Why should I tell you?

This patch was where Achnatherum splendens grew. It was excellent for making Big Brooms. Li Long remembered that, in his previous life, people had come to the village to buy it in the early twenty-first century, paying two yuan per kilogram. Once, while selling fish, he had asked an old man beside him who sold brooms made from the grass about it. The old man had proudly told him that this grass alone had earned him enough to buy apartments in the county town for both his sons, with plenty of savings left over.

Back then, after the farmland had been pooled into a cooperative, the villagers had started pursuing sideline businesses in their spare time. Both Sophora alopecuroides and Achnatherum splendens could be sold for money.

Now, no one wanted the grass. It grew as tall as a person, well beyond the reach of the snow.

Flocks of Gugu Chickens would settle at the base of the grass, sheltering from the wind and keeping warm.

Although Li Long had not switched on his flashlight, there was still enough daylight for him to make out dark shapes beside the grass.

Those should be them, right?

He approached slowly, then switched on his flashlight and swept it across the area.

Sure enough, plenty of Gugu Chickens were huddled together at the base of the grass for warmth.

The beam startled a few Gugu Chickens facing him, but they showed no intention of flying away. They merely shifted a little and remained where they were.

Li Long stepped closer, crouched down, and gently lowered the Scoop Net over them.

He caught four in that single sweep. If the grass had not been in the way, he could have caught even more!

The moment they were inside the Scoop Net, the Gugu Chickens began to panic. Li Long hurriedly reached underneath the net, grabbed them, and stuffed them into the urea sack.

The Gugu Chickens outside the net had started getting to their feet, but the grass prevented them from taking flight immediately. All they could do was run away from Li Long.

The snow was thick, making every step awkward and uneven. Before more than a few Gugu Chickens could escape, Li Long brought his net down again.

By the time the flock was fully alarmed and scattered into the air, Li Long had already caught eleven Gugu Chickens.

What a haul!

Carrying his six or seven kilograms of spoils, Li Long headed home in high spirits.

The journey back was long, but he felt thoroughly content.

Tomorrow, I'll keep a few Gugu Chickens at home and take the rest to sell with the fish. They should fetch a good price, right?

They are wild game, after all!

It was forty minutes before he reached home. Li Long was exhausted and panting. He decided that next time, he should go straight to the patch of grass rather than take the long way around. Walking all that extra distance simply was not worth it.

Back in his room, Li Long tied the sack of Gugu Chickens shut and placed it in the corner, then changed into cloth shoes. He was taking off his clothes to warm them by the fire when he heard the door.

He looked up and saw Zhang Qianjin, from the Zhang family in the Production Team.

Zhang Qianjin was around thirty. Although he was not much older than Li Long, he still addressed Li Jianguo as Uncle. Of course, since everyone had moved here from different parts of the country, that was because his father, Zhang Guangzu, had arrived in the same group as Li Jianguo to establish the team.

So, as with Tao Daqiang, their forms of address depended on the people involved rather than strict generational seniority. Seeing Li Long, he smiled and said:

"Xiao Long, what were you up to? I came by earlier, but you weren't here."

"I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a walk." Li Long was not close to Zhang Qianjin. He continued changing as he asked, "Need something?"

"I do." Despite the cool reception, Zhang Qianjin was not annoyed. Acting as though they were old friends, he sat on the kang bed and said with a smile:

"Today, I borrowed the team's horse cart and planned to follow your example, hauling some wood back from the mountains for firewood. But once I reached the Qingshui River, I didn't know where to go next. I barely managed to lead the cart to the mountain pass, then couldn't find any wood. In the end, I picked up some branches and came back."

Li Long gave a noncommittal grunt and said nothing.

Zhang Qianjin felt a little frustrated. With Li Long's old helpful nature, he would naturally have volunteered directions by now.

Like Li Long, he had spent one yuan sixty to borrow the cart that day. Unwilling to give up, he had paid another one yuan sixty to reserve it for tomorrow.

If he failed to bring back anything valuable, wouldn't those three-plus yuan have gone down the drain?

So, although Li Long's lukewarm attitude left him feeling awkward, he forced himself to continue:

"Look at you-you went out once and brought back all that wood, and even found a frozen sheep. Three carts went out with us, but only the team leader and his brother-in-law managed to find a route into the mountains and bring back a length of pine.

"From what I saw, that wood's only good for burning, not for timber. You're the capable one, Xiao Long!"

Zhang Qianjin praised him because he remembered how vain Li Long used to be. Once someone flattered him, he would spill everything like beans tumbling out of a bamboo tube, whether he ought to say it or not.

Today, however, Li Long merely responded with a lukewarm, "You flatter me," and said nothing more.

Zhang Qianjin heard something fluttering in the corner behind the door, but his mind was entirely occupied with getting directions into the mountains, so he paid it no attention.

In fact, he and the other cart drivers had all thought that, even if they did not know the route into the mountains, they could reach the spot simply by following Li Long's cart tracks.

But they had forgotten about the wind at the mountain pass. Li Long and the others had indeed entered the mountains by way of the Qingshui River, but his route was out of the way, and the pass was windy. The wind had picked up that very night, blowing snow over his cart tracks and burying them.

That was why their expedition had failed from the outset.

Seeing that Li Long refused to say anything, Zhang Qianjin had no choice but to steel himself and ask:

"Xiao Long, could you tell your big brother how to get there? If you tell me, I'll give you a section of wood once I bring a load back. How does that sound?"

Not good at all! Li Long thought.

Your dad loves taking advantage of people, and you're no different. Those empty promises sound nice, but when it comes time to deliver, it's another story. Besides, why should I tell you the route?

"I went into the mountains from the Qingshui River." Li Long pointed south. "The Mountain Pass is huge. Just head toward it. How could you not find it?"

"But we couldn't! There are so many gullies and canals there, and all those bushes outside the Production Team. There's practically no road. We had to force our way through!"

Zhang Qianjin showed Li Long his hands. They were covered in small cuts from the thorns on the bushes they had pushed through.

"Then I don't know," Li Long said. "That's how I went. I reached the Qingshui River, made a few turns, and headed toward the mountain pass."

It was not that he wanted to keep everything for himself. The main problem was that these people had gone too far, effectively cutting off his own opportunities.

You've already blocked my path, and you still expect me to show you a way to get rich?

Unable to get anything out of Li Long, Zhang Qianjin could only leave in a huff.

On his way home, he angrily vowed, I refuse to believe I can't find a way into the mountains without you, Li Long! Just wait until I bring back a frozen sheep. I'll shame you good!

After Zhang Qianjin left, Li Long quickly undressed, blew out the lamp, and climbed into bed. He was certain that if he kept his lamp lit, someone else would come asking questions.

As though by unspoken agreement, the lamp in the West Room soon went out as well.

When Li Long got up the next morning, he was startled again!

Thank you to readers heidiww, 20220308131935841, and Li Xiaobai for your monthly votes, and thanks to everyone for your recommendation votes. Both ongoing readership and bookmarks have been rising over the past two days. Thank you again! May Day is almost here, so happy holidays, everyone!

(End of chapter)