Xie Yundong led Li Long out of Small White Poplar Gully and into another gully opposite it. They followed it east, and when they emerged, a row of earth cellars lay ahead, with quite a few horses tethered outside. Higher up stood a herder's winter camp.
Several herders were discussing something beside the horses. Xu Jianjun was chopping wood in front of an earth cellar, looking bedraggled. Clearly, he was being forced to work.
Seeing someone approach, all the herders turned to look.
When Xu Jianjun saw Li Long and Xie Yundong, he threw down his axe and shouted:
"Yundong! Xiao Long! Save me!"
He tried to run toward them, but a herder kicked him back.
Li Long found it a little absurd, like watching someone being ransomed in a movie.
Two herders came over. One asked in rather halting Mandarin:
"Did you... bring the fine?"
Xie Yundong looked at Li Long.
He had brought no money when he came. If he had, he would have taken Xu Jianjun back already.
"I'm a purchasing agent for the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative." Li Long had come with his rifle on his back. Now he took his credentials and letter of introduction from his pocket.
"The Supply and Marketing Cooperative has an order for taibazi. This man..."
Li Long pointed at Xu Jianjun and continued:
"Our order is rather urgent, so we hope you'll release him and cooperate with our work."
The Mandarin-speaking herder took the credentials and letter and examined them carefully, then spoke at length to the other man in their minority language, glancing at Li Long as he spoke.
The red stamp on the letter of introduction would not be fake-counterfeiting official seals was practically unheard of at the time.
From what Li Long could hear, this man