Chapter 115: The Tao Family's Matters

The Li family house was warm as spring. The pine wood Li Long brought back that was still usable had been stored by Li Jianguo, ready to be fashioned into something when spring arrived, while the pieces already rotting had been split into firewood by Li Jianguo during Li Long's hunting trip and were now being used to stoke the fire.

"Uncle, this rifle is surprisingly heavy," Li Qiang said on the kang, struggling to hold the small-caliber rifle, swaying it back and forth with effort.

"This is considered light," Li Long said from nearby, guiding his nephew. "Never point the muzzle at a person. You can't pull the trigger—I've disengaged the safety."

Li Juan sat on the kang holding a doll, watching the rifle with curiosity.

"You went to hunt a few yellow sheep and came back with a rifle?" Li Jianguo still found it hard to believe. "When the team leader mentioned it earlier, I thought he was joking. How much is a yellow sheep worth? How much is a rifle worth? I never expected you'd actually bring one back!"

"I caught four yellow sheep in total," Li Long explained. "Three were males. They mainly wanted the horns to use as antelope horns; it was urgent. Besides, yellow sheep aren't something just anyone can hunt; they're hard to find."

"That makes sense," Li Jianguo nodded. "Everyone knows there are yellow sheep on the Gobi, but no one from our team has ever managed to catch one. You're the first."

Li Long took the rifle from Li Qiang's hands and handed it to Li Juan.

"Want to see?"

"Yes!" Li Juan happily put down her doll, picked up the rifle, and aimed it at the window with practiced ease.

"This rifle should work for hunting rabbits," Li Jianguo said, a hint of envy in his eyes. He had actually handled rifles quite a bit before; when the production team was first established, the first group of them had stood guard at night against wolves with old Type 79 bolt-action rifles. Later, when the militia company was formed, they used Type 56 semi-automatic rifles and Type 56 submachine guns.

But those rifles belonged to the collective, and ammunition couldn't be used freely. Now, this small-caliber rifle in Li Long's hands belonged to Li Long personally, and the feeling was completely different.

"Rabbits, snow partridges, foxes should all be fine. Yes, you can even hunt badgers," Li Long said.

"Hunting badgers and foxes damages the pelt," Li Jianguo noted.

Seeing that Li Juan could no longer hold the rifle, Li Long took it back and handed it to Li Jianguo.

"Badgers and water rats can still be dug out, but foxes are hard to get; you can only shoot them."

Li Jianguo held the rifle, skillfully disengaged the safety, racked the bolt, locked it, then peered through the ejection port to inspect the chamber before asking:

"Do you have ammunition?"

"They gave me two boxes. I plan to buy a few more at the Xinhua Bookstore to keep as a reserve."

Even in later times, after gun control was enforced and the Xinhua Bookstore stopped selling small-caliber rifles, air guns, and sand-blasted guns, the counter still displayed small-caliber ammunition, which Li Long found very strange. However, at that time he had no gun, so he never asked.

"Right, having extra ammunition never hurts," Li Jianguo said, fiddling with the rifle a bit longer before handing it back to Li Long. He stood up, unclipped the keys from his waist, unlocked the five-drawer chest, and took out a shoulder bag.

Li Long recognized the bag; it had originally been Li Juan's schoolbag. After Li Long bought her a proper schoolbag, Li Yue Mei had put this one away.

"This is ammunition I managed to get from the team over the past few days. You need bullets for hunting, and those herder friends in the mountains probably need them too. They've helped you a lot; you shouldn't be stingy. Take it and use it. If it's not enough, I'll figure something out."

Li Long didn't refuse. He took the bag, felt its weight, and estimated it contained at least a hundred or two hundred rounds.

Plenty to use.

"And this," Li Jianguo said, taking two knives from the chest and handing them to Li Long. One was long, the other short; the long one was thirty to forty centimeters, the short one about ten centimeters. Both had sheaths. Li Long took them and examined each one.

"When you're hunting in the mountains, you need good knives for gutting, skinning, and butchering. These two knives were forged by someone I know using artillery steel. They've been sharpened; they're very sharp." "Artillery steel? Where did you get artillery steel?" Li Long asked, surprised, looking at the blades gleaming with cold light.

"The firing range in Nanshan," Li Jianguo said with some pride. "Our county's artillery regiment has a firing range in Nanshan. After the soldiers finished target practice, they didn't clean the range completely, leaving behind some stray artillery steel. Someone found some. I know a blacksmith who had a few pieces stored. A while back, I asked him to forge these two knives for me."

Li Long was still using an old knife with a wooden handle; the steel had been worn down. Most of the damage to the roe deer pelts was due to Li Long's lack of skill, but part of it was also because the knife wasn't very good.

Holding the two knives with great affection, Li Long was truly happy.

Seeing Li Qiang eyeing the knives and wanting to come over and touch them, Li Long quickly sheathed them and said to him:

"Qiangqiang, you must not touch these knives. One scratch and you'll get a cut; they're very sharp!"

Hearing this, Li Qiang, though still curious, immediately stepped back a few paces to the edge of the kang. He didn't want to get hurt.

Seeing Qiangqiang so cautious, Li Long felt reassured.

"Haven't you seen Daqiang these past two days?" Li Jianguo asked Li Long after locking the chest and turning around.

"No, I've been wondering about that. He used to come running home every day. Why haven't I seen him these past few days?"

"His father is sick," Li Jianguo said. "It's a lung condition. Old Tian examined him and said it can only be managed; if they want to treat it properly, they have to go to the county hospital. Tao Daqiang wanted to take his father, but Tao Jiansheng absolutely refused, saying it's just an old chronic issue and nothing serious."

Li Long had no words. In these times, medical conditions were not as advanced as in later years, and for poor families, seeking medical treatment was truly difficult. The village barefoot doctors did solve many problems, but serious illnesses could only be treated at large hospitals, and the common people had no money.

!.

In contrast, in later years, with the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, Li Long remembered several people in the team who were diagnosed with cancer during checkups, went to Wucheng for surgery, and lived many more years.

So, although the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme was criticized by many, everyone in the team contributed to it enthusiastically.

The older generation had grown up suffering; when they fell ill now, they would endure it if possible. At most, they would get an injection or take some medicine. The incident in "Ordinary World" where Sun Shaoping's grandmother counted painkillers was nothing new in the countryside.

Even up until Li Long's time in later years, many elderly people in the team, when sick, still believed in Analgin, aspirin, and painkillers. Although both types of medicine had severe side effects, in the eyes of the elderly, as long as they were cheap and effective, that was enough.

When you're old, you can't think that far ahead.

"I'll go take a look," Li Long said, preparing to put the knives and rifle in the east room.

"Xiaolong, if you put these things in the east room, you must lock the door," Li Jianguo reminded him. "These items are not cheap."

"I know."

"Take something with you when you go. We still have canned goods and sesame cakes. I'll cut a piece of meat for you now."

"Okay." Fish were not lacking in the Tao family, but they should bring some meat. Regardless, Tao Daqiang had been working with Li Long, so it was proper to visit.

Tao Jiansheng lay in bed covered with a blanket, coughing occasionally. Tao Daqiang was washing clothes by the stove. Seeing Li Long enter, he looked surprised, stood up, felt awkward, and didn't know what to say.

Li Long sighed inwardly. This foolish brother was truly the same as always.

(End of chapter)