At the first gray light of dawn the next day, Li Long got out of bed.
He packed his things, banked the stove with coal, and went to the East Room.
The light was already on over there. When Li Long went in to wash up, his sister-in-law, Liang Yuemei, was stir-frying vegetables, and Li Jianguo was already packing steamed rice cakes for him.
"Big Brother, don't pack so much. I can't eat all that," Li Long said before going to wash his face.
The enamel washbasin had a double-happiness character on it. His brother had bought it for his wedding, and a dozen years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Thinking about it, if not for him, his hardworking brother and frugal sister-in-law should have been living much better.
"It won't hurt to pack extra. Bring back whatever you don't eat," Li Jianguo said, his head lowered as he packed. "Getting hungry while you're working is miserable. You can get by on little at home, but you need plenty on the road. Things are easy enough to sort out at home, but out in the middle of nowhere, it's a different story."
"Exactly. Take more. Oh, and take some of the mutton we boiled last night," Liang Yuemei said as she cooked. "Meat gives you strength to work."
From the kang bed in the inner room, Li Qiang called out:
"Mom, I want meat too!"
"Eat, eat, eat! That's all you think about!" Liang Yuemei snapped back as soon as she heard her son. "Didn't you have enough last night? Your uncle is going out to work!"
Li Qiang immediately fell silent. Both children were afraid of Liang Yuemei. The old saying spoke of a strict father and a loving mother, but in the Li household, it was the other way around.
After Li Long washed his face, Li Jianguo handed him the shoulder bag and said:
"I filled your canteen with warm boiled water too, but you'll only be able to drink it during the morning. It'll be frozen by the afternoon. Eat a handful of snow if you get thirsty."
Insulated cups weren't around yet. If you got thirsty out in the middle of nowhere, a handful of snow took care of it.
Breakfast was sweet potato porridge, steamed rice cakes, and stir-fried pickled vegetables.
Liang Yuemei ladled out the leftover sheep offal soup from yesterday, giving Li Long a bowl and dividing the little that remained between Li Juan and Li Qiang. Almost all the scarce Mixed Lamb Offal went into Li Long's bowl.
Watching Liang Yuemei do this out of habit, Li Long felt a sting in his nose. He divided the Mixed Lamb Offal from his bowl between Li Juan's and Li Qiang's bowls and said with a smile:
"I'm happy with just the broth. You still treat me like a child, Sister-in-law."
"Well, aren't you a child to us?" Li Jianguo said, picking up some pickled vegetables. "How old are you, anyway? Until you're married, you're still a child."
"All right." Li Long lowered his head and drank the soup. "This mutton broth tastes wonderful!"
Liang Yuemei said with a smile:
"Then I'll make more soup for when you get back. Yesterday I only cut up some of the heart and liver. Your brother will clean the stomach today, and we'll boil it tonight."
"Great. Who knows? I might even bring back another sheep tonight." Li Long finished his soup and wiped his mouth. "If I do, we'll send half to Uncle Liang."
Liang Yuemei exchanged a glance with Li Jianguo before saying:
"Wenyu came over yesterday, and I had him take some fish back. We don't need to send meat too..."
"That's different." Li Long remembered very clearly that the Li family had received plenty of help from the Liang Family, both in the past few years and for several years afterward. He had been the biggest reason for it-first his job, then setting up his own household.
It felt wonderful to have another chance at life. Paying back his debts felt good!
"They're different things to eat. Mutton has its own flavor, and fish has its own flavor. I can make a couple more trips before New Year. Maybe I'll bring back a few more sheep, and we'll have a bountiful New Year!"
"A bountiful New Year... Uncle, what does that mean?" Li Qiang looked up and asked, chewing a piece of sheep's heart.
"It means..." Li Long thought for a moment. "At New Year, you'll get big chunks of mutton and eat as much as you want!"
"Really?" At those words, Li Qiang's eyes sparkled.
Li Juan looked just as eager.
"Really. Absolutely." Li Long thumped his chest. For Li Qiang's words alone, he had to work hard!
After breakfast, Li Long went to the East Room to dress properly, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed out.
Just outside the gate, he saw Gu Ermao waiting there, which surprised him.
Hadn't this guy fallen out with me?
"Li Long, I heard you're heading into the mountains. Take me along, will you?" Gu Ermao wore his usual cheeky grin.
"I can't," Li Long refused flatly. "I've already arranged to go with Daqiang. The cart can't carry too many people. If we take more, we won't have room to haul things."
"Li Long," Gu Ermao said, hurriedly explaining when Li Long turned him down outright, "hear me out. I didn't mean to tell Wu Shufen you'd been fired. That's just how she is. Believe me, actually..."
Li Long had already left him behind and was walking toward the stables.
Gu Ermao tried to follow, but Li Long walked fast, and Gu Ermao had been standing in the cold for quite a while. He couldn't keep up and soon fell behind.
"Damn it, so you won't take me? If you can go, so can I!" Gu Ermao snarled. "It's only the mountains! As if anyone else can't go!"
Li Long was still wondering why Tao Daqiang hadn't shown up. When he reached the stables, he found Tao Daqiang squatting by a corner of the outer wall.
"Daqiang, why didn't you come to my house?" Li Long asked in surprise. "Why are you huddled here?"
"I saw Ermao heading to your house," Tao Daqiang said quietly. "I figured he must be asking you to take him into the mountains too. I thought if he went, I might not get to..."
Tao Daqiang wasn't stupid.
Li Long said with a smile:
"Didn't I tell you? It's the two of us. We're not taking him. On future trips, it'll still be just us two. Understand?"
"Sure!" Hearing that, Tao Daqiang immediately brightened. "Just us two!"
When he had been heading out that morning, his father, Tao Jianshe, had said something that left him unsettled for a long time.
"Daqiang, look, you went into the mountains with Li Long once, and now you've got leather gloves and a leg of mutton. If Li Long goes again, why don't you have your older brother go in your place? He has a family to support, and he's smarter than you. He could bring back more things."
"Li Long said he won't take anyone else. Only me!" Tao Daqiang lied.
"Then remember the route. After this trip, stop going with Li Qiang. You and your brother can borrow the team's horse cart and go yourselves. If you bring back a sheep, our family can have a bountiful New Year too."
Tao Daqiang knew his own limitations. Even if he memorized the route, he wouldn't be able to trade for a sheep.
Those people trusted Li Long, not him.
His older brother Dayong wouldn't be able to do it either.
Li Long found Lao Luo and had him harness the horse to the cart, then headed to the county town with Daqiang. They bought brick tea and salt first. After some thought, Li Long also bought two packets of sugar cubes and half a kilogram of loose fruit candies, then drove the cart into the mountains.
Since he knew the way now, he reached Harimu's Winter Camp a little earlier than yesterday.
This time, the dogs started barking as soon as they saw the cart approaching.
But neither dog ran toward them, and both were wagging their tails. Li Long guessed they recognized him.
He unhitched the cart and led the horse over to the Winter Camp. Harimu had already come outside.
Seeing Li Long and Tao Daqiang, Harimu held out his hand first:
"Li Long, doing well?"
"Yes, very well." Li Long gave his hand a firm shake. "Sorry for troubling you again."
The Kazakhs placed great importance on courtesy. Yesterday they had been strangers, but today they knew each other, and the proper courtesies still had to be observed.
Harimu took the reins and tied the horse to the wooden post again. After setting out fodder, he ushered Li Long and Tao Daqiang into the Winter Camp.
Once inside, Li Long waited for his eyes to adjust. When he saw what was beside the stove, his eyes lit up:
"There's something good here!"
(End of chapter)
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