fictionpage Chapter 139 Hunting on Horseback
Chapter 139 Hunting on Horseback
Although he was asking what he would exchange it for, Chen Tuo's eyes were fixed on the two Dongfanghong 28 tractors.
If you want to exchange old silk and brocade from the grasslands, you can't go to the herdsmen; you have to go to the production team or the township/county government, because they definitely have them in their warehouses.
"Chen Zhiqing, tractors are in high demand as industrial products and production tools; I can't get my hands on one!"
Chen Tuo may seem to be operating on a small scale at the moment, but the shareholding percentage he just mentioned in the Soren Chamber of Commerce has revealed his ambition to Xiao Kai.
Just like Wu Laowai's evaluation of Chen Tuo's hunting skills.
In Xiao Kai's eyes, Chen Tuo's behavior was not just about ambition.
In Songling, this guy always refers to himself as an "educated youth," but at the winter pasture in Eqi Nantun, he doesn't introduce himself as Chen, an educated youth from Songling.
Instead, it is the "Mergen" settlement in the Dobukuer settlement on the north side of Songling Mountain.
Although conditions in the Great Northern Wilderness and the Xinganling Forest Area were harsh, they were still quite friendly to the educated youth.
However, the situation was different on the grasslands. At the beginning of the flood, although there were production teams and livestock teams on the grasslands, their numbers were not large.
At that time, cattle, sheep and horses were also distributed to individual herders.
Xiao Kai couldn't explain what happened after that.
But on the grasslands, the lives of the educated youth were not just as difficult as they seemed.
"What do you want? I meant the experiment with beet pulp and sugar residue. You can't just give things away for free, can you?"
People always want to get what they need for free.
When you give something to someone, you always expect to get back a return that far exceeds its value.
This is also a bad habit that Chen Tuo developed during his life as a cowherd.
Using beet pulp and sugar residue from the winter pasture was just the first step in the experiment.
Given the scale of Hongguang Sugar Factory, the beet pulp pressing and dehydration equipment has been proposed and should be operational within a month.
This was because Hongguang Sugar Factory was located in the heavy industrial base of Northeast China.
If Xiao Kai's best friend were as adept at networking as him, the dehydration equipment would probably have already been shipped or installed.
The pilot program for beet pulp pelleted feed, located in Songling, is unlikely to yield results in a short period of time.
The best route is undoubtedly Hulunbuir, which is right next to the Hongguang Sugar Factory.
Having gathered the materials, Chen Tuo wanted to take the opportunity to make one last quick buck before leaving.
"Huh? Chen Zhiqing, what do you mean?"
Although he understood Chen Tuo's general meaning, Xiao Kai didn't try to guess.
Hefted the leather pouch Qinggeler had given him and whispered:
"There must still be a lot of things left behind on the grasslands, things that weren't returned after the flood. Rather than letting them gather dust in the warehouse, it's better to..."
As he was speaking, Chen Tuo paused, then leaned close to Xiao Kai's ear and asked:
"Section Chief Xiao, those kinds of survey materials from the Forestry Bureau should also be available on the grasslands, right? Could you get me some? Don't worry, I won't damage them..."
Thinking of the antiquities, Chen Tuo also thought of the research materials in the books that Xiao Kai had given him.
Compared to verbal interviews and field research, the earlier survey materials were not only detailed but also factual, making them invaluable resources.
"That's easy! But I might not be able to get my hands on the old silk and brocade you mentioned. Let's give it a try..."
Chen Tuo's thoughts were too unconventional, directly leading Xiao Kai astray as well.
But thinking about the future prospects mentioned by his family and friends, Xiao Kai stopped caring about Chen Tuo's lack of ambition.
Tourism and culture are seen by some as neglecting their proper duties.
Perhaps Chen Tuo's performance was the normal and expected one.
"Let's try to get a batch..."
After saying everything he could think of, Chen Tuo finally relaxed and started drinking mixed drinks with Wu Laowai and Zhang Taibao, one bowl after another.
To be fair, the molasses is sweet enough that even if the alcohol doesn't deodorize it, it doesn't affect the taste much.
After a heavy drinking session, almost all the herders who came were quite drunk.
Of Chen Tuo's group, only he, Zhang Taibao, and Xiao Kai remained sober.
Having achieved his goal of gathering materials, Chen Tuo did not intend to stay on the grassland any longer.
As the head of the logistics department of the Forestry Bureau and a protector and advocate of the hunters' tradition, Xiao Kai has a lot on his plate.
Before going to sleep, they loaded the leather they had obtained from Su Dao onto the cart, planning to take the train from Nantun early the next morning.
The next morning, Chen Tuo, who had originally planned to leave Wu Laowai, Guan Dunzi and his son, Su Mo and Bai Long at the winter ranch, decided to leave them behind.
He had also discussed it with Su Dao, and he and Xiao Kai would go to the slaughterhouse in Hailar first.
If the other side needs horses to exchange for cattle hooves, Su Dao will find a few herders who are passing by on the winter pasture and drive the horses over.
Wu Laowai and Guan Dunzi stayed behind to continue learning from Chen Tuo, while Guan Tianpeng, at his uncle's request, followed Chen Tuo all the way.
Although the forest and grassland areas are sparsely populated and have a relatively simple and honest atmosphere, the train station is just like the outside world, with a lot of random people.
Old hands like Wu Laowai, Guan Dunzi, and Su Dao aren't afraid of getting into trouble.
They were worried that their leader, Chen Tuo, might encounter an accident at the train station.
They were overthinking it. Although Zhang Taibao was simple-minded and honest, his personality was similar to Guan Tianpeng's.
They are equally ruthless when it comes to beating people, and they like to go all out.
Guan Tianpeng and Zhang Taibao can be considered the young generation of martial arts leaders in the Songling Forest Area.
As for Xiao Kai and Chu Maolin, these second-generation forestry workers, they were basically useless in terms of personal combat skills.
After agreeing on the terms, Pi Zhang was entrusted to transport the animals back to Songling in exchange for cattle, horses, and sheep. Su Dao and Morigen hired people to drive them back to Songling.
Chen Tuo, along with Guan Tianpeng, Bai Long who clung to him, and Su Mo, planned to leave the winter ranch.
After a day of trading, some herders from far away set off early.
The transactions here are not officially recognized, and many herders who are afraid of trouble are packing their bags.
Just as Zhang Taibao was about to start the tractor, the herdsmen who had left earlier galloped back on horseback.
Then the entire winter pasture became lively again because of the return of these few herders.
"Chen, the people who left early this morning spotted a large herd of gazelles in the snow. We're planning to hunt them on horseback. Do you want to go?"
In Wu Laowai's view, Su Dao's problem was simply making trouble out of nothing.
When they were at Songling, Chen Tuo would have gone up the mountain long ago if he hadn't stopped him.
There's a big event happening now; it would be strange if he didn't miss it.
"Section Chief Xiao, shall we stay another day? Brother Zhang, how about we take the tractor?"
Xiao Kai had no objection to Chen Tuo's two questions, but Zhang Taibao was in a difficult position.
Tractors can travel on roads in grasslands, but they cannot travel across grasslands.
There are snowdrifts on the road. If the tractor gets stuck in a snowdrift, it will probably have to wait until next spring to get it out.
"Xiao Kai, what if the tractor gets stuck in the snow? Will we be okay?"
Upon hearing his second brother Zhang Dabao's question, Xiao Kai glared at him irritably.
"How can there be no problem? If you get stuck in a snowdrift and can't pull the horse out, and the vat freezes and bursts, are you going to pay for it? Intentionally damaging public property is a crime punishable by jail time!"
Xiao Kai was unwilling to take the risk, so Bai Long and Su Mo, who were clinging to Chen Tuo, exchanged a smile.
"Mergen, you'll need to learn to ride a horse eventually. We'll teach you. First, ride one with Bailong, and then ride one with me."
Seeing the two ill-intentioned Evenki girls, Chen Tuo could only nod with a wry smile.
"Riding a horse is great! We're not being rushed around, and riding slowly is much more comfortable than riding a sled."
Fearing that Chen Tuo, with a wry smile on his face, might not participate in the hunt, Su Dao also spoke up for him.
The gazelles from the outer grasslands are much tastier than the cattle and sheep from the pastures, especially when they are in large herds crossing the border.
After a hunt, each person might get a gazelle; ten people would get ten gazelles, which is equivalent to getting two Mongolian horses for free...