sjar Chapter 445 Li Guaizi Wants to Go to the Barley Quarry
Chapter 445 Li Guaizi Wants to Go to the Barley Quarry
It was winter of 86. As the year drew to a close, Li Ju'an, carrying large and small bags and holding his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter who spoke quite fluently, led his wife and mother, Song Lanhua, into the county town to pay New Year's respects to his uncle's family.
He hadn't gone into the mountains to hunt for quite some time. At most, he would lead Chen Xiangqian, who was addicted to hunting, into the mountains to set traps and snares, and then ponder and calculate when Qin, the king of traps in Changbai Mountain, would be released from prison.
Li Guaizi was very concerned about Lao Qin's situation. He would visit him in prison every month, bringing the guards some wild game from the mountains and keeping an eye on him for as long as possible. Li Guaizi said that Lao Qin was behaving well in prison and could get a reduced sentence, estimating that he would be released after the New Year.
Li Ju'an hadn't expected Old Qin to be released so quickly; what was originally a three-year sentence would now be reduced to two and a half years. If Qin Pao's childhood friend's family found out, they'd be furious.
Li Guaizi sighed and said, "His childhood friend's life is quite tragic. His wife remarried with her child, I heard she married an old bachelor in the next village, and had a son in the last two years, so she didn't care much about her previous child. His childhood friend's old mother was already ill, and she died not long after her daughter-in-law remarried."
Li Ju'an was deeply moved. For a man, his own health and life are the most important things. Otherwise, if he dies, his wife won't be his, his children will call someone else's father, and his elderly mother will cry herself blind—where will he go to complain?
"When will Brother Qin be able to come out after the New Year? Let's go pick him up together."
Li Guaizi took the Daqianmen cigarette from Li Ju'an and tried to light it with an old-fashioned lighter, but it wouldn't light no matter what he did; the lighter was too old. Li Ju'an handed him a new lighter, and Li Guaizi looked at the new lighters in the city and smiled bitterly, saying, "Things are all so nice now; we're falling behind the times. It's you young people who can really make a name for yourselves."
Li Ju'an lit a cigarette for Li Guaizi. Li Guaizi took a deep breath, squinted, and slowly exhaled smoke rings. He sighed and said, "Alright, let's go pick up Lao Qin together. Let Lao Qin see how our village has changed. It's completely different now; I doubt he'll even recognize what the village looks like anymore."
The two men exchanged a wry smile. Indeed. The changes in Lijiatun over the past two or three years have been nothing short of earth-shattering. With the gradual relaxation of policies, the city has been changing almost every month.
Every year, new products emerge, wildly impacting everyone's acceptance level. Citizens are adapting to these changes, and more daring business people are venturing into the market, making a fortune.
Li Guaizi asked him, "I heard from Lao Zhang that you bought a car? Just to run around that barley field? That place is so barren that even birds don't poop there. Why do you keep running back and forth to that place? You might as well work with the Lu brothers to expand the farm."
Li Ju'an did indeed buy a car. These days, cars are too expensive. Take the new Honda Accord, for example; a typical mid-to-high-end model costs 17 yuan. How could he possibly afford that?
The purchasing power of 10,000 yuan in 1986 was vastly different from that of 10,000 yuan in later years. In 1980, 10,000 yuan meant you were a "ten-thousand-yuan household," but in the 21st century, 10,000 yuan would only make you a "low-income household." At that time, the purchasing power of a new Honda Accord was equivalent to dozens of times that of today.
Li Ju'an was reluctant to part with the money, as he had earned it bit by bit from the beginning, so he went to Chen Xiangqian to buy Chen Xiangqian's used car.
Chen Xiangqian heard an advertising slogan this year that said, "Owning a Santana means you can go anywhere in the world without fear."
When the Santana was launched nationwide in 86, it became an instant sensation and a household name. Owning a Santana was a symbol of wealth, priced at 6.75 yuan. In that era, such an expensive car made it a top-tier vehicle. In later years, the price of the Santana rose from 6.75 yuan to 20 yuan, but the purchasing power was completely different.
After Chen Xiangqian replaced his Lada with a Santana, he left his old Lada, which cost 20,000 yuan, in the garage and rarely drove it. This Lada, which he had owned for three years, had been involved in two accidents. Chen Xiangqian had rear-ended another car while trying to pick up girls. He had originally bought it for 20,000 yuan, but Li Ju'an had sold it to him for a little over 10,000 yuan at a discounted price.
And so, Li Ju'an's first car was a second-hand Lada, which was enough to keep up appearances.
Li Ju'an said, "We need to get to that barley field. It's just that Chen Xiangqian is unreliable and too playful. It's still not officially operational, and we keep pouring money into it. I plan to go to Shanghai after the New Year. Pang Duolai's two partners are going to Shanghai after the New Year to meet up. I'll meet with them and mention this matter."
Li Guaizi didn't understand these things, but he supported his brother.
Li Guai Zi patted Li Ju An on the shoulder and said, "Times have changed. We can't just stay in the mountains and live off the mountains forever. Policies change every day. What if the higher-ups suddenly stop letting us live off the mountains? We'll end up like those old hunters in Wangxing Village."
Li Ju'an nodded, his eyes lighting up at Li Guaizi's perspective. There weren't many hunters in the mountains with Li Guaizi's mindset. Like the Sun Quande family, who never considered leaving hunting, dedicating themselves to the mountains year after year. Zhao Pao of Yingtun was the same; he led his falconers, also roaming several mountains, making a living through falconry year after year.
But Li Ju'an knew that the time for development had come. Within five years, there would be a fishing ban on the Huma River, lasting for a month or two. The fishermen were struggling to survive and had to find ways to make a living. Many fishermen sought to transform their businesses and began to seek other employment.
Beginning in the 90s, hunting was gradually banned in different areas of the Xinganling region, and strict enforcement began in 96, marking the start of a complete ban on hunting. The Wildlife Protection Law and its implementing regulations were also subsequently promulgated, and hunting tools such as firearms, anesthetics, slingshots, and bows and arrows were completely prohibited.
The hunting season is limited, and people can still make a living off the mountains. If they don't seize this opportunity while the policies are relaxed and occupy a high ground, they'll be like frogs slowly boiled in water, gradually losing their livelihood as the hunting industry shrinks. Switching to another profession later will require even greater effort.
Li Ju'an told Li Guaizi about his idea for the barley field quarry. Li Guaizi, unusually, nodded and said, "I know Old Zhao from the barley field too. I went drinking with him a few years ago; that old man is quite interesting. When you go to the quarry, take me with you. Give me a ride; I want to see an old friend."
"That's fine."
Li Ju'an could see through Li Guaizi's thoughts. Li Guaizi didn't just want to see Lao Zhao; he wanted to see if there was an opportunity with him. Li Guaizi was only in his early forties, and unlike Lao Zhang from the security department, he was a daring and adventurous person.
Li Ju'an drove his secondhand Lada to the county town with his wife, daughter, and mother.
He would take the winding mountain road to the county town, passing by a sheep farm in the suburbs.
He drove up to the sheep farm and got out to take a look inside. Sure enough, Song Desheng was arguing heatedly with Old Chen from the feed mill at the farm entrance. Lu Jinyang was in the back office calculating accounts and shouting about expenses, which only fueled Song Desheng's anger. Lu Zhiqiang had disappeared somewhere, probably off helping his father-in-law pull the nets.
The fishing ban period in Huma River is from May 16 to July 31. Before the end of the year, Lu Zhiqiang has to put in extra effort to help his father-in-law and mother-in-law catch more fish so that they can have a peaceful year.
Li Ju'an called out to Lu Jinyang, "Lu Jinyang! I brought you a case of Arctic Ocean soda. I'll leave it in the office for you to share later."