Chapter 375: The people from the hometown are leaving

With a week of preparation time, Li Long was not in a hurry. After lunch, he sent Gu Xiao to work. After returning to the large courtyard, Li Long continued to clear.

The snow in the front yard was basically taken care of. He didn't plan to do much in the backyard, just sweep out a few paths; sweeping more was of no use. Next, he pushed the handcart to the market, bought some coal, potatoes, and other supplies, and prepared the supplies for the large courtyard. At least if he was away for a period of time, Gu Xiao would have supplies in the large courtyard.

After all, she ate lunch at Yang Xiulan's place, and basically took care of herself morning and evening.

The small-caliber rifle was also left for Gu Xiao. Actually, it was quite safe here; after all, the police station was right next door. It was mainly a guarantee. Gu Xiao was also from a female militia background, and her shooting and such were not bad. Just like what was said in some Zhihu posts, looking back a few years, female militia who shot well could earn work points; who wouldn't want that? This was much better than cutting wheat in the fields, right?

Spending a whole day to properly fix up the courtyard, repairing what needed to be repaired and buying what needed to be bought, especially some canned goods, dried noodles, and other supplies, he went directly to the department store to stock up. There was still honey at home, but Li Long still went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought some more.

Originally, he thought Gu Xiao was a teacher, which was hard on the throat. He didn't expect that she had been transferred to the Education Bureau now, but this thing only had benefits when drunk, so Li Long prepared some more.

After all, as long as it is preserved properly, this thing won't go bad.

After breakfast the next day, Gu Xiao went to work. Li Long said a word to her and returned to the team.

The gun was still carried on his back; after all, this was the tool for making a living.

On the way back, Li Long found that there were more people than before. In previous years at this time, there were basically no people on the road. After all, the grain distributed to each household at the end of the year was not much, and the more one moved in winter, the more one consumed. So, "hibernating" in winter, one very important reason was not to move, so one wouldn't eat that much.

But this year it was different. With the household responsibility system, ration fields were distributed to each household. Although the first season was not wheat, at least corn flour could be eaten openly.

With enough rations, people were no longer satisfied with staying at home. Coming out to walk around, move around, communicate with others, those with active thoughts also wanted to find a job that made money.

After all, everyone wanted to live a good life.

At worst, picking up some manure like Wang Cai Mi was better than staying idle at home.

After entering the gate of the horse corral, Li Long saw Uncle Lao Luo feeding those livestock, so he smiled and went over to say:

"Uncle Lao Luo, this is going to keep you busy again."

"Being busy is good!" Uncle Lao Luo said with a smile, "It's only good to have things to do; it's only uncomfortable to let me be idle! Why didn't you stay in the county for a few more days?"

"Came back to take a look, and then I'm leaving." Li Long said, "There is another job later, need to go into the mountains for a few days."

"Alright. Everyone has nothing to do in winter, want to earn money but can't. You can do this; I see Daqiang and the others brought back a lot of meat, heard there are also pelts, heard you wiped out a wolf pack by yourself, you're a man!"

Uncle Lao Luo's praise made Li Long's face slightly red. He knew his own weight, he raised the bag in his hand and smiled:

"Uncle Lao Luo, look, this radio is brought back, can listen to it when there's nothing to do in winter."

"Mm-hmm." Uncle Lao Luo was very happy, "They went to your eldest brother's place, seems like they said they are going back? Do you want to go over and take a look?"

"Going back?" Li Long heard it and was a bit surprised, "You mean my second brother and my brother-in-law and the others?"

"Yes!" Uncle Lao Luo said while putting grass into the pen, "Said they earned money during this period, need to go home and take a look. Plan to come back after the New Year; after all, they have been here for a few months, some have wives and children at home, how can they not miss them."

"That's the logic." Li Long said.

He looked at the pen again, seeing the doe and the fawn (actually not small) in one pen, and a male and female roe deer in another pen. That male roe deer probably hadn't seen its own kind for a long time, and kept sniffing behind the female roe deer's butt. The female roe deer didn't seem to be very used to it, dodging from time to time.

"Uncle Lao Luo, are these two deer okay?"

"They're okay. Didn't eat much grass yesterday, now they can eat. Not making much fuss either. Look bigger than the two deer before." Uncle Lao Luo said with a smile, "That doe came just in time, might be pregnant before the New Year. The male is in heat during this period, this female just happens to solve the problem."

Alright, it turned into sending warmth.

Li Long took a detour and returned to the Li family.

In the west room of the Li family, Li Jianguo, Li Anguo, and Chen Xingbang were discussing the matter of going back.

"We plan to go back after New Year's Day." Chen Xingbang said, "Followed Big Brother and Xiao Long for these few months and earned a lot of money. Originally we planned to work for half a year to earn some money and go back, now we earned it in these few months—like a dream. Isn't it going to be New Year, we won't stay, go back to spend the New Year, buy some things for the family, and come over after the New Year."

Li Jianguo had no opinion, heard Chen Xingbang's words, nodded and said:

"Mm, it's time to go home for the New Year. In this cold winter, there's no good work here, better to go back than to stay here. Then you all come over after the New Year, or some want to come, some don't?"

Several people looked at each other, Chen Xingbang said with a smile:

"I definitely want to come over. There are few opportunities in the hometown, many people, earning money is really not as convenient as here. There are also some people who go to the south to earn money, I see it's also hard work there, I feel more at ease here."

"I have to look at my father and mother." Li Anguo thought more, "Earning money is nothing, but can't stay long. After all, father and mother are still there..."

"Mm, I'm also thinking about this." Li Jianguo said, "Anguo, after you go back, ask father and mother, simply let them come over. Although it's colder here in winter than in the hometown, there are stoves and fire walls, and building a kang is not much trouble. It's cold in the hometown, father and mother are still okay now, how can they stand it in another ten or eight years? Our uncles all passed away in their seventies, if father and mother retire here, I think living to ninety is not a problem."

"Haha, this is the truth." Chen Xingbang heard it and said with a smile, "Winter in the hometown is really hard to pass. If it weren't for the wife and children in the hometown, I wouldn't want to go back either. How good it is here, cold has a stove, hot in summer, cool under the tree, lots of land, lots of ways to earn money..."

Mainly it was these few people talking, Li Junfeng and Li Junshan had no right to speak.

"Bring more things back when you go back." Liang Yuemei added, "There are some things here that the hometown doesn't have, bring some..."

"Then bring some wine." Chen Xingbang said with a smile, "The loose wine father brought back last time, it was really good to drink, father was still talking about it when we came, share some for each family, he didn't have enough to drink, hahahaha..."

Li Jianguo nodded. Although it's easy to earn money in Northern Xinjiang, in fact, supplies are relatively lacking compared to the hometown, and there are no particularly good things as local specialties here. He was thinking of bringing some money back to his father.

When several people were talking, Li Long came back.

"Yo, Uncle Xiao Long, your haircut is good!" Li Junfeng opened the door, seeing Li Long's image, he teased him immediately. The age difference wasn't big, and Li Long didn't put on the airs of an elder, so it was normal for Li Junfeng to joke.

"That's right, spent two mao!" Li Long joked quite seriously, "Or you go and fix it too? Going home, don't you have to show the wife and children properly, this is not coming to eat sand in Northern Xinjiang..."

"Hahahaha." Hearing this, everyone else laughed. After all, these words were actually what Li Junfeng and the others said before when they were eating. When they were in the hometown planning to come over to find a way to earn money, some people in the hometown said they would just eat sand when they came over, this great Northwest is desolate, where is the way to earn money, they even secretly said that old man Li Qing Xia was talking nonsense, and was gilding his son...

Actually, they were also a bit worried when they came over, especially from a certain section of Gansu all the way to Hami, the railway was really desolate.

Eating sand was not an exaggeration at all.

Of course, now it seems like a joke.

After the joke was finished, Li Jianguo asked Li Long about the situation in the mountains. Li Long briefly talked about it, and said that he would go into the mountains again in a few days.

Regarding leading others to hunt, Li Long, Li Jianguo, including Chen Xingbang and the others didn't feel it was inappropriate. In this day and age, it's mainly about earning money and living one's own life well. Just like the farmhouses opened in later generations, leading small-group hiking tours in the high mountains and grasslands to pick mushrooms. Whatever way there is, earn whatever money.

You pay, I provide the person, that's just the matter. No one is nobler than anyone else; you pay money, I pay experience and skills.

And for a very long period of time, in the domestic dual society, the urban household registration was more popular than the rural household registration. Even when Li Long had a cerebral hemorrhage in his previous life, although many city people were very envious of the large courtyards in the countryside, if you let them live in the countryside every day, eighty percent of them would still be unwilling. The social structure is like this, after all, it is led by the working class, based on the worker-peasant alliance, although farmers are the majority, they are only the object of the alliance.

"That's quite good." Li Junfeng was quite envious, ever since he went hunting with Li Long once, he was really envious. Once getting two deer and one wolf, not to mention the meat, just the pelts, deer antlers, deer penis, etc., were over two hundred yuan!

Selling fish would take ten days to earn this much!

Now going out once, leading others to hunt, one wolf is two hundred... this price, sigh, I don't have that ability!

"In those mountains, it's not easy to hit, right?" Li Jianguo had stayed in the mountains, naturally clear about things in the mountains, didn't say it was so fun. It's really bitter, really tiring, and it's really hard to hit.

"It's okay." Li Long felt confident, "Best to hit deer and wolves, if can't hit, lead them to hit wild boars. If one day isn't enough, then two days. There are always places to ambush wild boars, if really can't hit, then there's no way."

"Mm, it's good to have this thought. Your second brother, brother-in-law and the others are going back, look..."

"Going back is also good. Tired for two or three months, go back and spend a good New Year." Li Long had a peaceful mentality about this matter, "Estimate the family also misses them. Second brother going back just happens to bring the money back to father for us. I estimate father has spent almost all the money in these six months..."

"Hahahaha, that's true." Everyone actually knew the old man was very generous, and spent money quite quickly. And it's going to be New Year, the old man has so many juniors, don't you have to give red envelopes when paying New Year calls? Even if giving one or two mao, it's not a small amount accumulated.

The matter of going back was settled with a greeting. Chen Xingbang and the others chatted a few more words and went back. Li Long didn't leave, Li Jianguo himself also had something to find him.

"The money from selling the remaining fish is here." After Chen Xingbang and the others left, Li Jianguo took the key from his waist, opened the five-drawer cabinet, took a black shoulder bag and handed it to Li Long. The bag was bulging, Li Long pulled the zipper and took a look, it was full of bills inside.

"So much." Li Long said with a smile, "This must be several thousand?"

!.

"The further back, the faster the fish sells." Li Jianguo said with some emotion, "Who could have thought, there are quite a few people eating fish in Shicheng, pulling a cart of twenty-something bags of fish over every day, and it's sold out before the afternoon."

Li Long knew the consumption power of people in Shicheng regarding fish. Many soldiers and educated youth there came from the water side, eating fish since childhood. After arriving in Shicheng, they didn't have this condition, but when they had spare money, they still hoped to buy some fish to eat. And farmed fish really had no attraction to them, even the large crucian carp that Li Long liked, they didn't like much.

Why? Because actually, the two strips of meat on the back of the one-year-old crucian carp have no fine bones, it's very refreshing to eat in one bite, and the crucian carp taste is very sufficient. Until Li Long passed away in his previous life, there were often Shicheng people driving to Xiaohaizi to fish, and even named Xiaohaizi "Reed Marsh", "Shajiabang".

Unfortunately, further back, after that generation left, there were fewer people who liked to eat the fish here.

Li Long took out a stack of money, about one thousand, and handed it to Li Jianguo:

"Big Brother, you keep this money. I won't worry about sending money to father. Later, things need to be added at home, you look at adding them, I have to prepare to build a house by next year."

"That's right, time to start a family." Li Jianguo sighed, then waved his hand: "I won't take the money. I also earned a lot of money following you this year, there is still money at home. You don't need to take money home all the time, you keep it yourself, there are still many things you need to add later."

Liang Yuemei also stopped him and said:

"Yes. There is still a lot of money at home, it's not easy for you to earn money."

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, this money is relatively easy to earn." Li Long said with a smile, "My land will definitely be farmed by you two later, I can't manage that much, if there are any expenses, you help handle them. Later, I might not put money at home, you must take this money."

After Li Long finished speaking, he put the money on the table, zipped the bag, stood up and went out. Before going out, he said to Li Jianguo:

"Big Brother, now that there is money, our family's life must be better, add what needs to be added."

Leaving the Li family, Li Long knew that the time here would be less and less in the future.

Quite sentimental. Although he really didn't do human things in previous years, eating, living, and enjoying here without making any contribution, but the life lived here was really fulfilling and happy.

Now that life is better, but he has to leave again.

But this is also necessary. People always have to grow up, seeds always have to leave home.

Returning to the old horse corral, Uncle Lao Luo and Li Junshan were cooking here. Seeing Li Long come back, Li Junfeng asked with a smile:

"Uncle Xiao Long, when are you leaving?"

"In two or three days." Li Long looked at the courtyard and said with emotion: "I worked for a whole day yesterday! If I had known, I wouldn't have let you go that night. The snow in that large courtyard is so big, piled so much, with you here the snow is easy to sweep, you are not here, this snow is hard to handle."

"Hey! We were halfway there when Junshan said, the snow in the large courtyard is so big, we should have cleared it before leaving. It's just that everyone was tired at that time, and didn't think about coming back."

"Just joking, the snow is cleared." Li Long smiled, "Have you thought about what to buy when you go back?"

"Thought about it, not buying anything." Li Junshan was very spirited, "Just bring the money back! Get off the bus in the city, can buy anything! Things there are also cheaper..."

"That's the logic." In this era, many things in the hometown are really cheaper than here in Northern Xinjiang, of course, some specialties are excluded, such as the jade seeds Li Long collected, such as pelts and the like.

But most things are cheaper there, after all, the industrial level is different.

Lunch was ready, Li Junshan came out and called Li Long and Li Junfeng to eat.

Rice, stir-fried dishes, Uncle Lao Luo said while serving rice:

"Xiao Long, you are back, let's improve and make a good meal." On the table were stir-fried dried beans with meat, stewed wild boar bones, and stir-fried pickled cabbage with meat.

Li Long could actually understand. Although there was a lot of meat stored here, it was impossible to eat like this usually. If eating every day, this meat wouldn't last a month.

Basically, it was all calculated, putting some rendered oil and meat when stir-frying was about enough. Today he came back, wanted to do something good, this is very normal.

After eating, several people cleaned up the table together, Li Long went to look at the deer and roe deer, Li Junshan followed out to look together.

"After Daqiang and Yongqiang came back, did you give them meat?" Li Long asked.

"Uncle Anguo let us take it." Li Junshan said, "Each took a piece of meat back."

"That's good." Li Long nodded, "When you go back, you can also bring some wild game meat back. Although this meat is not as delicious as the meat raised at home, after all, it is wild game, and it sounds good to say it."

He also planned to bring some wolf teeth and wolf ankle bones for his second brother, brother-in-law, etc., take them back for the children to wear, it's always a good metaphor.

"Alright. Then Uncle Xiao Long, can you give me one of those wolf teeth?" Li Junshan was a bit coy.

"Give, two are also fine." Although Li Long didn't know what Li Junshan wanted it for, but if he wanted it, give it. He had plenty in his hands.

"Might go on a blind date when I go back, if I meet a suitable girl, I will give it to her." Li Junshan said his idea, "I think this is a good thing."

Alright, giving a girl a wolf tooth, this can be considered a good creative idea.

Don't know if people are willing to accept it.

Li Long went into the room, took out the small bag containing the wolf teeth, and distributed them to everyone.

To tell the truth, this thing was really quite popular, everyone was quite happy holding it. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 376 =====