Chapter 425: Not everyone can drive a tractor

This was his own home, unlike the large courtyard in the county seat, which was already an old house when bought, so Li Long didn't spend too much energy decorating the large courtyard.

But this courtyard was different. From the very beginning of laying the foundation to the later construction, Li Long participated in every step of the courtyard's construction. Watching what was originally a flat piece of land turn into his own courtyard, which was about to become his truly independent home since his rebirth, Li Long was excited and thrilled, so he invested a lot of heart and energy.

The exterior walls of the house were the same as other people's at the moment, plastered with wall mud, very flat. Li Long didn't do anything unconventional like the architecture of twenty or thirty years later, or simply build a two-story building. His funds basically allowed it, but it was unnecessary.

Even thirty or forty years later, there were no two-story buildings in the village. The richest family, when not restricted from planting cotton, had once contracted tens of thousands of mu of land in nearby villages and farms, with an annual net income of over ten million, but they still lived in a bungalow at home in the countryside, and the car they drove was also an ordinary pickup truck.

Then, because of grain policies and groundwater issues, half of the land was restricted from planting, and everyone in the township was restricted from planting half of the land, and finally, they rotated.

The days of getting rich by relying on cotton were gone.

Li Long naturally couldn't oppose those policies. After all, there was still quite a lot of land in the village. Even when planting was restricted, after joining the cooperative, the annual guaranteed dividend could still be seventy or eighty thousand, and when cotton prices rose, getting one hundred thousand was no problem.

Now, the contracting of land hadn't started yet, but the preliminary work was already underway, and village representatives from each group were already measuring the land. According to Li Jianguo, there were a total of 2,600 mu of land in the village, and more than 280 villagers. The ration land allocated was about 1,500 mu. The remaining 1,100 mu of land, with 20 mu as one share of contracted land, was about 50 shares. There were 50 households in the village in total (some new ones joined last year, and some separated), so basically, every household could contract one share of land.

Of course, there were definitely those who didn't contract, and there were definitely those who wanted to contract more land.

And according to the news Li Long got, the contracting of land was temporarily flexible in duration, with a maximum of five years, but one year, two years, three years, or even five years were all fine. If it was too long, the contracting fee would definitely change later, and no one could say whether it would increase or decrease, so they simply didn't set a long limit.

As for the price, it was mainly based on competitive bidding. At present, village representatives, under the organization of the village director, were numbering the land that needed to be contracted. After numbering, they would take the villagers to see the land one by one. After seeing it, they would conduct competitive bidding for contracting at the village meeting. Before planting in April, all this work had to be completed.

There was still half a month left.

In the village, or the township, there were other land policies. For example, if one wanted to reclaim wasteland, then the agricultural tax would be exempted for the first three years, that is, the public grain would be exempted, and then the wasteland reclaimed by oneself could be contracted for a long term, which was directly contracting for the maximum duration of fifteen years. And the price was also very low, almost a symbolic price, after all, reclamation was encouraged now.

Li Long vaguely remembered that before cotton prices rose, there were only two or three households in the village that clearly reclaimed wasteland for planting, and the others only plowed some edge scraps at the ends of their own land. Like Li Jianguo's family, the land block was at the edge of a large strip field, so they could let the tractor expand outward when plowing, which basically allowed them to get one or two more mu of land.

Of course, this kind of behavior was also relatively low-key, so as not to attract jealousy.

After determining the land to be contracted, a deposit needed to be paid. After paying, the contracting fee didn't have to be paid in full, but a part had to be paid, so as not to contract the land and then not plant it when the farming season arrived, delaying a year, which would cause losses to the team. The subsequent fees could be settled in the second year, or a part could be settled each year, and settled before the expiration of the land contracting duration. Li Long thought, anyway, it was to be settled before expiration, so he would try to contract as much land as possible. Even if it was all planted with wheat, under the current situation, it could still break even. Of course, he could also not contract so much land now, and first try the situation of planting melon seeds. If it was planted well, he could expand production next year, and then he could contract more land next year.

The point was that at the end of the nineties, when contracting land for a long term, he needed to contract more.

When village representatives were measuring the land this year, Xu Chengjun also came to ask Li Long if he could get a sheep in the next two days, otherwise, he would directly grab one from the sheep flocks in the team for the village representatives to eat.

Li Long thought that he was still busy here, and it wasn't worth running a trip to the mountains for a sheep, so he let Xu Chengjun directly grab a sheep from the team, while he was still busy in his own courtyard.

Now in the courtyard, the doors and windows were installed, the garbage inside had been cleaned up, and the weather wasn't very hot yet, so staying inside was a bit cold. Li Long simply got a few stoves connected to the chimney and burned them with a big fire to bake the house, and at the same time, raise the temperature.

He, Tao Dayong, Yang Yongqiang, and Li Junshan, all wearing boat-shaped hats folded from newspapers, were cleaning the mud spots on the walls. When building the walls, mud was splashed everywhere. The ground had already been cleaned and paved with bricks, but there were still some on the walls. After cleaning these, they would use newspapers to paste the ceiling, which was also a semi-technical job. Li Junshan didn't know much about it, but Tao Dayong, Li Long, and Yang Yongqiang all knew.

After they cleaned the mud spots, Tao Dayong moved these broken soil blocks out and poured them into the courtyard, and several people began to tie the framework for the ceiling.

At this time, standing in the room, looking up, one saw reed mats and wood. Although they were all new, it didn't look comfortable. So usually, wooden strips and reed stalks would be used to tie out a grid framework and nail it to the ceiling half a meter away from the wood, and then newspapers would be pasted on these grids to form a ceiling.

At least it would look more comfortable this way.

In his previous life, it would take a few years for Li Long to buy a TV. He didn't know how much time he had spent lying on the bed, and from time to time, he would see the big headlines on the newspapers. The content of these headlines was varied, including current affairs, politics, major news, personnel appointments and removals, policy promotion interpretations, etc. Although they were all expired, when lying on the bed without a mobile phone to swipe, looking at them might still be interesting. Sometimes, looking at the big headlines would make him feel interesting, and he might even stand up and look up to see the detailed content.

Pasting the ceiling required paste. Liang Yuemei had already boiled it, let Li Juan carry the basin over, and then divided it into small basins. The paste wasn't afraid of being cold. Li Long and the others were tired from looking up and tying the framework, so they would rest every half an hour.

"Brother Long, can I drive the tractor for a bit?" During the rest, Li Long was drinking water, and Yang Yongqiang's hands were itchy, so he came over and asked Li Long with a smile.

During the work these few days, in fact, Li Anguo, Chen Xingbang, Li Junshan, Tao Dayong, Yang Yongqiang, and even Li Jianguo had all driven the tractor, driving it on the open ground outside. At the beginning, Li Long would sit on the side and give guidance. Of course, before driving, Li Long had already explained the whole operation process when the engine was off, and they all listened and tried practicing many times in the state of the engine being off, so although they were a bit unfamiliar when driving, there was no problem in the general direction.

It was understandable that Yang Yongqiang's hands were itchy. Tao Dayong didn't have many thoughts in this regard. He belonged to the kind of person who was relatively content with the status quo, or rather, content with small wealth. The family's current conditions in the team were already at the forefront. Before the end of last year, Li Long led the villagers to earn a few sums of money, and many families had hundreds of yuan, so the team added a few more bicycles. But like Tao Dayong, who had been following Li Long from last year to this year, and had been earning money even in winter, the total value of the family's assets had long exceeded one thousand yuan, ranking at least in the top five in the team.

So he didn't care whether there was a tractor or a color TV. Being able to eat meat from time to time, having money in his pocket, and being able to ensure that his unborn child could eat fine grain every day without being wronged was enough.

Yang Yongqiang was different. Although he hadn't bought a bicycle yet, he felt that he must live better in the future, and a tractor was essential, so he had to follow Li Long's footsteps closely.

So he wanted to practice when he had time—naturally, he didn't practice for nothing. He wasn't the kind of person without boundaries, so he had been scrambling to work in Li Long's courtyard every day these days, working for a period of time, feeling that he had "accumulated enough contribution," and then he would find Li Long and want to drive it for a bit.

"Go drive it." Li Long said, "Try it in a large place outside. The courtyard is still a bit small, and it can't be unfolded."

Although these people basically knew how to operate it, the one who drove the most steadily was the eldest brother Li Jianguo, followed by brother-in-law Chen Xingbang. Yang Yongqiang was a bit reckless, Li Junshan was a bit nervous, and Li Anguo and Tao Dayong were considered mediocre—slow movements, slow reactions, but not very nervous, and could drive.

So driving on the road definitely wouldn't work, just practicing on the open ground was fine.

Seeing Li Long agree so readily, Yang Yongqiang jumped up and ran out with a smile, saying as he ran:

"Brother Long, don't worry, I definitely won't delay setting up the ceiling framework!"

Li Long smiled. Yang Yongqiang hadn't left any spare energy in his work these few days, and he only ate one meal at noon here, insisting on going back to eat at night, which showed a good sense of proportion.

"I'll go out and see." Tao Dayong stood up, "Yongqiang is still a bit reckless."

The weather was slowly getting hot. At noon, Yang Yongqiang could also start it by himself, but it was a bit reluctant, and sometimes it needed two or three times to start it.

Sure enough, Li Long heard the sound of the first failed start—like an old cow panting, panting halfway and then swallowing that breath back.

"Dayong, help." Yang Yongqiang wasn't polite to Tao Dayong at all.

With Tao Dayong's participation, the two of them easily started the tractor. Yang Yongqiang sat on the tractor, turned the hand throttle next to the steering wheel down a bit. A skilled driver usually turned the hand throttle to the flameout state at this time, relying entirely on the foot throttle to control it.

Yang Yongqiang didn't have this ability yet.

"Dayong and Yongqiang are really okay." Li Junshan sat side by side with Li Long and said with a smile, "Uncle Without Xiao Long, they are really helping you work." "That's right, I'm also sincere in leading them to earn money." Li Long smiled, "How about it, what are your thoughts for the future?"

"I'm thinking, if I can go to work at that mine, I also want to try." Li Junshan's words made Li Long a bit surprised.

"That place is dangerous." Li Long advised, "I can find someone to arrange it, it should be possible to arrange it, but like my second brother, it's possible for me to spend more money to arrange for him to do something outside without entering the mine, but it can't be many. If you want to enter, then it's highly likely that you have to enter the mine, and if that happens..."

He didn't continue. Northern Xinjiang was evil, and everyone believed that words would come true—good things wouldn't come true, but bad things would.

"Hey, there are many people under that mine, it can't be that I'm the one who has an accident. But if I can enter the mine, then I'm a worker." Li Junshan looked thoughtful, "I've thought about it, if I can be a worker, then I'll eat commodity grain. Danger is definitely there, but isn't that what should be? If it weren't dangerous, then everyone could be one, how could it be our turn?"

Li Long didn't expect Li Junshan to think this way. However, he still didn't dare to nod hard. After all, this was a matter of life and death, and he had to consider it carefully. He also thought about asking more about it at that time. To be honest, although it had been several years since the reform and opening up, it had just started in this area of Northern Xinjiang, and there were plenty of opportunities now, so it didn't have to be that dangerous mine.

Now "Ordinary World" hadn't been published yet, but Li Long had read it in his previous life, and he knew the danger of coal mines from it. So after Li Xiangqian talked about the coal mine, he thought that if he could get an outside job for his second brother, he could go, but if he couldn't, and had to enter the mine, then forget it.

If something really happened, he couldn't afford it.

The "tut-tut-tut" sound of the tractor rang out. Li Long knew that this was Yang Yongqiang driving it out of the courtyard. Listening to the sound, the speed wasn't fast, it should be driving out slowly in first gear.

Not bad, quite cautious.

Tao Dayong didn't come back. Li Long guessed that he should be watching Yang Yongqiang, worried that he would make some mistake.

!.

Now Tao Dayong was also trained. Li Long was pondering what work to do to earn money starting this spring. Crops like melon seeds were harvested in autumn, and in spring and summer, besides normal work, he still had to find some work that could earn money.

Making reed mats was one, and he could also collect fritillaria. Collecting fritillaria was also a big job. If it really didn't work, he would find a ditch and let Tao Dayong and the others go to dig fritillaria, while he himself would take a gun and go hunting there. With his own status as a forest ranger, it should be no problem for Tao Dayong and Yang Yongqiang to dig fritillaria.

If Li Junshan and the others still had no clue about their work at that time, then let them go dig together.

Li Long felt that this matter could only be like this. After all, the current expansion of contacts had only reached this step, and it was really not easy to find more work that could earn money. Northern Xinjiang was very large, but the scope Li Long was currently involved in was just this large. If he wanted to find more ways to make money, he not only had to think of ways in terms of contacts, but also had to use his brain in terms of paths.

In fact, engaging in small agricultural machinery was a very good path, but Li Long knew that this required professional talent. Judging from the people he currently knew, there was basically none. The master who repaired agricultural machinery in the township obviously didn't want to do it, and he wasn't familiar with him, so he couldn't become a partner.

He still had to continue looking for opportunities. In fact, if he could get the harvester that came with the tractor this year, the speed of making money would be very fast, because after the land was contracted to households last year, farmers in the whole county had ration land, five mu of ration land per person, and most of them were planted with wheat before winter came.

Who didn't want to eat fine grain every meal? After the planting area of wheat expanded, harvesting became a big problem. Last year, not only did farmers plant a lot of corn on their ration land, but the uncontracted land in the countryside was also planted with a lot of winter wheat, so it would be especially busy when harvesting wheat in July this year.

Then if there was a tractor that could quickly harvest wheat, it would definitely be very popular.

Even if it only cost one yuan to harvest one mu of land, no, sixty or seventy cents, then he could earn dozens of yuan a day. After all, it only required a small four-wheel tractor to walk in the field, consuming some diesel.

Li Long remembered that in his previous life, when the village's land record reached six or seven thousand mu, there were three large tractors in the team—wheeled tractors, the 1504 tractors that were larger than 28 horsepower and sold for more than 300,000 yuan. The state gave a 30% agricultural subsidy. Young men in the village scrambled to plow the land after autumn—after all, plowing one mu of land earned the money for one mu of land. At that time, they basically didn't sleep, plowing day and night, plowing four hundred mu a day.

Of course, those few days were also particularly exhausting. After all, even if this tractor had air conditioning and the seat was very comfortable, it couldn't stand being driven all the time, and the vibration could also tire people out.

The current tractor naturally couldn't stand that much, but it shouldn't be a problem to harvest one hundred mu a day.

The key to the problem now was that this kind of harvester hadn't been published yet. If he wanted to get it, he had to research it himself, which required professional people to do it.

The people at the Shicheng Tractor Factory didn't look down on him, so what could he do? It was a pity that there was no customization service now.

Li Long's thoughts were running wild in his mind, and the "tut-tut-tut" sound rang out. It was Yang Yongqiang driving the tractor back.

After resting enough, Li Long stood up, ready to move around, and then continue tying the ceiling framework.

He heard Tao Dayong say in the courtyard:

"Alright, step on the brake and turn off the engine. It wastes fuel to drive too much."

Alright, Tao Dayong was still a good man who could live a life.

"Good." Yang Yongqiang's voice rang out along with the sound of the tractor's engine, and then suddenly he felt the sound of "tut-tut-tut" roar up, and then he felt the wall vibrate, the engine sound suddenly increased to the maximum, and then—it stalled.

Li Long rushed out all at once. When he came out, he was just looking at Tao Dayong looking at the tractor, and at this time, the small four-wheel tractor was hitting the wall by the window of his own east room.

The front of the small four-wheel tractor was designed with a guide rail for adding things. This guide rail was made of steel plate. At this time, the protruding steel guide rail was hitting the wall, pushing out a pit the size of a bowl.

Yang Yongqiang sat on the tractor with a face pale with fright, blankly not knowing what to do.

Tao Dayong reacted, turned his head to look at Li Long, waiting for him to speak.

Yang Yongqiang also turned his head, his face full of guilt. He knew he had caused trouble. This was a new house!

Li Junshan also ran out from the room. Seeing this situation, a trace of anger flashed on his face, but he didn't speak.

This had to be said by Li Long.

"Fortunately, this wall is fortunately two mud bricks thick," Li Long wasn't angry, "and it's built sturdily. If it were a thin wall of a single brick, it might have collapsed... Yongqiang, you have to fill this pit. Did you step on the accelerator as the brake?"

Li Long wasn't angry, and the others present breathed a sigh of relief.

Yang Yongqiang lowered his head and said shamefully:

"It should be..." His mind was blank at the time, and he didn't know what he had done at all.

This tractor, not everyone can drive it.

Wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 426 =====