Chapter 414: Squatting for a cooperation result

The next morning, the three of them went to check the rabbits, and this time they got twenty-one rabbits at once!

Yang Yongqiang praised Li Long for adjusting the snares, which was really useful!

In the next few days, Li Long and the others caught fish and rabbits, and after getting a cartload, they pulled them to Shi City to sell.

The three of them were together, and when selling in Shi City, they separated stalls. Near the end of the year, the popularity of fish and rabbits was second only to the few stalls selling meat. Li Long originally thought about whether to get a pig and kill it to sell, but later thought forget it. The stall was too big to take care of, and it was easy to pull the egg.

After all, if they wanted to kill, they would kill the wild boar in the horse stables' circle. The pig on the eldest brother's side was two sows, kept for farrowing in the spring. It was troublesome to get up.

Li Long specifically kept some fish and a few rabbits, and gave two rabbits to Song Ming, exchanging them for a cart of sugar dregs—it couldn't be said to be an exchange, Song Ming gave money this time, otherwise he wouldn't want it no matter what.

Li Long entrusted him to ask about the recruitment situation of the sugar factory. The result given by Song Ming made Li Long a bit frustrated. Even if the sugar factory wanted to recruit workers, it was highly likely to recruit young people around twenty years old. The second brother Li Anguo was already thirty, and it was estimated that it was not easy to be recruited.

Yang Yongqiang was a bit moved when he heard this.

Li Long left half of the remaining fish and rabbits at Yang the eldest sister's place, and sent the rest to Li Xiangqian's place, also entrusting Li Xiangqian to pay attention to where there was recruitment information.

Li Xiangqian was a bit surprised when he heard Li Long's words:

"What, you don't want to be a worker in our supply and marketing cooperative, but want to be other workers?"

"No, no, no, I don't want to do it at all. I'm finding a way for my second brother. My second brother intends to come over from his hometown. It's not easy for our team to settle down, and my second brother doesn't want to farm either, so I want to see if I can find a place to settle him in."

"There is recruitment, but I reckon your second brother won't be willing to do it."

"Where?" Hearing this, Li Long was a bit surprised. Was there really a way?

"A classmate of mine works in the mine. The coal mine there is short of people and wants to recruit people. How old is your second brother?"

"Thirty." Li Long thought, coal mine, like Sun Shaoping? That's not safe.

"Thirty, a bit old." Li Xiangqian touched his chin, thought for a while and said, "Don't rush, let me ask again. This is waiting until after the New Year anyway, right?"

"Right, right, right, then thank you, section chief! I'll go ask my second brother's thoughts here too, let's not rush, talk slowly."

"Right, take it slowly, and don't thank me, I can't always eat your sheep, rabbits, and fish for nothing." Li Xiangqian said happily, "The things you did in the summer, I have light on my face. Later, if I have any work, you can do it well, that's it."

When the matter reached this point, Li Long was actually quite happy.

Although the coal mine was hard and dangerous, it was at least a worker's treatment. And Li Long thought that when it was confirmed, let Li Xiangqian find his classmate, and he would send favors here to let his second brother do some work that wasn't dangerous.

Work still had to be found slowly. Li Long and the others sold fish and rabbits twice before the New Year. He gave Tao Daqiang and Yang Yongqiang one hundred each—according to Li Long's statement, the money for the horse cart.

He got more than three hundred yuan in his hand, not a small amount, and he planned to use half of it to buy New Year goods.

Money, earn it, spend it. With the money from selling that bear, Li Long had basically saved enough money to buy a tractor, a color TV, and build a house. If he spent it all, he could earn it again.

He told Yang Yongqiang and Tao Daqiang that they would work at home these few days before the New Year, not scoop fish or get rabbits, that is, even if they did, they wouldn't sell them before the New Year. He went to Wu City again. This time he didn't meet Yusufu.

Before Li Long went to the department store to buy things, he went to the jade factory.

Last time he met that master Liu Gong who retired to the second line due to injury, and bought those high-quality small jade carvings from him. Li Long was still very happy. He wanted to see if there were any more there.

What made Li Long a bit happy was that the small window at the side door of the jade factory was still open, and heat occasionally leaked out from there.

Why open the window in cold weather? Li Long was a bit puzzled, but he still walked over quickly.

When he reached the window, Li Long looked inside and saw two old people arguing in a low voice.

"Open the window, open the window, open the window every day, don't you know that coal is expensive? The factory gives a fixed amount. If you don't open the window, it's enough. Once you open the window, the heat runs away. The coal that isn't enough has to be bought by yourself. Is your little salary enough?"

"But I have to open it, otherwise how would others know that we are still selling jade here?"

"Who buys it? I bring you food every day at noon, it's been a month, have you sold five pieces in total? I think, just close it, you should apply for sick retirement, do some other small business, it's better than guarding here every day."

"Do what business? I don't do business! I am a dignified jade worker, what do I sell?" The man's voice suddenly rose, "I am a formal worker! I won't do small business..."

"You are also doing business now! Selling jade is not selling?" The woman retorted, not giving any face at all, "The factory is kind enough to let you guard here, you can't..."

Li Long finally understood.

He felt a bit sad.

This man was Liu Gong, from whom he had bought jade, and the woman should be his wife.

Liu Gong insisted on his status as a worker and didn't want to retire due to illness. The old couple's life shouldn't be very good. The wife also wanted Liu Gong to retire decently.

But the old man should have been a jade worker all his life and couldn't let go.

"Is Liu Gong there?" Li Long felt that he shouldn't let the two argue anymore. He took a few steps back, then increased his footsteps and shouted loudly while walking.

Sure enough, as soon as he made a sound, the two stopped arguing immediately.

"That young man is here!" Liu Gong was excited and said this out loud. He wiped his hands, took a step forward to the window, and smiled somewhat unnaturally:

"I'm here, I'm here, young man, you... Comrade Li, right? I'm here!"

"Hello Liu Gong, I'm here to buy jade. The kind you carved yourself is the best." Li Long said with a smile, "The ones I brought back last time, my family likes them very much. It's New Year, so I thought about buying some more, don't know if there are..."

"Yes, yes, yes, there are, there are, there are!" Liu Gong smiled and took out a square tray from the cabinet, on which were carved small pieces. There were white jade, ink jade, cyan-white jade and jasper, and also jadeite.

"Take a look, my hands don't listen very well, I've only carved these during this period..."

There weren't many styles of things, mainly peace buckles, peace cards, hand-held pieces, and also a few bracelets, two bracelets.

"I'm old, my hands aren't as obedient as before, and I've been injured, so there are only so many." Liu Gong explained, "But you can rest assured about the quality, the materials chosen are all good, although the size is a bit small..."

"Liu Gong, I'm definitely satisfied with the things you carved." Li Long said with a smile, "Calculate how much money, I want them all."

The second brother was bringing his whole family over, and the sister might come over later, these things could be used.

"Want them all? That..." Liu Gong was a bit surprised. He thought Li Long was picking some like last time, "These things, although the materials are small, add up to quite a bit of money, look..."

"It's okay, you calculate, by the way, I'll take a few of the carved pieces that the apprentice is displaying."

Li Long felt that they would be useful for giving gifts later. Even if it was an apprentice, the ones that could be displayed here for sale, at least the appearance wouldn't be too bad, not to mention the materials at this time. Each one was a good thing in later generations.

"Alright, alright." Liu Gong nodded hurriedly. Most of the things Li Long wanted were carved and made by him, so he had a price in his heart—of course, the price wasn't high. He felt that someone appreciated it and could recognize the things made by his half-disabled self, which was already very valuable. As for the apprentice's materials, there was no way, the factory marked the price, so he couldn't lower the price.

Li Long paid one hundred and eighty yuan for eleven pieces.

Satisfied.

Wrapping the jade pieces one by one in newspapers and putting them into the satchel, Li Long left, listening to the woman who hadn't spoken throughout the whole process ask in a low voice:

"Is this the young man who came to buy jade from you last time? Really generous, bought more than ten pieces at once..."

"Yeah, the young man has money and knows goods."

"Then you really opened the window right, otherwise if people came to see the window closed, they would think you didn't sell things, then the loss would be big. You sold two bracelets, this can also be explained to the factory..." Li Long's mouth slightly curled up, is this the so-called win-win?

Taking the bus to the department store, Li Long started the sweeping action.

Dried fresh fruits must be bought, firecrackers also need to be bought more, snacks and some dried seafood products must also be bought, and gifts must be bought for everyone in the family.

This time, he bought a headscarf for Gu Xiaoxia—women in small counties at this time were quite used to wearing headscarves. He bought a pair of leather gloves for his eldest brother. Although the family made a pair for him with rabbit skin, the rabbit skin tanning wasn't up to standard and was a bit hard. For Li Juan, it was a pair of small leather boots, and for Li Qiang, it was a set of imitation children's military uniforms.

Li Long didn't buy anything for himself here, he planned to go to the Zhang Xin Hua Bookstore later to buy a few books to read.

There were many books in the Zhang Xin Hua Bookstore in Wu City that weren't in Ma County and Shi City. Li Long bought several books and put them in the bag. There were also hunting guns and small-caliber rifles for sale here, but Li Long didn't lack guns or bullets at the moment. The double-barreled hunting gun he got from the robber hadn't been used yet.

He bought a large bag of scattered things and a tote bag. Canvas tote bags were quite popular at this time. Li Long also carried one, brought the things to the bus station. After waiting in the cold wind for a long time, the bus came, he squeezed onto the bus, sat to the train station.

Habitually looked at the place where the stalls were set up, Yusufu was still not there. Li Long guessed whether he had saved enough money to go to the south to sell raisins.

!.

After all, Han people celebrate the New Year, they don't. And at this time, taking raisins to the south, it just happened to sell for a good price. Li Long also bought some raisins this time, planning to put them on the table with melon seeds, sugar, and peanuts during the New Year.

In an era when materials were relatively scarce, raisins were good things, and families that could put them out were usually well-off. And decades later, although red dates, walnuts, and raisins would also be put in the fruit plates of ordinary families, just like the jokes told by people in Northern and Southern Xinjiang, unless there was nothing else to eat in the fruit plate, local people would eat these three things.

People, sure enough, are fickle.

Took the bus back to Ma County, Li Long still didn't encounter anything on this trip. He was guessing, had some movements already started?

Otherwise, why did he feel that the order in Wu City was much better, and the train station was the same.

Back in the county, Li Long carried the things to the courtyard, put them down, and started to classify them.

Some things should be put here, some things should be taken back to the team. The one for Gu Xiaoxia should be put aside separately.

At this time, Gu Xiaoxia hadn't finished work yet. Li Long finished sorting the things and started cooking.

In the evening, Gu Xiaoxia returned to the courtyard, and she and Li Long happily ate dinner. After the meal, Gu Xiaoxia washed the dishes, and Li Long took out the headscarf and said to her:

"This is a New Year gift for you, don't know if you like it or not..."

"Like it!" Gu Xiaoxia smiled happily, "Wait, I'll wash the dishes, put it on and show you!"

"Alright." Li Long stood on the side and watched.

After Gu Xiaoxia finished, Li Long handed the headscarf to her. Gu Xiaoxia draped the headscarf on her head, tied a knot at the neck, twisted left and right, and said with a smile:

"Does it look good?"

"Good, really good."

Although it looked a bit earthy from the perspective of later generations, it was like the clothes worn by people in "The Road Home", in line with the clothing of this era, that was beauty.

The next day after breakfast, Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia met and both smiled. Although nothing happened all night, they felt that they knew each other better, like a contact of souls.

Gu Xiaoxia went to work, and Li Long brought the New Year goods and other things back to the team. The eldest brother and sister-in-law still had opinions about Li Long buying so many things again, complaining that he spent money indiscriminately. Li Juan and Li Qiang were really fond of the gifts Li Long bought. Especially Li Qiang, after putting on that set of clothes, he didn't want to take them off, and had to wear them out to show his friends. It was Liang Yuemei who waved her palm that he reluctantly took them off.

It was Li Jianguo who said he could wear them every day during the New Year, so Li Qiang didn't cry at home.

After putting the things away, Li Long explained his plan here, and then rode his bicycle to the township in the afternoon.

The scale of the agricultural machinery repair factory in the township was even smaller, there was no courtyard, actually it was not much different from a blacksmith shop.

There were only two people inside. The one in charge was Master Wang, called Wang Youde, bringing an apprentice—Li Long knew that this apprentice belonged to self-funded learning and repair, unlike Master Wang. Master Wang was considered a worker, had a position and a salary, and belonged to the township's staff. Even if this agricultural machinery repair factory couldn't be run, he would likely be transferred to the agricultural machinery service station, which was also an organization that the township had always had. After all, there was still an agricultural machinery bureau in the county, which needed to be connected upward. And this apprentice could only go home.

However, in order to learn technology, being an apprentice was also not bad, and this apprentice was also a goal that many people competed for.

This one was relatively lucky.

"Make something? How many? How to do it, you say, I tell you, this labor cost is not cheap." Although Master Wang had a position, he didn't reject doing some private work. Li Long only chatted with him for a few sentences before giving up the idea of talking about cooperation with him. If it was said that the technical personnel of the tractor factory and the county agricultural machinery repair factory would still think about the dream of agricultural mechanization, this Master Wang was purely doing one day and managing one day, and would never think about what to do next. And according to the information he revealed, the agricultural machinery repair factory in the township was almost unable to be run, and no one came here to repair things.

This was also an actual situation, because the Red Flag Commune was relatively close to the county, less than five kilometers. Other townships had distances of forty or fifty kilometers or even further.

The agricultural machinery operators in each village now were different from those twenty or thirty years later, most of them understood some simple repairs. If they couldn't repair the problems, Master Wang here would likely not be able to repair them either—not just a technical problem, but also an equipment problem.

So for this thing Li Long wanted to do, Master Wang would only think about how much extra money he could collect, and wouldn't care about cooperation—he hadn't done farm work for many years, and he had no judgment on whether this thing had a market, nor would he think about judging.

Li Long described his idea, and Master Wang calculated and said:

"The one you said is easy to open, mainly welding, the accessories like springs are not easy to get, but three or five I can still do here, calculate the material cost, labor cost... one you give three yuan... three yuan and five cents."

The iron on a spot seeder added up to one kilogram. At this time, it was calculated according to the material cost, one yuan and five cents to two yuan, he collected one yuan and five cents of labor cost, Li Long felt it was okay.

After all, this was considered semi-monopoly, and other places might not be able to find a blacksmith shop to do it, and it might not be able to be done.

"When can I get it?" Li Long asked while taking out money.

Seeing Li Long paying cash, Master Wang became quite enthusiastic. He said with a smile:

"If you are in a hurry, you can come and get it tomorrow. Give ten yuan first."

Li Long wasn't afraid that he wouldn't keep his word. There were relatively few such people at this time. Or rather, Li Long had seen very few strange things in the countryside in the short videos he had seen until later generations.

Things like not raising parents, eating the household, throwing medicine into the fish pond, grabbing other people's economic crops like fruits, medicinal materials, etc.

The most farcical scene he had seen was just the implementation of drip irrigation in the village, the land contract fee skyrocketed, and then the two brothers competed to plant their parents' land, which was pressed down by the captain and several old villager representatives.

Only this once. Li Long had never heard of anything relatively strange. In general, the moral level of the people in the village was still not bad. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 416 =====

The tractor factory was in the suburbs of Shicheng; Li Long walked a long way, taking nearly an hour to arrive.

There was a guard post at the entrance. When Li Long arrived, the factory gate was closed, and he could see that the factory grounds were quite large.

Li Long went to the guard post. To his surprise, there were two guards on duty, both young men. They were wearing green military uniforms, Lei Feng hats, and web belts, and were holding semi-automatic rifles. He guessed they were most likely from the Production and Construction Corps militia.

"Comrade, what can I do for you?" one of the guards asked.

"Hello, I'm looking for the technical research staff at the factory. I have a research concept here and would like to discuss a potential collaboration with the factory."

"The Technical Section? Do you have a specific person you're looking for?" the guard asked again.

"No."

"Then... alright, I'll call the Technical Section to see if anyone is there... Do you have an introduction letter?"

"No, but I have proof of employment." Li Long immediately took out his credentials from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. In this day and age, some places were aligned with national standards, requiring introduction letters and proof of status everywhere. For instance, right now, some places were more open-minded and would let you get things done without them, like staying at the August 1st Guesthouse in Wucheng or setting up a stall in Shicheng and Maxian.

It could only be described as a local quirk.

The guard looked at Li Long's credentials, nodded, picked up the phone inside, cranked it a few times, got through to the switchboard, and then asked to be transferred to the Technical Section.

Li Long waited for the result of the call, feeling slightly nervous. (End of chapter)