The next day, Gu Xiaoxia went to work after breakfast. Li Long tidied up the kitchen and yard, then drove the tractor out to the team.
He went straight to the home of the team leader, Xu Chengjun.
Xu Chengjun had already eaten breakfast and was stripping reeds in the yard, wearing a pair of worn-out gloves.
Li Long climbed down from the tractor. Seeing some tied reed bundles piled against the low southern wall of their yard, half covered in snow, he shook his head.
"Oh, Xiao Long's here?" Xu Chengjun stood up with Mohé tobacco dangling from his mouth and said:
"Well? Can we still do that reed bundle work?"
"Yes."
"Hey, that's good. Everyone's been waiting." Ma Hongmei came back from feeding the pigs, carrying the slop bucket, and said with a smile:
"How many do they want this year? I noticed they wanted more taibazi and big brooms than last year. Do they want more reed bundles too? And the price can go up a little, right?"
Li Long waved his hand and said:
"Team leader, sister-in-law, the standards for the reed bundles have changed. The ones you've already tied won't do."
"Why won't they do?" Xu Chengjun immediately grew a little anxious. "Tell us! What are the new standards?"
"Twenty reeds. The three strands of fine iron wire haven't changed, and neither has the two-and-a-half-meter length."
"Twenty reeds..." Xu Chengjun murmured.
"What about the price?" That was what Ma Hongmei cared about most.
"I'll pay thirty cents each," Li Long said.
He was taking a twenty-cent cut, which was reasonable enough. Last year, the going purchase price from the villagers had been ten cents per bundle. This year required more material, but the price had risen too, and by quite a bit. Everyone ought to