[{"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-168":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},1934049,2572,"Chapter 168: Taking Xiaoxia into the Mountains","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-168",168,"\u003Cp>Dragging the manure back to the team, Li Long first went to the horse stable, unloaded half of it, and conveniently placed the young deer behind the stable. After giving Old Luo some instructions and leaving behind some vegetable seeds, he returned home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing by the reed ditch, he noticed the water level was a bit lower, wondering if the small lake upstream was blocked or if the flood had receded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei were not at home. Li Long unloaded the manure into the yard, spread it evenly over the vegetable patch, and left the rest for others to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time he returned from the mountains with some wild green onions, wild garlic, and wild chives, along with some pepper mugwort, which are excellent seasonings for cooking fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of this fresh pepper mugwort, Li Long felt compelled to go to the small lake to catch some fish for stewing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for fish, he never had enough of it in his past life. Eating it for two days straight would make him lose interest, perhaps not wanting to eat it for a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he went three days without it, he would feel that having a meal again would be nice. If stewed fish wasn't an option, he could fry small crucian carp instead; coat them in batter, drop them into hot oil, drain the oil, let them cool, and eat them as a snack. That taste—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbearable, unbearable! Grab the cast net and head to the small lake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei returned from the fields, they saw Juan and Qiangqiang surrounding Li Long, who was stewing fish by the stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unique aroma of crucian carp mixed with the scent of pepper mugwort filled the entire yard. Li Jianguo sniffed and asked in surprise:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaolong, is that pepper mugwort?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Li Long said with a smile. \"It's wild from the mountains, growing quite large, a big bush half a person's height, just like wild mugwort.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That big?\" Li Jianguo was still a bit skeptical. \"It's pepper mugwort?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I mistake it?\" Li Long pointed to the ones drying on the wall. \"Smell it; the scent is distinct, I remember.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jianguo put down his iron shovel, walked over, grabbed a handful, smelled it, and smiled. \"It really is... Next time I come back, I'll dig up one or two plants and try growing them in the yard to see if they survive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pepper mugwort was common in their hometown, but no one had planted it here yet. Li Long knew his older brother missed the taste of home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today in the old street of Shicheng, I saw someone selling vegetable seeds, including jingjie. I bought some; let's plant them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would be wonderful!\" Li Jianguo was even happier this time. \"Once they grow, if we're short on eggs or garlic, we can just pinch some jingjie and add it. Sandwich it in hot steamed buns, and it's absolutely perfect!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing everyone back, Li Long served the fish and placed it on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Juan and Qiangqiang came back early. Seeing they were hungry, I let them eat some. I also soaked some steamed buns in the fish soup, so they probably aren't hungry now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Long explained, Li Jianguo said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then they don't need to come to the table. Go do your homework, and once it's finished, go play.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, Li Long prepared his gun and ammunition. He planned to ask Gu Xiaoxia the next day if she wanted to go to the mountains this weekend; if so, he would need to prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm going,\" Gu Xiaoxia answered immediately upon hearing Li Long's question. \"I'm already preparing. After class on Saturday, I'll get the things for my dad ready, and we can set off early Sunday morning. How about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. I'll come pick you up then.\" With the plan confirmed, Li Long said, \"I'll go to the mountains today to tell your dad. Let's not make it a surprise, okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\" Gu Xiaoxia nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long rode his bicycle to Xiaobaiyang Gully, where the smoke from burning brush still lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some people were burning brush to weave carrying frames, while others were cutting the brush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Long approach, those present greeted him one by one. He responded to each and then parked his bike in front of the stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Boyuan was preparing lunch. Li Long took a look; the meal was cornmeal steamed cake, and the dish was stir-fried liver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long saw that the hearts, livers, and lungs brought back earlier had been smoked on the stove; they were a bit black, but he knew smoking made them easier to preserve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to eat some lunch with us?\" Gu Boyuan said with a smile. \"Don't let the appearance fool you; it tastes great and is quite oily!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, sure,\" Li Long said. \"Uncle Gu, this Sunday, Xiaoxia is coming to visit you. I'll bring her over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is she coming for?\" Gu Boyuan heard this, paused for a moment, and his hand shook, knocking a piece of liver out of the pan with the spatula. He quickly squatted down to pick it up, rinsed it in a nearby water basin, and threw it back into the pan. \"Isn't she just here to cause trouble?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What trouble? A daughter just misses her father!\" Li Long said with a smile. \"Anyway, she has nothing to do on Sunday, and the road isn't long. I'll just ride her over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Boyuan stir-fried the dish, served it quickly, and then looked at Li Long, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just one day?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's all we can manage,\" Li Long said with a pure gaze. \"I'll pick her up from school in the morning, we'll come over together, she'll see you and stay for half a day, then we'll head back in the afternoon. She definitely needs to prepare lessons in the evening; she has classes on Monday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well... okay.\" Gu Boyuan wiped his beard, speaking somewhat flustered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I shave my beard and fix my hair?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's only been a few days; everyone looks the same. If you shave and fix your hair, doesn't that make the cook look a bit unprofessional?\" Li Long laughed. \"It's fine. I think after a few days in the mountains, Uncle Gu, although you're a bit darker, you've gained weight and look more spirited.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right! We never ate this well at home. Meat every day, not much hard work, and the mountain environment is good...\" Gu Boyuan listed the benefits of the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon, everyone stopped working. Li Long also finished inspecting the carrying frames woven over the past two days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quality was excellent; even the ones woven by Xu Jianjun passed inspection. Although his quantity was the lowest, there were at least no defective products.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the meal, Li Long also took a piece of steamed cake. He hadn't eaten steamed cake for nearly a month; the family had been eating fine grains at every meal. Eating it now, he felt it wasn't bad to have it occasionally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaolong, I saw a patch of ground below the eastern slope that had been rooted up. I don't know if it was a wild boar. Can you check when you have time?\" Tian Siping said while eating. \"It's a huge area, the grass is all trampled. It looks like it happened just these past couple of days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay, don't go over there yet. I'll check in a couple of days. Wild boars come out early, at the first light of dawn, and return to the mountains once it's fully light.\" Li Long explained while eating. \"If we manage to shoot a wild boar, I'll share the meat with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\" Tian Siping said with a smile. \"If we do shoot one, I'll take a leg back for my family too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Tao Daqiang's discovery of the roe deer had a significant impact on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh? Uncle Gu, is this liver not cooked through? Why is there still blood?\" another person asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fire was a bit high today, and I cooked it in a hurry.\" Gu Boyuan explained somewhat awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long knew what was happening. He said with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eat it. Foreigners eat steaks rare or medium-rare, with the blood still visible, and say it's rich in nutrients.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Long said this, the others stopped talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After lunch, Li Long went to the edge of the mountains and dug up a few small pepper mugwort plants, roots and soil included. He wrapped them in leaves and put them in a sack before returning to the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floodwaters were still present but much reduced; this snowmelt flood comes in waves. Li Long planted the pepper mugwort in the vegetable garden, and the rest was up to fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Sunday morning, Li Long skipped breakfast and rode his bicycle to the school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun had not yet risen, and the air was slightly cool. Wearing long sleeves, he didn't feel cold, but his heart was quite excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving in front of the teachers' dormitory, Li Long got off his bike. Before he could knock, Gu Xiaoxia's door opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was already ready, carrying a cloth bundle, wearing a small shoulder bag, with two small braids, looking at Li Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shall we leave now?\" Li Long asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long turned the bike around and asked, \"I'll pedal; can you get on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looking down on me?\" Gu Xiaoxia was in high spirits and retorted, \"Even though I can't ride, getting on the bike is no problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long slowed down, then felt the bike sway and grow heavier. He smiled and pedaled steadily out of the school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haven't you had breakfast yet?\" Li Long asked. \"You're ready so early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can't eat; I'm too excited. I've never been into the mountains before... I've read 'Record of Tianshan Scenery,' and I remember everything in it clearly, but I've never seen the real thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then today I'll let you see it all,\" Li Long said with a smile. \"But climbing mountains is tiring; let's have breakfast first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although carrying a passenger, Li Long didn't feel tired at all. Upon reaching the county town, he went straight to the Big Meat Canteen. After Gu Xiaoxia got down, Li Long locked the bike, slung his rifle over his shoulder, and led her inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, Comrade Li, this is... bringing someone for breakfast? What would you like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Guoqiang happened to be there. Seeing Li Long and then Gu Xiaoxia, he immediately understood and greeted them with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our signature meat buns. We've also just launched a breakfast set with porridge and pickled vegetables; it's all on the sign.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small blackboard listed today's available dishes. After asking Gu Xiaoxia, Li Long ordered porridge, buns, pickled vegetables, and requested stir-fried green peppers with eggs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't order so much; two people can't finish it all...\" Gu Xiaoxia whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry, nothing will be left over. We'll take some meat buns into the mountains later. Your father and the others have meat every day, but it's too coarse. Bringing some fine grain will help them improve their diet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is...\" Gu Xiaoxia hesitated. The buns weren't cheap at thirty cents each, and she wondered if this was going too far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a task I took on; I'm the middleman. They've finished weaving the carrying frames, and I get a share of the profit too, understand?\" Li Long whispered. \"So this isn't a big deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xiaoxia nodded, half-understanding. Compared to Li Long, she felt like a fool; her understanding of human relations was as blank as paper, knowing nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she quickly felt reassured. At least he didn't deceive her and treated her very well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast, Li Long ordered twenty-five more buns, wrapped them up to take along, then rode the bike with Gu Xiaoxia heading into the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the road was rough, Gu Xiaoxia asked from the rear seat:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I get off? This is hard to ride.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just sit tight; if you get off, we'll go even slower.\" Li Long actually thought this was good. Traveling together, chatting along the way, increased their understanding and drew them closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached the mountains, it wasn't even ten o'clock, and the sideline group had just finished breakfast. They actually got up quite early; before breakfast, diligent people like Tao Daqiang and Xie Yundong had already worked for an hour or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earning money is inevitably hard work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Boyuan had been staring toward the ravine entrance for a long time. While cleaning the stove, he was distracted; not only did he fail to scrub the pot clean, but he also dropped several bowls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the bicycle at the ravine entrance, he finally felt relieved, then immediately felt a pang of sympathy. Arriving here by ten meant they must have gotten up very early!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad!\" Gu Xiaoxia got off the bike and ran toward Gu Boyuan. For the first time in their lives, father and daughter had been separated for such a long time. Although Gu Xiaoxia had remained relatively stable emotionally before, now she couldn't quite hold back, her voice trembling with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the others watched as Li Long walked over with a smile and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come, come, Xiaoxia. I brought meat buns for everyone from the Big Meat Canteen. Two buns per person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone smiled and came forward to take the buns. Although they had just eaten, how could anyone refuse such delicious meat buns?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After distributing the buns, Li Long placed the remaining five on the stove, gave Gu Boyuan a signal, and then went to find Tao Daqiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Daqiang had cut enough strips and was burning them to weave carrying frames. There were already ten frames in front of his pit; he was the fastest weaver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Daqiang, you're good at this,\" Li Long said with a smile. \"Even if you stop working later, just weaving frames could support you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could that be?\" Tao Daqiang shook his head. \"Everyone knows how to weave these. Except for the work units, who would buy them personally?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then do you know how to make big brooms?\" Weaving carrying frames indeed couldn't support a person, because in a few more years, no one would use them anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But making big brooms was a very profitable craft right up until Li Long's previous life ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who doesn't know how?\" Tao Daqiang asked Li Long while tying the brooms. \"Brother Long, can this make money too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Li Long whispered. \"When autumn comes, I'll see if I can take on a broom-making job. If I can, I'll come find you then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long was guessing, but even if he guessed wrong, it didn't matter. In winter, when clearing snow, which work unit wouldn't need a big broom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was still selling bamboo brooms from other places, but some people felt they weren't as good as those made from Jiji grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was just personal perception. Even in later generations, work units mostly used bamboo brooms, while individuals mostly used Jiji grass brooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After having lunch there, Gu Boyuan voluntarily said to his daughter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, you've seen me; I'm doing well. You go around the mountains with Xiao Long, then head back and focus on your work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xiaoxia nodded reluctantly. Li Long smiled and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When you miss Uncle Gu, I'll just bring you over again. It's only a few hours round trip.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two rode their bicycle out of Baiyang Ravine. Li Long stopped the bike, turned around, and asked Gu Xiaoxia:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about I take you to tour the Northern Tianshan now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xiaoxia met Li Long's gaze and said slightly shyly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2647,"2026-06-14T06:06:39.549Z",1,"Qwen3.5 122B","5ce096a52b98991c6332371fcded2483b057aacc447fecddbf01ecc48b9c8dc7","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-169","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-167",180,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-cover.jpg"]