It was already afternoon when Bolati arrived at the wooden cabin.
From a distance, nothing looked different around the cabin. Mingming and Haohao were playing around Spring Water, and whenever someone came to trade fritillaria for goods, the two of them ran inside well in advance.
A woman was bustling about beside Li Long. At first, Bolati thought she was Li Long's wife, but as he rode closer, he realized she must have come out of the mountains. Her hair was tangled and had not been washed in a long time, and her clothes did not fit very well.
Seeing Bolati arrive, Li Long greeted him. After sending off the people trading goods, he pointed at the shed beside the cabin and said:
"Two men digging medicinal herbs in the mountains tried to rob me, so I knocked them down and tied them up. I suspect they might have committed crimes back in their hometown. Take them back and question them."
Watching Li Long tell Bolati about this as though giving orders to a subordinate, Tang Ling found it a little strange.
He knew Li Long definitely had connections with the Forestry Team, but had not expected Li Long to be able to speak to Bolati like this.
To these herb diggers, Bolati with his gun was no different from a fearsome fiend. If his people caught them, they would at least confiscate their fritillaria, or, worse, march them off to the detention center.
Yet the way Bolati and Li Long were getting along now seemed a little strange.
"People still dare rob you these days?" Bolati dismounted with a laugh and walked toward the shed, whip in hand. "Have these two gone stupid? Haven't they heard about what you can do from the other herb gatherers?"
"Who knows? Maybe