Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1439 Restructuring of the Jade Carving Factory, Yu Sufu Changes Professions

When Li Long arrived at the jade carving factory, he found that Engineer Liu was already waiting at the door.

Li Long felt really bad making the old man wait outside in this freezing weather, but Engineer Liu, wearing a Lei Feng hat, didn't seem to mind. He watched Li Long get out of the car, stamped his foot, and said:

"Come on, come over here quickly, take these things and put them in your car."

Li Long then noticed a hard leather case made of artificial leather at Liu Gong's feet, which was a bit larger than a regular handbag, so he went over to pick it up.

It's quite heavy, and something inside is moving around. Li Long asked, "Engineer Liu, is there... jade inside?"

"Oh right, these are the jade stones I've been saving up. I just returned them all, so I decided to buy all the decent quality jade stones and some carved pieces that were originally sitting here."

I think you'll want it. You have plenty of money. Give Xiao Wu a thousand yuan and take these things with you.

As he spoke, Engineer Liu shouted into the store:

"Xiao Wu, the person is here. Please collect the money."

Only after he finished speaking did he realize his mistake and whispered to Li Long, "I forgot to remind you to bring money... Did you bring it?"

"I brought it, I brought it." Li Long put down the suitcase and hurriedly went to the car to get the money.

Li Long handed the money to the middle-aged man who came out of the store. The man was quite serious and gave Li Long a receipt. It seemed that the receipt had been written in advance and listed the items purchased. Li Long glanced at it and saw that the total amount was seven pieces of jade, a pair of jade bracelets, three "no worries" pendants, three hand-held pieces, and four jade Buddha and Guanyin statues.

After watching Li Long pay, Engineer Liu clapped his hands with a smile and said:

"Alright, alright, that's enough peace and quiet."

Li Long put the box into the car, then said to Engineer Liu:

"Mr. Liu, where are you going? Shall I give you a ride?"

"Hey, I'm finally free now. I originally retired due to illness, but I was never quite satisfied with that, so I started this little shop."

But now it seems I really made the right decision to retire. Compared to the others in the factory, I've had a peaceful end..."

"Hey, you can't say that," Li Long quickly advised. "That's not something you say to a living person, Engineer Liu. What's going on?"

Engineer Liu followed Li Long to the car, looked at it, and said:

"Xiao Li, I've watched you grow up step by step. I saw you take the bus when you first came here, then drive, and now you've changed cars again. Hey, it's quite gratifying."

Li Long helped Liu Gong into the car, then turned on the heater and started the engine, saying, "Liu Gong, if you're free, shall we find a place to have coffee or tea?"

"Sure." Liu Gong really wasn't thinking about going home right away. He said with a smile, "I know you've made money. Today I'm going to take revenge on the rich and eat like a king. Come on, Xiaoximen, there's a red house Western restaurant over there, they have good coffee."

Li Long thought to himself that the old man was really saving him money. He didn't order from the Holiday Inn, Torch Building, or the eighth floor, but only from the Red House. He said he was taking advantage of the rich, but he really didn't treat him like an outsider and didn't rip him off.

As he drove, he chuckled and said, "Even if we don't go to the Holiday Inn, we should at least go to the eighth floor, right? The Red House... isn't that a bit too simple?"

“We ordinary folks shouldn’t go to those places that look high-end but aren’t comfortable. Our clothes don’t fit in there. Only the red houses aren’t so fancy, so we just go for the red houses.” Engineer Liu said firmly, and then changed the subject.

"In the past two years, our factory has been getting worse and worse. Actually, it's not just in the last two years, it started several years ago. Back in the 1980s, some technicians left to start their own factories. After that, more and more people left, and our factory received fewer and fewer orders. We're almost unable to pay wages..."

Li Long listened silently.

Under a planned economy, some state-owned enterprises were like this. There were many reasons for this: some couldn't keep up with market development, some had rigid thinking among factory leaders, and some were completely dependent on tasks assigned by higher authorities, not knowing what to do when there were no tasks.

“We used to produce our own products and mainly did foreign trade distribution. We also bought materials from the factory. You were here to deliver materials.”

Now, it's gradually become processing of supplied materials. Originally, the factory produced mostly pre-ordered goods, but now they've started doing retail too… Since they can't pay wages, the factory has started downsizing. Sigh, it's lucky I left early; otherwise, given my situation, I would have been laid off sooner or later.”

Li Long still couldn't speak.

Aren't sugar factories and jade carving factories all like this? If they don't save themselves, they will eventually have to slowly shut down.

"Actually, some former colleagues asked me to go to the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources to start my own business. Anyway, I'm retired, so it's not illegal for me to do this myself."

But I can't get over this hurdle. I've spent most of my life in this factory, and now it's about to close down. Our Kunlun school of jade carving techniques..."

Hearing the sorrow in Liu Gong's voice, Li Long quickly said:

"Engineer Liu, that's actually the reality right now. Although the factory isn't doing very well, those who went out and took the technology with them are still making money. Our Kunlun School technology is still around, so it's like it's branching out and flourishing."

After a moment of silence, just as Liu was about to speak, Li Long had already driven the car to the Red House Western Restaurant.

After getting out of the car, Engineer Liu whispered:

"Xiao Li, don't mind me, I was just feeling sentimental... Actually, it's quite good. The tide of reform is blowing, and no one can escape it."

It was almost lunchtime, and there were still quite a few people in the Red House. Li Long and his companion found seats, but neither of them really wanted to eat, so they ordered coffee and chatted while drinking it.

Mr. Liu was in high spirits today, telling Li Long about the history of the jade carving factory, about how he went with his master to find jade near the Kunlun Mountains when he was young, and how abundant the resources were back then.

Li Long listened with great interest. In the 1980s, he obtained a lot of top-quality small jade stones from Yu Sufu, and thought that was already considered an abundance of resources at that time. He did not expect that the resources were even better in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Back then, we wouldn't accept any jade pieces smaller than an egg," Liu said with pride. "The names 'White Jade River' and 'Black Jade River' weren't just for show. Jade farmers back then could really dig up a lot of good jade every day... There really are some very good jade veins in the Kunlun Mountains..."

After having two more cups of coffee, Li Long ordered steak and chatted with Engineer Liu while eating. When the conversation turned to the topic of passing on skills, Engineer Liu expressed his regret that although he had taught a few apprentices, they could hardly be called his students.

"Engineer Liu, didn't you say that a jade street is slowly forming around the Geological and Mineral Bureau and Youhao area? You could go there and take a look. If you find any promising talents, you could definitely teach them," Li Long said suddenly.

“Jade will definitely become more and more popular in the future, and there should be more and more people working in this industry. You will definitely be able to find a good candidate.”

After Li Long's persuasion, Engineer Liu was somewhat tempted. He thought for a moment and said, "I'll go take a look after I rest for a few days. It's not easy to do business in winter. I'm thinking of setting up a stall in the spring, even if it's not to sell anything, just to find a good seedling."

With a direction in mind, Engineer Liu, who had been talking about the past, began to plan for the future.

Li Long was quite pleased. The worst thing for a retired person is to be idle and have nothing to do. His encouragement of Engineer Liu to start a new life was a significant achievement.

After dinner, Li Long drove Liu to the jade street near the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. However, the car was difficult to drive, so they only looked at a little bit before sending Liu back home.

After getting out of the car, Liu Gong specifically told Li Long that he should come and visit him when he had time, or that he should be able to see his stall when he went to the jade street next year.

Li Long immediately agreed. Engineer Liu had treated him well, and visiting the old man was something he should do.

After seeing Liu Gong home, Li Long declined his invitation to have a drink at his house, got back into his car, and drove off. He figured that since he was already there, it wouldn't be right not to visit Yu Sufu, so he drove to the train station.

After parking, I didn't get out of the car immediately. I first looked at the contents of the box—the jade was very good, two pieces reached the mutton fat grade. Although they weren't big, they were good materials.

There was also a piece of jade, about the size of a fist, of icy type. The green color wasn't very obvious, but its quality was excellent.

The finished product is also good; it's all thanks to Engineer Liu's skills. I'll take it home and keep it as a keepsake.

After putting his things away, getting out of the car and locking the doors, Li Long went to the dried fruit street next to the train station, only to find that Yu Sufu wasn't there.

Li Long went to ask Yu Sufu's son at the original stall: he recognized the young man.

"He went to the jade street to do jade business?" Li Long was a little surprised. Hey, if he had just strolled around that street, would he have seen him?

Although he didn't run into Yusufu, Li Long was still quite happy. He bought some dried fruit there, mainly raisins, figs, and dried white apricots, as well as some almonds, and then left.

He planned to go and check out Yusufu's new stall.

After parking his car, Li Long walked into the jade street and felt as if he had stepped into the jade bazaar of his previous life.

It's been a long time since I've been to Wucheng. I didn't expect it to have changed so much.

Despite it being the dead of winter, stalls were still bustling about, hawking their jade.

There were quite a few people buying jade, listening to the stall owner's introduction with their sleeves tucked in, and occasionally taking a look at it in their hands—but the jade was a bit cold, so they put it back immediately after looking at it.

He suddenly realized that it was 1995, and the market should be thriving. Many stalls even had homemade stoves for heating.

Some stalls are set up directly on the ground, while others are homemade carts with jade displayed on them, including raw materials and finished products.

Li Long glanced over them and found quite a few good pieces.

Just by looking at it, he could tell that the price of jade had increased significantly compared to the previous two years.

For example, a piece of jujube-red jadeite weighing two or three kilograms, whose jade quality can barely reach first-grade white, is now priced at two thousand yuan.

The vendors included both ethnic minorities and Han Chinese, and they chatted and laughed together, getting along quite well.

There were several stalls specializing in carved jade items. Li Long wasn't sure if these people were Liu Gong's former colleagues who had left the factory.

He strolled inside and actually found a few nice pieces of jade. He thought he would buy them when he came out later, but for now, he needed to find Yu Sufu first.

When they had walked about two-thirds of the way in, they saw Yu Sufu haggling with a jade buyer, so they stood aside and listened.

After Yu Sufu reluctantly agreed to the woman's bargain with a pained expression, handed over the jade, took the money, and saw the customer off, Li Long stepped forward. By then, Yu Sufu had put on a smile, and upon seeing Li Long, his professional smile immediately turned into surprise.

"Hey, Mr. Li, hello there!"

Li Long noticed that Yu Sufu's Mandarin had improved a lot. Although it was still clear that he spoke as a member of an ethnic minority, it was much more fluent than when they were at the train station.

"Hello, hello! If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have known you were making a fortune here. That last order must have earned you at least fifty yuan, right?"

The woman just bought a jade Buddha, which was quite large, and with the jade beads, it was also quite heavy.

“Hehe, this number.” Yu Sufu gestured an “eight” and said, “Business is better here than at the train station. There are more people buying dried fruit there, but most of them don’t know the value of jade, so good jade doesn’t fetch a good price. Here, all kinds of jade can be sold.”

He pointed to a stall in front of him and said in a low voice:

"The day before yesterday, Mr. Wang, the owner of that stall, sold a piece of jade weighing several tens of kilograms to a jade dealer in the mainland. He cut a window in it and sold it for tens of thousands of yuan... He made 20,000 yuan from that one transaction!"

Seeing Yu Sufu's excited expression, Li Long felt that this guy had come back to life—it was a bit like the time when he and Yu Sufu sold jade together to the jade carving factory.

“You earn more here than at the train station,” Li Long said. “You have a direct source of goods, so even if you sell them at a lower price than others, you still make a lot of money.”

Yu Sufu thought for a moment before realizing what a first-hand source of goods meant. He immediately nodded, but then shook his head and said, "Most of the people who come here to sell jade have a fixed source of jade."

Some people regularly go to the jade market in Hotan, southern Xinjiang, to buy jade, while others have connections there who regularly ship jade over. Well, everyone has their own methods.

When he said that, Li Long understood.

Indeed, just as the Eight Immortals each display their unique abilities when crossing the sea, who doesn't have a secret weapon or a signature dish to sell when opening a shop here?

“Actually, Li Long, with all this jade you bought, you could easily set up a stall with those stones,” Yu Sufu said enthusiastically.

"For example, the piece of jade I sold to you at a street stall at the train station back then, now it has found a good buyer and selling for 50,000 yuan is no problem!"

Back when we worked together at the jade carving factory, I sold you all those small jade pebbles that the factory wouldn't accept. They were only worth a few dollars each. Now, those jade stones sell for tens of dollars, and the better ones can cost over a hundred!

When it comes to the jade in Li Long's possession, the people who know the most are Yu Sufu and Liu Gong.

Of course, they only knew part of the story, since Li Long's family lived in Ma County, and the jade he owned most of was actually top-quality Ma River jade.

Seeing the two chatting happily, people at the other stalls, even those without business, gathered around. Hearing Yu Sufu mention that Li Long also possessed jade, someone immediately asked curiously:

"This shop owner sells jade too? Is he planning to set up a stall here? Come on, come on, it's more lively with more people!"

"That's right, there are still empty spaces on this street. Even though it's winter, people come here to buy jade every day. The more people come, the more famous the brand, and the more business they get!"

Li Long hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, no, I have some jade at home, but I don't know where it came from; I bought it all. I can't do this business. I've given most of my jade away. I actually came here to buy more jade."

Upon hearing this, Yu Sufu exclaimed, "Mr. Li, you must have bought hundreds of kilograms of jade from me over the years, all of them seed jade, and of very high quality... Are you giving them away? You're really willing to spend that much!"

Upon hearing that Li Long wanted to buy jade, these people became even more enthusiastic, bringing over the finest jade from their stalls for Li Long to see.

Li Long didn't refuse and bought it after seeing that it looked reasonable. Anyway, buying it now would definitely be worthwhile if he held onto it for a few years. Even if jade wasn't as popular in thirty years, he could still make many times his initial investment by selling some twenty years later.

Of course, Li Long was most supportive of Yu Sufu's business, buying up all the good pieces of material from Yu Sufu's stall.

Although Yu Sufu was more like a businessman now, he was still polite to Li Long and gave him a 20% discount, which was much cheaper than others.

Seeing that the conversation was not going to continue for the time being, Li Long told Yu Sufu that he would come over again when he had time.

He bought no less than five thousand yuan worth of jade here alone. Yu Sufu gave him a black handbag from his stall and told him to take the jade back with him.

The stall owner even helped carry the jade out of the street and onto his car.

That's considered excellent service.

After Li Long left, the stall owner next to him said to Yu Sufu:

"Your friend is amazing. He buys jade worth thousands of dollars without batting an eye, just like buying a piece of clothing."

The stall owner who carried the jade to Li Long's car shook his head and said, "This guy is a real big boss. I think that car is a Niu Tou, which costs hundreds of thousands... Yu Sufu, you have a boss friend like this? I've never heard you mention it before."

Yu Sufu didn't reply for a moment. He remembered the first time he met Li Long. At that time, Li Long looked even more down on his luck than him and was selling Mahe jade, which was not as good as his Hetian mutton fat jade.

When did he suddenly surpass me and become so amazing?

Did he abandon his jade business to go south to sell raisins, or did he fail in selling raisins and then return to sell dried fruit?

Can not remember.

All I know is that Li Long suddenly started driving a car and suddenly became rich.

What a lucky guy!

But I'm not doing badly now.

After several ups and downs, my son has now established himself at the train station and earns at least a few dozen yuan a day.

On a good day, I can earn several hundred yuan here on the jade street. On a bad day, I might not sell a single item. But on a monthly basis, it's still better than working at the train station.

They've finally started living a good life.

Li Long drove west, watching the setting sun. He knew that by the time he got home, it would probably be dark.

However, things are not like they were ten years ago. Even in winter, there are still many cars on the Urumqi-Istanbul Highway, and some impatient drivers have already turned on their headlights.

As he walked back, he was also thinking about Yusufu.

Over the past ten years, Yu Sufu has been doing business and making money with him, and he is even bolder than him, going directly south to Guangzhou to sell raisins.

Li Long couldn't do this.

It's just bad luck; not everyone can get rich by selling raisins.

However, Yusufu seems to be doing quite well now; he seems much happier selling jade than he used to sell raisins.

This is probably the industry he loves.

Moreover, he must earn a lot of money every day. He is one of the first people to get rich in this era, so his life must be quite good.

pretty good.

P.S.: The last chapter was missing a paragraph yesterday because it was typed on my phone and wasn't synced to my computer. Seeing that some readers pointed it out, I quickly added it. (End of Chapter)