Jade Mountain River expanded his business, and the Asian Games fundraising made an impact

Teaching at the Agricultural Technical Extension School

On the morning of November 8, Li Long had not been at the Purchasing Station long when he heard a vehicle outside. Hearing it drive straight into the back courtyard, he knew it was probably someone he knew.

Sure enough, Jade Mountain River pushed the door open a moment later, bringing a gust of cold air with him.

"Finished slaughtering the sheep today?" Li Long greeted him with a smile. "From the look of you, you've got something to discuss?"

"I do, I do," Jade Mountain River said. "I've been staying down below the mountains, haven't I? Someone from the township came to see me these past two days about assigning our people to teams."

"They're starting already?" Li Long was a little surprised. "In winter?"

"Yes, once Harimu and the others come back." Jade Mountain River sat in the reception room and poured himself a cup of hot tea. Drinking it, he said, "They'll be assigned this year, and next spring they'll come under the teams' management. They'll have to report before taking their herds into the mountains."

"Then Harimu and the others should be back soon?" Li Long asked.

"Yes." Jade Mountain River nodded. "Once they're back and assigned to teams, we'll probably each be looking after our own affairs."

Li Long understood a little of how Jade Mountain River felt. He would no longer have to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. As tribal chief, after all, he had to handle all kinds of matters for everyone in the tribe, so he might feel somewhat relieved.

But he would certainly feel a sense of loss too. Small as the tribe was, it had traditionally been a single whole. Now, assigning its members to different production teams according to the locations of