Chapter 1362
This winter won't be lonely, someone wants to immigrate to Kazakhstan?
Tractors lined up on the flat ground, their bulldozer blades sweeping over the potholes and uneven areas, leveling the high ground and filling in the low-lying areas.
During normal flood irrigation, all you need to do is build embankments on the slopes to allow the water to collect and overflow.
Because the plot of land was so large and was originally formed naturally, plowing did not significantly alter the terrain.
It's fine to plant normally, but not with drip irrigation tape. Because the water pressure of drip irrigation tape is not very high, if it's on high ground, the water flow might not be enough to reach it, and the cotton planted in the lower ground won't be irrigated.
Therefore, land leveling is necessary before laying drip irrigation tape or before modifying drip irrigation tape for planting.
Zhao Shijie not only supervised the construction quality of these projects, but also promoted the advantages of drip irrigation farming.
So when the villagers asked him questions, he was happy to answer.
Although the villagers in Team 4 spoke a variety of accents, some of which he couldn't understand, he would ask Li Long to translate for him.
Although Li Long was a little resentful, he still had to obediently translate. After all, it was a win-win situation; if more people understood drip irrigation farming, he wouldn't have to explain so much.
Otherwise, people who don't understand might think he's preventing others from using drip irrigation for farming because he doesn't want them to get rich.
During a break in the explanation, Xie Yundong came over and asked Li Long, "If we finish leveling this area before winter, will we be able to leave it alone?"
“How can we not care?” Li Long looked at the land that had been pushed back up and shook his head. “Every winter and spring when we flood the land, we wash away some of the alkali. But the alkali we wash away is just the surface alkali.”
Now the land is being leveled, and the topsoil has been pushed down, revealing the new alkaline soil underneath.
So we need to water it again before winter to soak the newly displaced alkaline soil and wash away the alkali. We can do it again next spring. When we use drip irrigation, it will be easier to neutralize the alkali when the water drips down.
Xiaohaizi was contracted by Li Long, and he would fill it with water every spring when the snowmelt floods came.
Therefore, this natural, free water made it convenient for the cooperative to irrigate these lands twice to wash away the alkali.
Xie Yundong understood and said he would arrange it right away. After the land is leveled, we'll water it immediately.
Xie Yundong calculated that by the end of the month, the land would be leveled, and it would take at least two or three days to water 1000 mu of land. If they didn't hurry, the land would freeze.
If the water isn't used up before the ground freezes, it can be quite troublesome.
Tao Daqiang drove over to deliver lunch at noon, and by then the onlookers had gradually dispersed.
Lunch consisted of steamed buns made by Uncle Luo and his family, along with two dishes, one meat and one vegetable: stir-fried pork with chili and shredded potatoes. There weren't many options, but the portions were generous.
Xie Yundong went to call the tractor drivers over for lunch. While getting his food, Zhao Shijie said to Li Long, "Hey, this is the first time I've seen people in our team so enthusiastic and eager to learn!"
Li Long, also carrying the enamel basin, followed behind him while serving the vegetables, saying, "Don't you know? This year, cotton prices have gone up, and everyone sees the prospect of getting rich, so they're thinking of learning more about cotton cultivation from you."
Zhao Shijie was puzzled again: "Then why do I feel like they're only asking about drip irrigation farming? I didn't say anything about cotton planting techniques, of course, I don't know anything about them anyway."
"Drip irrigation for cotton can yield three to four hundred kilograms per mu (unit of land area), excluding costs." Li Long finished cleaning the vegetables, carried them to his car, opened the door, pulled out a bag of urea, placed it on a flat spot, and then sat down, saying:
"Think about it, at the current prices, how much can you get from one acre of land? They're not stupid; if they can get it all done in one go, why would they do it twice?"
Zhao Shijie sat down next to him, waved his hand to let Li Long move aside, took a bite of his steamed bun, and mumbled, "Then why didn't they ask you? You're the expert in this area, right? I heard that you were the one giving the presentation at the experimental field meeting, and you seem to be in charge of it."
While eating, Li Long said, "Do you know what 'distant fragrance smells good, close proximity smells bad' means? Do you know what 'a stranger chants better sutras' means? Do you know what 'good intentions are wasted' means?"
Zhao Shijie laughed heartily upon hearing Li Long's words and tone, saying, "Why do I hear a hint of sourness in your words? So you've already explained it to everyone, but they don't believe you, right?"
Li Long glared at him, said nothing, and continued eating with his head covered.
Zhao Shijie smiled and continued eating, then exclaimed, "Uncle Luo and the others make such delicious steamed buns. We can never make them like this at home."
My wife even told me it was because we weren't using bamboo cages at home, so I feel it's a technical issue.
Li Long didn't know how to respond to that. He looked up and saw that Liang Wenyu and the others had gotten off the tractor and were coming over.
Tao Daqiang prepared water for them to wash their hands. After they poured water and washed their hands, they took their enamel basins and chopsticks to get their food.
Liang Wenyu knew that Zhao Shijie came from the autonomous region. After getting her food, she hesitated for a moment and didn't come over to Li Long's side.
Li Long guessed that he was trying to avoid suspicion, worried that if Zhao Shijie knew about his relationship with Liang Wenyu, he would think he was abusing his power for personal gain.
He smiled and waved for Liang Wenyu to come over, then pointed to his car and said, "There are bags of urea in there. Take one, sit down, and eat it."
Seeing that Li Long had already waved, Liang Wenyu simply walked over, took a bag of urea from the car, spread it out next to Li Long, and sat down.
Li Long said to Zhao Shijie, "This is my sister-in-law's younger brother. He's very capable and considered a leader among the younger generation in their village."
Liang Wenyu's face immediately turned red.
Zhao Shijie said, "No wonder. If I hadn't come down to take a look, I wouldn't have known that the tractor was driven by a young man. He seems to have excellent skills on flat ground. He drove the tractor without any bumps or stumbles. Unlike the guy next to me who tried to push hard when he hit a high spot, revving the engine and belching out thick black smoke, he didn't even know to back up a bit and lift the bulldozer blades up a little."
Li Long smiled and said, "I originally wanted to show off in front of you, but I didn't expect to overestimate the power of his tractor."
Liang Wenyu laughed when she heard this.
Zhao Shijie then asked, "So how many acres of cotton do you estimate your team can plant next year?"
“I don’t know how many acres you’ll plant, but I’d guess at least 3000 acres or more,” Li Long said while eating. “But you’ve already told them about the application process for support, so I’m sure you’ll receive a lot of applications.”
Zhao Shijie shook his head and said, "There's a high chance they won't reach us; they'll get stuck somewhere along the way."
The total national funding is less than 6 million yuan, and a significant portion has already been used. The amount allocated to our autonomous region is already meager, and since your villagers have already applied for one, it's generally impossible to receive more.
Li Long smiled but didn't say anything. It was obvious, but he wasn't about to expose it and dampen anyone's enthusiasm.
Anyway, everything that needed to be said has been said; whether they listen or not is up to them.
After lunch and a half-hour rest, the tractor drivers continued working.
In the afternoon, some villagers still came to watch the excitement, but there were noticeably fewer than in the morning.
Zhao Shijie had hoped to experience being consulted by others, but not many people came to ask him questions in the afternoon, which disappointed him a little.
Li Long came over with ill intentions to comfort him: "Take it easy, take it easy. The people here are very down-to-earth. After they know that drip irrigation fields are unlikely to be able to grow, they are not so enthusiastic about the subsequent technologies. You have to get used to it, you'll get used to it."
Zhao Shijie was so angry he wanted to hit him. But after considering the strength of both sides, he felt that a verbal confrontation would be better.
In late autumn, the vegetation in Team Four had withered, leaving the land a vast expanse of desolation. Several tractors worked together to level the land, raising dust that, combined with the ever-changing winds, left everyone covered in a layer of grime.
But no one left, because they knew this was a major issue concerning whether drip irrigation could be used normally for farming next year.
Xie Yundong, Tao Daqiang, Xu Haijun, and a few others spontaneously followed the tractor. Whenever they noticed any uneven patches of land, they would quickly go over and ask the tractor driver to level them.
Li Long felt that this standard was a bit too strict; it was even higher than the standard used when the experimental fields were established last year.
Li Long felt a little embarrassed, but Zhao Shijie thought it was the right thing to do. The standards weren't strict enough at the moment. If they found any unevenness after the main and branch pipes were laid next year, they wouldn't be able to redo it.
Therefore, it's better to be stricter at this time. Moreover, Xie Yundong and his team took the initiative to set strict standards, which saved Zhao Shijie a lot of trouble.
Nevertheless, the leveling project on more than 1000 acres of land still took seven days to be fully completed.
Of course, according to Li Long's original standards, it would have taken five and a half days to finish, but it took seven days. The main problem was that the members of the cooperative were very particular about the details.
Although no measuring tools were used, in general, the more than 1000 acres of land no longer have that bumpy feeling and are quite flat overall.
Zhao Shijie was very satisfied, so when settling the accounts, he not only paid the tractor drivers in full, but also gave each member of the cooperative a subsidy of 50 yuan as encouragement.
Xie Yundong and the others were a little embarrassed, after all, they were working for their cooperative.
But Li Long told them to accept it generously, since they had gone to work in the fields and should take what they were entitled to.
Of course, Li Long also had some complaints about not receiving the subsidy, but Zhao Shijie shut him down with a single sentence: "You didn't even go to work in the fields."
Joking aside, after the land leveling was finished, Li Long slaughtered a sheep at Old Horse's Shop to bid farewell to Zhao Shijie.
Although the project is not yet finished, Zhao Shijie, as the safety supervisor and fund manager, has done a good job so far, better than expected, and is much more honest.
Come to think of it, if he hadn't been so honest and strict, he probably wouldn't have lasted this long.
Since he wouldn't have to come here for the rest of the winter and could take a break, Zhao Shijie was quite relaxed this time. He even took a beer bottle and asked some of the elderly people at Lao Ma Hao and some members of the cooperative to have a drinking contest.
He didn't even spare Li Long.
"Li Long, let me tell you, while I admire you for building such a huge business at such a young age, to be honest, I'm also quite resentful." Zhao Shijie, his face flushed, spoke loudly as he approached Li Long with a beer bottle in hand.
"I am a college graduate from the National Agricultural University, and I have worked in the autonomous region's department for seven or eight years. I am considered young and promising, and I am qualified to give advice to most people. But I can't find any sense of superiority in you."
To be honest, I really admire you. I may be a little resentful, but if I were in your position, I couldn't have accomplished so much.
"We've had a great time working together on this project! Come on, let's blow this bottle dry. Anyone who doesn't is a coward!"
After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the bottle of beer.
Since they had already gone this far, Li Long couldn't refuse, so he picked up a bottle of beer from the side and started chugging it.
He kept the pace in mind, thinking that the two of them could finish their drinks together, making it a draw, and that harmony brings wealth.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Shijie collapsed halfway through drinking the beer, spilling it all over himself.
Li Long rushed over to help him up, but after swaying him, he realized that he had already passed out from drunkenness.
Li Long called two people over to help Zhao Shijie to the dormitory, took off his clothes, put him on the bed, and then set up the stove next door to keep him from getting cold.
Li Long asked Xie Yundong, who was greeting everyone, "How much did Supervisor Zhao drink? He seems quite unrestrained today!"
Xie Yundong said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "I didn't drink much in total. The one I clinked with you was the fourth bottle. I guess I drank too fast and knocked myself out."
Li Long was also a little dumbfounded. He thought the other party had drunk half a case of liquor today, but he didn't expect it to be so little!
After Zhao Shijie left, everyone actually felt more relaxed.
The biggest project before winter is about to be completed, and everyone is feeling quite relaxed. So they are eating and drinking more casually, and most of them are looking forward to the high yield of drip irrigation next year. Everyone is extremely happy.
The party continued until after 2 a.m., and seeing that it still hadn't ended, Xie Yundong had no choice but to say, "Haijun, Daqiang, you still have to take care of watering the plants tomorrow, so stop drinking and let's call it a day."
The weather at the end of October was already quite cool in the middle of the night.
If it weren't for the bonfire outside, and the fact that these people are all in good health and have plenty of energy, and they were eating roasted meat and drinking mutton soup, they would all be dead by now.
Li Long glanced around and saw at least four or five cases of beer piled up there. He knew that it was about time, so he picked up a bottle and said, "Come on, everyone has worked hard this year. Now we're just waiting for our share of the profits."
May our yield exceed 400 kilograms per mu next year, and may everyone earn 5 yuan! Come on, let's have a final toast!
Li Long's words stirred up everyone's enthusiasm. The six bottles clinked together, making a crisp sound, and then they gulped them down. After finishing, they all burst into laughter.
happy!
It's said that getting drunk on red wine or beer is more unpleasant than getting drunk on spirits. Li Long was still sober at this point. After driving back to his front yard, he went inside and found the stove already lit, making the house warm and cozy.
Fearing it would get cold in the middle of the night, Li Long added another half shovel of coal to the stove, then weighed it down with lump coal and broken coal. Finally, he opened the stove door a little to ensure it would burn for a longer time.
Back in the bedroom, I felt sweaty, and there was still a faint smell of alcohol in the room, but it had mostly dissipated.
He poured himself a glass of water, drank it, and then lay down.
The room was warm, but not uncomfortable; this was exactly the feeling Li Long wanted.
When I woke up early the next day, I found that I wasn't feeling so bad after all, so it seemed that I had done the right thing.
After a quick wash and breakfast in the backyard, Li Long went to see Zhao Shijie.
To his surprise, Zhao Shijie was already awake and having breakfast at Lao Ma's.
When Li Long arrived at the entrance of Lao Ma Hao, he saw Zhao Shijie drinking his porridge with gusto, seemingly unaffected by his drunkenness the previous day.
The two looked at each other and burst into laughter, clearly remembering their embarrassing moment yesterday.
After laughing, Zhao Shijie said, "I'm going back to Wucheng today. I need to rest for a while when I get back. Even though I've only been here for a few days, I feel like I've gotten as tanned as Bao Gong. The wind is too strong, it's not comfortable to stay here."
Li Long retorted, "The wind in your Wucheng is really strong. It feels like the wind blows right into your bones as soon as winter arrives. It's not a place for humans to stay."
After exchanging barbs, we actually felt much closer, and then we started talking about laying pipes next spring.
Because Li Long's drip irrigation tape factory cannot produce main pipes and branch pipes yet, the pipes need to be purchased from Wucheng and transported over, which is Zhao Shijie's responsibility.
He does this all the time, he knows the ropes, and he knows how to do it.
After agreeing on a general time, Zhao Shijie finished breakfast, said goodbye to the elderly people at Lao Ma Hao, and then went back to pack his things.
Uncle Luo said, "This young man is very capable; he truly deserves to be a college graduate."
Li Long smiled. He used to envy college students, but he gradually became indifferent to it, realizing that everyone has a different life.
After dropping Zhao Shijie off at the bus station, Li Long returned to the purchasing station, and until that winter, there were basically no major incidents.
Next came the distribution of profits among the cooperatives. Wang Xinping's two cooperatives were the first to receive their dividends, making quite a splash. Each cooperative received several thousand yuan, significantly more than last year, and many members felt quite smug.
The amount of dividends from Li Long's cooperative has always been the biggest concern for everyone else in the team, and of course, the final dividend results did not disappoint them.
After deducting the necessary expenses for the coming year and the reserved working capital, Xie Yundong and his five families each received about 35,000 yuan, while Li Long and Li Jianguo's families each received 120,000 yuan, much more than them.
After this number was leaked, the villagers were in an uproar.
The two families received so much more than the other five families that some villagers even went to them to speak up for them.
However, none of the five companies felt it was unfair, because it was clearly stated when they invested that the shares were calculated in terms of the conversion of various farm tools and land, and there was no dispute.
This put an awkward silence on those who were hoping to see a blunder, and they were embarrassed. Even those in the cooperative who received less money had no complaints; why should outsiders interfere?
In particular, when someone went to Jia Weidong to complain about the unfair treatment he received, Jia Weidong directly yelled at them and threw them out. Jia Weidong's words were extremely offensive.
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Back then, we didn't have any able-bodied men in our family, and no one was willing to work in the fields with us. If it weren't for the Li family's help, and us helping them make brooms, bundles of reeds, and plant sunflower seeds, we probably wouldn't even be able to afford a TV now!"
After joining the cooperative, you might think we're getting less money, but which of you can earn 35,000 a year?
If we did it ourselves, how could we possibly make that much? It's their skill that they get more; the fact that we get so much is because we're taking advantage of them.
Don't think we don't know what you're thinking! We're not fools. If you keep trying to sow discord, don't blame me for smashing your house to pieces!
That's a really harsh statement. Smashing someone else's pot is like smashing their rice bowl. Normally, you wouldn't say something like that unless you're about to break off a relationship.
Since you've already said it, it means you've pushed the other person to this point, so they need to be careful.
After this news spread, no one gossiped about the cooperative anymore. The Li family didn't take this matter seriously. With the addition of relatives from their hometown, the Li family was quite powerful and influential, and they were upright and honest. Unless someone did something underhanded, no one dared to cause trouble openly.
In mid-November, Li Junhai and his colleagues received their share of the income and then returned to their hometown.
In fact, most of them still want to register their household registration here, but given the current situation, Li Long can only guarantee that they can register their household registration in villages around the county town, and there is no land available.
Because Li Junfeng had not only settled down and acquired land but also brought his family over, the others hesitated. Only Chen Qianjin was determined to settle down, even if it meant settling down in another village without land.
Li Long then asked Li Xiangqian to handle the matter, which cost him a little money.
This year, Li Junhai, Li Junfeng, and Chen Qianjin received a lot of money, mainly because they participated in the farmland cultivation task in the later stages, with the lowest amount being over 5000.
Li Junfeng earned 12,000 this year because he was in charge of a lot of things. His father also made a lot of money catching and selling fish at home.
Liang Yuemei gave his wife another red envelope, and the family's total income for the year exceeded 15,000, which was quite good.
Of course, Li Junfeng did a good job too, handling both big and small tasks, and even the odd jobs were done very well. He was completely different from when he first came here; according to Li Long, he had been trained and improved.
Li Junshan seemed steady and chose a stable job. He settled down here, got a formal job, and was the envy of the village.
Li Junfeng is still considered a farmer after settling down here, so people in my village don't think he's very good. As the saying goes, only the person drinking the water knows whether it's hot or cold. Even if Li Junfeng were offered a formal job now, he wouldn't do it, since he can't earn that much money.
Chen Qianjin's household registration has been processed, but he still wants to go back. According to him, he plans to go back and consult his parents to see if they should be brought to live with him here.
If his parents agree, he plans to ask for a plot of land in the village where he will settle down and build a house.
He lives and works here, while keeping an eye out for opportunities to settle down here.
Li Junfeng joked that in that case there could only be one possibility: marrying a woman from this area.
Chen Qianjin was actually planning to consider the feasibility of this, but Li Long told him that it was unlikely, so he gave up the idea.
After winter set in, Liu Shanmin called Li Long to tell him that supplies would not be being shipped from there in the short term. However, the cannery would continue to produce canned goods. Because the political situation was unstable, the canned goods piling up in the warehouse would be transported over as soon as things stabilized.
In Li Long's memory, that behemoth would collapse at the end of this year. The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was the last republic to withdraw from the Soviet Union, having persisted for quite a long time.
He was the only one who persevered to the end, even though it may not have been very meaningful.
In December, there was more news about the Soviet Union on television, indicating that they were also closely monitoring their neighbor.
On December 16, the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic officially declared its secession from the Soviet Union and established the Republic of Kazakhstan.
On December 25, the Soviet Union announced its dissolution.
A colossal entity has come to an end.
Many people are tossing and turning at this time because of this.
Many people don't even believe the news.
After the problem of food and clothing was solved, the Chinese people have always been more enthusiastic about discussing major domestic and world events. In the store of Team 4, these past two days, the usual family gossip has been replaced by conversations about the Soviet Union.
After all, these older women knew a bit about the history of conflict between our country and the Soviet Union.
Although we may hate it and wish for its early demise, it was once the elder brother of the socialist camp. Once it falls, everyone will think of the targets of Western capitalism and immediately turn their attention to the largest socialist country at present—our motherland.
After all, Russia has already sided with the West.
We discuss world events, but life goes on day by day.
When people realized that the impact on them wasn't particularly significant or direct, they turned their attention back to their daily necessities.
They might complain occasionally about how some things have gone up in price, but the people in Team 4 still have some money in total. Despite the complaints, they still have to buy what they need.
At the end of the month, Li Long, who was listening to the middlemen chatting at the purchasing station, saw Halim rushing back.
Halim had already moved his cattle and sheep back to his current compound more than a month ago.
The winter shelter where Li Long once lived still exists, but it is no longer in use.
They now live in bright, new houses. Although they haven't settled down and started raising livestock yet, the herders have already grown fond of their new homes.
The place is big enough and there are enough rooms. Although coal is a bit expensive, it's much warmer than burning cow dung cakes in winter.
It's convenient to buy things now; we no longer have to endure hardship or wait for Li Long to deliver supplies.
That's good.
Li Long ushered Halimu into the reception room, poured him tea, and asked about the situation with a smile.
Harim sighed and said, "Our tribe is about to fall apart."
Li Long was somewhat surprised; he felt the organization had already fallen apart. A dozen or so herders were divided into three or four production teams, and team leaders like Yushanjiang left the pastures to engage in cattle and sheep trading, taking five or six able-bodied men with them.
This tribe is practically extinct, Harim, what are you talking about now?
“Three herding families approached me, wanting to transfer their cattle, sheep, and pastures to me,” Halim said, sounding a little worried.
"Transfer it to you? What will they eat and drink then? Are they just going to live off that money until it's all gone? That's not the tradition of you Kazakhs." Li Long was also somewhat surprised.
Halim told Li Long some news that startled him: "They're going to Kazakhstan. After the country was established there, the borders were opened, and some people came over to find their relatives here and got in touch with them."
It's quite normal for Kazakhs to have relatives there.
In the past, when Li Long was on a business trip to the farm there, someone asked him about the people there.
Li Long remembered talking to Yushan Jiang at the time, saying that just by looking at the tribal totems, the two sides should indeed be relatives, or descended from the same tribe.
But going abroad wasn't easy back then, so Yushanjiang and the others didn't plan to go.
As for later generations, Kazakhstan called on Kazakhs to return and build their motherland, and offered many favorable conditions, at least nominally favorable conditions, to those who returned. Li Long knew this.
However, he did not expect that someone would already be coming to gather people to go that way.
It makes sense when you think about it. With such a large land area but such a small population, development and construction cannot be achieved without a large number of industrial workers.
So it's inevitable that people will be drawn to it, but while there are no official policies yet, people are already making moves behind the scenes.
"So, do you want to go or not?" Li Long asked. "Haven't you thought about going there? You're all from the same tribe, so you should all be related, right?"
Halim nodded and then shook his head, saying, "They are indeed related, but they are quite distant from us, several generations removed."
Even if they are very close relatives, we won't go there.
We're doing just fine here, but we'll have to start all over again over there. Even if they offer great conditions, I don't think we'd be any better off there than we are now.
Now Nathan and Sasken have better learning conditions and their grades have improved.
My mother is in good health and is doing quite well in the courtyard in the county. We're both young and capable now, and life will only get better with herding. What were we doing before? Giving up as manual labor for others?
Li Long then asked, "Did you see Yushanjiang? I bet they told Yushanjiang too."
Halim nodded and said, "They did say that. They even tried to persuade Yushanjiang to go too, but Yushanjiang told them to get lost. You don't know, do you? Yushanjiang is a Party member. He takes this very seriously and thinks those people want him to be a traitor."
Li Long smiled; it was indeed the Yushan River he remembered. Usually quiet, but with a firm stance when it mattered.
Li Long then asked, "So, do you plan to keep those cattle and sheep?"
“If they’re determined to leave, then I’ll definitely take it. I can’t let someone else benefit from it,” Halim said. “If they haven’t renounced their citizenship, those grasslands are still nominally theirs. Since they’re not here, I can naturally use them.”
"Then take it," Li Long advised. "If you don't have enough money, take it from me. We want the pasture and the cattle and sheep!"
Didn't you want to become a large rancher? This is the foundation for your development. If two people can't handle it, you can hire more people. Look at how they're running all over Yushan, Jiangnan, and Xinjiang right now, just to find enough cattle and sheep for my cannery.
"You have so many cattle and sheep right here, isn't that great! They'll all be coming to you for help from now on."
Halim laughed upon hearing this and said, "I do not have enough money on hand; I need quite a lot."
Harim calculated the costs with Li Long on the spot. To buy cattle and sheep, they also needed to lease the pasture. Although the three families offered a discount because they were from the same tribe, the total price was still not low.
Finally, Li Long lent Halimu 50,000 yuan, which included the money Halimu planned to use to buy fodder and rent a field.
Halim solemnly wrote a note for Li Long. Looking at the handwriting on the note, which was comparable to that of an elementary school student, Li Long felt that Halim was quite hardworking. At least he had studied seriously with Nathan and the others. Although his handwriting was a bit childish, at least there were no mistakes.
Alim then told Li Long about his plan. He explained that his own pasture couldn't accommodate so many cattle and sheep, so he planned to lease the pastures of the other three families and see if he could exchange them for livestock near his own.
If we can do it, we will; if not, we'll put it aside for now.
Li Long suggested that he sell a batch of sheep to Yushanjiang to streamline and optimize the herd. This would reduce the number of cattle and sheep in the herd, since a large number of sheep are now starting to lamb. If there are too many cattle and sheep, it will take up too much energy. In any case, Halim and his group will definitely need to hire people, otherwise they simply won't be able to take care of them.
In addition, Li Long said that he would also provide their family with a truckload of sugar residue every two days as concentrated feed, so that the cattle and sheep could be guaranteed nutrition and energy in winter.
Halim was very grateful for this. He originally wanted to run a herding business like Yushanjiang and give Li Long a share.
Li Long declined. Previously, he had wanted to cast a wide net, trying to get involved in various industries, so he had invested in many companies.
Now I realize that it's not necessary. As long as you cultivate one or two industries deeply, refine them, expand them, and strengthen them, money will still flow in.
Moreover, having witnessed a great deal of darkness in his previous life, Li Long felt that once the amount of money reached a certain level, it was sufficient.
Not too many, or you'll attract attention.
Although I have a banner that can be used as a talisman, to be pragmatic, this thing has an expiration date.
After Halim left, Li Long originally wanted to call Liu Shanmin, but after thinking about it, he called Liu Gaolou instead.
Since Liu Shanmin's side is cross-border, there's a high probability that someone is eavesdropping on them.
Calling Liu Gaolou would eliminate these concerns.
After receiving the call, Liu Gaolou listened to Li Long's pleasantries for a while before getting to the point, which left him somewhat bewildered.
However, he quickly added, "There have indeed been a lot of people coming and going lately, with more going than coming back. I thought they were all visiting relatives and staying there for the winter, but I didn't expect this to happen!"
It seems there are more than just one or two; it appears the leadership over there may have had this idea for some time.
However, Liu Gaolou didn't care about this. In his view, there were many Chinese people, but those whose hearts weren't with this side, so let them go.
After all, Liu Gaolou is not a native of northern Xinjiang, so he doesn't have much feeling or thought about this.
After thinking for a moment, Li Long finally picked up the phone and called Secretary Zhang.
He felt it was worth reporting this situation, as it was somewhat sensitive.
After hearing Li Long's report, Secretary Zhang's expression also became serious; this matter was indeed beyond his expectations.
He told Li Long to wait a moment, then hung up the phone.
Seven or eight minutes later, Secretary Zhang called again and gave Li Long a number, saying, "Report this to this comrade. His name is Chen Dajun, and he works in the autonomous region."
Li Long immediately understood. After all, Secretary Zhang was in Yanjing, and there were some things he couldn't directly interfere with.
After hanging up the phone, Li Long sorted out his thoughts and then dialed the number that Secretary Zhang had given him.
After ringing twice, the other end answered, and a steady voice said, "Hello."
Li Long hurriedly said, "Hello comrade, I am Li Long. Secretary Zhang asked me to find Comrade Chen Dajun."
"Comrade Xiao Li, this is Chen Dajun." The voice on the other end of the line carried a hint of a smile. "Comrade Haiyang just called me. We are aware of the situation you mentioned, but we don't know much about it. Could you tell us more?"
Li Long then reported what he knew to the other party.
After he finished speaking, Chen Dajun asked a few questions, mainly about whether the people from Halim's side went alone or as a family, what kind of people came to invite them, how many people they contacted, and what kind of people were mainly going to that side from the border recently.
Li Long told him everything he knew, wondering if this person was an intelligence agent.
However, when the other party revealed their workplace, Li Long realized that it was completely different from what he had imagined.
Chen Dajun praised Li Long for his strong political sensitivity and told him that if similar situations occurred again, he could call him directly.
After hanging up the phone, Li Long shook his head. This person was of a slightly higher rank than Director Qian, but he was very polite in his speech.
Is this how it is when you get to this position?
Putting those thoughts aside, Li Long decided to think about how he, an ordinary citizen, could develop in the future.
In general, Liu Shanmin is doing well over there, so my transit business can steadily earn money for another ten years or so.
Even if the neighboring country were changed to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the current situation of poor development of light industry would continue for 20 years.
So Li Long wasn't in a hurry at all.
However, there are some things we still need to be concerned about. For example, the policies that this country discussed with us after its establishment will affect the prices of those goods.
This price will definitely affect how much money you make; you can't afford to be unaware of it.
Although he always wanted to win without lifting a finger and become a big landlord, without the money earned from these transit businesses as capital, Li Long could not have been a stable landlord.
Therefore, we still need to do both!
Two days after Halim left, Yushanjiang came looking for Li Long, and he came in anger.
Because he had two able-bodied young men working for him, they were persuaded by their families to quit their jobs, and then the whole family went to the neighboring country.
He felt these people were traitors.
Li Long advised him, "We can't stop those who are meant to leave; they think differently from us."
It's better that they left this way; it's better than developing later only to find out that their minds are different from ours.
Li Long now understands that mentality: "If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, she'll remarry. Let them be."
Going there now wouldn't be much different from joining the National Revolutionary Army in 49, right?
P.S.: I've come across a shameless app, Kuaishou. They took my novel and made it into animated audiobooks without authorization, and Kuaishou can't even report it—they say the feature is still under development!
Furthermore, the legal department coordinates with the other side, only blocking one link at a time, preventing them from loading the collection link—truly providing the ultimate protection for piracy and theft! (End of Chapter)