Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

After breakfast the next day, Gu Xiaoxia took out a pair of leather knee pads from the bedroom before going to work and asked Li Long to wear them when driving the tractor.

"I made this from the sheepskin you left behind. It must be cold when you drive in the wind this early in the morning. Cover your knees with something to prevent them from getting hurt by the wind."

The kneepad looked a bit tacky, but Li Long didn't dislike it at all. He put it on his leg in front of Gu Xiaoxia, moved around for a while, and felt good. He smiled and said:

"Okay, just go to work with peace of mind. I may be back tomorrow."

After Gu Xiaoxia pushed the bicycle out, Li Long first added food and water to the roe deer and fawns, and then swept the yard before driving out on the tractor.

The journey was quite long, so he first went to the oil depot to refuel, and then took two barrels of oil, and then went west along the Wuyi Highway.

He drove all the way to the Laojie Market, but didn't see his father and Tao Daqiang. He said hello to Chen Xingbang, bought two freshly baked and still hot naan from Keyum's shop, put them in the car, and continued to drive west.

Being alone, Li Long was not afraid.

Under the bag in the truck bed was a 56-caliber semi-automatic rifle. Under his seat was a machete. If someone was really blind and wanted to do something, since most of the places to the west were deserted, he wouldn't mind doing something that lawless lunatics liked to do.

All the way west, 143, Ulan Usu, Shawan, Anjihai.

In the middle, Li Long took a break in the no-man's land, drank water, and ate some naan. This time he did not go to a roadside restaurant for dinner, mainly because he had to remain vigilant.

He vaguely remembered that a taxi driver from Kuitun was kidnapped and taken to the Gobi Desert here, where he was killed. The case remained unsolved for more than ten years - in fact, the man was caught, but the taxi driver's body was not found, so the case could not be closed.

Occasionally, a car would come from behind and honk to pass Li Long. Li Long would honk in response. When cars were not yet a mainstream means of transportation and people were still mainly used to animal-powered vehicles, a distance of several dozen kilometers was already quite far. So Li Long naturally did not mind responding to such a friendly greeting.

They drove all the way to the Kuitun military station. The water tank was turned on several times and Li Long stopped every time to find water and refuel nearby.

Including his previous life, Li Long was not a person who cherished tools very much. Whether it was a tractor or a car, in his eyes, they were all tools, and since they were tools, there was no need to cherish them too much.

The day before yesterday, the tractor was driven back to the compound. He didn't take care of it much. His father and mother cleaned the tractor very well. In their eyes, this thing is an iron ox. Although the Li family had not had a large animal that truly belonged to them since the liberation until Li Jianguo came to the northern Xinjiang to divide the land, it was inevitable that they liked the large farming tools.

So Li Qingxia occasionally thought about trying to drive a tractor, and he seemed to have a preference for tractors, thinking that they should be taken care of like cows, with love and careful service.

Well, Li Long can’t do anything about it, so just let them be.

So now the tractor is still clean, thanks to the old man.

In fact, given the current situation, anyone who can buy a tractor will clean it every day.

Not to mention tractors, the same is true for bicycles. Only Li Long doesn't care so much. He just needs to use something that is generally acceptable. Why go so elaborate? It's just a piece of iron, it's durable, so there's no need to be too careful.

When the tractor arrived at the military station, Li Long felt relieved. It was already noon and almost afternoon. Five kilometers north of the military station into KT City, Li Long drove the tractor directly to the First Construction Installation Company.

It should be working hours now. Li Long originally wanted to wait outside, but he didn't expect that the guard at the door recognized him and invited him in.

Li Long parked the tractor in the open space outside, got off the tractor, walked to the guard and handed him a cigarette.

"Young man, I remember you. You drove a tractor to pick up people two months ago, and you also pulled sand and bricks here for a few days." The guard took the cigarette and said with a smile, "At that time I was wondering why you left so suddenly. Now you are here, are you planning to join the company?"

"No, no, no, my brother is in there. I came to take a look." Li Long pointed inside and said, "He is still a temporary worker now. I don't know which construction site he is working on."

"Temporary workers? I heard that a group of temporary workers are going to be regular workers recently. I wonder if your brother is one of them. Temporary workers should be working at the construction site over at the Octagon Building. If you are in a hurry to find someone, you can go there and take a look. By the way, do you know where the Octagon Building is?"

"I know, I know. Thank you." Li Long thanked the guard and drove the tractor towards the octagonal building.

The Octagonal Building is just the name given by local people. Its full name is actually Hongqi Shopping Mall. It was originally the manager's building of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative of the No. 7 Agricultural Division. It was later transferred to KT City. It is considered a landmark building in Kuitun in this era.

There are red flags or red flag buildings in almost every city in northern Xinjiang, so they are easy to find. Li Long also knew the location and quickly drove the tractor to the place.

The construction site was next to the Hongqi Shopping Mall. When Li Long found a place to park the tractor, he saw his second brother Li Anguo and his nephew Li Junshan carrying bricks and plastering the wall. They were both skilled workers, and there were people helping them.

Li Long looked around and saw Yang Yongqiang. He could tell that Yang Yongqiang was still doing odd jobs. He was a lot darker than before, but a little fatter, probably because he was active and ate a lot. The food here should be better than that in the team.

Li Long did not go over to disturb them from working, he just sat on the tractor and waited. There were not enough trees here to block the sun, but fortunately it was already afternoon and the sun was not very strong. The sun was slowly setting in the west, and the work on the construction site was coming to an end. Some people had already started to pack up their tools, while others were speeding up the construction progress, at least to finish the finishing work before the end.

Li Long waited until the work was finished and the workers were packing up their tools to leave before he got off the tractor, ran across the road and shouted to Li Anguo, Li Junshan and Yang Yongqiang in the team.

The three of them were not together when they were working, but they gathered together when the work was done, which made it convenient for Li Long to greet them.

"Hey, Xiaolong is here!"

"Uncle Xiaolong!"

"Brother Long, you're here!"

The three people exclaimed almost at the same time, with expressions of surprise on their faces.

Li Anguo hurried over to talk to the captain. Li Junshan and Yang Yongqiang had already come up to Li Long with smiles on their faces.

"Junshan, Yongqiang, you two have become stronger." Li Long patted their shoulders and said with a smile, "Not bad, not bad. It seems that the food is very good."

"What's good about it!" Yang Yongqiang complained, "There's not much oil and water, and it's rare to eat meat..."

"That's better than being at home." Li Junshan said with a smile, "It's good, I think it's not bad. It's not as good as the food at your house, Uncle Xiaolong, but it's okay."

Li Anguo came over with a tool bag and said, "When did Xiaolong arrive? Let's go eat. I asked the captain for leave, and the four of us will go together."

"Then put the bag in the car." Li Long said with a smile, "I've only been here for a short time. I saw the telegram you sent, second brother. Are all three of you going to be regular employees?"

"Yeah." Li Anguo nodded.

"I am just a laborer, and my job is different. But I am also working hard, and I hope to get a skilled job by the end of the year." Yang Yongqiang is a little dissatisfied with himself, "The competition is too fierce, and everyone wants to be a skilled worker."

"You are young and smart, and you still have a lot to learn." Li Anguo comforted her, "If it really doesn't work out, go to night school after you become a regular employee. Now the company supports workers to go to night school. We are in great need of technicians. If you can graduate from night school, you will be a better technician than us in the future."

Li Anguo is right. Now all walks of life are eager for technical talents. Otherwise, it would be impossible to become a state official after graduating from a technical secondary school.

"Yes, Yongqiang. Your sister has such a strong learning ability, so you are not bad either." Li Long said loudly while driving the tractor, "Make a plan for yourself, study hard, and become a technician in the future. It would be great to sit in the office and draw blueprints, or wear a safety helmet to check the construction situation!"

Yang Yongqiang smiled.

In fact, he also had his own thoughts, but he never said them. Now that Li Anguo and Li Long have spoken them out, he no longer hides them:

"That's what I thought. I'll do the work of a laborer now, and when I get the approval to become a regular employee, I'll go to night school! I actually have good grades in school...but..."

Well, it was normal that I couldn’t continue my studies since my grades were not as good as my sister’s and I was naughty at that time.

The tractor drove to the entrance of a canteen. Unlike Ma County, Kuitun was only a county-level city, but at that time the headquarters of the 130th Agricultural Division was just north of the city, and the 131th and st Regiments were not far away, so there were more state-owned canteens open to the public.

After parking the tractor and taking the important items, Yang Yongqiang asked Li Long, seeing that he was carrying a long object:
"Brother Long, is that a gun?"

"Yes, if you drive here alone, you have to prepare something to protect yourself." "Of course." Li Anguo said, "It's more than a hundred kilometers, and you can't be sure what will happen along the way. Do you want some noodles?"

"Let's have noodles and some spicy chicken." Li Long said, "Would you like some beer?"

"Have some drinks." Yang Yongqiang said with a smile, "I'll treat you. Anyway, I don't have anything to do tonight."

"You can't treat me." Li Long waved his hand, "I'll do it, I'll do it."

"Hey! Can you still pay when you're here?" Li Anguo waved his hand, "Don't worry, you all go sit down, I'll go order the food."

Li Long whispered:

"Brother, I earned enough to buy a tractor last month... Don't argue with me."

"What?" Li Anguo was shocked.

He received two salaries during this period, and with the money he saved before the New Year that he had not spent, he still had a few hundred yuan on hand, which was actually quite a lot.

But Li Long's words really scared him.

Li Long smiled:

"I'm not kidding you. Come on, sit down and I'll do it."

He went to order a spicy chicken, four noodles, and eight bottles of beer. After paying the bill, he went back to sit at the table.

"Brother Xiaolong, is everything okay at home? Is my sister doing well in school?" Yang Yongqiang asked impatiently.

"Everything is fine." Li Long said with a smile, "When I went back a few days ago, your father was still asking about it. Your sister is doing well in school, too. Her grades are excellent."

"That's good." Yang Yongqiang felt relieved when he heard that everything was fine at home.

"I came here to ask you, if I go back tomorrow, do you want to go with me?" Li Long asked, "When will you be officially employed? Do you have to wait for the letter of transfer?"

"Well, we have to wait. This political review is very important." Li Anguo said with a smile, "But for us, it's basically just a procedure. The section chief told us when he met us that this is just a procedure. If the hometown doesn't do it properly, we are not afraid."

This situation is not uncommon. Li Qingxia's family has all moved to the northern border. Currently, there are no close relatives in his hometown. Some are cousins. Without close relatives, if the letter is transferred back, I can't say whether someone will interfere out of jealousy.

"That's all." Li Long said, "I'll go see Chief Ma tonight and ask him some questions, and tell him about this situation. There shouldn't be any problems with Yongqiang. When our team conducts a political review, the captain never does anything bad, and always says good things."

He looked at Yang Yongqiang and said with a smile:

"Yongqiang, no matter what kind of job you do, at least you are the first one among all of you young people to jump out of the team. Aren't you proud?"

Yang Yongqiang's face turned red, but he was actually quite proud. He smiled and said:

"Well, this was also an accident. If it weren't for you, Brother Long, I wouldn't have come out... I have to meet you later."

The first thing served was beer. At that time, the deadly Da Wusu had not yet been produced, and the beer served on the table was XJ beer. This beer was later acquired by Wusu Beer and gradually faded out of people's sight.

Everyone poured a glass, and Li Anguo raised his glass:
"Come on, Xiaolong is here to see us. The three of us are going to be regular employees soon. Let's have a toast to celebrate!"

The four cups clinked together, making a crisp sound, and the four of them drank it all in one gulp.

The beer at this time is brewed strictly according to the craft, with a large amount of hops and a strong taste.

When the wine was poured again, Yang Yongqiang wanted to raise his glass, but Li Long waved his hand hastily:

"Stop, stop, stop. I need to drive the tractor. Let's drink slowly and wait for the food to come."

Yang Yongqiang smiled and said:

"Brother Long is still so cautious, good."

The dishes were not served yet, but the noodles were served first. Li Long was hungry, and so were Li Anguo and the others. They were all doing manual labor, so they stopped being polite, put their cups aside, poured the dishes on the noodles, and started eating.

Halfway through the meal, a large plate of spicy chicken was served. Li Long and his friends did not stop eating and finished their noodles. They were still not satisfied, but did not order more noodles. Instead, they clinked glasses again and started talking about their own things.

Li Anguo and his team were under the protection of Section Chief Ma Aihong, so the work went smoothly. In addition, the three of them were willing to work hard and were not the kind of people who cheated and played tricks. They also hoped to stay and become regular employees, so they quickly left a good reputation in the construction team.

The construction and installation company conducted a statistical assessment two days ago and posted the first list of people who were eligible for regularization. The three of them were on the list, which was in line with everyone's views. No one had any objections to them. After all, they worked diligently and had leaders to look after them, so no one had any objections.

"There will be two more batches of permanent employees. Those who are not on the list in these two batches will be fired in the end." Li Anguo said, "Some people can no longer work and have left. The three of us have been taking care of each other. Junshan even fell ill once, and Yongqiang took care of him and ran around."

"Hehe, we are all family." Yang Yongqiang smiled, "Uncle An Guo, you have helped me several times, too."

Listening to them talking, Li Long felt relieved. The three of them came together. He was most afraid that something might cause a rift between them. Now it seems to be going well, that's all.

"Second brother, when will you get a house after you become permanent employees? My sister-in-law and baby can't live separately from you forever, right?"

"Alas, it's hard to say for the time being." Li Anguo shook his head. "I asked Section Chief Ma about the housing allocation privately. He said that he would let me apply after I become a regular employee, but there is no guarantee when I can get it. There are still some people in the company who have families but no houses to live in. We can only wait in line. But I heard from Section Chief Ma that the company is going to build a number of small courtyards like this. The place is available, it just depends on when it will be built."

Li Long nodded and asked Li Junshan:
"Junshan, what do you think? Now that you've been promoted, are you going to go back home and find a wife, or just date someone here?"

"I haven't thought about it yet." Li Junshan shook his head, put down his chopsticks and said, "Let's do it first. I just want to save some money first."

It’s also a good and practical idea.

The four of them ate, drank and chatted. Li Long described the situation at home in detail, including the situation at Yang Yongqiang's home. Li Anguo also talked about the situation here. For a city to develop, it needs a large population. Construction and installation companies are the first to bear the brunt. After all, infrastructure construction, various government agencies, enterprises and schools all need construction. They have a lot of work and bonuses, so in fact, the salary and benefits are quite good.

As long as you have the skills and are willing to work hard, there will always be tangible rewards.

So hope is right before our eyes. After drinking a bottle and a half of beer, Li Anguo even expressed his truest thoughts:
"If I still can't get a house by the end of the year, I'll rent a small yard outside and bring your second sister-in-law and the children over. If I can't rent one, I'll buy one..."

This is a good idea and Li Long quite agrees with it.

In fact, the four of them could drink more than two bottles of beer, but Li Long had to drive the tractor and the other three had to go to work tomorrow, so they didn't drink much. After eating and drinking, they felt a little tipsy for a while. Yang Yongqiang even wanted to get on the tractor and drive it himself, and let Li Long lift him down and push him into the truck bed.

You must be kidding. If you drive him at this time, there might be an accident.

Li Long drove the tractor north. The construction and installation company was to the north.

On the way, they came across a state-owned store, so Li Long went down and bought two bottles of wine, two canned foods and a bag of snacks. After he sent Li Anguo and the others to the company, he planned to go see Ma Aihong.

Even if he didn't come to ask about Li Anguo, for the sake of Li Xiangqian's face, he had to meet him anyway.

This is the way of the world. (End of this chapter)