Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 955 The road is repaired, and the notification has arrived.

When Li Xiangqian led the supply and marketing cooperative into the mountains for the second time, he was surprised to find that in the past week, Li Long and Meng Hai had built a road leading to the four wintering grounds.

After being leveled and compacted by Dongfanghong 75 tractors, and then compacted many times by small four-wheeled tractors, these roads have taken on the appearance of proper mountain roads.

In fact, that's not all. In just the last few days, several families, including Buick, have already used tractors to transport the wool they sheared to the livestock team's outpost to sell it.

In the past, the road was only passable by horses, not even by horse-drawn carriages. Selling wool required transporting it by horse in trips, which was very troublesome. Now it's much better.

Tractors drove over the road again and again, compacting it and making it more and more like a road.

Li Long thought he should take some time to haul some gravel to pave the road, so that even if Halimu and the others go into the mountains to migrate, the road won't be quickly buried by bushes and grass. Of course, it won't become too muddy when it rains.

This time, the truck drove deep into the winter settlements. The newly repaired road was like a rope, stringing together the pearls that made up the winter settlements.

"Hey, the scenery in the mountains is just different!" Some employees jumped off the bus, admiring the natural beauty of the Tianshan Mountains. "It's so beautiful!"

"Hey, Codonopsis pilosula, and fritillaria cirrhosa, wow! And mushrooms too, this is great, this is great..." Someone was pleasantly surprised to find the good stuff in the grass.

Others went over to see.

Meng Hai and his team had already started working.

"Alright, alright, stop embarrassing yourselves here! We're here to work, not for a spring outing!" Li Xiangqian felt a little embarrassed, mainly because Ma Xiaoyan was with them. He shouted, "Alright, alright! Everyone, line up quickly, according to the teams and tasks assigned last time, and gather with your tools!"

Everyone was very proactive and quickly lined up. Li Xiangqian still had Li Long assign tasks.

Li Long didn't stand on ceremony. He divided the people from the supply and marketing cooperative into two teams: one team loaded gravel onto the small four-wheeled tractors to pave the road, and the other team cut down the shrubs along the road.

The other tasks were assigned to the people Meng Hai brought; they were already used to doing them and didn't need any changes.

"Let me make this clear to you all today. Last time we came back, the herders welcomed us and ate well. But today they all have their own work to do and are busy. We'll have to take care of our own lunch." Li Xiangqian said to his men again, "Eat whatever our people cook for lunch. Don't complain or complain. Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" the employees responded in unison.

He asked three women to help with the cooking. Today's winter shelter was Yerxati's house. Yerxati was in his forties, and his sheep were being sheared. According to what Yushanjiang and Li Long had discussed, the sheep for the later winter shelters wouldn't need to be slaughtered. But when Li Long and his group arrived, and Li Xiangqian and his group finished speaking, and the three women came to help, Yerxati took a knife to the sheep pen, pulled out a sheep, tied its legs, and cleanly slaughtered it with one swift stroke.

Li Long couldn't stop him in time.

Yershat's Mandarin wasn't very good, and when Li Long tried to persuade him, he just smiled and didn't respond. Li Long had no choice but to let him be. But just as he turned around, he noticed something was wrong. This man, Dorsen, put the slaughtered sheep on the ground and then went into the pen to grab another sheep. Li Long managed to stop him.

"One is enough. We won't eat like that day. With this meat and rice, we can just make pilaf."

If you don't eat hand-pulled mutton, but just eat pilaf or naren, one sheep is enough to feed so many people.

Yershat was not as strong as Li Long, and after being stopped by Li Long, he had no choice but to skin the sheep and deal with its internal organs first.

Three women came to help, mainly pulling out the lamb legs. After Yerxati cut open the lamb's stomach, they went to clean the offal. Once the offal was ready, a big pot of stir-fried lamb offal would be absolutely delicious.

Li Long told Yershat again not to slaughter any more sheep. He even went to the jeep, took a bag of rice and a bag of flour from the vehicle, and brought them to the winter shelter, telling Yershat that they were for exchanging for this sheep.

Yershat blushed and said no, but Li Long said it was the rule and everyone had to listen to him now.

Yershat then fell silent.

According to Li Long's idea, since the families in the winter settlement had already handed over their supplies to him to exchange for road repair funds, then all expenses, including food, should be covered by this fund.

The last time the supply and marketing cooperative came to work, they slaughtered three sheep, and the rice, flour, and other supplies brought by the cooperative were considered compensation. It will be the same this time.

Ma Xiaoyan came here to do supplementary reporting. She had received an inquiry from the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Autonomous Region regarding Li Long's road construction project and reported everything she knew about Li Long. When reporting to the outside world, the supply and marketing cooperative was included, but when reporting to higher authorities, Ma Xiaoyan told the truth that Li Long was the one who was mainly doing the work.

Of course, the supply and marketing cooperative provided the supplies, and people did go up to do the work, and more than once, she reported the facts to her superiors.

Ma Xiaoyan knew this time was definitely not simple. The last time Li Long received the Autonomous Region's Advanced Individual Award, the Ethnic Affairs Commission didn't require such detailed materials.

Things have changed now, so there's only one truth...

Ma Xiaoyan looked at Li Long, who was still on the hillside directing everyone's work and occasionally going over to help cut down trees or move stones, and her eyes glazed over for a moment.

Is this what they're going to be recognized with at the national level?
It makes sense when you think about it. Li Long has done so much in the past few years. The time, money, and resources he has invested in these things alone are enough to make several people with ten thousand yuan each.

But judging from what Li Long has done, he seems to have no intention of asking for anything in return. He wouldn't even let the herders kill an extra sheep.

Ma Xiaoyan could also tell that these herdsmen genuinely considered Li Long a friend; the way they looked at Li Long was different from the way they looked at them.

When Li Long arrived, Ma Xiaoyan took her camera and went over to him to tell him about it.

The autonomous region hasn't given any official notification yet, but Ma Xiaoyan's intention is to give Li Long a heads-up so he can be mentally prepared.

"What? A national-level project?" Li Long was also taken aback. One of the main reasons he was building the road was for this, but he thought it would take at least a year or two. After all, construction started in April, so it was unlikely to be completed this year.

I didn't expect that the autonomous region had already submitted the report.

"They've probably been nominated as candidates, but it's hard to say whether they'll be selected," Ma Xiaoyan said. "We'll probably only receive an official notification if they are selected."

"I understand, thank you." Li Long sincerely thanked Ma Xiaoyan. "Whether I get elected or not, I have to thank you for this. Without your repeated reports, the things I did would never have reached the higher-ups, and I would never have been recognized."

Li Long was not a hypocrite. He didn't make any grand pronouncements at this time. He did these things for the sake of the herders' livelihood, and he also needed some reputation to give himself a layer of protection.

Now that his goal is about to be achieved, he is naturally very grateful to Ma Xiaoyan.

Ma Xiaoyan said with a smile, "This is my job, it's what I should do."

She was speaking from the heart, because the leaders of the publicity department were very satisfied with this matter and were planning to appoint her as the deputy director of the office—although this position was not a formal position, but a temporary one, it still had certain powers.

Ma Xiaoyan was also very happy.

This is what they call mutual success, isn't it?

For lunch, we had pilaf and stir-fried lamb offal. Although it wasn't as hearty as the hand-pulled mutton we had last time, the people from Qingshuihe Village and the supply and marketing cooperative were very happy with the meal. After all, they were hungry from working and needed it, and with so many people together, the food tasted especially delicious.

This is why so many people love picnics. After finishing their work in the afternoon, the supply and marketing cooperative members went back first, but Li Long still had to pay Meng Hai and the others their wages before leaving. Although Ma Xiaoyan didn't really want to ride in the truck, Li Long had other things to do, so she had to leave first.

It took Li Long a long time to calm down. Although it's still uncertain whether he'll be selected this year, it's at least a good start.

It was almost dark when Li Long returned to the county, but he was still quite excited. No matter what, what he had done had been recognized and received positive feedback, which was a good thing.

After Mingming and Haohao fell asleep that night, Li Long couldn't help but tell Gu Xiaoxia about it. Gu Xiaoxia was also somewhat surprised. She knew about Li Long's plan, but she didn't expect that it would already be showing signs of success and achieving its goals so soon after it began.
Shouldn't it?

However, it's likely that the authorities have been paying attention to what Li Long has been doing these past few years, which is why we have the current outcome.

"No matter how good it is, it's a good thing," Gu Xiaoxia said with a smile. "It seems that building this road was the right decision."

"Yes. In less than ten days, all the roads in Dongwozi will be cleared, and the road construction here will be finished. Next, we'll build the road to Xiacaochang, which is a long-term project and won't be completed in a short time. Let's take it slow."

Building the road to the winter pasture is easier, since the main roads are frequently used by herders on horseback. All that needs to be done now is to widen it and level or soften some of the steep slopes.

However, the road to the summer pasture was not so easy. It required cutting down trees, repairing the road surface after flooding, and widening the road by tens or even hundreds of times.

After all, Li Long roughly calculated that the actual distance for repairing these roads leading to the winter settlements was no more than ten kilometers.

However, the road to Xiacaochang is at least 100 kilometers long, and the terrain in the mountains is complex, becoming more and more difficult to travel the further in you go, which is very troublesome.

Even if it were the same road that leads to the winter settlement now, it would still take ten months to repair.

But Meng Hai and the others are just taking a break during the off-season. When it's really busy, Li Long would never let them leave their work in the fields to work here; there's no need for that.

Therefore, Li Long's plan is to complete the repairs within three years, which is a good thing.

With the busy farming season fast approaching, Li Long's plan is to wait until the road to the winter settlement is completed, then suspend the road construction project and have everyone go back to finish their work in the fields.

He himself needs to rest, and Halim and the others will most likely be preparing to move to another location as well.

In mid-April, the fritillaria bulbs in the mountains had already sprouted. When Gu Boyuan came over for lunch, he said that some people had started selling fresh fritillaria bulbs to the purchasing station, but the bulbs were generally still small and had not fully grown.

“These people are now resorting to any means to make money,” Gu Boyuan sighed. “Before, they would only dig up the largest fritillaria bulbs, but now they’re digging up all sizes. They’re planning to clear out the mountains.”

Li Long couldn't say anything about this. With a hundred or so people, there are all sorts of characters; the kind of exploitative behavior that drains the pond to catch all the fish can happen anytime. Here, they dig up every kind of fritillary bulb, big or small; in Yili, they dig up the roots of snow lotus; in Altay, they turn the mountains upside down to harvest black fungus…

It's all about getting it over with in one go, the kind of "I don't care what happens after I die" feeling, since I probably won't come back anyway, or since leaving it behind would only benefit others, I might as well wipe it out myself...

The inherent flaws in human nature are clearly revealed in these aspects.

Just like the livestock I mentioned before that took the potatoes left behind in someone else's pasture to feed their own animals.

A few days later, Li Xiangqian of the supply and marketing cooperative organized another round of work for the employees in the mountains. On that very day, all the remaining roads leading to the winter settlements were repaired.

They finished the work quickly, around mid-afternoon, but Meng Hai and the others were still somewhat dissatisfied, because that meant they wouldn't get their full day's wages.

Li Long directly instructed Meng Hai to tell the others that they would still receive full pay today, and then be given a holiday. The road would be repaired after the busy farm work was over and the herders in the mountains began to migrate.

Meng Hai and his team were very dedicated to road repair during this period. If one or two people were lazy or wanted to go into the mountains to dig for fritillaria or mushrooms during their rest time, Meng Hai would scold them and replace them the next day. As a result, the people who came to work after that did not make any extra moves.

After working for more than half a month, everyone saved up a lot of money, but to be honest, it was really tiring, since it was all about moving stones and digging soil.

Even farmers don't work in the fields like that. Some fieldwork isn't physically demanding; it takes time and practice.

Working on road repairs here is strenuous and exhausting; it's hard-earned money.

Yushanjiang slaughtered two sheep to treat everyone this time. During the lunch break, he said to Li Long:

"The sheep have been mostly sheared and sold out. We've been washing them for the past two days. After that, it'll be time to prepare for the move to the new pasture. To be honest, the road construction this year has saved us a lot of trouble. With the road repaired, everyone has prepared their supplies. Next, we'll pack up our winter huts and head into the mountains."

"There's a problem after the road is repaired: it will be easier for others to find wintering grounds." Li Long had thought about this issue before, but it's like opening a window for ventilation—flies inevitably get in; there's no way to avoid it.

"It's alright," Yushanjiang said with a smile. "The winter shelter is in the mountains. Even if the road isn't widened, those people will still find it. They have nowhere to rest at night, so we welcome them to stay in the winter shelter, as long as they don't cause any damage."

Besides, you reinforced this winter shelter last year, so it's not easy to damage, and we're not worried.

Li Long thought that this was the only way to think about it. Kazakh herders are generally optimistic and hospitable. Even decades later, with the booming development of tourism and some changes in traditions, they are adapting to these changes, but the major aspects remain largely unchanged.

While drinking the meat soup, Yushanjiang said, "We used to live according to the habits of the older generation and never thought about changing. After meeting you, our lives have really changed a lot in the past few years. We even started using tractors to transport goods."

I never even imagined this before! Now you're helping us repair the road to the summer pasture. I told you before, some of the older folks disagreed, but once this road to the winter pasture was built, it became easier for everyone to sell wool and transport supplies, and their thinking changed one by one.

We're really looking forward to you fixing the road to the summer pasture. That would make moving the livestock much easier. Before, it took three to five days to get there; maybe with the road fixed, it'll only take a day or two. And if anything happens, we can easily drive back in a tractor!

"Don't worry, this road will be completed in three years at most!" Li Long said confidently. He also looked forward to going into the mountains to see the scenery and the cute animals after the road was completed.

"Don't worry, we can't just let you repair it. After we move to the summer pastures, we'll have a good hunt and look for valuables. We can't do the physical work of repairing the road, but we can still exchange the good stuff for money. This road is truly meant to make things easier for us, and we'll definitely do our best!"

When herders migrate, the only help Li Long can give them is to prepare supplies. But this time, Li Long led a group of people to work, while Yu Shanjiang and the others drove their tractors to the herding team's outpost to deliver wool, and then prepared the grain and other supplies there.

The people at the left-behind settlement have become much more polite this year, and they are taking the initiative to help the herders. I don't know why they have changed their attitude.

After finishing the work, Meng Hai drove the Dongfanghong 75 tractor back to Qingshuihe Village. If it were left here, who knows if the people going into the mountains would damage it after Yushanjiang and the others left.

Li Long still didn't want to take the risk of something worth over 40,000 yuan.

A few days later, Yushanjiang and his men drove three tractors to the county and left them at the purchasing station for Li Long to watch over. They were preparing to move to another area.

Li Long originally planned to deliver it, but Yu Shanjiang and the others didn't allow it, and Li Long also received news that he didn't have time to deliver it.

At the end of April, an official notice came from the autonomous region, informing Li Long that as an outstanding individual in promoting ethnic unity, he would go to Yanjing in May to participate in a national commendation ceremony, and that he should make all necessary preparations.

Hey, it worked!

(End of this chapter)