[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw":3,"chapter-reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-163":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Reborn in 1981: Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1934044,2572,"Chapter 163: Tao Daqiang's Good Luck","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-163",163,"\u003Cp>Li Long rode his bicycle along the narrow mountain goat path, feeling that running a few more trips in the mountains had honed his cycling skills. Passing the gully entrance where Hari Mu and the others had their winter camp, Li Long did not turn in; he still had several tasks to complete today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The task of weaving the carrying frames also needed a progress check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he cycled to Little White Poplar Gully, nearly an hour had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, Li Long spotted quite a few mushrooms, wild scallions, wild chives, and the like, but he didn't pick them; he had no time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were here, then Little White Poplar Gully should have them too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when Li Long rode into Little White Poplar Gully, he found the grass grew shorter than elsewhere, and because there were so many trees, those resources were not particularly abundant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smell of burning willow branches drifted from the gully. Li Long was somewhat surprised; usually, people cut the branches in the morning and burn them in the afternoon while weaving the frames, wasn't that right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he rode past, he discovered that Xu Jianjun was the one weaving the carrying frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only he was squatting by the pit beside the earth dwelling, weaving the frames; everyone else was scattered throughout the gully, cutting branches and chopping poles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the bicycle bell, Xu Jianjun stood up and turned to look. Seeing Li Long, he paused for a moment, then immediately squatted down again to continue weaving the frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long was somewhat surprised; he had opened his mouth to greet him—after all, they were on the same team, and Li Long was the intermediary for the task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since the other party had no such intention, he shouldn't go out of his way to make things awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long parked his bicycle by the stove, unloaded two wolf legs, and placed them on a wooden rack. A wooden rack stood there, covered with a plastic sheet. Though the rack was somewhat crude, it held some mushrooms and wild vegetables. Li Long guessed Gu Boyuan must have gathered them while others were weaving the frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After securing the bicycle, Li Long hoisted his small-caliber rifle and began inspecting along the pits dug for the carrying frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside each frame pit lay some finished frames, some more, some fewer. The most there were five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long frowned; this progress was not particularly fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, judging by the time elapsed, completing the task was still more than sufficient. Now it came down to the quality of the frames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long casually picked up a frame to examine it. The quality was good; it was woven tightly. Although the branches varied in thickness, they were pressed firmly together. When stood upright, the frame did not warp. The poles showed little difference in thickness at either end, not the kind of substandard product with uneven thickness. The curvature and depression in the middle were also just right. Not bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long nodded in approval, set the frame down, and saw that the several frames in this pit were all good. Then he moved to the next one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What satisfied Li Long was that all these frames were good. It seemed the people from the team sent to do this side business at least had the necessary skills. There was no sign of cutting corners; the quality was up to standard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only when he inspected up to Xu Jianjun's pit that Xu Jianjun reluctantly stood up, though he still said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long bent down, picked up the finished frame beside him, and, seeing it was basically acceptable, shook it vigorously to test how tightly it was woven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop shaking it. If you shake it apart, will you pay for it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it can be shaken apart, your frame is substandard. Weave it again.\" Li Long's expression remained blank. \"Frames are for use, not for show. I haven't even put anything on it. If it can be shaken apart, is that even a frame?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words left Xu Jianjun speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But words were words; although his tone was unpleasant, the frame was woven acceptably, with only minor flaws. Li Long pointed to the unshaved branch stubs on the handle and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shave these clean. Otherwise, if the person using the frame gets scratched and injured, won't they still blame us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. You're the foreman. Whatever you say goes.\" Xu Jianjun realized Li Long was the inspector, the foreman, and immediately backed down. \"It's just shaving the knots smooth. What's the big deal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he took the frame from Li Long's hand, picked up a sickle from the side, and began shaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Long finished inspecting the remaining frames, Xie Yundong walked over carrying a bundle of branches. Seeing Li Long, he smiled and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Long is here. How is it? Are all these frames up to standard? I checked them one by one last night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not bad, just a few minor flaws, like this one...\" Li Long pointed to the handle Xu Jianjun was shaving and said, \"Shave the gripping area smoother. Otherwise, if the user gets scratched and injured, that won't be good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I'll have everyone check again in a bit.\" Xie Yundong replied cheerfully. \"Let's try to do it well, aim for passing on the first try. No rework would be best.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long nodded. It was certainly best that Xie Yundong had this mindset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People gradually returned carrying branches and poles, greeting Li Long as they came. The last to return was Tao Daqiang. Seeing Li Long, he was very happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Long, you're here.\" Tao Daqiang put down the branches and ran over. \"Um... how is my family?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing much, all is well.\" Li Long had met Tao Jianshe on his way back and knew he was fine, so he spoke the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Xiao Long, I saw something.\" Tao Daqiang's voice suddenly dropped. \"Yesterday, while cutting branches, I went into a small mountain gully.\" Tao Daqiang glanced behind him and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There was something there, like the roe deer you shot. I saw it eating grass under a tree, so I didn't dare disturb it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where?\" Li Long's eyes lit up. This Tao Daqiang had good luck!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right in that gully over there.\" Tao Daqiang pointed behind him. \"The grass at the gully entrance is quite thick; they didn't go in... The thing had antlers on its head, but they looked fuzzy. I don't know if it's velvet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Li Long, Tao Daqiang had learned the difference between deer antlers and deer velvet. He knew this stuff was very valuable. If it was really there and Li Long could shoot it down, he certainly wouldn't treat him poorly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long picked up his rifle and was about to go check when Gu Boyuan returned carrying a cloth bag full of mushrooms. Seeing Li Long, he smiled and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Long is here. Perfect timing; we can stir-fry mushrooms for lunch and eat together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. Uncle Gu, I brought back some wolf meat. Put two legs here for you to add to the meal. You handle the wolf meat; I don't know how best to cook it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wolf meat is similar to dog meat; braised is best. But we don't have enough seasonings, so boiling it will do.\" Gu Boyuan, very experienced, said, \"Leave it to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long saw that although his hair and beard had grown, he looked much more spirited than before in the village, and he felt relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Long finished speaking with Gu Boyuan, the others came over to ask about their families. For those Li Long had seen, he reported the situation; for those he hadn't, he said he would check when he returned today and tell them later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jianjun had already finished shaving that frame handle. Seeing everyone else asking Li Long, he wanted to ask too, but in the end, he didn't open his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jianjun had always looked down on Li Long, especially the Li Long from before the New Year. Although Li Long had changed so much in these past few months, he still didn't hold him in high regard. However, Li Long could bring such a big business deal to the team, and Xu Jianjun knew the second son of the Li family had truly changed. Now he envied Li Long's success, thinking it would be best if Li Long stumbled this time—what if the Supply and Marketing Cooperative suddenly canceled the order? Would Li Long be left in the dark?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the order was canceled, he himself wouldn't earn this money either, which would be painful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was conflicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing his conversation with everyone, Li Long followed Tao Daqiang toward the mountain gully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some guessed what they were going to do, but no one asked outright. Xie Yundong, while burning branches, said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you have that kind of time, you could weave another frame. They are not like us; they aren't earning the same kind of money. Don't think too much about it. Get to work. Weave one more, earn one more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This side-business team did not assign specific quotas to individuals; it was pay per frame woven. If you had the skill to weave more, you earned more. Those who wove less naturally earned less. This \"more work, more pay\" rule kept everyone's morale high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding Tao Daqiang's departure, others also felt it was good. Tao Daqiang was the fastest frame weaver, and his quality was not bad, which gave the others a sense of crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who didn't want to weave one more and earn a bit more? But the task was for three hundred frames; if you took one more, I would inevitably have one less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Daqiang didn't know what others were thinking. He quietly led Li Long to the entrance of that small mountain gully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long found the grass here was indeed growing very lush; withered grass and green grass nearly blocked the gully entrance completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two carefully pushed aside the withered grass and crept into the small gully. Li Long could see that this gully was actually a branch of Xiaobaiyang Gully, like a stream merging into a small river, or a fold in the mountain ridge. It was not deep, but few ordinary people ventured in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside, neither spoke. After walking more than twenty meters inward, Tao Daqiang tugged on Li Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long turned to look and saw disappointment on Tao Daqiang's face. Just as Tao Daqiang pointed at the tree ahead and opened his mouth, Li Long immediately waved his hand. Tao Daqiang understood instantly and covered his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mean you found it right under that tree ahead?\" Li Long asked in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm. Looks like it's not here today...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's look further inside.\" Li Long whispered, then walked even more quietly toward the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was indeed droppings under the tree, and not just in one spot, indicating that some creature frequented the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Daqiang breathed a sigh of relief but still felt disappointed. The droppings proved he hadn't lied, but if the thing itself wasn't there, wouldn't that mean no gain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to tell Li Long to come back in the afternoon or tomorrow, but Li Long suddenly raised his rifle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Daqiang instantly grew tense. Had Brother Long spotted something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long had indeed spotted something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From before the New Year until now, whether hunting with others or alone, Li Long had gradually developed some hunter's habits and instincts. First, he caught a whiff of a musky, foul odor. Then he felt the grass on the ridge ahead rustling. Upon closer observation, he saw a large and a small roe deer there, grazing—or rather, the small one was grazing while the large one sniffed the small one's hindquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The large roe deer had a pair of antlers on its head; the small one did not, so it must be female.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance was about a hundred meters. Li Long felt it necessary to move closer—after all, with a small-caliber rifle, he was still a novice and not entirely confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait here. I'll go ahead and take a look. Don't move.\" Li Long whispered to Tao Daqiang, then bent low and crept forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gully was thick with grass, which helped Li Long advance. Fortunately, the wind was blowing from the ridge above, where the roe deer were, so Li Long and his companion had not been detected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the main reason, Li Long guessed, was that the male roe deer was courting the female, so it had no time to pay attention to this side. After all, they had been there quite a while with no sign of danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long crept forward until he was less than sixty meters from the two roe deer, then stopped, raised his rifle, and began to aim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hunting method was simple: get close, then shoot. If the prey ran after he got close, it was just bad luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, luck was on his side today. Even at such close range, the pair of roe deer were still engrossed in each other. The young female was playing hard to get, while the male seemed increasingly impatient. Li Long aimed at the male roe deer's chest and pulled the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three shots rang out in succession. Li Long saw the male roe deer leap two steps after being hit, then collapse to the ground. Only then did he relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the female roe deer heard the shots, it bolted toward the ridge, leaped over it, and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not yet have the skill to pierce two with one shot, or to hit one and then immediately hit another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, hitting a single roe deer was already impressive in itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the shots, Tao Daqiang came running over and asked anxiously beside Li Long:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you hit it, Brother Long?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hit it.\" Li Long lowered his rifle, engaged the safety, and pointed toward the distance. \"Over there. A male. It should have antlers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Long, you're truly amazing!\" Tao Daqiang's praise was sincere. Every shot hit its mark. How many experienced hunters in the team could do that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two walked over to the male roe deer. Li Long found it was already dead. The bullet must have struck the heart; blood had pooled all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the antlers on its head were not broken. He immediately drew his knife and cut off the pair of antlers. Smiling, he said to Tao Daqiang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Daqiang, we each take one antler.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no, no. Just give me ten yuan. No, no, no, just deduct ten yuan from what I owe you.\" Tao Daqiang hurriedly waved his hands. \"I only told you about this spot. How could I take so much!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Daqiang knew antlers were expensive. He felt he had done nothing but lead the way; how could he take so much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the roe deer was not found at the spot he had pointed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's settled. You get one antler. As for the meat, I'll bring a leg back for your father. I'll leave some offal here, and take the rest. As for the antlers, once I sell them for money... never mind. Let me put it this way: a fresh antler weighs over a kilogram. Even dried in the shade, it should be about half a kilogram. That will clear your debt to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no, no...\" Hearing Li Long's words, Tao Daqiang felt as if he were dreaming. He thought that just clearing his debt by working with Brother Long all year would be enough. After all, his family had bought a donkey and even a cart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now it was already cleared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quick, carry this roe deer and let's head back. Once we're back, I need to skin it. We can't wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay, okay, okay.\" Tao Daqiang bent down, hoisted the forty- or fifty-kilogram roe deer onto his shoulder, and strode back with wind beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the luck was truly good!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of this chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2701,"2026-06-14T06:06:39.549Z",1,"Qwen3.5 122B","e51c644da788b6010c4511a5bec012a49a548a5437dbf26bce47516b6390458a","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-164","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-162",180,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-cover.jpg"]