Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 419: All Heading for a Better Life

The whole family came out of the bus station in a lively manner and got on horse and donkey carts.

"Cover yourself up with the blankets first, and let's go to the canteen to eat." Li Jianguo arranged, "After dinner, we'll go back to the team. The accommodation has been arranged. Anguo, you take care of the child and protect his hat and face. I see that the child has frostbite on his hands, and he needs to be treated when we get back."

"Okay." Li Anguo responded and tucked in the quilts for Xueping and Xueqin.

Because Li Anguo, Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan have all stayed here until winter, they know how cold the winter in northern Xinjiang is. Now it is the end of February and the weather is not particularly cold, so Li Long thinks the clothes they are wearing can still withstand it.

The group arrived at the big meat canteen, tied up the horse and donkey carts, and Li Long led the way inside to order food from the waiter.

Without asking for everyone's opinions, he directly ordered fried pork noodles according to the number of people. Adults got one plate each with an extra noodle, and children got one plate for two people. They ate first and talked later.

After getting off the train, Li Qingxia and his friends only had breakfast at the train station. They were really hungry when they arrived here.

"I really miss the noodles here." Li Qingxia said with a smile after smelling the aroma, "The noodles I eat when I go back will be different from here, and the taste will be different too."

"That's right." Chen Xingbang said with a smile, "Noodles made in my hometown always come with soup. You can't find noodles without soup. These noodles are chewy and can keep you full."

Chen Lirong took care of Xueping and Xueqin while they drank tea. She was still a little uncomfortable with the unfamiliar environment.

Xue Ping and Xue Qin have already adapted to the climate here. They are drinking water and looking around the environment curiously.

It was past mealtime and there were not many people eating. Most of them came and left in a hurry. A few of them were leisurely savoring the food.

Manager Zhong came over from behind. He heard the waiter say that Li Long had brought so many people over, so he came over to say hello.

"Comrade Xiao Li, are you bringing your family over for dinner?"

"Yes, Manager Zhong, Happy New Year. This is my greeting to you." Li Long stood up with a smile, "My parents came from Koukei, as well as my brother's family, my brother-in-law and my nephew. We just got off the train today. The food here is delicious and affordable, so we brought it with us."

In fact, there are not many restaurants open to the public in Ma County. The Big Meat Canteen is the most famous one. It is located right on a major traffic route, and it is basically where people eat out.

But the sedan chair is carried by everyone. Manager Zhong was also happy to hear what Li Long said. He smiled and said:
"Okay, okay, happy new year, uncle and aunt. I won't disturb you from eating. I'll go to the back hall and rush to serve your meal. The child must be starving, right? It will be done soon."

Having said that, he went to the back hall.

Chen Xingbang whispered:
"Look, we will definitely have more food than usual later."

"How do you know?" Du Chunfang asked in a low voice.

"The last time Xiaolong brought a few of us here for dinner, this manager came over and said something, and then I ate a lot more food."

Li Anguo and Li Junshan knew about it and nodded. Chen Lirong didn't expect that her brother-in-law had such a big reputation.

Sure enough, when the noodles and dishes were served after a while, the portions were quite large.

"Meat, so much meat!" Xue Ping shouted out, "Mom, there's so much meat in this dish!"

This shout was quite abrupt in the cafeteria. Chen Lirong's face turned red with shame and she covered Xue Ping's mouth with her hands.

Xue Ping struggled for a while, and Xue Qin looked at her mother with some surprise.

"It's okay, it's okay," Li Long waved his hand at his second sister-in-law:

"This rice is fried meat noodles, and it contains diced beef. Xue Ping has never eaten it before, so it's normal for her to be a little surprised."

This was an explanation not only to Chen Lirong, but also to the other people who were eating there - to prevent others from thinking that the cafeteria was biased towards this side.

Sure enough, after Li Long said this, the people at other tables also reacted - it turned out that it was their first time eating it, and they were really good at it, no wonder.

Some people even had a hint of pride on their faces.

"It's okay, it's okay." Li Anguo whispered after Chen Lirong took her hand away, "It's okay, Xue Ping and the others will get used to it slowly."

Du Chunfang was still a little bit patriarchal, and was a little dissatisfied with the two little granddaughters' "making a fuss" and curled her lips slightly.

"Eat it, or the food will get cold and won't taste good." Li Jianguo said, "Anguo, mix the noodles for your wife, Xiaolong, Junshan, mix the noodles for Xueping and Xueqin."

After Li Jianguo said this, everyone else stopped talking and started mixing the noodles.

Li Long knew that although the family's food might improve after his second brother returned, they would definitely not eat meat every day, so it was understandable that the child was asking for meat.

Thinking about the first day after my rebirth, the voice of Li Qiang wanting to eat meat is still clear in my mind.

Less than a year had passed, and Li Qiang no longer had any feeling for eating meat. Sometimes he would even choose pickles when eating vegetables, and he was no longer so craving for meat.

I believe that after a year, the sisters Xueping and Xueqin should be about the same, right?
Firstly, the food was delicious, with real ingredients, lots of oil, lots of salt, and big chunks of meat. Secondly, they were all hungry, so the table was filled with the sound of slurping noodles. Even though it was the first time for the two children to eat noodles, they quickly mastered the method and ate with big mouthfuls. One portion of noodles for two people was not enough, so they ordered another portion to feel full.

After eating and drinking the noodle soup, they rested in the cafeteria for about ten minutes. After the food in their stomachs had "calmed down", Li Long and his friends got up and went out.

In the carriage, Chen Lirong whispered to Li Anguo:
"How much does this meal cost?"

"About ten yuan." Li Anguo knew that a meal of fried pork noodles would cost at least one yuan and sixty cents, and one pound of food coupons would be required, which would cost at least ten yuan.

"So much..." Chen Lirong was shocked, "...enough to buy 200 kilograms of food! If the family saves, it can feed them for two or three months..."

The grain she was talking about was cornmeal, a coarse grain, which is what we usually eat at home.

Li Anguo looked at Li Long who was following the donkey cart and whispered:

"Don't worry about it. Xiaolong can make money. Just wait and see. During this period, we will definitely not eat cornmeal anymore. We can eat rice and flour every day..."

"Dad, is it true?" Xueqin leaned against Li Anguo and immediately became excited when she heard this:

"Can I eat white flour buns every day?"

Xue Ping also asked:

“Can I eat rice often?”

"Yes, yes." Li Anguo felt a little sad. Although he brought back a lot of money, Chen Lirong did not spend it recklessly. She still ate two coarse and one fine meal, with dried sweet potatoes and the like. She said that life should be lived frugally and that we should save what we should save.

After all, after arriving in the northern border, not to mention being helpless, at least we have no land and don’t know where our income comes from, so we have to live frugally.

Li Anguo knew it was difficult to persuade him, so he did not say much. He just thought that after arriving in the northern border, he would be able to find a job as soon as possible, earn money, and support his family.

As for those who have just arrived, just owe them to the big brothers and pay them back when you make money in the future.

He knew that Li Jianguo and Li Long definitely didn't care, but he had to remember it.

After eating, the car ride was not so cold anymore. Even Du Chunfang said in the car:
"It doesn't feel that cold. The temperature is low, but I feel like I'm wearing thicker clothes. It seems to be better than back home."

"That's right." Although Li Qingxia had never spent a winter here, he knew the truth:
"We eat white flour and meat, but we are still hungry. As long as we are not hungry and have food in our stomachs, we can withstand the cold. What do we eat at home? Cornmeal, without any oil or water. How can it withstand the cold better than this?" Several men took turns getting off the car and walking a distance to stretch their bodies. When they arrived at Li's house in the team, the sun had already set.

As soon as I entered the yard, I smelled the fragrance of food. Li Juan and Li Qiang were waiting in the yard early.

Children look forward to relatives coming to their home the most at this time. In the past, it was because they could have a delicious meal when the relatives came, but now it is because it is lively and because it is said that children will come, so doesn’t that mean they will have one more playmate?
Xue Ping is about the same age as Li Qiang, and Xue Qin is two years younger. Although she was somewhat familiar with Li Jianguo and Li Long in the carriage, she felt a little shy when she suddenly saw other strangers.

Liang Yuemei was wearing an apron and greeting everyone one by one. When Tao Daqiang saw that everyone had got off the car, he was about to go back but was stopped by Li Long.

"How can you go back now? Eat first."

"No, no, no, I'm not eating anymore. I just ordered three noodles in the big meat restaurant, and my stomach hasn't digested them yet." Tao Daqiang waved his hands hurriedly, "I have to go back to see my family. You know my wife is pregnant, this..."

"Okay." Li Long knew that he actually felt like an outsider and it was not good for him to stay in such an environment, so he stopped persuading him, "Then wait until things are stable here, in two or three days, and then we'll go to Xiaohaizi to take a look."

"Okay." Tao Daqiang nodded with a smile, talked to Li Qingxia, Li Jianguo and others, then left with the donkey cart.

"What a good kid." Li Qingxia said with admiration.

The family entered the house noisily. Li Anguo, Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan had not taken down their luggage yet, as they would be sent to the stable later. Li Qingxia and Du Chunfang entered the east room, and Li Long brought their belongings in as well.

After a simple tidying up, they prepared to eat. In just a short while, Li Juan and Li Qiang had become familiar with Li Xueping and Li Xueqin. Li Juan brought her three younger siblings to the small table in the kitchen to eat. Chen Lirong insisted on eating there too - Liang Yuemei wanted her to go to the main table, but she refused to go, saying that she was looking after the children here.

In fact, they didn't need her to look after them at all. Seeing Li Juan and Li Qiang taking good care of Li Xueping and Li Xueqin, introducing the food here to them, and even bringing their own toys for them to play with, without any look of disgust, Chen Lirong felt her eyes a little moist.

Although it might be just a show on the first day they met, it at least let her see that their family was welcome here.

The food was very sumptuous, even more sumptuous than the New Year's Eve dinner at home, which was beyond Chen Lirong's expectation. Li Anguo brought back a lot of money, but he had to spend it carefully. Secondly, when he decided to take his family to northern Xinjiang, he had to reserve enough money for the trip and the necessary expenses after the family came. He couldn't let his elder brother and younger brothers support his family all the time, so he didn't spend much money during this time in the village.

So the New Year’s Eve dinner is much better than in previous years, but it’s not too great.

Otherwise, Li Xueping would not have shouted like that after eating fried pork noodles.

Looking at the two children's bowls full of meat - this was picked by Li Juan and Li Qiang, and although Li Xueping and Li Xueqin had eaten a lot at noon, they were still eating the meat in big mouthfuls. Chen Lirong felt ashamed and blamed herself.

"Hey, it's nothing. You don't know, Lirong. Back then, about a year ago, Xiaolong brought back a frozen sheep from the mountains. At that time, the family cooked meat. Juan and Qiangqiang ate meat much more voraciously than this!" Liang Yuemei saw Chen Lirong's embarrassment and said with a smile:

"Children, it's good to eat more when they are growing. When I go back later, I'll give them a few large hawthorn pills to help them digest the food. This year, our family has been stocked with this stuff. Xiaolong brings back meat from the mountains from time to time, and the two children eat a lot. So they often have food accumulation and are prone to fever."

"Thank you, sister-in-law..." Chen Lirong was a little moved.

"What are you thanking me for? We're all family. Come eat. Don't just look after the kids. Eat too. I cooked all these dishes myself. I don't know if they'll suit your taste."

"Yes, yes, it tastes just like home..." Chen Lirong lowered her head and started eating.

After dinner and a few words, Li Long took No. 76, his second brother's family, Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan to the stable.

Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan lived in the side room, which still had a faint fishy smell, but it was not a problem. Li Anguo and his family lived in the room next to Li Long.

Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan greeted Uncle Luo skillfully, and then went to pack their things. Li Xueping and Li Xueqin, prompted by Li Anguo, called Uncle Luo. Uncle Luo was so happy that he stuffed a dollar into each of the two children's hands:

"Here, it's still New Year before the 15th day of the lunar year, this is your lucky money."

The two children looked at their mother at a loss.

Back in their hometown, only Li Qingxia would give them one dollar as a New Year's gift, while others would only give them one or two cents at most.

"Take it." Li Anguo nodded, "Thank you, Grandpa Luo."

"No thanks, what is there to thank me for!" Uncle Luo put his hands behind his back, his face flushed, "Okay, you guys clean up first, tell me if you need anything, and tell Xiaolong that you have rice and flour and a pot in your room. You can cook in the kitchen at ordinary times. If there is anything inconvenient, you can also cook on the stove. An Guo knows this, okay, I'll go and settle No. 76, you guys clean up first."

After Lao Luo left, Li Long finally spoke:

"Second brother, second sister-in-law, you guys clean up first. Oh, it wasn't convenient just now. Come, Xue Ping, Xue Qin, this is the New Year's money that your uncle gave you two. Keep it..."

Chen Lirong was shocked when she saw that Li Long stuffed ten yuan into the two children's pockets. She hurried over and pushed Li Long's hand away:

"Xiaolong, this won't do. This is too much..."

"This is what I owe you." Li Long explained, "As an uncle, I've never given New Year's money to these two children. This is the first time we meet, so I have to make it up to you. I won't give you this much next year, so take it. Oh, and here's this..."

Li Long took out two red-stringed peace lockets and stuffed them into the hands of the two children:

"This is carved from Hetian jade. It's good jade and can keep you safe. You two should keep it. Oh, let your mother keep it for you. Wear it when you are older. Don't lose it... Sister-in-law, here is a jade Buddha for you. I also gave it to my eldest sister-in-law. Keep it well."

After giving these, Li Long stood up and said:

"Okay, you guys clean up. I'll be next door. I'm a little tired, so I'll go take a rest."

After Li Long left, the two children obediently handed the money and jade to their mother.

Chen Lirong looked at Li Anguo, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Keep it." Li Anguo said, "Xiaolong is right. This is his intention. We can give it to him when he has a child."

"This... is too much. Xiaolong is really good at spending money." Chen Lirong put the money away. Seeing the look in the two children's eyes, she handed the jade to them and told them, "You can play with it, but don't throw it away. Give it to me later and I'll keep it for you. These two pieces of jade are not cheap."

"It's not cheap." Li Anguo had asked his father and knew that the jades Li Long got were all good materials. They might not be valuable in his hands, or he might have bought them cheaply, but if he kept them in his mouth and handed them over to someone who knew the value of them, they would be worth at least dozens of dollars.

"This...how can I pay it off?" Chen Lirong sat on the edge of the wooden bed, muttering to herself in annoyance, holding the jade Buddha in her hand, looking very worried.

"When Xiaolong gets married, has a wife, and has a child, you can help take care of him." Li Anguo is a man and thinks simply, "He can make money, so I think it's natural to take care of him since it's the first time we meet.

Now you should understand why I want to come here. You see, in our old village, it is usually more lively than here, with more people and more people to help.

But there are also troubles. If you become rich, many people will want to take advantage of you. Here, you can feel the big brother's family, including Xiaolong and that young man. Doesn't it feel different?"

Chen Lirong nodded. Yes, both sides have advantages, but here there are fewer people and less things to do. At least from the current point of view, the living standard is better than that of my hometown, and it can provide two children with enough food and good food. This alone is enough.

Li Long was lying on the bed reading a book, and soon Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan came over. The two men were quick to clean up, and they didn't want to rest at this time. They came to Li Long to inquire about the situation.

"I was asking around before you guys came, but there's no suitable work at the moment." Li Long knew Chen Xingbang and Li Junshan's 7?, he said, "But don't worry, it'll take more than a month before the snow melts and we can work, in this month or so I'll find a way to make money."

"Well, if it doesn't work out, I'll still follow you." Chen Xingbang also thought, "I'll do this for a while first, save up some capital, and then I'll start some small business or something."

The brother-in-law is capable, and he doesn't think there is anything wrong with working with Li Long. After coming to Northern Xinjiang and returning home, Chen Xingbang finally understood that making money and living a good life is the most realistic thing these days, but it's all nonsense.

"Well, I have to build a house after the snow melts in spring, and you have to help me." Li Long said with a smile, "You are all craftsmen, and I rely on you to build it well."

"That's no problem." Li Junshan had no say in other matters, but when it came to building a house and being a master worker, he was really confident, "Just wait and see, Uncle Xiaolong!"

(End of this chapter)