Although it wasn't a day off, the Department Store was bustling, packed with people and loud, noisy voices.
Li Long looked around. Everyone was shopping for the New Year. Stone City had plenty of workers with money left over at year's end. Even if they couldn't afford anything big, buying a kilo of fruit candy, some sesame cakes, or a couple of tins of canned food still counted as celebrating.
Even Yang Bailao had bought two feet of red ribbon for the New Year.
He spotted some Jiang Noodles and squeezed over to buy a kilogram. Compared with fruit candy, these fried, sugar-coated snacks were clearly a step up. Next came roasted peanuts. The Production Team grew oilseed sunflowers, and each household received a share in autumn. Some went toward pressing oil, while the rest were saved to roast for the New Year, though eating them left your lips black.
Li Long split the peanuts he bought into two portions, too: one for himself and one set aside for Tao Daqiang.
After another circuit, he spotted double-barreled shotguns. Locally, people called them "sand guns," because the shells were filled with iron shot or lead pellets, and slugs were rarely used. Each gun had a clearly marked price of over three hundred yuan. There were air rifles, too, for over a hundred each.
A small-caliber rifle cost a hundred and eighty, about the price of a bicycle. Its cartridges were about as thick as a thin pencil tip. They were still available for sale back then, and Li Long eyed them longingly.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the money.
On another circuit, he spotted children's cotton-lined rubber shoes. He wanted to buy some for Li Qiang and Li Juan, but he didn't know either child's shoe size, so that would have to wait until next time.
He found no fishing nets after looking around, so he left the Department Store and let Tao Daqiang go in instead.
"Daqiang, I bought four kilos of roasted peanuts. Two for your family and two for mine. I didn't see any fishing nets. Go in and take another look."
"Sure." Nervous but excited, Tao Daqiang entered the Department Store.
But he came back out almost immediately. Li Long could even see sweat on his face.
"Why did you come out?"
"I... I didn't know what to buy. There was so much stuff, and so many people."
Li Long smiled. He was overwhelmed. That was all right, though. A few more visits would cure that.
"Let's go, then. We'll try the supply and marketing cooperative and see if they have fishing nets."
The supply and marketing cooperative wasn't far from the Department Store, and the horse cart soon arrived. There were hardly any vehicles on the road, though a few cyclists hurried past.
"Are you going in, or am I?" Li Long asked Tao Daqiang when they arrived.
"Brother Long, you'd better go in. I didn't even dare ask anything back there." Tao Daqiang looked uncomfortable. "If they have one, buy it for me. If not... forget it."
Li Long entered the supply and marketing cooperative. There were fewer people inside than at the Department Store, and it was quieter, too.
He looked around and found fishing nets for sale, but they were large drag nets and barrier nets. The smaller ones were gill nets. There were no scoop nets.
Li Long was a little disappointed, but he still asked how much the gill nets cost.
At the time, they only had single-layer gill nets. A fifty-meter net with three-finger mesh cost two yuan, while one with two-finger mesh cost one yuan seventy. He learned the prices but didn't buy anything, and the salesperson said nothing about it.
Outside the cooperative, Li Long told Tao Daqiang what he had found. Tao Daqiang was disappointed, but there was nothing they could do.
"Let's head back." Li Long checked the time. The sun had shifted slightly westward. It was earlier than when they had finished selling yesterday.
But the trip from Stone City to Ma County would take another two hours, followed by nearly two more hours home. It would probably be almost dark by the time they arrived.
Passing the state-run restaurant, Li Long bought four steamed buns, and the two ate as they traveled.
Just after they left Stone City, Li Long suddenly stopped.
Tao Daqiang was chewing on a meat bun. Seeing Li Long stop, he asked:
"Brother Long, what's wrong?" He was sitting on the cart facing backward and hadn't seen what was ahead.
"Someone's blocking the road. Most likely trying to rob us," Li Long said quietly.
At the mention of robbery, Tao Daqiang stuffed the bun into his mouth, jumped nimbly off the cart, and looked ahead.
Two young men were walking slowly toward the cart, one carrying an iron chain and the other an iron pipe.
Woods lined both sides of the road. The pair had picked a good spot. After robbing someone, they could slip straight into the trees and be hard to find.
"Brother Long, are we fighting?" Tao Daqiang sounded a little nervous.
"Are you scared?" Li Long took hold of the horsewhip and wound its lash around the shaft, making it easier to strike with.
"Scared? Scared, my ass!" Tao Daqiang spat. "They want our money? Then we'll fight them to the bitter end!"
They wanted to keep both their lives and their money!
"Brothers, we're after money, not lives. Pay a little toll-not much, just ten yuan-and you can leave. Otherwise, never mind what happens to you. If we kill your horse, that won't be much fun for you either, will it?"
The man with the chain stopped five meters in front of the cart. "We're not greedy. We know you made plenty on this trip. What do you say?"
"Not a chance!" Li Long sneered. "Want something for nothing? Let's see if you've got what it takes!"
He turned to Tao Daqiang and said:
"You take the left, I'll take the right..."
Before he could finish, Tao Daqiang had already charged!
The two men jumped in surprise. What was this? Straight into a fight?
Seeing Tao Daqiang charge, Li Long immediately followed. As he ran, he swung the whip shaft at the head of the man with the pipe. The whip's length gave him an advantage.
The man with the chain saw Tao Daqiang charging and knew there would be no peaceful end to this. He had already started swinging his chain, but he hadn't expected that, simple as Tao Daqiang was, he was no novice at the fights and roughhousing back in the Production Team. As Tao Daqiang leaped forward, he suddenly flung his hat into the man's face. The man's vision blurred, and Tao Daqiang's big foot slammed into his chest. He staggered back two steps, but Tao Daqiang was already on him, grabbing his shoulders and smashing a headbutt into his face!
The man screamed and crouched down, clutching his head. Blood filled his eyes, leaving him unable to see a thing. The pain was unbearable!
While Tao Daqiang went straight into a head-on collision, Li Long fought on the move. He swung his whip, and his opponent raised the iron pipe to block it. Li Long kept his distance. He didn't have Tao Daqiang's build and wasn't much of a fighter, but he was quick on his feet, landing unexpected blows that left his opponent furious and helpless.
The man with the pipe decided to charge Li Long regardless. Once he got close, he could land a heavy blow-only to hear his partner scream!
When the man turned to look, Li Long knew his chance had come. He rushed forward, grabbed the man's arm, and went for a trip.
He wasn't good at fighting, but he had practiced some rough-and-ready wrestling!
Tao Daqiang came over to help then, knocking the robber down with a punch as he struggled with Li Long. Li Long seized the opportunity to stomp on him a few times, keeping him from getting back up.
"Search them," Li Long told Tao Daqiang.
"See if they have anything valuable."
Since they had come to rob people, they ought to be prepared to get robbed themselves.
"Brother Long, I've got twelve yuan here and a stack of grain coupons." With the fight over, Tao Daqiang was his simple, guileless self again. He even let slip what he called Li Long.
Li Long found eight yuan fifty on his man, along with some grain coupons and a fountain pen. He had no idea whether the pen had been stolen from someone else or belonged to the man himself.
"Take the chain and the pipe. Let's go!" Li Long said, putting away the money.
"We need to get out of here fast."
This was someone else's turf, and he was worried they might retaliate.
It's the last day of the May Day holiday. Thank you to Taiwan Bookworm for the tip, and thanks to everyone for your support! The book is going into its first round of recommendations today, and I'm a little excited. I hope the numbers look good, and I hope you'll all keep supporting it!
(End of chapter)
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