Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Li Jianguo didn't expect that even the team leader Xu Chengjun would come to the yard on a bicycle to find him.

The front yard had been cleaned up. Actually, there weren't many things in the yard. When Li Jianguo went to clean it up, he was more planning how to place the auxiliary farm tools. After all, if you want a full set, the tractor must be equipped with a seeder, a five-furrow plow, a land cutter, a harrow, a land leveler, etc.

All together, they take up a very large space. And for ease of use, they can't just be pulled into the yard and left alone.

He thought that after buying the tractor, he would build a large shed on the east side of the yard and separate the farm machinery into it.

After all, if tractors and other farm machinery are left in the open air to be exposed to the wind and rain, a thick layer of rust will soon form on them.

This is the case with the farm machinery that Wang Caimi bought from the team. Of course, it is also possible that the farm machinery is two or three years old and the rust on it cannot be removed, but instead forms a protective shell.

The newly bought tractor is naturally different. A small four-wheeler is fine, after all, it is small and can be placed anywhere, and it is easy to put it in a shed or cover it with canvas to protect it from wind and rain.

But the Dongfanghong No. 75 track tractor is different. It is large in size and can be used with auxiliary agricultural machinery, especially seed drills and pear seed drills, which occupy a lot of space and require a large shed to store them.

When Xu Chengjun came over, Li Jianguo had just returned from the front yard. Several groups of people had come to the front yard to ask him about the purchase of tractors. Li Jianguo explained that the news was true and that the tractors would be returned in two days anyway, so there was no need to hide it from others.

What surprised Li Jianguo was that these people, including Tao Jianshe and Xie Yundong, came not only to inquire about the news, but more to occupy a position first. They thought that when the wheat was harvested, they wanted to use Li's tractor to plow their own fields first.

"Brother Li, are you going to buy a big tractor?" Xu Chengjun, who was pushing his bicycle into the yard, asked loudly, "When are you going to buy it?"

"It's this week." Li Jianguo said, "When Xiaolong is free, we'll go buy it."

"Hey, Xiaolong is really good at making money." Xu Chengjun parked his bicycle, walked up to Li Jianguo, took out a box of Xuelian cigarettes from his pocket, took out a cigarette and handed it to him, took out a tin lighter, lit a cigarette for Li Jianguo, lit one for himself, took a puff, and then said:

"I heard that your family is going to buy a large tractor and a complete set?"

"Yes." Li Jianguo took a puff of his cigarette and pointed to the front yard. "Xiaolong's previous work on the transformation of saline-alkali land at the Lao Mahao was quite good. Now Professor Luo and his team have gone to other places to continue their research. Xiaolong said that he would ask Professor Luo about it, get his opinions, and then reclaim a few more saline-alkali lands in the team for experiments.

You said that Wang Caimi wanted to reclaim wasteland with his big tractor, but I don’t know when it will be our turn.

Xiaolong's idea is to just buy one. It's convenient for home use, and you can earn some money for diesel when you plow the fields and sow during the busy farming season."

"Hey," Xu Chengjun laughed after hearing this, "If you buy a big tractor, it won't just be a matter of earning some money for diesel. With the small amount of land our team has, we can earn back the investment in one or two years."

"How can it be so fast? We are not money-grubbers who can only open but not repair." Li Jianguo said modestly, "The first year will definitely be experimental. If everyone supports us, we will definitely work hard on plowing and sowing.

But after all, the technology is there, and I think the villagers will definitely still prefer to find Wang Caimi. He has been plowing and sowing for the team for so many years, so he still has some face. "

"Bullshit! Wang Caimi is just taking advantage of the fact that the whole team only has one big tractor!" Xu Chengjun didn't think so. He took a deep puff of his cigarette and said, "Just wait and see. When your family buys the big tractor, everyone in the team will definitely come to you.

New tractors don't break down easily, so you can be assured of using them. His tractor broke down three or four out of ten times when he went out to plow the land, which made him very worried.

New tractors are different. They can probably be driven for a year and a half without any problems. Who doesn't want to catch the right time for sowing and ploughing?
In the past two years, many people in our team have told me that if they wanted him to plow the fields and sow seeds, Wang Caimi is so arrogant that everyone has to beg him, but he still ignores them.

My cousin Xu Lingshan is the same. His 802 tractor is a broken one and his skills are not as good as Wang Caimi's.

I tell you, as long as you buy this new tractor, many people in the team will come to you to plow the fields in the fall, and the same will be true next spring. You will see, you will definitely get your investment back within the next year.

I want to reserve a spot first. After the wheat fields are harvested this year, I will be in front when the fields are plowed. What do you think, Brother Li?"

"That's definitely no problem." Li Jianguo smiled, took a puff of his cigarette and said, "As long as you don't mind my poor tractor driving skills."

"What's there to complain about? Don't I have to sit behind the five-share plow when plowing? I believe you will not be like Wang Caimi and not allow deep plowing."

"Of course not. How can we do that if we don't dig the land deeply?"

"That's right."

At this time, when the tractor is plowing the land, the person sitting behind the five-share plow can control the plowing depth. When Wang Caimi is plowing the land for others, he will remind everyone not to adjust the plowing depth too much, because if the plowing depth is adjusted, the tractor will have more effort, and if the tractor has more effort, it will consume more fuel.

Given Wang's thriftiness, how could he bear to waste fuel on his tractor? Every liter of diesel costs money.

Although a liter of diesel costs less than one yuan now, he believes that a little bit adds up to a lot. Even if two liters of oil are saved on each plot of land, it will be a lot for a team.

This situation does not exist in Li Jianguo's place. Since he is plowing the land for others, it is better to plow the wheat stubble land deeply, otherwise the wheat roots cannot be pressed into the ground and cannot rot, which will affect the growth of crops next year.

When his family was plowing the land, Wang Caimi had also reminded him that the Li family had a lot of land, so Wang Caimi had to pay special attention to this aspect.

After Xu Chengjun got the confirmation, he pushed his bicycle out of the yard and rode back home. Ma Hongmei, who was picking vegetables in the vegetable garden, came out and asked:
"What? Is the news true?"

"it is true."

"Then let's..."

"Open it, and when they open it, we'll open it too!"

"How much should we drive?"

"Let's start with 40 to 50 acres. It will be difficult to cultivate more than that, and it's unnecessary to have less." Xu Chengjun has made up his mind.

As the village chief, he couldn't afford to start a sideline business like Li Long did. But since he was in the village, he was definitely not afraid of farming.

He went to the Li family to inquire about the news, not just for the ranking of the plowing land, but also to find out that the Li family was going to reclaim wasteland. When Xu Chengjun linked this matter with the research of experts and professors from the Bayi Agricultural College on saline-alkali land, he understood that the Li family was going to develop agriculture.

Xu Chengjun was convinced by Li Long's vision and grasp of policies. Since his family made money by following others in growing melons, it would definitely be right to reclaim saline-alkali land.

As the team leader, he will definitely have some advantages since he doesn't have to pay grain and water fees in the first three years of reclaiming the wasteland.

It may not be possible to grow grain after the improvement, but it should be possible to grow cash crops.

The main thing is that this is your own land. Everything will be easier once you have more land.

On the third day after returning from Wucheng, after breakfast, Li Long drove his jeep to the fourth team, and then took Li Jianguo and Lu Yingming to the Shicheng Tractor Factory.

Lu Yingming had been free these two days and had been staying in the Li family yard, so when Li Long drove his jeep over in the morning, what he saw was Li Jianguo and Lu Yingming making plans in their own large yard.

Then let’s go together. Big brother has to drive the tractor when we come back anyway, so it’s just right for Lu Yingming to follow us then.

Shicheng Tractor Factory is quite busy. Many farmers come here to buy small four-wheel tractors during the off-season. The 12-horsepower and 15-horsepower small four-wheel tractors are very popular, although most farmers have not earned enough money to buy a small four-wheel in the past two years. But the countryside is so large that there are always some who stand out and become millionaires through planting or breeding.

The role of tractors is becoming increasingly important. After all, they are faster than horse-drawn carriages, can carry more, and do not require such careful care. All you need to do is add water and oil.

How convenient!
The earlier you buy, the earlier you enjoy. That’s the truth.

Li Long and his team drove a jeep into the tractor factory, attracting a lot of attention.

Li Long has gotten used to it. After all, the 212 Jeep will still be a symbol of first-level leadership even in ten years.

At that time, wealthy individuals could afford Santana and Xiali, and less wealthy individuals could afford Daihatsu vans. However, individuals generally could not afford 212 Jeeps.

Seeing the jeep drive to the side of the Dongfanghong No. 75 tractor, most of the people watching the small four-wheeler breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is it possible that the leader of a state-owned farm came here to buy a big tractor?" some people speculated. After all, at that time, there were many private individuals who could afford the Dongfanghong No. 75 tractor, but they were rare.

Ordinary small four-wheel tractors are basically sufficient for farming in rural areas.

After Li Long and his friends got off the car, a salesperson came to greet them. However, they were a little surprised to see Li Long and his friends. After all, none of them looked like a leader. The salesperson smiled and asked, "Are you going to buy the Dongfanghong 75-inch tractor?"

"Yes." Li Long said, "How much does a new tractor with a full set of agricultural equipment cost?"

"When you say a full set of farm machinery, does it include a five-share plow, a seed drill, a mower, a tiller, and a bulldozer?"

"We also need a grader," said Li Long.

"Are you a state-owned farm? Or are you from a regiment in the military?" the salesperson asked while calculating in his head.

"No, we bought it privately." Li Long said, "Does the government subsidize agricultural machinery now?"

"What kind of agricultural machinery subsidy? I've never heard of it. The whole set of equipment costs more than 41,000 yuan," the salesperson said. "Are you going to buy it now? Do you want to pay in full or take out a loan?"

Agricultural loans were already available at this time, but it was difficult for ordinary people to get them, and the interest rates were relatively high.

"Of course I'll pay in full. Is there any discount on this price?"

"Hey, young comrade, you are really joking. Agricultural machinery is in short supply right now. We pulled this Dongfanghong 75-inch chain-track tractor from Kou, and it was sold out in less than a month. The price increase is good enough, how can we ask for a discount?"

Li Long was just asking tentatively. It would be best if there was a discount, but he could still afford it if there wasn't.

The salesperson had never met such a young man before. He didn't look like a leader in terms of age, but his tone and confidence made him look different from an ordinary person.

Anyone who can buy a tractor these days has a lot of money in his pocket, so he is definitely confident.

But most of the people who buy agricultural machinery are from rural areas. When they come to the city, they naturally feel inferior and speak cautiously. They basically just follow whatever the salesperson introduces to them and at most ask how to drive it or how to operate something.

Today's agricultural machinery is very sturdy and durable, so as long as you buy a tractor and can drive it back, you can run it yourself - after all, a small four-wheel drive is just for pulling things and doesn't have many functions.

The Dongfanghong No. 75 tractor is different. It is more technically demanding. Most of the buyers are from state-owned farms or military corps mechanized farming teams. There are technicians following them to inspect and operate it. Then the accountant pays and leaves.

That's the process, unlike this young man today who talked so much.

Li Long used the same posture as when buying a car in later generations. After the salesperson led them to the new tractor, he first looked at the production date of the tractor, then checked how much engine oil and diesel were in it, and then asked clearly whether he was allowed to test drive the car on the spot.

The tractor was indeed new, less than three months after it was manufactured. It had slightly more oil and diesel than a small four-wheel tractor, after all, this thing drove slowly, and if it had less oil, it might not even be able to reach the oil depot.

It could be tested on the spot, so Li Long asked Li Jianguo to go up and test the machine - the Dongfanghong No. 75 tractor had a cab and was more majestic than the small four-wheeler.

A track tractor is actually easier to operate than a small four-wheeler, it just requires some familiarity.

Li Jianguo was a little nervous when he went up, but after starting, he relaxed when he saw how big the venue was. There were no people around him anyway, so he just drove.

It doesn't matter if you step on the accelerator too hard. This will soon be your own tractor, so why worry about wasting a little fuel?

There is no need to be afraid of turning sharply. This thing is slow anyway, just slightly faster than humans walking. How fast can it be?

Li Long had said these as a joke when chatting with Li Jianguo along the way, and now they had become hints for him to boost his confidence.

There were not many Dongfanghong 28 track tractors in the entire tractor yard. There was also a Dongfanghong wheeled tractor in another yard - the one that Li Long disliked because it looked good but was not practical.

So Li Jianguo can practice driving here to his heart's content.

Normally, we can't sell many tractors of this type in a month. Now Li Long and his friends have come to buy a complete set, and the sales staff are very happy.

After the test, I went to see the matching farm machinery. They were all new, but they were stored outdoors, and after the rain, the plowshares had some rust on them.

This is normal.

Li Jianguo got on the operating position of the plowshare and turned the steering wheel, but it was not easy to show the plowshare lowered at this time - it had to be matched with the tractor to the field.

The planter also needs to be checked.

On the contrary, the methods of cutting, raking and leveling the ground are relatively rough and clumsy, so just take a look at them.

"How do you get these things back?" the salesperson asked.

"Don't you deliver the goods to the door?" Li Long asked back.

"No, it won't." The salesperson shook his head, "You need to pull these things back yourself."

Okay, Li Long thought he could only find Song Ming.

Li Long was satisfied with the things he saw—in fact, there was nothing to be dissatisfied with at this time—so he went to pay. Today, Li Jianguo would drive the tractor to pull the seed drill back. The five-furrow plow and other things were easier to pull with a large truck, but the tractor was not easy to load on other vehicles because it had a seed compartment.

In fact, these machines for leveling and cutting the ground can also be towed behind the tractor, but they are in a long line and the road is not very good at that time. Li Long thinks it is better not to do this, as it will be troublesome if something goes wrong halfway.

After paying the money, Li Long asked Li Jianguo to go to the oil depot to refuel, while he went to the sugar factory.

During this period, Song Ming still delivered sugar residue to Lao Ma's shop every week, and Li Long paid him on a monthly basis. The cooperation was very pleasant.

When Li Long returns to Team 4, he occasionally runs into Song Ming, and they chat when they meet. Sometimes, Li Long will give some of the fish that Li Qingxia caught to Song Ming, and the relationship between the two has always been good.

When Li Long arrived at the back door of the sugar factory, there were watermarks on the road where people were dumping sugar residue. He guessed that Song Ming must have just pulled the sugar residue into the big pit, so he drove the jeep to the big pit where the sugar residue was dumped.

Sure enough, at the big pit, Song Ming had just dumped a truckload of sugar residue into it and the car was driving forward, while people nearby with tools had already started jumping into the pit, preparing to dig out the sugar residue.

Seeing Li Long's jeep coming, Song Ming parked the car, got out, and walked towards Li Long with a smile.

"Why are you here? The smell here is so strong. You can wait for me at the sugar factory." Song Ming shook hands with Li Long and said.

"I need to trouble you with something. Are you free after get off work?"

"Yes." Song Ming liked to hear Li Long talk about "trouble" the most. As long as he said that, it meant that Li Long had work to do. "I can spare time after get off work at noon. As long as your work does not exceed two hours, noon is fine."

"I'll have to trouble you at noon and in the evening." Li Long said, "I bought a set of Dongfanghong 75 tractors and farm implements. I need to take those matching farm implements back. Do you think it's okay?"

"That will definitely work." Song Ming said with a smile.

"Then we'll calculate the freight by trip." Li Long said, "How long will it take you to get off work?"

Song Ming looked at his watch and said, "There's still half an hour left. I'll make one more trip and then I'll go - you wait for me at the factory first, I'll treat you to lunch after I'm done. You've taken care of my business so much, so I have to treat you to a good meal anyway."

His watch was bought after Li Long "chartered the car". After all, he was not married yet, and the burden on his family was not light.

But after Li Long hired his car to transport sugar residue, he had more spare money and his life became better.

In fact, his family had wanted him to invite Li Long to their home several times to thank him, but Song Ming was too embarrassed to say it because Li Long was busy every day and they could only see each other twice a month.

Today, when we finally made it to lunchtime, he brought up this matter.

Li Long nodded and agreed. Sometimes, owing someone a favor can actually deepen the friendship. (End of this chapter)