Li Long had his own enamel bowl. When he went to get soup, the cook filled it to the brim with meat. Those beside him were envious, but not one of them objected.
Li Long had shot this roe deer, after all. He deserved a bigger share!
Li Long thought nothing of it either. After getting his food, he sat on a log, set his bowl aside, and began breaking up his nang.
He had not brought chopsticks, but that posed no difficulty for these people. They simply took a twig from a felled tree, stripped off the rough bits, and snapped it to a suitable length. There was a chopstick.
Li Long did the same and made himself a pair. Seeing Meng Hai still maintaining order, intending to wait until last to get his food, he called out:
"Lao Meng, stop waiting. Hurry up and get something to eat. You still have to coordinate the work afterward."
This was no time to insist on officers and men sharing everything equally. Meng Hai needed to show some authority and prestige now, and Li Long really did have something to tell him.
Hearing Li Long, Meng Hai smiled, went to get a bowl of meat soup, and came over.
He had brought provisions too. His wife had made him oil pancakes. Although eating them cold might be bad for his stomach, they contained plenty of oil and kept hunger at bay.
"Here, nang goes better with meat soup." Li Long broke off half his nang and gave it to him. "Give me half your pancake. Let me try your wife's cooking."
Meng Hai smiled. "Sure, sure. Here, half each. If you want more, I have some in my bag."
"No, a taste is enough. With my appetite, if I ate it