Qian Zhongxin went to the County Seat to sell cynomorium, carrying a sack on his back, and came back carrying the same sack.
He hadn't sold any.
People saw him both going and coming back, and he became a joke among the team's gossipmongers.
"What happened with Tao Dayong and Gu Ermao still hasn't made him see sense. Some money is ours to earn, and some we shouldn't even think about earning. The Li family's Xiao Long is something else. He's working for the state now. How can you compare?"
"That's true. The Li family's Xiao Long killed several wolves in the mountains. Could an ordinary person do that? I certainly wouldn't dare."
"Just getting that big broom-making work for the team was enough to earn my respect!"
"Then why aren't you mentioning weaving Taibazi? That paid plenty too!"
"Because I wasn't in on that one-I'm just waiting for him to find the team some more work in the fall. Then I'll have my money for New Year."
"Then why haven't you been digging cynomorium these past couple of days? You could make a few yuan a day from that."
"I found out too late, didn't I? By the time I knew, people had already claimed the nearby alkali flats and dug up nearly everything."
"Just watch. Qian Zhongxin will end up having to sell his cynomorium to Li Long anyway-though who knows if Li Long will take the dried stuff."
"Probably not. I went to sell Li Long some cynomorium this morning, and he picked out all the pieces that had dried out on the flats. Said he didn't want them. He's got standards for what he buys..."
Li Long didn't care about what people on the team were saying about him. He was sorting cynomorium, planning to take