Chapter 640: Only those who know how to be grateful can get better and better

Li Xiangqian eventually took the spotted dog away, leaving Li Long with a little black dog.

The two puppies were still a bit reluctant when they parted, but Li Xiangqian didn't give them much time to be sad, holding the dog and pushing the bicycle, he quickly left the courtyard.

Li Long touched his head in the courtyard and shook it.

Squatting down to soothe the little black dog, Li Long continued to tidy up the things in the trunk of the jeep. After tidying up, he drove out of the courtyard, locked the big gate, and drove west.

There was no need to go to the department store to buy things for the time being. He originally planned to go see the wooden cabin and make preparations, but looking at it now, he still needed to go to Qingshuihe Village to find people.

Of course, he could also find people in his own village, but Li Long didn't plan to add more people to the Fourth Team.

He planned to separate the stretcher weaving from the big broom and reed mat weaving. In the team, it was just getting the people he had good relations with to weave stretchers, while weaving big brooms and reed mats was to seek some benefits for the people in the team.

Innate conditions still had to be utilized.

Of course, some things inside and outside the team still had to be distinguished.

The jeep drove to Qingshuihe Village. Li Long slowed down. There were fewer people on both sides of the road, so he simply drove to the home of the team leader, He Yuqing.

There was no one at He Yuqing's home. Li Long shouted twice, didn't hear anyone answer, and then turned to the home of the militia company commander, Meng Hai.

These were the only two families he was familiar with in the whole team.

Meng Hai was whittling a shovel handle in the courtyard. Seeing the jeep at the courtyard gate, he hurriedly put down the tools in his hand and stood up.

Li Long turned off the engine, got out of the car, and greeted Meng Hai.

"Comrade Li, hello, hello." Meng Hai came over to take the initiative to shake hands with Li Long and said with a smile, "Why are you free to come today? Come, come, come, sit." Saying this, he turned his head and asked his wife to pour tea.

"I went to find the team leader but didn't find him. I think it's the same if I tell you this." Li Long took the small stool Meng Hai handed over, put it down, sat on the side, and said:

"I want to collect a batch of stretchers. Does anyone in your team know how to weave them?"

"Stretchers? Know how, every family knows how to weave that thing!"

"Need a large quantity." Li Long estimated and said, "About a thousand."

"What? So many?" Meng Hai was a bit surprised. He thought Li Long would collect a hundred at most, and never expected it would be so many.

"I collected quite a few in previous years, and it increased this year. I think the people in our Qingshuihe Village are honest, and the big brooms woven last year were also good, so I plan to distribute some tasks to you."

Li Long said it clearly and didn't seem to show any special favor to Qingshuihe, but even so, it actually allowed the villagers here to earn money.

Meng Hai's wife brought out a bowl of tea and handed it to Li Long. Li Long hurriedly took it and drank a sip. Meng Hai's wife also took a small wooden block and placed it on the side, signaling Li Long to use it for the bowl.

Li Long drank two sips of water and placed the bowl on the block.

"That..." Meng Hai scratched his head. He hadn't received such a job before.

"There are unified quality standards," Li Long said. "I collect stretchers in other production teams, and they organize people to go into the mountains, find mountain gullies with a large number of strips, and a dozen people stay in the mountains and weave continuously. When they weave enough for a hundred, I go to inspect and accept them, and pull them out in one trip."

"As for you, look at yourselves. Whether it's this mode or unified collection by the whole team like weaving big brooms, I won't care."

"That... how much for one stretcher?"

"Four yuan," Li Long said.

"Yo, it's really not cheap!" A smile appeared on Meng Hai's face. The money just for weaving stretchers was almost enough for a tractor.

Of course, if it was distributed to each family, it would be different.

"There is a time limit, and there are quality requirements," Li Long said. "The quality requirements are particularly strict, otherwise it wouldn't be this price." Li Long earned half by himself, but he didn't blush at all. He gave this job to whoever, whoever earned money. Of course, he could receive such a job, and it didn't come for nothing.

"That..." Meng Hai thought for a while and said, "We will definitely take the job, but this time limit?"

"May 20th, one month, one thousand strict stretchers, how about it?"

"One month is definitely enough," Meng Hai breathed a sigh of relief. "Then when will you collect?"

"Every week or ten days, I will come to collect once. As for how you do it, I won't care. To tell the truth, I see there are quite a few trees near you, red willow, poplar, and sand willow all have them, and there are quite a few strips that can weave stretchers. I don't care what kind of strips you use, the quality must pass."

"Then Comrade Li, tell me the quality requirements."

Li Long was prepared early and took out a piece of paper and handed it to Meng Hai, on which the quality requirements for the stretchers were written. For example, the length of the stretcher, the length and width of the strips woven in the middle.

If anyone still didn't know what a stretcher was, then imagine a stretcher woven with softened strips—the kind that is curved in the middle.

After Meng Hai finished reading the requirements on the paper, he carefully folded the paper and put it away.

"Really thank you very much," Meng Hai said sincerely. "Comrade Li, no matter what, you must stay for a meal before leaving today."

Li Long waved his hand and said: "No, I still have to go into the mountains. The stretchers I collect this time are more than a thousand, and other villages also have tasks, so I have to find a suitable place for them..."

He was just talking when He Yuqing came over from the outside.

Seeing Meng Hai pulling Li Long's arm, he didn't say anything and pulled Li Long together with Meng Hai and pressed him onto the stool.

"My neighbor just said there was a jeep that entered my courtyard, didn't find anyone and left, and came in this direction, so I hurriedly came over." He Yuqing explained:

"Didn't expect Comrade Li to come. There is still an hour before eating, you definitely can't leave!"

Li Long was between laughter and tears. These two people pressed him tightly, fearing that he would run away.

"Don't go, don't go, let go." Li Long said helplessly. "Team Leader He, what are you meddling in."

"Heh, our Team Leader He has awareness, knowing that I have a reason to keep you." Meng Hai smiled and let go of his hand, handed a stool to He Yuqing, and went into the house to take another stool. At this time, Meng Hai's wife brought out a bowl of tea and handed it to He Yuqing.

"Heh, that old Meng, tell me what the situation is?" He Yuqing smiled and took the water. He saw the joy on Meng Hai's face and knew it was a good thing.

"Comrade Li got a job of one thousand stretchers for our team, four yuan each!" Meng Hai raised the four fingers of his right hand and gestured in front of He Yuqing.

"What? Four yuan? One thousand?" He Yuqing stood up all of a sudden, the bowl in his hand shook, and the water shook out and spilled on his clothes. He didn't care about that much and asked:

"Is it really so many?"

Li Long smiled and nodded.

"That..." He Yuqing didn't know what to say.

"Completed in one month, deliver goods every seven days, this is the standard requirement." Meng Hai took out the paper from his pocket and handed it to He Yuqing.

He Yuqing put the tea bowl in his hand on the wooden block on the side and took the paper to read.

"This quality requirement... it's not difficult!"

Meng Hai said the two modes Li Long mentioned again. He Yuqing thought deeply and said:

"Let's also choose people."

Meng Hai nodded.

"Comrade Li Long, really thank you very much!" He Yuqing stretched out both hands to hold Li Long's hand and said seriously: "Thank you for being able to think of our Qingshuihe Village at this time... Don't worry, we will definitely complete these one thousand stretchers according to the standard and on time!"

"I will come to collect once every week, and settle the account with cash when collecting," Li Long also said. "With the cooperation last year, we also have an understanding of each other, and I also hope for more cooperation in the future."

Before the polite words were finished, Meng Hai's wife had already started catching a chicken.

Li Long hurriedly wanted to stop it, but was pressed onto the stool by He Yuqing and Meng Hai again.

"Comrade Li Long, don't worry, you can eat this chicken with peace of mind. This counts as a public account, and our team won't let Old Meng pay for it himself." He Yuqing said half-jokingly.

"What? What? What? I can't afford this guest?" Meng Hai stared. "Old He, what you said is a bit wrong."

"No, no, I don't mean that this counts as official reception," He Yuqing explained hurriedly. "Anyway, I'm freeloading a meal here today, you figure it out."

It could be seen that the two people had a good relationship, and such quarrels and bickering were also habitual actions.

When cooking, He Yuqing took Li Long around the village, mainly to see the shrubs nearby, the red willow on the south slope, and other shrubs and trees that could be used as strips for weaving stretchers.

Li Long knew this was He Yuqing showing him that they had enough strength to weave qualified stretchers. Li Long also said the ugly words first. If the things were unqualified, he would definitely send them back. He Yuqing also guaranteed this.

When they turned back to Meng Hai's home, a large plate of chicken and a plate of river fish had been served on the table, and the staple food was rice.

Because Li Long had eaten here twice, they knew Li Long drove a car and didn't drink, so there was no wine on the table.

Li Long now knew that Qingshuihe Village didn't grow rice, so rice was generally used to treat distinguished guests, unlike the Fourth Team which grew rice itself. Although the area was smaller now, at least every family eating rice was considered normal.

At this time, there were no shrimp in the small river here, not even frogs, and the fish in the river were the same as the Fourth Team, cold-water small dogfish.

It was stewed very fragrantly, and it was appetizing just by smelling it.

Four plates of dishes, and two plates of vegetarian ones. One plate was wild mushrooms under the red willow roots, and one plate was leeks fried with eggs.

The plates were all very large, and they were full when placed on the table in the courtyard.

Women and children ate in the house. Qingshuihe was close to the South Mountain and was cooler than the Fourth Team. At this time, there were no flies, and eating outside was brighter than in the house.

Li Long was let to sit down as a distinguished guest. A chicken leg, a large piece of egg, and the largest dogfish were clamped by the two people and placed in the empty plate in front of him.

While looking at...

This meal was eaten fragrantly, Li Long praised repeatedly, and Meng Hai's wife in the house was also happy listening.

She already knew that Li Long came to send a job, which was equivalent to sending money. This meal was really cooked very willingly.

It was not that every village cadre's family was very willing to cook for leaders or guests.

After eating, Li Long chatted with He Yuqing and Meng Hai in the courtyard for a while, then said goodbye and drove the jeep into the mountains.

Only then did He Yuqing and Meng Hai discuss the serious business.

The two people didn't have much doubt about the stretcher job. Collecting once a week, Li Long often went into the mountains and was famous in the county, so there was no need to deceive everyone to weave stretchers—this had no benefit.

What they discussed was mainly the candidates.

"Since Comrade Li Long mentioned a mode, we can't copy it, but we also have to pick people, we can't have the whole village go up. If there is really any quality problem, the trouble will be great." He Yuqing set the tone first.

"Hmm, I think so too." Meng Hai had no opinion.

"This way, Old Meng, we are doing this job for the first time, we have to find more people," He Yuqing thought for a while and said:

"Counting you and me, you find five, I find five, so there will be twelve people. One month, one day is only thirty-plus stretchers, we twelve people, one person weaving three a day is definitely no problem."

"Okay, I also think it's not good to have more." Meng Hai smiled. "Then I will go find people in a bit. We have to prepare early, cutting strips, digging pits, burning strips, cutting poles all take time."

"Okay, I will also go find people. It happens to be the slack farming season, Comrade Li Long really knows how to pick time."

"That is a capable person." Meng Hai sighed.

After the household contract responsibility system, the team leader was different from the previous team leader. Finding people to work was naturally wanting to find whoever he wanted. Even if other people in the team who weren't found were sour, they couldn't say anything.

After all, everyone was taking care of themselves now. If people couldn't find them, it could only mean that either the relationship wasn't there, or the technology wasn't there.

That afternoon, the whole Qingshuihe Village knew that there was a good job of weaving stretchers.

The people who were found suppressed the excitement in their hearts and began to prepare. Some people couldn't help it, took sickles and went to the red willow beach to cut strips and poles. They thought that they could weave more, after all, no one limited the number, and they were also worried that others would finish cutting the nearby places, so they had to run further.

After Li Long left Qingshuihe Village, he drove the jeep into the mountains, and then turned to the wooden cabin.

This was the first time he came to the wooden cabin this year.

The jeep pressed over the not-so-dense turf, shook and came to the front of the wooden cabin. Li Long found that the main body of the wooden cabin didn't have much change, it was just that the shed didn't know if it was hit by a wild boar or something and was crooked, and the wood used as a pillar had cracks.

But the problem wasn't big, just straighten it and tighten it with iron wire.

The door lock of the wooden cabin hadn't been destroyed by anyone, didn't know if it was because no one had entered the mountains yet.

The iron wire hanging on the two pieces of wood didn't know who took off one end, looking like it was violently broken, just didn't know why the iron wire wasn't taken away.

There were still quite a few feces in front of the wooden cabin, horse feces, wild boar feces, and other unrecognized ones, one beach east and one beach west, and even dog urine moss grew.

The water volume of the spring in front seemed to be larger than last year, and the grass in that area was more lush than in other places, looking greener.

Li Long turned around, didn't find anything else, then went up and opened the two doors one by one.

A smell of damp mold permeated out.

Some things on the shelves in the small wooden cabin had already gone bad.

Half a bag of rice and half a bag of flour couldn't be eaten. One of the several pieces of dried meat had grown hair.

Li Long tidied up all these bad things and took them outside, planning to dig a pit and bury them in a bit.

He went to the big room, took out all the bedding on the wooden kang and put it on the jeep, then took tools to pull the iron wire that was used to hang things and tied it to the wood again.

The iron wire originally left some margin, and hanging things would naturally sag a bit, now it could only be pulled tighter.

Draped the bedding on the iron wire, found a stick and knocked for a while, Li Long went to set up the stove in the house.

The sun was shining outside, and there was still some dampness in the house. Li Long set up the stove thinking about baking the dampness.

After all these things were done, Li Long took out a net from the trunk of the jeep, took a bag, and walked toward the nearby ditch.

He had set a net in the stream nearly a kilometer away. Putting this net for a few hours might catch some dogfish.

The stewed dogfish eaten at Meng Hai's place was good, he planned to get some back to let Sister Yang stew it for Gu Xiaoxia to supplement.

After setting the net, he shook his hands, then took a bag and walked back, looking around on the turf.

There weren't many straw mushrooms, maybe it hadn't rained these two days, occasionally could see a few. However, the radius of hundreds of meters was grassland, the place was big, Li Long had plenty of time, slowly accumulated, after turning around this piece of turf for more than an hour, also picked three or four kilograms of straw mushrooms.

There must be pine mushrooms in the pine forest in the distance, but Li Long didn't go, he felt it was about enough.

When picking mushrooms, he also pulled quite a few wild onions, as well as some pepper wormwood. These things that could be seen everywhere in the mountains were all good things when they reached outside the mountains.

Li Long came with a gun, but the animals in the mountains didn't give him a chance to shoot.

Originally he also planned to go to the hot spring, soak and see if there was any harvest, but because he was delayed for some time in Qingshuihe Village, it was too late to go there now.

Talk about it later.

Anyway, he would often run between the mountains and the county later. With a jeep, it was much more convenient to run.

And the deterrent power was also great. Driving a tractor, although others looked at it and felt it was definitely relatively rich, there was no deterrent power. Driving a jeep was completely different. People on the road knew to dodge first, and the eyes looking at the car were different.

What was this? Relying on the car to show off?

Li Long smiled, went to the spring, cleaned the mushrooms one by one, and after finishing, organized the wild onions and pepper wormwood.

When the sun slanted west, he went to the place where the net was set, and found that there were only a dozen small dogfish in the net.

This was too far away, Li Long didn't take them, wanting to wait for tomorrow to see if he could catch more.

Loaded the things onto the jeep, pressed the fire in the stove with coal powder, collected the bedding and piled it on the wooden kang, planning to dry it again tomorrow.

Locked the door, Li Long drove the jeep out of the mountains.

When passing Qingshui Village, the sun was still a span high, and then Li Long saw Meng Hai waiting on the side of the road, waving his hands hard when he saw his jeep coming.

There was a basin by Meng Hai's feet, tied with gauze.

Li Long slowly stopped on the side of the road. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 641 =====