Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

The next day, after getting up early and having breakfast, Gu Xiaoxia went to work while Li Long checked his Type 56 semi-automatic rifle.

Originally, this time he was just delivering food, but the job Li Xiangqian offered was still very tempting to Li Long. After killing a few wild boars and a few other animals, the little one thousand came out again.

Li Long was quite happy to have such a job before the New Year. Now he knew several hunting spots, and he could ask Halim and the others. According to this plan, he should be able to catch one or two wild boars in one trip into the mountains.

If a workman wants to be good, he must first sharpen his weapon.

If you want to catch good prey, you must first clean the gun - otherwise, in the cold winter, the bolt will freeze, jam, or misfire, and you will have to watch the prey run away from you, which is definitely not a pleasant feeling.

It's more painful than fishing when the fish falls off the hook.

If a wild boar goes crazy and the gun jams at a critical moment, the wild boar will rush over and kill people.

After carefully cleaning the gun, assembling it and putting it in the holster, Li Long put on his coat and went out with the gun on his back. He checked all the doors, closed and locked them, and then led out No. 76 and put it on the carriage.

Number 76 was a very smart old horse. He knew it was time to work, so he turned around and got into the shaft. Li Long put a harness on him, patted his back and said,
"It would be great if you could harness the cart yourself like the dog that picked up students in my previous life."

Number 76 snorted, and it was unclear whether it was to express contempt or had some other meaning.

After driving the carriage out of the gate and locking the door, Li Long got on the carriage and headed west.

The sun was only halfway up when they left the county town. Li Long estimated that by the time he reached Halimu's place it would be mid-morning, so he would still be in time for everything.

This time he planned to stay in the wooden house for two or three days. He would fight if he could, and come back if he couldn't. He was not greedy. In addition to the things he brought for Halim and the others, Li Long also brought some steamed buns. There was also a small amount of food in the wooden house. If there were no accidents, it would be enough for him to eat for a few days.

It was just because hunting was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and Li Long didn't bring enough grass, so he needed to get some grass from Halimu as a backup. After all, it was easy to get food for himself, but it was not easy to get the grass that No. 76 ate in the ice and snow.

He planned to go hunting on horseback after delivering the food, as this would allow him to run faster and more efficiently in the snow.

While he was thinking about all sorts of things, he let No. 76 pull the carriage westward along the Wuyi Highway. He almost passed the way. The fork in the road was right in front of him, but No. 76 did not turn south, but went straight forward - perhaps he thought Li Long was taking him to Shicheng?

Li Long hurriedly waved the whip and pulled the reins to turn onto the road leading to Qingshui River.

This road is obviously not as flat as the Wuyi Highway, and the road surface is a bit narrow, but No. 76 is not picky, so it just takes a little effort.

Although the sun had fully appeared, the temperature was still very low. During this short while, No. 76's head and face turned white, and the fur on Li Long's fur hat and the hair on his own eyebrows also turned white.

Fortunately, I was wearing a mask, a scarf, and my coat collar was turned up, so my nose didn't feel cold when I breathed.

When we passed Qingshuihe Township, we saw some kids playing on the road, playing with old cows, and sliding. There was a black "ice track" in the middle of the road, which was made by the kids' persistent sliding. No. 76 knew this very well, and avoided this slide when we walked. Otherwise, even if it was nailed with shoes, we might slip and fall when we stepped on it.

Once an animal like a horse breaks its leg, it is difficult to heal it, after all, it sleeps standing up.

The legs are over utilized.

After leaving Qingshuihe Township, the roadside suddenly became quiet. The weather was fine today. There was no howling wind and no snow. The sky was not very blue, but it was not polluted. Li Long didn't know what it was, but it felt like blue with a bit of gray.

The shrubs and red willows on both sides of the road were also covered in white snow, but it didn't last long. When the sun rose to the middle of the sky, the temperature would rise slightly and melt it.

Li Long sat up straight and looked around to see if he could see any yellow sheep passing by. If so, he could catch one or two and finish his task.

Unfortunately not.

In the distance, there were people herding a flock of sheep slowly. Li Long was a little confused. These people were too diligent. They drove the sheep out so early in the morning. Did they not have enough grass at home?

The carriage entered the mountain pass and the surroundings became even quieter. Even the sound of birds could not be heard. Li Long was still a little uncomfortable. He raised his whip and cracked it, making a loud noise, trying to break the silence.

Number 76 turned his head and looked at him with a puzzled look - I was obviously walking very fast, why was he cracking the whip?

Li Long couldn't give any specific response, so No. 76 quickened its pace, thinking that Li Long was too slow.

It's a bit bumpy - after all, mountain roads are different from the roads outside.

By the time they reached Halimu's winter den, No. 76 was already sweating, and his hot breath was spreading in the sunlight.

The barking of the dog called Halim out. When he saw Li Long, he strode over happily.

Li Long drove the carriage into the ditch, and then he and Halimu who had rushed over pushed the carriage up - of course, it was mainly No. 76 who exerted the force.

"This time I mainly brought food and salt." Li Long greeted Halimu and explained his purpose. "In addition, I plan to hunt for some things in the next two days. There are people outside the mountain who will buy them."

"Are wild boars or anything else okay?" Halimu asked as he carried the bags and unloaded them from the truck.

"It's all right."

"Two days ago, there was a herd of wild boars in the valley behind your wooden house, but it seemed they only stayed for a day. Then, in a ravine towards the Yushan River, I saw roe deer and red deer." Halimu said, "I'll draw it for you later."

The natural thing to draw is to draw the map, Li Long agreed with a smile.

Sure enough, if you want to find something in the mountains, you still have to ask the mountain people.

After the things were unloaded, Halimu wiped the sweat off No. 76 and fed him feed, while Li Long went into the house to drink milk tea.

Halimu's mother smiled at Li Long and said something. Li Long didn't know what she was saying, so he just smiled and nodded. Halimu's wife couldn't help laughing when she served milk tea to Li Long. Li Long knew that he might have made a fool of himself.

But it doesn’t matter, we have a good relationship, so just laugh it off.

When Halimu bent over and came in, Nathan was asking Li Long some questions.

For example, movies, such as "Shaolin Temple", martial arts, etc. Nathan has made great progress in Chinese this year, and can communicate in a basic way, and speak quite clearly.

This surprised Li Long. Children learn languages ​​much faster than adults.

"Shaolin Temple is a movie. It is a movie that is played from a machine, um, a machine similar to this radio, and projected onto a white cloth..."

Li Long explained in a way that Nathan and the others could understand as best as possible.

Last year, Shaolin Temple was released, but Li Long didn't have time to watch it. He didn't even know the exact release date. Although he went to the Cultural Palace several times, he only went there to buy tickets and never thought about watching a movie.

Li Long's impression of the Cultural Palace was that it played videos, sold "Little Bee" game consoles, and sold melon seeds. This was several years later.

Can I go to the movies with Gu Xiaoxia when I have time? After all, a classic movie like "Shaolin Temple" will definitely be shown for a long time in this small northwestern city, and maybe I can still see it.

Nathan couldn't imagine how movies were played, just like many children in the mountains in later generations couldn't understand how computers worked.

"When we get down the mountain and reach the county town, I will treat you to a movie." Li Long had no choice but to say this in the end.

Nathan's grandmother said a few words.

Translated by Halim:

"My mother said that radios are good things. They let children know a lot about the outside world. They want to go out and see the world, which is a good thing. But radios are also bad things because they will destroy the traditions of our Kazakh herdsmen. When Nathan and his family grow up, they may not want to stay in the mountains." Li Long was silent. This was inevitable. In order to facilitate management and the lives of herders, more than a decade later, various parts of northern Xinjiang began to settle down and develop animal husbandry. The nomadic people in the mountains gradually changed their lifestyles and had their own large yards at the foot of the mountains. Although the livestock could be circulated and released, the elderly and children lived at the foot of the mountains. Some people even stopped moving and began to raise cattle and sheep in pens, and the number of sheep for feeding increased.

Objectively, it is an improvement in lifestyle, after all, children can go to school nearby and the elderly can go to the doctor conveniently. But many traditions of nomadic peoples have gradually disappeared.

There is no right or wrong, there is no way to measure it - after all, everyone has a different scale in their hearts.

Li Long changed the subject:
"Halimu, bring me a bundle of grass and some salt. I plan to stay at the cabin for two days so that it will be convenient for hunting."

"Okay." Halimu replied with one word, then took the milk tea handed to him by his wife and took a sip, then suddenly asked:

"Li Long, do you think Nathan and the others can go to school?"

"Yes." Although Li Long was a little surprised by Halim's question, he still gave a positive answer. "I think the county may build Uyghur schools and Kazakh schools next year or the year after. By then, you can build a yard at the foot of the mountain, and the children and the elderly can live there. Then Nathan can go to school."

Although most of the herders in the pastoral team live in the mountains, they also have their own territory. If they want, they can build a yard and settle down there. After all, this is the general trend.

Of course, those who don’t want to move will be forced to live in different villages after some time, just like being sent to the countryside to work.

The upper limit of the preferential policies for the people in socialism may not be high due to national strength, but the lower limit is definitely much higher than that of capitalism. Not letting anyone fall behind is sometimes really a political task.

Even if this person is a scoundrel or a lazy person - this is also what some grassroots workers criticize.

"Then...what should I do?" Halimu asked seriously.

"Two solutions." Li Long had thought about this problem a long time ago. Next year, because of some things happening in southern Xinjiang, the autonomous region will come up with a very good policy for ethnic minorities. This is a general trend, and Li Long just said it in advance.

"First, you can find your animal husbandry team leader and ask to build a yard on your land. Before you move to another pasture next spring, just gather people to build it. Think about it, it didn't take you long to build this wooden house for me, so it won't take much time to build a yard for you. After it's built, leave some food and daily necessities, and the elderly and children can live there without having to go to the mountains. There must be a school near your animal husbandry team, and they can go to school there."

Halimu thought this was pretty good.

But he still wanted to hear the second method.

"The second way is to directly spend money to buy a house or yard in Qingshuihe Township or the county. In this way, you don't have to build a house and can go directly to the school in the township or county. However, there are only Han schools in the township and county, so you can only let your children learn Chinese content directly."

"Then isn't the school for our animal husbandry team taught in Chinese?"

"Not necessarily." Li Long said uncertainly, "Maybe I can teach you Chinese, or maybe I can teach you Kazakh."

Harimu was silent.

"Don't worry, there's still some time, you can think about it slowly." Li Long didn't know much about the animal husbandry team, but he thought it wouldn't be difficult to find a house for Halimu in the spring, and it would be even easier to send him to school. Living in the county, he could go to school. Of course, if he couldn't go, he could look for Gu Xiaoxia, and that should be possible.

At noon, Halim's wife cooked horse meat narin. The Kazakhs have the custom of eating horse meat stuffed with horse intestines. Not the horses that are ridden, but the meat horses that are raised, just like cattle and sheep. The cooking methods of horse meat narin vary from tribe to tribe, but the main ingredients are the same: noodles, boiled horse meat and horse intestines, then pour the broth on the noodles, mix well and eat.

Knowing that Li Long liked to be clean and did not like to eat with his hands, Halimu asked his wife to serve a bowl of horse meat for Li Long to eat, while the whole family sat around two plates of horse meat narin on the wooden kang table and ate with their hands.

The technique of grabbing noodles and meat is similar to the technique of eating pilaf.

Li Long ate very quickly because he was hungry. Although the Naren looked ordinary and had no color embellishment, it tasted really good, so he ate two bowls.

After eating, I drank some noodle soup to help digest the food.

After Halimu and his family finished eating, Li Long and Halimu went out together, harnessed the carriage, put a bundle of hay and a small bag of salt on the carriage. After that, Halimu began to draw a map for Li Long in the snow.

After looking at it and asking about the specific location, Li Long waved his hand, said goodbye to Halimu, and drove away in the carriage.

There is a road leading to the valley where the wooden house is. Although the carriage is a bit bumpy, it can still go through smoothly.

When he arrived at the cabin, Li Long found that the wooden floor that he had swept clean was now covered with a layer of snow. He unloaded the carriage first, tied No. 76 to the wood on the east side of the cabin, tore up some of the hay and threw it to it, then Li Long pulled the carriage aside and went to open the door.

There was a chill in the room. Li Long first lit the fire, and after the stove was lit, he took a big broom to sweep the snow.

It hasn't snowed much recently, and this snow was blown here by the wind. The weather in the mountains is changeable, it may be sunny one moment and cloudy the next, or it may rain heavily, but it will be sunny again in ten minutes.

After sweeping the snow, the fire was burning brightly and the coldness in the room went away. Li Long took a bucket to the spring to fetch water. When he came back, he poured it into the teapot, then broke off a few pieces of brick tea, covered it with a lid and put it on the stove to burn.

The small room was basically empty except for some food and things that were not taken away. Li Long cleaned it up again. No. 76 would be squeezed in here at night, so he had to clean it up to prevent No. 76 from "making trouble".

The ingredients and other things were placed in the big house. Li Long saw that the sun was shining brightly outside and thought about taking out the quilt to dry it, but then he thought better of it. The heat from the sun was not as much as the cold air, so he took a stool and placed it next to the stove and put the quilt on the stool to dry it.

After finishing all this, Li Long saw that it was still early, so he used coal dust to press down the stove, then put on his coat, carried his gun, took his shoulder bag, rope and plastic sheeting, locked the door and went to get No. 76, ready to take a walk.

There was no saddle on No. 76's back—Li Long himself hadn't prepared a saddle. Fortunately, his horse riding skills were pretty good now, so he just laid two layers of sacks on No. 76's back, and that was enough. As long as he didn't run too hard, Li Long felt that he could control it.

No. 76 was quite docile. Although it was a little uncomfortable after Li Long got on the horse and shook its neck a few times, it still obediently followed Li Long's instructions and walked east.

After walking for a while, No. 76 wanted to run away, and Li Long hurriedly grabbed it. Now there was no saddle or stirrups, and if it ran too fast, it would definitely fall off.

As soon as Li Long pulled the reins, No. 76 knew what it meant and had to walk forward obediently. It was evolving towards the direction of a walking horse.

After climbing over a not-too-high mountain and walking along the ridge for a while, Li Long saw the place where the wild boar had dug up the ground as Halimu said.

The traces of the arch are still fresh, but it seems that it is not multiple times, but only once. It is a trace from a few days ago. As for whether it will appear in the future, I can't guarantee it.

Li Long has doubts about this place, so let's continue.

He asked No. 76 to continue heading southeast, which was the direction of Yushan River. They would pass through the Hot Spring Valley. Li Long planned to go to the Hot Spring Valley to take a look. If there was any, that would be the best. If not, he could also explore the situation.

The road to the Hot Spring Valley was a bit bumpy, and Li Long was extremely careful riding on a horse without a saddle. Even so, he still slipped from the horse's neck when No. 76 was going down the mountain.

No. 76 stopped in time and looked at Li Long with innocent big eyes. It was obviously a little confused and was also expressing that it was not its fault.

Li Long naturally knew that he couldn't blame it, so he got up, brushed off the snow on his body, picked up the fallen sack, put it back on No. 76, and led it down to the Hot Spring Valley.

A sulphurous smell wafted over. Li Long thought it was quite good and refreshing.

Number 76 felt a little uncomfortable and snorted twice.

Li Long rode No. 76 into the ditch. He held the reins with one hand and the horse's mane with the other to prevent himself from falling off. As for whether he could catch the prey, Li Long was a little unsure. But at this time, he thought there shouldn't be anything there, right?
The deeper it went, the slower No. 76 moved; it was obvious that it didn't like the taste.

Li Long didn't dare to leave it here. After all, there were wild wolves in the mountain. He was not afraid of just one, but if there was a group, he would leave by himself, and No. 76 would be their food.

Li Long now regrets bringing No. 76 here.

I had no choice but to keep moving forward.

Then, I heard the sound of water ahead! (End of this chapter)