"If you really want to see a Mongolian Tent, I can take you to the tourist area this afternoon. As for horseback riding, I advise you to take it easy; it's very dangerous."
"Every year, there are people who fall off horses, breaking their collarbones, ribs, or end up in the hospital after being kicked by a horse. There are news reports of legal battles with the tourist area afterwards…"
"Well... Ah Qing is an exception."
Stepping into the villa and feeling the cool breeze from the central air conditioning, Tang You slumped into a chair with a contented expression, reminding her girlfriends.
In fact, the stereotype that Northern folks all live in Mongolian Tents is rather exaggerated in Tang You's view. In ancient times, it was a necessity and due to nomadic life requiring them to stay on the grasslands year-round, which is why Mongolian Tents were common back then.
However, in the early days of Xia Country's founding, herders were switching to work uniforms and screwing in factories or building tanks.
The number of Mongolian Tents decreased sharply, followed by the green hills and clear water reforms and the standardization of pastoral industries.
To put it one way, as far as Tang You knows, a classmate's family ran a ranch, and their sheep's daily meals could cost the price of a Ferrari.
The sheep and cattle live in individual factory rooms with central air conditioning, all imported from New Zealand for breeding.
A long time ago, the houses in Northern areas became similar to those in the four provinces of mountain and river style bungalows, with built-in kangs, later gradually transforming into commercial housings.
Mongolian Tents...
really only exist in tourist areas now.
The province is certainly known for its pastoral industry, but ordinary people usually don't want to engage in it, barely pulling in tens of thousands a year on average, and if diseases occur, they might end up working for nothing all year.
The impression of wealthy Northern herders isn't entirely false, it's just that some things aren't talked about by propaganda.
They used to be herders, yes, but their current industries are coal, oil, and rare earths.
They are coal bosses thriving from resource industries.
Fifty thousand live sheep would sell for just over ten million on the market, excluding breeding costs.
But a common luxury Land Rover in the city of E costs three to four million the moment it hits the road.
Families might raise a few hundred sheep at most, expecting to get rich from cattle and sheep is really less practical than working in the city.
While Tang You had many complaints in her heart, she refrained from voicing them to her girlfriends.
After all…
everyone is here to have fun, not to study urban economic models and transformation dilemmas or write papers.
...…
"Grandpa, grandma..."
After arranging the rooms for her girlfriends, Tang You led them into the lower courtyard, planning to sit for a while before going to the meadow to check on her brother's situation.
"Come, come, have some tea..."
An old man with gray hair and a lean frame smiled broadly as he brewed tea for everyone. The tea set was unique, with pure silver accented with gold patterns, rather than the common purple clay or ceramic sets. Tang Jian Country said, "These..."
Just as he began to speak, he paused, looked at his granddaughter, and said, "Oh yes, would you go to the kitchen and get some salt? Otherwise, the taste isn't right."
"That's fine, Grandpa, you should avoid it. Drink less salty milk tea; it's not good for your health." Tang You said humorously, sitting in a chair beside her grandfather.
Salty milk tea, though sugar-free,
contains carbohydrates, high salt, and high fat.
One hundred milliliters of milk tea contains one gram of salt, and the oil used for the roasted rice is beef fat.
"Shoo, shoo..."
Tang Jian Country waved dismissively, like banishing something negative, with a face full of disdain: "I'm quite robust."
"Stop worrying about me; instead, how are your studies? I see you online playing games every night. Have you managed your studies well, or are you just gaming every day?"
Feeling his weak spot hit, Tang Jian Country, who suffers from hypertension and cardiovascular issues, retorted sharply, effectively stopping his granddaughter from nagging him idly.
"Youyou's grades are excellent; she's among the top in her grade." Ah Qing chimed in, holding a little fox, but the little fox in her arms, dissatisfied, placed its paw on the table, patting it:
"What about mine? Where's my roasted rice and salty milk tea?"
"You all seem to be enjoying yourselves, but what about mine? Ansheng has traveled all the way here, and can't even get a cup of milk tea?"
Although Ah Qing could hear the little fox's complaints,
she completely ignored it because iced cola was already the limit.
While the milk tea in front of them contained no salt or sugar, canine animals generally shouldn't drink milk.
...…
After sitting in Tang You's home for a while, it was nearing lunchtime.
Tang You abruptly interrupted her grandfather, who was asking her friends about her academic results, hastily urging everyone to head out to the pasture by car.
Tang You's ranch is not far from the self-built villa area of the village, roughly two to three kilometers away. Approaching it, one can see refrigerated trucks and workers busy slaughtering sheep and cattle.
"Tang Lian! Come out!"
Tang You dashed to the collapsed sheep pen, shouting to her brother who was inside talking to someone.
"Hahaha!"
At a height of 1.93 meters, with a chubby face and a slight paunch, Tang Lian, upon seeing his menacing little sister charging towards him, could only smile awkwardly:
"It's been days since we last met. Back home, have you felt the warmth of family yet?"
"You jerk!"
Tang You playfully punched her brother, looked at the collapsed sheep pen and the ranch houses, and said, "Since my friends are here, I'll let it slide for now, but tonight when we get home, we're going to have a serious chat!"
"Hello, I'm Youyou's brother, Tang Lian." Tang Lian smiled and greeted everyone.
Meanwhile,
Ansheng furrowed his brows slightly, sensing faint malice in the ranch.
Ansheng broke free from Ah Qing's arms, landed on the ground, and walked towards the area from which the malice emanated.
A sheep with black cheeks, snow-white body, resembling a Siamese cat in color scheme, with large ears stood by the sheep pen, a burning cigarette dangling from its mouth.
The Doulon sheep seemed to notice the uninvited guest in the ranch, lifted its hoof, pinched the cigarette with two fingers, looked at the little fox with a sidelong glance, and flicked the ashes:
"Hey buddy, which road do you hail from?"
"This is the Security Bureau's turf; if you want to hang in the city, you need to register with the Security Bureau and get another ID to enjoy the benefits here."
The Doulon sheep said, flicking the ash off the cigarette held in its hoof, then placed it back in its mouth, inhaling deeply with a satisfied expression.
"......"
Seeing the strange appearance of the sheep, Ansheng's mouth twitched, took two steps closer, whispered, and whimpered softly: "Ansheng mingles in the Summer and Winter, currently assigned to Chang'an City as chief engineer for logging. I'm here in Northern for National Day holidays, traveling. How about you?"
"Chief...chief engineer?"
The Doulon sheep was shocked by the words.
"Exactly!" Ansheng spoke in human language.
"..." The Doulon sheep paused for a moment, raised its hoof to rummage through the bag hanging around its neck, took out a pack of cigarettes, expertly tapped the bottom to reveal a cigarette.
"Bro, take one."