Li Long and Tao Daqiang arrived in town with the cart full of wood before the shops had closed.

“Daqiang, let’s go sell the antlers at the purchase station, then we can buy a few things to bring home.”

“Sure!” Daqiang was eager to see how much the antlers would fetch.

When they arrived at the purchase station, Daqiang stayed outside with the cart while Li Long went in with the antlers.

Inside, Chen Hongjun was packing up to leave. He was a bit annoyed to see someone coming in right at closing time, but his expression brightened when he noticed what Li Long was holding.

“Oh, it’s you again! Weren’t you here this morning?” he greeted, smiling.

“Yes, hello,” Li Long replied. “Do you buy antlers here?”

“Yes, yes,” Chen Hongjun quickly responded, thinking how this delivery would help him meet his winter targets. “Are these from the mountains?” He motioned for Li Long to place the antlers on the counter. Examining them, he said, “This one’s in good shape, but the other’s a bit damaged.”

“What’s the price per kilogram?” Li Long asked, eager to know.

“These antlers seem to have dropped last autumn—they’re in good condition. I can offer you three yuan per kilogram,” Chen Hongjun replied.

“That’ll work,” Li Long agreed, pleased that it was higher than he’d expected.

After weighing the antlers, Chen Hongjun said, “Six-point-seven kilograms, so that’s twenty yuan and ten cents.”

Li Long counted the money and put it away.

“Hey, if you have anything else in the future, bring it here,” Chen Hongjun said as Li Long was leaving. “I’m here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

“Got it.” Li Long gave a quick nod and went back outside.

By the cart, he handed Daqiang a five-yuan note. “This is your share, Daqiang. When we get back, we’ll also unload some wood at your house.”

“Brother Long, I can’t take this,” Daqiang said, pushing the money back. “I was just here to help—you don’t have to give me anything.”

“You earned it, so take it,” Li Long insisted. He didn’t plan on splitting half; too much money might actually cause trouble for Daqiang.

“Brother Long, really, I can’t,” Daqiang said firmly. “If I bring home money, my dad will just take it from me.”

“Alright, then I’ll buy you something instead. That way, he can’t take it,” Li Long said, switching tactics. “I noticed you don’t have gloves, and your hands are covered in frostbite. Let’s go to the department store and buy you a good pair. Just say they’re from me, so your dad won’t give them to your brother.”

They took the cart over to the store, where Li Long quickly picked out a pair of thick, fingerless mittens with a string attached, spending four yuan. He handed them to Daqiang and said, “Wear these yourself—don’t let anyone else have them. When we’re done, take a kilogram of sesame cakes and a few logs of wood home with you. That way, your dad won’t complain.”

“Alright.” Daqiang slipped on the mittens, feeling the warmth immediately.

By the time they returned to the village with the cart, the sun was setting.

People noticed their load and came over to see.

“Hey, Li Long actually managed to bring back wood!”

“That’s a full cartload!”

“This must be a few hundred kilograms, enough for a month or two!”

“Who’d have thought that Li Long would turn things around like this?”

“It’s all pine, too. Seems almost a waste to burn such good wood!”

Li Qiang, who’d been playing nearby, saw them return and ran up to follow the cart. Li Long pulled a sesame cake from his pocket and handed it to him, telling him to run home and let Li Jianguo know they were back.

“Dad, Dad! Uncle’s back with a cartload of wood!” Li Qiang shouted as he burst into the house, taking bites of his sesame cake. “And there’s a whole crowd following him!”

Li Jianguo hurried outside to see Li Long pulling the cart into the yard. Once it was parked, he asked, “How was the trip? Everything go smoothly?”

“Yep, no problems,” Li Long replied with a grin. “And we had a bonus find.”

“A bonus?” Jianguo looked him over, then glanced at Daqiang, relieved to see they were both unharmed. “What did you find?”

“We brought back a frozen sheep,” Li Long said, handing the reins to Daqiang and pointing to the cart. “Looks like we’ll have meat for a few days.”

“A frozen sheep?” Jianguo wanted to ask more but noticed the gathering crowd. Some villagers had even stepped into the yard, excitedly asking about the wood. Jianguo called out, “Let’s get this wood unloaded first—then we’ll talk.”

With so many people pitching in, the wood was quickly unloaded and stacked in the corner of the yard. Li Long took the chance to hand Li Qiang a bag containing the sesame cakes and asked him to bring it inside.

Having seen that the bag contained the sesame cake his uncle had given him earlier, Qiang promptly carried it to his mother.

Once the wood was unloaded, Li Long announced, “Leave three logs. We’ll bring them to Daqiang’s house.”

“Look at that, Li Long’s even giving wood to Daqiang,” someone said approvingly.

“What’s that—a sheep?” an observant villager exclaimed, spotting the frozen sheep beneath the wood.

“Yeah, we found a frozen sheep up in the mountains,” Li Long replied.

“Found it?” Aunt Lu gasped. “What luck! But…could it be poisoned?”

“Hard to say,” murmured a few others, glancing at the sheep with a mix of envy and suspicion.

The sheep wasn’t big enough to share with everyone, so once the crowd realized there was nothing more to see, they dispersed. Jianguo sent Li Long and Daqiang inside to warm up while he parked the cart.

Before heading inside, Li Long said, “I’ll deliver this wood to Daqiang’s house and then return the cart.”

Jianguo agreed. He’d handle the sheep in the meantime.

Inside, Li Long quickly bagged a kilogram of sesame cakes, handed them to Daqiang, and together, they headed out.

After dropping off the wood at Daqiang’s place, Li Long returned the cart to the stable and finally came back home.

“Xiao Long, is it safe to eat this sheep?” Li Jianguo asked worriedly once they were inside.

Li Juan and Li Qiang, eyes on the bag of sesame cakes, weren’t paying attention.

“Yep. I traded for it,” Li Long replied in a quiet tone. “I sold the muskrat pelt for five yuan and bought tea and salt to trade with the herders. The sheep froze in the recent snow, so it’s only a few days old—it’s fine to eat.”

“That’s good,” Jianguo said, visibly relieved. “Once it’s thawed, I’ll skin it and prepare the meat. We’ll give some to Daqiang’s family.”

“Well, just take a leg,” Li Long agreed. “For them…one leg is plenty.”