Chapter 431

The next day, after breakfast, Li Long followed the others to the brick kiln to haul bricks. The kiln was further away than the sand pit, and the road conditions were poor. There were many human-powered carts, animal-drawn carts, and tractors coming here to haul bricks, and the dirt road had been crushed into a slurry. A thick layer of fine dust floated on the surface, and when a tractor drove by, it looked like a sandstorm behind it. Li Long was better off in the front, but the people sitting in the back of the cart preparing to load the bricks suffered; their faces and heads were covered in dust. By the time they reached the kiln, they looked like they had just come out of the Terracotta Army, turned into clay figures.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Several laborers got off the cart and vigorously patted the dust off their bodies. One of them, while patting, went to find the person in charge of the brickyard. Because there were many human-powered and animal-drawn carts lined up waiting to be loaded, coordination was needed. More people were coming from behind; queuing was one thing, but seeing if they could cut in line was another.

At this time, work was no longer done under the household contract system; there were bonuses for loading more.

Li Long sat on the tractor, looking around. This brickyard had two kilns, both long and narrow; it seemed one kiln could produce a lot of bricks. When he bought bricks to build his house and pave the ground, he had heard his eldest brother, Li Jianguo, say that the price of bricks at this time depended on the price of coal. Because the main raw materials for brickmaking were coal and soil. Soil went without saying; after shoveling away the unusable impurities and Gobi stones on the surface, the soil underneath was all usable.

But coal had to be bought. Although the kilns mainly used coal dust, it still cost money, didn't it? A ton would cost anywhere from over ten to several dozen yuan.

Of course, now that large-scale urban construction was beginning, it was still very profitable for individuals to open brick kilns, but he didn't know what procedures were required. Of course, he also had to find technical talent. This brick kiln was state-run, and most of the people who could fire bricks now were on the payroll. If one wanted to start a private brick kiln, the technical personnel aspect would be hard to pass.

After all, the brick firing here and the brick firing in *Ordinary World* were two different forms. The kilns there were round, the kilns in people's traditional opinion, round and as tall as large bunker buildings.

It was different here. The kilns here were a long row of wide, spacious bungalows with several kiln mouths, a bit like a long row of collective dormitories or prefabricated houses. Of course, they were still built of bricks, with several air vents. The number of brick blanks that could be placed in at one time was at least tens of thousands, or even over a hundred thousand.

Of course, Li Long could tell from the exterior. When they arrived, the kiln happened to be producing bricks, and in the kiln yard, there weren't many finished red bricks, only half a stack. Instead, there were three or four stacks of gray brick blanks made by the brick-making machine. Workers were using wheelbarrows to push cartloads of brick blanks into another kiln that hadn't been fired yet.

"Let's go, let's go load." The worker who had gone to negotiate came over and shouted at Li Long. His voice was quite loud; it had to be, as there were several brick-making machines running inside, along with the sound of tractors and the shouting of workers; the noise was very loud.

Li Long followed the worker to the half-stack of red bricks, parked next to it, and several laborers put on tattered cotton gloves with exposed fingers, took brick tongs, and climbed onto the brick stack to start loading.

A brick clamp is just two pieces of rebar bent together to form a "U" shape. The part held by the hand is the bottom horizontal bar. This frame happens to clamp four bricks at once; you lift it and go. Once you loosen your grip, because the clamp isn't a rigid structure, the place where the two rebar pieces connect is tight when lifted but spreads open when the hand relaxes, allowing the bricks to be set down loosely.

It was more convenient than holding the bricks by hand.

These laborers loaded bricks very quickly. A cart of bricks was loaded in no time. Li Long drove back himself, while the laborers waited there; naturally, there were people at the construction site to unload the cart.

Unloading bricks wasn't as easy as unloading sand. It was still people using brick tongs to lift the bricks down. After all, every single brick was money. If they were dumped down, many bricks would break. Although those half-bricks could also be used to build walls, the integrity was different.

So, in one morning, Li Long hauled four trips of bricks—actually, it was about three and a half, but the laborers still seized the time to load four trips, saying they wanted to earn the money for one more trip.

It was this half-trip that almost made Li Long miss lunch. When he arrived at the reception center canteen, they had already started serving food, and there wasn't much left when Li Long went to get his meal.

They were eating rice at noon, but it wasn't pure rice. When steaming the rice, some millet had been added, looking golden and smelling quite fragrant.

Li Long was hungry, so he ate two large bowls with the leftover dishes and soup. There were two dishes at noon today as well: one was leeks stir-fried with eggs, but there wasn't much left, and only sparse egg scraps could be seen in the dish; the other was shredded potatoes. The chef stir-fried the shredded potatoes well, and Li Long ate them with great relish.

After eating, he washed his bowl and plate and went out to the temporary worker dormitory.

Seeing Li Long, Li Anguo, who was on the bunk, took the initiative to say:

"I went to the master mason side this morning, tried the work on the spot, and I passed."

Looking at the smile on his second brother's face, Li Long also smiled and said:

"Then today's wage will be three jiao more, not bad."

Of the three, only Yang Yongqiang was still a laborer, but he didn't feel anything and didn't need Li Long's comfort. Instead, he said:

"I think this work is okay, easier to bear than cutting wheat in the fields. Although the food isn't as good as at home, I can eat my fill. I heard the team leader in charge of us say that at my current speed of work, the possibility of staying is very high."

Fine, Li Long could tell this was chicken soup the team leader gave Yang Yongqiang, but he couldn't pour cold water on him. After chatting with the three for a while, Li Long let them rest, while he turned and went out.

There was an hour at noon, and Li Long was thinking about whether he could find out the location of the agricultural machinery factory nearby, so he could go take a look after finishing the hauling work.

Actually, calculating it, it was really good to earn money hauling here, but firstly, it was too far from home, and secondly, there was still a pile of things to do at home, so he really couldn't stay.

However, after going back and finishing the things, he could take a look at whether the construction company in Shicheng needed people to haul. It was just that Shicheng itself had a tractor factory, so he figured it wouldn't be as short of tractors as Kuitun, right?

Then take a look at the county seat?

Li Long shook his head, feeling that the possibility in Maxian wasn't high. After all, the county seat was only that big, and it wasn't hundreds of years ago. Hundreds of years ago, even this area of Kuitun was under the jurisdiction of Maxian, and Suilai County at that time was still quite famous. But now Maxian didn't have any advantages, and it wasn't time to plant cotton on a large scale yet. It felt like a transparent little county with low attention, and the construction industry didn't have much development prospect in the short term.

Of course, this was by analogy with Shicheng and Kuitun. It was certainly developing itself, but the relative scale was small, and even if there was work, it might not be Li Long's turn.

Thinking while walking to the entrance, he chatted with the old man for a while and found out that the agricultural machinery factory wasn't in this direction. However, fortunately, he knew the specific location and knew the situation inside the agricultural machinery factory, so Li Long was still very happy.

Unlike the Shicheng Tractor Factory, the agricultural machinery factory here didn't produce tractors; it mainly produced agricultural machinery parts, which were supporting agricultural machinery. This just happened to meet Li Long's expectations. The harvester he was thinking of might really be able to be created here.

Time was short, so Li Long didn't go to the agricultural machinery factory and turned back to the reception center. This time he ran into that old tractor driver. This person was also resting in the dormitory. Li Long was a bit strange that the other party didn't go home at noon this time. He saw the person on the bed glance at him and then close his eyes, so he didn't say hello either, and went to the bed to half-lie down and think about things.

In the afternoon, Li Long hauled three more carts of bricks and went to haul a cart of cement later. Anyway, he went wherever materials were needed. The price remained the same, but because of the problem of changing sites and personnel coordination, by the time he got off work in the afternoon, Li Long had earned seventy yuan today.

Less than yesterday, but still very high. The temporary workers who were receiving their wages together all showed envious expressions.

But everyone knew there was no comparison; after all, he had a tractor, which burned oil.

After working like this for three days, the materials for this project were almost prepared, and the tractor was no longer needed for the rest, so Li Long went to find Ma Aihong to say goodbye.

Ma Aihong also knew the progress of the project. Actually, he had contacted Li Xiangqian, thinking about being able to keep Li Long, or at least keep him to work for a period of time. They had taken on many projects, but they were still far from being able to satisfy the city's development. The city was preparing to prepare for the Second Construction Company, and they, as the First Construction and Installation Company, had a second one.

But Li Xiangqian couldn't make the decision for Li Long, and he didn't want to keep Li Long here either; he still had work for Li Long to do over there.

Although it was said that anyone could do this work, judging from last year's situation, the tasks Li Long took on were the ones that made him feel at ease when they were finally handed over.

So Ma Aihong knew he couldn't keep Li Long, but he left a favor. When Li Long left, he said:

"Little Li, don't worry. I've already inquired; those relatives and friends of yours are all not bad. The two who work as master masons are impeccable; we are short of such technically skilled people now. That laborer is also very capable, can endure hardship, and is willing to learn. I think it won't be long before he can also go and work as a master mason. We are short of people here, so the certainty of them staying is still very high. Come often when you have time!"

He had already asked someone, and that wolf-bone stone was real, and it was indeed rumored to have the effect of warding off evil spirits, which increased his favor for Li Long by a few points.

Li Long left the Construction and Installation Company and drove the tractor toward the agricultural machinery factory. The agricultural machinery factory was very lively, with various machines running in the workshop. Li Long said at the entrance that he wanted to find the technical personnel in the factory and was preparing to make a type of farm tool. The gatekeeper pointed directly to the operation workshop:

"The biggest technical person here is our factory director. He is in the workshop. His surname is Du. Go find him."

Li Long drove the tractor into the factory and arrived at the workshop, seeing that on one side they were producing agricultural implements, and on the other side, several technical personnel or workers were looking at a blueprint and discussing something.

The sound of the tractor attracted the attention of several people. Seeing Li Long, they just glanced at him, and then more of their focus was placed on that tractor. Then, to Li Long's surprise, these people didn't even discuss the blueprint anymore and came directly to surround the tractor, starting to study the diesel engine.

Li Long got off the tractor, and someone took the initiative to ask:

"Comrade, hello. Do you have something to do? Buying farm tools?"

"I'm looking for Factory Director Du. I want to chat about agricultural implements."

"I am Du Tongzhou," the middle-aged man who took the initiative to speak said with a smile, "You are also interested in agricultural implements?"

"Um, of course." Li Long reached out his hand, and Factory Director Du hurriedly waved his hand: "My hands are full of machine oil, so I won't shake. Shall we chat here or go to the office?"

He turned his head and glanced at the tractor side again. Several technical personnel had already lifted the top cover of the tractor and were looking at the things inside.

He said with some embarrassment:

!.

"Comrade, don't blame us. Most of us here are engaged in technology, and we can't move our feet when we see this thing. There are quite a few tractors now, but not many that allow us to study. And this thing is also expensive, so it's not easy for us to get one over to take apart and study... However, don't worry, they have a sense of proportion and won't break it."

Li Long really wasn't worried about this iron lump being broken. In his previous life, when there was a problem with the tractor, several people in the village who worked on agricultural machinery simply unloaded its diesel engine and installed it again later.

So he didn't care.

The two entered the office. Li Long reported his family background and then stated his idea.

"You mean, a harvester carried on a tractor, for cutting wheat?" Du Tongzhou asked.

"Right." Li Long nodded, "Now the large-scale harvesting of wheat uses Kangmaiying. Ordinary families can't afford that thing, so I was thinking if there could be a harvester carried in front of the tractor and driven by the tractor's own diesel engine. It doesn't need to be like Kangmaiying, directly threshing the wheat grains; it just needs to be able to cut it down, and the rest can be bundled manually and hauled to the threshing ground."

Du Tongzhou was deep in thought.

"Cutting wheat is the most labor-intensive process in harvesting wheat. As long as this is overcome, the rest is actually much simpler. This is what I think," Li Long looked at the paper and pen on the table and simply took them and started drawing a sketch.

His ability to draw was not good, and he could only draw a rough idea, but he had used this kind of harvester in his previous life and had seen people repair it when it broke, so he could explain the mechanical principle clearly.

And as he drew and spoke, Du Tongzhou's eyes became brighter and brighter as he listened. Later, he directly started discussing with Li Long.

"What you said is really feasible." Finally, Du Haizhou said with some excitement: "Comrade Little Li, it seems you are also my peer. Where did you graduate from? Did you study mechanical major?"

"No, no, no." This question gave Li Long a big fright. He hurriedly waved his hand, "I didn't even graduate from junior high school. It's mainly because I have always lived in the countryside, so I have a better understanding of what kind of machinery farmers need to work, and I also love to ponder..."

He could only make it up like this. Otherwise, if the other party really had the heart to investigate him thoroughly, it would be useless to make up any graduation. It was better to just say it was a hobby; no one could investigate that.

"Amazing, amazing. To tell you the truth, when you say it like this, we professionals are all quite ashamed. A group of professionals is not as thorough as you, an amateur."

"No, no, no. It was just a flash of inspiration. Many things actually still need you to research and realize. Then Factory Director Du, can this be built?" Li Long felt it was better not to praise each other; practical things were the most important.

"It can be built." Factory Director Du gave a positive answer, "But it needs time."

"If it can be built, then I'll reserve one." Li Long said, "Since we contracted land to households last year, there are many people planting wheat this year. It's too hard to cut manually. This will be easier and more convenient."

"Good. Now there are more than two months left before cutting wheat, which should be enough." Du Tongzhou nodded, "Comrade Little Li, you come from the countryside. I want to ask you, do you think the market for this harvester is big?"

"Of course it's big." Li Long said with a smile, "Think about it. Although Kangmaiying harvests cleanly and saves trouble, the quantity is small and the fee is expensive, and most of them are used by the Corps. Since contracting land to households last year, there are more people planting wheat, and their enthusiasm is also high. But how tiring it is to cut wheat manually! In that hot weather... If this harvester can be used, the efficiency will be many times higher than manual cutting. Manually, one can cut a few mu a day. If the tractor doesn't stop all day, it's no problem to do over a hundred mu."

Du Tongzhou nodded.

"However, the market might be a bit small this year. After all, the number of tractors on the market is small. But in the next year or two, when there are more tractors, this harvester will definitely be very popular."

What Li Long didn't say was that the popularity of this harvester would only last a few years. With the increase in cotton planting in the 1990s, this kind of harvester would basically be idle and wouldn't make money.

But these few years would be enough. If it was done well, it could pay for itself and make money in one year. The rest would all be profit. In seven or eight years, it could earn several harvesters. What else could one ask for?

"Then we will use your idea for this harvester. If it's built, we'll give you the cost price." Du Tongzhou nodded, "Of course, if it's produced exactly according to your idea and is efficient, we will give you a patent fee. Although our country doesn't have many regulations on this now, we technical people still need to have professional ethics."

Li Long originally didn't expect to have this. After all, from now until the first ten years of the next century, the word "copycat" was always considered mainstream. Li Long used to think about wanting to receive patent fees, but now he didn't dare to think about it much. At most, he could only think about finding a small agricultural machinery repair factory to cooperate with and take some shares, so that he could earn some money from the ideas he brought from his previous life.

But now that Factory Director Du Tongzhou said this, it made him look at him with respect. This was indeed a factory director with professional ethics!

The two discussed details for a while longer. Li Long left the village's phone number and asked Factory Director Du to call him after the thing was built, and then he left.

At this time, those technical personnel were still surrounding the tractor, and the belt had even been unloaded, which made Du Tongzhou give them a good lecture before they installed it back, which counted as letting Li Long leave.

However, Li Long was still quite happy. One worry was settled, and the next step was to go to the Agricultural Science Institute.

Li Long left the Construction and Installation Company in the morning and stayed at the agricultural machinery factory for more than an hour. Seeing that it was still early, he drove west to the Agricultural Science Institute.

Li Long didn't know much about the Agricultural Science Institute in Kuitun. The only relatively clear news he knew about this place in his previous life was that in a certain year, there was a courtyard for sale near the Agricultural Science Institute, 1.5 mu of land plus the courtyard, selling for 200,000.

It was news he heard, and he didn't know if it was true or false. At that time, Li Long listened to it as a topic of conversation. Later, he passed it on to a friend who had been a soldier in Kuitun. That friend exclaimed it was a pity and hurriedly asked Li Long to help contact if there was any left, but the result was that it had been sold out.

That friend said Li Long really lost out by not buying it. (End of chapter) **CHAPTER 432: Chen Xingbang Wants to Be a Butcher**