Chapter 41: There Are Good Things in the Mountains

Once the cart was driven back to Maxian, the two finally relaxed. Although the county town was still relatively unfamiliar to both, at least it was their hometown, unlike a strange city.

"Let’s go to the supply and marketing cooperative," Li Long said. "First, to see if there’s a landing net, and second, I need to buy some thin wire."

"Brother Long, what do you need thin wire for?" Tao Daqiang asked curiously.

"I’ve seen quite a few rabbit tracks in the wild, I plan to make some rabbit snares to see if I can catch any."

Rabbit meat was at least more plentiful than "quack-quack chicken." In his previous life, before his rebirth, the environment around here had been well-managed, there were wetlands, and wild animals had become more numerous. In winter, some people would set rabbit snares and could catch over a dozen rabbits in a day.

Even at three yuan each, that was a lot to earn!

Li Long believed that the black market there would become more and more prosperous, there would be more and more people selling things, people’s minds would become more and more active, and there would be more and more wealthy people.

In short, life would get better and better, so he should take this opportunity to earn more money.

"Brother Long, you even know how to set rabbit snares?" Tao Daqiang asked in surprise. "Is that thing easy to do?"

"I’m just messing around," Li Long laughed. "Just use thin wire to make a slip-knot loop and set it on the tracks where the rabbits have run, that should be it."

Even so, what he said made Tao Daqiang’s eyes fill with admiration, without a trace of the fierce intensity he had shown when hitting people earlier.

The thin wire was sold by the kilogram, at one yuan and ten cents per kilogram. Li Long weighed three kilograms, rolled it up, and put it on the cart.

"Brother Long, I want to buy some steamed buns to take back for my dad to eat," Tao Daqiang suddenly said while passing the Meat Canteen. "My dad has never eaten meat buns like these..."

"Sure, I’ll buy some to take back too." Li Long patted his head; he had only been thinking about his own eating and hadn't remembered to bring any for his family. Juan and Qiangqiang hadn't eaten these buns either.

Li Long bought eleven, and Tao Daqiang bought six. The two paid, packed the buns in their satchels, and drove the cart back.

By the time they reached the team, it was completely dark. Li Long let Tao Daqiang go back first while he went to return the horse to the stables and gave Old Luo a meat bun. Old Luo smiled as he accepted it, the wrinkles on his face looking like a chrysanthemum.

Among those who borrowed the cart from the team, none were as thoughtful as the Li family’s second son.

Li Long carried the urea bag, with his satchel on his back, walking home with a light step, humming a song as he went: "The great river flows to the east, the stars in the sky reflect the Big Dipper..."

Just as he was humming, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Li Long stopped his steps and asked vigilantly:

"Who?"

"Me."

Wu Shufen? What was she doing here?

Li Long didn't say a word; in any case, the two no longer had any relationship. He seemed to have heard his sister-in-law say the night before that Wu Shufen’s mother had introduced her to a worker from a neighboring production team; he didn't know if it had worked out.

When his sister-in-law, Liang Yuemei, mentioned this, she had been a bit cautious, afraid of affecting Li Long’s mood.

In his previous life, Li Long had indeed been quite infatuated with Wu Shufen, thinking about her for several years. And this Wu Shufen had also had many hardships on her emotional path, having been set up with many people, but those she liked didn't like her, and because she was pretty, those she didn't like kept pestering her; she hadn't married for several years.

Thinking about it in his heart, Li Long didn't want to have any entanglements with her. That was a matter from his previous life; he had been reborn, so why still be a "lick-dog"?

Too idle.

Seeing Li Long actually walking around her, Wu Shufen was a bit surprised. For the past two days, her ears had been full of things about the Li family’s second son—how he had picked up a few sheep from the mountains, caught fish in the reservoir and sold them for a lot of money, and how he had become more spirited, etc.

Wu Shufen didn't really regret it, but she just couldn't figure out if Li Long had suddenly become enlightened or if he had been stimulated by their breakup?

She had just happened to run into him while returning from visiting a neighbor today and wanted to see what changes her ex-partner had actually undergone.

She just hadn't expected Li Long to actually walk around her!

This dealt a severe blow to Wu Shufen’s self-esteem—he was actually unwilling to even look at her, unwilling to take the initiative to speak to her?

Li Long didn't think that much; he was tired after a day, and he just wanted to go back quickly, change his clothes, and lean against the fire wall to have a good rest. As for chatting with Wu Shufen—it was mid-winter, and it was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees below zero; he wasn't in the mood!

Wu Shufen opened her mouth, wanting to call out, but ultimately didn't. Her self-esteem didn't allow her to do so. Li Long was glad the other party didn't speak; it was pitch black, and it was so quiet all around—if the other party let out a shout, he would have plenty of trouble.

Returning home, Li Long pushed open the door and saw a pot on the stove containing mutton soup.

His heart felt warm. It was past dinner time; this must have been left for him.

"Back?" Li Jianguo came out from the inner room and said upon seeing Li Long: "If you hadn't come back, I would have gone to look for you on the road."

"My dad went out to look three times," Li Juan interjected from the kang.

"Haven't eaten, right? Quickly change your clothes, and come over after you’re done. The steamed buns and mutton soup are both hot," his sister-in-law poked her head out from the kitchen. "Exhausted, right?"

"No, not tired at all." Li Long’s heart was truly warm. He took off his satchel and handed it to Liang Yuemei:

"Sister-in-law, I bought a few big meat buns. Let’s steam them tomorrow for breakfast."

"We’ll have meat buns to eat tomorrow!" Li Qiang heard this and shouted happily.

"Why spend money like that?" Liang Yuemei took the buns and said habitually.

"Juan and Qiangqiang haven't eaten them, let them have a taste," Li Long laughed. His sister-in-law wasn't really blaming him, just the habitual frugality of a housewife.

He took out ten yuan and handed it to Li Jianguo:

"Brother, this is the money from selling the fish, your share. I won't turn mine over to you."

!.

"What are you doing? Keep it yourself," Li Jianguo pushed the money back. "Put it away."

"Big Brother, the old saying goes, 'Even brothers should settle accounts clearly,'" Li Long said with a smile. "This is the share you deserve. I have plenty left for myself."

Hearing Li Long say this, Li Jianguo hesitated, looked at his wife, and took the money.

Li Long went to the east room, changed his clothes, and returned to the west room to eat.

"I went to get some fish again today. But this time there wasn't much. It feels like there aren't many fish left under the ice hole," Li Jianguo said while rolling a cigarette on the edge of the kang. "Are you still going to sell fish tomorrow?"

"Not going," Li Long said while eating a white flour bun dipped in mutton soup. "Daqiang’s dad told Daqiang to go catch and sell fish with his brother."

"What?" Liang Yuemei looked up at her brother-in-law.

"Not partnering up anymore?" Li Jianguo wasn't surprised at all. "That Tao Jianshe is narrow-minded. But that’s fine too. If Daqiang doesn't come, the two of us will go."

"Let’s rest tomorrow, I’m going to the mountains," Li Long waved his hand. "Pull some wood back, see if I can get another sheep. Mainly because the county town is only so big, and there aren't many people who can afford fish. Today we had to run all the way to Shicheng to sell all the fish."

"Went to Shicheng?" Li Jianguo said in surprise. "Then you ran far!"

"No choice, there are few people in the county who can afford fish, and we didn't dare to go from alley to alley shouting to sell."

"That’s fine," Li Jianguo nodded. "It’s good to rest for two days."

That was how the matter was settled.

The next morning after eating the buns, Li Long got up, loaded the dozen or so bullets he had hidden, went to the stables to hitch the cart, and headed toward the mountains.

A big surprise was waiting for him.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 42 =====