By the time Li Long reached the Fourth Team, the sun was already sinking westward. He had really just wanted to see how the planting at home was going. After all, his household registration was still rural, he still had land in his name, and his actual status was still that of a farmer.
Although he had handed all that land over to his eldest brother and had stopped concerning himself with what to plant last year, he was still a countryman at heart and felt he ought to come back and take a look.
When the Jeep drove into the yard, his mother, Du Chunfang, was sitting in front of the stove, tending the fire. Steamed buns were cooking on the outdoor stove, with heat slowly rising from three large bamboo steamer tiers.
Du Chunfang broke into a broad smile at the sight of the Jeep.
Once Li Long got out, she asked:
"Xiao Long, what made you think of coming back at this hour? Didn't Mingming and Haohao come?"
"No, I came back to see what everyone was busy with. Has my brother gone to plow? Where's Dad?"
"Yes, Juan's dad went to plow. Your dad went to Little Haizi to set nets. He took his cast net too. If you head back a little later today, you should be able to take some fish with you."
As they spoke, his sister-in-law, Liang Yuemei, came out of the house carrying the prepared vegetables. Li Long saw shredded potatoes, along with scallions, garlic, and the like.
"Are you getting dinner ready, Sister-in-Law?" Li Long asked.
"Yes, your brother barely ate anything at noon before rushing off to plow. I'm going to finish steaming the buns and stir-fry the vegetables, then take them over to him by bicycle.
"If you