Chapter 201

"I'll wire the travel expenses for father and mother to come over." Li Long said at the table in the evening, "I'll just send a telegram to ask about the situation when I go to the street these two days."

"Okay, you can earn money, I won't argue with you." Li Jianguo said with some guilt, "This originally should have been done by me..."

"Exactly." Liang Wenyu said while mending the hole in Li Qiang's clothes, "Xiao Long, many of these things should have been done by your eldest brother and me..."

"What are you saying?" Li Long waved his hand and said, "Then I should also be raised by father and mother, didn't you also raise me this big? Besides, if you don't farm the land for me, wouldn't it be wasted? Our own family won't say these things. Now isn't it each person exerting their own strengths? I just can't farm, I like hunting and catching fish, just happened to encounter good times..."

This topic was turned over.

Li Long would absolutely not think that his eldest brother took advantage of him. If it weren't for Li Jianguo, he should still be hungry and full in his hometown, let alone eating meat every day, it would be hard to say how many meals of white flour he could eat in a month!

In his previous life, Li Long returned to his hometown in the early nineties. At that time, some families in the hometown village still couldn't say they ate white flour steamed buns every day because there was too little land, and many girls were not allowed to go to school before graduating from primary school.

"Then I'll send a telegram to let father and mother come over as soon as possible. Land was divided early in the hometown, but with that less than one mu of ration land, it can be handed over to any relative in the village to look after for a period of time." Li Jianguo said, "I don't know how long father and mother can stay after coming over."

"That's definitely better to stay for a longer period of time." Although Li Long was not close to his parents, they were his parents after all, and he still hoped to let them enjoy more happiness here. At least eating full and eating well was no problem.

"Actually..." Li Jianguo suddenly sighed, "If it's according to father's temper, knowing you are doing these things, he would be very happy. At home, father liked this. When we were young, he took us to catch fish and shrimp, and he didn't like doing farm work at that time... he liked playing quite a bit."

Li Long was speechless. Recalling the things that happened in his previous life, it was really like this.

Father and mother came here to live several times. At that time, they were old, and they really liked catching fish and so on. In hometown dialect, they were not idle, but didn't do proper work.

He was very unaccustomed to the labor of such large fields in the Northern Frontier, and the eldest brother and sister-in-law didn't expect him to work when he came, so he often got some small fish by the river ditches and canals, quite happy day by day, but he couldn't live long, after all, he still liked the lively environment of his hometown.

As for mother, her presence was not high, she didn't speak much, basically huddled at the door, either sitting and basking in the sun, or sitting and dozing off, she spoke little, but she was truly doting on Li Long...

He was already such a big person, and he could use the word doting to describe it, so think about it.

The next day, Li Long rode a bicycle to the county. He inquired at the passenger station that the train ticket from his hometown to Wucheng was fifty or sixty yuan per person, three days and four nights. Buying a sleeper at this time was not realistic, and ordinary people couldn't buy it either.

So Li Long wired two hundred yuan to his home, and then sent a telegram to let his home notify him by telegram when they bought the ticket, so it would be easy to pick them up here.

After handling the matter, Li Long didn't go home immediately, but went to the large courtyard first to see how the fritillaria and skins he put down two days ago were drying.

After all, having such an industry, he still had to check it often, so as not to know when a thief entered.

The deer antler smeared with salt mud hadn't dried through, and the fritillaria still needed a period of time. The skins had dried, but Li Long was too lazy to run back and forth. He planned to catch fish for two more days, and when the fish were sold, the fritillaria here would also be dry, and then he would go to sell them together.

The two deer penises he collected had dried. Li Long hesitated for a while, but finally didn't send them to Li Xiangqian. Let's wait for another period of time.

Sweeping the fallen leaves in the large courtyard clean and sprinkling some water to prevent it from drying out, he wondered if he should also sink a pressure well inside, so that using water would be more convenient.

Locking the door of the large courtyard, Li Long pedaled the bicycle and headed to the grain processing factory again.

The wheat bran and oil dregs bought last time were almost used up, and he planned to buy two more sacks to take back today.

With the proof from the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Long easily bought two large sacks, which were set high on the back seat of the bicycle.

Part of this feed was to be distributed to Uncle Lao Luo's side, and half was to be used at home.

It was already noon, and it was too late to go home for dinner. Li Long parked the bicycle at the large meat canteen and ate a bowl of mixed noodles. This time he only asked for extra noodles. After eating, he drank half a bowl of noodle soup, which was called "hooking the seams" in old dialect, and then rode away.

Passing by the middle school, Li Long hesitated and didn't go in, mainly because it was embarrassing to see Gu Xiaoxia while carrying two sacks of feed.

Returning to the Old Horse Corral, unloading half of the feed, and returning home, Li Long saw Tao Daqiang organizing the nets.

"Brother Long, are we setting the nets in the afternoon?"

Looking at Tao Daqiang's expectant face, Li Long couldn't say no.

"Then are we still catching water rats?"

"Let's catch them." Li Long thought that there was still a set of water rat skins that hadn't been sold, and he still had to share money with this kid, so let's catch fish and water rats, and strive for his goal of being a ten-thousand-yuan household.

In the afternoon, the two of them carried iron shovels, nets, and tires to the Little Haizi. This time they found a water rat nest on the west bank. The two of them worked together to dig open the hole. The nest was very large, but there were only three water rats inside.

"I guess there should be more than two, but they swam outside and didn't come back." Li Long said, "We can't catch them."

The water rat nests in Little Haizi were just this many seen so far. As for the embankment on the north side, Li Long didn't want to. Don't find it and dig it through the embankment, that would be a big trouble.

This time Li Long brought six nets. He planned not to bring too many nets during this period. Although fish were not difficult to sell, getting up early every day to take nets, take fish, and ride so far to sell fish was also quite tiring.

After setting the nets, returning to the courtyard, Li Long and Tao Daqiang skinned the water rats. One male had a scent bag. Li Long felt it was okay.

Tao Daqiang carried the meat of the three water rats back, while Li Long pressed water in the courtyard to water the vegetable plot.

It was almost May. The chives and celery in the vegetable plot could already be eaten. The seedlings of tomatoes, chili peppers, and eggplants had already grown. The kidney beans and cowpeas needed to be set up with frames, and the two ditches of sweet potatoes planted on the very edge were also about to form a patch.

Li Long remembered that in his previous life, it was always said on the internet that sweet potato leaves were good things, and Li Jianguo also said that they also ate sweet potato leaves when they were young and the green was not connected to the yellow. In those years, every meal was sweet potato, steamed, boiled, dried, etc., all eaten. So until now, Li Jianguo didn't have a cold for sweet potatoes because he ate them until he was hurt.

But putting some sweet potatoes in the corn flour paste every morning tasted quite good. Li Long had this feeling. He felt that it should still be his own growing environment, and the concept of hunger no longer existed.

After watering the whole vegetable plot, Li Long felt a bit tired—he was really not a person who did farm work.

In fact, the vegetable plot in every family's courtyard would be regularly watered by the production team. This water was also released from Little Haizi. Every family had a canal at the door, so when watering, crucian carp would often be left directly in the vegetable plot.

It's just that the vegetable seedlings had just grown up at this time, and the amount of water needed was relatively large. The Li family happened to have a pressure well, so watering was just watering.

He finally pressed two buckets of water here and placed them by the stove to prepare, and Li Juan came back over there.

Li Long saw that Li Juan looked a bit unhappy, so he asked:

"Juan, what's wrong? Who provoked you?"

"No one provoked me." Li Juan lowered her head, "Uncle, I'm fine."

"Say what's the matter." Li Long said with a smile, "Maybe Uncle can help you solve it."

"Nothing, it's just that Chen Huahua has a rubber band, I want to play with them, they said we are not the same age, said I'm young and won't let me play..."

"Rubber band, right?" Li Long smiled, "Then I'll make you one now?" "Where does our family have a rubber band?" Li Juan thought Li Long was joking, "How can that be made? Besides, our family's little uncle, your bicycle tires are all new..."

"But I still have old tires?" Li Long went to the idle room, took out a broken tire he got from the supply and marketing cooperative, and showed it to Li Juan:

"Is this okay?"

"Can it work? Little Uncle, don't you need to use this tire?"

Li Juan was already eleven years old and knew that Li Long caught fish to earn money every day and needed to use tires.

"Look, this is broken, with big holes and small holes, this is used to patch other tires. Cutting you a rubber band is still easy, and I can also cut a slingshot for Qiangqiang!"

"Really? That's great! I... I'll go cut pig grass now..."

"Go, when you come back, your rubber band will be ready—is there anyone to play with?"

"Yes, yes, yes, in my grade there is also Fengxiang, Gaya... Uncle, I'm going to cut pig grass!"

Saying that, Li Juan carried the basket and ran quickly out of the courtyard.

Li Long shook his head with a smile, went to find scissors, first unfolded the tire as a whole, and then planned how to cut it. Cutting rubber bands must avoid those big holes and small holes, and also ensure that the knife doesn't go wrong when cutting, otherwise, it would be easy to break when jumping and stretched tight, and it would be easy to hit people. Hitting the body was nothing, but if it hit the face, this rubber band had great strength, and one pull was enough for the children to suffer.

!.

Because it was well-planned, after Li Long cut the rubber band, only the last knot was tied, which was considered brand new.

The rubber band was folded in two and was more than three meters long. It would be stretched longer when playing. Li Long felt it should be enough.

Next was to make a slingshot for Li Qiang.

Usually, making a slingshot required three parts in total: a wooden fork, a rubber band, and a leather pouch for wrapping stones. Usually, this pouch was cut from the leather of old leather shoes. Now that there was no such thing, Li Long simply cut the rubber band and the pouch from this tire and made it into one piece.

This was simple, mainly because with Li Qiang's current hand strength, even without leather, he could hit—it wouldn't take much effort.

After cutting, Li Long went to find a suitable wooden fork. After cutting and shaving, he tied the rubber band on it, wrapped it tightly with cotton thread, and tested the hand strength.

An adult could easily pull it open, but Li Qiang estimated that it would take some effort.

This was also good, it was not easy to hurt people.

Li Long remembered that children's slingshots were divided into two types. Now he made an enhanced version for Li Qiang. There was also a simplified version, which was twisted into a "y" shape with iron wire—this was actually not vivid, the top was a frame, the bottom was a handle, using a valve core as a rubber band, some used small stones, some used aluminum wire folded into a hook shape as bullets, or when fighting with others, folded into a v-shape with paper as bullets.

Now with this slingshot, Li Qiang should be able to be happy for a while.

Just thinking about Li Qiang's matter, Li Qiang ran in with a handful of dry reed stalks, and said to Li Long while running:

"Little Uncle, Little Uncle, give you something good to eat!"

Saying that, he stuffed one of the reed stalks into his mouth. Li Long was so scared that his face turned pale!

This guy was running! And still holding a reed stalk!

But now he didn't dare to shout, so he had to wave his hand to let him stop.

After Li Qiang stopped, Li Long stood up and walked over, saying to him with a serious face:

"Take out the thing in your mouth!"

Li Qiang didn't know why, so he took out the reed stalk.

"Pa!" Li Long gave Li Qiang a slap on the butt, "Remember in the future, don't stuff this into your mouth when walking or running! Remember!"

Half scared, half aggrieved by being beaten, Li Qiang cried out "Wow".

Just in time, the Lu family's eldest sister-in-law came over with water buckets to fetch water. Seeing Li Long beating Li Qiang, she was a bit unhappy. She guessed that Li Long might be bullying Li Qiang while Li Jianguo and Liang Wenyu were away, but thinking about it, it shouldn't be, so she put the water bucket by the pressure well and asked:

"Qiangqiang, what's wrong, Xiao Long, why are you beating him?"

When she asked this, Li Qiang stopped crying.

Li Long saw the expression of the Lu family's eldest sister-in-law and knew she might have misunderstood, so he said unhappily:

"You let him say it himself."

"Qiangqiang, what did you do?" The Lu family's eldest sister-in-law bent down and asked Li Qiang. The two families had a good relationship. She was half gossiping and half truly curious.

"I... I took this... wanted to let my little uncle taste it..." Li Qiang was also confused, "Didn't do anything, right?"

The Lu family's eldest sister-in-law was unhappy. This Li Qiang was so obedient, and he knew to give Li Long something to eat. No matter what he ate, it was good intentions, right?

She looked at Li Long with some dissatisfaction, waiting for Li Long to explain.

"You let him say, just before I beat him, what did he do?" Li Long didn't explain and continued to ask.

"I... I... I just stuffed this into my mouth..." Li Qiang thought for a while, remembered, and gestured with the reed stalk, "Then ran toward my little uncle..."

The Lu family's eldest sister-in-law's face changed immediately: "That should be beaten! Stuffing this into your mouth, and you're still running... what if you tripped? Wouldn't it poke into your throat and air? Wouldn't you poke yourself to death... remember in the future! This cannot be stuffed into your mouth, even if you eat something, you have to eat it standing... this child!"

After the Lu family's eldest sister-in-law understood what was going on, she breathed a sigh of relief and touched Li Qiang's head: "Not bad, know to give your uncle something delicious to eat... what is this?"

"Inside... inside there is honey..." Li Qiang said in a low voice.

As soon as Li Long heard it, he understood.

This reed stalk should have been taken from the reed bundle on the eaves of someone's old house. There was a kind of small honeybee locally that liked to build nests in this reed tube and collect honey as food for larvae.

Later, Li Long knew that this was a kind of leaf-cutter bee, but no one knew it yet.

Children had no snacks to eat, and didn't know how they found this. Seeing Li Qiang find such a handful, it was considered a quite fruitful harvest. Being able to think of giving it to him to eat was truly very good to him.

Li Qiang held the slingshot in his hand and said with a smile:

"Look, what is this?"

"Ah—slingshot! Little Uncle, is it for me?" Li Qiang immediately turned tears into smiles, "Little Uncle, you are the best! Ah—"

The Lu family's eldest sister-in-law watched the interaction between the two while pressing water and smiled.

Thanks to book friend Tianlang Xiaotian Zhan for the 5,000 reward! Thanks to book friend Zhiyu for the three rewards, thank you very much!

The average subscription of the original book is not rising much. Now that it has been on a bestseller list, it has risen a bit, and it is currently not bad. Friends who have read the book should know that this book mainly focuses on daily life, with more fishing and hunting, mixed with some fragmented family trifles, mainly showing the daily life of that era. Therefore, this book is destined not to have particularly large plot ups and downs, let's live a good life.

(End of chapter)