Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 983 Hometown is still the best—this year, the broom-making craze has gone crazy!

After a three- or four-day train journey, when Li Long got off at Urumqi Railway Station, he stretched out his body and felt as if he had been reborn.

Xiao Wang booked him a lower berth ticket, which should be quite comfortable. Trains aren't as cramped as long-distance buses; you can stand up in the aisle.

He had been eating food from the dining car the whole way, so the treatment was definitely the same. But Li Long felt uncomfortable in the cramped space on the train. Now that he got off the train, even though it was hot, he felt relaxed and could breathe freely.

Carrying a bag and the local specialties that Xiao Wang had prepared for her, she first went to the place where she had eaten with Yu Sufu last time and had some mixed noodles to treat her stomach well. Then she went to Yu Sufu to buy some dried fruit.

Although the Beijing Liaison Office also serves noodles, I don't know if it's the flour or the meat and vegetables that's wrong, but the taste wasn't very good. It was only here that I felt it was authentic!
Raisins and red dates, although they are the least popular snacks and dried fruits among residents of northern and southern Xinjiang 20 or 30 years later, were still a good choice to keep at home as a snack when there were relatively few other snacks available.

Yu Sufu was there and was happy to see Li Long. His son wasn't there, and when Li Long asked, Yu Sufu said his son had gone to learn how to cook. He didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and set up a stall here; he wanted to open a noodle shop.

It's good that you have your own goals.

“Adasi, you could put some jade items on your stall to sell,” Li Long said after chatting for a while. “There’s a side entrance next to the jade carving factory where you can buy small jade carvings. Tourists who come here like these things. You could stock some up, mark up the price, and sell them here. Even if you only sell one a day, you’ll break even. Anyway, you know about jade and can talk to them about it. You probably don’t make much money just selling raisins, dates, and walnuts.”

"I can give it a try." Yu Sufu thought that Hetian jade was indeed a good choice for tourists or workers to take back as souvenirs, but this was just his and Li Long's opinion. He had sold it at a street stall in front of the square before, but he didn't know if it would work this way.

"Give it a try. Anyway, the jade carvings made by those apprentices aren't very valuable. You can start with small pieces and give it a shot."

Some people are now interested in northern Xinjiang, and although there aren't many tourists, there are some.

Many of the wealthy people in northern Xinjiang later started by doing small businesses at this time, so it's definitely worth a try.

After leaving Yu Sufu, Li Long put the raisins, red dates, and other items into his backpack, then went to the baggage department to pick up the things he and Gu Xiaoyu had bought for their families, and then took the items to the bus station.

This round trip took half a month, and he was getting impatient. He figured Li Xiangqian must be getting anxious too.

Although he had explained the reason by phone in Yanjing, Li Xiangqian was still most concerned about the current mission.

Fortunately, after calling several other places, it was found that the work of making large brooms was done quite well. That being said, Li Long still needs to see it for himself.

Back in the county, Li Long strode back to the courtyard carrying his things. Sister Yang and Han Fang were there with Mingming and Haohao. A few slices of watermelon, covered with a lid, sat on a small table near the kitchen. When Mingming and Haohao saw Li Long return, they were startled at first, then ran over, wobbling, and clung to his legs, refusing to let go.

It's alright, they still recognize me. Li Long originally thought that after being gone for more than half a month, they wouldn't recognize him anymore.

He put his things down, picked up the two children and kissed them, and then answered Sister Yang's questions.

"The journey has been great. It's comfortable and not crowded at all, especially since I'm in a sleeper berth. The food is good too. I think I've gained weight again," Li Long said with a smile. "Haohao has also gained weight. He must have gained weight in the last two weeks."

"It's good to be chubby," Sister Yang said with a smile. "Being chubby brings good fortune..."

At that time, there weren't many fat people, and those who could gain weight generally came from well-off families, hence the saying "fat people are blessed."

Li Long knew that children shouldn't be too fat when they're young, as it would be very difficult to lose weight later. So he thought that once he finished making the big brooms, he would have to create an exercise plan for his two children to turn their fat into muscle.

Of course, it's not about pure strength and endurance; even just doing a few repetitions of Baduanjin a day to warm up your body will do.

Knowing that Li Long had already eaten, Sister Yang told him about the recent situation and asked Han Fang to cut another watermelon.

"Just cut it open, I'll take half and eat it with a spoon," Li Long said. "I can still eat half a melon."

Han Fang smiled with her eyes narrowed, went over and brought over a large watermelon, neatly cut it in half, and handed the sweet end with the stem to Li Long. Then she quickly grabbed an iron spoon, which Li Long took and said with a smile, "Little Fang has grown into a young lady."

"Hehe." Han Fang laughed there.

"He's a bit silly," Sister Yang laughed. "He started school late, but his grades are alright, and he knows how to work hard..."

“That’s not stupid at all,” Li Long said while eating watermelon. “If you get into a good school and start working, you’ll be able to enjoy life, big sister.”

When Mingming and Haohao saw Li Long eating melon seeds, they immediately came over to join in the fun, and Li Long fed them a piece every now and then.

“That Meng Hai came over once,” Sister Yang said, remembering something. “He came three days ago and said that his village and other nearby villages have made more than 3,000 large brooms. He asked when you would be back and if you had time, to go and check them out and pick them up.”

When Li Long left, he left Meng Hai 7,000 yuan, which was enough for 2,000 large brooms. Now that there are more than 3,000 brooms, that money is definitely not enough.

It's easy to talk to my older brother. Even if the money he left isn't enough, he and my father have money to cover it. Even if they can't cover it, the villagers can let him owe the money first.

Wang Mingjun had already established a relationship of trust with the company in the corps, while Zhao Zongming had come to him of his own accord, so neither side had given him any money.

But Li Long thought that since he was back, he should first collect the brooms from the two places and settle the money for that part, so that at least the pressure on the other side could be relieved a bit.

But let's rest for half a day first. No matter how much we pack, it won't be until tomorrow.

"Halim and his men came over, took the tractor away saying they were going to cut grass, and left their things in the side room," Sister Yang pointed.

Li Long didn't have time to look at it right now, thinking he'd wait until he'd hauled away a batch of large brooms before making any decisions.

When Gu Xiaoxia and Gu Boyuan returned in the evening, they were very happy to see Li Long. Li Long took out all the things he had bought in Yanjing, including the things Gu Xiaoyu had asked him to bring.

The local specialties that Xiao Wang brought were the most popular with the children, mainly foods that could be stored for a long time, such as dried fruit and pastries.

Gu Xiaoyu thoughtfully prepared clothes, hats, toys, and stationery for everyone, which was great, and both adults and children were very happy.

Gu Boyuan listened to Li Long recount his conversation with that leader, and then remarked with emotion:

"Being able to speak with this leader, your trip to Yanjing was definitely the right one. Our purchasing station will now have a real backer."

Li Long agreed. Although it was just a simple meeting and the topics discussed were simple, outsiders didn't think so.

In truth, Li Long's thinking was too simplistic. As a nationally recognized outstanding individual, it was normal for that leader, who had governed northern Xinjiang for many years, to take notice of him during the commendation ceremony. But summoning him to his office for a half-hour chat was a different story.

Those who are interested will soon learn of this information and then adjust their assessment and response to Li Long.

However, Li Long didn't need to worry about that. He was thinking that next time he went, he would bring the old man some genuine local specialties—after all, the things he brought this time were too casual.

That evening, Li Long called his older brother and told him about his return. Li Jianguo was very happy. He said that he had already collected more than 3,000 large brooms. This year, everyone was very enthusiastic about making large brooms, and some people even got into fights over cutting reeds.

"Wenyu has also made quite a few, probably over a thousand," Li Jianguo mentioned, mentioning a detail Li Long had overlooked. "He asked me if I was going to buy any more this year, and I said yes, but I still wanted higher quality ones. He said no problem, and asked what I thought about what to do over there."

"Of course we'll take it." Li Long had genuinely forgotten about Liang Wenyu's side, mainly because there were no resources of reed grass there, and Li Long had left in a hurry, so he overlooked it.

However, the fact that he remembered to look for his older brother shows his good intentions; since he had already taken the ointment, he was bound to accept it.

“That’s fine then,” Li Jianguo said. “I’ll have him bring it directly to my place, so we can transport it together later.”

Right.

Li Long said, "Then let's do it this way. Let him use a tractor to haul it. Tomorrow morning I'll take the truck to the Corps company to inspect and accept the haul. We'll go back to our team the day after tomorrow or the day after that."

"You go about your business, follow your own plans," Li Jianguo said. "Anytime is fine."

After hanging up the phone, Li Long saw that it was already late and it wouldn't be good to call Li Xiangqian again. He decided to bring some local specialties over the next day and discuss the transportation arrangements. The next day, after breakfast, Li Long took some local specialties and went to the supply and marketing cooperative.

When Li Long arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative compound in his jeep, Li Xiangqian hurriedly rode over on his bicycle. Seeing Li Long getting off with the box, he put down his bicycle and said irritably:

"You're back? Judging by your demeanor, anyone who didn't know better would think you were the director! Come on, let's go to the office!"

Li Xiangqian and Li Long entered the office together. Zhou Yuan rushed over to report on his work, and Li Long happened to hand him the local specialty he had brought with him.

"Hey, what about mine?" Zhou Yuan said with a smile as she took it. "Comrade Li Long, you're so thoughtful."

"There are still some in the car, we'll share them with everyone later." Xiao Wang had brought quite a lot of dried fruit, and to be honest, Li Long didn't really care for it, so he only brought some to share with everyone.

Of course, Li Xiangqian's is different.

"Then leave it to me." Zhou Yuan understood immediately, and seeing that Li Xiangqian had nothing more to say to him, he went out.

Li Long then reported on the various aspects of the trip, including his meeting with the leader.

"Really?" Upon hearing Li Long's words, Li Xiangqian couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and paced around the office twice. "Little Li, you're incredibly lucky! To be able to chat with this leader for half an hour after meeting you, hey! I'm so envious!"

"Haha, Director, you're exaggerating," Li Long said with a smile. "This old man is just giving me special treatment because I'm from our northern border region."

"Even so, you've still caught their eye," Li Xiangqian sighed. This young man was incredibly lucky. What was he like when he first met him? "Destitute" wouldn't even begin to describe his situation, but it's only been a few years?
It turned out that Director Qian, who had always been his benefactor, praised him highly, and he even felt that Director Qian's family cared about him more than he did about himself.

And now she's got a relationship with that big boss, how can anyone not be envious?
In other words, if Li Long were still within the system, catching up with me within three to five years wouldn't be a problem.

However, Li Longzhi was not present, which made Li Xiangqian sigh – what a great opportunity!

"Director, I've finished my business in Yanjing. I plan to start working on the brooms here today. Are the vehicles in our company usable? If so, I plan to take some people to the production and construction corps company today to inspect and bring the brooms back."

“Not today.” Li Xiangqian shook his head. “The trucks have all been sent out to transport supplies. Wait until tomorrow. When the trucks come back tomorrow, I’ll give you a form to take one first thing in the morning.”

Li Long thought for a moment and said, "Then can I just go to the transportation company and hire a truck to bring it to the county?"

"No need, no need, it's not a big deal." Li Xiangqian waved his hand. "The big brooms made by the Corps were quite a sight in the prefecture last year. I'll go with you tomorrow, and after the inspection, we'll take them straight to the prefecture. I'll report to Director Qian today, and everything will be arranged in time."

Li Long never expected that Li Xiangqian had such a plan.

That's fine, it won't affect anything for a day or two anyway, and luckily he hasn't called Wang Mingjun and the others yet.

Now that the time is set, we can make the call.

Zhou Yuan distributed some of the dried fruit that Li Long had brought to each office. Everyone was quite surprised, since although the fruit was ordinary, the fact that it came from Yanjing gave it a high-end feel.

When Li Long came out, everyone greeted him even more enthusiastically.

Li Long drove his jeep back to the compound and started calling Wang Mingjun and the others. After that, he called Zhao Zongming.

Wang Mingjun was overjoyed. Li Long had been gone for more than half a month, longer than planned. He and the company's workers had made so many large brooms. If Li Long stood them up and didn't want them, then things would be a big problem.

Now that Li Long has called to say he'll receive the goods tomorrow, he feels relieved.

Li Long naturally explained why he stayed in Yanjing for a few more days. Anyway, it's easy to verify a lie, and he could also use a powerful figure as a shield. With a high-ranking leader there to back him up, no matter how many days or even a month he waited, the people here wouldn't have any objections.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Mingjun said to Zheng Xiangyang:

"See, Lao Zheng? Let me tell you, Xiao Li is a reliable guy. He has important business in Yanjing! He's going to see his grandfather—that guy—hey, Xiao Li Long is really a hidden talent!"

"I didn't say anything, it's just that our employees keep saying they haven't received their money, and some people are complaining..." Zheng Chaoyang had actually started to grumble after more than ten days, since last year they received their money directly, but this year they didn't, so naturally they had some complaints.

Now that these words have been spoken, nothing can be said. Who dares to say anything?
Li Long called Zhao Zongming again. Zhao Zongming was even more anxious than Wang Mingjun; if Li Long didn't call again, he would be furious.

We've already promised the workers that they'll get paid for the brooms they make. The brigade will keep 50 cents, so each broom will be worth three yuan. The money will be distributed according to the contribution of each production line.

Now there are mountains of brooms piled up, no one is hauling them away, no one is settling accounts. Isn't this thing scary?
I can't work for nothing!
Li Long's phone call turned out to be Zhao Zongming's savior!

"I'm really sorry," Li Long explained again why he stayed in Yanjing for a few more days. After he said that, Zhao Zongming couldn't blame him anymore—who would dare to blame him?
"The day after tomorrow, right? Okay, I'll get everything ready by then. But we've already made over seven thousand large brooms, so you'll need to bring a few more trucks!" Zhao Zongming emphasized the quantity, and Li Long understood what he meant—the money had to be brought over.

"Don't worry, I'll bring enough money and enough vehicles. I just hope that the brooms on your side, Company Commander Zhao, are as good as those on Company Commander Wang's side!"

"Don't worry about that. I wouldn't dare say we're absolutely better than them, but I'm confident we're about the same!" When it comes to quality, this semi-military company is definitely full of confidence!

Li Long was relieved.

Wang Mingjun had more than 8,000 bundles, because he was more confident than Zhao Zongming and had prepared earlier, so he made more bundles.

Together, the two groups already number around 15,000 to 16,000. Adding the four squads and the Qingshuihe Village team, the mission is already halfway complete.

Excellent! Very efficient this year!
Li Long ate lunch in the courtyard and then rushed to Qingshuihe Village.

Meng Hai was inspecting the large brooms that had been delivered to him in his yard—they were already out of space at home, so some of the brooms had to be piled up at the team headquarters.

I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it at someone else's house.

He also specifically hired several militiamen to stand guard at night, mainly to watch over these large brooms, firstly to prevent them from being stolen, and secondly to prevent fires.

When Li Long arrived, Meng Hai had just finished inspecting a donkey cart full of brooms. He accepted two-thirds of them and sent the remaining one-third back.

Perhaps Meng Hai had lost his temper earlier, so the person who brought the broom obediently signed the papers and left.

"Hey, Lao Meng, you've got good reputation." Li Long got out of the jeep and handed over the box in his hand. "These are local specialties I brought back from Yanjing. You can take them for the kids. Oh, and I also bought a plastic pencil case with a magnet for the kids. The drawing on it even has a colored board, two colors, for the kids to use."

"You're here, why did you bring anything?" Meng Hai was happy, but he still had to say something.

"Just take it. How many brooms do you have now?"

“I went to your house that day and you said you had over three thousand bundles. We’ve collected quite a bit more these past two days, over four thousand one hundred bundles that are up to standard,” Meng Hai said. “The neighboring village is also making them, and they’re all sending them here, so I didn’t refuse. You wouldn’t believe it, but these days, people are actually fighting over cutting reeds—luckily, there are plenty of reed beds nearby, and some people are willing to run more than ten kilometers away to cut the grass early in the morning…”

Li Long knew the reason: it was all about money. Everyone wanted a better life.

What's wrong with wanting to live a good life?
“I’ll be coming over in three or four days. I came today to talk to you. By the way, you didn’t have enough money for collecting the brooms, did you? I brought it for you,” Li Long said. “I’ll give you another seven thousand. Use it first, and we’ll settle the accounts when we do the inspection.”

"No need, no need, I still have some authority." Meng Hai waved his hand.

Since he insisted, Li Long didn't give him any more money, since he would give it all back in a few days anyway.

He will go into the mountains again today to check on Halim and his men's grass-cutting progress.

(End of this chapter)