Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

After discussing what to write and what to do when they return, what happens next depends on Li Qingxia's performance.

Du Chunfang didn't say much throughout the whole process. When Li Long was about to leave, she had already carried out a basket of vegetables from the vegetable garden. The basket was something Li Long brought over when he bought peaches earlier, and he left it with the basket at his eldest brother's place.

"These are freshly picked from the vegetable garden in your front yard. Some of them are pickled, and some places have also planted cabbages. Take them back and eat them."

There were tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and some celery in the basket.

Li Long did not refuse. He opened the car door and put the basket on the back seat. When he was about to get in the car and start the car, he thought of something. He opened the car door and turned to his father Li Qingxia and said:
"Dad, Anmin's mother, is my second aunt still alive? Is her leg and foot not in good condition?"

"Yes, this year... I should be seventy-five, right?" Li Qingxia said after thinking for a while.

"Anmin's mother not only has bad legs and feet, but also a bad waist. Anmin's father died early, and she was exhausted raising several children." Du Chunfang knew better than Li Qingxia.

Then she looked at her eldest son, then at her youngest son, and she felt inexplicably proud of how capable her sons were. It was her eldest son who went out to make a living, which ensured that their family did not suffer from hunger during those years, and they even had surplus food to help others.

Du Chunfang was not stingy, or rather, he did not hold grudges. As long as he was not starving, Li Qingxia would give the surplus food at home to whoever he wanted.

If others wanted to come to her, she would just push the matter away. Anyway, she was not in charge of the family. This kind of personality actually saved a lot of trouble in those days.

Then the property was distributed among the households, and the youngest son became successful again. He was able to eat meat every day. How could I have dared to think about letting him go?
Hey, I am destined to enjoy a good life. People are different.

"Then, old man, when you come back, take the wine we brewed with you. When you get there, put a bottle of wine in front of my second aunt and tell her that this can cure back and leg pain. Brother Anmin will definitely ask about it, so just mention it and don't let him tell anyone else."

"What are you talking about?" Du Chunfang didn't know what the wine was that he drank from time to time and felt that it tasted fishy and not as delicious as Daqu wine, so he asked.

"Just mention it. The wine is very expensive. A bottle can sell for hundreds of dollars." Li Long said half-jokingly.

"That's not the way to coax people." Du Chunfang immediately said with a stern face. She attached great importance to a person's character and her attitude seemed quite serious.

"Xiaolong is not lying," Li Jianguo also thought that this was a good idea, "This wine is valuable. Dad, let's do it. Anmin is very filial, and his mother is well, you can ask him to do anything."

Li Long left, and Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei went to feed the pigs and prepare the things for picking melons. Du Chunfang had something on her mind, and after returning to the house, she couldn't help asking Li Qingxia:

"Xiaolong said that the wine costs hundreds of dollars a bottle... How expensive?"

Li Qingxia actually already knew that the wine contained tiger bones. Since no one told him explicitly, he pretended to be confused since his wife didn't ask anyway.

Now when Du Chunfang asked him, he chuckled:
"Why are you asking this? No matter how expensive it is, isn't it your son's filial piety to you? Just drink it... Anyway, how do you feel about drinking it?"

"That's... really good." Du Chunfang didn't think so much about it before, but now that she thinks about it, she seems to feel that this period of time has been really good, without so many minor problems.

Some things cannot be understood all at once. After all, she is not in the same state as An Min's mother. But after a long time and summarizing, she finally understood them.

"That's all, why don't you care what it is. Let me tell you, if this thing is kept in our house, its value is just like a bottle of wine. If we take it out, it will be valuable. We don't sell good things, they are just useful at the critical moment."

Li Qingxia felt that the idea proposed by his youngest son Li Long was absolutely correct.

It would be better to ask for the favor in the past than to ask for money from Li Anmin, but Li Qingxia is not that kind of person. This time, he originally planned to say it shamelessly, but the idea given by Li Long solved this problem perfectly.

Li Qingxia's mood naturally improved.

Two days later, after breakfast, Gu Xiaoxia rode her bicycle to work, while Li Long drove a jeep to Team 4.

In the past, when family members went on a long journey, they would usually get up and pack up at dawn, feeling that the earlier they left, the better.

Li Long doesn't do that now. He knows that the train ticket is for the afternoon and he may not be able to buy it if he goes there on the same day, so there is no need to leave so early.

The most important thing is that he doesn’t need to wait for the bus, because he is going to take his father to Wucheng today.

Li Qingxia is a decision-maker. Once something is decided, he will execute it and will never think of procrastinating.

So he is leaving today, planning to stay at home for about a month to finish his work before coming back.

Of course, this one month is flexible and can be longer or shorter.

Li Long tried to find some time to give his father some money, but Li Qingxia was shocked.

Li Qingxia took out a thick stack of money and showed it to Li Long. Based on Li Long's experience, the stack of money must be at least three or four thousand.

When I think about how my dad has been fishing in winter and summer these past two years and has little time for spending money, I understand.

"That's not all. I didn't dare bring everything because I was afraid it would be unsafe on the road."

That's true. It would be troublesome if you carry too much money with you and get spotted on the road.

Li Qingxia packed up his things and found a black canvas bag. This bag was quite large, and Li Long thought it would be better to divide it into two smaller ones so that it would be balanced and easier to carry.

Li Qingxia refused, saying that if he carried a bag, his other hand would be free to do other things.

Li Long was about to give his backpack to his father, but the old man refused, saying he was not used to it.

What surprised Li Long was that his elder brother Li Jianguo was also going to see him off.

Just send it, there’s enough room in your car anyway.

"Did you bring any wine?" Li Long asked before getting in the car.

"I brought it, I got a small plastic cage and brought two kilograms." Li Qingxia knew that this thing was expensive, so he didn't bring more.

Li Long wanted to say something, but he had already pretended to be well-intentioned, so he didn't say anything else.

Anyway, it can still be sent at this time, so it’s easy to send.

When the jeep drove out of the village, passers-by either stopped to watch or shouted hello.

A cloud of dust was raised.

"Are we going to make the big broom?" Li Jianguo suddenly asked, "Someone in our team has already cut the sedge."

"Brother, are you not going to make brooms this year? I think the melons are almost ripe, right?"

"I can pick some." Li Jianguo sat in the passenger seat, looking out and said, "I can earn money for every fruit I pick. If I'm too busy picking melons, I won't pick any."

In fact, he still wanted to make this money. Li Jianguo was quite good at making big brooms, but of course he wanted to go into the mountains to cut wood handles. That would make money faster.

Now, no matter how clumsy Li Jianguo is, he knows that there are many good things in the mountains and it is easy to make money.

Just by doing the two jobs of weaving handles and beating poles in a year, he can earn more money than an ordinary farmer can earn in two or three years.

Think about it, my younger brother Li Long also collects Fritillaria. He knows how valuable Fritillaria is, hey, this is how fast it makes money!

Li Long finally breathed a sigh of relief when the jeep turned onto the country road and opened the window to get some fresh air.

"Hey, by the time we come back, the corn cobs should have been cracked..."

If it wasn't for nothing, Li Qingxia actually didn't want to go back. Staying in the northern border, some of the minor health problems seemed to be gone, especially in winter, staying in a room with a stove and fire wall, isn't it more comfortable than a room filled with cold wind?

Well, in the past, we mainly relied on our bodies to endure the winter, but it is different now.

But this big thing still needs to be done.

The jeep accelerated as it entered the Wuyi Highway. Li Long's driving skills also became more proficient. He overtook other vehicles along the way and arrived at Wucheng South Railway Station in less than two hours.

There were a lot of people in the train station square. When Li Long's jeep drove in, many people avoided it and watched curiously.

Although Wucheng is the capital, jeeps are not common there. These people were curious about the jeeps and then became curious about who got out of them.

“Could it be a veteran cadre?”

"Is it possible that he is an officer in the army?"

"Maybe he is the one who does the work."

When Li Qingxia came down carrying a black canvas bag, his glasses fell to the ground - who would have thought that the person coming down was an old farmer dressed similarly to them?
The jeep was parked in the parking space. Li Long asked his eldest brother and father to wait by the car while he went to buy tickets.

Li Jianguo wanted to go, but Li Long said he was young and it was too crowded - it wasn't that there was no queue for buying tickets at this time, but mainly because some people were squeezing to cut in line, and being young and strong was an advantage at this time, and they could guarantee their place. Li Long entered the ticket office and found that there were not many people inside, so he started to queue up. After more than ten minutes, it was his turn. After he told the ticket seller his destination, he asked if there were any hard beds. The ticket seller looked at him and asked:
"Upper bunk, middle bunk or lower bunk?"

Huh? There is one? Li Long was stunned for a moment and said quickly:

"Lower berth, one, how much?"

"One hundred and twenty-four dollars and eighty cents," the ticket seller replied.

Li Long quickly counted out 130 yuan and handed it in, then said:
"Add two station tickets."

Most of the people queuing behind were looking at Li Long.

These days, there is a lot of competition for hard seats, but not many people are fighting for sleeper berths.

After all, it's more than twice as expensive.

Soon the conductor handed back the ticket and the change.

Li Long put the money in his pocket and looked at the time. It was a little after five in the afternoon, and there was no car number nine and no car got off. The location was good and he could find the car as soon as he entered the station. He didn't need to run to both ends, which saved effort.

Platform tickets are bought for giving gifts to others. With this ticket, you can enter the station and go to the platform. You can also send luggage into the train, but you cannot board the train. Of course, when tickets are in short supply, some people who cannot get tickets will buy platform tickets to enter the station, then sneak on the train and buy the ticket after getting in.

Later, I don’t know when the platform tickets were cancelled.

After taking the ticket and walking to the jeep, Li Jianguo asked:
"How many cars of tickets?"

"Car nine." Li Long handed the ticket to his father. "I'll buy you a sleeper for three days. Sleep well and have a good rest."

"How do I buy a sleeper berth? Can't I buy it without a certificate? Don't you have to be of a certain level to buy it?" Li Qingxia's first feeling was shock. Can I buy a sleeper berth?
Then I reacted:
"Why buy a sleeper? Buy a hard seat! Sleepers are so expensive... Go and get your ticket refunded. I'm not old, I can still sit on this hard seat!"

"No." Li Long waved his hand. "We are not poor. We can be more comfortable. I remember it was you or Dake who said that a poor family is rich on the road. You have to be more comfortable on the road. You are going back to do something important. If you sit on the road all the way and your back hurts when you go back, won't it affect your efficiency?"

Li Jianguo smiled.

"I didn't say that. It must be your eldest brother who said that." Li Qingxia was still thinking about refunding the ticket. Li Long pointed around and said, "Dad, stop talking. You're making fun of yourself. Let's go. It's almost time to go have lunch."

Li Qingxia also knew that it was not appropriate to talk any more at this time, so he got in the car.

Li Long was relatively familiar with Wucheng, so he drove to a state-owned restaurant and ate mixed noodles, naturally.

When he arrived in Wucheng, Li Jianguo actually wanted to ask Li Long why he was fired. But Li Long never mentioned this. He asked when Li Long came back at the beginning, but Li Long didn't say anything, so Li Jianguo didn't ask again.

Although I was curious at the moment, I didn't ask in the end.

After dinner, Li Long thought about buying some more things for his father to take back. Li Qingxia refused. According to him, all the close relatives were here, and there were no close relatives over there, only the younger generation. He had already brought several kilograms of sugar for the children and wine for his sister-in-law, and there was nothing else for him.

If you are older than me, you will have this attitude.

After dinner, the three of them came to the South Station again. Li Qingxia and Li Jianguo were waiting in the car, while Li Long went to buy some dried fruits - there were still quite a few stalls selling dried fruits on the east side of the square at Wucheng South Railway Station.

He bought some local specialties such as raisins, dried apricots, and red dates. After packing them, Li Long went to buy egg cakes, naan and other food.

There is no instant noodles at the moment, and Li Long knows that his father will definitely not eat the food on the dining car, so he can only buy some to prepare.

Li Jianguo and I helped the old man into the car, then drove back to take the eldest brother home. That was the end of the matter.

After breakfast the next day, Sister Yang looked after the children while Li Long went to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Here, the shift had just ended. Li Xiangqian was cleaning the glass on his desk. Li Long saw that the glass had cracks, so he said:

"Captain, don't you want to replace this glass?"

"What do you want to change? It's not broken. It's just a little ice crack." Li Xiangqian folded the rag and put it aside, and asked:

"Have you heard the news?"

"What's the news?" Li Long poured himself some water and sat on the wooden sofa and asked, "I haven't heard about it?"

"Then I'll tell you two pieces of information. One is from a file, and the other is from what I heard." Li Xiangqian said with a smile, looking like he was gossiping:

"The document for making big brooms has come down. Our company's task this time is to make 8,000 brooms. Can you get them?"

"That's no problem, of course. Hasn't the price changed?"

"It has changed. A broom costs five dollars. The document specifically mentions that the quality must be high, at least the same as last year. Can you do that?"

"That will definitely be no problem." Li Long thought about it, eight thousand swords, five dollars a sword, a total of forty thousand.

The amount I can get is almost 10,000 yuan, which is a lot.

"There is another piece of news. I heard it. I don't know if it is true or not, but it is likely to be true and it is related to you."

"Related to me? What news?" Li Long suddenly became interested.

"It's still about the broom. The leaders of the autonomous region have different opinions. Some leaders suggest buying bamboo brooms from the mainland, which are cheap, only two or three yuan a broom. Some leaders insist on using the Achnatherum splendens brooms we have here, saying that the locally produced ones last longer.

The leader who wanted to purchase bamboo brooms at that time said that the large Sphagnum splendens broom was not strong. After sweeping for a while, the sponge would fall off and then fall apart. Not only was it not clean, it also affected hygiene.

The leader who purchased the large Sphagnum splendens broom said no, and said that the one he used at home was the large Sphagnum splendens broom issued by the company, which was of very good quality. He had used it for sweeping for more than a year, and the broom was almost bald, but the Sphagnum splendens had not fallen off.

The leader who wanted to purchase a bamboo broom didn't believe it, so he found a new broom from the warehouse and swept the courtyard for three days. Except for the broken sedge grass, nothing fell off. He was convinced. He also said that the reason why the sedge grass broom shed grass was that he had used a similar one when he was a leader in a certain state, and it did shed grass. Now it seems that it should be due to quality issues, so in the end it was decided to purchase the sedge grass broom.

Later, the leader asked about the source of these brooms, and he said they were brought over from our area, and then our county became famous..."

No wonder the number increased so much all of a sudden, is there such a thing?

Li Long remembered that in later generations, most units used bamboo brooms. Although this kind of Sphagnum splendens broom has always been used among the people, it is rarely used in units.

But the old men in Team 4 who made the big brooms made of Sedge Reed for themselves were good at it. Basically, they would discard them when the broom heads became nothing more than broom heads, leaving the iron hoops and poles for reuse.

Those bamboo brooms will also drop bamboo and leaves.

But there is no way to control the people who use it; they just use whatever they are given.

If the leader hadn't noticed this, it would be hard to say.

Is this caused by the butterfly flapping its wings?
However, Team Four definitely cannot eat up eight thousand big brooms as they do not have that much Stipa sphenanthera.

We can add more water from Qingshui River.

Naturally, the price will be raised a bit to increase everyone's enthusiasm.

Li Long made the decision instantly and was also looking at how to divide the work.

The fourth team does not have enough Stipa sphagnum and poles, so this is indeed a big job.

Naturally, the money-making work should be done by his own family first, so he thought about what his eldest brother said yesterday and decided to let his eldest brother get involved.

Anyway, there is still some time before the harvest, so I'll earn as much as I can.

Of course, the quality inspection still had to pass. He inspected the first two batches of large brooms one by one. Li Long had strong hands, so those that he could pull off the sedge were naturally unqualified. If he couldn't pull it off, then he couldn't sweep it off.

It takes a lot of time to check these eight thousand swords.

"Okay then, I'll give you the job of the big broom. There's no time limit, forty days, so you have to hurry up."

"The director didn't say anything, right?" Li Long was still worried about Director Wei.

"The director is very happy. After all, you have given our county president face. Otherwise, the state agency would not give us so much. Just go ahead and do it boldly and control the quality."

Li Long finally felt relieved. (End of this chapter)