Chapter Summaries

Li Jianguo ended the Fourth Team’s reed-bundle purchases after a record nine days, unsettling villagers and leaving Zhang Qiang worried about his Reed Gully lease. Before winter, Li Long visited Wu City, collected jade carvings, and proposed targeted soil testing and fertilization to agricultural researchers, who saw it as a promising research direction.

• Han Benzhong and Han Dachun delivered two carts of reed bundles, and Li Jianguo paid them 167 yuan and 30 fen while offering Han Dachun future broom-making work.
• Li Jianguo announced that the team had enough reed bundles, alarming villagers who had counted on the income and Zhang Qiang, who had leased Reed Gully.
• Li Jianguo told Zhang Qiang that reed-bundle demand would decline as buildings shifted to precast concrete, but reassured him that reeds could still go to the paper mill.
• Li Long completed the reed-bundle job, settled Song Ming’s hauling fees, and traveled to Wu City before the first snowfall.
• Li Long collected four jade carvings from Engineer Liu and brought watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, and rice to Professor Wu at the Agricultural College.
• Li Long explained his idea for targeted soil testing and fertilization to Professor Luo, who welcomed it as a promising direction for agricultural research.

Li Long arranged for Professor Luo to bring students to his saline-alkali land for soil research next spring, then bought a piece of river jade from Yusufu. The next morning, Chen Hongjun invited Li Long to meet two friends, leaving him worried about how he would sell his medicinal herbs after Chen Hongjun left.

• Li Long discussed saline-alkali crops and soil testing with Professor Luo, who proposed applying for a research project on Li Long's land and bringing students there next spring.
• Li Long found Yusufu selling raisins near WLMQ South Station and learned that robbers had taken the goods he brought back from the south.
• Li Long bought Yusufu's mutton-fat river jade for six hundred yuan and received seven smaller jade pieces as a bonus before Yusufu fled from enforcement officers.
• Li Long returned to the Big Courtyard, where Han Fang, Sister Yang, and Gu Xiaoxia were waiting, and had food heated for him.
• Chen Hongjun invited Li Long to meet two friends at noon, and Li Long worried that he would struggle to sell medicinal herbs after Chen Hongjun left next year.

Li Long hosted Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui, two merchants introduced by Chen Hongjun, and discussed selling them herbs, hides, and jade. After seeing Li Long’s home and the huge Ma River jade, Jia Tianlong offered 50,000 yuan for it, but Li Long refused, leaving the question of what to do with the stone unresolved.

• Chen Hongjun introduced Jia Tianlong, a medicinal-herb buyer, and Zhao Hui, a fur buyer, to Li Long, and they discussed prices and potential business.
• Li Long told Jia Tianlong that he had acquired Ma River jade and river jade, prompting Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui to ask to see his collection.
• Li Long took the men to his home, where they saw his Jeep and met his twins; Jia Tianlong gave the children a generous first-meeting gift.
• Jia Tianlong spotted the large Ma River jade that He Yuqing and Meng Hai had brought Li Long and asked to buy it for 50,000 yuan.
• Li Long refused to sell the jade because it represented the goodwill of the Qingshui River Village people, and Zhao Hui persuaded Jia Tianlong to wait until they were sober before discussing it again.

Li Long impressed Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui with his rare pelts and medicinal herbs, while Jia remained fixated on Li Long’s jade carving. As Li Long went into the mountains to trade with Bolati, he learned that the purchasing station’s closure would leave villagers without a buyer and saw an opportunity to fill that role.

• Li Long showed Zhao Hui a snow leopard pelt, which Zhao offered to buy for three thousand, and Jia Tianlong inspected Li Long’s herbs and promised good prices for future supplies.
• Chen Hongjun advised Li Long to compare buyers before selling his goods, then told him the purchasing station was closing and its property would be handed back.
• Gu Xiaoxia heard that Jia wanted Li Long’s jade carving and inspected it, while Li Long later drove into the mountains to gather codonopsis and hunt.
• Bolati met Li Long at the cabin and traded a sack of high-quality codonopsis for liquor, canned food, and other supplies.
• Meng Hai told Li Long that villagers were digging codonopsis to sell, and Li Long explained the station would close next year and considered buying the villagers’ goods himself.

Li Long discussed taking over some of the Purchasing Station’s buying business after it closed, then settled in at a cabin in the mountains with Bolati and bought dried codonopsis. After wolves came to the cabin for deer scraps, Li Long shot a black bear that confronted them and began skinning it.

• Li Long told Meng Hai he might buy wild products from a few nearby groups after the Purchasing Station closed, and Meng Hai shared the news with He Yuqing.
• Bolati brought Li Long more than ten kilograms of dried codonopsis and a roe deer, and the two cooked and ate the deer together.
• Bolati warned Li Long that wolf packs were active nearby, so Li Long shut the cabin door and went to bed.
• Li Long woke to wolves outside and prepared his rifle, but a black bear arrived and fought with them over the deer scraps.
• Li Long shot the black bear several times in the head, killed an injured wolf, and dragged both animals to the cabin.
• Li Long decided to keep the bear skin for Zhao Hui and began skinning the bear while wolves howled from a distant ridge.

Li Long butchered the bear and wolf he had shot, then distributed bear meat and other gifts to relatives, friends, and officials while selling two bear paws. After resting on the road, he headed home, where he planned to recover before buying cattle and sheep as the pastoralists descended from the mountains.

• Li Long skinned and butchered the bear and wolf, packed the meat and organs, and brought the bear hide and gallbladder back to the Big Courtyard.
• Li Long gave bear meat to his eldest brother's family and other acquaintances, including Uncle Lao Luo, Chen Hongjun, and Zhong Guoqiang, who bought two bear paws for a hundred yuan.
• Li Long delivered bear meat to officials and friends in the County Seat, Stone City, and Beiting, and Section Chief Hu told him he could haul as much sugar residue as he wanted.
• Li Long became too sleepy to drive safely, pulled off the highway, and slept for two or three hours in the Jeep before continuing west.
• Li Long returned to his journey home and planned to take it easy for several days before buying cattle and sheep.

Li Long went to the West Bank of the Ma River Livestock Market to find cattle and sheep at a good price, rejecting sellers whose livestock or prices did not suit him. He bought a mixed flock of twenty-six sheep, arranged a truck to deliver them to Old Ma's Place, and planned to fatten them for sale before the New Year.

• Li Long drove to the Livestock Market and left after deciding the first seller had misrepresented the ages of his sheep.
• Li Long inspected livestock from several resellers but found their prices left little profit.
• Li Long agreed to buy a newcomer’s entire flock of twenty-six sheep for five hundred yuan after checking that they were healthy.
• Li Long hired Bai to transport the sheep by truck for fifteen yuan and followed him to Old Ma's Place.
• Li Long had Uncle Lao Luo, Yang Laoliu, and the other residents put the sheep in a pen and feed them for fattening.

Li Long bought livestock and supplies while preparing to fatten cattle and sheep for the New Year market, and his father-in-law predicted strong demand. When Li Long returned to the Winter Camp, Jade Mountain River and Talihaal gave him valuable animal hides as an advance deposit for repairing their camps next year.

• Li Long bought ten sheep and one brown cow from Harimu, paid Bolati for two sacks of codonopsis, and arranged to collect more livestock from the Winter Camp.
• Li Long bought winter goods, food, and poultry in the County Seat, then returned to the Big Courtyard, where Gu Boyuan had set up and tested the stoves.
• Gu Boyuan told Li Long that county residents were eager to buy beef and mutton and that Li Long could sell as many as a hundred sheep before New Year.
• Li Long drove to the Winter Camp and met Jade Mountain River and Talihaal, who offered him a bear hide and a snow leopard pelt.
• Li Long offered to pay for the hides, but Jade Mountain River and Talihaal called them advance deposits for repairing their winter camps next year.

Li Long finished his mountain trips as heavy snow arrived, then cleared snow around the Big Courtyard, the city streets, and his family’s village homes. A few days later, Jia Tianlong and his pregnant wife, Qiao Fengzhi, visited and worshipped the jade stone, convinced it had brought them good fortune.

• Li Long bought sheep and supplies from the pastoralists, then stopped traveling into the mountains when heavy snow arrived.
• Li Long cleared snow with Han Fang, drove Gu Xiaoxia and Han Fang to work and school, and later cleared the road outside the Big Courtyard.
• Li Long drove to the Fourth Team, helped Li Qingxia and Li Jianguo clear snow, and checked that the livestock at Old Ma's Place were safe.
• Jia Tianlong arrived with his pregnant wife, Qiao Fengzhi, and told Li Long he believed the jade stone had helped them conceive.
• Jia Tianlong and Qiao Fengzhi set out incense and offerings before the jade stone, then knelt and bowed to it.

Jia Tianlong visited Li Long with Qiao Fengzhi, bought medicinal goods and jade, and introduced the pregnant Qiao Fengzhi to Li Long’s twins. After they left, Li Long’s family discussed the jade’s supposed blessing, and Zhao Hui arrived at the Big Courtyard a few days later.

• Jia Tianlong failed to persuade Li Long to sell the large jade, then followed him to inspect a bear gallbladder and codonopsis.
• Jia Tianlong bought the bear gallbladder, codonopsis, and more than a dozen pieces of jade for ten thousand yuan, and asked Li Long to contact Lao Zhao about the hides.
• Qiao Fengzhi visited Mingming and Haohao, admired the twins, and gave them gold lock pendants.
• Li Long drove Jia Tianlong and Qiao Fengzhi to the county guesthouse, then freed Little Black and left the incense burner beside the jade.
• Li Long told Gu Xiaoxia, Gu Boyuan, and Sister Yang about Qiao Fengzhi’s pregnancy, and Sister Yang later considered whether the jade should receive incense offerings.
• Zhao Hui arrived at Li Long’s Big Courtyard a few days later.

Zhao Hui visited Li Long and bought his snow leopard, bear, and other pelts for 10,700 yuan, then left with plans to consider processing them. Later, as winter settled in, Li Long discussed hunting, militia training, and next year’s crops with the Fourth Team, and the chapter ended with him urging the villagers to use more chemical fertilizer for better yields.

• Zhao Hui brought gifts for Mingming and Haohao, then inspected Li Long’s pelts and bought them for 10,700 yuan.
• Li Long helped Zhao Hui load the pelts onto a bus, and Zhao Hui asked whether Li Long could supply similar quantities each year so he could open a processing workshop.
• Li Long went fishing with Li Qingxia, Tao Jianshe, Li Jianguo, and Tao Daqiang, and they caught enough fish for their own meals.
• Xu Chengjun told Li Long and the others that militia training would begin soon and asked whether Li Long would join; Li Long declined but agreed to go hunting in the western uninhabited area.
• Xu Chengjun agreed to obtain extra ammunition for Li Long, and the group discussed winter hunting and their plans for next year’s crops.
• Li Long advised the villagers to use enough chemical fertilizer to raise their crop yields.

Li Long urged the Fourth Team to adopt chemical fertilizer and warned villagers that seed-watermelon yields and prices could fall, while arranging for Professor Luo to study his saline-alkali land. In mid-November, Li Long drove into the mountains and found Harimu with Jade Mountain River and Talihaal.

• Li Long told Xu Chengjun, Tao Daqiang, and Xie Yundong that the team should use more chemical fertilizer and said he hoped to bring an Agricultural College professor to advise them.
• Li Long warned the villagers that seed watermelons depleted the soil and that next year's yields and prices could disappoint, prompting some growers to reconsider their plans.
• News spread that Professor Luo would bring students to study Li Long's saline-alkali land, giving his farming advice greater credibility among the villagers.
• Li Long asked Gu Boyuan to stock more common chemical fertilizers, and Gu said the research might attract the county leaders' attention.
• Li Long collected more ammunition from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and drove into the mountains in mid-November, where he found Harimu slaughtering a sheep with Jade Mountain River and Talihaal present.

Li Long visited Harimu and the other herders, giving them ammunition and promising to find more saddles for their families. After failing to find saddles in Stone City and Beiting’s market, he located a tack shop in Beiting and asked to buy its stock, leaving the story at the start of their price discussion.

• Li Long gave Talihaal a bundle of ammunition and shared the remaining rounds with Jade Mountain River and Harimu.
• Harimu gave Li Long the ibex hide and asked him to speed up the saddle order so Nasen and Sasiken could be surprised when they came home.
• Li Long asked Ke Youmu about saddle shops in Stone City, then decided to search Beiting the next day.
• Li Long found a tack shop in Beiting with eight finished saddles and asked Old Grandfather how much they cost.

Li Long bought eight complete saddle sets and delivered them to Harimu, who discussed distributing them with Jade Mountain River. On his way out of the mountains, Li Long met a hungry treasure hunter searching for a mountain shaped like a steamed bun and sold him food and matches.

• Li Long bought eight saddle sets from Old Grandfather in Beiting and drove into the mountains to deliver them to Harimu.
• Harimu and his wife admired the saddles, and Li Long said he would try to provide a new saddle for everyone in the tribe.
• Harimu brought two saddles to Jade Mountain River, and they agreed to consider ways to help Li Long in return before discussing how to distribute the saddles.
• Li Long spotted a middle-aged stranger searching the snowy mountains for a mountain shaped like a steamed bun and offered him a ride.
• The treasure hunter declined the ride, bought food and matches from Li Long, and revealed a shotgun in his travel bag; Li Long drove away wondering whether the mountains held treasure.

Li Long inspected the livestock he was fattening and prepared to travel west after Li Xiangqian urged him to check the uninhabited area. He left for Stone City and Kuytun with supplies for his relatives, hoping to encounter Mongolian gazelles along the way.

• Li Long visited Old Ma's Place, where Yang Laoliu showed him the rapidly fattening cattle and sheep, and Yang Laoliu drove Ma Jinbao's sheep away from their feed pile.
• Li Xiangqian brought Li Long two hundred rounds of ammunition and asked him to head west to inspect the uninhabited area.
• Li Long bought rice and flour for Li Xia and Li Anguo, then prepared his gun and supplies for the trip.
• Gu Xiaoxia reminded Li Long to bring gifts for Li Anguo's children, so Li Long bought toys and snacks for them in Stone City.
• Li Long delivered food and gifts to Li Xia, then drove toward Kuytun, hoping to spot Mongolian gazelles.

Li Long’s livestock-fattening methods won over villagers who had mocked his plans, while he drove toward Kuytun and spotted hunters’ tracks and wildlife. He rescued an old red deer from wolves by shooting two of them, then brought the deer and wolves to Li Anguo’s home to process.

• Villagers saw Li Long’s cattle and sheep growing visibly fatter and began planning to raise sheep or buy his livestock.
• Li Long drove west and saw a herd of Mongolian gazelles flee into a red willow thicket.
• Near Shawan, Li Long found blood, hoofprints, and spent cartridges where hunters had recently killed animals.
• Near Kuytun, Li Long saw three wolves attacking an old red deer and shot one wolf and the deer, while the other wolves fled.
• Li Long dragged the deer and two wolves to his Jeep, then drove to Li Anguo’s home and began processing them with Li Anguo’s help.

Li Long visited Li Anguo in the city, helped him build a connection with Section Chief Ma, and offered to support Li Junshan’s wedding plans. On the drive home with Yang Yongqiang, Li Long spotted herds of game crossing the road and fired at a herd of Mongolian gazelles near Wulan Wusu.

• Li Long divided the butchered game with Li Anguo and took him to give red deer meat to Section Chief Ma.
• Li Anguo recognized that he needed to learn from Li Long about maintaining relationships with his superiors.
• Li Long gave toys to Xueqin and Xueping and proposed that Li Qingxia attend Li Junshan’s wedding in place of Li Junshan’s father.
• Li Junshan agreed to discuss a wedding date with his fiancée’s family and planned to buy a small courtyard house.
• Li Long drove Yang Yongqiang home and spotted a large herd of red deer crossing the road, but did not shoot.
• Near Wulan Wusu, Li Long stopped and fired several shots at a herd of Mongolian gazelles.

Li Long returned from Kuytun with two Mongolian gazelles and told his family about Li Junshan, while Yang Yongqiang reflected on leaving the Fourth Team for city work. The next day, Li Long explained to Li Xiangqian that a successful gazelle hunt would require an overnight trip and a difficult early-morning stakeout, leaving the decision to Director Qian.

• Li Long shot two Mongolian gazelles at night, brought Yang Yongqiang home, and advised him to stay in his city job despite his regrets.
• Li Long delivered a gazelle to Li Jianguo and told Li Qingxia about Li Junshan; Li Qingxia agreed to visit if Li Junshan consented.
• Li Long returned to the Big Courtyard before midnight to see Gu Xiaoxia and their sleeping children, then dressed a gazelle the next morning.
• Li Long visited Li Xiangqian with a gazelle leg and explained that the herds crossed the road mostly at night or near dawn.
• Li Long proposed several overnight hunting plans, and told Li Xiangqian to let Director Qian decide whether the effort was worthwhile.

Li Long took Li Xiangqian on a winter night hunt so Li Xiangqian could report firsthand to Director Qian, while the two waited in the snow for Mongolian gazelles. As the cold began to overwhelm Li Xiangqian, Li Long went to the Jeep’s trunk, leaving Li Xiangqian wondering if he was fetching something to warm him.

• Li Xiangqian asked Li Long to take him hunting so he could see the Mongolian gazelles himself and report back to Director Qian.
• Li Long cared for Mingming and Haohao, prepared the Jeep and his hunting gear, and picked Li Xiangqian up after work.
• Li Long and Li Xiangqian ate mixed noodles in Stone City, then drove toward Shawan and parked near a stretch of snowy Gobi wilderness with many hoofprints.
• The two took positions on opposite sides of red willow shrubs and waited for game without lighting a fire.
• After twenty or thirty minutes, Li Xiangqian began to feel cold, and Li Long stood up and opened the Jeep’s trunk.

Li Long and Li Xiangqian waited beside the highway for game, then encountered a herd of red deer. Li Long shot two deer as the herd fled, while Li Xiangqian failed to bring down the huge stag whose penis he wanted.

• Li Long prepared a wolf-pelt mat and liquor for Li Xiangqian, and the two men waited for animals to approach.
• Li Long spotted a large herd of red deer moving toward the highway and told Li Xiangqian to wait until they were close before shooting.
• Li Xiangqian aimed at the enormous lead stag, but the deer noticed movement and then crossed the highway beyond his clear line of fire.
• Li Long waited until the herd began crossing, then shot a young Red Deer Stag as Li Xiangqian sprang up and fired twice at the wapiti.
• Li Xiangqian urged Li Long to shoot the stag because he wanted its penis, but the herd escaped and two red deer lay beside the highway.