Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

The weather was getting colder, but to be honest, it wasn't particularly uncomfortable for the three of them to go to Shicheng. This was much better than Li Long being alone in the mountains. At least there was someone to talk to. It was only in these few days that Li Long realized that men were no worse than the sisters-in-law and aunts in the village when it came to gossiping.

Yang Yongqiang was like a gossiper, telling all the big and small things in the village, including almost everything about every household.

What surprised Li Long was that Tao Daqiang, who usually didn't talk much, would occasionally say a few words, and it seemed that he knew a lot.

It's normal to think about it. After all, Tao Daqiang is married, and his wife is from the next village. It's impossible for him to integrate into his own village without gossip.

When those women work together, they are talking about other people's affairs.

This also allowed Li Long, who had lived two lives, to understand many things that he did not know in his previous life.

For example, the ancestors of the Qian family in Laozhuangzi were members of the Small Knife Society uprising. Later, they were hunted down by the Qing government and fled to the west. They came to the northern border relatively early, but they did not live in the village before and only moved here later.

For example, a young couple who had settled in Dongzhuangzi only two years ago actually eloped here. Their families did not agree, so they simply ran here.

For example, Ma Jinbao actually eats all kinds of meat in private, but others just don’t tell others about it.

There were also people who were dating each other secretly, but the relationship broke down in the end, so their families introduced them to girls from other villages, and after they got married, the previous girl regretted it.

Li Long felt a little eye-opening.

While chatting and laughing, they arrived at the county.

As usual, we ate buns and drank hot tea in the big meat canteen and then continued on our way.

When we arrived in Shicheng, there were still many people in the market and the stalls inside were still hard to find.

Just like last time, Li Long parked the carriage outside and set up a stall to sell fish. Yang Yongqiang carried a bag of fish and a scale with a stick, while Tao Daqiang carried a bag of rabbits. The two of them went to the market to find a stall.

Li Long also took out a stick from the carriage and put it aside ready to respond at any time.

This time they brought about ten more rabbits than last time, and more than a hundred kilograms of fish, so they should be able to sell them for a lot of money.

Li Long asked Tao Daqiang and Yang Yongqiang to find adjacent stalls. If that didn't work, they could share one stall so that they could take care of each other.

Li Long himself is not afraid of anything. After all, he has rich experience, whether it is selling things or dealing with those annoying guys.

After discussing with Yang Yongqiang and his team, the price of rabbits remains unchanged, carp is sold at 1.1 yuan, crucian carp and silver carp are sold at 90 cents. This way the price is not too high, it is competitive, and the income will be higher.

The most common fish in the small lake is crucian carp. The price of this fish has increased by 10 cents, so I can sell it for 20 or 30 yuan more this time.

Li Long was selling fish and rabbits while keeping an eye out for pickpockets. There were more people around him today, but to Li Long's surprise, there was nothing unusual from beginning to end. Although a few fish buyers were picky and had many requirements, Li Long still managed to get them to buy his fish.

There were more fish and rabbits than last time, but by the time Li Long and his team got to the afternoon, they had almost sold out. Li Long deliberately left two rabbits and four carps unsold.

"Brother Long, are we going to take this fish back for Xiaoxia to eat?" Yang Yongqiang asked curiously.

"Half of them are, and some are for giving away." Li Long said, "Let's eat first, and then go to the sugar factory to collect sugar residue. I know someone there, so we can collect more and it will be more convenient. We don't have to go down to the pit to fish it out. It's convenient for us, so we have to give them something to thank them."

"Yes, yes, yes." Yang Yongqiang understood immediately. In the winter, it is not an easy job to go to the sugar factory to pick up sugar residue. There is water in the big pit where the sugar factory unloads sugar residue. If you want to pick up the sugar residue, you basically have to go down to the pit, put it in the basket, and then lift it up and pour it into the car.

My pants were soaked at once, and then they froze into ice. How could it not be uncomfortable in such a cold winter?

They drove the carriage to have a meal first, and then went to the sugar factory.

Li Long did not go directly to the factory, but led the carriage to the big pit where the sugar residue was dumped. He hoped to meet the driver, Team Leader Song, so that he could save a lot of trouble.

Seeing the three young men driving the horse-drawn carriage over, the seven or eight people pushing flatbed carts beside the sugar residue pit became a little wary. After all, this was considered competition. They had already occupied a good position, holding baskets in their hands, waiting for the car to come over and dump the sugar residue so that they could rush down.

These people have been here for a long time, so they naturally know what position is the best. Seeing that Li Long and the other three were on the periphery and had no intention of coming forward, some people looked at them with contempt.

Amateur! When all the cars are backed up, it will be hard to see if you can get anything!

After waiting for less than twenty minutes, just when Yang Yongqiang was getting a little impatient, a car drove over.

The people surrounding the big pit of sugar residue suddenly became alert. They left space for the trucks and scrambled for the best positions on both sides to get down into the pit. Some people had already impatiently gone down halfway and were waiting, because there were not many good positions, and some people were even pushing and shoving each other.

Li Long walked towards the truck, and was somewhat disappointed to see that there was only one person driving the car, and it was not Xiao Song.

He took two steps back, thinking that he might not be able to wait for this car. He thought about waiting for the driver to unload the sugar residue and then asking where Xiao Song was.

What surprised Li Long was that the truck stopped when it drove next to him.

"Comrade Li?" The driver leaned out and called out to him.

"You...you are Xiao Song's...assistant?" Li Long vaguely remembered this face. It seemed that this young man was also there when he went to Xiao Song to get sugar residue last time.

"What assistant? I'm his apprentice." The young man stopped the car and jumped out, saying with a smile, "Comrade Li, what are you doing..."

"We have pigs at home, so we plan to bring some sugar residue back. You've worked hard, how's Team Leader Song?"

"My master is in the factory. It's cold in winter. I can drive the car myself now, so I'll let him have a rest."

"You are this!" Li Long gave a thumbs up.

"Comrade Li, you guys load the truck first, and I'll unload it after you're done." The driver smiled and said, "It's still early for the next truck, so there's no need to rush now."

"Thank you then." Li Long turned around and took out two rabbits from the car and handed them to the driver:
"We don't have much good stuff in our village. These two rabbits were caught yesterday. You and your master each get one. I also have two carps. Please bring them to Chief Hu. By the way, what are their names?"

"My last name is Zhang, Zhang Xueliang. You can just call me Xiao Zhang." Xiao Zhang was very happy looking at the rabbit. He put the rabbit and the fish into the passenger seat, then pulled out a shovel from the side of the truck and said, "Use this, it's quick. I have a few sacks here, I'll give them to you."

Tao Daqiang had pulled sugar residue with Li Long before, so he was not surprised. But Yang Yongqiang opened his mouth wide. Is that enough?
Brother Long’s face, this rabbit really has a lot of face!
Those people were dumbfounded. It turned out that the other person had a backer and knew him!

Li Long and his friends were not polite. It was too cold and no one wanted to stay outside for too long. The three of them got on the truck and started loading the sugar residue.

The sugar residue just pulled off the sugar factory production line was still a little hot and contained a lot of moisture, and water was dripping from under the truck bed.

Li Long and his men erected the four sides of the carriage and put all the fish bags on top to put sugar residue, including the sacks Zhang Xueliang gave them. Li Long left the remaining two fish for Guo Xiaoxia.

Bags of sugar residue were loaded and stacked on the carriage. Li Long and his team were quick. After loading all the bags, they unloaded some more sugar residue on top and then jumped off the truck.

"Comrade Zhang, thank you so much this time. We won't delay your work. We'll leave first!" Li Long put the shovel into the side of the truck, said hello to the driver Zhang Xueliang, and prepared to leave.

"Okay, come back if you need sugar residue next time." Zhang Xueliang thought these people were pretty good, and said with a smile, "My master and I are here every day. If it's not us who's pulling it, you can tell the driver and say that it's my master's friend, and they will give it face."

"Okay, thanks!" Li Long raised his hand and watched Zhang Xueliang start the car and unload the sugar residue, then they drove the carriage away.

"I can pack a lot this time!" Yang Yongqiang was a little excited. There were still some sugar residues on his cotton-rubber shoes. Fortunately, the shoes were waterproof and the warmth-keeping function inside would not be a problem.

"Well, it will last for a while." Li Long said, "If you have time, wait until the New Year to load another truck, it will be enough for this year."

This thing can be eaten by pigs, deer, roe deer, horses, and donkeys. It is not an exaggeration to call it a universal feed.

"Da Qiang, you carry a bag on the way back." Li Long said as they walked, "Let's go back to the county now. When we get there, I'll put the two fish in the yard, and then we'll go home."

Thinking that he didn't encounter any pickpockets in the market, Li Long wondered if the market management had cleared out a batch of them, otherwise why would it be so quiet?
However, when they drove the carriage to a section of road with poplar trees on both sides, Li Long knew that he had guessed wrong.

The reason why they didn't cause trouble for me in the market is that they didn't want to alert the enemy. They are waiting for me here.

There were still four people, but the leader, who had been knocked down by him and had his money and steel pipe robbed, was now holding a double-barreled shotgun.

The five people were still about forty or fifty meters away from Li Long and his companions. Li Long had good eyesight and could see that the five people all had smug smiles on their faces.

There was also a cruel expression. Obviously, if they really succeeded, the three of them would probably not have a good ending.

"Okay, you don't have to retreat. Come here. I have two bullets in my gun. If you want to bet on how fast I can shoot, or which of you three is luckier, then run." The man holding the shotgun slowly walked towards the carriage.

"Brother, the guy yesterday didn't have much money, but this guy today should have quite a bit, at least a few hundred!" The guy who had fought with Yang Yongqiang said, "This carriage can also be sold for a lot of money!"

"I know, you don't have to tell me!" The man holding the shotgun impatiently told his men to shut up, and he pointed the gun at Li Long.

He had never felt such humiliation as that day. He planned that even if Li Long begged for mercy, he would cripple one of his arms and legs after getting the money!

Li Long and the other two looked at each other, and Yang Yongqiang said:
"Brother Long, you are still the one who has foresight!"

"This is not the first time that Brother Long and I have experienced this." Tao Daqiang was not worried at all. He explained and then asked:

"Brother Long, are you going to do it or should I?"

"Let me do it. I'm familiar with it." Li Long reached out and pulled out a holster from the bag in front of the carriage.

The five people had walked to a distance of more than thirty meters. When they saw Li Long taking out the things, one of them stopped and turned around to run away as he thought the situation was not right.

When Li Long took off his holster, the remaining four people stopped.

No matter how powerful a double-barreled shotgun is, can it compare to a five-six-and-a-half?
Li Long said as he opened the insurance:
"Don't run. I'll shoot whoever runs first. I had ten bullets loaded when I came here, and each of you has two bullets on average. I've won first place in the militia shooting competition, so you can try to see if my shooting skills have deteriorated."

Try it, mom!
Those people were cursing madly in their hearts, but no one said it out loud.

The leader was really flexible, and his tone suddenly changed:
"Brother, I'm sorry. It was a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Well, I still have a few dozen dollars on me, which I'll use as an apology. Please give us a way out. We'll have a chance to meet again in the future, and maybe you'll need me when the time comes..."

"Yes, yes, yes. As a human being, you should give yourself some leeway. Maybe we can run into each other again in the future..."

"Put down your guns and the other guys." Li Long said, "Kneel down - I won't let you kneel down either. Take out the money you have -"

He walked forward with his gun in hand and gave orders.

This place is five or six kilometers away from the bridge inspection checkpoint and three or four kilometers away from Shicheng city. There are poplar trees on both sides, making it the best place to do evil.

Otherwise, Li Long wouldn't have encountered this again and again.

Of course, it was mainly because he was a big customer. After all, he always pulled a cart full of fish and other things, and the sales of this cart would be several hundred yuan. Wouldn't it be more comfortable to rob him than to steal the eighty cents from those scattered people?
So it was normal for him to be targeted.

Of course, as he was being targeted so many times, Li Long naturally became defensive. Besides, it was the beginning of 1983, so how could he not be defensive?

The one at the back hesitated for a moment, then suddenly crouched down and ran into the woods. He felt that as long as he ran into the woods, Li Long would not be able to hit him even if he had bullets in his gun.

He was betting that Li Long might not have bullets in his gun and might not dare to shoot.

"boom!"

Li Long raised his hand and shot at the tree in front of him.

"If you keep running, the next shot will be your legs!" Li Long's voice was icy, "You still have one bullet left!"

The man turned around obediently, walked to the road with his hands raised, and knelt down.

This time, the leader threw his shotgun on the snow without Li Long's instructions.

Although shotguns are expensive, life is more important.

Even if Li Long shot and injured or killed me and the police came to investigate, my life would be gone by then!

"Go get the shotguns," Li Long ordered, "and get their wallets too."

Li Long didn't call out any names because he was afraid that these people would catch up with Tao Daqiang and Yang Yongqiang.

He felt that there was a high possibility that he would encounter similar incidents in the future.

Maybe in two years, it won't happen... maybe next year. When I drive my own tractor, who can stop me?
Think more.

Tao Daqiang came with a shotgun, and Yang Yongqiang came with a wad of money. Li Long whispered again:

"Take the sticks, beat them up, and let's go."

It's ok to hand them over to the police, but it's hard to explain the gun in my hand. Besides, in a few days, these people might be wiped out. It would be a good thing for them to arrest them now.

Tao Daqiang and Yang Yongqiang were not kind people, and they did not go easy on such people. They beat the five people until they screamed and wailed, and they all limped when they left.

"Brother Long, two daggers, a short knife, one hundred and twenty-six dollars and thirty cents."

"The money is divided between you two." Li Long said, "You can play with the things, the hunting rifle is mine."

Li Long gave 80 yuan each to Tao Daqiang and Yang Yongqiang from the money earned from selling fish and rabbits. This way, their total profit exceeded 100 yuan, and the two were very happy.

This double-barreled shotgun was well maintained. In addition to the two bullets in the gun, Yang Yongqiang also found more than ten bullets, the lead bullet type, from the man's small bag.

Li Long himself has a 56.5mm rifle, a small caliber rifle, and now he has a double-barreled shotgun, so he has all the rifles. The 56.5mm rifle will definitely be handed in later, but the small caliber and double-barreled shotgun can be handed in later.

As for hunting, it is a way to make money now, and it can be a hobby in the future.

After putting away the two guns, they headed towards the county town.

After putting the fish in the big yard, Gu Xiaoxia had not come back yet, so Li Long left a note, and then the three of them drove the carriage back to the team.

Part of the sugar residue was unloaded at the horse shed. A bag was unloaded for Tao Daqiang. Yang Yongqiang's family didn't have any large livestock, so they didn't want it. The rest was unloaded at Li's house.

Li Long and his two companions came back with a cart full of sugar residues, and the news soon spread throughout the village.

At the Li family, Li Jianshe asked Li Long:

"Did you encounter any robbers?"

"I did." Li Long knew that he couldn't hide this. "I have a gun with me, it's okay."

"Hey! We ran into Zhao Laoshi and his gang the day before yesterday! The three of them couldn't beat the five of them. They had guns and robbed them of all their money..." Li Jianguo's expression was a bit complicated, "They also beat them up. They didn't go out yesterday to avoid getting hurt - this guy... doesn't he want you to know?"

"It doesn't matter. This isn't the first time I've encountered this," Li Long said, patting his gun bag. "I always carry it with me when I go back. I don't believe those people dare to resist at gunpoint."

"That's true, but you must not let your guard down either." Li Jianguo said, "There are all kinds of monsters and demons out there now, so you still have to be careful no matter what. It's better if the three of you go together..."

"Well, we will be careful. By the way, brother, we made a lot of money this time, so I'll give you fifty..."

"No, no more." Li Jianguo waved his hand, "I don't need that much, just keep it. If you really want to buy a tractor in the spring, you have to save more money, right?"

This is true. Li Long did not insist.

He plans to continue like this until the New Year.

Then a phone call disrupted his plans.

PS: Thanks to Hai Zhihuang, The Cat in My Arms, Wukong Babujie, Luanshi Chenfei, and 20220609211144606 for their rewards.

Recently I have been writing two chapters, but each chapter is 5,000 words, so the total word count is the same. I mainly want to catch up with the average subscription (the above does not count as money) (This chapter is finished)