Chapter 803: Boss Li

After Bolati and the others left, Li Jianguo and the others quickly began to clean up the winter shelters. Old Huang began to fix the stove and prepare to cook—those seven people had some plans while staying here; they had rebuilt the stove at the original stove site, and for these few days, they had really cooked meals.

What Old Huang had to do was reinforce the stove, set up the pot he brought, boil water, and stir-fry dishes.

Just arriving here, they couldn't get around to picking fresh wild vegetables and mushrooms, but fortunately, they brought quite a few pickles, and Xie Yun Dong also had the same idea as Li Long, buying some naan to bring along. This money would eventually be deducted from the food expenses.

With naan to eat, plus a hot dish and hot tea, the lunch passed by just making do.

"You all start working in the afternoon, I'll also go pick some wild mushrooms and get some wild vegetables in the afternoon, and cook a good meal for you before dark," Old Huang said with a grin while stir-frying.

"Then we'll just wait for it," Xie Yun Dong on the side said with a smile.

The winter shelter had been cleaned up by those seven people, so it was much easier for those staying here. After Li Long helped Li Jianguo pack the bedding, he went to see how the others were cleaning up.

Just as they were cleaning up, the tractor sounded again with a "putt-putt-putt," and Li Long saw Liang Wenyu driving a tractor over at the mouth of the trench.

Liang Donglou was also sitting on the tractor, and Li Long guessed he probably intended to drive the tractor back again.

Xu Haijun's side was the same, but team leader Xu Chengjun didn't come over, and the one driving the tractor back was Xu Haijun's father, Xu Tianyun.

Li Long's tractor that Li Jianguo drove over didn't need to be driven back; it was left here as a backup. In case Li Long wasn't around and there was some urgent matter to return to the county seat, this tractor was always faster than running on two legs.

After the tractor came over, Li Long greeted Liang Donglou, and Li Jianguo also came over to say a few words.

After chatting for a few sentences, Liang Donglou said to them:

"You all go do your work, I'll go watch the place where Wenyu and the others are staying, and I'll be leaving in a while."

"Why leave, Uncle Liang, the meal is ready soon, no matter what, you have to eat before leaving," Li Long originally didn't intend to eat, but since Liang Donglou had come over, he had to be polite no matter what.

"Exactly, Uncle, we've already entered the mountains, how can you just leave like this?" Li Jianguo also persuaded, "The meal is already cooked, don't be in a hurry, we'll help Wenyu's side clean up, it'll be ready in a while."

"Don't you all worry, let him do it himself," Liang Donglou said directly, based on the idea of training his own son, "Xiao Long, this time it's thanks to you."

"Hey, Uncle Liang, what are you saying? Saying this... a few years ago when I was still small, if it weren't for you helping my older brother, wouldn't I not even have meat to eat? We're our own family, don't say this."

Li Jianguo was habitually calling Liang Donglou Uncle. Although this didn't quite conform to the general understanding, as long as they were willing themselves and Liang Donglou had no opinion, that was fine.

Li Long learned from Li Jianguo and called Gu Bo Yuan Uncle just the same. Gu Bo Yuan also didn't take offense; he knew what kind of personality Li Jianguo had, and it was normal for Li Long to learn from him.

Anyway, as long as Li Long was good to Gu Xiaoxia and respectful to himself, that was fine.

Why worry so much about others?

Liang Wenyu and the others' winter shelter hadn't been cleaned up yet, but the meal here was already ready. Li Long went over to call them to eat. These twenty or thirty people were quite lively in the shade of the trees, in twos and threes.

Li Jianguo came over with naan and said to Li Long in a low voice:

"That forest ranger left a bag of fritillaria for you, is that alright?"

"It's fine," Li Long smiled and said, "I have a good relationship with him, I'll just pay him the money according to the price later."

"That's fine. I was just afraid that those seven people would say something, and it wouldn't be easy for you to explain here."

"Don't worry about this, that Bolati will handle it." Li Long knew Bolati and the others' handling process; those few people would at least have to go to jail for a few years.

There was no choice—if they were just digging fritillaria, even if they grouped together, they might only be detained in the detention center for a few days.

But robbing people and robbery were different. It had only been two years, the remaining power was still there, and no one would underestimate this kind of criminal behavior.

Li Long's original idea was to go back after eating; he still had the collection station to manage over there.

But now that such a thing had happened, he didn't rush to leave after eating.

Liang Donglou and Xu Tianyun, on the other hand, drove the tractors one after another, "putt-putt-putt," rushing toward the outside of the mountains. Although sowing had ended, there was still fragmented work in the fields, and they didn't want to waste time.

After eating, Li Jianguo and the others continued to get busy. Those who hadn't finished cleaning the winter shelters continued to organize them, and those who had finished cleaning the winter shelters had already started digging pits to weave carrying baskets, and the next step was to cut willow branches and find firewood to make preparations for weaving carrying baskets.

Li Long ate, walked around the vicinity, saw everyone was busy, didn't disturb them, went to the small trench nearby to look, and sure enough, almost every small trench had fritillaria growing, more or less, some were densely packed, while others were scattered like stars.

It was a good place.

No one thinks there are too many good things, but Li Long didn't intend to dig them himself. After walking around, he drove the jeep to the mouth of the trench and stopped.

He had fired two shots earlier, and now he simply took out the gun at the mouth of the trench and started cleaning it.

If there were no changes, Li Long planned to hunt wild boars these two days, so the gun definitely had to be in good condition.

As he thought, not half an hour later, the sound of horse hooves rose, and in the distance, Bolati rode a horse and rushed over.

After seeing Li Long, Bolati said "Giddyup," accelerated, and when he reached Li Long, he pulled the reins, flipped off the horse, and said to Li Long:

"Li Long, thank you this time. With these seven people, I don't have to do any work this year, and I might even get an excellence award... we just simply interrogated them, and there's at least one fugitive among them, who hurt someone in the mouth!"

Hey, it could be considered catching a big fish.

"Is it the one I shot and injured?"

"No, no, it's a small guy, hiding very deeply, and was reported by his accomplice—he pretended to be an honest person, and pretended quite well," Bolati said with a smile, "But he still didn't expect that someone among his accomplices would report him, just hoping to be dealt with leniently... bad seeds, still wanting others to help him hide..."

Li Long also smiled.

No matter what, solving a scourge was equivalent to doing a good deed himself, which was worth being happy about.

"By the way, Li Long, I'm telling you, the collection station in the county seat is gone, and our leaders here said that fritillaria doesn't need to be confiscated later, and there's no way to deal with it even if confiscated, so those who run into fritillaria diggers will all be arrested and sent back, or locked up," Bolati said with some worry, "So maybe the fritillaria pulled to you here will be less."

Li Long understood this instantly; it turned out that the fritillaria confiscated by Bolati and the others before should have also been sold directly to the collection station.

The one of Chen Hongjun and the others.

Li Long's heart moved, and he said to Bolati:

"Then can you talk to your leaders? I bought the collection station in the county seat, and I'm running the collection station now, so you can continue to confiscate fritillaria, and the confiscated fritillaria can be sold directly to me. Whatever price the collection station gave, I'll give the same price. If the quality of the fritillaria is good, the price I give might be even higher than the collection station!"

"Really?" Bolati didn't quite believe it, "Then you really bought the collection station?"

"Yeah, I don't just collect fritillaria, I also collect skins, snow lotus, deer antlers, deer velvet, etc. If you have them, you can also bring them to me to sell."

Li Long knew that these forest rangers actually each had their own channels; some were engaged in these mountain resources themselves, while others were engaged in these things through those drifters in the mountains.

Being able to integrate these resources was enough for him to eat until he was full and satisfied.

This was an opportunity for his collection station to develop and grow!

If the collection station in the market adjusted its strategy, raised the purchase price, and improved service awareness, it would also slowly build up its business.

But if he had the forest team as a partner, it would almost be riding alone, completely able to leave that collection station behind until it couldn't be seen.

"That would be too great! I'm telling you, my colleagues, they still have quite a few good things in their hands. Originally they could take them to the collection station to sell, but now the collection station is gone, and they said Shicheng is also fine, but we aren't familiar with Shicheng, and we have to patrol in these mountains usually, so we don't have time!

If you collect them here, that would be too great... you also collect snow lotus? Sure! I still have two boxes at home, there are sixty or seventy flowers... how much do you collect them for?"

"Five yuan." Li Long now somewhat regretted quoting a price of five yuan to Halimu and Meng Hai and the others. He only earned one yuan—well, actually, these people, including Bolati, could be considered very excellent partners, so he couldn't just earn money.

"So expensive? Originally we sold them for one or two yuan!" Bolati's face showed a look of surprise, "Really five yuan?"

"The big boss from the mouth came to collect them for six yuan, I collect yours for five yuan, earning one yuan." Li Long was also telling the truth.

"Li Long, you are a true friend!" Bolati gave a thumbs up, "Don't worry, I will definitely persuade our leaders to collect the fritillaria and give it to you... will I still go to your wooden house to find you then?"

"If you go to the county seat, go to that collection station, but I open the door on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you are in the mountains, go to that wooden house. If I'm not there, the one surnamed Sun from last year is there, he helps me watch the wooden house. He doesn't have a gun, if you have time, help me watch over him twice, I will also come over on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."

"Sure, sure, tomorrow is Thursday, then tomorrow I will go to the wooden house side, tomorrow I can bring quite a few things over, then you just prepare the money and things."

"Good." Li Long agreed with a smile.

Bolati didn't say much more to Li Long and left riding his horse.

Li Long drove the jeep to the wooden house, and saw Sun Jia Qiang was drying the fritillaria he had picked in front of the table.

After Li Long went over and told him about Bolati, he said again:

"I will come over again tonight, and I plan to go ambush at the place you mentioned early tomorrow morning, to see if I can hunt that group of wild boars. If I can hunt two wild boars, then you can eat better here, and my older brother and the others weaving carrying baskets over there can also improve their food."

He thought about solving this matter before taking Meng Hai and those people into the mountains to renovate houses for Yushanjiang and the others.

Of course, this matter still had to be notified to Li Xiangqian.

One step at a time.

"Good, good, good, then can I go with you tomorrow morning?" Sun Jia Qiang's face carried a look of hope; he really wanted to hunt.

"That's definitely no problem. If I really hunt a wild boar, I still have to have you help me carry it back." Li Long smiled and said.

He had to go back first, handle the collection station side, and then buy a batch of supplies to bring over.

Mainly wine, food, etc., after all, what Bolati and the others liked most was wine—Li Long didn't intend to let them quit drinking, this thing depended on the individual. It wasn't that persuading them to quit drinking was for their own good; some people couldn't be persuaded. Some habits couldn't be changed either.

Sun Jia Qiang knew Li Long was leaving, so he brought back the fritillaria he had dug that had already been washed clean, and Li Long didn't decline, loaded the fritillaria, and left the wooden house.

When he reached Qingshuihe Village out of the mountains, he drove the jeep to the threshing floor, found He Yuqing and Meng Hai, and told them about the engineering team he was preparing recently.

"No problem, I'll lead the team then!" Meng Hai patted his chest and said, "Guaranteed to do the work well!"

"Good." Li Long nodded. Meng Hai was willing to give up the work of weaving carrying baskets to make money to follow him to renovate houses, and obviously, this work earned less than weaving carrying baskets, yet he was still willing to do it, which was quite good. Being able to take the work he entrusted seriously, Li Long didn't mind giving him more opportunities later.

"I found seven people, all of whom have done house renovation, know how to use a trowel, and mixing mud is definitely no problem, is that enough?"

"Enough, enough," Li Long said, "There are ten or so winter shelters in total, one a day, and it will be finished in ten days or so. If the speed is fast, the time might even be shorter."

Meng Hai nodded and said: "Then I'll wait for you, let's weave some first."

They were working, so Li Long didn't disturb them anymore, drove the jeep back to the county seat.

Taking advantage of the early time, he went to the department store, bought food, went to the winery to buy some wine and put it in the back of the car, and then returned to the collection station.

Sure enough, there were people waiting here, so Li Long apologized, opened the door, and started collecting things.

"From now on, this collection station will open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday," Li Long said while collecting things, "Don't come on the wrong day. You all also pass the word to those you know, it will be better after a while."

"Sure, sure, as long as it opens." Someone said.

"Understood."

"It would be better if it could open every day." Someone also said with regret.

Li Long didn't answer, he continued collecting things. Among these people, nearly half were here to sell fritillaria. Clearly, after the fritillaria season started, whether it was drifters coming from outside, or local people who knew this information, they would all find loopholes to enter the mountains to dig fritillaria.

Bolati and the others didn't have enough people and couldn't guard every trench, so there would definitely be people who escaped the forest rangers' watch and came out of the mountains with fritillaria.

Li Long was waiting for them.

He himself brought back a bag of more than twenty kilograms of fresh fritillaria from the mountains, and in a while here, he collected more than twenty kilograms of dried fritillaria.

These fritillaria were of average quality and not very clean. Li Long collected them as second or third-grade goods, and those selling fritillaria also knew the situation of their fritillaria and didn't bargain.

Li Long collected them at fifty yuan a kilogram for first grade, forty-five for second grade, and forty yuan a kilogram for third grade.

The fritillaria collected at this price, he earned ten or so yuan a kilogram, earning much less than collecting in the mountains. But opening a collection station itself was the kind of thin profit and high turnover, different from collecting in the mountains.

This place won in stability, and the quantity collected was definitely more than collecting in the mountains, so spread out, he didn't earn little either.

He kept collecting goods until getting off work, and seeing no one was there, Li Long locked the door, loaded the things, and returned to the large courtyard.

Gu Xiaoxia entered the door almost right after him.

Seeing Li Long return, Mingming and Haohao in the courtyard were both quite happy, and Gu Bo Yuan, who was watching the children, asked about the situation of Li Jianguo and the others in the mountains.

"Ran into a few robbers, and they occupied my older brother and the others' winter shelter."

"Then why not clean them up? You all must have had twenty or thirty people on this trip, right?" Gu Bo Yuan said.

"Yeah, cleaned them up, and then handed them over to the forest rangers," Li Long said while unloading things, "They even tied up a woman, they were very bad."

"Then they should be cleaned up properly, it would be right to beat them until they are crippled." Gu Bo Yuan was also quite ruthless.

"Broke the leader's leg." Li Long didn't go into detail, "Said one of them was a criminal who escaped from the mouth."

After eating, Li Long washed the fritillaria once, and then dried them in the side room.

Last time he sold some things in the side room, freeing up quite a lot of space, which was just right for drying fritillaria now.

At night he talked to Gu Xiaoxia about hunting wild boars, and Gu Xiaoxia didn't object either. She knew that once the fritillaria season started, Li Long would be busy.

Although she didn't object, Gu Xiaoxia still reminded Li Long to pay attention to safety; it was fine if he couldn't hunt anything, just don't get himself hurt.

After Li Long responded, he went over to tell Sister Yang, and then drove the jeep out.

Han Fang opened the large gate, and after watching Li Long leave, hurriedly closed the large gate, locked it from the inside, and returned to the room.

The sky had already darkened, and Li Long drove the high beams all the way into the mountains, not knowing how many animals he had startled.

In front of the wooden house, Sun Jia Qiang was guarding the door waiting.

After hearing the commotion of the jeep, he immediately stood up and looked east, and after seeing those two beams of light, he smiled.

The jeep drove to the front of the wooden house, Li Long got out of the car, and greeted Sun Jia Qiang to move things down.

Looking at the so much wine Li Long brought, Sun Jia Qiang asked with some surprise:

"Boss, this wine, can it be exchanged?"

"Tomorrow the forest rangers will come over, they have many things, it can be exchanged," Li Long said, "Have you eaten tonight?"

"I have."

"Alright then, after moving the things, let's sleep first, and after the wild boars pass, we'll get up again."

Li Long planned to change a method of hunting tonight—not going to ambush over there, it was too troublesome.

Sun Jia Qiang's bedding had been moved into the small wooden house, and he made a floor bed here. Li Long's idea was to find time to get him a wooden frame bed, but Sun Jia Qiang refused, saying it was fine like this.

At night, it became quiet here at the wooden house, Li Long locked the door, lay on the wooden kang, and it took a good while before he felt sleepy—he hadn't slept here for nearly a year.

Behind this wooden house, he estimated he wouldn't be able to stay for many days either? After all, with Sun Jia Qiang guarding here, what he needed to do was watch the collection station in the county seat well.

Thinking and thinking, he fell asleep in a daze.

Next door, Sun Jia Qiang didn't quite dare to sleep, mainly fearing that he would miss the wild boars when they passed the border. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 804 =====