Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 932 Yu Sufu, who travels all over the country, feels insecure when he is away from home: What a joke, right?
After collecting the money and weighing the goods, Yu Sufu smiled and saw off the two customers who had come to buy raisins. He put the money back into the box and said to Li Long with a sigh:

"It's been years, but you still look so young, you haven't changed at all. I'm so envious!"

Indeed, Yu Sufu looked much more weathered than the last time Li Long saw him. Li Long wondered, was this the price of struggling to make a living?

"How much money can you make selling two kilograms of raisins?" Li Long asked, changing the subject.

“You can earn two or three cents per kilogram.” Yu Sufu pointed to the stalls next to him and said, “The competition is fierce. Everyone is selling similar things. Although there are many customers, once you split it up like this, you can only sell a dozen or so kilograms a day, sometimes a few dozen kilograms, and earn a stable income.”

Li Long thought Yu Sufu was quite shrewd in business, so he asked, "Not going out?"

“I’m not going anymore,” Yu Sufu shook his head and said. “I’ve traveled all over the country. I’ve been as far south as Guangzhou, where people love raisins. I’ve been as far north as Beijing, where people love raisins too. But I can only carry so little stuff, so I don’t earn much money. I’m unfamiliar with the area, and some people bully me… If I don’t protect the money I earn with a knife, it will be stolen or robbed… I should come back. Although I don’t earn much here, it’s safer.”

Li Long almost laughed. In a few years, when outsiders see people like you, their first thought will be that you're unsafe, especially those young lads—of course, these are the same young lads that those big thieves lure to other places to do these kinds of things.

The locals, especially the Uyghurs in southern Xinjiang, also abhor this kind of thing. In their unaltered religious doctrine, such behavior is punishable by having one's hand chopped off.

Li Long had once read a story like this in "Angry Bullets" by Jun Dao, one of the pioneers of military online novels. Unlike Liu Pangzi, who wrote romance novels under the guise of military fiction, Bald Jun Dao was originally a special forces soldier from southern Xinjiang and had participated in battles to suppress enemy agents who had infiltrated the country. The main reason Li Long had read this story was because it described southern Xinjiang.

So when Yu Sufu said he was worried about safety, Li Long really wanted to laugh.

However, he was quite aware that people in Kou Village liked raisins. After all, before he took over the state cooperative's melon seed business, the original person who could sell the supplies from the supply and marketing cooperative to Kou Village was a raisin reseller.

"Then why don't you go big? Just load up a truckload of raisins and haul them over there; you could make a lot of money in one go, right?" Li Long asked.

“Sigh, I can’t get any train cars.” Yu Sufu shook his head. “Not only can I not get any train cars, but I also don’t have that much money. I sold you my precious piece of jade, but in the end… I didn’t even make the money back.”

"You won't be reselling jade anymore?" Li Long asked.

Although jade prices are rising, the increase is not rapid. It will take another ten years or so for prices to really pick up, at which point jade prices will skyrocket, but by then it will be too late to buy jade.

Although he already had quite a few jade pebbles in his cellar, he thought he could collect as many as possible.

“I’m not buying anymore.” Yu Sufu shook his head. “There are too many people buying jade, and it’s too much trouble for them to travel back and forth. I sell raisins here. There’s a dedicated delivery place, so it’s easier to resell them, and I make more money than that.”

Li Long nodded in agreement. It would take at least a thousand kilometers to transport the jade pebbles from the Yulongkash River to Urumqi. At that time, there were only highways, no railways, and it would take a week to get there if things were slow.

The money earned from a two-week round trip is actually less than what you make selling raisins here. Before the Lunar New Year, many people working in northern and southern Xinjiang want to bring back local specialties. Things like raisins and dates are cheap and popular, so many people buy some here before leaving.

“Actually, it’s not just raisins that are popular in Koukou, our mutton is also very good.” Yu Sufu rarely had someone to talk to, and since no one else was around, he continued, “I’ve eaten mutton in Koukou a few times, and to be honest, the mutton there is really not good…”

Li Long's heart skipped a beat; this was actually a good job. He could easily sell his own mutton to Koukou—well, transportation was a big problem, and he couldn't get any wagons.

Or we could try contacting Director Qian, but that would be a huge undertaking and would require someone to run around to both places. Forget it, let's not do that.

Instead of wasting time on this, it would be better to regularly send Gu Xiaoyu raisins, walnuts, or something similar. After covering the postage costs, the price difference between the two sides would still generate a considerable profit.

However, it seems unlikely that Gu Xiaoyu would do such a thing; she should just stick to being a university teaching assistant.

After chatting with Yu Sufu for a while, Li Long, seeing that it was almost time, asked:

How are you having lunch?

“We look after each other’s stalls.” Yusup pointed to a Uyghur man in his fifties next to him and said, “I watch his stall when he goes to eat, and he watches mine when he comes back. Sometimes when business is good at noon, we don’t go to eat; we just grab a naan bread at the stall.”

“Let’s go then, I’ll treat you to some noodles,” Li Long said. “Have him watch your stall for you. It’s been so long since we last met, I’d like to have a good chat with you.”

"Alright, alright." Yu Sufu smiled. "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I know you make more money, and my business isn't doing so well, so I won't be generous today."

"Haha, no need. Just for the jade you sold me last time, I should treat you to a meal," Li Long said. "Let's go."

Yusufu spoke to the people at the nearby stall in Uyghur, put the money box into a cloth bag like a satchel, carried it on his back, and followed Li Long.

But they hadn't gone far when he pointed out a small shop run by Uyghurs to Li Long and said, "Let's eat there. Their noodles are cheap and have lots of meat."

"Okay." Li Long naturally had no objections.

The two entered the house. Yu Sufu greeted the shop owner, who, wearing a white hat, smiled and invited them to sit down. After pouring tea, Li Long said:

"Two servings of stir-fried pork noodles, make two servings with extra noodles first."

The boss smiled, nodded, and left.

"Are you buying jade again this time?" Yu Sufu then remembered to ask about Li Long's situation.

"No, I'm here to buy a ticket. I'm planning to go to Kou Li," Li Long said. "I have relatives there, and I want to go visit them."

“Traveling by train is no good now,” Yu Sufu shook his head. “The hard seats are packed, and the aisles are full of people. It’s hard to even go to the toilet. Last time I came back, there were several girls in the carriage who couldn’t get to the toilet, they couldn’t squeeze through, and they were crying their eyes out…”

“The sleeper berths we bought should be better,” Li Long nodded and said. “They’re more spacious over there.”

"Well, that's alright. Just be careful of thieves. There are a few places along the way where there are a lot of thieves. Also, don't open your windows when the train stops except at designated stations, some people will climb up..."

Yu Sufu traveled by train quite often, and he shared his experiences and lessons learned with Li Long.

Li Long knew some things, but not others—for example, when Yu Sufu heard about using crows to impersonate roast chicken, Li Long was a little skeptical. Could something like that really be used as an impersonator? Crows are black, aren't they?

As for being careful when parking temporarily, beware of vendors outside taking your money but not giving you anything; I've heard of that.

After the noodles arrived, the two ate and talked. Yu Sufu said that he had basically decided to stay in Wucheng. After the New Year, once he had earned some money, he would buy a small courtyard in the suburbs and bring his wife and children from Hotan over, so that they could live a city life.

“You don’t know how harsh and backward our place is. If we hadn’t experienced what it’s like here, we would have just gotten by. But now that we have, I think we should bring our family here so we can have a better life.”

After Yu Sufu said this, Li Long also advised him:
"In that case, let me tell you, when you go back to pick up the jade, buy some raw jade pebbles and keep them. In my opinion, the price of these raw jade pebbles will definitely rise in the future. Don't sell them now, the price is too low. Wait a few years and when the price rises, you can sell them for a high price."

"Really?" Yu Sufu was skeptical.

"It's definitely true. Think about it, mountain jade is found in the mountains, the Kunlun Mountains are so big, but what about river jade? How long has it been dredged from the Yulong River? How many years does it take for mountain jade to turn into river jade after rolling down the mountain? Won't it become less and less common in the future? The less common it is, the more expensive it will become..."

At that time, no one wanted the jade materials in the Gobi Desert. Who would have thought that 20 or 30 years later, a small piece of jade material in the Gobi Desert of southern Xinjiang could sell for tens of thousands of yuan?

Li Long received a lot of good materials from Yu Sufu, so his kind reminder was a way of repaying him.

Yu Sufu thought about it and realized that Li Long was right.

He himself had several good pieces of material at home, and since Li Long had said so, he naturally planned to save more.

Anyway, this material is still very cheap back in my hometown.

It doesn't have to be the best; something average is fine too.

After dinner, Li Long parted ways with Yu Sufu and drove back home.

Watching Li Long drive away in his Jeep, Yu Sufu sighed. Back then, this young man had gone to Wucheng to sell jade, just like him. But the young man hadn't sold as much jade as he had, and he wasn't as wealthy.

But a few years have passed in the blink of an eye, and now that person is driving a car, he is doing worse and worse than before.

He was both touched that Li Long hadn't forgotten his old friend and somewhat envious of Li Long's success.

After thinking it over, he decided to listen to Li Long's advice and wait until business slowed down before going back to collect some jade. Li Long drove back to the county in the afternoon and went straight to the fourth production team.

The Li family was quite lively at this time. Sister-in-law Lu was gossiping in the west room of the Li family.

Li Juan was better; she was more composed and didn't talk much about things. Li Qiang, on the other hand, couldn't keep secrets. As soon as he confirmed he could go to Tiananmen Square, he immediately ran to share it with his friends—basically, he was just showing off.

The team members found out quickly, and Sister-in-law Lu came over to ask what was going on.

“I’m not going.” Liang Yuemei shook her head. “Juan’s father is taking the child there. He said there’s not much to do in winter anyway, so Xiaolong can take him to see Tiananmen Square.”

"It really is true..." Sister-in-law Lu exclaimed, "Tiananmen Square...that's so far away."

His family had made some money, and with that money, his biggest thought was to improve their living conditions; he hadn't considered going anywhere for fun.

“Hey, isn’t this Xiaolong’s idea? He said he’d take a three- or four-day train ride there,” Liang Yuemei said. “He said that once he’s made money, he should go out and see the world. That’s how it is for us people, but it’s different for kids. They need to broaden their horizons so they can get into good schools and work in big cities. That will be better than us.”

Liang Yuemei agreed to let them go because Li Long's words moved her. She felt that her generation had reached a certain point, and now that life was better, she wanted her children to go to a better place, where they could eat government-subsidized food in the city—definitely better than staying in the village.

The idea that they were not going to the county, but to the prefecture or even Wucheng truly moved her.

After Li Long arrived, Sister-in-law Lu asked him directly, "Little Long, you said you were going to Yanjing, when are you leaving?"

Li Long took out his train ticket, looked at it, and said, "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

The tickets have already been bought, so it's definitely confirmed.

Sister-in-law Lu left with a sigh, and then the news that the Li family had already bought the tickets spread throughout the village.

"Go to Yanjing..." This time, almost no one disagreed.

They went to Yenching University to show their kids Tiananmen Square and what the university looked like; there's really no way to criticize that. In the Fourth Squad, regardless of family circumstances, everyone places great importance on their children's education. Of course, this emphasis means ensuring they get to school; as long as they can attend, they'll definitely provide for it.

The same applies to the Hui people—the situation like that of Tielan Hua's family doesn't exist in the Fourth Brigade. There are Hui people in the brigade, and their families are also poor. In order to raise enough money for their children's tuition and book fees, they cut down and sold the big trees in their own gardens.

The poplar wood wasn't very straight, and since it was just one log and couldn't be made into planks, nobody in the team wanted it—now that everyone had money, they all wanted to go to the mountains to get some good wood to make furniture.

In the end, Li Jianguo bought the wood and placed it outside the yard as a charity.

From then on, this family would occasionally send some milk to the Li family—milk from local cows, not dairy cows, the kind that only produces two or three kilograms a day when they are lactating, and they would send more than one kilogram to the Li family.

Therefore, all families in the Fourth Squad attach great importance to education.

That's why most people give a thumbs up when they know that the Li family wants their child to see the world and visit Tiananmen Square. Even someone like Ma Jinbao would secretly praise them.

Some people went to the Li family to inquire about the price of train tickets to Yanjing, perhaps because they were tempted.

As a result, Li Juan and Li Qiang became the envy of all the children in the team.

Previously, people envied the Li family because of their living conditions; now, they envy the Li family for being willing to make such a special trip for their child. In fact, Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei explained that it wasn't a special trip; Li Long had relatives there, so they went to drop him off, which was just a side trip.

But from the perspective of the team members, it was actually a specialized matter.

No one in the team knew about Gu Xiaoyu's situation. Both the Gu family and the Li family wanted to keep it a secret and not tell anyone in the team.

After all, Gu Boyuan was thinking that he would still be in the village in the future, and he didn't want to hear those gossips.

Li Long only told his older brother about the train tickets and itinerary before Uncle Luo called him away.

It's about sheep.

The sheep I bought in the fall have grown quite fat and are ready to be sold.

Song Ming mentioned this matter a couple of days ago when he brought over some sugar residue, saying that their Section Chief Hu was still asking about the sheep. At the time, Lao Luo thought there was still some time before the New Year, so he didn't specifically look for Li Long.

Now that they heard Li Long was going to Yanjing, they knew they couldn't wait any longer, so they rushed over to find Li Long.

Li Long thought to himself, "How did these things get all mixed up like this?"
But we can't leave it unresolved. He thought for a moment and said to Uncle Luo:
"Uncle Luo, don't worry, I'll handle this. But you might have to keep yourselves busy for the next few days."

"That's alright. We've been staying in the house playing cards and drinking all day, and we're just waiting for this kind of work to do." Uncle Luo laughed. "We old folks can still get some exercise. Just tell us what kind of work you need, otherwise we'll feel embarrassed to take our wages."

"I'll go tell Daqiang, Yundong, and the others later that we'll start slaughtering sheep and cattle tomorrow. You guys do the slaughtering and processing, and I'll go to the sugar factory tomorrow to ask how much they need. We'll discuss the specifics when I get back."

As you probably know, I'll be going to Yanjing in the next few days, so if anyone in the team or elsewhere needs sheep, you'll be in charge. If it's a small number, you can manage on your own. If it's a large number, go and call Daqiang and Yundong. I've already told them that they'll come to help as soon as you call.”

"Hey, that's fine." With Li Long's words, Uncle Luo felt relieved.

After he got back, Li Long drove off to find Xie Yundong.

Xie Yundong was grilling and eating small salted fish in his house when he heard the car. When he opened the door, he saw Li Long getting out of the car and invited Li Long into the house.

"You're going to Yanjing? Hey, that's a rare opportunity," Xie Yundong said with a smile. "You'll have to tell us all about it when you get back."

“No problem, I’ll scout it out. You guys can go check it out when I get back.” Li Long took the salted fish Xie Yundong handed him, breaking off pieces and stuffing them into his mouth as he said, “It’s good to go out and see the world.”

“Exactly, I would never have thought about this before, but now that you’ve done this, I suddenly realized that it’s okay to go once in a while. It’s not that I can’t afford the money. I really never thought about it before.”

That's true. For Xie Yundong and his group, a trip to Yanjing is really nothing. Train tickets aren't a huge expense for them. As for accommodation and food, that's even less. It's just that they're used to living in such a large area, so going out, especially to such a far place, is a huge challenge for ordinary people.

"Brother Yundong, I came here to ask for your help." Li Long finished eating the salted fish, clapped his hands, and refused the other fish that Xie Yundong offered, saying, "Things just piled up at once."

"Is it about the cattle and sheep at Lao Ma's place?" Xie Yundong asked. "You bought so many cattle and sheep this year, shouldn't they be slaughtered by now?"

Li Long felt a little ashamed and said with a smile, "Yes, the sugar factory needs cattle and sheep. I just happened to have bought the train tickets, so I'll have to ask you for help with this."

“No problem,” Xie Yundong said. “It’s just a matter of lending a hand; I’m free anyway, it’s winter.”

"I'll tell Daqiang and the others later, and you can all work together. I'll go to the sugar factory tomorrow to confirm the quantity, and I'll let you know when I get back. The sugar factory work will probably keep you busy for a few days. If there's more work later, it depends on Uncle Luo. If it's a small amount, Uncle Luo and the others can handle it themselves, but if it's a lot, they'll call you."

"Okay, no problem." Xie Yundong readily agreed.

Because he needed to notify other people, Li Long didn't stay with Xie Yundong any longer and drove away.

Tao Daqiang, the three Liang brothers, Jia Weidong, and others all spoke about it.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Long drove back to the compound and told his family about the train tickets.

“Everything at home is packed and ready,” Gu Xiaoxia said. “We can leave anytime.”

Li Long also needed to pack his things. He was thinking of bringing more money with him this time, including the US dollars he had brought back from the mountains last time. They weren't easy to spend here, but he figured he could use them over there.
He also planned to bring a few pieces of jade pebbles to see if anyone would buy them at a high price once he got there.

Of course, these are all minor matters; buying a house, visiting Tiananmen Square, and seeing universities are the real priorities.

Of course, we also need to get things done tomorrow, and going to the sugar factory is also important.

(End of this chapter)