After a day off, I started working. I asked around and found a horse-drawn carriage that was passing by. I followed the driver to the farm. I thought it was in town, but it turned out to be on the prairie.
This was her first time riding in a carriage, and the bumps and jolts were quite rhythmic. Sitting on the back board, she was facing the horse's butt, and its tail was swinging from side to side.
The only drawback is that the horse will poop at any time when running. He swung his tail and Jiang Cha rubbed his butt and sat at the end, which made the old man so amused that he whipped the whip in the air.
After walking for more than two hours, I saw a flock of white sheep moving in the distance. They looked like white clouds, slowly moving across the yellow grassland.
"The pasture is just ahead. Walk a little further and you'll see yurts. That's the farm."
The old man showed Jiang Cha the approximate route and they soon arrived. Seven or eight Mongolians were surrounding them very closely. The large sheep pen had been covered with something, and the sheep had been well-insulated to ensure their safety during the winter.
When they arrived, Jiang Cha got off the carriage and was about to give the old man 20 cents for the ride when two people came out of the yurt and shouted to him, "Secretary Zhou, you're back."
Jiang Cha looked at the old man awkwardly, but luckily he didn't take out the two cents. "Hello, Secretary Zhou, I'm here to purchase from the steel mill. Here are my ID, letter of introduction, and purchase order."
She handed over her ID and letter of introduction with both hands. Although they chatted along the way, there was no formal introduction. These prices and amounts were all agreed upon in advance, and there was no such thing as her coming over to negotiate the price.
There was no such thing as bringing large sums of money to buy supplies. In a public-to-public transaction, the accountant would be responsible for the transfer of funds. If it were that simple, she would have sold her batch of pigs long ago.
After looking at these cute lambs, all I could think of were: 'Hello, lamb skewers; hello, mutton hot pot; hello, lamb ribs; hello, kidneys; -'
I took a deep breath of the muttony smell in the air, trying to calm my overexcited mind. Secretary Zhou and I entered the yurt, where several other staff members were busy.
"Just sit there and wait for a moment. A driver will be here soon. This trip is going to be long, and the quantity is huge. We need to get a few transport teams to come over and discuss how much hay to take along the way. We don't want to lose weight by the time we get to the capital."
Soon, several very strong men came, and they stood beside the men with their big bodies, as if they were joking around.
"Are you going back with us this time? If you come with us, we'll have one less person to accompany us. Space is limited, and we need to carry a lot of things on a long trip."
The team leader was counting the number of people and the supplies. Jiang Cha quickly shook his head, "I have to go back to the city. Another mission is to get wool blankets."
The captain was quite happy. With an extra driver, they could all drive in reverse. Bringing a girl with him was not to look down on her. He was a very capable person.
In a good mood, I said to her: "Then I will take you to the city, so you don't have to take the bus, which is too slow."
Getting a ride was a pleasant surprise. She finally didn't have to change transportation one by one. She was so tired from riding in the car these two days.
"The sheep are at their fattest at this time. Remember to feed them fodder when you go back. In addition to fodder, they also eat bran. Feed them accordingly. Don't wait until the Spring Festival for them to become thin."
Secretary Zhou handed Jiang Cha some precautions for raising sheep. They had written a lot of them, and everyone who came to buy sheep would get one.
I took the instructions and looked at them for a few seconds. Alas, the food in my space was piled up like a mountain, and I just couldn't take it out. I'll just wait and see. When the rain stops and the sky clears, everything will be fine.
"You'll stay here today. That one over there is the girls' dormitory. She used to live there alone, but she got married a few days ago, so it's now vacant. I was planning to tear it down to save on firewood after your flock of sheep leave. It's perfect for you to stay here and experience our yurt."
She was brought to this small yurt, where a girl would not take up much space and would not be cold in winter.
The door was small, for both safety and warmth. There was a stove inside, and thick blankets and felt mats were spread on the floor.
Thick felt hung on the walls, wrapped in layers of fabric, keeping the yurt warm. On the wooden plank bed on the ground, the secretary and his men had improvised a large sheepskin, which Jiang Cha wrapped around it to sleep in at night.
Cotton was in short supply, and they weren't rich either. Fortunately, wool and sheepskin were in abundance here. Almost all the mattresses they made were made of sheepskin.
Jiang Cha followed the local customs and slept in a sheepskin, so why couldn't she just make do for one night? It was much better than the night at the inn, so what else could she complain about?
At night, I saw the ranch staff coaxing the sheep back to their kennels. These sheep were sold before the heavy snow, to avoid snowstorms, low temperatures, or wolves.
That would be a huge loss. They're busiest at this time of year. They have to reinforce the sheep pen and field daily calls for supplies. Several of the nearby ranches are pretty much the same at this time of year.
"We'll check the numbers tomorrow. Old Wu said his fleet will come tomorrow to load the trucks directly. If you're going back to the city with them, remember to get there early."
Secretary Zhou told her that she could go back tomorrow and to remember to get up early so as not to waste time.
I set the alarm to prevent myself from oversleeping, and then I had a simple porridge with them and went back to bed. Everyone went to bed early, there was no entertainment, and the weather was cold, so sleeping was definitely the most comfortable.
"Loading, loading, Old Wu, are you keeping an eye on it over there?"
When I came out, I saw a huge mess. Everyone was checking their own work to see if it was safe and solid. They also had to cover them with some straw mats to prevent them from freezing.
Jiang Cha was inside checking the quantity with the staff, as well as the amount of fodder. She had just spent a long time counting while loading the truck, and she still hadn't warmed up.
All the documents were made in triplicate: one for the ranch, one for the convoy, and one for Jiang Cha. After everything was ready, they followed the convoy to the city.
The journey wasn't comfortable; the truck was packed, and she didn't ask about anything. She was just earning her hard-earned money, so there was no need to cause trouble. Perhaps because she was more understanding, the captain spoke more.
"If you live in the city, I tell you, go to the restaurant next to No. 1 Middle School. Their mutton steamed buns are amazing, but they're gone if you're a little late, so you have to go early to eat them."
Our mutton offal, roast chicken, Fengzhen mooncakes, and hand-held meat are all excellent. If you have time, you can definitely go and have a look. You'll also have to rely on luck to find something delicious. If you can catch it, you must try the beef.
Jiang Cha was so engrossed in the story that she almost took notes. There were so many delicious dishes. It's okay if you haven't ridden a horse, but you should definitely try various meats and dairy products.
I had originally planned to ride a horse, whipping it up and galloping across the grasslands. What a delight! But I ended up taking a carriage. Now I can't ride back to the city, so I'll just leave it at that, thinking of the delicious food.
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