Chapter 57

After getting the money, Li Long didn't float. He still remembered one thing and earnestly asked the old man for advice:

"Old man, I want to ask, what is the price of Hotan jade now?"

"Want to know?" The old man smiled, "Two hundred yuan per kilogram for first-grade seed material. If you go to the jade farmers to collect it, it might be even cheaper than your jade."

Li Long was startled!

He remembered that first-grade white jade seed material sold for hundreds of thousands per kilogram in later generations, more expensive than gold. That kind of special-grade seed material costs tens of thousands per gram!

It's a pity that he can only think about it. It's simply impossible for him to go to Hotan to collect jade now. First, he doesn't know the way, and second, he doesn't know anyone. Even if Li Long has lived two lives, he wouldn't dare to run there rashly.

But to be honest, the temptation is really great!

If he really ran there and bought some to hoard, he wouldn't have to worry for the rest of his life. He heard that seed material the size of a finger costs only a few cents each now!

Of course, it's just thinking about it.

And he also knows clearly that even the two pieces of jasper he just sold weren't obtained easily. Normal ones have sesame-like black spots, and those don't sell for money now.

After all, resources are too abundant now, just like the fish in the small lake.

"If you have such good materials in the future, feel free to come over, we collect them openly here." The old man said with a smile.

Li Long said goodbye and left the jade factory.

Turning his head to look at the gate that had a sense of historical vicissitudes, Li Long didn't know if he would have a chance to come in again later.

The sun had already set. There was nowhere to go at this time, so he could only go to the guest house.

Accommodation in Wucheng is very cheap. Even in the late nineties, some unit guest houses still had rooms for ten yuan.

Li Long arrived at the August 1st Guest House and asked for a triple room. The accommodation fee was one yuan and eight cents, and someone was already living in the room. After Li Long entered the room, he put the empty urea bag under the bed, carried the satchel, and went to the water room.

Simply washing his hands and face, he used his military green water bottle, which had almost worn off the porcelain on the outside, to get some hot water, melted the water that had already frozen into ice inside, neutralized it into warm water, returned to the room, put the satchel on the bedside table, took off his coat and put it on the head of the bed, and then ate the dried meat with cold buns, occasionally drinking a mouthful of warm water.

He ate very slowly. The person opposite was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, resting. Smelling the scent, he opened his eyes and glanced at Li Long.

This was a middle-aged man about forty years old, lying there in an ill-fitting suit. Li Long actually wanted to remind him that it was quite hot in this room and there was no need to wear an outer coat, as it would make the suit wrinkled.

But in the end, he didn't say it. They were all strangers, no need to get close, and the other party was obviously wary of him.

Li Long's money was divided and put in the inner pocket of his padded clothes—this was temporarily sewn by his sister-in-law before he came, very safe, and couldn't be seen from the outside.

Li Long was indeed hungry. After the excitement of selling the jade, he felt empty in his stomach. After eating two buns with two pieces of dried meat and a piece of pickled vegetable, and drinking half a water bottle of water, he felt full in his stomach.

At this time, he found that the person was still looking at him, so he pointed to the remaining buns and asked:

"Eat?"

That person hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

Li Long didn't be polite either, put the buns and pickled vegetables into the satchel, cleaned up the bedside table, and saw that it was already dark outside.

Having used kerosene lamps in the team for many days, now suddenly using electric lights, he had a long-lost feeling, and for a time, he was a bit unaccustomed to it.

Until the next day, only two people lived in this room. Li Long got up, washed simply, then ate the remaining buns and vegetables, and when he was ready to leave after cleaning up, the person on the clinical bed was still sleeping.

Li Long went out to settle the bill; there were still many things to do today. First, he went to the station to ask, the bus still departed at twelve o'clock. He bought a ticket first, then took the No. 2 bus north, planning to go to the department store to buy some things.

Wucheng Tianshan Department Store, which is the Tianbai that many people have heard of in later generations—now that it is close to New Year, there are many people in the department store.

Looking at the dazzling array of goods compared to Maxian and Shicheng, Li Long started "sweeping goods."

It's almost New Year, firecrackers have to be bought. At this time, there are electric light cannons and small firecrackers. He bought a thousand-count electric light cannon, and several strings of one-hundred-count ones. These were to be dismantled for Qiangqiang to play with; the cannons were small, so he wasn't afraid of them exploding.

He also bought several two-kickers, and the sky-rockets couldn't be missing. At this time, the purchasing power of money is really strong; fifteen yuan bought a large bag of firecrackers.

Then he bought new padded rubber shoes for both Li Juan and Qiangqiang. These were measured in size in advance, bought a size larger, can be worn with insoles now, and can still be worn next winter. Each person got a new school bag. Bought a doll for Li Juan, and a wind-up tin green frog for Li Qiang.

Bought a standard military padded hat and a military green padded coat for his brother Li Jianguo. Li Jianguo originally wanted to be a soldier, but because he had to take care of his family, as the eldest in the family, he didn't make it, which was a regret.

Bought a wool scarf and a pair of padded rubber shoes for his sister-in-law Liang Yuemei.

Next was the big food purchase. Because it was New Year, the department store released a batch of food that didn't require coupons at this time. Although it was slightly expensive, Li Long didn't have any worries in this regard, sweeping goods!

Canned luncheon meat, noodles, fruit candy, frozen persimmons, oranges, apples, pears... the children in the family are prone to frostbite when playing outside, so he also bought some Pechoin cream and Vaseline oil.

Adding all the things together, a urea bag was almost full.

!.

And the price of all the things was only a little over one hundred yuan.

If it weren't for the fact that it couldn't fit, Li Long wouldn't even want to leave the door of the building—materials in the team are really too scarce, now that he has money, he can't help but buy enough.

Carrying the big bag, he went out and got on the bus. This place is not far from the famous eighth floor in later generations, but Li Long was in no mood to look at it now. He had to rush back to the August 1st Guest House as soon as possible to take a bus back from there.

After returning to the guest house and getting on the bus to Shicheng, stuffing the urea bag onto the luggage rack, Li Long felt a bit regretful when he sat down; he should have bought some hot food to eat, now his stomach was a bit hungry again.

Forget it, talk about it when he gets to the county town.

The driver got on the bus, the conductor hadn't arrived yet, so he went up to give the driver a cigarette and said:

"Master, can you stop when you get to Maxian? I'm getting off there."

"Alright." The driver saw the cigarette was Daqian Sect and said readily.

Settled.

More than two hours later, Li Long got off the bus in Maxian carrying the urea bag. It was noon, the sun was still very strong, a bit dazzling, but Li Long had no time to care about the weather. He had to rush to the big meat canteen to buy something to eat, otherwise he really couldn't carry it.

Now Li Long felt a bit regretful, why buy so many things? This isn't like having a horse cart, even a sled would be fine? Carrying it back, ten kilometers would take at least three hours!

First went to the big meat canteen to buy four meat buns, ate them in a hurry, drank two cups of free tea, rested at the table for a while, and then went out carrying the bag.

Li Long had already thought of a way.

He came to the supply and marketing cooperative retail department, tore off a thick plastic sheet two meters long and wide, then tied the two back corners together to form a half-pocket, tied the mouth of the urea bag and placed it on the plastic sheet, and dragged it away by pulling the front of the plastic sheet himself.

Isn't this a simple sled? Anyway, there is thick ice and snow on the road, the friction is small, dragging it like this doesn't take effort, and it's quite fun.

Going home!

(End of chapter)