The price of the snow leopard pelt took Li Long by surprise.
"Li... where did you get this snow leopard pelt?" Chen Hongjun asked, his expression turning slightly grave at the sight of it.
"Some herder friends in the mountains brought it," Li Long said frankly. "They're short on supplies up there and wanted to trade it for things. Oh, they said this snow leopard got into their sheep pen at the Summer Pasture and killed quite a few sheep. They couldn't drive it away, so they shot it."
Li Long knew it would be several more years before the country's first wildlife protection law appeared, so killing a snow leopard wasn't illegal yet. He simply hadn't expected Harimu and the others to be able to shoot one at the Summer Pasture!
In later years, these creatures had been rarely seen for twenty or thirty years. Only some time after that, as protection efforts intensified, had these spirits of the snowy mountains gradually reappeared in people's sight.
"It's rare to find a snow leopard pelt this intact. Across the whole region-no, across the whole country, probably-pelts this complete must be uncommon. These creatures... live high in the mountains. I really didn't expect anyone could shoot one!"
"Well, Comrade Old Chen, do you buy them here? If not, I'll go to Stone City or Wu City. My herder friend is in quite a hurry..."
"Yes, of course we do!" Hearing that Li Long might go elsewhere, Chen Hongjun immediately pulled the snow leopard pelt closer to his chest and said solemnly:
"Li, you've done me a huge favor. With this snow leopard pelt, I can consider this year's purchasing quota fulfilled ahead of schedule..."
Li Long smiled and said:
"Comrade Chen, just tell me how much you can pay. If the