Chapter 17 Black-skinned buzz cut

Seeing that all eyes in the house were on her, Luo Yin remained completely calm.

He patted his chest and said, "No rush, I've already thought of a solution!"

Seeing her relaxed expression, the elders exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

Urina bluntly asked her what her plans were.

Luo Yin remained silent, saying that she would talk about it when her family was all together.

Then, under her mother's glare, she secretly ran back to her room.

Seeing that the person had slipped away, she was about to get up and chase after them, but her husband stopped her.

"Alright, as Hua Hua said, this matter can't be rushed. Let her go back and get some rest first. As for those people, I need to go and inform the captain and the others."

Upon hearing his words, the old woman, who had been persuaded to stop, couldn't help but glance at his lower back.

Noticing the change in his wife's expression, Bart, sporting a large beard, smiled at her and said, "I'm fine, but we need to tell them this as soon as possible."

But now, with both the elderly and the young in his family, it's really giving him a headache.

We finally got some wood kernels, but they're not here again.

Urina took on the responsibility, saying, "I'll go. I know your place."

Ani, who was listening nearby, added, "Be careful on the road, remember to carry a whip for self-defense, and don't go down secluded paths."

Upon hearing this, Bart's eyes lit up, having completely forgotten about it.

"Okay, I understand!"

Under the arrangement of the two, Urina dressed neatly and went out.

Only the three generations of the family remained to guard the house!

As soon as Luo Yin entered the room, she collapsed onto the bed, unwilling to move, her eyelids drooping constantly.

Just as I was dozing off, I was suddenly jolted awake.

Finding herself covered in dirt, she quickly took off her dirty clothes. Then she remembered that she hadn't washed her hair, but she didn't have the energy to do so right now, so she simply wandered around the house.

After rummaging through boxes and cabinets, they pulled out an old felt cloth, which had been used to replace the walls of the yurt.

My mother sewed and patched it together into a large piece, which was then used to cover the bedding during the coldest part of winter, providing excellent warmth.

This time she took it out and spread it on top of the bedding.

He lay down on it, wrapped himself up, and fell asleep.

The warm sunlight streamed through the dome of the sky, shining obliquely on her face.

She could hear some noises outside from time to time, but the sounds of burning firewood, chopping bones, and bubbling food in a pot did not wake her up.

Until the aroma of meat with a milky scent wafted from outside.

In her dream, Luo Yin dreamed that her family slaughtered the tenderest lamb and roasted it over a fire.

The best sauces can be made with just berries and salt.

The tender, crispy lamb is so delicious that you almost want to swallow your tongue after taking a bite.

"Awoo~"

She grabbed a piece of meat and started gnawing on it.

But as soon as I bit down, I felt a sharp pain all over my body.

She suddenly came to her senses and noticed a clear teeth mark on the back of her hand.

"Tsk tsk, so it was just a dream." She wiped her drool, sat up, and got up.

Once I thought of something, I quickly got dressed and went out.

She groggily looked outside and saw wisps of white smoke rising from a pot not far away.

The aroma drifted over on the wind, and you could tell it was stewed meat just by smelling it.

There were many things piled up around, which were obviously wild vegetables and herbs picked by the old woman.

Looking into the distance, vast stretches of lush green grassland are set against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, creating a breathtakingly magnificent landscape.

Luo Yin felt that standing here, all her troubles had vanished with the wind.

Just as I was feeling wonderful, my father's call interrupted me.

Luo Yin tidied her hair and saw that he was already preparing the dishes and chopsticks.

"What are you standing outside for? Hurry up and get ready to eat."

She ran out laughing and saw her mother seasoning the soup before cooking. The rich, white mutton soup was sprinkled with some wild scallion segments and a little salt.

"You're awake now, perfect timing to try today's soup!" Urina said to her with a smile.

"It smells so good! This is what woke me up. It must be delicious."

Urina finished serving the food, smiling as she walked away, saying, "This was cooked by your father; he'll be very happy to hear that."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yin praised him even more in front of him.

To show she hadn't said anything, she ate four whole bowls of meat and soup. After putting down her chopsticks, she looked incredibly satisfied.

"Hiccup! Dad, your cooking is really good. If you had this skill in town, who knows how many people would want to drink your soup."

Upon hearing this, the others all turned their attention to him.

He then lowered his head and took a few more sips, as if pondering whether it was really that powerful.

Bart, however, was oblivious to everything else. Yanran was already embarrassed by her praise, and his entire bearded face was practically steaming.

Luo Yin chuckled to herself, finding her family members all adorable.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction and secretly added a few more accusations against his biological parents.

"By the way, the school's final exams are scheduled for the end of the month, so there's no plan to give us a holiday next time. We'll have to wait until the final exams, so don't worry if I don't come back then."

She explained the situation at school, just in case they were worried about it.

The elders listened attentively and indicated that they understood.

Ani touched his pocket, wanting to secretly slip her some pocket money.

Bart fumbled with his fingers, thinking about finding time to make a bow and arrow that she could easily carry, so that she would at least have something to defend herself next time she had to fight.

The mother was thinking about what sweet treats to bring for the child.

Luo Yin had no idea that her family was already worried about her.

After dinner and tidying up, the family members went about their own business.

Ani wandered around the back shed, tapping and banging on everything with a hammer. He checked each fence section to make sure it was sturdy, so there wouldn't be any worries when the livestock returned to their pens at night.

Mother is sewing new clothes, a Mongolian robe for my eldest brother to wear when he gets married.

This was the first time Luo Yin had seen her mother put so much effort into it. Every piece of fabric was a delightful surprise, and there were even unique patterns with colorful threads. She watched her mother embroidering it stitch by stitch.

Although she couldn't see the whole picture yet, what she saw was enough for her to glimpse the stunning and mysterious nature of the finished product.

Seeing her reminds me of the ethnic handicrafts of later generations, but at this time, it seems that her family has difficulty selling them.

Luo Yin secretly made a mental note of it, then moved closer to her father.

Watching his father work tirelessly, the bow and arrow in his hands gradually took shape.

Her joy and excitement were barely contained.

She really liked what her father taught her, but she broke the bow in front of her, and then for various reasons she put it aside and never touched it again.

You can imagine how she felt when her father made her a new one.

Seeing her following closely beside Bart, even the usually mild-mannered Urina couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

"Look how attached this child is to you."

Bart took one look and immediately burst into laughter.

Feeling a little embarrassed by their comments, Luo Yin quickly sat down to the side and found her homework.

Yes, but don't forget you still have homework to do.

As usual, she calmed down and began to write, gradually discovering that these things weren't too difficult. Most of them she could write down the answers with a glance, and even the more difficult ones, which required some thought, were easy to solve.

At that moment, images of her taking notes during class flashed through her mind, and she knew that she had been working very hard. Thinking this, she wrote even more carefully and checked herself for any mistakes at the end.

When she took out her homework to do, the couple stopped talking and even became much quieter.

Upon realizing this, Luo Yin felt even more excited. She then became more focused on her studies, no longer letting past memories cloud her judgment of her grades.

Luo Yin is a very realistic person. She merges her memories and decides to continue being Luo Yin on the grassland.

She is now more goal-oriented and has a clearer direction than before.

She will lead her family to a better future.

With this in mind, she began to plan how to make money.

There are only a few ways to make money slowly and safely right now, and the first one is to use local specialties from the grasslands.

There were a few supply and marketing cooperatives scattered around the town, and Luo Yin had visited them.

However, due to the limitations of the times, many conditions were set, resulting in a tense supply and demand relationship.

Luo Yin then wondered if her family could set up a family workshop.

Her parents and family took care of production, while she went out of her way to find connections and sell the goods. She put it first because she thought of someone.

Uncle Qin, the bookstore manager.

It was the same inspiration he gave me before; since Uncle Qin was able to pull strings to help find the book, he must have a lot of connections.

Luo Yin was racking her brains trying to figure out how to get Uncle Qin to join her side.

As Luo Yin wrote, she scribbled and quickly filled a large sheet of paper with numerous repeating arrows, all representing potential clients.

She then went to the designated food storage area and checked the supplies at home, which gave her a clear idea of ​​the situation.

Currently, the most stable source of income for the family comes from the livestock.

With the development of the past two years, the prices of dairy products and meat have increased, and are higher than in previous years. However, when converted into monthly expenses, they are only enough for normal living expenses, and it is impossible to save money.

Considering her family's situation, Luo Yin didn't plan to expand the team or have them raise more livestock. Instead, she was planning a trip to Xilingol City.

I need to go to big cities to see for myself before I can figure out where I stand.

She counted her saved allowance and found she had over 30 yuan, enough for the two of them to make a round trip with her second brother. But she was still a little worried, so she decided to save up a little longer.

After I get back from there, I'll discuss what to do with my family.

Once she calmed down, she stopped panicking. She walked confidently through them, turned, and left.

When her second brother returned in the evening, Luo Yin habitually told him about what had happened that day.

Mu Ren immediately rolled up his sleeves and said he would avenge her. He even asked her what those people looked like, saying he would definitely beat them up when he saw them again.

Luo Yin quickly grabbed him and warned him to be extra careful.

Then, she quietly told him about going to Xilingol League.

Mu Ren's anger instantly turned to joy, followed by undisguised shock.

Judging from his expression, he was even more excited than when he was saving money for his father's surgery.

"But I haven't saved up much money." Since he started herding livestock, he has neglected to dig for medicinal herbs.

Sometimes, looking at the herbs that cost only a few cents a pound after being sorted, I feel like it's a waste of time.

"It's okay, I've saved up some money. We'll definitely have enough if we save up a bit more during this period."

Little did he know that his younger sister's words would only make him feel more ashamed and embarrassed to see her.

"Okay, little sister, don't worry. I'll definitely bring extra bags when I go out these days and fill them up. I'll dig them up and sell them, whether they're cordyceps or not."

"My fighting spirit has been ignited," Mu Ren said earnestly.

Seeing this, Luo Yin stopped trying to persuade her and instead thought it was a good thing.

The next morning, her mother and Muren still took her to the town hospital.

After a second inspection and disinfection, I received anti-inflammatory medication.

At the same time, they also went to the police station to report the case!

Upon learning that a teenage girl had been intercepted and held hostage by a group of people, and had been beaten until she bled, and that there were suspected foreigners among them, the incident immediately attracted the attention of the police.

I don't know what my mother said to them afterward. Luo Yin was pulled to sit outside by her second brother. All I know is that when the group left, the police officers immediately sprang into action.

Urina patted her head, silently comforting her.

The group returned the way they came and arrived home safely.

For the next period of time, Luo Yin prepared for her final exams, hoping to get good grades, at least ranking in the top five of her grade, in order to receive a material reward.

At this moment, she was like a little fish entering the water, studying with great enthusiasm every day.

Her roommates, who usually liked her expression, were now gossiping behind her back.

"Has Luo Yin gone crazy lately? She's been studying her Chinese textbook day and night. Wasn't her Chinese grade pretty good before?"

"Yeah, I saw it too. But let's not worry about her, she hasn't even figured out her own textbook yet."

The others agreed and decided to focus on their own safety.

On the day of the final exam, Luo Yin got up early, first went to the cafeteria to ask for a bowl of hot milk tea that cost five cents, and then went to the window to get a pancake and an egg.

I found a corner spot and placed the key points of the first subject, Chinese, on the table.

You can eat while watching; the pancakes can be broken into small pieces and soaked in milk tea.

Stir it with a small spoon, let it cool slightly, and then eat the egg.

After she finished eating in five minutes, she looked around and saw that the room was already full of classmates eating.

The chattering and talking was so noisy that she simply grabbed her things and left.

After she left, the boys at the same table couldn't help but look at each other.

One of the boys spoke up, "Isn't that the top student in Class 2? She eats so intently, is she aiming for the top five this time?"

"Lu Ming, you have to be careful, don't let that girl outshine you."

Everyone turned to look at Lu Ming, with the boys all looking on with amusement.

Lu Ming ignored him completely, ate her meal, and then got up and left.

She left behind a murmur of discussion, and many people around heard about it. The news even reached Luo Yin's class, and someone asked her about it.

Luo Yin didn't hear the news until all the exams were over.

Seeing the curious looks from her classmates, she racked her brains and said simply, "Hey, I just want to see what kind of reward the top five get!"

"Pfft, Luo Yin, what are you saying?"

Some classmates who consistently ranked below the top twenty looked at him with reproach.

What she said was so infuriating! If she weren't a girl, he would have already attacked her.

"Do you think you can get in this time?" After all, she had always been in the top ten of her grade before.

Luo Yin shrugged. "I don't know, let's give it a try."

For some unknown reason, after a few more days of fun, the day finally arrived for everyone to receive their results.

It was also the day when the second semester of junior high school started.

Students and teachers from all three grades stood on the spacious playground listening to the teacher on the podium give a speech.

From the third year of junior high to the first year, the rankings and awards for each grade were announced one by one.

When the head of the first-year grade went up, all the students in Class 2 glanced at her, hoping she would do well on the exam, but also feeling that she shouldn't do too well.

"In the final exams for the first year of junior high, the top scorer is Luo Yin from Class 2 of the first year with a total score of 572!"

As her name was uttered, an uproar instantly erupted in the area around the first-year middle school students.

Then, the entire Class 2 of Grade 7 jumped up and down excitedly.

"Wow, 572 out of 580, how did she do that?"

"This is incredible! Before the exam, she only said she wanted to aim for the top five, but she's completely crushed the number one spot!"

"Ahhhhh, she only lost 8 points, out of eight courses! How did she even pass the exams?"

The homeroom teacher of Class 2, Grade 7 was overjoyed.

As the rankings were announced, Luo Yin finally went on stage. The principal personally presented her with a certificate and an envelope containing 10 yuan.

Luo Yin was overjoyed; everyone she saw that day was beaming with happiness.

After she finished packing her things and went home, she put them in front of her family and immediately received a lot of praise.

Luo Yin felt like she was floating on air, but she was also incredibly satisfied.

After returning to his room and counting his secret stash, he gradually calmed down.

Since we're on holiday, let's make some money.

In the month leading up to the holiday, she went out with her second brother almost every day. The two siblings put in a lot of effort this time, digging up almost every place except for a few small ones to keep for breeding.

The adults in the family helped select and dry the produce.

The brother and sister picked up everything they could find: herbs, mushrooms, and even dried cow dung dropped by other herders.

After working for more than a month, when my older brother returned from his leave, he found that his younger siblings had turned into black lumps of coal.

After hearing what they wanted to do, he thought for a moment and said, "There's a big horse race in Ulan Butong in three days. It's divided into many races. Why don't you give it a try?"

"Is it far away? Is there prize money for the competition?" Luo Yin asked first.

Hada lightly tapped her head. "You're like a money-grubber. This event has multiple levels. If you can make it to the finals and compete in the city, you'll definitely get a lot of prize money. I'm over 18, otherwise I would definitely give it a try."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yin hurriedly went to pull her second brother away.

"Second brother, you're 17 and I'm 15, that's perfect, let's go take a look."

The two siblings saw the fire in each other's eyes and immediately agreed.

After telling his family about it, the elders found out the source of the problem and, with Hada by his side, they let it go.

And she entrusted everything to Hada. After finding out that he had a week off, the mother even told them to bring food and luggage and invite their future sister-in-law over for a trip.

So the three of them became four, each with a horse and a bundle, and headed towards the Ulanbutong Grassland.

Luo Yin was excited the whole way, excited about the unknown environment.

It's like taking a road trip, with family by your side, riding horses across the plains, that feeling of freedom is captivating.

The distance to Ulan Butong is not far; it only takes them half a day to ride a horse and they arrive before dark.

Before Hada and his group even got close, they saw yurts and simple tents being set up in the distance.

Many people even started setting up makeshift structures nearby.

Luo Yin looked at this place with great curiosity, when her gaze was suddenly drawn to a particular gaze.

A group of travelers dressed in Tibetan robes slowly made their way from the west, riding camels.

We bumped into them by chance, just a few horse heads away.

So she could see it very clearly, and what made her gaze linger was the third person in the group.

The man had a buzz cut, tanned skin, and a black and white striped Tibetan robe.

The lining on his right arm was bulging, making his muscles appear very firm;

Seeing him wipe the sweat from his face, Luo Yin blushed instantly.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" Dark-skinned buzz cut!

The person at the head of the group saw Hada and his party and quickly bowed and nodded to them.

Hada returned the gesture and told her younger siblings to hurry up and make way for her.

After being brought back to her senses by her second brother, Luo Yin was too embarrassed to look up.

After they left, the camel traders behind them drove their caravan forward. An old man in the middle of the caravan looked on, finally seeing that they had reached their destination.

She rubbed her lower back, completely disregarding her image, and said, "This trip has really worn me out."

After sighing, Old Xia carefully touched his backpack, and only felt relieved to see that everything was intact.

"Mr. Xia, don't worry, everything is fine."

"Well, it's fortunate that we ran into them this time, otherwise we don't know what would have happened."

"Hosen, come forward, I have something to tell you," Old Xia called to the dark-skinned young man.

Hosen rode forward on his camel, his deep eyes opening from the white horse.

Luo Yin and the others chose a spot, tied their horses together, and began setting up their tent.

Upon arriving at the venue, it was clear that this event was large-scale, with many areas on the grass divided up, seemingly for the athletes to stay in.

Those who brought their own supplies were grouped together, while those who participated individually were grouped together.

Just then, my second brother asked about the camels.

"Brother, those people from the camel shops that Father used to talk about?"

"Probably. I noticed those are dressed differently from us, and their camels have bags of all sizes tied to them. They must have come from the Wild Horse Beach Grassland nearby. By the way, once you've packed up, you can go look around and see what good stuff they have. You can choose what you like."

"A camel shop? What's this?"

Luo Yin noticed that they all seemed to know, except for her.

But it seems that memory is not such a thing.

The prospective sister-in-law smiled and explained, "It's said to be a caravan from a very special militia organization in the Alashan region. They carry a lot of goods and travel around trading with the local herders. This not only makes things convenient for the local people but also allows them to patrol the area."

As Luo Yin listened, she suddenly remembered Alashan.

Isn't that the famous Silk Road area?

Could they find gems or artifacts in their caravan?

For some reason, Luo Yin suddenly remembered several short people in the group.

They weren't the militiamen from before; instead, they looked like Han Chinese.

Thinking about her father and what had happened to her, she suddenly became suspicious. She said something to her second brother and then ran out.

Mu Ren hadn't heard clearly and assumed she needed to use the restroom, so he ignored her.

Lorne headed towards the camels, and finding them at the racetrack was indeed quite easy for her.

She walked in from where the camel had stopped.

At that moment, there were also makeshift tents set up in this area. She didn't know where she had wandered off to, but suddenly she heard the sound of flowing water ahead.

She glanced over instinctively and saw someone wiping themselves, their upper body bare.

Luo Yin thought the clothes looked familiar and took a few steps closer.

Upon hearing footsteps, Hosen gave a slight smile.

He said casually, "What, you even want to watch me take a shower?"

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Author's Note: Waaah~ I've been updating a little late these past two days. I'll punish myself with 9000+ words tomorrow to apologize to all my lovely readers!!!