Li Long returned to the Big Courtyard. Gu Xiaoxia was looking after the children. Seeing him go into the East Room to rummage for something, she asked through the door curtain, "Are Dad and Mom both doing well? What are you looking for?"
"The shotgun," Li Long said out of habit. "The team's going hunting the day after tomorrow, and Dad wants to come along. I've got to get a gun ready for him, haven't I?"
Gu Xiaoxia paused at his words, then smiled.
She had heard Li Long say it before-men are boys until they die.
He had brought it up casually during a conversation. Before Gu Xiaoxia could understand what he meant, he had explained, mentioning things like perfectly straight sticks and branches shaped like swords.
Thinking back, Gu Xiaoxia felt it really was true!
Her father, Gu Boyuan, was a fairly steady sort of man.
But sometimes, while working in the fields, he would come across a very straight branch shaped like a sword, with something like a handguard where he held it. He would pick it up with a touch of excitement and go to the edge of the field to knock the tops off the weeds.
Tall lamb's quarters became gray stalks, with soft tops that could be sliced off several at a time with one swing. Gu Xiaoxia had no idea what was so entertaining about that, but she could tell Gu Boyuan was quite excited when he used a branch to cut them down.
That must have been what Li Long meant by "men are boys until they die."
Li Long had no idea what Gu Xiaoxia was smiling about. After finding the shotgun, he saw that it was still early and gave it a quick cleaning.
Li Jianguo had last used this