Chapter 978: Li Long and Meng Hai: One sings the white face, the other sings the red face

By the time Li Long rushed to the road construction site, Zhang Xingwang had already been tied up by Meng Hai and tied to the tractor.

Meng Hai was pointing at his nose and cursing, and told others that in this team, one should honestly build the road. If one wanted to have other ideas, then don't come, and he wouldn't force it.

But if one didn't listen when building the road and wanted to show off and work alone, then don't blame him, Meng Hai, for being impolite!

After Li Long knew the ins and outs of the matter, he announced directly to the people building the road:

"When tying big brooms in the autumn, I won't accept the brooms from this Zhang Xingwang's family."

At this sentence, the faces of the people present changed directly.

Meng Hai was also a bit surprised, not expecting Li Long to be so ruthless.

Just now, no matter how Meng Hai scolded Zhang Xingwang, he didn't make a sound, and there was still a bit of unconvinced expression on his face.

But Li Long's sentence made him break his defense. Hearing Li Long say this, he hurriedly begged for mercy:

"Comrade Li Long, I won't dare again! Just now I was ghost-possessed, I just saw that deer—my swimming really is very good, I won't dare again—just let me go this once, I'm very good at tying big brooms, our family ties them very well too—you must not refuse to accept them!"

In the past two years, especially last year, tying big brooms earned every family hundreds to thousands of yuan, which was not comparable to the eight yuan a day for road construction now!

Li Long's opening like this was equivalent to directly wiping out most of the annual income of Zhang Xingwang's family!

"No!" Li Long didn't loosen his mouth at all. "Do you know? If something happened to you in the water, it wouldn't just be your family who is sad, my reputation would also stink!

This would be fine, but this road would definitely be required by the higher-ups to stop. The road I invested fifty or sixty thousand yuan in is gone because of a damn red deer. What is this?"

Li Long was very angry. He not only pointed at Zhang Xingwang but also at those who were sitting or standing:

"Do you have brains? Have you ever thought about it? I haven't treated you villagers badly these past two years, right? As long as there is work, I think of you. Why are there people trying to pit me every time?

Things like Su Qiangqiang have already happened once, why is there this Zhang surname today? Is there water in your brains? Or were you kicked by a donkey? Are you very happy to see me make a fool of myself?

Don't you think, if my road can't be built because of you and a grudge is formed, will you have any work to earn money in the future? I'll put my words here, I'll have plenty of work to contract in the future! There are plenty of people who can work! There are even more people who want to earn money!

Old Meng and Team Leader He are good people, and we have a good relationship. I put the work in your team, that's our relationship. If you pit me, you pit them. If the work isn't given to you, see who is anxious then, you or me?

Is it Zhang Xingwang? Use your brain. If I put these words here today, because of you, there will be no big broom work in your team this year. Tell me, will someone light your house on fire tonight!"

These words were very heavy and also very deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Li Long was also extremely angry. If he told these people big principles, they wouldn't understand or didn't want to understand, but if he talked about the practical interest relationship, they would definitely be able to listen.

The people building the road present were all thinking, if they were Zhang Xingwang, if they lost the work that earned every family in the village hundreds of yuan every year because of themselves, lighting the house on fire would be light!

And Zhang Xingwang himself was now white with fright. If Li Long really told the outside world that he wouldn't send work to Qingshuihe Village because of him, then let alone lighting the house on fire, these guys would want to kill him!

That village definitely wouldn't be able to stay!

Now he knew he regretted it, and he was so anxious that tears were about to come down.

Li Long didn't pay attention to him anymore and said directly to Meng Hai:

"Old Meng, you are right to tie this guy up. I've discovered that some people's vision is like a damn fighting cock, only able to see that little bit of sweet benefit in front of them. It's really a loss to earn money for such people.

Old Meng, thanks to you for today's matter. We didn't discuss the road construction work you led earlier. Today I'll say it clearly here: you did well, and I can't treat you badly. One hundred yuan bonus, plus two hundred yuan management fee, I'll issue it to you now!

As for this Zhang Xingwang, he won't be doing the road construction work in the future. I can't afford such a person, and I can't bear such a risk—in the future, whoever has such a tendency, you fire them for me just the same!"

Li Long's output stunned those who were building the road.

In the past, Li Long was always kind to them, and he basically brought a smile when talking and doing things. When they worked, Li Long even went to hunt wild boars for them to eat meat at noon.

No matter how you looked at it, he was a young man with a kind face.

How did he suddenly change his face? This change of face was quite scary!

The words he said were even scarier. He wouldn't let them work and earn money at every turn.

Could this still work?

At this time, everyone's gaze toward Li Long became quite complicated, with a little more awe.

Meng Hai's mood was also a bit complicated. He didn't expect Li Long to take the initiative to be the villain.

Tying up Zhang Xingwang was his momentary anger. How to end it, he thought about letting him go when eating at noon or when someone persuaded him. This person definitely couldn't continue to work. As for what to say later, he would talk about it when he went back.

Now that Li Long said this, it was considered to have completely established the rules. He didn't think about the money. He thought that after Li Long said this, the work would definitely be better to do later, and his management difficulty would also decrease.

After all, everyone knew that it was very difficult to earn money by farming at the moment. Qingshuihe Village didn't have that much land, and some economic crops couldn't be planted. The work that could earn money at the moment was relying on tying big brooms—selling them to Li Long.

There were people who thought about tying big brooms and selling them to the market, but they couldn't sell them. At the moment, many city people had stayed in the countryside before, and they all knew how to tie that thing, not to mention the local rural people.

Big brooms were only profitable when Li Long took the task from the supply and marketing cooperative and sold them to other places or inside the pass.

So Li Long actually held their lifeline. At this time, using the lifeline to threaten these villagers, although a bit immoral, was really effective.

The scene was a bit oppressive for a while, but Li Long didn't care, nor did he pay attention to Zhang Xingwang's begging. He turned and went to the jeep to take a naan into his backpack, then shouldered his rifle and left.

He didn't even plan to eat lunch with the others.

When working in the past, he thought about being familiar with the villagers and talking about friendship. Now he found that except for people like Meng Hai who could see clearly, others could only talk about interests.

It couldn't be talked through.

After Li Long left, the atmosphere was considered better. Some people exclaimed that the flood had risen a bit more, some said they shouldn't offend Li Long, and others looked at the red deer that had already disappeared and said it was all this red deer that harmed people.

Most people still looked at Meng Hai, waiting for him to speak.

"Alright, alright, don't talk anymore. Now the flood hasn't receded. Since we can't work, let's disperse in the forest first. Those who want to pick mushrooms pick some mushrooms, those who want to eat dry food eat some dry food. That who, Sanpao, you guys pick some firewood, let's light the fire, take the pot off the small four-wheeler, and let's boil some water to drink."

If the flood doesn't recede, one must find something to do for oneself. Meng Hai quickly arranged for people to go out, and also let those picking mushrooms go in groups of three or five, lest they be eaten by wild animals.

He went over and untied the rope on Zhang Xingwang. This guy had already been scolded awake by Li Long. Of course, Li Long saying he wouldn't let him do the big broom work still had some lethality.

"I won't say redundant words. When tying big brooms, I'll find Comrade Li Long to clarify. You tie them better then, and if he can accept them, he will," Meng Hai said to Zhang Xingwang. "You did do poorly in today's matter. But we won't kill a person with one stick. Li Long didn't say it to death either, just telling you it's such a matter, understand?"

"Understand, understand!" Seeing that Meng Hai was still willing to plead for him, Zhang Xingwang's face looked better, and he said shamefully: "Old Meng, just now I really... sigh."

"Alright, alright, don't talk, go pick firewood." Meng Hai ordered, and Zhang Xingwang hurriedly went over.

Meng Hai greeted other people not to be too close to the flood, lest they accidentally fall down—the flood had actually stabilized, and it would be about time to recede in another half an hour.

He looked at the direction where Li Long disappeared again, sighed, and turned to boil water.

He guessed that Li Long must have gone upstream to check the situation again, and then if he encountered any troublesome places, he would solve them himself. Maybe he would hear the sound of cannon fire in a while.

Although Li Long was very angry just now, Meng Hai felt that there was more venting in it, and Li Long wasn't particularly angry.

He just thought so, but he wouldn't say it to others. Some of these people working were a bit slack, and Li Long roaring a few times just happened to stimulate these people.

It was also a good thing. ===== CHAPTER 979 =====