing the sheep at their original winter pasture.

It turns out that the winter pasture in front of the winter pasture was not covered by snow. After the hay was cut in August, the remaining grass stalks and the grass shoots that grew later could still provide nutrients for the cattle and sheep.

When he came down the mountain to the county to buy supplies, he visited Li Long at the purchasing station and told him about the current situation.

Currently, Yushanjiang is traveling between northern and southern Xinjiang every day to ensure the supply of meat to the cannery, so it's rare to see him there normally.

Harim has just become a large rancher and is currently adjusting to the role, so he is eager to find someone to share his experiences with.

“I took your advice and recruited three people from Harbin.” Halim sat in Li Long’s reception room, drinking water as he spoke. “To be honest, these kids are really capable and hardworking. They even think I pay them a high salary.”

Later I felt three people weren't enough, so I found two more, making it five people herding sheep for me now. After this trip, I brought my wife directly to the yard to live with my mother. I don't want her to suffer up the mountain anymore; it's so much more comfortable for her in the county.”

Li Long smiled. Now, Halim is slowly developing the awareness of being a boss.

His ranch model is different from Yushanjiang's. Yushanjiang personally visits other people's cattle and sheep herds to check on their condition before deciding whether to buy them.

His main job is herding. As long as you choose the right people to herd the cattle and sheep, they generally won't be stolen. You just need to check on them regularly.

Of course, the cattle and sheep are now being kept in the winter pastures, and Halim will definitely follow them.

He must be worried about managing so many cattle and sheep in his first year.

Li Long asked Halim if he had any difficulties, but Halim shook his head and said no, he didn't need the sugar residue yet. Once the snow on the winter pasture was thick enough, the cattle and sheep would be driven back to the large courtyard and divided into several yards for them to live in.

“Alright, let me know when you bring the cattle and sheep back, and I’ll tell them to bring the sugar residue over to your place,” Li Long said.

You can actually haul it away now, but nobody cares once it's there. If it's not dealt with, it's not good whether it freezes or gets moldy.

Halim then explained his plan to Li Long. Currently, the winter pasture area is vast, but the number of cattle and sheep is far from sufficient.

He plans to go to the livestock market in Mahe to buy another batch of cattle and sheep to replenish his herd. This way, the number of lambs born in winter will increase significantly, and by next spring, the number of cattle and sheep may increase by a third.

Li Long reminded him to find a good veterinarian for regular checkups. With so many cattle and sheep, the chances of infectious diseases spreading were increasing.

Don't put the cattle and sheep you buy from the livestock market into their herds right away. Let them graze separately for a while, and then we can talk about it if there are no problems.

"Hey, Li Long, I didn't expect you to know this." Halim was starting to look at Li Long with newfound respect.

Li Long smiled and said that it was necessary to maintain a certain level of mystery.

Halim didn't stay there for long. When Meng Hai arrived, he drove away, wanting to go home and spend more time with his family.

When Meng Hai arrived, he was also travel-worn and had gotten a lot tanned.

He came to report the accounts to Li Long. Li Long has been very busy this year, mainly with the cotton cooperative business, and has paid less attention to Meng Hai's side.

However, Meng Hai would always inform Li Long about any major events he was involved in. This year, in addition to repairing the town's roads and a canal for the Water Conservancy Bureau, he also contracted to repair a section of county road that was under the jurisdiction of the Transportation Bureau.

"Actually, it wasn't just repairs; it was almost a complete renovation. Of course, the funding was sufficient, and we did a pretty efficient job. This also increased our construction team's experience." Meng Hai was quite satisfied.

"We heard that you dug six fish ponds for them while we were picking cotton?" Li Long asked with a smile.

"Yes, we bought a used loader and a used excavator this year. This job was introduced by a worker in the team. His relative came from his hometown and wanted to raise fish here, so he contracted a piece of land."

There wasn't much to do at the time, so I took two excavators and two loaders and went there. The area we were digging was an old reservoir that had been silted up. After clearing it, we even unearthed a spring! The boss was overjoyed.

Having a spring means there is running water, so at least you don't need to buy too much canal water to raise fish, which can save a lot of money, so the boss is naturally happy.

"Boss, the silt in that reservoir is really thick. The mud we dug out was all taken away by the nearby villagers to use in their vegetable gardens," Meng Hai said. "It's excellent fertilizer."

Li Long stroked his chin, remembering something, and asked:

"You know our team's little lake, right? Can you think of a way to clear the silt out of it?"

"Xiao Haizi?" Meng Hai thought for a moment and said, "It should be possible, but the workload will be considerable!"

"The main problem is that the water level in that small lake has become much shallower now. In recent years, every year when the flood comes, it brings a lot of silt and sand, so the bottom is covered with a thick layer."

Many years have passed; what used to be a reservoir is now higher than the surrounding land.

Thanks to Li Long's presence, Xiaohaizi has never collapsed, and the water volume and the large fish resources within it have been well preserved.

However, in order to maintain water levels, the reservoir is filled with floodwater every year, which also adds a lot of silt to the bottom of the reservoir when the water volume is sufficient.

If this continues, the reservoir's water storage capacity will decrease, which will have a significant impact on future farming.

When the flood comes, there's less water left to store. It's such a waste to see so much water flowing downstream and eventually ending up in the desert.

After all, only Li Long knew that water bills would get more expensive over time. This reservoir of water would be a real money-maker in the future!

"Think of a good way to remove the silt without draining the reservoir," Li Long said. "Ideally, we could do it before winter, or as soon as the snow melts next spring." Meng Hai, holding his teacup, thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "Boss, I can't think of anything right now. How about this, I'll go back now and discuss it with everyone, and I'll come back tomorrow."

“Okay.” Li Long naturally had no objections. He had actually thought of a way, but he didn’t know if it would work. After all, Meng Hai and the others were considered experts in this field, while he was not even a half-baked one.

Li Long then asked Meng Hai about the situation in the village, and Meng Hai said that the situation in the village was quite good.

Now he has brought most of the able-bodied men in the village out to work, and the land is mainly cultivated by women. But fortunately, there isn't much land and there is machinery—in recent years, many of the construction team members have earned enough money to buy small four-wheeled tractors.

Having machinery makes work much easier; it's so much better than using donkey carts.

After Meng Hai left, Li Qingxia took a moment to ask Li Long:
"Why did you decide to clean up the small lake? There are so many fish, shrimp, and crabs in there. If you clean it up, you'll kill them all."

"No, no, it's not that bad." Li Long waved his hand. "The lake is so deep, how can it be cleared all at once? Let's see what good plan Lao Meng comes up with. If the plan isn't good, then we can't do it."

Li Long is quite looking forward to it.

In addition, Meng Hai and his team are growing steadily. Li Long is thinking that once Meng Hai and his team have grown up, they can try to get some small jobs on the side of large projects. This way, they can gradually grow into a construction company of considerable size.

That evening, Li Long told Gu Xiaoxia about it, and Gu Xiaoxia also helped to think of solutions. She also hoped that Xiaohaizi could be rebuilt better, but of course, some of the reeds and other vegetation inside couldn't be completely removed.

Li Long thought to himself, "They dug it all up. If it weren't for my efforts in protecting those things, the small lake would be full of reeds now, with hardly any water left."

However, he naturally told Gu Xiaoxia that the reeds in the water would definitely be preserved, as the old reed roots were difficult to completely remove. The main purpose was to clear away the silt to prevent the reservoir from becoming less and less saturated and losing its true value.

The two discussed it all night but couldn't come up with anything, but they did manage to figure out the concept of fish and water in harmony.

The next day, Li Long woke up feeling refreshed and suddenly had a great idea. He planned to talk to Meng Hai properly after he arrived at the purchasing station, and it should work out.

After having lunch, Li Long dropped Mingming and Haohao off at school and then went to the recycling station.

The purchasing stations are much quieter now, and even the middlemen who used to chat there are fewer now. Those with ambition have gone to the border to do import and export trade.

Those who were more diligent went to the countryside to search for things, hoping to earn more money.

Those who stay here are basically those who earned enough money during the fritillaria and dried wild mushroom seasons to eat and drink for a year. This season sustains them for the whole year, and since they don't have any great ambitions, they just idly chat and gossip here.

Li Qingxia was actually thinking that since nothing was wrong, he wouldn't stay here and would go back to his team.

As a result, he went back for a few days and then came back again. The people in the team have a lot of gossip, but it's all trivial stuff.

On the contrary, the gossip he heard at the purchasing station became a gossip channel for everyone. People came to the Li family every day to listen to him talk about it. At first, he was quite excited, but later he got annoyed and went back to hiding.

Although they don't collect much, the purchasing station is never idle. Every time Liu Gaolou brings over something, it's enough for them to process for quite a while. Just when they've finished processing and putting it into storage, new work comes in.

In short, I can't stay idle.

But this is good too, at least we don't have to worry about not having money for food—we can only earn money if we have work to do.

Meng Hai arrived in his car around 11:00 AM.

Once inside the meeting room, he excitedly told Li Long, "It's doable! We just need to divide the small lake in two and dredge each half. That way, we can get it done. We can do it like this..."

He brought a pen with him when he came, and he started drawing with it:
"Boss, look, there's no flood or water entering the canal right now, so let's just use an excavator to pave a road in the middle from south to north, and clear it halfway."

We'll clear half of it before winter this year, and the other half before spring next year, and then it'll be completely cleared. When we're clearing, we'll use big trucks to haul away the silt and dump it directly into your fields; the soil will definitely be very fertile next year!"

Li Long smiled, took the pen from Meng Hai's hand, and redrawn on the paper, saying:

"That's about what I expected, but we can't clear it in half. We only have two excavators and two loaders, which isn't enough. Clearing one-third to one-quarter at a time is about right. The lake is bigger than you think!"

Meng Hai, somewhat unconvinced, stood up and said:
"Let's go and see for ourselves. Once we've seen it, I'll have a better understanding."

Since he was so certain, Li Long didn't hesitate and drove Meng Hai to Xiaohaizi.

The top of the dam was now quite spacious. Li Long drove him around most of the dam, and Meng Hai got out of the car to take a look. He even broke off a dry reed to test the water depth before saying:

“Indeed, doing half at a time isn’t enough. Unless we have two more excavators and two more loaders, we’ll have to stop when it snows. Let’s do one-third. That way we’ll be more confident.”

"See those reeds? We should leave the larger reed clumps, just clear the silt from the bottom of the water," Li Long said, pointing to the clumps of reeds scattered throughout the lake.

"Don't worry, with these things around, the fish will grow well. I know that," Meng Hai said with a smile.

“Then I’ll have Liu Gaolou bring over a few more excavators and loaders,” Li Long said. “Even if we don’t need them this year, we can use them next spring.”

"That's great!" Meng Hai was very happy. For him, the more tools the better, and he would never have too many.

The two of them immediately began to figure out where to start cleaning.

According to Li Long's idea, the clearing should start from the south. This is because the annual floods come from the south, rush to the north, and are released at the sluice gate, where the siltation is deepest.

However, since this is the first time Meng Hai and his team have cleaned up, they certainly can't start with the most difficult parts. If they do that, it will be hard to deal with any problems that arise along the way.

Start by cleaning the easier areas, summarizing lessons learned as you go. This will make cleaning the northern part much easier later on.

Meng Hai thought this was a good idea, so he designated one-third of the area from the southwest to the east for cleanup.

We need to start digging soil from the southwest and fill the small lake with it, creating a dam. Then, we'll use pumps to remove the water from the enclosed third of the area and dredge away the silt.

Meng Hai went to arrange the machinery, and then he needed to discuss the matter with the construction workers. Li Long told him that he should settle the construction costs himself, based on the amount they would pay for digging the fish pond.

Meng Hai didn't refuse. Li Long was used to this, and he knew that even if he refused, Li Long would insist.

After Li Long dropped him off at the purchasing station, he drove back to the team and told the team leader about the incident.

“There’s definitely no problem with the team,” Xu Chengjun said with a smile after hearing Li Long’s idea.

"On the surface, it's your contracted lake, so you can do whatever you want with it, we have no objection."

Actually, you've cleared the bottom of the small lake, so it can hold more water now, which is only good for the team. I'm secretly happy about it!

He sighed as he spoke: "Sigh, when you said you wanted to take over Xiaohaizi, I actually thought you were joking. Now that I think about it, it's only because you took it over. If it were anyone else, they would never have done these things to Xiaohaizi."

"Look, you've repaired the sluice gates and the main canal, and now you want to dredge the silt. These are things that should have been done by the team. If you weren't so reluctant, I think you should be the village head."

"I wouldn't do it!" Li Long waved his hand. "I can do whatever I want now, it's so comfortable. If someone takes your position, the township will boss you around, the team will be unhappy, there will be so much resentment, I wouldn't do it even if you gave it to me!"

"Hey, you're absolutely right! Some people think I'm very powerful as the village chief, but what a load of crap! Any leader in the township could give me a good dressing down."

The older members of the team are the same; they all act like they're senior, saying this and that, and I have to listen to them all. If I don't listen properly, they'll still scold me. It's really not easy for me."

Xu Chengjun sighed, and Li Long nodded, actually understanding that what he said was 60% true and 40% false.

It's possible that he might get scolded, but Xu Chengjun may seem reckless, but he's actually quite shrewd. He always greets the township leaders and the older members of the team with a smile, so how could they possibly scold him? You can't hit someone who's smiling.

However, Li Long felt that the other person did a good job, and he had to admit that. He also owed the other person a favor, as he might not have been able to realize some of his own ideas if it were someone else.

After receiving a positive reply, Li Long went to the Li family and told his elder brother about the matter.

If the main task is to dredge silt, one should definitely prioritize fertilizing one's own land first.

As for the cooperative, the land is too large to manage.

"If we really clear it out, and drain the water, there will be a lot of fish in there!" Li Jianguo thought of this. "What do we do with those fish?"

Li Long thought for a moment and said:
"Pick up the small fish and throw them into the uncleaned water so they can continue to grow bigger, and then the big fish can share them."

The team will get some, and my purchasing station, the cannery, and the dried meat processing plant will each get some; that should be about right. Oh, and I need to pick out some of the bigger fish; I need to take them away.”

His older brother's words reminded him that if a third of the small lake were cleared out, there would probably be some particularly large fish in it!

P.S.: I went to Wucheng for a follow-up check-up today. It was quite tiring, so that's all for now.

I'm planning to win some jade trinkets in the end-of-month monthly pass giveaway. What do you all think?
This is a well house and water tower built in the 1980s. Back then, it was called a "foreign well," and the whole village came here to fetch their drinking water. (End of Chapter)