Chapter 491: Leader in Getting Rich

With ten or so people helping, inspecting while loading onto the trucks, the pace was very fast.

When all four trucks were fully loaded, the stacked carrying poles were not yet finished being loaded; moreover, what made Li Jianguo and the others quite satisfied and proud was that not a single substandard carrying pole had been found during inspection.

After the four trucks were filled, several pole-weavers and the drivers together used ropes to secure these carrying poles, otherwise they would shake loose and fall off when exiting the mountains.

Li Xiang Qian walked over to where the quality inspector was resting, smiled, and asked, "How is it, Brother Lao Li? These carrying poles have no problems, right?"

"No problems, no problems; the quality of these carrying poles is truly excellent, every single one passes muster. In my opinion, if we deliver these carrying poles to the various units in the prefecture, they will definitely be satisfied," said Quality Inspector Lao Song, patting the truck and smiling:

"With quality like this, I suggest we assign the work to them again next year; you can rest assured, and I can rest assured too."

"Hey, hearing you say that really puts my mind at ease." Li Xiang Qian's grin widened even further, his face blooming with a flower-like smile:

"How about it? Tired? Let's eat lunch right here; after we finish, we'll have the drivers deliver the carrying poles to the commune, then come back to haul more. At that time, we'll just ride the vehicles back to Fuchi."

"What good food could there be out here?" Lao Song asked in puzzlement:

"It would be better to just wait here, rest for a while, and finish accepting the remaining carrying poles directly. Wait for the trucks to haul them back, then come over for another trip; after we finish the job, we'll go back and have a proper meal, and that will be

fine.

Are you hungry? I recall there are still dried rations on the truck; just make do with a few bites."

"Now you're showing your ignorance, aren't you?" Li Xiang Qian said proudly:

"Haven't you heard the saying, 'Rely on the mountains for food when near the mountains, rely on the water for food when near the water'? We're already deep inside Dashan; at the very least, this counts as half my territory—how could I let you eat dried rations?"

"Then what good food could you possibly have? Besides, how can this place count as half your territory?" Lao Song asked.

"See that? The one driving the tractor is called Xiao Li; he is an employee of my Procurement Section. He also holds another identity as a forest ranger for this forestry team. Since this counts as his territory, doesn't that make it half my territory? Today I'll let you taste some mountain delicacies; at the very least, let you sample the flavors of these mountains."

Actually, just earlier when Li Long had led Li Xiang Qian around the vicinity, he had already mentioned this matter.

Strictly speaking, once the carrying poles were woven, the matter would basically be considered finished; but given Li Long's nature, since he was doing something, he wanted to carry it out to a perfect conclusion.

Loading these carrying poles would certainly take until noon; surely they couldn't expect Li Xiang Qian and the others to go back to the county town for a meal.

Li Long's idea was to have Lao Huang prepare a meal right here; after all, they already had ingredients like meat and mushrooms—ready-made materials. Eating together would also be lively; besides, until the carrying poles were completely hauled away, the people in the team, including Big Brother and the others, could not possibly return.

Naturally, Li Xiang Qian was delighted to hear this; traveling from here to the county town for a meeting would still take over an hour, and it was already mealtime; if they ran back to eat, then returned to haul another load, the back-and-forth trouble would be excessive.

After obtaining Li Xiang Qian's consent, Li Long went to tell Lao Huang, then informed the other team members; naturally, no one objected.

Lao Huang began preparing the meal; Li Long drove the tractor to fetch some air-dried meat from his wooden cabin area and picked some wild mushrooms along the way. On the way back, he stopped to retrieve the nets he had set in the stream yesterday; inside were still several kilograms of pike, which could be used just right.

As long as there were Sheng Shi Cai, Lao Huang definitely had no problem cooking; since there was no need to weave carrying poles anymore, everyone pitched in together—some cleaning fish, some washing mushrooms, some helping gather firewood, and so on.

Therefore, when Li Xiang Qian was speaking with Lao Song, the meal was actually already half prepared.

With so many people, stir-frying small-batch dishes was unsuitable; Lao Huang's specialty was large-pot stews, served with pan-grilled flatbreads; the flavor was beyond reproach.

At noon, Sun Jia Qiang also rushed back; he had originally thought Li Long and the others had already left and that he would have to cook for himself, but unexpectedly, he managed to get a good meal out of it.

He quietly found Li Long and whispered:

"Boss Li, now that you all are leaving, I actually feel quite reluctant to part. We can't dig Fritillaria for more than two days anyway; the flower buds are already starting to form."

"There's no help for it," Li Long said with a smile. "However, you've earned quite enough money; this season's earnings exceed what ordinary workers make in an entire year, so be content. After leaving the mountains, find some other work to do and return to a normal life."

"That's true. Here in the mountains, we were so busy bowing our heads to dig Fritillaria that we forgot what a normal life even looks like," Sun Jia Qiang said emotionally. "Once we leave the mountains, I must go to Daoshitang and enjoy a hearty meal, then find a place to sleep until heaven and earth turn dark."

What simple and honest aspirations.

After hastily finishing their meals, the truck drivers hauled the carrying poles and headed out of the mountains; Li Long spoke to Li Xiang Qian, arranging for several people from the team, including Xu Xu Fei Hu, to accompany the trucks back to the county town. His tractor would also return later, but it might not be able to seat so many people; better to send one wave at a time. Li Jianguo and Xie Xie Yun Dong did not leave; they planned to return together with Li Long.

"Hey, this large-pot stew from the mountains is truly delicious." After finishing his meal, Quality Inspector Lao Song casually broke off a blade of grass from the side to pick his teeth, saying while picking, "This flavor is no worse than what they serve at the canteen."

Hearing this, Li Xiang Qian felt very proud and said:

"If there's a chance, I'll take you to the countryside to try their grand banquet dishes; the flavor is even better."

"Hey, Old Li, since you said so, I'll be waiting." Lao Song actually took him seriously. "If you don't take me then, just watch me scold you."

Li Long approached, carrying two packages, placed them before the two men, and said:

"Section Chief, Comrade Song, this is air-dried roe deer meat. We encountered them in the mountains and happened to hunt them. Seeing that you quite enjoyed the meal, I brought some for you; it's not much, just take it home for your families to taste as a token."

Having both eaten and now receiving gifts, Lao Song truly felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Just take it; didn't I tell you? He actually counts as the landlord of these mountains, often going up to hunt wild game; don't treat this as a bribe. Xiao Li is originally one of our unit's people; it's perfectly normal for a young person to give some gifts to an older comrade."

"Alright, then I'll accept it." Hearing this, Lao Song went with the flow and accepted the items.

After resting for a while, without waiting for the trucks to return, Lao Song began inspecting again; during the inspection, he specifically put on a very serious expression and told Li Long:

"Xiao Li, although I accepted your gift, and although you are one of our own, the inspection of these items must still be strict."

"Comrade Song, please inspect as you wish; I am confident in my heart. If there are any substandard ones, just throw them out. We have a large quantity of carrying poles here; we will not and cannot send out any substandard ones."

Hearing Li Long say this, Lao Song nodded and continued the inspection.

Surprisingly, in the end, one substandard item was indeed found; located at the very bottom, the reason for failure was that the weaving was slightly loose. Li Long guessed this must have happened when moving them from here to his wooden cabin area and then back again; it was likely damaged when being unloaded and placed at the bottom.

This was quite normal.

"Finally, one thousand and fifty-two carrying poles pass inspection," Lao Song announced loudly after completing the acceptance. "The mission requirements have been met; Comrade Xiao Li, Old Li, I will now issue the invoice; let's all sign to confirm."

Lao Song was very skilled at this; using three-part carbon paper and a hard backing board, he wrote the invoice slip in very standard Fangsong script.

"Comrade Song, your handwriting is truly beautiful," Li Long praised sincerely while signing. "It feels as if it were printed."

Lao Song said with reserved modesty:

"Just average, just average; I've merely practiced a few more years." Yet pride was hard to conceal on his face.

Li Xiang Qian took the booklet and, while signing, said:

"Old Song is the finest pen in our unit; some of the materials submitted upward were all transcribed by him. Higher-level units often praise him and even wanted to second Old Song over, but our leaders refused to release him."

"No wonder, no wonder." Li Long's face showed sudden realization.

Lao Song hurriedly waved his hands:

"Not at all, not at all; I simply enjoy calligraphy and have practiced a few more years."

"Actually, Comrade Song's calligraphy is entirely good enough to be published as a copybook," Li Long said sincerely. "Nowadays, when children go to school and write characters, most are crooked and uneven; having a copybook to practice with would be very beneficial."

Hearing him say this, Lao Song truly felt somewhat moved; however, he immediately waved his hands:

"Forget it, forget it. I'm getting old; I don't want to hassle anymore."

Li Long wasn't merely flattering; Old Song's calligraphy was truly upright, every stroke as precise as printing. Though it lacked distinct character, it was exceptionally neat.

That was enough. For Li Long, whether practicing from Pang Wei Zhong Hua's copybooks or those of Ouyang and Sima, wasn't the primary goal neatness and beauty? If the children practiced until their writing was neat, they would gradually develop their own style.

Old Song tore off three tickets and handed them to Li Long, who carefully took them and put them away. Later at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, these would be used for settlement.

Li Long had assumed Old Song and the others would round the number, taking just one thousand carrying poles and leaving the remainder as a surplus. If they didn't want the rest, Li Long planned to take them back and distribute them among the households.

Unexpectedly, they took everything.

After the inspection of the carrying poles was completed, not long afterward, the truck drove over again. Without further words, they loaded up and left.

Li Xiang Qian and Old Song boarded the truck; Li Long climbed on as well. Li Jianguo drove the tractor toward the county town. Li Long rode the truck primarily to facilitate settlement upon reaching the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. At that time, procedures were not so cumbersome; once the goods passed inspection here, one could sign and receive payment there.

The sounds of the tractor and truck echoed through the mountains. Some people digging for fritillaria bulbs did not understand, while others felt uneasy, worrying that if Li Long left and did not return, it would be truly inconvenient for them to exchange their goods for money.

After all, they had grown accustomed to exchanging money directly at the wooden cabin. Suddenly having no local option and needing to go to the county town made them somewhat apprehensive.

In fact, many had grown accustomed to it. Once they had exchanged goods with Li Long twice, they felt this method was quite good. No need to run back and forth, no need to deal with officials, the prices were fixed without haggling, saving time while allowing them to obtain goods and receive money immediately. Except for a few who felt they were at a disadvantage, found suitable spots to dry their fritillaria bulbs, accumulated enough, and then made a trip to the acquisition station at the foot of the mountain, most others still dealt with Li Long.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to collect so many fritillaria bulbs in the later period.

Some people waited, hoping to hear the sound of the tractor again before nightfall.

Today was destined to be disappointing.

When the truck arrived at the compound, Li Long moved to help unload, but Li Xiang Qian called him over, telling him to hurry to the finance department to settle the account.

Li Xiang Qian's words were very official:

"So many fellow villagers have been busy for nearly a month; they are all waiting to settle accounts and need the money. You may not be in a hurry, but they are."

Li Long accordingly took the tickets to the finance department to settle the account.

The tickets were official documents. After the finance department verified them, the cashier handed over the money. Eight thousand four hundred sixteen yuan: eight neat bundles plus an odd four hundred sixteen yuan. Even carrying it in his satchel, it was a considerable pile.

They were all new bills; Li Long felt quite excited.

After settling the account, since the tractor had not yet arrived, Li Long sat in Li Xiang Qian's office.

He visited often, so people coming and going were not surprised to see him; those familiar with him occasionally joked. When no one was around, Li Long took an envelope from his satchel, stuffed a whole bundle of money inside, walked over to Li Xiang Qian, directly pulled open the drawer beside him, placed it inside, and then closed the drawer.

!.

"Xiao Li, you this..." Li Xiang Qian was astonished by Li Long's action.

"Section Chief, without you, I could never have taken on this job." Li Long sat back down on the chair by the door and said with a smile:

"I dare not give too much, but if I give nothing, it would be difficult for me to carry all this. I was hoping that if there are jobs like this next year or the year after, I could continue doing them."

"Xiao Li, you are actually overthinking this. Your carrying poles are of high quality; you saved face for me. As long as I am here in the future, the work will be yours. But this..."

Someone walked past the doorway, so Li Xiang Qian stopped speaking. Li Long then said:

"Section Chief, I know you have looked after me. But this is my token of gratitude, the token of gratitude from our villagers; you must accept it. Rest assured, I have earned quite a lot myself..."

Just as he was speaking, the sound of a tractor came from the compound entrance. Li Long stood up and said:

"Section Chief, the tractor has arrived; I must go back now to distribute the money to them."

Having said this, he left the office.

Li Xiang Qian pulled open the drawer, looked at the thick envelope, then looked at Li Long hurrying away outside, shook his head, and cursed with a smile:

"This little rascal..."

The tractor did not enter the courtyard. Li Jianguo parked it right at the entrance. After Li Long came out and saw Lu Yingming sitting on the fender, he climbed into the truck bed and shouted with a smile:

"Big Brother, let's go home!"

"Alright." Li Jianguo responded, depressed the clutch, shifted gears, and turned the steering wheel to drive north.

Those who had returned earlier on the truck, unable to contain their impatience, had already shouldered their bedding and started walking back, while others waited right at the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. As soon as the tractor arrived just now, they had climbed aboard, and now they were all looking at the satchel Li Long was carrying.

"Here, your gun." Xie Xie Yun Dong handed the Type 56 half-automatic rifle to Li Long.

Carrying a gun was inconvenient while riding the truck to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, so Li Long had entrusted it to Xie Xie Yun Dong; now it was returning to its owner.

Li Long slung the gun over his shoulder, sat on the side board of the truck bed, and said with a smile:

"In a while when we get back, I think you shouldn't go home first. Come to my compound instead, and we'll settle accounts one by one. After settling up, you won't need to make an extra trip. Taking the money home directly will make you feel more comfortable too."

"That works." Xie Xie Yun Dong said with a smile, "We were just waiting for you to say that."

"Exactly, even if you hadn't said it, that's what we were thinking," Xu Dejun remarked. "We've worked for nearly a month; we've just been waiting for this money."

"Hehe, you won't get shortchanged," Li Long said with a smile. "What was agreed is what you'll get. Since the Cooperative settles accounts quickly, I naturally distribute the money quickly too."

When the tractor turned east upon reaching the township, they encountered Tao Jian She. Li Jianguo stopped to pick him up. The tractor's bed was not large, but they could squeeze him in. Tao Jian She had woven quite a few carrying poles this time, but when it came to carrying loads and walking, he was no longer a young man after all.

"Hey, riding is still more comfortable." After climbing on, he even made a joke: "If I had known, I would have waited in the county town."

"It's not too late now." On the fender, Lu Yingming turned his head and said with a smile: "Walking a bit exercises the muscles and bones and lets you see the changes in the township."

"What changes could there be?" Tao Tao Jian waved his hand. "There are just two more tractors on the road."

"Uncle Tao, I heard your Da Qiang sells fish every day to earn money and will soon be able to afford a tractor?" Xu Dejun asked.

"Where would that come from?" Tao Jian She hurriedly waved his hand. "That earnings are just a pittance, not enough to cover the hard work."

"Hey, you can't say that. Xiao Long was able to afford a tractor starting from catching fish, wasn't he?" Xu Dejun said. "It's the same thing."

"Not the same, not the same. How can Da Qiang compare to Xiao Long's brains?" Tao Jian She glanced at Li Long, shook his head, and said, "And you all are the same; how can you compare?"

This topic could not proceed any further.

Coincidentally, they encountered students finishing school. Some bold junior high students tried to climb onto the moving vehicle but merely ran alongside, stopping when they saw there was no space to sit.

Along the way, they did not see Li Juan or Li Qiang; presumably, they had already arrived home.

Li Jianguo drove the tractor to Li Long's courtyard and stopped. Halfway there, he had heard Li Long speaking from the back of the vehicle; since money was to be distributed, he decided not to drop people off along the way.

Compared to receiving money, these people would rather carry their bedding and walk back later.

Du Chunfang was busy in the vegetable garden; those getting off the tractor greeted her one after another. She knew they were doing this out of respect for her son, so she responded to each of them.

Then, after her gaze lingered briefly on Li Jianguo's face, it settled on Li Long.

"Old Mother, we're all doing fine." Li Long greeted his mother. "Now, I'll start distributing the money to them."

"You attend to your business, attend to your business. I'll go over to your eldest brother's place to start preparing the meal," Du Chunfang said hurriedly, not daring to delay the important matter.

Li Long took out his notebook and began calling names.

Some of these people sat in the tractor bed, some stood in the courtyard, and others, after Li Jianguo got off the tractor, went straight to the seat cushion to enjoy a ride, yet all their eyes were fixed on Li Long.

Sitting on the doorstep, Li Long read out the names:

"Brother Lu Yingming, a total of ninety-three carrying poles, amounting to three hundred and seventy-two yuan. Here you go, Brother Lu..."

He took a stack of bills from his satchel, counted out thirty-seven notes, then pulled two one-yuan notes from a loose bundle in his inner pocket, counted them again, and handed them to Lu Yingming who had come forward.

As Lu Yingming took the money, Li Long urged:

"Count it once; if there's no problem, then sign."

While Lu Yingming counted the money, Li Long turned to a fresh page in his notebook. At the top was written 'Receipt'; below, on one side was the total number of carrying poles, on the other the total sum of money, and finally, space for the payee's signature.

He filled in the first two figures, leaving the rest blank for Lu Yingming to sign.

After finishing counting, Lu Yingming nodded and said:

"No problem."

"Then please sign."

Lu Yingming signed his name, his hand holding the money trembling slightly.

Was this the largest single sum of money he had ever received in his entire life? (End of Chapter)