After lunch, Li Long was going to drive the Jeep over with Harimu to find Jade Mountain River and the others and discuss coming down the mountain to slaughter sheep the next day.
Harimu had originally planned to ride over himself, but Li Long said the snow had already been cleared from the road and the road repaired. The Jeep was faster than a horse, and they would not be cold, so driving would be better.
Harimu thought it over and agreed. In the depths of winter, given the chance to sit in a comfortable vehicle, nobody wanted to ride around on horseback. It was miserable for both rider and horse.
When the Jeep reached Jade Mountain River's Winter Camp, he was leading his children in clearing scraps of hay out of the sheepfold.
Jade Mountain River was delighted to see the Jeep. He stood his wooden pitchfork against the side of the sheepfold, walked over to the Jeep, and hugged Li Long as he got out, exchanging greetings.
Most of the snow on the East Pasture by Jade Mountain River's home had also been cleared. Li Long could still see plenty of sheep and cow dung and horse dung pellets on the snow.
The water had not frozen by the pipe they had laid and the pool they had built the year before last. Where it flowed downhill, it had formed a little stream. There was no ice within two or three meters of the pipe outlet, but farther down it had frozen. Now, though, the ice had been broken open for roughly twenty or thirty meters. This stretch was probably for watering the cattle and sheep.
More than half a sack of coarse salt also stood beside the sheepfold, for mixing into the fodder for the cattle and