Chapter 114: Small-caliber rifle in hand

Sitting in the jeep back to the entrance of the county supply and marketing cooperative, Li Xiangqian and Li Long got out of the car, and Director Qian also got out together.

"Director, come sit in our cooperative for a while?" Li Xiangqian said with a smile, "It's already noon..."

"No, I'm in a hurry to go back, I won't disturb you this time. Next time, next time when I come over, I won't agree even if you don't host me." Director Qian said with a smile, "It just happens to be noon, you should host Xiao Li properly. If it weren't for him this time, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

After speaking, he took the initiative to reach out to Li Long:

"Comrade Xiao Li, you helped me a great deal this time, I won't say much more. When you have time, come to the region to play, look for me when you do."

Xiao Jiang picked up the yellow sheep that had been cut of its head from the trunk and placed it on the ground, then nodded to Li Xiangqian and Li Long, and returned to the driver's seat.

After seeing the jeep off, Li Long looked at Li Xiangqian.

"Don't be in a hurry, I'll settle this yellow sheep first." Li Xiangqian was in a very good mood now. He looked at Old Man Li, who had already pushed the door open and come out, and said with a smile: "Second Uncle, leave this yellow sheep here for now, Xiao Li and I are going to handle some business, I'll come back to get it in a little while."

"Fine." Old Man Li nodded with a smile. Li Long greeted Old Man Li and then followed Li Xiangqian toward the supply and marketing cooperative's family compound.

Li Xiangqian lived in a single-story house in the family compound. He brought Li Long into the room and said to him:

"You sit first." Then he went into the inner room.

Although it was a single-story house, the layout inside was considered quite fashionable at the time.

"Where's your wife?" Li Long asked while sitting in the living room, "Where's the child?"

"Your sister-in-law is working at the county grain bureau, the child went to his maternal grandmother's house." Li Xiangqian said while taking a small-caliber rifle out of the inner room.

There were two types of civilian small-caliber rifles: one was homemade, by those manual experts who modified air guns into small-caliber rifles. The other was the standard small-caliber rifle, such as the "Jianwei" or "Emei" brand.

The one Li Xiangqian took was a Jianwei brand semi-automatic small-caliber rifle. Seeing that there were no scratches on the reddish-brown wooden stock paint, one could tell that this gun hadn't been used many times.

"This gun was bought after I went into the mountains to make purchases when I first became a section chief. There are many good things in the mountains, and at the time I also felt that if I had the chance, I would definitely go hunt foxes, rabbits, and such, but unfortunately—I never had the time."

The gun was very good, of course, it couldn't compare to the 56-semi, but it was very good for hunting rabbits, foxes, and pheasants. After all, the 56-semi would leave a large hole when hitting these things, which was a bit of a loss.

"I have two boxes of bullets here too. You're out of bullets, the Zhang Xin Hua Bookstore sells them."

Li Xiangqian shoved the gun, the gun case, and the bullets to Li Long and said:

"Xiao Li, we can be considered to have become friends through a fight. You helped me a great deal today, if there's anything in the future, come directly to me, if I can help, I definitely will."

Li Long took the gun and said with a smile:

"Section Chief Li, I know."

"Let's go, to the cafeteria, my treat, we've been tired for half a day, we must have a good meal!"

Li Long took the gun to the Big Meat Cafeteria. Carrying a gun in this day and age wasn't a big deal; after all, the militia training's 56-submachine guns and 56-semis were all freely available. And the Zhang Xin Hua Bookstore sold small-caliber rifles, sand guns, and air guns.

The two entered the cafeteria, and Zhong Guo Qiang walked over, saying with a smile:

"Yo, Section Chief Li, Comrade Xiao Li, you two know each other?"

"Manager Zhong, you know Xiao Li?" Li Xiangqian was a bit surprised. Chen Hongjun knew Li Long, and Zhong Guo Qiang also knew him. This Li Long was not simple.

But thinking about it, he understood. Li Long sold all kinds of things, so naturally, he knew many people.

"We can be considered old acquaintances." Li Xiangqian said with a smile, "Xiao Li just helped me a great deal, he's hungry at noon, so he came to your place for a meal. Serve whatever good dishes you have, we're not picky now." "Fine, Section Chief Li, do you want alcohol?"

"No alcohol, I have to work in the afternoon. Xiao Li, are you drinking?"

"No, I have to go back to the team in the afternoon." Li Long also waved his hand.

"That's fine, Manager Zhong, you decide what to serve."

"Good." Zhong Guo Qiang went inside to give orders, while Li Xiangqian and Li Long went to the inner room separated by a screen.

The two finished eating and parted ways at the entrance of the Big Meat Cafeteria. Li Long walked toward the Big House, while Li Xiangqian returned to the supply and marketing cooperative.

When they left, two people walked over from afar. Gu Ermao saw Li Long carrying things and parting ways with another person, and he was a bit surprised. Who was this Li Long eating with here?

"Do you know that person?" asked the middle-aged man who came with Gu Ermao.

"He's from our team," Gu Ermao curled his lips, "He used to be a worker, but later he was fired, he's completely useless."

"Useless?" The middle-aged man sneered, "I'm afraid you've seen wrong, right? The one eating with him and coming out is Section Chief Li from the supply and marketing cooperative. That Section Chief Li is very arrogant, he doesn't look up to ordinary people!"

"A leader from the supply and marketing cooperative?" Gu Ermao turned his head to look in Li Xiangqian's direction. At this time, Li Xiangqian was only a distant shadow.

"What do you think?" The middle-aged man patted Gu Ermao, "Let's go, stop looking, others are better than you!"

!.

Li Long didn't know that he and Li Xiangqian eating together had been seen by Gu Ermao. He took the gun, hummed a tune, returned to the Big House, and then rode his bike home.

The temperature outside was slowly rising, and the snow on some sunny slopes had begun to melt, revealing black soil and withered weeds.

When Li Long rode his bike into the team, there were few children playing on the road. He guessed that school was about to start, and the students were all rushing to finish their winter break homework, while those like Li Qiang who were in preschool or didn't need to go to school rarely gathered and came out without older children leading them, so the road was quiet.

Almost reaching the Li family, he ran into Xie Dafa. Brother Fa looked at the bicycle Li Long was riding and said enviously:

"Xiao Long, you kid are really something now, this bicycle runs really fast!"

Li Long put his feet on the ground and said with a smile:

"Brother Fa, after the autumn harvest this year, maybe you'll be able to buy one too."

"How could that be," Brother Fa hurriedly waved his hand, "That bike costs over a hundred yuan, how could I afford it?"

"What if the policy changes?" Li Long smiled, "Schools have expanded enrollment, and so many people in the team are going to become teachers directly. Does that mean the farming policy will also have to change? The land in the mouth area has already been divided among individuals, are we close too?"

"That's true!" Brother Fa touched his chin, pondering, "If this land is to be divided among ourselves..."

He was still pondering there, Li Long exerted force with his toes and said:

"Brother Fa, you stroll, I'm leaving."

Returning to the Li family, Li Long had just put the bicycle away when he saw the door pushed open, and Li Qiang ran out from the room.

"Little Uncle, did you finish hunting the yellow sheep? Did you hit any?"

Li Long took the small-caliber gun case off the bicycle, held it in his hand, and waved it, saying:

"See that? This is the reward for hunting the yellow sheep."

"Uncle, what is this?"

"A gun, want to see it?"

"Yes, yes!" What boy doesn't like playing with guns? Li Qiang was extremely excited.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 115 =====