Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 990 The Happy Life in the Li Family Compound

After dinner, Gu Boyuan carefully looked through the contents of the box Li Long had taken out and said:
"This... must be the legendary gold leaf, right?"

"Gold leaves?" Li Long was taken aback. He had read a lot of martial arts novels, and the heroes and heroines in those novels paid with silver ingots and gold leaves. He thought that gold leaves should be something made of gold and look like tree leaves, which was easy to carry and had a lot of value.

Who would have thought that gold leaf was this thing?
Is it just a figment of the novel's imagination, or did Gu Boyuan guess wrong?
“Yes, it’s a gold sheet. Look, doesn’t it look like book pages, one after another?” Gu Boyuan pointed to the gold sheet and said, “This kind of thing is not very common. I only heard my teacher mention it occasionally when I was in school. There are very few left in China, mainly because this kind of thing is not easy to preserve.”

So the novel is talking about "golden leaves," but Gu Boyuan is talking about "golden pages."

Li Long suddenly realized that these "golden pages," which looked like book pages but were clearly much thicker and heavier than gold leaf, were actually much more valuable. He then thought about what people in later generations said: antiques with words are worth many times more than those without words, because words represent heritage and records.

Some items without inscriptions can only be called antiques, while those with inscriptions can be called cultural relics.

Gu Boyuan solemnly placed the item into the wooden box, closed the lid, and said to Li Long, "Keep it safe. This can be passed down through generations."

The fact that Old Gu said this thing could be passed down through generations means it's truly extraordinary.

Li Long thought to himself, "Could those gold plaques I got also be passed down through generations?"

As for the others, is that primitive worship statue brought back from the ruins of the Stone Tribe deep in the Tianshan Mountains also one?

Oh, never mind that.

There were once ancient tribes in the Tianshan Mountains. In addition, there were several wars and bandit suppressions on the northern slope, as well as the management of several generations of Northern Frontier Kings and the treasures they hid when they fled. It is normal to have good things there.

Li Long took the box back to his room; this thing needed to be put away properly.

As for the few hundred silver dollars, that was secondary. He didn't know much about silver dollars and didn't know if any of them were particularly valuable, so he just left them there. Anyway, he had already collected several hundred silver dollars in the two years since he opened the purchasing station, so he didn't care about a few more.

However, Li Long is determined to keep these treasured items safe.

The main house in this courtyard has two gates. Sister Yang and Han Fang live in the east room, which has only one other room. Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia's family live in the room by the west gate, which has three rooms: one bright and two dark. The entrance leads to the living room, the master bedroom is on the left, and there are also bedrooms on the right. However, in the bedroom on the right, there is a hidden compartment under the bed, where Li Long keeps something he considers very precious.

There are also some particularly fine jade pebbles and some excellent carvings by Master Liu.

On National Day, Chen Xingbang brought his family over. Li Long first took them back to the Fourth Squad, and Gu Boyuan also went back with them.

The purchasing station was closed for the National Day holiday and would not accept any goods. This information had been posted well in advance. Although Li Long saw someone watching over the large iron gate of the purchasing station when he was seeing someone off, he didn't pay any attention to it.

The purchasing stations are busy all year round, they can't really not let people rest, can they?

The Tillandsia flower is about to give birth, so Li Long naturally needs to give Sun Jiaqiang a break.

Gu Boyuan also planned to go back to the village for a good rest for a day. Although the purchasing station was in the county and everything was convenient, it wasn't his home.

Fortunately, most of the goods at the purchasing station had been sold, and the police station was not far away, so there was no need to worry about any problems. Sun Jiaqiang lived next door and could detect the situation in time.

After sending Chen Xingbang and the others back to the Fourth Squad, Li Long returned to the county and sent Gu Xiaoxia, Mingming, and Haohao back as well. When he returned to the county, Li Anguo's family had also arrived.

Li Long made three trips back and forth, managing to bring all his family members over, and Li Jianguo's courtyard immediately became lively.

Li Juan and Li Qiang were the happiest. As the two oldest, they led a group of younger siblings in playing happily in the yard. Mingming and Haohao also joined in, and they were very happy too.

Occasionally there will be bumps and bruises, but the parents generally don't interfere; the children will handle it themselves. Li Juan and Li Qiang have already learned to patiently reason with their younger siblings.

Liang Yuemei was cooking with Li Xia and Chen Lirong. Gu Xiaoxia wanted to help, but Liang Yuemei "sent" her out, saying with a smile, "The three of us are already cramped enough here. You go out and watch the children."

Gu Xiaoxia had no choice but to leave, and Li Xia then said to Liang Yuemei:

"Sister-in-law, you and Mingming's mother have such a good relationship."

“That’s just like Xiaolong, I watched her grow up.” Liang Yuemei said while preparing ingredients. “She was just a tiny little thing, and I watched her grow into a young woman and then marry into our family. That’s different.”

Chen Lirong remained silent, though she was actually quite envious. If her husband hadn't worked in Kuitun, she felt living in the village would have been quite nice—she had lived there for a while before and found it very pleasant. Her sister-in-law was a good person, there weren't so many troubles or rules in the village, and her parents-in-law weren't troublesome people either; it was wonderful.

Unfortunately, living in the city, even though my family has a bigger house, the relationships with the neighbors feel a bit distant. Although we greet each other when we meet and occasionally help each other out, the relationships aren't as close as they are in the countryside.

Seeing the commotion, Sister-in-law Lu joined in the chat in the courtyard for a while. Most of her and Lu Yingming's relatives lived in their hometown, and they were lucky if they could go back once a year.

So I really envy the Li family, who moved here with the whole family and can get together from time to time.

Rural people still enjoy lively gatherings, especially when there are a bunch of children in the yard. Li Qingxia's smile never stopped. Although Du Chunfang grumbled that it was too noisy, her eyes were actually glued to the group of children almost the entire time.

She always wanted to hug Mingming or Haohao, but Mingming and Haohao were eager to play with their older siblings and would always break free. Du Chunfang was not annoyed, but just watched with a smile and would occasionally say that the children were really strong.

Li Long and his older brother Li Jianguo were talking about tractors and road construction.

"After the National Day holiday, there is still some winter wheat to be sown, plus some unplowed land to be plowed, and a few families want to cultivate land. They have already applied to the team, and they will clear the wasteland. In total, this year, we should be able to pay off the cost of last year's tractors and even make a profit."

Li Jianguo looked quite excited as he spoke, but Li Long could tell that his older brother was working very hard. Driving a tractor is a mentally and physically demanding job, and Li Long guessed that his brother's ears were probably ringing by now.

"Brother, how much is this tractor?" Chen Xingbang asked.

Li Anguo listened attentively, quite interested.

“A complete set of farm implements costs 50,000 yuan,” Li Jianguo said. “The tractor alone costs nearly 40,000 yuan.”

"You've been back for only two years?" Chen Xingbang was quite surprised. "Is plowing really that profitable?"

"It's mainly because our team has a lot of land," Li Long explained. "Now, plowing, harrowing, leveling, cutting, and sowing all cost eight yuan per set. The whole team has nearly three thousand mu of land..."

“It’s three thousand mu now,” Li Jianguo added. “We’ve opened up a lot of land this year, including some that grow bitter bean flowers and firewood.”

"Let's count how many there are. They come once in spring and again in autumn."

"Aren't there any other tractors in that team?" Li Anguo asked.

"Yes, but that tractor is twenty or thirty years old. It needs major repairs after plowing just a few acres of land, which is a real hassle. It's not as good as our new tractor. Most of the people in the team use ours," Li Jianguo said with no small amount of pride.

Chen Xingbang and Li Anguo exchanged a glance, neither knowing what to say.

I traveled thousands of miles from the mouth to this legendary bitter and cold place, and after all the hard work and effort, I finally became someone who gets a government-subsidized food ration. How come I feel that I'm not as good as my older brother who stayed in the countryside?
I have to work all year round, while my older brother only works for half a year. Although it's tiring, he has more than five months of winter to rest properly, so he makes up for it.

Besides, the money my older brother earned in one year is more than I've earned in many years of work.

Incomparable!

That's true, but when it comes to actually giving up their jobs and returning to the countryside, they still wouldn't be willing. Having a government-subsidized grain ration is a status symbol; in the eyes of ordinary people, having this identity is better than farming in the countryside.

The group of grown men chatted about all sorts of things, from the price of meat in the old street to anecdotes about Kuitun and the Seventh Agricultural Division, and then to the work at Li Long's purchasing station.

Just before dinner was about to start, Li Jianguo asked Li Long to call Gu Boyuan over.

"It must be so lonely for him to eat alone in the yard. It's not the Mid-Autumn Festival, it's National Day. Wouldn't it be nice to eat together?"

“Yes, yes, yes,” Li Qingxia added, “Your father-in-law isn’t going to find someone else… Call him over, call him over, I want to have a few drinks with him.” Li Long then drove the jeep to Gu Boyuan’s courtyard. Gu Boyuan was tending a fire at the stove in the courtyard, seemingly preparing to cook noodles.

Li Long got out of the car, went over to check the water in the pot that hadn't boiled yet, went directly to the well to fetch a ladle of water, and used it to extinguish the fire under the stove. Before Gu Boyuan could get angry, he said:

"Uncle Gu, come on, dinner is ready, a whole table of people are waiting for you."

"I'm not going. Your whole family is together, what would it look like if I went?" Gu Boyuan took the stove hook to scoop out the wet ashes under the stove before lighting it again.

"What do you mean, 'a whole family'? Isn't Xiaoxia your daughter? Aren't Mingming and Haohao your grandsons? Should I bring Mingming and Haohao over to call you?" Li Long said with a smile. "Come on, we're not strangers. We've eaten at the same table before. I know you have a family. Today is National Day, so what's wrong with sitting together to eat?"

Gu Boyuan and Li Jianguo are both very concerned about their image and always feel that it is inappropriate to go to someone's house for dinner without a proper reason.

They belong to the older generation who are rather stubborn, yet somewhat endearing.

Upon hearing Li Long's offer to bring Mingming and Haohao over to invite him, Gu Boyuan relented and muttered:

"Why are you messing with the doll? Go away, it's just time to eat."

He straightened his clothes, looking as if he was ready to die, which made Li Long want to laugh.

Or perhaps it's the children who are more effective.

Gu Boyuan locked the door, got into the car with Li Long, and asked about his family situation.

“My dad said he wants to have a few drinks with you,” Li Long said as he drove. “Everyone at home is doing well. My older brother is starting a tractor business this year, and he says he’ll be able to recoup his investment.”

“Your older brother is quite capable,” Gu Boyuan said. “He just suffers from a lack of education; otherwise, he could have accomplished great things.”

Li Long felt that these words resonated deeply with him.

When they arrived at the Li family's courtyard, a table had already been set up under the shed outside, with dishes, wine glasses, and chopsticks provided. Everyone sat and waited.

Gu Boyuan got out of the car with a smile on his face, cupped his hands and said:

"Hey, you're late, you're late! What are you waiting for me for? Just eat!"

"How can that be?" Li Qingxia said with a smile. "We have to wait for you to come and eat together. Come on, sit down."

The men sat at one table, the women at another, and the children at yet another. Li Juan was in charge of the children's table, and she and Li Qiang looked after Mingming and Haohao. The two children were very well-behaved. They could be a little mischievous at Gu Xiaoxia's table, but they were very well-behaved at the children's table.

Gu Xiaoxia was initially worried that the two children might get fish bones stuck in their throats or chicken bones stuck in their throats, but when she saw Li Juan and Li Qiang carefully picking out the fish meat without fish and the chicken meat without bones for Mingming and Haohao to eat, and even Hongqin, Xueping, and Xueqin learning to take care of the two children, giving them steamed buns dipped in vegetable soup, she felt relieved.

Of course, he wasn't completely at ease, so he would glance back every now and then, then smile and say to Liang Yuemei:

"Sister-in-law, look at Juan! She's so young, but she already acts like an older sister. She's so good at taking care of people!"

“Hey,” Liang Yuemei said with a smile, “She’s the eldest, so she has to set an example for her younger siblings, right?”

"How is Juan's studying now?" Gu Xiaoxia asked while eating.

"Not bad, first or second in the class, and in the top three in the grade." Liang Yuemei was particularly proud of this. "I went to Beijing with you guys, and wow, the enthusiasm for studying was incredible. We said we were determined to get into Beijing. I told your older brother that since we have a place to stay there, let's go."

"What about Qiangqiang?"

“Qiangqiang is fine too. He’s in fifth grade this year. There are two classes in the school. When we had the parent-teacher meeting, both homeroom teachers praised him. He’s in Class A, and the homeroom teacher of Class B said it would be great if he were in their class.” Speaking of her two children, Liang Yuemei felt that she was not tired at all and was very proud. “I just don’t know how he will be in junior high school.”

"There won't be any problem. Once they know how to learn, things will go more smoothly later on," Gu Xiaoxia said with relief. "As older siblings, we should set a good example for our younger brothers and sisters. Then Mingming and Haohao will also have something to learn."

“It’s just too far,” Li Xia sighed. “Hongqin goes to school in Shicheng. Her grades are so-so. As soon as school is over, she runs off to play and doesn’t study at all. Her dad and I are both busy and can’t keep an eye on her…”

“We have to manage this.” Liang Yuemei glanced at Gu Xiaoxia, then said to Li Xia, “They need to develop good habits, otherwise their grades won’t improve, and it will be difficult to manage later. However, those students are studying in the city, where the teaching quality is better than ours in the countryside.”

"Xueping and Xueqin are the same; all they do is play all day long," Chen Lirong said slowly. "Making them study is like torturing them..."

After she and Li Xia finished speaking, they both looked at Gu Xiaoxia. After all, Gu Xiaoxia worked in the Education Bureau and used to be a teacher, so they felt that she should have a solution.

"You still need to communicate more with the teacher. If your grades are good, it's normal for them to be playful; if your grades are average, you need to supervise them after class. After they finish their homework, have them read the text aloud a few more times and practice writing the new words. Nowadays, teachers also have standards for how well-written characters are," Gu Xiaoxia said, sharing her opinion.

When women sit together, all they talk about after marriage is their children.

After Gu Xiaoxia finished speaking, she turned to look at Mingming and Haohao, who were being well taken care of, and felt a little worried, wondering what the two of them would be like in the future.

The men's side was much more lively. Li Long was driving and was the youngest, so he could drink less, while everyone else's glasses were full and couldn't be empty.

Li Qingxia, being the eldest among the seniors, handed the wine bottle to Li Jianguo, making Li Jianguo the wine commander. He himself was like an emperor emeritus, watching the younger generation "drinking contests." He also told Gu Boyuan beforehand that he was about the same age as Li Jianguo, so everyone should just do their own thing and enjoy drinking.

Gu Boyuan hadn't experienced such an occasion in a long time. Since going to the county purchasing station, he had earned a lot of money, a sum he never dared to dream of before, but life didn't seem as carefree as it used to be.

So today he let loose; it's just drinking, so he just let loose.

Li Long watched them with a smile as he ate the dishes on the table. There was a large bowl of chicken, the original version of "Big Plate Chicken," made with freshly dug potatoes; and a large plate of stewed fish, which Li Qingxia had caught this morning from her net last night. The fish were all small: palm-sized crucian carp, finger-thick pike (highland loach), chopstick-length whitebait, and small bighead carp.

It was stewed until very tender, and then sprinkled with some coriander at the end—it smelled wonderful.

In addition to these two dishes, there was also a plate of braised pork, a plate of cold bean sprouts, a plate of fried peanuts, and a traditional spicy red bean curd dish.

Actually, the fourth squad doesn't eat much spicy red sauce. They mostly make cold salad with chives, chili peppers, and celery after blanching them in boiling water. Spicy red sauce was invented by Li Long, and then it gradually spread among everyone. It's easy to make and tastes good.

Li Jianguo, as the commander of the drinking game, will first complete the first round.

Life is good this year. Driving a tractor to plow and sow, Li Jianguo seems to have rediscovered the ambition he had when the village was first established. He has a lot of land, and the sunflowers he grows are selling well. Although he can't make money as fast as Li Long, who seems to print money, he is already far ahead in the village.

This outstanding performance greatly satisfied Li Jianguo's confidence and vanity, so he was very relaxed today. He played the finger-guessing game very smoothly and defeated Gu Boyuan, Chen Xingbang, and Li Anguo one by one. At the very least, he defeated them by winning two out of three rounds.

The lively atmosphere at the Li family's house attracted the attention of the neighbors, but seeing so many people in the yard, most of them just looked around at the entrance and left.

Li Long saw Lu Yingming, Wang Caimi, and other people who wanted to find Li Jianguo to plow the fields, but after they came over, they just greeted him and left.

Even the worst and most clueless person wouldn't disturb the Li family's reunion at this point; all they could do was envy them—they had the courage to bring everyone from their hometown over and the ability to settle them all down; all they could do was admire them.

After all, in the eyes of people from the region, northern Xinjiang is harsh and cold, and if you suggest moving your family here, even some people from Gansu Province might curse you.

At this point, "being exiled to Yili" was not just an internet meme; in the eyes of those people, going to northern Xinjiang was truly considered exile.

Laughter broke out again, and the women at the table also started drinking. It was a white wine, which was called sweet wine. They didn't play drinking games, but just exchanged blessings, clinked glasses, and laughed continuously.

Although lives may differ greatly, everyone is living a good life, which is something to celebrate.

Hearing the adults laughing, the children, though they didn't know why, knew it was a good thing and laughed too.

(End of this chapter)