Seeing that Li Long did not mind her questions, the girl grew bolder and introduced herself:
"My name is Ye Laya. I'm the Pastoral Team's broadcaster. I'd like to write a news report about you repairing houses and sinking wells here. Would that be all right?"
"Sure. Where will you submit it?" Li Long asked as he continued driving the steel rod down.
"To the county broadcasting station," Ye Laya said. "The County Seat has been telling us quite a lot lately that they need reports on things like this."
"Sure. Ask whatever you want." Li Long figured it would not interfere with his work anyway, so he could answer as he went.
"Are you friends with Harimu and Jade Mountain River? How did you become friends?"
Li Long briefly described how he had gone into the mountains to haul timber and met Harimu. It was a fairly ordinary story. Ye Laya took a few brief notes, then continued asking:
"Has anything particularly special or memorable happened between you?"
Li Long thought it over and felt it had all been fairly ordinary, really. He shook his head. He had no intention of going into detail about hunting or trading daily necessities for mountain products, either, and only touched on those things briefly.
Ye Laya was puzzled. If it was that simple, she could not understand why Li Long would go to so much trouble to come here and repair houses and sink wells for the two families.
She turned her gaze toward the Old Lady beside them.
The Old Lady watched the muddy water in the well, but her eyes were full of hope.
How much time would she save every day if she could get water without leaving home?
Fetching water here was a very troublesome daily task for