Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Setting Off!
Xie Changqing raised his eyebrows and smiled with delight: “Yes, that horse is so beautiful and dazzling. I saw it from far away and fell in love with it at first sight!”
“Good!” Qiaoba burst into hearty laughter and patted his shoulder: “Good eye!”
Truth be told, he’d been eyeing that horse intensely himself.
However, for Xie Changqing to get it wouldn’t be easy.
“I know, I’ll plan slowly, no rush.” Xie Changqing was very calm.
When they started talking about wild horses, Sangtu also got excited.
While helping move things, they chatted, getting more and more excited: “Best to bring plenty of lassoing poles, haha, and we’ll need to set up a good ambush…”
Xie Changqing completely agreed, thinking: “I’ll try adding some herbs to the salt blocks and astragalus powder, to weaken its strength when the time comes.”
“That could work! Haha!”
They talked enthusiastically, and herders passing by with livestock would occasionally chime in with a word or two.
Before long, basically everyone at the ranch knew that Xie Changqing wanted to hunt that wild stallion.
“This is a good thing.” Before leaving, Qiaoba patted Xie Changqing: “Next time, hunt an eagle too. When you go out, it can circle overhead and protect you!”
Hearing this made Xie Changqing’s heart race. Good heavens, that was something he truly didn’t dare imagine.
A yellow dog on the left, a goshawk on the right!?
“Then I’ll need to raise a dog too, haha!”
“Yes, you should!” Sangtu laughed loudly and whistled. His family’s sheepdog came running from far away: “Your family used to have one too…”
He didn’t finish the rest. Sigh, that Xie Yu! He really went too far!
That night, Xie Changqing dreamed all night long.
His dreams were full of lassoing horses and hunting eagles, and he woke up excited early in the morning.
He thought he was up early, but it turned out Tana had already gone to work.
“Come eat some hot food.” Seeing him, Sangtu rubbed his hands together, breathing out white puffs: “Heh! It’s still a bit cold this morning!”
The breath he exhaled formed long white clouds.
“It probably won’t be long before it starts snowing here.” Tana handed over hot sheep’s milk.
She felt truly grateful in her heart.
Sangtu’s family had plenty of cattle and sheep, and more sheep’s milk than they could drink. She no longer had to worry about her family starving to death.
Since Xie Changqing didn’t take Sangtu’s colt, Sangtu gave them plenty of food, enough to last until spring next year.
“So Uncle Qiaoba was right, we need to start early to take the winter route.” After eating, Xie Changqing went to check on his Lightning and fed it too.
“Aha!” Batu ran to his side, looking excitedly at Lightning: “Can I ride horses with you today?”
He used to be too young, and every time they took the winter route he could only sit in the ox cart. Back then Xie Changqing could already ride colts, and he was so envious!
Hearing this, Xie Changqing couldn’t help laughing: “This horse… you probably can’t ride it. Lightning has quite a temper.”
Yesterday it almost threw him off.
“Ah…”
While counting, Sangtu laughed: “If you want to ride, just ride the colt. Yesterday that colt your Aha didn’t ride, so you can ride it!”
“Really!?” Batu jumped up excitedly.
“What’s real or fake about it.” Sangtu looked around and shouted: “Haierte! Bring Little Black over!”
Haierte responded and soon came over riding a horse, leading Little Black.
“It’s about time too. Batu’s old enough now, he should learn to ride himself. Always sitting in the ox cart doesn’t look right.”
Xie Changqing also thought it was good: “This way Mother and the others can have more space too.”
Then Xie Duoduo and the others could lie down and sleep if they wanted, which would be much more comfortable.
“Yes, yes!” Batu rubbed his hands together, extremely excited: “Aha, let me try!”
He looked at Xie Changqing with stars in his eyes.
His Aha was so amazing!
Xie Changqing smiled and reached out to help him: “Alright, come up.”
After helping him up, Xie Changqing first led the rope for him, then gradually handed the reins over to him.
Batu very carefully gripped the reins, afraid of pulling too hard on Little Black.
Little Black was really very obedient, walking slowly with an adorable, unhurried gait.
“Aha, you have to hold me!” Batu didn’t dare turn his head, but still managed to speak.
“Alright, I’m holding you. Don’t worry, ride forward.” Xie Changqing followed slowly, and after walking a short distance, he gradually let go.
Riding a horse was just like riding a bicycle, what difference could there be?
Before he became paralyzed, he had ridden before too.
Haierte also dismounted and ran to his side, mischievously shouting: “Batu! Turn around quick!”
“Ah!?” Batu instinctively turned his head and suddenly realized Xie Changqing wasn’t holding him anymore!
He flailed about in panic, quite frightened.
But even though he struggled wildly for a while, Little Black wasn’t affected at all.
It clip-clopped in a circle, nibbled some tender grass tips, then clip-clopped slowly back.
Batu was nervous, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Aha save me! How do I get down? Hold me quick!”
“Haha! What are you afraid of!” Haierte laughed so hard he couldn’t stand straight, clutching his stomach: “Batu, you looked just like a startled mink!”
“You’re the mink, you’re the mink!” Batu was furious and jumped down: “Say that again and I’ll hit you!”
Xie Changqing laughed: “Look, didn’t you get down just fine?”
“Eh!?” Batu’s eyes lit up, suddenly realizing: “Right! I got down! Haha, I actually got down!”
While they were laughing and playing, a white cloud suddenly rose in the distance.
“Aha, is that Uncle Qiaoba and the others coming!?” Batu stood on his tiptoes to look.
“Should be.” Xie Changqing mounted his horse and shouted to Uncle Sangtu: “Shall we set off too?”
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Sangtu was very excited, spurring his horse back: “They’ve been waiting in the ox carts for ages!”
Sure enough, before long they saw Uncle Qiaoba leading the way.
After the two groups met up, the livestock were gradually herded together by the sheepdogs.
All the cattle and sheep ran hard, while the horses leisurely took time to nibble grass.
“They’re all well-behaved.” Uncle Qiaoba cracked his whip and smiled: “Once we reach the winter pasture, there won’t be this tender grass anymore.”
This journey would last another harsh winter.
But fortunately, the winter pasture wasn’t as cold as here, it would be somewhat warmer.
It’s just that the winter pasture would still have snow, and thinking about it, Xie Changqing was quite looking forward to it.
However, looking around, he was somewhat puzzled: “Is Nuomin riding in the ox cart?”
This was rather unusual. Given Nuomin’s personality, Xie Changqing thought she would definitely ride a horse.
“Oh, no.” Uncle Qiaoba smiled calmly: “I sent her on an errand to the Sixth Ranch to get some medicine.”
They were traveling with livestock, so they’d go a bit slower, while Nuomin traveling alone with her fast horse would meet up with them by the creek at evening.
“I arranged it with her.”
Xie Changqing made a sound of understanding, truly admiring Nuomin: “She’s really amazing.”
“Haha, of course, she’s Nuomin!”