Chapter 895

Li Long was welcomed by Wang Mingjun into the company headquarters, and soon Old Chen came over.

Following him was the company's instructor, Zheng Xiang Yang, whom Li Long had not met last time.

Zheng Xiang Yang fit the image of an instructor very well: about thirty years old, hair parted in the middle, temples shaved clean, wearing glasses, with a fountain pen tucked into his chest pocket—a typical intellectual look.

"Our instructor graduated from Beiting Normal School. He originally taught at the division headquarters. Because he wrote materials well, the regimental leaders took a fancy to him and seconded him out. After working at the regimental headquarters for a period of time, he came here to serve as an instructor," Wang Mingjun introduced. "An intellectual, knows a lot, and his writing is top-notch. He writes several articles for the Corps Daily every year!"

Zheng Xiang Yang smiled, shook hands with Li Long, and said:

"No, no, the company commander is flattering me. I just like writing... By the way, Comrade Li Long, right? I've seen the article written about you in the Autonomous Region Daily. Very impressive! A model for getting rich!"

"Not just a model, this time he's brought us a path to wealth!" Wang Mingjun said with a smile, "Comrade Li Long said, binding large brooms, collecting them from our company, as long as it's qualified, one is three yuan and five jiao. Three yuan and five jiao, Old Zheng, this job, we can do it!"

Zheng Xiang Yang did not immediately agree. After pouring water for Li Long and asking in detail about the specifics of binding large brooms, he then said:

"Company commander, for us to do this, should we ask the regimental headquarters for instructions? Does this comply with the policy regulations of our Corps companies?"

"Haha, instructor, don't worry about that. I've already studied it, and I've chatted with the regimental leaders several times when I went to the regimental headquarters for meetings. Now the local areas have already implemented reform and opening up. Although our Corps is different from the local areas, we also hope to let the employees get rich.

This getting rich isn't just about planting more land and harvesting more grain; we have to find paths in other businesses. As for how to find them, that's like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their own magic. We have this path from Little Li, and we have the resources of jiji grass; this job can be done!

And I've already agreed with Old Chen, three yuan and five jiao each. We give the employees three yuan, and five jiao is kept in the company as the company's daily expenses. Little Li said that at least ten thousand will be ordered here. Think about it, how much money this is..."

Zheng Xiang Yang was somewhat tempted.

Like Wang Mingjun, after becoming the company instructor, he had settled his family here. When he was an educated youth before, he had a salary; one person was full and the whole family wasn't hungry, and at the very least, there was surplus money to send back to his hometown.

Now with a family, although there are benefits as a company official, who doesn't want their life to be better? Submitting articles to the Corps Daily and the division's newspapers isn't just about making a name for oneself; the manuscript fees, once in hand, can also improve the family's meals.

With the work Li Long brought over, the company could get five thousand from this batch alone. How much could he get?

Thinking this through, the smile on Zheng Xiang Yang's face brightened, and he said with a smile: "This matter needs to be discussed in detail. Old Chen, let's have a richer meal tonight!

Last time Comrade Li Long came, I wasn't here, and I've been regretting it. Tonight, we must have a good chat. Comrade Li Long, your eldest brother is our company's old supply officer; counting it up, you are also one of our own in the company. No matter what, you cannot leave today; we must talk about this matter properly..."

"No, no, no, I still have to go to another company to talk about it." Li Long hurriedly waved his hands. This company was brewing liquor; listening to the instructor's tone, he might not be any worse at drinking than the company commander and the supply officer. If he stayed, wouldn't he be "besieged"?

"No need, no need." Wang Mingjun joined in and said to Li Long, "Little Li, let me tell you, for this job of binding large brooms, there's no need to look for other companies at all. Our company will take it all on directly. Ten thousand isn't enough, is it? Let me tell you, we can get fifteen thousand for you!"

Li Long didn't expect Wang Mingjun to be so bold. He felt this was bragging; there weren't that many poles near the company.

"You don't believe it, do you? Let me tell you, for side businesses, we might not have the convenient conditions you have in the local areas, but when it comes to large-scale labor, that is the advantage of us Corps people!"

Wang Mingjun saw that Li Long was somewhat skeptical, and he said with a confident face:

"Don't look at our company as not having many people, but to do this large broom binding, we can turn it into an assembly line operation. Several households can unite to specifically cut jiji grass, several households can unite to specifically beat poles, and the rest of the main force can be responsible for binding. As for the final distribution of money, it will be calculated according to the amount of labor. Let me tell you, this efficiency is definitely much faster than you people in the villages binding them one family at a time!"

"Not only fast, but the quality is also guaranteed." Zheng Xiang Yang added, "Each of our groups has a quality inspector. Those that are unqualified are rejected on the spot and will not enter the next process at all. Don't worry. If it's really confirmed, we can notify everyone today, and we can start preparing as early as tonight."

Li Long had witnessed the efficiency of Corps people working collectively.

Wang Mingjun did not immediately organize people, but found several kinds of large brooms from the company warehouse, including some from employees' homes, to let Li Long determine the standard quality.

"Just like this one." Li Long pointed to one of them and said, "There must be red willow poles protecting the outside of the jiji, the bark on the handle must be peeled off, the pole must be two meters long, the jiji grass must not be shorter than 1.2 meters and not longer than 1.5 meters, and iron wire hoops are fine, but it must not shed jiji—

It must not shed within at least three months of use. This is sent from the Autonomous Region to the border; it represents the face of our Autonomous Region..."

"Don't worry about the quality. We often do this, and the strictest thing we grasp is quality." Zheng Xiang Yang was very confident in this regard. "Whoever is unqualified will have money deducted. Our employees have experience in this!"

After determining the standards, Wang Mingjun and Zheng Xiang Yang immediately organized the heads of each group to hold a meeting and assign tasks. Not long after, Li Long saw people starting to notify each household, and then some people hitched up horse carts and donkey carts to head into the Shawan area.

At this moment, Li Long went with Old Chen to see the skins in the warehouse.

"After you finished collecting that batch of skins in the spring, we actually didn't hunt much afterward. It was the busy farming season, as you know. Our Corps companies are different from you; there are quite a lot of tasks. Besides agricultural cultivation, there are other things," Old Chen said to Li Long while taking skins out of the warehouse:

"The company commander said he didn't know when you would come to collect them, so we only took a few people to hunt occasionally when we were free, or hunted when herds of yellow sheep passed by nearby."

Looking at those thick stacks of skins, Li Long nodded and said:

"There must be at least a hundred here, right? That's quite a lot!"

"No, no, I've counted them," Old Chen said with a smile, "Ninety-one skins, including sixty-seven whole skins and twenty-four damaged ones. The company commander said, sell the whole skins to you, and the damaged ones are a bonus for you."

"That won't do, we still have to calculate the accounts properly," Li Long said seriously. "However, spring skins and summer skins aren't as valuable as winter skins."

"Don't worry about that, whatever price you offer, we accept." Old Chen patted the thick stack that was clearly whole skins and said: "Last time you collected skins, the price was good. The company commander said, we only recognize you. You are conscientious and value friendship in doing this, plus this big job this time, you also remember us, so we don't feel bad."

Old Chen insisted, so Li Long didn't say anything more.

"The people in your company have good marksmanship; the proportion of whole skins is so high." Li Long looked at the skins one by one. The skins were preserved very well. Although some had been there for two or three months, they hadn't been eaten by insects, and the large proportion of whole skins was also beyond his expectations.

"That's for sure, we are a quasi-military unit," Old Chen said proudly. "Although your local backbone militia also trains, the training duration and standards can't compare to ours."

Li Long acknowledged this.

For the sixty-seven whole skins, Li Long calculated them at forty-five each. In fact, if whole skins were put in the acquisition station now, they would only be thirty-something or forty; Li Long raised the price.

The skins totaled three thousand and fifteen yuan. Old Chen led people to load all the skins onto Li Long's car.

With so many skins loaded, the jeep was basically full.

Old Chen had a way; he insisted on stuffing in a few more crates of grain liquor brewed by the company.

Li Long was about to leave, but was stopped by Old Chen and his men.

"The company commander and instructor have given instructions that we absolutely cannot let you leave today. Don't make things difficult for me," Old Chen said with a smile. "Nothing is so urgent that it can't wait for one day. You ran dozens of kilometers to get here; if we don't keep you for a meal, won't the old supply officer scold me to death when he sees me next time?"

Well, with his eldest brother Li Jianguo brought up, Li Long really had no choice.

Li Long smiled bitterly; this meal of liquor today was unavoidable.

In less than half an hour, Wang Mingjun and Zheng Xiang Yang returned; it seemed the work had been arranged.

"Company commander, instructor, before we eat, I want to say something first. We can't do business just by talking. I'll leave five thousand yuan as a deposit, and I also ask Old Chen to give me a receipt, how about that?"

It looked like a discussion, but Wang Mingjun and Zheng Xiang Yang were both very surprised when they heard it.

Wang Mingjun hurriedly waved his hands:

"Little Long, we are our own people, no need for this. No matter what, I couldn't possibly not trust you. You come often; by doing this, aren't you being a stranger?"

Zheng Xiang Yang was actually quite happy. He didn't know Li Jianguo and had no friendship with Li Long; he was just following the company commander and Old Chen to represent the company in saying so.

But in reality, Li Long saying it just by word of mouth, it wasn't that he had no doubts. In fact, halfway back, he had told Wang Mingjun, but Wang Mingjun had given his guarantee, saying that there was definitely no problem with Li Long and he could vouch for him.

Now that Li Long automatically offered to leave a five-thousand-yuan deposit, this showed that the person really wanted to do this job, and the last bit of doubt was dispelled.

Of course, Zheng Xiang Yang wouldn't think about how much he had overthought before. In a company, there are rough people, and some must be more careful; that's what he thought. Of course, the polite words still had to be said:

"Little Long, I'll follow the company commander and call you that too. Let me tell you, this isn't good. Just like the company commander said, by doing this, it's like we don't trust you. Don't worry, we will definitely do this job beautifully!"

"Hmm, I believe our company can definitely do this job well, but this deposit is also for peace of mind. I might not come back until ten days later. You can get the poles, jiji grass, and so on outside, but you still have to buy the iron wire and hemp rope; just take this as material money."

In the end, Old Chen collected the five thousand yuan in front of the company commander and instructor, and then gave Li Long a receipt.

Next was the time for drinking.

A 150-gram glass; even though Li Long had a high tolerance for alcohol, looking at it was still daunting!

Although they didn't down it in one gulp, drinking it in three gulps per glass—who could withstand this stuff?

The liquor brewed by the company wasn't the 43-degree small cellar liquor that everyone became accustomed to in later generations, but real 50-plus-degree Daqu liquor!

It was to show closeness that this meal didn't include family members, and no one else was called; it was just Wang Mingjun and Zheng Xiang Yang, with Old Chen accompanying to be responsible for support.

Three people against Li Long alone. Li Long calculated at the beginning that after this meal, he had drunk at least over a kilogram of liquor!

Nearly three bottles!

The dishes on the table were also very rich. To welcome Li Long, they specifically slaughtered a lamb from this year. Although it's said that September is the best time to eat lamb, the lambs were already edible by now; the meat was tender and not very gamey.

A large plate of hand-grabbed mutton, stir-fried lamb offal, a large plate of spicy chicken, candied sweet potatoes, spicy stir-fried wild mushrooms, and what surprised Li Long the most was a plate of hedgehog meat.

"We are close to the Shawan, we don't have anything else, but hedgehogs, wild rabbits, and the like are quite plentiful," Wang Mingjun said proudly. "The kitchen squad also knows how to prepare them; the taste is not bad!"

The taste was indeed not bad, and Li Long ate quite a lot.

Of course, when he woke up the next day, he didn't know what the taste of the things he ate yesterday was; his mouth felt bitter.

Fortunately, he didn't make a fool of himself. In the end, he didn't vomit, and he wasn't knocked down by the three of them—at the beginning, Wang Mingjun and the other two were basically unanimously toasting Li Long. After each of them had finished a bottle on average, Wang Mingjun started to find trouble with Zheng Xiang Yang. Once the two of them started going at it, Li Long only had Old Chen to deal with, which was easier.

He didn't drink any more liquor in the morning. Li Long was fine; his constitution was much better than the three of them, and his recovery was fast. After waking up and drinking a cup of honey water, he was basically back to normal.

At breakfast, Wang Mingjun and Zheng Xiang Yang both had pale faces and listless expressions; it was obvious they hadn't recovered yet.

So breakfast was just rice porridge, spicy stir-fried eggs, cold-dressed tomatoes, stir-fried potato shreds, and steamed buns.

Very plain, but very appetizing.

After eating, Li Long left. After Wang Mingjun and Zheng Xiang Yang watched Li Long's jeep turn the corner and disappear, they returned to the company headquarters together.

"Old Wang, you said this large broom job, he gives us three yuan and five jiao, then how much can he get on his side? That is to say, how much do others pay him for one?"

"Either four yuan or five yuan." Wang Mingjun took out cigarettes, pulled out two, handed one to Zheng Xiang Yang, and put one in his own mouth, saying vaguely: "Can't be more than that."

"I think at least..." Zheng Xiang Yang shook his head, "Definitely not a small amount."

Wang Mingjun looked at him sideways, took out a tin lighter, lit his own first, took a puff, then handed the lighter to Zheng Xiang Yang, and said:

"Impossible. Little Long isn't that kind of person. Let me tell you, this person follows his roots. Little Long was raised by his eldest brother, our old supply officer; he is magnanimous in his conduct. If large brooms are six yuan each, the price he gives us is at least four or four yuan and five jiao."

"Old Supply Officer Li was magnanimous in doing things. Back then in the company, when doing heavy work, the white flour steamed buns were eaten openly; if there wasn't enough, he would take the kitchen squad to do side businesses, and he never shortchanged the backbone staff."

Zheng Xiang Yang was skeptical but had no basis. He hadn't dealt with Li Jianguo, so it was hard for him to evaluate this matter.

Anyway, since the company commander and Old Chen only had praise for the old supply officer, he could only be puzzled and curious.

When Li Long was driving the jeep back, he felt that the air he breathed out still had the smell of liquor, so he simply opened all the car windows. He wasn't driving fast, just watching the scenery along the way.

It must be said that the further away from the county town, the more resources there are compared to the surroundings of the county town.

Jiji grass grows in patches after patches, and the red willow beach also grows into forests in patches. There are really many poles that can be cut in this red willow beach; on any large red willow, there are three or four side branches that can serve as poles for large brooms.

He could also vaguely see people cutting poles in the red willow beach. In his view, some were qualified, but others didn't want them.

The standards are high.

It seems that the cooperation with this Corps company can continue in the future.

Due to the limited distribution of resources and manual labor, no matter how the Fourth Team and Qingshuihezi develop, a village can at most reach ten thousand at the top. The village where Liang Wenyu is might be even less.

So in the future, if we really want to treat jiji grass large brooms as a business, we must maintain the Corps company side.

At least in terms of resources, there is no shortage here.

Li Long returned directly to the county acquisition station; he had to put down the ninety-plus skins first.

Ten thousand in Qingshuihe, over ten thousand in the Corps company, a conservative estimate of over five thousand in the Fourth Team, plus the village where Liang Wenyu is, the task of thirty thousand should be achievable.

However, Li Long didn't let his guard down. For the first ten days, he would go to each location to check the situation and would also bring a batch of qualified products back by car. If the progress didn't keep up by then, he would have to continue looking for another partner.

However, Li Long believed that Qingshuihe Village and Wang Mingjun's place should give him surprises.

So his worries would likely not happen.

For the first few days, Li Long stayed in the county and occasionally made phone calls to ask about the situation.

Whether it was Wang Mingjun's place or Meng Hai's place, they could be reached by phone at the acquisition station.

On the fifth day, Li Long couldn't help but go to the Fourth Team to see the situation.

The jiji grass that could be seen by the roadside had already been cut bald, and the side branches on the poplar trees that could be used as poles had also been cut.

When Li Long arrived at the Li family home, he heard a situation that surprised him somewhat.

In order to bind more large brooms, when Xu Haijun led people to cut jiji grass in the big ditch to the east, they got into a fight while competing with the Ning family in the team.

"They really fought?" Li Long was truly taken aback; that shouldn't be necessary.

"They really fought. There are only a few patches in the team where jiji grass grows. There are a few places in the East Big Ditch that grow in the red willow beach, and some others can't discover them. As a result, Xu Haijun and Ning Dawei were both cutting there, and then Ning Dawei said that the armful of jiji he cut was missing and asked Xu Haijun. Xu Haijun said he hadn't seen it, so the two sides argued, and then they fought."

"How was it handled in the end?" Li Long asked his eldest brother Li Jianguo.

"How else could it be handled? The team leader called Xu Haijun over and scolded him. In the end, it wasn't clarified either. Anyway, Xu Haijun said he didn't take it; there were two Xu Juns following him, and Ning Dawei also had his cousin by his side. Both sides fought until their noses were bruised and faces swollen. The adults of the two families didn't have much to say, but anyway, the young people aren't talking to each other now."

Hey, what kind of matter is this?

(ps: 1. One large broom is three yuan and five jiao, which has been corrected in the previous chapter; 2. Went to the State Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to get medicine today; they said my liver and kidney are deficient and my spleen is weak, so I'll take Chinese medicine and take it slowly) (End of chapter)