Chapter 408: Danger on the bus

At noon, it was rice, stir-fried with two dishes, the amount on the plates was quite large, and some meat was put in. Li Long calculated that it felt like the meat he brought over, Yang Xiulan didn't cook much here, otherwise there wouldn't be so much meat in today's dish.

He wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't say it. Maybe it was because of life reasons, Yang Xiulan usually put less meat in cooking, which is understandable.

After all, she is a person who has lived a bitter life, and it is impossible to change it all of a sudden.

However, to be honest, this meal and dish are better than what he and Gu Xiaoxia cook.

It is considered the top level of home-cooked meals.

After eating, resting in the room for a while, Gu Xiaoxia went to work, and Li Long came out together.

"Be careful on your way to Shicheng, come back early." Gu Xiaoxia already knew that Li Long was going to Shicheng in the afternoon, so she exhorted.

"Okay. By the way, I'll ask, are there any Uyghur schools and Kazakh schools in our county now? My herdsman friends in the mountains want to ask about their children going to school."

"Currently, they are still being formed, and it will be about the same next year." Gu Xiaoxia said, "Actually, for them to go to school, if the age is not high, it is best to go directly to the pastoral team. After all, the Uyghur schools and Kazakh schools being formed are also junior high schools, there is no primary school, and primary schools are mainly based on townships and state-owned units."

Li Long nodded, just like he thought, of course, it depends on what Huang Yang and the others think.

At the intersection, the two separated. Gu Xiaoxia rode her bicycle to work, and Li Long walked toward the passenger station.

Buying a ticket and getting on the bus, Li Long felt that the bus was still quite cold. In this era, let alone air conditioning, there wasn't necessarily heating—at least this bus didn't have it. People getting on the bus all wrapped their clothes tightly.

The bus wasn't full. The driver and the ticket inspector shouted outside for a while, and then started the bus directly.

The bus was an old bus, don't know where it was eliminated from, the engine sound didn't sound very healthy, but the speed wasn't slow, it was definitely faster than Li Long riding a bicycle and taking a carriage, so he didn't force it.

The glass windows of the bus were covered with a thick layer of ice, and there were all kinds of relatively beautiful and peculiar patterns, just like window flowers.

Li Long, from childhood to adulthood, in both lives, didn't figure out how these patterns on the glass looked so regular. They were like flowers, like all kinds of abstract plants, but the lines weren't that messy.

How was it done? Freezing shouldn't it produce irregular patterns?

Of course, it was just curiosity, he hadn't asked or checked the reason.

Looking at this glass, Li Long suddenly had a playful heart, clenched his fist, pressed the edge of his palm against the glass, a chill came, and soon, the ice on the glass melted, leaving an image, and then Li Long pointed five points on the top of that pattern with his finger, forming the shape of a small foot, quite like it.

Li Long pressed another one, forming a symmetrical pair of footprints. When he turned around, he found that many people in the bus were staring at him.

He was startled, what's the situation?

And then he reacted, it should be that the pattern he made was fun to look at.

He himself was also surprised when he saw it for the first time.

But that was his previous life, his previous life seemed to be only ten or so years old when he saw it.

At that time, he was also quite surprised.

At this time, the bus had already passed the Mahe Bridge. Li Long looked outside through that pair of footprints, a vast expanse of white.

And then when he turned his head, he found someone learning from him to "print patterns" on the glass, and he smiled.

The bus stopped at the old street. Most of the people on the bus stood up early and squeezed at the door, intending to get off early. Li Long wasn't in a hurry at all. After everyone got off, he got off steadily, looked around, and walked toward the seed company.

There were vendors on both sides of the road, and many people even shouted at them to solicit business after people got off the bus.

Clearly, the people selling goods now already know the importance of shouting. Even good wine is afraid of deep alleys. If you don't shout, how do others know what you are selling?

It's much more lively here than the market in Ma County, which makes Li Long sigh. From now on for forty years, most of the people in Ma County who have money will also come here to consume.

So the advertisement on Shicheng TV station usually adds a sentence "the vast masses of Sha and Ma counties" after "the vast citizens," Sha is Shawan, and Ma is naturally Ma County.

Shicheng's scope is larger than Ma County. Li Long walked for twenty or thirty minutes from the old street to reach the seed company. This is a courtyard. The snow at the gate is cleaned quite cleanly. It is half-closed, but there is blue smoke coming out of the chimney on the roof, so there should be someone. Li Long glanced at the wooden sign of the Corps Seed Company, and then pushed the door and walked in.

It is still an old-fashioned wooden counter. A woman in her thirties with a bob cut smiled and asked:

"Comrade, what do you need?"

"I'd like to ask if you have oil-seed watermelon seeds."

"Oil-seed watermelon?" The female comrade was stunned for a moment; clearly, she didn't know.

"No." A male comrade around fifty years old said, "Our superior department should have them, but if you want them, these seeds are quite expensive. Since you know about oil-seed watermelon seeds, you should know that this thing doesn't have a wide range of uses; naturally, it's expensive when the quantity is small."

"How much is a kilogram of seeds?" Li Long asked, "It doesn't matter if it's expensive, I also want to ask if you collect it if it's planted?"

"We collect it, but we only collect high-quality seeds." The male comrade stood up, walked to the counter and faced Li Long, "If we collect it, it will naturally be expensive, of course, it can't be the seed price."

"Is there a specific price?"

"A kilogram should not exceed ten yuan, but it is about seven or eight yuan. If we collect it, two or three yuan."

Li Long calculated it, and it was about the same as the previous ones.

"Then how much can you collect at most?"

"Several hundred kilograms." The male comrade said, "We collect it to use as seed backup, or send it to the experimental station breeding farm for breeding, and then sell it, it won't take much."

Li Long nodded.

"Do you want it? If you want it, leave a unit, we will send it from Wucheng and call you when it arrives."

"Spring." Li Long said, "It's useless to want it now."

"That's true." Facing Li Long's ambiguous reply, the male comrade didn't get angry and said with a smile, "Just come over if you need it."

The attitude is quite good.

Coming out of here, Li Long went to the stir-fry factory.

From afar, he smelled a burnt fragrance, similar to the smell he smelled in the shop selling stir-fry before.

The gatekeeper of the stir-fry factory didn't let Li Long in, and first called someone inside.

"Section Chief Niu, someone is asking if we purchase oil-seed watermelon seeds?"

"Collect." The voice on the other side was quite rough, but the voice wasn't loud, "How much did he pull..." I'll come over now."

"He didn't pull it, just one person, walked over."

"Then... does he have goods?"

The gatekeeper looked at Li Long.

"No, I plan to plant it in the spring, just asking if you collect it." Li Long knew he misunderstood, so he hurriedly explained.

"He doesn't have goods, he plans to plant it in the spring."

"Then this... tell him, come back and ask when it's planted. I don't know if I'll collect it this time next year."

Alright, Li Long returned empty-handed. Thinking about it, it was normal. Right now, the roasted goods factories should still be primarily based on a planned economy, and as far as the current situation goes, everyone is still used to eating sunflower seeds; not many people crack oil-seed watermelon seeds.

No one dares to say what the market is like.

Returning from the stir-fry factory, when Li Long walked toward the old street again, the sun had already tilted west.

Mainly because the road from the seed company to the stir-fry factory is relatively far.

Waiting for a while on the old street, Li Long waited for the short-distance bus. After getting on the bus, he found that there weren't many people taking the bus.

In fact, he knew that there were quite a few people from Ma County to Shicheng to sell goods, buy things, and handle affairs, but not many people took the bus, and most people chose to walk.

The root cause is no money.

Li Long couldn't evaluate it, he could only take care of himself. Returning to Ma County by bus, Li Long hesitated when walking toward the large courtyard, whether to go to Wucheng to see in the next two days.

Thinking about it, it's almost New Year, should he go and get some New Year goods?

Today is Wednesday, four days away from Sunday. Li Long thought about whether to go to Wucheng with Gu Xiaoxia on Sunday?

After all, Gu Xiaoxia shouldn't have been to Wucheng. Now that there is time and opportunity, why not go?

Go back and ask.

Returning to the large courtyard, Li Long went to see No. 76, added some grass to it, and then was a bit worried. If it were really Sunday, No. 76 might not be able to hold on.

Of course, there is a way. He would pull the carriage back tomorrow, then ride a bicycle over, and then set off.

Everything depends on whether Gu Xiaoxia has time.

Li Long started preparing dinner here, and not long after, Gu Xiaoxia entered the courtyard.

When eating dinner, Li Long told her about this matter.

"I can't go!" Gu Xiaoxia said with regret, "On Sunday morning, the prefecture is coming to inspect, we are preparing for the inspection work these two days, and everyone will be on duty by then."

Okay, Li Long was also quite regretful.

!.

"Then if that's the case, I'll go tomorrow. Do you need to buy anything?"

"Nothing, I have everything now, I don't even need to cook, I don't need anything." Gu Xia

Seeing Gu Xiao Xia's firm tone, Li Long didn't say anything more.

The next day, both of them got up quite early. After eating, Li Long went to add fodder for Number Seventy-Six, and then headed toward the passenger station.

Tickets to Wucheng weren't exactly in short supply. Li Long bought a ticket for a bus leaving in half an hour, warmed himself by the fire in the waiting room for a while, and then had his ticket checked to board the bus.

This bus was much larger than the one to Shicheng. When Li Long boarded, a quarter of the seats were already taken. Li Long checked his ticket, came to his seat and sat down, and not long after, a few more people got on.

A young man in his twenties told a short middle-aged man to move, saying this was his seat. The short man moved to the side without a word and sat at the very back.

People at this time knew that you couldn't sit by the door because it was drafty and would be very cold. It was tolerable for short trips, but very uncomfortable for long ones.

Before long, more people came up from behind. The short man gave up his seat again and sat in a corner.

When the time came, the ticket inspector checked the tickets. After finishing, he let the short man sit back in his seat. The short man sat back with a look of reluctance.

At this time, people were still quite fearful of public authority, and most wouldn't talk back or say anything.

The bus started, swaying as it drove out of the bus station courtyard, heading east.

Li Long's seat was quite good—middle-front, neither cold nor bumpy. Sitting next to him was an older sister who kept turning her head to look outside. Li Long didn't pay attention and leaned back against the seat, squinting his eyes.

For a two or three-hour journey, just keeping your eyes open won't work.

Li Long's habit of riding in vehicles, even into later generations, was to doze off as soon as he got on and wake up when he got off—of course, driving is different.

After the bus passed Baojiadian, Letuyi, and Dafeng, and was almost at Huxian, Li Long felt some movement beside his body.

He turned his head and took a look, discovering a man in black clothes with a jacket draped over his arm, pressing against the back of his seat and looking forward, seemingly preparing to get off the bus.

From Maxian to Wucheng, the route passes through one city and one county, with many townships and farms; you can buy a ticket to anywhere.

Li Long didn't pay attention and continued to squint his eyes. However, just as he squinted, he felt something moving beside him again.

He felt with certainty that someone was picking his pocket!

A thief!

Just as Li Long was about to reach out and grab that hand, the bus suddenly swerved, and the hand retracted instantly.

Li Long didn't move. He was certain that the person would definitely make another move. As the saying goes, to catch a thief, you must catch them in the act.

The bus continued forward. Li Long simply closed his eyes, but his nerves were taut, ready to act at any moment.

That person's body swayed with the movement of the bus. Seemingly guessing that Li Long had closed his eyes and fallen asleep, the hand reached toward Li Long's chest again, seemingly intending to rummage through his inner jacket pocket—at this time, people usually sewed an inner pocket into their clothes to store money or valuables.

Li Long opened his eyes abruptly, his hand moving like lightning to clamp onto the other person's wrist. With a flip, he directly pinned the person onto the floorboards of the bus!

"Thief!" Li Long knew the importance of public opinion, so while pinning the person, he shouted loudly, "Everyone be careful! There's a thief on the bus! This person is stealing my things!"

With his shout, the people on the bus suddenly panicked. Then Li Long felt someone lunging toward him. He hurriedly dodged to one side, but his hand didn't let go. He immediately guessed that the other person had an accomplice!

Li Long was a bit annoyed; he should have thought of this earlier. Daring to steal on a long-distance bus, it certainly wouldn't be just one person.

To Li Long's surprise, the one who lunged over was the short man who had been changing seats everywhere at the beginning—so there was a reason he was changing seats!

"You're the thief's accomplice!" Seeing that person lunging over with a knife in his hand, glaring fiercely at him, Li Long immediately shouted loudly:

"Comrade Driver, drive to the police station! The thief has an accomplice! They must have stolen other people's money too; one check and it'll be found out!"

The thief pinned down by Li Long was struggling. The short man and Li Long were separated by this accomplice. Li Long tried his best to pin the thief while dodging the short man's attacks.

Then, the short man let out a miserable scream—the young man who had first let the short man take his seat had made his move, directly locking the short man's throat and taking him down!

Watching that movement, it was quite standard and very slick. Li Long guessed, could this be a demobilized soldier?

"My money is gone! Damn it! They must have stolen it!"

"Son of a donkey! My wallet is gone too! Search them!"

"Damn it, beat these two damn guys to death! Nothing better to do than steal other people's money?"

The passengers were complaining one by one; clearly, quite a few had been stolen from.

"Everyone stop arguing, we're driving to the Huxian Bus Station now. When we arrive, we'll let the police handle it!" the driver shouted loudly.

"That's right! Let them go squat in jail!"

The bus quickly entered the station. The driver jumped off first and quickly went into the station to report.

Before long, two public security officers came over and boarded the bus.

The young man was twisting the short man, and the short man couldn't move at all. Li Long's side was a bit more disheveled; the thief kept resisting. Although Li Long had great strength, he didn't know much about grappling. Fortunately, his strength was great and he didn't suffer, and one force overcame ten techniques, eventually handing the thief over to the public security officers.

The people behind immediately clamored that their money had been stolen. The public security officers asked everyone involved to get off the bus to take statements.

Li Long also had to get off. Fortunately, he hadn't been stolen from. He was just asked a few questions. The public security officers also found some wallets and tools for committing crimes—clips, razor blades—on the thief, and then let Li Long return to the bus.

At this time, handling cases was relatively simplified.

The young man also got on the bus. In Huxian, some got off and some got on. The bus was delayed for half an hour, and then set off.

By the time they reached the Wucheng August First Guesthouse, it was almost noon. Li Long got off the bus and watched the young man stride toward the train station. He estimated that this person was probably catching a train back to his hometown.

Li Long carried his black cloth bag and walked outside the guesthouse. After arriving at the bus station, when he intended to take a bus, he discovered that there were vendors setting up stalls outside the train station square.

This surprised Li Long a little, but thinking about it, it was normal. At this time, setting up stalls inside the train station square was definitely not allowed, but since the flow of people here was large, those who wanted to do business had no choice but to skirt the rules and set up stalls outside the square.

Li Long thought for a moment, deciding to attend to his proper business first and browse the stalls when he returned.

He went to the bus stop sign and started looking for the seed company.

Just at this moment, a voice suddenly shouted:

"Li Long, Li Long!"

Li Long heard the voice was quite familiar. Here, he could still run into an acquaintance? (End of chapter)