[{"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-4":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},1927260,2572,"Chapter 4: Roughly Roasted Sparrows","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>Li Long had not yet removed the scoop net when he heard a rustling sound; an old sparrow nearby was startled and flew away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long glanced in the direction the sparrow had flown, then carefully removed the scoop net, quickly reached inside, and caught the old sparrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old sparrow pecked at Li Long with its beak. Li Long tightened his grip on the small creature slightly, then felt his finger go wet; the thing had defecated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qiangqiang, here, hold it tight.\" Li Long handed the sparrow over. \"Don't let go, or there won't be any old sparrows to eat later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle, I know.\" Li Qiang nodded solemnly, then carefully took the sparrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Juan looked at Li Long with sparkling eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long smiled, took the flashlight, and continued shining it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old sparrows have a hard time surviving the winter nights, so there must be more than just these two in the haystack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, he soon found another old sparrow and successfully caught it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Juan now had one in her hand too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this haystack, Li Long caught four old sparrows in total; two escaped, and then there were none left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle, the He family in the front courtyard has another haystack!\" Li Qiang, holding an old sparrow in each hand, sniffed and volunteered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Inside the courtyard or outside?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Inside the courtyard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That won't do.\" Li Long shook his head. Entering someone's courtyard for a few sparrows, especially so late, was against the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then...\" Li Juan thought for a moment and said, \"The third house in the back courtyard. Uncle, do you remember? The Gao family's side room has a haystack on the roof. That stack faces outward; you can see it from outside the courtyard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, let's go take a look.\" Li Long also felt four sparrows were truly too few, not enough to fill the teeth of his two nephews and niece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the courtyard, near the wild fields, trudging through snow dozens of centimeters thick was no easy task. Li Long walked ahead, making footprints, while Li Juan and Li Qiang followed behind, stepping in his tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, by the time they reached the Gao family's haystack, snow had filled the shoes of all three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one complained about the cold. Even Li Long looked expectantly at that haystack, which was a third larger than his own family's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dog in the courtyard began barking, followed by the faint sound of someone scolding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long turned on the flashlight and shone it into the haystack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than ten seconds, he spotted a target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time Li Long was smarter. He did not immediately use the scoop net to catch; instead, after scanning the entire haystack and counting nine old sparrows, he started from the bottom left corner and pounced on them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He successfully caught six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These old sparrows could no longer be held in the hand, so upon catching each one, Li Long immediately snapped its neck and dropped it onto the snow. He would take them all back together once he had caught them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle, further back, the Qin family has another haystack...\" Li Juan said, still eager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No more catching. Your shoes are already wet. When we get back, your mother will scold you. Let's go, back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... let's go back.\" The two younger ones were still somewhat unsatisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old sparrow, no matter how small, is still meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three returned to the courtyard. Liang Yuemei heard the commotion and quickly came out. Seeing snow all over the children's pant legs in the beam of Li Long's flashlight, she scolded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where did you run off to? Why are you covered in snow? Are you freezing? Hurry inside and change your shoes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No! I want to eat old sparrows!\" Li Qiang stubbornly held up the sparrow in his hand. \"I want meat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, alright,\" Li Long said with a smile before his sister-in-law could speak. \"You two go change your shoes first. Even if you want to eat old sparrows, I still need to pluck their feathers and clean out their insides first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay...\" Li Qiang thought this made sense, handed the sparrows to Li Long together with Li Juan, and went inside to change shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You just spoil them...\" Liang Yuemei complained to Li Long. \"You should go change your shoes too; they're all wet!\" \"Mm.\" Li Long smiled in response, turned, and went inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changing into cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles—made by his sister-in-law—Li Long placed his cotton rubber boots against the heated wall to dry, then began processing the old sparrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With experience from his past life, processing the sparrows was easy. He didn't even need to pluck the feathers; he simply twisted off the head, grabbed the skin on the neck, and pulled down, removing both skin and feathers in one go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might sound cruel, but for children who rarely had meat all year round, what was cruelty? Not having enough to eat, not having meat, that was the true cruelty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After plucking all ten old sparrows and scraping out their insides to set aside, Li Long took a broom used for sweeping the kang and brushed the iron sheet lid on the stove, then placed the sparrows one by one upon it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before going out, he had smothered the stove fire with coal dust. Now the iron sheet lid was quite hot but not yet red, perfect for roasting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stove was built of mud bricks, with the central stove plate made from four iron rods. The iron sheet on top was cut from a diesel drum. At this stage, few families in the brigade could afford a standard iron sheet stove. Although the mud stove conducted heat poorly, it was cheap and convenient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He arranged the sparrows, just stood up, and Li Juan and Li Qiang burst in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the old sparrows laid out on the stove lid, Li Qiang's mouth watered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle, when can we eat?\" he asked, looking up at Li Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a moment, I'll go get the salt and chili powder.\" Li Long said. \"Be patient.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\" Surprisingly, Li Qiang agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Long went to the west room. Seeing Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei talking, he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister-in-law, I'll take some salt and chili powder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I'll get it for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing these seasonings were for her own children to roast and eat the old sparrows, Liang Yuemei said with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaolong, you're quite capable; you caught quite a few old sparrows.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehe.\" Li Long smiled. In his past life, he would never have done such things, but now, if it could spare his nephews and niece a little hardship, what did it matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking two bowls filled with seasonings and two enamel plates used for serving dishes at home, Li Long returned to the east room, closed the door, told Li Juan and Li Qiang not to rush, placed the bowls on the edge of the mud stove, then pinched up the chili powder and salt, sprinkling them evenly over the old sparrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chili powder was from their own vegetable garden; the salt was purchased. Not a bit could be wasted. In these times, wasting was truly shameful, unlike in later generations, where seasonings seemed to cost nothing during barbecues and were sprinkled recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully sprinkling one side, he flipped them over and sprinkled the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the room filled with the aroma of meat mixed with spicy and numbing scents. Li Long felt a regret; it would have been even better with cumin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, even Li Juan could not help swallowing her saliva, staring unblinkingly at the old sparrows on the stove lid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After flipping them three times, Li Long took two old sparrows and placed them in an enamel plate, saying to them:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They're cooked. Take them and give them to your parents; they must eat first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qiang was somewhat puzzled, but Li Juan was sensible; she carefully accepted the plate, opened the door with one hand while holding the plate with the other, and walked toward the west room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qiang was still somewhat puzzled, so Li Long asked him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's no meat at home; can't your father and mother eat either?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They work the hardest, don't they?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then shouldn't they eat first?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They should!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this response, Li Long nodded in satisfaction, picked up one of the old sparrows, waited until it cooled slightly, and handed it to Li Qiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of this chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1429,"2026-06-14T03:07:11.886Z",1,"Qwen3.5 122B","2f78335107905b07ccf8728eed3d4e098d5da47694a4fd609c39758895c2cc56","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-5","reborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-chapter-3",180,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freborn-in-1981-fishing-and-hunting-in-the-northw-cover.jpg"]