Chapter Summaries

Li Long finished hauling hay and delivered the remaining big brooms, earning nearly seven thousand yuan from the broom sales. After depositing most of his savings, he returned home to celebrate with Gu Xiaoxia and left the story wondering whether their efforts to have a child had succeeded.

• Li Long helped Harimu and the herders finish hauling hay, then joined them for a feast celebrating the end of the work.
• Bolati traded Li Long a sack of dried codonopsis roots for thirty yuan and a bottle of liquor.
• Meng Hai gave Li Long a jug of honey, while he and He Yuqing discussed preparing for another year of broom production.
• Li Long delivered the remaining big brooms, calculated a profit of 6,920 yuan, and divided his savings among fixed-term deposits at three banks.
• Li Long prepared a celebratory dinner for Gu Xiaoxia, and they spent the night together hoping to conceive a child.

Li Long bought three large pots and showed his family how to press seed watermelons so the seeds could be extracted efficiently and flattened while wet. After the method worked in the field, Li Jianguo welcomed a villager to eat a melon as long as he left the seeds.

• Li Long bought three large pots from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to use for extracting watermelon seeds.
• Li Long explained to Li Jianguo and the family how they could press curled seeds flat while they were still wet.
• Li Long, Li Jianguo, and the family prepared boards and went to the melon field to test the seed-extraction method.
• Li Long and Li Jianguo crushed a ripe melon between boards, and nearly all its seeds flowed into the pot.
• Li Qingxia tried pressing another melon, and Chen Lirong spotted curled seeds that could be flattened later.
• Li Jianguo let Chen Qingfu eat a melon and told him to leave its seeds behind.

Li Long hired the three Liang brothers to help harvest ripe seed watermelons, and their combined labor quickly cleared a large stretch of the field. After paying them and taking them home with melons, Li Long left the brothers as Xu Jianjun called for Liang Eldest Son.

• Li Long invited the Liang brothers to press watermelon seeds for ten yuan a day and offered Liang Third Son five yuan to pick and load melons.
• Li Long and the Liang brothers worked alongside the Li family, pressing seeds and hauling watermelons while visitors sampled the fruit.
• The workers produced several sacks of seeds, and Li Long estimated they could finish harvesting the field in about six days.
• Li Long paid the three brothers their wages and drove them home with watermelons to share with their family.
• Liang Eldest Son gave ten yuan to Liang Laohan and kept the rest of the brothers' earnings; Xu Jianjun then called for him from outside.

Xu Jianjun tried to stir up resentment over Li Long’s wages, but Liang Dacheng rejected his argument, while the Li family finished processing their watermelon seeds and prepared to sell them. Li Long later hauled in a strong catch from Haizi before heading to negotiate the seed price in Stone City.

• Xu Jianjun asked Liang Dacheng about the watermelon work and tried to convince him that Li Long should pay the Liang brothers more, but Liang Dacheng refused to begrudge Li Long’s earnings.
• Li Long and Li Jianguo worked with the Liang brothers to press watermelon seeds as villagers watched and asked about yields, prices, and buyers.
• After five days, the Liang brothers had earned 140 yuan, and the Li family set aside about fifty kilograms of large seeds for planting while preparing the rest for sale.
• Li Long proposed taking roughly a tonne of dried seeds to the Roasted Goods Factory and seeking at least 2.50 yuan per kilogram, while Li Jianguo hoped the proceeds could buy a tractor.
• Li Long and Li Qingxia set fishing nets in Haizi, and the next morning Li Long retrieved a bountiful catch that included two carp weighing over three kilograms each.

Li Long and Li Jianguo took their fish and watermelon seeds to Stone City, where the Roasted Goods Factory inspected the seeds and offered a surprisingly high price. Li Jianguo accepted Yuan Guomin’s offer of 2.80 yuan per kilo, leaving the family with a major windfall from their ten mu of seed watermelons.

• Li Long, Li Qingxia, and Li Jianguo collected the fish, while Liang Yuemei agreed to save watermelon seeds for Sister-in-Law Lu and prepared fish to share with relatives and neighbors.
• Li Long drove the tractor to deliver fish to Uncle Lao Luo and Tao Jianshe, then dropped Li Qiang and Li Juan at school on the way to Stone City.
• Li Long and Li Jianguo brought the watermelon seeds to the Roasted Goods Factory, where Li Long presented his work ID and Yuan Guomin recognized him as an ethnic unity model.
• Yuan Guomin sampled the seeds and found them clean, mature, and flattened so they would be easier to crack.
• Yuan Guomin offered 2.80 yuan per kilo, and Li Jianguo accepted, calculating that the ten-mu harvest would bring in 5,600 yuan.

Li Long and Li Jianguo sold their first harvest of watermelon seeds for a good price and discussed how to divide the money, then learned that Chen Xingbang had secured a temporary job selling meat for the Stone City Food Factory. The chapter ended with Li Jianguo telling Gu Boyuan about their profits and wondering whether other farmers would plant watermelon seeds next year.

• Yuan Guomin bought 1,054 kilograms of Li Jianguo's watermelon seeds for 2,951 yuan and invited Li Long to bring the remaining seeds for the same price.
• Li Long insisted on taking only 1,000 yuan while Li Jianguo kept the rest, and suggested they buy a tractor and help Uncle Liang's family grow watermelon seeds.
• Li Long and Li Jianguo helped Li Qingxia sell his remaining fish, then discovered that Chen Xingbang was selling meat at a new Stone City Food Factory stall and had been offered temporary employment.
• Chen Xingbang planned to return to their hometown to bring Xiaoxia and the children to Stone City, while Li Qingxia planned to travel back to check their courtyard and family genealogy.
• Li Long bought peanuts, sweet potatoes, and a basket at the market, and the group later stopped at Gu Boyuan's shop, where Li Jianguo described their watermelon-seed profits and Gu Boyuan asked whether they would plant again next year.

After Li Long and Li Jianguo sold their watermelon seeds in Stone City for two yuan eighty per kilogram, villagers rushed to buy seed for the next year, though many doubted the reported price. The Li family sold out and bought a new tractor, prompting more villagers to seek seed—even the shriveled leftovers.

• Sister-in-Law Lu heard the seeds had sold for two yuan eighty per kilogram and bought enough for ten mu at three yuan per kilogram.
• Tao Jianshe, Liang Dacheng, Jia Weidong, Xu Chengjun, Xie Yundong, and others bought seed, while Ma Jinbao doubted the sale price and tried to bargain for some.
• Wang the Miser questioned whether the seeds could truly fetch that price, and Ma Yinbao later bought the remaining seed.
• Li Jianguo announced that the family had sold out, and the Li family brought home a new tractor bought with the proceeds.
• Sister-in-Law Lu spread news of the tractor, and villagers returned to ask for seed until Liang Yuemei said only shriveled seeds remained; some offered to buy those too.

Tao Dayong bought the Li family's shriveled watermelon seeds after missing the earlier sale, and Li Jianguo quietly included some good seeds. Jiang Zhiyu then visited the Li family to report on their prosperity and realized Li Long's visit to Bayi Agricultural College could make an especially compelling story; she planned to seek him out for more details.

• Tao Dayong paid Li Jianguo for fifteen kilograms of shriveled seeds, and Li Jianguo secretly included five kilograms of good seeds while advising him to keep the arrangement quiet.
• Tao Jianshe offered Tao Dayong eight kilograms of seeds, but Tao Dayong refused them and showed his father the good seeds Li Jianguo had included.
• Ma Chunhong cracked open Tao Dayong's seeds and planted a few in a flowerpot, where they sprouted several days later.
• Jiang Zhiyu visited the Li family to interview Li Jianguo about his watermelon harvest and new tractor, and learned that Li Long had consulted a professor at Bayi Agricultural College.
• Jiang Zhiyu decided to emphasize science's role in the Li family's success and planned to visit Li Long in the county seat for more information.

Jiang Zhiyu interviewed Li Long about Professor Wu’s guidance, while Li Long moved the roe deer to the team and planned a trip home and to Bayi Agricultural College. Meanwhile, Li Xia endured rumors, harassment, and cruelty from her in-laws until Chen Xingbang’s telegram announced his return, allowing her to publicly silence the village gossips.

• Jiang Zhiyu interviewed Li Long about how Professor Wu had advised him on growing watermelons, and Li Long described the pests, treatment, and harvest-related feedback he planned to provide.
• Li Long moved four roe deer from his courtyard to Old Ma's Place, then told his family he would return to their hometown and visit Wu City and Bayi Agricultural College with Dad and Chen Xingbang.
• Li Xia faced village rumors that Chen Xingbang had abandoned her, while Chen Chang Gui and Shen Yujuan told her she would lose the courtyard and land if she left.
• Wang Jinguang tried to force his way into Li Xia’s home at night, but Li Xia struck him with a stick and chased him away.
• A telegram announced that Chen Xingbang would return around the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Li Xia proudly told the village gossips that he had not abandoned her or their daughter.

Li Long reported his watermelon harvest and seed-flattening method to Professor Wu, then returned home with gifts and a bicycle. Meanwhile, Chen Xingbang reunited with Li Xia and learned that Wang Jinguang had harassed her; he went to Wang’s home and attacked him.

• Li Anguo agreed to rent a place in KT City and bring Chen Lirong and their children to live with him.
• Li Long escorted Li Qingxia and Chen Xingbang to the train, then visited Professor Wu and told her about the watermelon harvest and flattened seeds.
• Li Long bought toys and a bicycle in Wu City before taking the bus home.
• Chen Xingbang returned to Chen Village and reunited with Li Xia and Hongqin, then learned that Chen Chang Gui and Wang Jinguang had caused trouble for his family.
• Chen Xingbang wrecked Wang Jinguang’s belongings and struck him with a spade handle.

Chen Xingbang decided to leave the village with Li Xia and Hongqin for Northern Xinjiang, cutting ties with his father and selling his home and land to keep them out of his family’s hands. The family began their quiet departure, and Chen Xingbang left for Lilou after securing a stamped political review form.

• Chen Xingbang beat Wang Jinguang for spreading rumors and warned him that reporting the assault could expose his own crimes.
• Chen Xingbang confronted Chen Chang Gui about trying to claim Li Xia’s home and land, then declared that he would no longer concern himself with his father.
• Chen Xingbang sold his courtyard and land to Niu Weiguo for two hundred yuan and arranged for his family to leave secretly for Northern Xinjiang.
• Chen Xingbang persuaded Li Xia to take only a small bundle and travel with Hongqin to Lilou under the pretense of visiting her maternal grandfather.
• Chen Xingbang obtained Yu Yongfeng’s stamp on a political review form for a temporary job at Stone City Food Factory, then took a roundabout route toward Lilou.

Li Qingxia and Chen Xingbang took Li Xia and Hongqin from their hometown to Northern Xinjiang, leaving Chen Chang Gui to discover that Chen Xingbang had sold his courtyard and land. The family reunited with Li Long at his Big Courtyard and waited for Gu Xiaoxia to return from work.

• Li Qingxia finished tending the ancestral graves and prepared to leave with Li Xia, Chen Xingbang, and Hongqin for Northern Xinjiang.
• The family ate braised pork in Yongcheng County, then traveled by train to Wu City and onward to Ma County.
• Niu Weiguo began repairing Chen Xingbang's former courtyard, and Chen Qiangguo told Chen Chang Gui that Chen Xingbang had sold the property and left for Northern Xinjiang.
• Li Qingxia, Chen Xingbang, Li Xia, and Hongqin reached Li Long's Big Courtyard, where Li Long welcomed them and gave Hongqin a doll, watermelon, and wolf charms.
• Gu Xiaoxia returned from work as the family waited in Li Long's courtyard.

Li Long brought Li Xia, Chen Xingbang, and Hongqin to visit his family in Northern Xinjiang, where he welcomed them and gave the children gifts. The next morning, Li Long drove them toward Stone City, while Xu Jianjun tried to recruit Xu Chengjun into worrying about the Li family's growing presence and was rebuked.

• Gu Xiaoxia warmly welcomed Li Xia, gave her a headscarf, and joined Li Long's family for dinner at the Canteen.
• Li Long drove Li Xia, Chen Xingbang, and Hongqin to the Li family's courtyard, where he gave Li Juan a bicycle and handed toys to the children.
• The family spent the evening catching up, and Li Xia saw how spacious Li Long's courtyard was the next morning.
• Li Long drove Li Xia and Hongqin toward Stone City; Li Juan rode her new bicycle to school while Li Qiang joined them on the Tractor.
• Xu Jianjun asked Xu Chengjun whether the Li family was trying to build a clan in their team, and Xu Chengjun scolded him for treating their land as valuable.

Li Long brought Li Xia and Hongqin to their new home in Stone City, then learned a newspaper article about his watermelon profits had sent people searching for seeds at Li Jianguo’s house. He stepped in to confront the crowd, but several visitors still insisted the family had to sell them seeds.

• Li Long drove Li Xia and Hongqin to Chen Xingbang’s courtyard in Stone City, where he gave Li Xia money and bicycle coupons before returning to Ma County.
• Li Long heard that Sister Yang’s family still had not provided Han Xincheng’s address, and Sister Yang later read a letter asking her to send money home instead.
• Gu Xiaoxia showed Li Long a newspaper article by Jiang Zhiyu about his and Li Jianguo’s tractors and watermelon profits, and Li Long warned that people might come looking for seeds.
• Li Long arrived at Li Jianguo’s courtyard and found several people demanding watermelon seeds after reading the article.
• Li Long told the visitors to seek seeds from the Seed Company or Roasted Goods Factory, prompting some to leave, while others continued to demand seeds from the family.

Li Long defended the Li family's watermelon seed from persistent visitors with help from Xu Chengjun and the Fourth Team, then organized neighbors to prepare for next year's crop. As winter approached, Li Long balanced plans for collective farming and other business opportunities with work at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, while Li Anguo prepared to reunite his family in Kuytun.

• Li Long refused to give seed to visitors who had not searched widely, and Xu Chengjun and the Fourth Team gathered to drive away those who kept pressing the Li family.
• After the visitors left, Li Jianguo explained watermelon-growing techniques, and Li Long considered using shared profits to unite the Fourth Team around profitable crops.
• Li Long ordered twenty precision seeders, then brought them back and distributed two to each household while teaching the men how to use them.
• Li Long asked Jiang Zhiyu to avoid publicizing the Li family's affairs too prominently, and he noticed villagers cutting reeds in hopes of making bundles for a future order.
• Li Xiangqian told Li Long to collect his Supply and Marketing Cooperative benefits and encouraged him to appear at the cooperative ahead of the year-end outstanding-worker selection.
• Li Anguo rented a courtyard near his workplace and came to bring Chen Lirong and their child to live with him, though Chen Lirong felt reluctant to leave the production team.

Li Long stayed in the County Seat with Gu Xiaoxia, who suspected she was pregnant, while villagers waited for reed-bundle work and began preparing reeds on their own. Li Long then bought honey for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, accepted a team leader’s under-the-table price arrangement, and returned with the cooperative’s order fulfilled.

• Li Long gave Chen Lirong four hundred yuan to buy a bicycle before she and Li Anguo returned home with the children.
• Gu Xiaoxia told Li Long her period was several days late, so they decided she would not visit Yang Pingping and her newborn that weekend.
• Villagers in the Fourth Team began sorting or tying reed bundles as they waited for Li Long to bring work assignments.
• Li Xiangqian sent Li Long to buy two thousand kilograms of honey from a Corps Beekeeping Team.
• The team leader offered to invoice the honey at one yuan twenty per kilogram and split the difference with Li Long, who agreed and delivered the honey to the cooperative in two loads.

Li Long finally secured an order for 20,000 reed bundles, but the Supply and Marketing Cooperative had doubled the number of reeds required per bundle, putting villagers who had tied theirs early in trouble. After telling Gu Xiaoxia, he planned to return to the team and manage the work carefully.

• Tao Daqiang welcomed Yang Pingping and their baby daughter home after her postpartum confinement, while Li Long told his family that Gu Xiaoxia was pregnant.
• Li Long advised villagers who had started tying reed bundles to stop because no order had arrived yet.
• After a heavy snowfall, Li Xiangqian gave Li Long an order for 20,000 bundles, each containing twenty reeds instead of ten, at fifty fen per bundle.
• Li Long realized villagers who had already tied bundles to the old specifications would be in trouble and planned to haul purchased bundles to the Big Courtyard for safekeeping.
• Gu Xiaoxia told Li Long to return to the team and handle the order, and he promised to come back each evening.

Li Long announced the new reed-bundle standards and price, prompting villagers to revise their work while some struggled with bundles they had already tied. Wang Dongsheng visited to discuss buying the Li family’s watermelon seeds next year, and the chapter ended as Xu Jianjun brought the first bundles for inspection.

• Li Long told Xu Chengjun and the Fourth Team that each reed bundle needed twenty reeds and would earn thirty cents, though previously tied bundles did not meet the new standard.
• Villagers reacted to the changed requirements, and many untied their bundles and combined the reeds while Xu Jianjun tried adding loose reeds around his existing bundles.
• Wang Dongsheng, director of the county’s Fuqiang Roasted Goods Factory, offered to buy the Li family’s watermelon seeds next year, and Li Jianguo discussed the possibility with him.
• Xu Jianjun brought reed bundles to Li Long first, and Li Long frowned when he saw them.

Li Long enforced strict standards while buying reed bundles for a large order, clashed with Xu Jianjun, and later learned Xu had been caught trying to burn Li Jianguo’s reeds. As the Fourth Team fell behind the deadline, Li Long bought thousands of bundles from Wang Delong in Xiahai Village, prompting slow workers to hurry and leaving a villager’s complaint unanswered.

• Li Long rejected most of Xu Jianjun’s poorly prepared reed bundles, and Xu angrily took them away after threatening that Li Long would not collect enough.
• Li Jianguo told Li Long that fires had damaged reeds at four households, and Li Long suspected Xu Jianjun was responsible.
• Li Jianguo later reported that he and their father had caught Xu Jianjun trying to burn their reeds, and Xu fled after being sent to the team office.
• Li Long collected just over seven thousand bundles in fifteen days, then bought more than twenty-three hundred acceptable bundles from Wang Delong of Xiahai Village.
• News of Wang Delong’s delivery spurred Fourth Team members to tie bundles faster, while Li Long challenged a villager who asked him to stop buying from outsiders.

Li Long collected the last reed bundles for his order while making plans to visit Harimu and the others in the mountains. He learned that Tao Daqiang had beaten Xu Jianjun, arranged to save deer afterbirth for Gu Xiaoxia and Du Chunfang, and stopped buying bundles after the final collection.

• Li Long told his family he would finish collecting reed bundles the next day before taking supplies to Harimu and the others in the mountains.
• Ma Chenyang told Li Long that Tao Daqiang had caught and beaten Xu Jianjun near Reed Gully.
• Li Long rejected some of Ma Chenyang's bundles, then visited Tao Daqiang and advised him to buy a tractor in spring rather than winter.
• At Old Ma's Place, Uncle Lao Luo offered to save deer afterbirth for Gu Xiaoxia, and Li Long agreed to get some for Du Chunfang as well.
• Li Long collected more reed bundles and delivered a load to the County Seat before the day ended.
• The next day, Li Long announced that he had stopped buying reed bundles and drove toward the County Seat, leaving Ma Chenyang and other households with unsold reeds.