Chapter 540 Can't Sleep
The two men at the head were carrying a tiger skin. The majestic tiger's head had its eyes closed, yet it made everyone present instinctively back away.
Moreover, the five people behind them, each leading a horse, were slender and tall, with long, thick manes that looked majestic as the wind blew through them.
The second son was immediately dumbfounded.
"this……"
Liang Xiao, the county magistrate who had been hiding from the bandits, popped his head out and asked, "Isn't that a Ferghana horse? Where did it come from?"
He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, "That damned bandit keeps coming to my house, turns out he's really rich!"
Song Chunxue almost tripped as she walked down the steps. Liang Xiao was muttering angrily, which she, as a cultivator, probably heard only!
Akhal-Teke horse?
That's a rare horse from the Western Regions, where would a bandit get it?
Moreover, the five horses appeared to be of the same breed, with short, dense hair that shone brightly in the sunlight.
Especially the white horse with a hint of pink, like a pink pearl, was so captivating that it was impossible to look away.
"Well, these five horses are the best-looking ones in our horse farm. They're taken care of and looked after by someone every day. Today, we're giving them all to Sister Song. I heard you had five children. I think Sister Song will like this number."
Song Chunxue couldn't help but reach out and stroke the lead chestnut horse. "How could you bear to part with it? Such a fine horse can fetch a good price. You're being generous with just one."
“I still have some on the mountain. Although their teeth and quality aren’t as good as these, I still have about twenty or thirty. Sister Song, don’t be shy, they’re all my own, not worth much,” the burly man with thick eyebrows laughed. “To be honest, these horses are very patient, suitable for long journeys, but not for driving…”
"Not worth much?" the second son couldn't help but exclaim. "Do you know, this is..."
With so many people present, if they knew this was an Akhal-Teke horse, it could cause quite a bit of trouble.
“I’ve seen Akhal-Teke horses before when I was with a caravan. This head and mane, although they may not seem that imposing to ordinary people, are the most suitable for warhorses. They have excellent speed and endurance, and their coat is like gold.” Old Man Zhang shook his head. “It’s just a pity that purebred Akhal-Teke horses gradually disappeared from military breeding. Ordinary people don’t like them because they think they are too small and difficult to control.”
The burly man with thick eyebrows hesitated for a moment, then stroked his chin and said, “These are wild horses we caught in a remote mountain. There were three of them in total, but we didn’t have any other stallions to mate with. Later, four more appeared on the barren mountain, and we’ve been raising them for the past three years. They’ve been increasing in number, and the ones that have eaten bone meal are much bigger than before. I never expected them to have such a prestigious name.”
The second brother couldn't help but touch the brightest chestnut horse. "They sweat as soon as they run, especially the chestnut and brown horses, which look like they're bleeding. That's why they're called 'blood-sweating horses'."
The burly man with thick eyebrows laughed heartily, "No wonder, I've learned something new."
Song Chunxue smiled and said, "Such a precious horse can be exchanged for a lot of silver. You can take it back. I appreciate your kindness. You can go back after you've eaten and drunk your fill."
“There’s no reason to take back a gift that’s been given away. Sister Song, are you looking down on me, Lu Chaohu?” He patted his second brother’s shoulder. “Since you know what’s good for you, just accept it. I’ll take good care of it and sell it to the army as a warhorse.”
As he spoke, he called out, "Brothers, have you finished eating?"
"I'm done eating, now I'll have another drink!"
Knowing that their arrival had unsettled those present, the group devoured the food on the table and then gulped down several mouthfuls of wine from the flask.
Then, they put down their chopsticks and wiped their mouths with their sleeves.
"Let's go, brothers, let's go back."
Song Chunxue urged them to stay, saying, "No need to rush off. Eat well before you go. All guests are welcome, and you've brought generous gifts."
The bandit leader, Lu Chaohu, approached her, lowered his voice, and looked somewhat aggrieved.
"We won't bother you any longer. We're bandits, it's not good for us to stay too long. We'll feel at ease once the gifts are delivered."
"Oh, by the way, don't forget us. When your son becomes an official, treat us well. You can recruit us to raise warhorses for them. We're the best at raising horses."
Song Chunxue nodded, "Definitely, thank you for your trust, brother."
Lu Chaohu raised his hand to pat her shoulder, but considering the gazes of others, he patted his own chest instead.
"I remember it. I'm leaving."
More than fifty people came and went in a flash, leaving behind a few horses pawing the ground in dissatisfaction.
The fourth brother went over and led the horse to the backyard. "Put it in a pen and keep it there for now. Don't just stand there, clear the table and let the people at the back sit down and eat."
He Chuan, an expert in raising livestock, was very fond of these horses and said happily, "I'll go and fetch some alfalfa. Akhal-Teke horses need to be fed alfalfa."
In the blink of an eye, he had already run out of the yard.
Afterwards, everyone got back to work, and the guests gradually left by evening.
This resulted in the collection of a considerable amount of monetary gifts, most of which were quite valuable. Almost everyone who could come had come, from both inside and outside the city, and even those they had never heard of before, all appeared on the gift register.
By the time everything was cleaned up, it was already late afternoon, and everyone had gone to put the children to bed.
The courtyard was quiet, but Song Chunxue was wide awake.
Firstly, she wasn't very busy, and secondly, she felt more at ease in this quiet.
If my senior brother were here, they could be drinking and chatting.
When the mood strikes, my senior brother will talk endlessly about the places he visited in his youth.
Xie Zheng claimed to be a drinking buddy, but Song Chunxue couldn't drink with him without any restraint.
She's not good at pretending to be confused.
"Clang."
Suddenly, a pot of wine appeared on the stone table in front of her, and Sanwa sat down in front of her.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Sanwa poured himself a glass of wine. "I can't sleep."
Song Chunxue thought so too. Sanwa wasn't the fourth child. Over the years, the people he had interacted with most were his classmates and teachers. The rest of the people he had been with were all kinds of books.
Dealing with people is never as simple as dealing with books.
"Did someone say something that made you unhappy?"
Sanwa didn't deny it, "It wasn't as fun as I imagined. Just thinking about having to have a drinking session like this in Jincheng made me not want to go back. By the end of the day, my lips were numb and my face was stiff from smiling."
Today he was dressed in a moon-white long robe, a gentle and refined scholar, but with a bitter smile on his face.
"I've said too much. Now that I'm sitting down, I can't help but think back to what the people I met today said—my classmates, my teachers, and all those flattering and insincere words. I thought I was proud of myself, but I'm actually exhausted."
Song Chunxue comforted him, "Talking takes a lot of energy. You tend to take things too seriously. In the future, you'll have to play cat and mouse with those two-faced people in the officialdom, which will take even more of your energy. Don't take things too seriously. Protect your mind and don't get too emotional, understand?"
Sanwa shook his head, "I don't understand, I'm afraid I can't be a good official."
“Go back and ask Lord Xie for advice. Don’t be afraid to bother him, and don’t hesitate because of our friendship. He likes to guide young people who haven’t been polished yet.”
Sanwa nodded, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, "Where will Mother go from now on? Will she come back to see us often?"
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