Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 957 Jade Prices Have Rised, and Yu Sufu's Son Has Arrived

According to the Li family, they didn't tell the villagers about Li Long's trip to Yanjing; in other words, they didn't publicize it.

To be honest, these days most people still focus their energy on farming. The county's TV station hasn't been built yet, and the radio stations broadcast limited content each day. Ordinary people don't subscribe to newspapers like the Beijiang Daily. Even the Beiting Daily, by the time villagers can see it, is probably "old news" from half a year ago.

Therefore, unless the Li family members bring it up, it is highly likely that others will not know that Li Long has received this honor.

Not to mention that, even the selection of advanced individuals such as "May Day Labor Model" and "March 8th Red Banner Pacesetter" that are more relevant to ordinary people rarely receive any attention.

Ordinary people are more concerned about whether grain prices will rise this year, and whether commodity prices will rise this year, etc.

So the Li family tacitly agreed not to say anything this time.

After all, the Li family's current development is already considered to be extremely prosperous and successful, at least within the fourth team. While many villagers may appear indifferent on the surface, quite a few harbor envy, jealousy, and resentment.

If they find out about this, most people probably won't care, but a very small number might talk badly or do bad things behind their backs.

I'm not afraid, but it's troublesome.

It's better to keep a low profile.

Li Long then asked his family if there was anything he needed to bring back. Li Jianguo only told him to go and check his yard, which must be quite dusty and needed to be cleaned.

“I’ll give you the money. You can hire someone to clean up the yard, which will also let others know that the yard has an owner,” Li Jianguo said. “If you hire someone from China, you won’t have to pay American money, right?”

Li Jianguo gave Li Long a thousand yuan, and this time Li Long didn't refuse. He knew his older brother was gradually paying back the money he owed for the courtyard, and Li Long didn't stand on ceremony. He felt bad that his older brother, who had often taken care of him, was using his own money to buy the courtyard.

In addition, my elder brother must have made some money by plowing, leveling, and sowing for others this spring, so he can pay back some of it.

When Li Long left home, his jeep was filled with wild vegetables, including alfalfa, elm seeds, and thorny thorns, all of which his sister-in-law had gathered during her breaks from working in the fields.

These are all foods that Li Long often ate in the spring when he was a child, but now that he lives in the county, it's not so easy for him anymore.

Such wild vegetables wouldn't be sold in the market. It wasn't until thirty or forty years later, when the market was much more abundant, that such wild vegetables appeared.

Li Long went to Lao Ma Hao again.

Yang Laoliu went to herd sheep. Li Long gave Uncle Luo his salary for the month in advance so that he could distribute it to everyone. Then he took out another hundred yuan and asked him to give it to Song Ming as payment for hauling sugar dregs this month.

Uncle Luo guessed that Li Long was in trouble, but he was fine with it. He just told Li Long that the cadre Jiang from the township had brought people over a few days ago to see the red deer and roe deer being raised here, saying that this was an advanced breeding experience and he hoped it could be promoted.

Because Li Long wasn't there, Uncle Luo didn't agree. After all, in his opinion, this thing wasn't anything advanced. Just bring it back from the mountains and raise it. It's not much different from raising cattle or sheep. It's just that these guys are too easy to butt people with, which is very annoying.

Also, the antlers of the male deer in the enclosure have already grown, and they can be harvested in another month or two.

Li Long told Uncle Luo and the others to handle this themselves. Actually, the money from selling the dried deer antlers harvested each year was enough to cover the wages of the elderly couple. However, after each harvest, Uncle Luo would hand the antlers over to Li Long to deal with, meaning that Uncle Luo didn't get involved in this kind of income.

Very proper.

Li Long told Uncle Luo that if Officer Jiang brought more people later, they could be allowed to see; there was nothing wrong with seeing it here. As for asking how they were raised, he could just give a normal answer. Raising red deer is still a niche activity, and the price of deer antlers and velvet won't drop due to farming for at least the next ten years. Only after a few more years, when large-scale deer farming begins in northern Xinjiang, especially in the Ili River Valley, will the price decrease.

Li Long doesn't make money from this, so he doesn't care whether others support him or not.

Although he had some doubts about Li Long's actions, Uncle Luo still agreed.

“Even if there were a hundred more deer farms, the prices of deer antlers, deer penises, and venison wouldn’t drop,” Li Long told Uncle Luo. “Besides, if they want to raise deer, they need fawns, and they might have to buy them from us, which is a good thing.”

After returning to the county, Li Long began to consider various scenarios for going to Yanjing and how to deal with them.

He also called Gu Xiaoyu to tell her that he was going to Yanjing soon and asked if she needed anything, which he would bring her there.

"I wish my sister, Mingming, and Haohao could come, and Dad too..." Gu Xiaoyu was quite happy to hear that Li Long was coming, but then she added with a sigh, "Brother-in-law, is my sister coming too?"

"Your sister is too busy lately, she can't come."

"Okay, so are you here on official business?"

“Yes, I’m here to receive the national commendation for outstanding individuals in promoting ethnic unity.” Li Long spoke calmly, but he was actually a little proud. “Of course, after I finish my business, I also need to check on the yard. You’ve tidied it up so well, I need to take some pictures and bring them back to Uncle Gu and your sister to see.”

Gu Xiaoyu was puzzled by Li Long calling her father "uncle." Gu Boyuan explained to her privately that he learned it from Li Jianguo, and besides, he didn't mind—after all, he used to call him "Brother Gu."

"Don't worry, you'll definitely be satisfied." Gu Xiaoyu was confident. "You're participating in a national awards ceremony? Brother-in-law, you're amazing!"

She was slow to realize that her brother-in-law was going to receive a national commendation.

"Haha, this honor was given to us by the higher-ups. I feel like I haven't done enough... Haha, just kidding. Actually, it's pretty good. With this title, my two courtyards are relatively safe."

Gu Xiaoyu understood what Li Long meant. Actually, she had been quite annoyed lately because she had a key and often came over to add things to the yard, which made her a target for someone with ulterior motives.

Once, on her way back from the courtyard, she was stopped by someone who insisted on buying the courtyard from her. Gu Xiaoyu said she wouldn't sell, but the person kept pestering her until some neighborhood committee aunties came over and the person finally left.

She could tell from his voice that he was from out of town, and probably had the same idea as Li Long: to buy a courtyard house in Yanjing and live there permanently.

She didn't want her workplace to know about this, so she was quite troubled. Now that Li Long is coming, and he has the title of National Advanced Individual, he should be able to keep some people away, right?
Li Long had thought about this problem in detail. He decided to use this title for now. If that didn't work, he would ask the Ethnic Affairs Commission or the Supply and Marketing Cooperative for a government title, such as a Beijing Liaison Office, and stick it on the door. That should be effective.

After hanging up the phone, Gu Xiaoyu was somewhat absent-minded. Having boasted to her brother-in-law Li Long, she now felt insecure. She stayed up until the end of the workday, then hurriedly bought two steamed buns at the cafeteria and ate them as she walked towards the courtyard house, wanting to see if there was anything that needed improvement.

On May 7th, Ma Xiaoyan called Li Long, saying that the materials were ready and he should come and pick them up. Li Long drove his Jeep to the market, bought two chickens, had the vendor butcher and pluck them, put them in a bag, and then went to the county government compound.

After registering with the gatekeeper, Li Long called Ma Xiaoyan out, took the documents, and handed her the bag containing the chickens.

"Didn't you already give it to me..."

"Here you go." Li Long smiled and waved the materials in his hand. "You've done me a huge favor."

Whether it will be useful or not is another matter, but the words must be spoken.

Back home, Li Long read through the material and remarked with admiration, "These professionals are truly different." The material, written in his own voice, recounted everything he had done, albeit with slight exaggeration, while humbly expressing that his achievements were far from sufficient and that he would continue to strive.

It's a very comfortable thing to look at; it's not exaggerated, yet it's very inspiring.

Seeing the somewhat delicate handwriting, Li Long took the materials into the bedroom, took out letter paper and a pen from the writing desk, and copied the materials again.

He felt that when he went to the awards ceremony, he would most likely only be asked to say a few words of his thoughts, or even none at all. It would just be an awards ceremony, and he would say a few words if there were reporters interviewing him.

So if this material is useful, it should be used when giving a report after we get back.

While copying, I casually corrected any parts that didn't fit my own tone. I heard somewhere that third-rate scribes copy everything word for word, including mistakes. Second-rate scribes correct typos and awkward sentences promptly. First-rate scribes read it through once, and if it doesn't align with their values, they'd rather omit it entirely.

I don't know if it's a joke or fact, but when I saw this passage in the book, it was followed by a sentence: "The teacher was a first-rate copyist. Among those who worked with him were second-rate ones who later became writers, and third-rate ones who spent their entire lives copying." Li Long thought to himself, "Am I currently doing second-rate work?" It's like sending New Year's greetings via smartphones in the future: third-rate people will copy and paste other people's greetings and send them out in bulk, with a high chance of even copying other people's names; second-rate people will change their names and phrases to make sense; and first-rate people will just write their own New Year's greetings.

Far away.

After they finished writing, Gu Xiaoxia and the others returned. After dinner, Li Long asked Gu Xiaoxia to take another look at the materials.

"Hey, this report is really well written!" Gu Xiaoxia exclaimed after carefully reading it. "The story is told very clearly, without any exaggeration or self-praise. But after reading it, I know you've done a lot. You're really amazing!"

"Then we'll use it," Li Long said with a smile. "I'll report to the autonomous region on the 9th. Please keep an eye on things at home while I'm there. I'll bring you a gift when I come back—by the way, is there anything you want to say to Xiaoyu?"

"No, Xiaoyu and I talk on the phone all the time. We can talk about anything over the phone," Gu Xiaoxia said with a smile. "I don't need to bring anything with me. Just be careful."

On the 9th, Li Long carried the large backpack he had seized from the mountains and walked to the bus station to catch a bus.

He could have driven his Jeep there, but there was nowhere to park it in Wucheng. He was thinking about whether he should buy a house there too. After all, the city center was the old city area, and given how things would develop in the future, any ordinary house he bought now would either be demolished or become the new city center in a decade or so.

Of course, that's a matter for the future, so let's leave it at that for now. Li Long has no intention of turning himself into a real estate developer or a "property tycoon."

Our base is in Ma County; the others are just temporary locations.

After buying a bus ticket to Wucheng, Li Long sat in the waiting room for a while before boarding the bus. He took his backpack off the luggage rack and let out a long sigh of relief.

This backpack, which I retrieved from the mountains, has been with me for several years. It's very sturdy, and even after all these years, it's still quite fashionable in Ma County.

The car set off, the passengers making a lot of noise, creating a lively atmosphere. When they arrived in Wucheng, Li Long got off the car with his backpack on. Seeing that he still had some time, he took a bus and then transferred to another bus to go to the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Autonomous Region.

After learning of Li Long's identity, the staff of the Ethnic Affairs Commission warmly received him, arranged accommodation for him, and even took him out for a working lunch.

In the afternoon, leaders from the Ethnic Affairs Commission met with Li Long in the conference room and praised him for what he had done. The two leaders, Song Xuejun and Tursunjan, were very amiable, and chatting with Li Long felt like talking to Lao Gu.

Later, Li Long learned that it was this leader, Song, who had defied public opinion to make him a candidate, and the eventual reaction from Yanjing proved that leader Song's actions were correct.

"We've assigned you a staff member to accompany you, mainly responsible for the logistical support and coordination for this conference," Song Xuejun said. "Comrade Li, when you arrive in Yanjing, you should not only showcase the spirit of young comrades from our autonomous region, but also humbly learn from advanced comrades from other regions."

If a reporter interviews you, please communicate with Xiao Chen promptly, understand? After all, Xiao Chen has more experience in this area.

"I understand, I understand." Li Long knew this was a matter of wording.

Xiao Chen's real name is Chen Xiangdong. He looks to be in his thirties and is quite steady. According to Leader Song, he has accompanied two sessions of outstanding individuals to Beijing and is very experienced.

With the two leaders gone, the main thing is to get to the point.

Confirm the entire itinerary for the conference, including accommodation, food, and transportation in Yanjing.

Although they were recognized as outstanding individuals nationwide, Li Long and his colleagues still traveled by sleeper train. Fortunately, Li Long thought it was fine, as long as they didn't have to sit in hard seats.

It's not a holiday, nor is it peak travel season. Tickets are easy to buy now, and there aren't that many people on the train.

The train ticket is for tomorrow. Today, Li Long is considered to have arrived early. After confirming the itinerary and precautions, the staff took Li Long to the guesthouse to rest.

"Can I wander around Wucheng this afternoon?" Li Long asked casually. "I'll be back tonight; I have a few friends here I'd like to visit."

"No problem," the staff member said with a smile. "Just contact us if anything comes up."

Li Long put his backpack in the room, took out a handbag from it, and left the guesthouse. He went to the jade carving factory first.

At the side entrance of the jade carving factory, Engineer Liu was introducing the merchandise in the display window to a middle-aged woman. Two other young women were watching curiously nearby; the three of them appeared to be together.

In the end, the middle-aged woman bought a jade bracelet, while the younger woman asked about the price but didn't buy one, and they left together.

As Li Long walked over, Engineer Liu was about to close the display window. He paused for a moment when he saw Li Long, then smiled.

"Hey, Li, it's been a while since you've been here."

"I opened a shop in the county and I've been busy," Li Long said. "How are the jade items selling lately?"

"It's great. People's lives have improved, they have some spare money, and some like wearing jade, so they come here to buy some. Most of the carvings in our jade carving factory are quite large, and the ones in department store counters are more expensive, but mine are relatively cheaper, so we get a lot of customers."

Now, Engineer Liu looks much better than when Li Long first saw him. He's also gained some weight and is talking more.

"Is everything alright with Auntie?" Li Long asked. "Is things much better at home?"

"Much better, much better. Come, come in and see what I've been carving lately." Engineer Liu invited Li Long into the room, then opened a drawer and unwrapped the carvings wrapped in newspaper.

"The factory is giving me more materials now, so I do some processing whenever I have free time. I've accumulated quite a bit over this period. A while ago, an old friend came over and bought a few pieces, otherwise I would have had even more."

Having visited many times, Li Long was able to discern the quality of the jade and the craftsmanship of the carving.

"These two pieces are made from mountain materials, right?" Li Long asked, pointing to two of the larger carvings.

One is a peace and safety amulet, and the other is an Eighteen Arhats bracelet.

"Hey, you have a good eye," Engineer Liu said with a smile. "Although it's mountain material, it's top-grade white, and the quality is quite good."

"I'll take them all. Name your price," Li Long said with a smile. "I don't want to give up any of these things."

"Hehehe," Engineer Liu liked Li Long's straightforwardness. "The price of jade has gone up a bit this year. How about you add some processing fees for each piece? There are seventeen pieces in total, so let's say two thousand yuan?"

"No problem." Li Long readily took out money from his bag. "You didn't lose money here, did you?"

"No loss, no loss, I'm actually making a profit." Engineer Liu took the money, didn't count it, and directly wrote it down in his notebook.

Li Long chatted with Engineer Liu for a while, and then bought some jade carvings made by the apprentices, intending to give them as gifts.

Even if it's an apprentice, these jade carvings are still made from raw jade, just not very big.

Actually, Li Long would prefer to buy raw jade directly, but Yu Sufu is no longer involved in this business, and the jade carving factory is unlikely to sell him raw stones, so he has to take a roundabout approach.

After leaving Liu Gong's place, Li Long went to the train station, found Yu Sufu, and bought some dried fruits such as raisins, walnuts, and dates from him.

This was to be given away as a gift—to his surprise, Yusufu had a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy helping him out.

"Is this your son?" Li Long asked, somewhat surprised. "It seems you really have moved your family here. Congratulations!" Li Long said with a smile.

"Haha, thank you." Yu Sufu was also very happy and gave Li Long a wholesale price.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Yanjing!
(End of this chapter)