Early the next morning, Li Long was woken by Tao Daqiang knocking on his window.
He rubbed his face and said to Tao Daqiang outside:
"Go get the tire first. I'll be right out."
It was April, and the house was still a little chilly, with even colder air outside. But young men ran hot. Wearing only a jacket over an undershirt, Tao Daqiang fetched the tire from the shed beside the Li Family's house. He squeezed it, checked that it still had enough air, then carried it to the courtyard gate to wait for Li Long.
Li Long dressed and came outside. The chill brought him fully awake, and he said:
"Let's go."
He was wearing worn-out cloth shoes. They would get wet later, so wearing new ones would be a waste. He caught up with Tao Daqiang, and the two chatted on and off as they headed toward Little Haizi.
Once outside the Production Team's settlement, he looked back and saw someone already collecting manure on the distant main road. Li Long guessed it was probably Wang the Miser. The man was getting more hardworking by the day.
When they reached Little Haizi, Tao Daqiang volunteered to retrieve the nets this time.
"Don't worry, Brother Long. I'll definitely be careful this time. Even if there's a big fish, I won't try to grab it again." Only after Tao Daqiang repeatedly promised him did Li Long agree to let him get into the tire.
There were six nets, so retrieving them would not take long. Still, Li Long dared not let his guard down and kept watching as Tao Daqiang pulled himself farther out along the nets.
After Tao Daqiang had been knocked into the water by a big fish before, Li Long had explained how to avoid something