Li Qiang
Rebirth in 1981: Hunting and Fishing in the Northwest
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Li Qiang (李强) |
| Alias(es) | Qiangqiang 4 5 |
| Gender | Male 2 |
| Age | Five years old at the beginning of the story 2 |
| Affiliation | Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei’s household 1 22 |
| Occupation/Role | Child; Li Long’s nephew 2 |
| Residence | A rural Production Team community in Northern Xinjiang, in 1981 1 |
| Status | Alive 50 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1, asking his mother for meat 1 |
Background / History
Li Qiang is the son of Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei, the younger brother of ten-year-old Li Juan, and the nephew of Li Long. He shares a room with his sister in the family’s main living quarters 2 6.
His family faces a difficult winter after its slaughtered pig is found to contain parasite eggs and must be buried. Li Long’s return from the food factory adds pressure to their limited food and heating supplies. Although the parents reserve refined grain for the children and Li Long, Li Long later worries that Li Qiang and Li Juan are barely growing and plans to buy more refined grain 1 3 29.
In Li Long’s previous life, Li Qiang became estranged from his uncle after Li Jianguo’s fatal fall, which Li Long blames on himself. Li Jianguo had also set aside pine boards for Li Qiang’s future wedding furniture; the unused boards remained at Liang Yuemei’s house until Li Long’s death 1 24.
Appearance
- Winter clothing: Wears thick padded clothes; during the Little Haizi outing, he and Li Juan are bundled so heavily that they resemble little balls 2 27.
- Green jacket: Repeatedly wipes his runny nose on its sleeve, leaving the fabric shiny 3.
Personality
Li Qiang is curious and direct. He eagerly watches rice paper curl in his palm, asks why it moves, and immediately tastes it when Li Long explains that it is edible. Unlike Li Juan, who remembers their uncle’s refusal to help with chores, Li Qiang focuses on the food and entertainment Li Long brings him 2 15.
His enthusiasm often turns into impatience: he wants meat immediately, asks to join outdoor trips despite the cold, and loudly cheers fishing catches. He can also be stubborn, holding onto a grass carp even after its tail strikes his face. Nevertheless, his mother’s scolding and his older sister’s authority quickly silence him 3 11 22 27.
Story Role / Major Arcs
| Event | Chapters | Li Qiang’s involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Rice paper and the request for meat | 2 3 | Visits Li Long looking for something fun, then asks for meat. Explains that the family’s infected pig was buried. |
| Catching and eating sparrows | 3 4 5 | Accompanies Li Long and Li Juan, holds captured birds, and suggests another haystack to search. Li Long teaches him that his hardworking parents should eat first. His continued hunger after three sparrows prompts Li Long to hunt Gugu Chickens. |
| Helping at home | 6 11 19 29 | Calls his uncle to meals, announces his return with a cartload of wood, and carries a sack of supplies inside to his mother. |
| Treats and New Year promises | 19 22 25 41 | Receives sesame cake and candy. Li Long promises enough mutton for him to eat his fill at New Year and later brings meat buns for the children to try. |
| Fishing at Little Haizi | 8 11 27 29 | Initially refused permission to go, he eventually joins the adults and gathers reeds with Li Juan. A grass carp slaps his face, but he refuses to release it. Li Long promises to have it cooked as “revenge”; at dinner, Li Qiang takes one bite before choosing crucian carp instead. |
| The stolen knucklebones | 35 | Tells Li Long that Lu Nier kept two of Li Juan’s ankle bones and had her brother drive them away. Accompanies his uncle to recover them and praises him afterward. |
| Fear over Li Long’s disappearance | 49 | Cries after hearing rumors that his uncle has been taken away and will not return. Runs to Li Long when he arrives home, and is reassured that he was in the mountains. |
Equipment / Toys
- Spinning top — Frequently plays with it outdoors, including on the road and ice 3 19 25 28.
- Gugu Chicken feathers — Selects pretty feathers with Li Juan to save for making shuttlecocks 7.
- Inflated pig’s bladder — Li Long inflates it through a reed tube; Li Qiang and other children kick it around like a soccer ball 50.
Relationships
- Li Long — Paternal uncle. Becomes a source of food, gifts, outings, and protection; Li Qiang openly admires his hunting and trading abilities 2 15 29 35.
- Li Jianguo — Father. Gives him chicken at meals and takes the grass carp from him after it strikes his face 11 27.
- Liang Yuemei — Mother and the stricter parent. Scolds his repeated demands for meat and initially refuses to let him join the fishing trip 11 22.
- Li Juan — Older sister. Shares his room and outdoor adventures, but also disciplines him when he becomes impatient or noisy 3 6 27.
- Tao Daqiang — His uncle’s companion on fishing trips. Praises Li Qiang for holding onto the powerful grass carp 27.
- Liang Wenyu — Maternal uncle. Li Qiang enthusiastically tells him that Li Long caught the delicious Gugu Chickens 15.
Notable Quotes
“Uncle, I want meat.” 2
“Uncle, you’re not stupid at all! You’re the smartest! You can catch Gugu Chickens and trade them for Ankle Bones—nobody else can do that!” 29