"Are you done? Come and eat if you're done," came the voice of Grandma Saren.
The journey was long, and the old lady was worried that they would not be able to return in time, so she started preparing lunch in the morning.
Mongolian steamed buns, Mongolian yogurt and pickled shallots are the high-end hospitality etiquette of grassland people.
Wash your hands, adults sit at one table and children sit at another.
My grandma and aunt don’t speak Chinese very well, and my uncle is a man, so it’s not convenient for him to greet them. The responsibility of entertaining the guests fell on Saren.
Everyone is familiar with each other and there is not much politeness.
"You are in for a treat today. This bun is my aunt's specialty, with shallot and mutton filling. The sheep here are all raised on shallots. An expert once said that sheep that keep eating shallots will produce something. Anyway, the meaning is that it is good for the sheep's body and does not have a fishy smell."
As she said this, she gave each person a big bun.
Very solid big buns, each as big as Song Shuqian’s fist.
For someone with a small appetite like her, two buns are enough to make her full.
The children ate without even raising their heads, it was so delicious, the softness of the mutton and the crispness of the shallots alternating in their mouths, making them unable to stop.
After the meal, Saren served each of them a bowl of Mongolian yogurt. "Try it. This is homemade yogurt. It is said to contain some bacteria that is good for the body. I think drinking a bowl of this after eating steamed buns is very refreshing."
Song Shuqian took a bite and found it very sour, and her mouth began to secrete saliva unconsciously. She didn't like it very much. It would probably taste better if some dried fruits and walnuts were added.
Tiantian and An'anlele liked it very much and drank two bowls in a row.
When Grandma Saren saw this, she smiled until her eyes narrowed and kept saying that she would give them a jar.
After dinner, they visited the horses at grandma's house. Like Lizai, they were Mongolian horses with very good temperaments. Song Shuxi touched it and didn't refuse.
My grandma's family doesn't have many things, just thirty or so sheep, four cows and two horses. It's similar to the people living nearby.
Song Shuqian asked, "Is there no limit on the number of breeding here?"
"There are restrictions, but every policy has its countermeasures. Cattle, sheep and horses are all living creatures. When they come to check, we release them back onto the grassland and they can come back when they leave."
Song Shuqian silently gave a thumbs up, it was indeed amazing.
The journey was long, and after chatting with the old lady for a few more minutes, Song Shuxi and her group said goodbye.
After they left, the old lady found five dollars and some industrial tickets under the bowl and showed them to her son and daughter-in-law.
Uncle Qitai said, "Put it away. They have regulations in the army and cannot take even a single needle or thread from the common people."
They were already very familiar with this operation. Every time Captain Yang brought people here, he would leave money when he left.
Lele was riding with Song Shuxi on the way back. "Mom, can we make homemade soap when we get back?"
"Okay, you two brothers, bring back more grass when you go herding sheep, and we'll dry it. Mother Yangyou will come up with a solution."
"Thank you, mom."
"Did you have fun today?"
"I'm happy, mom. I learned how to shear wool. Do our sheep need to be sheared, too?"
"Yes, this task is left to you and An An, and Dad will assist you."
Lele was so happy that he could see his teeth.
On the way back, they saw the man who burned things in the morning.
Song Shuqian was curious. What was burning? Why did it take so long? It had already been half a day. She looked at it several times from a distance, but couldn't tell what it was.
The man felt someone was looking at him, and glared at Song Shuqian and the others fiercely. Why did he meet these people again? He deliberately found a place with few people to burn things. When he met them in the morning, he hurried back.
I thought there was no one around at this time, so I went out to burn the fire again, but I didn't expect to meet this group of people again.
"Sissi, what are you looking at?"
"The man burning something over there."
Tiantian also took a look and said, "He looks a bit wretched. From my experience, he is a villager nearby. He looks like a second-rate person and it's obvious that he doesn't work hard."
When she was a public security officer, Tiantian went to the countryside many times and is considered to be very experienced. There is a big difference between those who work and those who don't.
It was just a small incident and they didn't take it seriously.
What they care about is the sunset, the sunset on the grassland.
"The setting sun is broken into pieces by the trampling of horse hooves, while I lie down and sing at Aobao, waiting for the bright moon." At this moment, this line of poetry becomes concrete.
Song Shuqian and her group stopped and stared blankly into the distance.
Crimson, orange, and purple intertwine to transform into a soaring eagle and towering mountains.
When I realized it, it was already getting dark, so I quickly quickened my pace to get home.
There are wolves on the grassland at night.
Wei Jianguo was worried and waited at the door. He felt relieved only when he saw his wife come back.
"Are you tired? Come back and have a rest. Yueyue and Yangyang miss you and keep looking at the door."
An An Lele simply tidied herself up, changed her clothes, and ran to see her younger brothers and sisters.
"Have you two missed your brothers? Today, your brothers have learned how to shear sheep and make homemade soap. From now on, you can use the soap made by your brothers to wash clothes."
The two children smiled broadly at their brothers and blew two bubbles.
I saw Song Shuxi's two children stretching out their arms to ask for a hug, babbling, but I couldn't tell what they were saying.
Song Shuxi fed them and coaxed them to sleep.
An An Le Le shared the yogurt they brought back with Wei Jianguo, "Dad, try it. This is the reward for our help today."
Wei Jianguo drank it politely and praised the two children.
Let the children go to rest, and the couple lie on the kang and chat.
"How was your day?"
"It's good. Grandma Saren and her family are very welcoming. Although I can't speak Chinese, I can feel their enthusiasm from their actions.
They are a very simple family. "
"That's good. If you need anything in the future, you can exchange with them. It can be considered as helping Saren in disguise."
"I know. How are you today? Are the kids behaving well?"
"It's OK. Yueyue has become more lively. She cried twice because she couldn't see you and An'an and Lele, but she was fine after having her milk. Yangyang is heartless, greedy, silly and doesn't care about anything.
My dear wife, you have worked hard to take care of them. From now on, I will be responsible for taking care of the baby every time I have a break, and you can take An An and Le Le out to play. "
"OK"
Click, click, click…
"I'll go out and take a look," Wei Jianguo put on his shoes and hurried out.
"Report, Commander Wei has ordered the special forces to assemble urgently."
"Okay, go call the others."
Wei Jianguo turned around and went back to the house to get his clothes, "Wife, I have a mission and I will leave immediately. Take care of yourself."
He ran away before waiting for Song Shuxi's answer.
They didn't know that Song Shuxi provided a lot of help in this mission.
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