For the next week, Li Long went to Big Haizi every morning to check the situation. This time, though, he did not go to the Floodgate, only taking a look along the South Bank.
The waterline retreated every day. Gradually, apart from a few large hollows, there was hardly any water left on the South Bank, though fish heads still stirred in some shallow puddles.
The newly exposed ground was still wet and slippery, so Li Long left those fish alone and only checked the water.
In the afternoons, he handed his bicycle over to Li Junfeng and the others to practice on. At first, only Li Junfeng and Li Junshan practiced, but later Li Anguo and Chen Xingbang joined them. A bicycle back then was every bit as impressive as a motorcycle would be a dozen years later or a car twenty-odd years later. It was a high-end possession.
While they practiced riding, Li Long found time to visit the County Seat and buy several more scoop-net bags. Back home, he fitted handles to them and reinforced them for later use.
By the time all four had learned to ride, Li Long took them to Li Jianguo's house one afternoon.
Li Jianguo did not have much to do either, mainly feeding the pigs. Seeing Li Long arrive with the others, he invited everyone inside.
"Big Brother, we came today to discuss something big," Li Long said. "If this works out, earning enough for a bicycle apiece for Second Older Brother and the others won't be a problem."
"What?" Li Anguo froze for a moment, and then all of them lit up with delight!
Over the previous ten days or so, each of them had earned thirty or forty yuan, already a huge sum to them.
Now Li Long said