Chapter 703

Li Long came out of Li Xiangqian's office and went to Wei Zhuren's office again.

Sure enough, Wei Zhuren was smiling the whole time and took the initiative to pour water for Li Long:

"Xiao Li, this time the colleagues from the prefecture cooperative praised you a lot. To put it mildly, this is what our county cooperative has done well in the past two years. To put it grandly, this has won spirit for our autonomous region's local industry!"

Li Long didn't expect Wei Zhuren to raise this matter to such a high level. He was really surprised and still couldn't believe it when he took the water:

"Director, isn't that a bit much?"

"Why is it a bit much? Think about it. Our Northern Tianshan has heavy snow, and for nearly half a year every year, it's icy and snowy. Sweeping snow is the top task for every unit.

If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. If the broom for sweeping snow is not good, then how good can the snow sweeping be?

For the first two years, we all used large brooms tied with reeds. To tell the truth, the quality was a bit hard to say. Good ones could be used for two years, bad ones for two days.

Since you started managing the quality of large brooms the year before last, the large brooms we used ourselves didn't drop a single reed when sweeping snow in winter... To tell the truth, the handle of the large broom is so good to hold, and those bamboo brooms are all prickly, it hurts to hold them..."

Wei Zhuren became excited as he spoke and even started quoting books.

"Why don't the leaders in the autonomous region want to use large brooms? Isn't it because they are angry? Leaders also have to sweep snow these days, right? Getting a broom of poor quality, the snow isn't swept away and reeds fall all over the ground. Who wouldn't be angry when they see it? Right?"

It was indeed like this.

"So you see, you have grasped the quality of the brooms well. Not to mention that our cooperative is famous, the leaders of the autonomous region used good brooms, so they also have face, right? We have good things, sweeping snow still requires large brooms..."

This thing also has regional concepts.

Bamboo brooms are cheap because bamboo grows fast, like a tree, but it is still a herbaceous plant, growing in a large patch, and is a close relative of reeds.

Reeds are the same. This thing is everywhere on the barren beach. If used well, it is also a good thing to increase everyone's income.

Li Long grasped the quality pass, originally intending to set up a flag for himself, but didn't expect this side effect to be quite big.

"Work hard, I found that Old Li's vision is really quite poisonous, discovering such a good seedling like you—by the way, Xiao Li, you really don't intend to join the establishment? If you change your mind and want to join, I will write a report for you now!"

"Thank you, Director, I wouldn't be so relaxed if I joined the establishment—it's quite good like this now." Li Long hurriedly waved his hand.

"Alright, also, then you work seriously on this large broom job. If there is anything that needs coordination, just find Old Li or me."

Wei Zhuren chatted with Li Long for a while before letting him go.

Won face again.

In this position, Wei Zhuren is not short of money, and his power is not small. But to tell the truth, there have been more things that won face in the past two years than in the previous few years—and basically, they are all related to Li Long.

This is his lucky general.

Li Long came out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and returned to the compound.

Sister Yang was taking Mingming and Haohao to sunbathe—the sunlight at this time was still a bit poisonous, but there were trees in the compound. Sister Yang placed the small wooden bed for the two children under the tree, and the dots of sunlight leaking through the leaves were just right.

Seeing Li Long return, Sister Yang, who was picking vegetables while watching the children, said with a smile:

"Their uncle is back, this child is really well-behaved—just changed the diaper, and didn't cry or make a fuss."

Li Long knew Sister Yang took care of the two children very attentively. Gu Xiaoxia also tried to persuade Sister Yang to agree to accept the fifty yuan per month.

Sister Yang's original intention was that fifty yuan also included vegetable money. Li Long naturally refused. The family wasn't without money, and Sister Yang was good to the children, making clothes and toys. It would be no problem to give more money.

It was just that she wouldn't accept it.

Li Long teased the two children for a while, then drove the jeep out. When he went out, he also told Sister Yang that he wouldn't be eating at home at noon.

The two children were very well-behaved, and with Sister Yang taking care of them, Li Long was really quite at ease. Gu Xiaoxia would come back at noon to breastfeed the children. Li Long ordered milk in a village in the east of the city, and it would be delivered every morning. There was plenty of milk, not only for the three children to drink, but also for the adults.

Just this point, Sister Yang's identification with this family in her heart became stronger.

Taking care of the two children was also done with all her heart and strength.

And Gu Xiaoxia also told her that when the market was built, Li Long would buy a few storefronts. When the time came, the children could go to the nursery, and Sister Yang could open a shop in the storefront, cooking or doing other business.

Sister Yang felt that this was really possible—cooking in the market, pushing a cart, although there was money to earn, how could it be as good as a fixed storefront?

When Li Long drove the jeep to his eldest brother's courtyard, Li Jianguo and the others hadn't returned from harvesting watermelons with the tractor.

Du Chunfang was burning fire in front of the stove preparing to cook.

Different from his previous life, the Li family now had a double-eye stove, one stove for steaming rice and one stove for stir-frying vegetables.

Seeing this after getting off the car, Li Long hurriedly went over to help.

On the case were two dishes, a large plate of processed crucian carp, and a plate of cut chili, tomatoes, and eggplants. This dish was considered the one everyone ate the most.

The family planted long eggplants, and the whole family didn't like to eat the round eggplants that were fleshy.

"You come, I'll burn the fire." Seeing his youngest son return, Du Chunfang immediately gave up the position of head chef. She had self-knowledge. Although she also cooked, this cooking skill was not as good as Li Long's.

Although Du Chunfang and Liang Yumei had the same concept that men didn't enter the kitchen, having lived in Northern Tianshan for two years, Du Chunfang had changed a little now, it was better to eat a little better.

She could still stew this fish well, but she felt that she really didn't stir-fry vegetables well.

Then let the virtuous.

Li Long was happy, took the shovel and started operating.

Stir-frying chili, eggplant, and tomatoes, this dish could be eaten with mixed noodles or rice, usually stir-fried until very soft, especially the eggplant, which was best when it almost became a paste.

When stir-frying, he added lard rendered in summer, and there were pieces of meat in it, and the smell was even more fragrant.

"Yo, Xiao Long is cooking? This dish smells really fragrant!" The couple from the Lu family next door returned from the fields, and Li Long clearly saw two bundles of reeds loaded on the horse cart.

Sure enough, everyone knew how to strike first.

Lu Lu Dasao's words made Du Chunfang feel that she had face. Anyway, her youngest son could do anything. That sentence about being able to do many things in later generations was prepared for her youngest son.

After Lu Lu Dasao finished speaking, she led the horse cart back to the courtyard. Lu Yingming originally intended to chat for a few sentences, but seeing Li Long busy stir-frying, he hesitated and went back.

When Li Jianguo and Liang Yumei returned with the tractor, Li Long had already finished cooking.

It had only been a few days since they met, and Li Jianguo had become a bit darker.

Northern Tianshan was good in other aspects, but the ultraviolet rays of the sun were very strong, especially in midsummer and early autumn. At this time, there were no sunscreen products, so it was inevitable to become like a charcoal head when working outside.

Even if men wore straw hats and women tied headscarves, it was the same. Only after autumn entered winter, staying in the room every day, could they be bleached a bit in one winter.

Not only that, the wind in the southern edge of the Junggar Basin was not small. Blowing and sunning, people were slightly old-looking.

It was the increasingly popular mechanization that saved everyone's face. Otherwise, when summer came, it was really not good-looking.

Seeing Li Long there, seeing the food covered by gauze on the table, Li Jianguo and Liang Yumei both smiled. They knew it must be the dish Li Long stir-fried.

The whole family ate happily and talked about things.

Li Long also said that the job of tying large brooms had arrived.

"Our team can tie at least three or four thousand." Li Long didn't say the full number. "The team definitely doesn't have enough handles. I think eldest brother should find time to cut handles in these two days, so that the money earned will be more."

Tying brooms was time-consuming and laborious. In the time it took to tie one broom, one could cut five or six handles. If there were many suitable trees nearby, cutting ten or so was enough.

Tying large brooms also required preparing raw materials, cutting reeds, brushing leaves, etc.

Reeds were indispensable, and handles were also indispensable.

"Alright," Li Jianguo said. "Then tomorrow I will drive the tractor into the mountains to cut handles."

Before the meal was finished, Lu Yingming also came over.

Actually, everyone in the team understood that if there were no changes during this period, the job of tying large brooms would come.

The job of tying handles was done by a few people. Even if others envied it, they could only stare. After all, the first ones to be taken care of were definitely their own people.

But everyone could do the job of tying large brooms. Like the Lu family, they had already started cutting reeds.

After all, there were only so many reeds. If you cut a little more, others would cut a little less. Lu Yingming chatted about family affairs and talked about the watermelon seeds, and they finished eating here.

Liang Yumei took over the cleaning up, and Li Long and the others sat under the shed and chatted.

"The job of tying large brooms has come." Li Long knew what Lu Yingming wanted to say, so he said it directly. "This year's work is even more than last year, the time is about the same, anyway, tie more and earn more."

"That's good." Lu Yingming knew it was stable as soon as he heard it. "Once this large broom is tied, plus the watermelon seeds are harvested, after that, I think my family will also have to buy a tractor."

People in the team who had tractors earned a lot of money during the wheat season this year, plus they earned a lot by going to help herdsmen cut grass later.

There were quite a few people who were jealous of this point.

So Lu Yingming also wanted to buy a tractor, so that next year he could get a harvester, and he could also earn a wave of quick money.

The idea was good, and the path was very clear right now. Even if the price of watermelon seeds dropped, twenty acres of land would earn more than the Li family's ten acres last year, right?

Plus this tying of large brooms, and the reeds after autumn, the money would not be little.

While talking, Xu Haijun also came over.

He heard that Li Long's jeep had returned, so he thought of coming to inquire about the situation.

(No Chinese characters)

Seeing everyone sitting here, Xu Haijun put his posture very low, took out a box of White Snow Lotus cigarettes and distributed them to everyone, then sat down and asked Li Long:

"I heard that you can get the job of tying large brooms for the team every year at this time?"

"Hmm, this year too." Li Long still appreciated Xu Haijun quite a bit. This person was the kind of "how can a great man live under others for a long time," but he was also proud and could recognize himself.

A smart person, can be friends.

"Heh, that's good. Price three yuan?" Xu Haijun asked again.

"The price is a bit higher this year, three yuan and five." Li Long said with a smile.

The cooperative raised the price, and he also raised it, but a little bit.

"Heh, that's not cheap." Xu Haijun smiled. "This is seeking welfare for everyone, this money is earned... but I heard in the army that this large broom is not as easy to use as bamboo, our army's large brooms have all been changed to bamboo."

"Bamboo brooms? How can that be as easy to use as our reed brooms?" Lu Yingming looked disdainful. "That hurts the hand, doesn't sweep clean, can't use strength, just occupies a cheapness, and can't be used for long."

"People don't listen, the reed large brooms our army purchased at that time, half of them fell off after sweeping for a few days, some fell off one by one, some fell off in handfuls, then who would dare to use them later?"

This was the truth.

Li Jianguo and Lu Yingming looked at Li Long with some worry.

Even Liang Yumei spoke at the door:

"Then in the future, will there not be so much work for reed large brooms?"

Although the family had many businesses to earn money, Liang Yumei knew that Li Long had a middleman fee in this regard. A broom also earned a lot. Now that this is done, will there be no income in the future?

"That won't happen." Li Long smiled. "Do you know why I have such strict requirements for the quality of large brooms every year? Isn't it to prevent this point?

That reed large broom, if tied well, is better to use than bamboo. If not tied well, it is a disaster. We all know this. I prevent it so strictly because I am afraid that this large broom will be pulled out for use, especially in those government units, places that manage people and things, if it is not good to use, then one sentence will cut off our work."

"Then... you mean, this matter will be done forever in the future?" Li Jianguo heard the signs in the words.

"Yes, when I received the work today, the leader also said so. Actually, there might not have been work this year itself. A leader in the autonomous region used those reed large brooms with unqualified quality and said this was not good.

Then, our brooms were also used by leaders, and people said they were good. As a result, using ours, they found that our quality has been guaranteed in recent years, so not only is there work this year, but the quantity is also large."

When Li Long said this, Li Jianguo and Lu Yingming both smiled. This is a good thing.

Sometimes everyone might not feel it, but when they suddenly find that it is possible that this work is gone, and earn a large sum of money less, the feeling suddenly becomes clear.

"Heh, it turns out there is such a thing." Xu Haijun originally came to inquire about the news, but didn't expect the news he heard to surprise him greatly.

"You started laying out before? This really can't be seen!" Xu Haijun was really exceptionally admiring of Li Long at this time.

He basically didn't admire the young men in the same village, especially the Li Long of the past.

But he saw some of Li Long's changes later, and this time he found Li Long even more powerful after returning from the army.

He came to inquire about the news, actually also harboring the meaning of reminding Li Long, and not without the idea of letting Li Long owe a small favor.

Maybe it was also subconscious.

But didn't expect Li Long to have already laid out the layout here, perfectly avoiding this problem.

Being able to inquire about the situation of the leaders in the autonomous region, Xu Haijun didn't believe it a little in his heart.

But Li Long said that the quantity of large brooms this year was more than last year, which was probably true. Otherwise, would Li Long swell his face to fill a fat man and increase the task himself to lose money and purchase?

Not to that extent.

So Xu Haijun believed it.

"Then I will prepare to cut reeds." Xu Haijun stood up and said, "There are quite a few reeds on the alkali beach in the team, but if you really want to count them, they might not be enough."

"The reeds in our team are definitely not enough, I still have to distribute some tasks to other village teams." Li Long also said clearly, "Otherwise, I can't complete this work."

Last year's matter happened, Li Long is now equivalent to telling others clearly, don't think about doing things like cutting off like a fool like Zhang Qiang, there are people outside who are willing to work and earn money.

Xu Haijun rode his bicycle and left.

Lu Yingming also left. After he left, Li Jianguo said to Li Long:

"Xiao Long, look, how about I call Old Lu to cut handles?"

"Alright. Our team definitely lacks two or three thousand handles, you definitely can't cut enough alone." Li Long smiled and said, "It's no problem to find more people." His meaning was that this matter was left to his eldest brother to do himself.

"The price of handles last year was five cents. This year you can raise it to seven to eight cents. My large broom is three yuan and five, everyone is definitely willing to buy handles. After all, cutting by themselves, there are not many places nearby where we can cut."

Li Jianguo nodded in agreement. Pulling a group of people into the mountains, this way safety is guaranteed, and it can also let others owe a favor.

"I have to go to the team leader to say this matter." Li Long also stood up and said, "Starting tomorrow, I will collect brooms every day."

When Li Long went over, team leader Xu Chengjun was preparing to go out. Although the watermelons hadn't matured in the past two days, it could be considered a critical period. No matter if there was work in the fields or not, he wanted to go see it every day.

These twenty acres of land carried the hope of his tractor.

Xu Chengjun naturally couldn't have no money to buy a tractor, but spending money had to have an income source, and this watermelon seed was the best one.

Seeing Li Long come over, Xu Chengjun joked:

"Xiao Long, you haven't been to me for a long time, is this nothing to do and not go to the Three Treasures Hall?"

"Team leader, I really have something. The job of large brooms has come, I'll tell everyone."

"Alright, alright, you notify yourself, hi, let me open the machine for you."

Although the team developed, the old-fashioned microphone didn't change much.

Xu Chengjun turned on the microphone for Li Long. After the speaker was connected to electricity, he patted it first. Li Long heard the "pu pu pu" sound coming from the large speaker on the pole at the door, knowing it was connected.

"What is the market for large brooms this year? Expensive or cheap? More or less?"

"More, and expensive." Li Long replied, then pointed to the microphone and said:

"I notify this, you all know."

So Li Long began to notify.

"Heh? Three yuan and five? This price is really good!" Hearing Li Long notify three times, Xu Chengjun immediately changed his mind, "Then I won't talk to you much, you go do your work, I'll go to the field to cut reeds—there is a patch of reeds on the north side of my wheat stubble field, growing well, can't let others cut it!"

Watching Xu Chengjun pull the horse cart and leave in a hurry, Li Long also smiled and got on the jeep.

After a short calm, the village seemed to wake up suddenly. Families who originally planned to be lazy at home and hide from the autumn tiger came out of their homes one after another, running in all directions like ants out of a nest.

Thanks to the blessing of tying large brooms in the past two years, every household had a piece of excellent reed treasure land in their hearts, as well as some places where they could cut handles.

Now that things were clear, everyone thought, don't let others take the lead. (End of chapter)