Chapter 218: This expert at getting rich is well-deserved

April 30th. Today, Li Long didn't go to sell fish, but stayed at home honestly.

He hadn't set the nets yesterday and had specifically told Tao Daqiang, so Tao Daqiang said to take advantage of this opportunity to rest for a day.

Over the past ten days or so, the people in the brigade who were catching fish had all started up one by one, and in the end, they all dispersed one by one.

Wang Cai Mi, who started it all, couldn't even hold on. He still had work in the fields, and on top of being infuriated by those people lowering prices, he had been scolded by others when arguing with them, so he put down the nets.

At this moment, he remembered the words Li Long had used to warn him back then. But what was the use of knowing now? Later, when he knew where the problem lay, he even told everyone openly that the price should be unified and not changed, so that everyone could make money.

Clearly, everyone had agreed perfectly well, but when it came time to sell the fish, one lowered the price more ruthlessly than the other, and in the end, the fish just rotted.

Now, only two people are still persisting in catching and selling fish, one of whom is Meng Zhiqiang. He had followed Wang Cai Mi to catch fish at the very beginning and could be considered to have tasted the sweetness of it. Although his own family didn't eat fish, it didn't prevent him from confirming that catching fish to sell was indeed profitable.

When prices were lowered, he lowered them too, but Meng Zhiqiang was smart, or rather, the wife behind him was smart. When lowering, he always followed suit, and even if it was only a few cents a day, he persisted. Now that only two families remain, the price has gone back up.

A fixed income of six or seven yuan a day made Meng Zhiqiang very happy—he now has three fixed nets, and although he doesn't catch many fish by the edge of the Little Haizi, he is very content.

The other one is named Chen Shuisheng, over forty years old. He came from his hometown in the interior two years ago. He was born in a land of fish and rice, knows how to cast nets and catch fish, and is also very adept at setting sticky nets. As soon as he started, he used three nets. Although he couldn't reach the middle of the Little Haizi, because he is very good at wading, he catches more fish than Meng Zhiqiang and the others, and goes earlier, so he can make more than ten yuan a day.

Being able to persist means there will be no problem earning money to support his family in this regard in the future. Others either borrowed money to buy nets and gave up after selling fish for two days without even earning back the cost of the nets, or they felt it was too tiring, thinking it wasn't worth running so far every day, getting up early and returning late, just to earn a few cents, so they stopped doing it.

Li Long guessed that this was basically the fixed pattern. When life becomes more prosperous later, there will definitely be people joining, and of course, there might be people leaving, but as long as the Little Haizi is there, the profession of "fisherman" will not disappear.

Before Li Long passed away in his previous life, during those years when he couldn't leave the village, he would go to catch fish whenever he had nothing to do. Anyway, the Little Haizi wasn't too far away, and the people watching the village would just turn a blind eye.

Others were envious, but they could only be jealous. Everyone knew that the fish in the Little Haizi were delicious. After the flood breached the dam, there were only crucian carp in the Little Haizi, and large ones were rare, but the taste was as good as ever.

What was the use of those people being envious? They still said they didn't know how to set nets.

In Li Long's view, what was there to know or not know about setting a net? You could just pull the net open and drop it into the water, but different trades are like mountains apart. What seemed as simple as one plus one equals two to him was very mysterious and difficult to solve to others.

The reason for not going to set nets to catch and sell fish today is that Li Jianguo was named a "Rich-Getting Expert" by the township and had to go to the township to attend a commendation meeting.

Since there was no work in the fields, Li Long suggested simply taking the horse-drawn carriage to the township today. After Li Jianguo finished the meeting, the whole family would go to the county seat together to take a photo, buy some things, and go shopping.

Li Juan had to go to school, so she couldn't go. Li Qiang's preschool class could actually ask for leave, but what surprised everyone was that Li Qiang actually didn't want to ask for leave. He said he wanted to study hard so he could enter the first grade in the autumn.

Li Long felt quite gratified when he heard this. The little guy could actually resist the temptation of going to town and stay to go to school; this was not ordinarily impressive.

Of course, Li Qiang was also impressive in his previous life, being considered the first student in the whole village to be admitted to a key university, and he had a lot of his own ideas.

"Then when the summer vacation comes, Li Juan and Li Qiang will both be on break, and we can go again," Li Long said. "At noon, Qiangqiang can just go to Uncle Lao Luo's place to eat."

The matter was settled just like that.

Li Qing Xia had wandered around the county seat before, but Du Chunfang had not. Although she didn't like wandering, after hearing Li Qing Xia talk about all the messy things in the county, she also wanted to go and see for herself.

Liang Yuemei herself didn't want to go either, but after Li Long said, "My big brother received an honor today, so shouldn't you two go and take a photo to commemorate it?", Liang Yuemei was moved.

Who could have thought that raising pigs could result in a "Rich-Getting Expert"?

Actually, regarding the brigade reporting Li Jianguo to the township as this "Rich-Getting Expert," there were some disputes. When the brigade held a meeting to discuss it, as a village committee member, Li Jianguo didn't express his stance at all. He said he would listen to everyone, and then left the scene as a candidate.

As a result, some people were unwilling, asking why the Li family could be rated as a "Wealth-Creation Expert."

Xu Congjun retorted directly:

"As long as your family raises eight pigs—not to mention deer, roe deer, or wild boars, just eight pigs—I can report you. Let's not count much for one pig; selling it for eighty yuan at the end of the year, how much is eight? Over six hundred. Who in the brigade can take that out right now?"

There were still those who could take it out. Old residents still had some family savings.

But could this be said out loud? That wasn't earned in just these past year or two; it was accumulated from before.

The Li family truly earned it just this year. And everyone with a discerning eye knew that most of this money was earned by Li Long.

"That's his brother's ability..."

"Then did he separate from the family?" Xu Congjun asked. "You just tell me, did the Li family's second son separate from the family or not? Were those pigs fed by him or by his older brother's household?"

No one spoke anymore.

Actually, Xu Congjun also knew clearly that the reason some people opposed it was because there were rewards from the township for being rated as a Wealth-Creation Expert.

It was rumored to be a bicycle.

Who wouldn't be jealous of that?

Getting a bicycle for free! Over a hundred yuan, and you didn't even need a coupon!

In previous years, how much money could one save by the end of the year?

But jealousy was useless. They had a capable younger brother, and he himself was impeccable at farming. Moreover, he was a veteran of the brigade—the land in this brigade was all measured meter by meter by Li Jianguo and the others.

Not a single person from the old guard would fail to support him. Although the young ones or those who joined later had opinions, it was useless.

The strength and reputation were there; others just didn't measure up.

After Li Jianguo was recommended to the township, the township evaluated him, and it really went through. After all, raising pigs was one thing; there were six or seven specialized pig-raising households in the whole township, and two in the brigade alone.

But raising roe deer, fawns, and wild boars—that was rare!

The deputy township head in charge of planting and breeding even said he would come to take a look when he had time, probably after May Day.

If it were just pigs, this Wealth-Creation Expert rating would be a bit uncertain, but after adding roe deer and fawns, it was different.

That stuff was much more expensive than domestic pigs!

Li Jianguo was wearing a short-sleeved shirt—this was made by Liang Yumei using the cloth Li Long brought back last time—blue cloth trousers, and a pair of leather shoes on his feet. These were bought by Li Long. Originally, Li Jianguo didn't want them, but Li Long's reasoning was simple:

"You're a Wealth-Creation Expert now, what's wrong with wearing leather shoes? Otherwise, how can you set an example for others?"

Once he said that, Li Jianguo put them on.

The whole family went to the township. Li Jianguo attended the meeting, while Li Long led the horse cart and took the family slowly toward the county seat. When the time came, Li Jianguo could pick up the bicycle himself and ride it to the county seat to meet up with them—the township giving a bicycle to a Wealth-Creation Expert was already a publicized matter.

Because the township was close to the county seat, there wasn't much to wander around for; it was better to go to the county seat.

The day before yesterday, Li Long quietly gave his father fifty yuan and gave his older brother fifty yuan. Neither side wanted it, but Li Long insisted on stuffing it into their hands, saying that when they got to the county seat tomorrow, they would have to buy some things, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to spend money then.

Li Qing Xia and Li Jianguo were actually quite embarrassed. By rights, they should be taking care of Li Long, and now that Li Long was giving them money, they really couldn't accept it. However, Li Long didn't care about that much. He had it in his hands, and since he was living well, he naturally hoped his family would live well too. The township held a large meeting, and the participants were township cadres and nearby villagers. The township's grand auditorium could seat less than a hundred people, and it was packed at this time.

Sitting next to Li Jianguo was Cheng Changzheng from the neighboring brigade, who was also a specialized pig raiser. His family raised eleven pigs, one of which was large. The two sat together, and before the meeting started, Li Jianguo chatted with him quietly:

"How do you feed your pigs?"

"Feed, grass," Cheng Changzheng said in a low voice, "My pig farm is built far from the brigade, where there's a lot of wasteland. I secretly planted some sugar beets and melons, and I rely on those to feed the pigs."

Li Jianguo had a plan in his heart. Everyone had their own methods. The policy had opened up; raising pigs used to be something that would get your "capitalist tail" cut off, but now it had become something to be commended. This wealth creation had become the top priority, which was a good thing.

"Old Li, I heard you also raise deer and roe deer. That stuff is valuable!" Cheng Changzheng said with a face full of envy. "Deer velvet and deer tails are all valuable. Where did you get those?"

"My brother caught them in the mountains." Li Jianguo smiled, his face full of pride. "And some were gifts from his friends in the mountains."

"Gifts? Someone actually gives this as a gift?" Cheng Changzheng looked astonished. "What kind of friendship is that, to be able to give this?"

"It really is a life-and-death friendship." Li Jianguo said vaguely, "I didn't ask in detail."

"Your family has good fortune." Cheng Changzheng sighed and said, "I'd like to raise them, but I have no way in."

Li Jianguo didn't pick up on that. Nobody knew how to raise this stuff. Right now, Old Luo was also feeling his way through raising them, and it wasn't even known if they could be kept alive.

Besides, the fact that people could give these deer to Li Long was Li Long's own good fortune. He couldn't say too much.

!.

The commendation meeting started quickly. At this time, there weren't so many "procedures." The leaders spoke, and then came the commendation. Li Jianguo wore a sash, went up on stage, and received a certificate and a key representing the bicycle.

At this moment, Li Jianguo was truly proud. His half-year of hard work had finally received recognition and reward.

He was determined to raise pigs well. This road to wealth creation had to be walked well and walked broadly!

The meeting didn't last long and ended in half an hour. Li Jianguo received his bicycle, which was tied with a large red flower.

Jiang Zhiyu, the newly assigned propaganda officer of the township, used a Seagull camera to take photos of everyone. After taking the group photo, she walked straight up to Li Jianguo. She hung the camera around her neck, took a pen and notebook, and prepared to interview Li Jianguo.

Li Jianguo could be considered someone who had seen the world, but those were all small scenes. When had he ever been interviewed? Moreover, the person opposite him was a young and beautiful female cadre, and he was quite at a loss.

"Comrade Li Jianguo, I heard that your breeding farm not only raises pigs but also deer and wild boars. May I ask how you thought of engaging in specialty breeding? What are your thoughts on future development?"

Li Jianguo was a bit stunned by this question. He thought for a moment before saying:

"At the beginning, I just thought about being a specialized breeding household. As for the specialty breeding you mentioned, that was done by my brother Li Long. He often hunts and purchases in the mountains. By the way, he is a purchaser for the county supply and marketing cooperative, so he has tasks—um, mainly he's the one doing it. I mainly just feed the pigs..."

Jiang Zhiyu was a bit surprised by this. It was usually very difficult to get the desired answers directly when interviewing farmers, and she had only hoped to summarize and amplify something from Li Jianguo's few words.

She just didn't expect that there was someone else behind this, and she became a bit curious about this Li Long.

Li Jianguo made an excuse that he had urgent matters and hurriedly rode toward the street.

"This Li Jianguo is something, he knows how to ride a bike." Someone sighed.

"His family has a bike." Cheng Changzheng said with a smile, "His younger brother bought a bike a few months ago. The whole family can earn money; they're not ordinary!"

Ten people were commended in the whole township, and only two of the ten knew how to ride. The others happily pushed their bicycles home.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't complete her task, but she wasn't disappointed. She planned to go to Li Jianguo's house to take a look and conduct an on-site interview when she had time. If she could grasp the context of this kind of specialty breeding, she might be able to write a major article!

Li Jianguo rode his bike to the department store and saw Li Long guarding the horse cart. The rest of the family was there, chatting.

"Why didn't you go in?" Li Jianguo asked after getting off the bike.

"We just arrived too. Besides, I have to watch the cart, and Mom and Dad didn't want to go in..." Li Long said with a smile, "Alright, now that you're here, you all go in together."

Li Jianguo didn't decline either. He took his wife and parents into the department store.

Li Long was feeding grass to Seventy-Six. He had already wiped the sweat off the horse.

When summer came, Seventy-Six's main role was working in the fields. Whether he went into the mountains or to Shicheng, he didn't bring the horse along, and there was a feeling that their relationship had become a bit distant.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, the four of them came out of the department store. Liang Yumei was holding a headscarf in her hand, and Du Chunfang was carrying a pair of shoes; both were quite happy.

Li Qing Xia also had a pair of shoes, while Li Jianguo was carrying a yellow satchel. The bag was bulging, and Li Long guessed it should be snacks bought for Li Juan and Li Qiang.

"Bought everything? Let's go, let's go take photos. After taking photos, I'll treat you all to a meal." Li Long said with a smile, "Today is my brother's big day, we have to celebrate properly!"

"What big day? Nonsense!" Li Jianguo scolded with a smile, "Can you say it like that?"

"Why can't I?" Li Long also said with a smile, "The township commendation is just the first step. Strive for commendation at the county level later, and then at the prefecture level—that would be even more impressive!"

"Ahem! I wouldn't dare say that."

"It's fine to think about it."

There weren't many people at the state-run photo studio at this time. Li Long first watched the cart outside. First, it was a group photo of Mom and Dad, then individual portraits. Then Li Jianguo and his wife took theirs as usual. Finally, Li Long was pulled in for an individual portrait, followed by a group photo.

After taking the photos, Li Long first took the family to put the horse cart and bicycle in the large courtyard, locked the door, and then walked to the Meat Canteen.

"That courtyard... you're in charge of it, Xiao Long?" Du Chunfang asked in a low voice, not quite understanding.

"An old man from the pass is in charge of the courtyard, and he let Xiao Long manage it while he went to the pass to see his son." Li Qing Xia explained on Li Long's behalf, "Such a large courtyard, it's a good place, one has to say..."

Li Long thought to himself, I'll tell you that the courtyard is ours in a couple of years. It's too scary to say it now.

A couple of days ago, Li Long caught some large carp and sent them to Zhong Guo Qiang. Zhong Guo Qiang was very satisfied. Seeing Li Long bring his family to eat today, he smiled and said he would treat them to a dish.

Li Long naturally had no problem with that. Li Qing Xia, Li Jianguo, and Liang Yumei had all seen it before, but this was Du Chunfang's first time seeing a leader being so polite to Li Long and chatting with him.

It felt like quite a face-saving experience.

To celebrate, Li Long ordered a few more dishes. With Zhong Guo Qiang there, Li Qing Xia and Du Chunfang didn't dare to speak, until Li Jianguo said to Li Long:

"Xiao Long, that's enough. Any more and we won't be able to finish it."

Only then did Li Long say with a smile:

"Alright, when Juan and Qiangqiang are on vacation, we'll come again, and we'll order more then! Let the little ones have a good meal too!"

In Li Long's view, this meal was the end of a stage for his family, and it also represented that better days had already arrived!

(End of chapter)