Li Long stayed until after dinner. Li Junfeng ate with the young, able-bodied men in the Front Courtyard, while Li Jianguo and the others ate in the Back Courtyard. The food was the same; they simply ate in two places because there were too many people to fit around the tables.
After eating, Li Long asked Mom whether she wanted to visit Dad in the County Seat. Mom curled her lip. "I'm not going! We'll see when he has time to come back. It's so comfortable here on the Team. There are too many people in the County Seat. They make my head spin."
Li Long did not try to persuade her again. He drove back to the County Seat.
When he got home, Gu Xiaoxia told him that Li Xiangqian had called the Purchasing Station that afternoon and asked Gu Boyuan to pass on a message: the Supply and Marketing Cooperative staff would visit the Pastoral Team the morning after next to provide assistance.
Li Xiangqian wanted Li Long to contact the Pastoral Team tomorrow and make some preparations, including checking which household's courtyard needed cleaning up. The cooperative also planned to buy books tomorrow, so Li Long needed to contact the school about whether they should hold a simple book donation ceremony.
Li Long grumbled to Gu Xiaoxia that Li Xiangqian was always finding miscellaneous jobs for him. Gu Xiaoxia smiled and said this was exactly the sort of thing he liked doing. He found staying at the workplace monotonous, which was why he did not want a formal job. Since his name was on their books now, he had to do something.
Li Long naturally knew his wife was right, but his pride was a little bruised. Just as he was about to argue a couple of