Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

In the sales office of Team 4, Niu Dajun was drinking alone.

Several old men who often came here to drink liquor also looked at him in surprise. One of them asked with a smile:

"Da Jun, I remember you were trapping rabbits and taking them to the county to sell their skins these days. Why didn't you go these past two days?"

"That's right. I heard that rabbit skin is three dollars a piece. You made more than a hundred dollars in the first month after the snow. It's much better than working. Why are you not happy?"

"If I could make more than a hundred dollars a month, I would drink bottled wine at home every day instead of this loose wine." Another person said enviously, "This loose wine just doesn't taste as good as the bottled wine."

"The purchasing station has closed down." Niu Dajun raised his head and poured a glass of wine into his mouth. After swallowing it, he said, "I still have dozens of skins at home. I don't know where to sell them. They are all stuck at home and stink."

"The purchasing station has closed down?" another old man asked in confusion. "That's impossible. How can a public institution close down just like that? Did they close down for a break? Did they take a holiday?"

"It really has closed down. The day before yesterday I collected 20 skins and planned to sell them to buy some meat, but when I got there the place was closed and there was a piece of paper posted saying that the purchasing station had been closed down and it would no longer exist."

Niu Dajun's words surprised several old men, including the store owner.

They have become accustomed to the existence of the purchasing station. The fourth team has a lot of land and rich resources nearby. From time to time, they can get some things to the purchasing station and exchange them for some money - such as licorice, water rat skin, and rabbit skin that Niu Dajun is dealing with now.

Now that the purchasing station is gone, where can we get change if we need it urgently in the future?

As a result, Niu Dajun drank alone, and everyone felt a little depressed.

Most farmers are actually somewhat reluctant to set up stalls. They are used to growing agricultural products and sending them directly to the commune or grain station, getting agricultural and sideline products and sending them to the purchasing station, or in the simplest way, having middlemen come to buy them.

It saves a lot of trouble. Although it will be lower than the market price, it is convenient.

Having lived two lives, Li Long was able to take the first step to set up a stall, which shows that he has more knowledge and courage than other people in the team.

So when they heard that the purchasing station was gone, these people subconsciously thought, where can they sell these things if they get them in the future?
They basically don't think about setting up stalls, and there are only a few people in the team who dare to do so.

I don't know if this was influenced by the feudal tradition of "scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans", but merchants had the lowest status.

At this time, Lu Yingming came in with an empty bottle and said to the boss:

"Here, get a dollar's worth of vinegar."

At this time, the most popular items sold in the store are soy sauce and vinegar. Two large vats are covered with lids (pot racks) made of Putianzi (Putian poles), and special grapes are placed next to them.

When someone comes to order, the price is calculated by the bottle or by the grapes.

The boss took the empty bottle and the money, and went to buy vinegar with the grapes. Lu Yingming saw that everyone in the room, especially the familiar Niu Dajun, was drinking, so he smiled and asked:

"Da Jun, what's wrong with you? You look unhappy. I never see you drinking like this before."

"Da Jun's rabbit skins can't be sold." An old man said, "The county's purchasing station has been closed. The rabbit skins he has stored at home can't be sold. He needs money urgently but can't find a way to get it. How can he be anxious here?"

It was unclear whether the old man was helping Niu Dajun explain or laughing at the joke, but he made the whole cause and effect clear.

"Because we can't sell the rabbit skins?" Lu Yingming took the vinegar handed over by the boss and asked with a smile, "Is it Da Jun?"

He and Niu Dajun have a good relationship, and they are from the same place. Niu Dajun came later than him, but he came for his reputation, so Lu Yingming would occasionally take care of him. After hearing what he said, he asked a question.

“Those twenty rabbit skins could originally be sold for sixty yuan. With this money, I would have enough for the New Year. Now I have the skins in my hands and cannot sell them…” Niu Dajun thought that the money was all planned out, so wouldn’t he be anxious if it was gone now?
"Then go ask Li Long. He still has more than a hundred sheepskins that he hasn't sold. He will definitely not keep these sheepskins to himself. Others may not be able to do anything about it, but what can he do?" Lu Yingming gave Niu Dajun an idea.

"Yes, that's the truth. Even if others can't do it, he must have a way." An old man slapped his thigh and shouted.

Niu Dajun put down the cup, thought for a moment, then looked up and asked Lu Yingming:

"Brother Lu, when do you think Li Long will return to the team?"

"I don't know." Lu Yingming already regretted speaking too quickly. In fact, it was because he had a good relationship with Niu Dajun. If it were someone else, he wouldn't even give them the chance to speak quickly.

"Hey, I know!" An old man said with a smile, "Li Juan's father will kill a pig in a few days. Li Long will definitely come back at this time. He likes the pig-killing dishes very much. He came back last year just for this taste."

After hearing this, others still had some impression.

"Why don't you just ask him when the time comes?" Lu Yingming didn't regret it now. Since he had already said it, he might as well resolve it. After all, asking a question shouldn't cause too much trouble for Li Long.

After Lu Yingming left, Niu Dajun stopped drinking and paid his boss, put on his coat and hat and went out.

He and Li Jianguo have a mediocre relationship, so when the Li family really wants to slaughter a pig, they probably won't ask him to do so. He can go on his own initiative, but that would be embarrassing.

Niu Dajun thought that it would be a good opportunity to try trapping rabbits today to see how many he could catch. He would then send them to the Li family and tell Li Jianguo about the matter.

I heard that Li Long listens to his elder brother. As long as Li Jianguo thinks this matter can be discussed, he can just come over when the time comes.

The more Niu Dajun thought about it, the more he felt confident he could do it. His steps became lighter and he strode eastward towards the Red Willow Beach.

In the evening, Niu Dajun came to Li Jianguo's house carrying three rabbits.

Li Jianguo and his family were watching TV in the house - he also bought a color TV last year. Li Juan and Li Qiang were both on vacation, and the old couple were all together.

Li Jianguo was a little surprised that Niu Dajun came. The relationship between the two families was average, and this person who came with a rabbit must have something to ask for. He was a little confused.

Li Jianguo first asked the person to sit down, Liang Yuemei poured tea for him, and Niu Dajun did not beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose.

"You want to ask Xiaolong where I can buy leather?" Li Jianguo didn't expect it to be such a trivial matter. He smiled and said, "Then I can only ask Xiaolong when he comes back."

"I heard that Xiaolong will come back when your family slaughters pigs?" Niu Dajun asked tentatively.

"Yes, you will definitely be able to come back." Li Jianguo said with a smile.

"Then...I'll come over when you kill the pig?"

"Okay, I'll call you then." Li Jianguo agreed readily.

After Niu Dajun left, Du Chunfang asked with some concern:

"Boss, you mentioned the leather-selling matter...does Xiaolong know about it?"

"Even if Xiaolong doesn't tell me, I know it too." Li Jianguo explained, "There is no purchasing station in our county, but there is one in Shicheng. It depends on whether he can go there."

"Then why didn't you say it just now?" Liang Yuemei asked puzzledly while collecting the bowls.

"Then he doesn't ask me. He thinks Xiaolong is powerful and he has to listen to Xiaolong's words before he believes it." Li Jianguo said with a chuckle, "Then come back when the pigs are slaughtered. Xiaolong may have other ways."

What Li Jianguo said was not wrong, so naturally the family members didn't say much.

After Niu Dajun returned home, he began to sort out the skins. Today, he caught seven rabbits, and gave three to the Li family. The remaining four at home had already been skinned, and one was already stewed in the pot - Niu Dajun actually knew that rabbit meat was not very delicious when stewed, but wouldn't it be more expensive to change the recipe?
Of course, the family had no objection, and the two children were waiting at the kitchen door. Although there were a lot of rabbits to eat in winter, how could there be enough meat? Moreover, most of the rabbit meat was sold by Niu Dajun.

After Li Long came back from Beiting, he rested well for five days. Five days later, he went to Beiting again and brought back the tanned leather and a set of saddles.

Li Long originally planned to take the leather back to his sister-in-law and ask her to make a fur coat for his mother. After seeing the leather, Gu Xiaoxia said to him:

"The wife of Lao Xu from our unit retired from the state garment factory and opened a tailor shop in the county. Do you want to try there?"

"Then I have to wait until I have some free time to take it to the county to measure the dimensions, right?" Li Long said, "It's definitely not possible to do it just by talking about it."

In fact, this yellow sheepskin is definitely not enough to make a leather coat. According to Li Long's idea, he wanted to make a leather jacket, which is similar to what later generations called a vest.

"If we're making a padded jacket, then we don't need to measure it. It just needs to be a little smaller than my body size." Gu Xiaoxia said, "It can be done in a day or two. When it's done, we can just take it with us when we return to the team."

Li Jianguo had already told Li Long the day for slaughtering the pig, which was on the weekend. Gu Xiaoxia could then come with her children. According to Li Jianguo's idea, Sister Yang and Han Fang should also come.

Although they are outsiders in terms of surname, Sister Yang has always taken care of the two children and is really closer to them than some relatives.

Gu Boyuan's agricultural supply store was closed. When the twelfth lunar month came, he closed the store door, locked the gate of his small yard, and rode his bicycle back to the team. According to Gu Boyuan, even if he stayed in the county for a whole year, he would feel most comfortable when he returned to the team and stayed in his own yard.

Li Long thought that what Gu Xiaoxia said was quite right, so the next day he delivered the yellow sheepskin to the address Gu Xiaoxia gave him.

The clothing store is on the roadside opposite the Xinhua Bookstore. It is a small shop called the Dazhong Clothing Store, which is quite popular.

In the clothing store, a woman in her fifties was operating a sewing machine - a serious sewing machine, and there were two apprentices who were picking the hem lines on the clothes.

Li Long could understand that the edge of the lock was probably broken and needed to be re-locked.

"Hello, customer. Do you need clothes made?" The female apprentice at the door asked with a smile, looking at Li Long holding the bag.

"I want to make a leather vest." Li Long took out the yellow sheepskin from the bag and said, "Can you make it here?"

He was speaking to the apprentice, but his eyes were turned towards the woman.

There are fur clothes hanging on the ceiling of this store, so Li Long thought it should be okay.

The fur of the yellow sheep is cut very neatly, and the leather becomes very soft after tanning. It looks very classy, ​​and I think the clothes made from it will be very comfortable to wear.

"I can do it...If I make it for you, this piece of leather is not enough." The woman raised her head and took a look and said.

"No, do it for my mom." Li Long said with a smile, "My mom is smaller, even smaller than you."

"That's enough." The woman stood up, took the leather, looked at it, nodded and said, "This leather is well tanned. In addition to making a leather vest, it can also be made into a pair of gloves. Do you want to make it?"

"Yes." Li Long nodded immediately, "Can it be for men or women?"

"Both men and women are enough."

"Then let's make a pair of women's gloves." Li Long thought about making a pair of gloves for Gu Xiaoxia, "The kind with five fingers?"

"Well, that kind is more expensive."

"It's okay if it's a little more expensive. Leather gloves keep you warm."

"The leather vest is five dollars, and the gloves are two dollars. Come and pick them up in two days." The woman said as she put the leather aside.

Li Long paid the money and the woman wrote him a note which said "yellow sheepskin vest, yellow sheepskin gloves" and the time.

Li Long left the clothing store and went to the market first. He bought the three sets of saddles currently available in the saddle shop, and then drove to the mountains. He wanted to deliver the saddles he brought back these two times to the mountains to Halimu and the others.

It's snowing in the mountains again, and Halimu and his friends have shrunk their range of activities a lot. Now the cattle and sheep in the pen mainly eat grass.

The grass in the winter pastures was almost all covered by snow, and it was troublesome to graze sheep in the woods. Once the sheep had strayed away, they would be hard to find. So at this time, apart from driving the sheep out to drink water and exercise, and cleaning up the grass stalks in the pen, they basically let the cattle and sheep stay in the pen, and three to five times a day they would pick up the bales of grass harvested in the fall and scatter them in the pen for the cattle and sheep to eat.

At this time, the ewe was ready to give birth to a lamb. Halimu had reinforced the warm circle and placed a thick cotton curtain on the door, so even if the ewe gave birth in the middle of the night, the lamb would not freeze to death immediately.

When the ewes gave birth, they would scream loudly, and Halimu and his friends would get up in the middle of the night to watch, very alert. The dogs would also bark, and if there were lambs at this time, Halimu and his friends would take the lambs into the house and dry them out to prevent them from freezing to death.

If it is an old ewe, it is OK because it can smell its own sheep. If it is the first lamb, the ewe may not recognize the lamb, so people will control the ewe and let the lamb eat tender milk, which is the first milk. This tender milk is extremely nutritious. According to the old saying, the lamb that eats tender milk is basically saved.

When Li Long came over, Halimu was cleaning the sheep pen, and Nathan and Susken were helping in the sheep pen.

Li Long's jeep quickly drove to the winter den. When several people ran over, he had already started to remove the saddle.

Before winter, including the first time he slaughtered a sheep for Li Long, Li Long brought a lot of things. He went down the mountain twice to slaughter sheep. Halimu and his friends also bought a lot of things in the market and department store. So now Halimu and his friends have enough supplies and don't lack anything, so Li Long didn't bring any other supplies.

After removing the saddle, Nathan and Susken were playing with a whip each. Li Long and Halim went into the house to drink milk tea. He asked:

"Is there anything missing here?"

"No, we have enough." Halimu said after Li Long sat down, "I killed two wolves the night before last. You can take the wolf skins back later."

"Okay." Li Long didn't bother to be polite. He planned to take these two skins together with those sheepskins to the leather factory to see how much they could be sold for.

"Are there many wolves in the mountains recently?" Li Long asked again.

"Not many, just occasionally." Halimu also knew some of the situation outside. "There are a large group of gazelles coming from outside Beishan, and the wolves are going to catch the gazelles. By the way, the red deer will give birth in a while. Come over then. Talihar and the others said they will definitely catch more red deer for you."

"That's great." Li Long naturally didn't mind having more sika deer. After all, it didn't matter whether he raised one or a group of them. The cost was not high and the profit was not low. It was still worth raising this thing.

The antlers that can be harvested from male elk each year can earn a lot of money.

Li Long didn't stay in Halimu for long. After loading the wolf skins, he drove the jeep down the mountain.

When he returned to the county, the sun had not yet set. When passing by the purchasing station, Li Long saw some people still waiting with bags at the door of the locked yard, and some people were looking at the notice posted outside the door.

Once the purchasing stations were closed, many people really lost their way to make money.

This is how the times change. Among these people, those who are quick-witted may be able to find the next buyer quickly, but those who are clumsy may have to wait for a long time before getting the next useful information.

Li Long felt a little bit reluctant. He looked at a man carrying a bag. His figure was very similar to the big brother from previous years. His helpless and somewhat hunched body made him feel a little sad.

Li Long parked the jeep on the side, got out and walked over to ask:

"Brother, what are you selling?"

When the man heard the car sound, he turned his head and saw the jeep. He was obviously a little scared, but then he felt a little expectant.

Li Long got off the car. The man did not relax because of Li Long's youth. Instead, he became more reserved and said cautiously:
"Selling leather, water rat leather... This purchasing station is gone, and I can't sell it anymore."

After saying that, he smiled bitterly.

It is not easy to catch water rats at this time. Li Long asked:
"Can I take a look? You're amazing, bro. You can get water rat skin at this time. It's not easy!"

"No, no," the man explained hastily. He was even a little sweaty from nervousness. "I don't know if the skin of the water rats I caught in the fall can be sold for money... I just heard about it."

It turned out to be the case.

The man took out the skins and showed them to Li Long. Li Long counted them and found that there were three skins. The fur of the autumn skins was of very good quality. Although they were a little small, they were obviously thicker than yellow sheepskin.

"How much do you plan to sell it for?" Li Long asked, "This leather is good."

"One...ten dollars...no, eight dollars?" The man looked at Li Long, feeling a little expectant, nervous and inferior.

"Hey, eight dollars is definitely too cheap. One piece should be at least fifteen dollars." Li Long hasn't sold this leather for some time. He doesn't know the market price, but he also knows that this water rat leather can't be sold for eight dollars.

"Will you take it?" the man was delighted and asked, "Don't mention fifteen, ten dollars will do!"

"I won't accept it, but the leather factory in the county should, right?" Li Long was not sure. Although he planned to sell the sheepskin, he did not take any action.

"I've never been to a leather factory." The man hesitated, looked at Li Long, and said tentatively, "Then... eight dollars, will you take it?"

Seeing the look in this man's eyes, Li Long decided to help him to the end, and said:

"Fifteen per piece, sell it to me."

"Not that much, ten dollars is enough..." The man was very happy.

"Don't worry, I think I can still make 15 yuan." Li Long said with a smile, "Okay, give me all three skins. By the way, there will be a sac under the belly of this water rat, which is fragrant, and this is also valuable."

"Yes, yes, yes, I've taken it out!" the man said hurriedly.

Hey! Li Long was also surprised, he is an expert! (End of this chapter)