Li Long led the foolish roe deer up the slope and tethered it there to graze. He washed all the fritillaria and spread it out to dry, needing several taibazi to hold it all.
Looking at the taibazi, Liu Shanmin suddenly asked:
"Say, if each of those people digging fritillaria got a taibazi, couldn't they dry theirs too?"
"Sure. The problem is, they don't know how to weave them." After spreading out the fritillaria, Li Long went to deal with the dried roe deer meat. Once he had hung it up, he went to air the bedding.
The fritillaria wouldn't dry in a single day. That afternoon, Li Long left Liu Shanmin to watch the place and went to Small White Poplar Gully. He dropped off the braised offal, inspected the taibazi, and spoke to Xie Yundong.
"Leaving them here is fine." Xie Yundong took great care in managing these people. "Everyone knows how many each person has woven. They won't go missing, and everyone will keep an eye on them."
"Exactly. If I'd known, I wouldn't have hauled those taibazi over there." Li Long smiled. "All right, get on with your work. I'll head back. From now on, I'll come by each day to count and inspect them. Or maybe once every two or three days. Just make sure everyone knows."
"All right." Xie Yundong nodded. Li Long went to say goodbye to his eldest older brother, then drove away on the tractor.
Halfway back, the sun had already set and the evening glow had risen. The western horizon was a blaze of red, and clouds large and small had turned fiery. It was a beautiful sight.
Without a phone, there was no way to record it. Splendor lasted only an instant, which was why people preserved such moments