Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

After Zhao Hui changed the subject, Jia Tianlong felt that he had been a bit reckless.

Just like a wild animal, it is unwise to show your weaknesses to others at the beginning, especially to someone you have just met.

But to be honest, when he turned around and looked at the jade again, Jia Tianlong still felt that it was worth it even if he paid a little more money.

That kind of metaphysical feeling is quite magical. Looking at this thing, Jia Tianlong feels very close to it.

Here, Zhao Hui has already brought the topic to leather.

Li Long knew that if he didn't calm down Old Zhao, he would definitely be looked down upon by him. Of course, he also wanted to divert some of Jia Tianlong's attention, so he let Chen Hongjun chat with them while he went to get a snow leopard skin.

Snow leopards are not as rare as they were in the 1920s, but certainly not numerous. At least in northern Xinjiang, where there are few hunters, not many of them appear in public.

Most of the snow leopards that appear are because they are hungry in the mountains and come down to hunt sheep in the herdsmen's pens. They are killed and then their skins are sold.

At this time, the law of protection had not yet been implemented, and the snow leopard was killed when it came down the mountain, and no one was held responsible. Not to mention the snow leopard, even if the brown bear or even the northern Xinjiang tiger was killed, it would be killed.

A snow leopard skin was displayed and immediately attracted Zhao Hui's attention. Even though Jia Tianlong was not in the leather business, when he saw this rather unusual skin, he came over and started to pull the skin and look at it with Zhao Hui.

Snow leopard skin is a rare animal skin that only comes in black and white, similar to the national treasure panda. Although the color is a bit plain for many people, for insiders and those who are interested, this skin is considered high-end.

Zhao Hui couldn't put the leather down even more:

"I don't see many snow leopard skins this good. Xiao Li, how about I offer you three thousand? Will you sell it to me?"

Three thousand was much higher than the price offered by Chen Hongjun's purchasing station. Li Long now understood why Chen Hongjun had said that the bosses were generous in offering such a high price.

But he shook his head and said:

"This leather was given to us by our friends in the mountains when we got married. We really can't sell it."

"Okay." Zhao Hui didn't force it, and said, "If you plan to sell it in the future, or if you find new snow leopard skins or bear skins, you must keep them for me!"

Li Long smiled and nodded.

In fact, he had two snow leopard skins at that time, and they would not last long, but he felt that it was not a good time to sell them. These things were not at their highest price yet.

At present, we can still hear news about snow leopards from time to time, and their skins are not difficult to find.

After another thirty years, because of the continuous protection, the number of snow leopards will increase and there will be more chances to see them.

During these thirty years, snow leopard sightings have become very rare, and its skin is even harder to come by than that of a bear.

And this thing is different from bear skin. Brown bears, brown bears and the like are also found in other places, and there are many of them. Snow leopards are mainly found in the northwest, Xinjiang and Qinghai, and there are also some in Gansu Province, but very few.

Scarcity makes things valuable. The price of this thing will definitely go up. The right thing to do is to find a suitable opportunity to sell it.

Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia had said that Gu Xiaoxia had no interest in fur - in her opinion, women who wore fur were bourgeois, and she didn't like them.

Li Long no longer had any plans to make something for her using the snow leopard skin.

Pragmatist, it's that simple.

After putting away the snow leopard skin, Li Long gave each of the three people a jade carving. Since the people had come, Li Long was not stingy, and he also got a very useful piece of information from Jia Tianlong.

Jia Tianlong is in charge of collecting medicinal herbs, and Cynomorium songaricum is also an important herb he collects. If a kilogram of dried Cynomorium songaricum is of good quality, he can sell it for five yuan!
Li Long was really surprised. This thing was sold to the county herbal medicine company. Even in the 1990s, the purchase price of the herbal medicine company was only two or three yuan, and they didn't care about it.

I don’t know if it’s because state-owned companies have other channels, or if they are units that are guaranteed to make a profit regardless of drought or flood and are not interested in these revenue-generating activities.

When Li Long said that he could receive a large amount of Cynomorium songaricum, Jia Tianlong regained his shrewdness and said that as long as the quality was good, he would guarantee to buy as much as he could.

Li Long simply pulled out a few bags from the side room.

It contains his remaining Fritillaria, Codonopsis, and the dried Cynomorium songaricum that he had not sold out.

At this time, Jia Tianlong showed his nature as a businessman and started to look at the bags one by one.

Zhao Hui was also very interested in Li Long's east wing, so Li Long simply took out the remaining rolls of wolf skin and red deer skin to show him.

"Xiao Li, your house is really a treasure chest. It feels like you can take out any good thing from it." After seeing the snow leopard skin, Zhao Hui became much more enthusiastic towards Li Long. "Next year, next year I will come here. I hope you can surprise me again."

"That's no problem." Li Long still had the confidence.

At this time, Jia Tianlong stood up after looking at the medicinal materials and said to Li Long:

"Xiao Li, the quality of your herbs is very good. Lao Chen said before that the herbs he bought from you are of very good quality, basically all of them are above grade one. I was skeptical at that time, but now it seems to be true.

Next year I will come to buy medicinal materials. If the things you get are all of this quality, don't worry, the price I give will definitely satisfy you!"

Li Long nodded. Both parties were relatively satisfied this time. It seemed that he should come here.

But after Jia Tianlong finished speaking, his eyes were still fixed on the large jade stone on the stone platform, and it was obvious that he was not giving up.

Chen Hongjun felt that the time was about right, so he persuaded the two to go back. They had drunk wine, eaten food, and looked at things, and the two sides had a relatively in-depth understanding of each other. It was not bad to reach this level for the first meeting.

Li Long was sober now, so he drove his jeep to take the two people to the county guesthouse, and then sent Lao Chen back to his home.

Old Chen lived in a bungalow bought by the purchasing station. After sending Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui away, he told Li Long that after he left, this place would be handed over to the purchasing station. After the purchasing station was closed, these industries might be transferred or sold.

"Xiao Li, let me tell you, these two people are businessmen after all, you don't have to believe everything they say. The purchasing station in Ma County has been withdrawn, but there are still some in Shicheng and even Beiting.

Now that you have a car, you can go around and ask around. We have the goods, and we will sell to whoever pays the most and has the best credit. Nowadays, whether it is a public or private company, only those who give a fair price are good partners.”

Chen Hongjun spoke the truth after drinking, and it was also his heartfelt words to Li Long, so Li Long could naturally understand it.

After sending Chen Hongjun back, Li Long returned to the yard and looked at the jade again. He was still a little confused. Was this jade really so destined to Jia Tianlong?
He really didn't plan to sell it. At worst, he could help Jia Tianlong find another one later.

The next day when Li Long went to the purchasing station, Chen Hongjun told Li Long that Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui had left.

"When we left this morning, Lao Jia said that next time he comes, he will persuade you to sell the jade to him no matter what." Chen Hongjun joked, "Next time he wants to throw more money at you, just sell it."

Li Long didn't say anything here. After all, in his opinion, that was a relatively distant thing.

Li Long saw that although the purchasing station was still collecting things, it was obviously also clearing things out. Some things behind the counter had been collected, and the things originally placed in the yard had been cleared out. There were still a lot of wheel marks, and he guessed that some supplies must have been transported away.

After Chen Hongjun made the joke, he felt a little depressed.

After all, he was the stationmaster before. Although this station was not big, he was at least the head of the area. This station has been withdrawn now. Although his rank remains the same after returning to Beiting, he will definitely not be the leader anymore.

It is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. After becoming a leader, there will definitely be a sense of gap when becoming an ordinary cadre.

Li Long smiled and persuaded:

"At least I'm back home. It's not like now that I'm in another place and can't take care of my family."

"That's right." Chen Hongjun was calm and composed, and he was unusually open about his behavior. "I've been busy here for more than ten years, and it's time for me to go back and spend time with my family."

Winter is about to come, and Li Long is thinking about what Jia Tianlong asked about Codonopsis pilosula. Now is the right time to collect Codonopsis pilosula, so he wants to take some time to go to the mountains to take a look.

During this period, I was busy making big brooms and reed bundles, and also did other things in between. I haven't been to the mountains for quite a long time.

Gu Xiaoxia was quite curious about how Li Long met Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui. She listened to Sister Yang's part and Li Long's part, but the main reason was that Jia Tianlong was too generous, which made Gu Xiaoxia think that he must have some ulterior motive.

"He wants that jade? Fifty thousand?" Gu Xiaoxia was surprised after knowing Jia Tianlong's idea. "If you don't have a child, you can go to the doctor. This depends on the jade..."

There was no point in saying this. Although teachers emphasize science, there are also many people who believe in metaphysics and superstition.

Gu Xiaoxia herself gave birth to two sons. Although she was a little proud, it was not much. In her opinion, it was just genetic inheritance. In fact, neither she nor Li Long had the idea of ​​favoring boys over girls. She also wanted a son and a daughter, who would be easier to raise. After all, two boys would definitely be naughty in the future. If one boy could climb up the roof and lift the tiles, wouldn't two boys be a big deal?

After hearing about Jia Tianlong's situation, Gu Xiaoxia's original slight dissatisfaction completely disappeared.

You have two, while others have none. So don't be too unsatisfied.

"Maybe this time when Old Jia gets the jade, he will have it when he returns." Li Long joked, "Then he won't have to think about the jade anymore. The things were sent from Qingshuihe Village, and it's hard to say if we want to sell them."

Gu Xiaoxia even went over to take a closer look at the piece of jade that looked like a fat doll. For some reason, she felt that it really was spiritual.

Sister Yang even used her free time to wipe the jade carefully. Li Long seemed to see her sometimes taking the time to pay her respects secretly.

What are you praying for? May Han Fang be safe?

After staying at home for a few more days, on the morning of October 31st, Li Long drove his jeep into the mountains after breakfast.

After autumn, the earth becomes bleak.

In the past, Li Long didn't feel anything when he heard such words. But now, seeing that the leaves on the trees have all fallen in autumn, the crops in the fields have been harvested, and the winter wheat has lost its original green color due to the frost, and at a glance, the earth is vast and desolate, he understands what bleakness means.

Occasionally, you can see corn stalks piled up in the fields. Li Long plans to buy a batch of cattle and sheep after the herders move to other pastures, so he feels more at ease looking at the corn stalks that have not been taken away - this stuff is quite good as fodder.

When the jeep arrived at Qingshui River, Li Long found that most of the villagers were not outside. Now that the farm work was done, many people had stopped using their outdoor stoves, and the smoke was coming out of the roofs.

Some people have coal piled under the sheds in front of their homes, which means they are ready for the winter.

Li Long did not go to find He Yuqing and Meng Hai. Since it was nothing serious, he drove directly into the mountains.

During the journey into the mountains, Li Long was somewhat surprised to see some people walking into the mountains one after another. These people were holding various tools, including shovels, spades, hooks, hoes, and bags.

Are they going to dig Codonopsis pilosula, pick mushrooms and chop wood?
Li Long didn't ask.

First go to the cabin.

The locks of the cabin door were in good condition and had not been damaged. The wooden floor at the door was covered with a thick layer of dust and some grass and tree leaves, making it look quite dirty.

There were some horse hoof prints nearby. Li Long guessed that Bolati must have come here often to take a look. The hoof prints looked quite fresh. He didn't know whether he had come here yesterday or the day before yesterday.

He got out of the car, opened the door of the wooden house, and planned to dry the bedding inside first, and then go to the nearby ditch to dig some Codonopsis pilosula.

Li Long himself didn't plan to dig more. He just dug a little to stretch his body and see if there was any prey he could hunt. He had been idle for a while, so he came here to have some fun.

But before he left, Bolati arrived on horseback.

Bolati was also very happy to see the jeep. It has been a long time since I saw Li Long go into the mountains. Every time I came to see him, I held out hope, but in the end I always went in vain.

He had gone down the mountain before, but it was obviously not as convenient to buy things as to exchange them here with Li Long.

Seeing Li Long, Bolati waved the whip from a distance, and the horse accelerated again, running all the way to the jeep. Bolati then pulled the reins, raising the horse's front hooves straight up, and only put them down after yelling twice.

Bolati jumped off his horse, strode forward and hugged Li Long, smiling and saying:

"Adasi, you haven't been here for a long time. Everyone in our team has been missing you! Are you okay?"

"Okay, okay." Li Long said with a smile, "Are you all okay?"

"Alas, since you're not here, we have very few things, and we can't find anyone to exchange things with. We went down the mountain to the village store, but we were not satisfied with the things we got." Bolati complained, "It would be great if you could be here every day."

That is definitely impossible. Li Long is mainly collecting supplies in the mountains. How could he be here every day?

Bolati naturally understood, he was just complaining, and after chatting with Li Long, he turned around and took a bag from the horse's back.

"We collected some Codonopsis pilosula. See if you can exchange it for something else."

The price of Codonopsis pilosula is different from that of Fritillaria thunbergii. Although it sounds like ginseng and is very high-end, it is actually no different from grass roots in the eyes of these forest rangers.

Although some people go into the mountains to dig Codonopsis, there are obviously fewer people than those who dig Fritillaria. They are not stupid. After making such a comparison, they feel that Codonopsis is definitely not as valuable as Fritillaria.

Li Long took the bag and looked at it. These codonopsis roots were really good. The longest one was almost one meter long, and the thickest one was two or three centimeters in diameter. They were all large.

The bag contains about 4-5 kg ​​of Codonopsis pilosula, which is dry and basically intact. It seems that the person who dug it was quite careful. Codonopsis pilosula does not have as many whiskers as ginseng, so it is relatively easier to dig.

"What are you going to exchange?" Li Long had brought some things in the jeep when he came here, but not much. He had expected that he might run into Bolati and exchange some things.

He still has some money from Bolati here.

"Wine, shoes, brick tea, and delicious food, too." Bolati was immediately happy when he saw Li Long accept the Codonopsis. He didn't even mention the price, obviously letting Li Long set the price.

Li Long opened the jeep and handed over the six bottles of wine, half a box of canned food, and some other miscellaneous items he had brought from it to Bolati.

"Can you exchange so much?" Bolati obviously thought it was unlikely.

"You still have some money here with me," Li Long said, "and the rest is for replenishment. Ask around and see if anyone else has this and can bring it to me in exchange."

Bolati was naturally happy to have so many things. He also told Li Long about several places where wild boars were found by forest rangers, meaning that if Li Long wanted to hunt, he could go and have a look.

These locations are both far and near. What surprised Li Long was that wild boars appeared again in the place where he stayed to raise bees in the first two years.

It was just that Li Long was a little disappointed that he didn't see any beekeepers this year. Anyway, the honey was still very good.

Bolati said he would come back in the afternoon, so Li Long waited for him to leave and then drove the jeep back to the county.

He had to buy some things before coming back, and by the way, he told his family that he might not come back at night and would stay in the wooden house for one night.

I replenished some supplies in the county and just made it in time for lunch.

During the meal, Li Long told Gu Xiaoxia about his plan. Gu Boyuan wanted Li Long to pay attention to safety. There were many unexpected situations in the mountains, so he had to be more careful.

Li Long nodded in agreement.

When leaving the county and heading towards the mountains, passing by Qingshui River, Li Long saw Meng Hai on the roadside.

Meng Hai seemed to be waiting for Li Long. When he saw the jeep, he waved from afar.

Li Long parked the car beside him, got out and greeted him, and Meng Hai asked Li Long about his experience in the mountains.

"Let's see how the Codonopsis pilosula is this year and go hunting if we have time." Li Long was telling the truth.

"Some people in our village also go into the mountains to dig Codonopsis pilosula and then sell it in the county." Meng Hai said, "If Comrade Li Long wants to buy it, I will tell everyone..."

"No, no." Li Long waved his hand hastily. "If you sell it to the county purchasing station, you can get more money, so I won't interfere. But I heard that the purchasing station will be closed next year. If no one buys the codonopsis you dig up, I can collect it and sell it."

"What? The purchasing station will be closed next year?" Meng Hai was a little surprised when he heard it, "Really?"

"Yes, it's settled." Li Long nodded.

Meng Hai was a little worried. With the purchasing station, people could sell the things they made as a sideline business for a little money. Now that the purchasing station was gone, where would they sell the things?

Li Long thought, this is also an opportunity.

After all, not everyone has the ability to run to Stone City.

We can plan it carefully later. (End of this chapter)