When Li Long received Gu Boyuan's call saying someone named Qiao Xing was looking for him, he was in the yard drying small crucian carp.
He had brought back quite a few small crucian carp when he returned from the Team that morning. His father, Li Qingxia, had gone out to set nets again the previous night and retrieved them early that morning. By the time Li Long went over from the front courtyard for breakfast, Dad, Li Qingxia, Mom, Du Chunfang, and his eldest brother, Li Jianguo, had already cleaned the fish.
Li Long had returned carrying several kilograms of crucian carp, along with two five-stripe perch. There had been common carp and grass carp too, but he hadn't taken any.
Apart from the small crucian carp he planned to stew for lunch, he intended to salt and dry the rest. Sitting around the stove eating salted dried fish in winter would be nice too.
As a snack.
He was drying the fish when the phone rang. After answering and learning that Qiao Xing had come, Li Long was somewhat surprised.
He had to think for a moment before remembering who Qiao Xing was.
Since the man had come, he certainly ought to meet him.
Li Long handed the remaining fish to Sister Yang, asking her to work on them with Mingming and Haohao, then walked to the Purchasing Station.
Qiao Xing wasn't sitting in the reception room. He was watching with interest as Gu Boyuan and Sun Jiaqiang bought various goods.
The watermelon seed season was over, and this counted as the Purchasing Station's off-season. Even so, seven or eight people were still lined up in the yard. They were mainly buying codonopsis, hides, and miscellaneous items now.
Li Long had learned a while ago that people had