The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 2: One Dragon, Two Tigers, Two Leopards

"Brother, I'm home~"

Hearing the loud shouting, Li Xiao turned his head slightly. It was a boy about thirteen or fourteen years old, riding a big maroon horse.

While shouting at Li Xiao, he ran towards the flock of sheep with other teenagers.

This young man has thick eyebrows, big eyes, a sturdy build, and is very strong. He is almost as strong as an average adult.

And if you look closely, you can find that his face is a bit similar to Li Xiao's, except that Li Xiao's face is a little thin and resolute, while this young man is sturdy and rough.

"Got it, Erhu, let's go now." Li Xiao responded loudly.

This is Li Xiao’s younger brother, Li Erhu, who is thirteen years old this year, two years younger than Li Xiao.

In addition, Li Xiao has a third brother named Li Sanbao, who is only ten years old.

As for Li Xiao?

The uneducated father rudely gave him a domineering name, Li Dalong.

A big dragon, two tigers, and three leopards.

These are the names of the three brothers of the Li family. They sound a bit earthy, but they reveal the hope that their father wants his sons to become successful.

……

Li Xiao withdrew his gaze from Erhu and looked towards the sky in the east that was covered with dark clouds.

He stared for a moment, then walked directly towards a large rock not far away, where a large black horse was tied.

The horse is about three years old, with strong limbs, an upright body, and black hair except for a streak of white on its forehead. It is a very beautiful and strong mare from the northern border.

The Han people living in the northern border have gradually gotten rid of traditional farming and their lifestyle is closer to that of nomadic peoples.

Horse riding is an essential skill for every Han Chinese in northern Xinjiang.

Very young children will practice riding horses with the help of their elders, just like they practice riding bicycles when they are young.

In his previous life in the northern border, Li Xiao had mastered superb horsemanship. After traveling through time, he immediately regained his skills. He did not feel the slightest bit of unfamiliarity when riding a horse, as if he was born to do it.

Soon, Li Xiao stood up neatly, his posture was agile and light, his legs slightly bent to accumulate strength.

Then, like an agile cheetah, he made a beautiful start and jumped onto the horse. His movements were smooth, clean and neat, showing his extraordinary skills.

Li Xiao rode on the mare and gently squeezed her belly. The mare understood what he meant, spread out its four hooves, and galloped towards the flock of sheep.

"Gather all the sheep together and return to the village slowly."

Li Xiao shouted loudly, took out a whip, and whipped a ram that wanted to leave the team, driving them together.

After gathering together, these dozen or so children each drove their own flocks of sheep and cattle back towards Hexi Fort.

With so many cattle and sheep moving together, the scene looks quite chaotic.

However, these young men have been herding horses and sheep since childhood, and are already familiar with this skill.

Although it was chaotic, everyone handled it in an orderly manner.

Moreover, each cow or sheep has its own mark branded on its buttocks with a branding iron, so there is no need to worry about driving the wrong ones.

Driven by Li Xiao and his two younger brothers, more than 200 cattle and sheep in their family returned slowly and orderly towards Hexi Fort.

The flock of sheep slowed down, and it took Li Xiao nearly two quarters of an hour to see the outline of Hexi Fort.

Standing on the hillside and looking from afar, it looks like a lonely giant on the grassland, standing quietly for more than fifty years.

Looking to the left and right, there are vast expanses of farmland that stretch as far as the eye can see, extending eastward and westward.

These are all the lands of Hexi Fort.

Even after arriving in the Western Regions, the Han people did not forget the skills of farming. It seemed as if it was engraved in their blood and an innate ability.

Plant wherever you go.

Hexi Fort is like a natural dividing line, separating the farming area from the grazing area.

The land on the south side originally had more rocks and sparse low vegetation, which cattle and sheep were unwilling to eat and was not suitable for grazing, so it was directly reclaimed to grow crops.

The land to the north is rich in grass and water, and is a natural pasture for cattle and sheep, so it has been used for grazing.

After all, the traditional nomadic lifestyle has poor risk resistance, and a heavy snowfall could kill or injure all the sheep.

But it’s different for crops. The heavier the snow, the more beneficial it is for the growth of crops.

Moreover, there is abundant rainfall in northern Xinjiang, so drought is basically unheard of.

The only problem is that the weather in northern Xinjiang is cold. Even in summer it is chilly. There is not enough temperature difference, which means that crops can only be harvested once a year.

But even if the harvested grain is not much, it can still allow ordinary families to have enough food and clothing.

In addition, you can drink hot goat milk every day and eat beef and mutton from time to time.

Therefore, the Han people in Hexi Fort also lived a very comfortable life.

“What wonderful farmland!”

"Unfortunately, after the Mongols come, it will become a wasteland again."

Li Xiao looked at the farmland from afar and said with emotion.

The cold weather in northern Xinjiang causes the growing cycle of grain to be different from that in the Central Plains. Spring wheat is planted in the fields, sown in spring, harvested in autumn, and left fallow in winter. There is only this one season a year.

It was early summer, and the wheat seedlings in the fields had already sprouted, looking like a lush green grassland from afar. But when the Mongols arrived, these farmlands would no longer exist, becoming wastelands covered with sparse weeds.

After all, the Mongols' dream was to turn the whole world into their pasture.

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty was overthrown after ruling the Central Plains for 90 years, which was certainly due to reasons such as corrupt administration and excessive taxes.

But the more important reason was that the Mongols turned large tracts of farmland in the Central Plains into grasslands, and the only remaining farmland was facing land annexation by hereditary landlords.

This resulted in the lower-class farmers having no land to farm, and they could no longer survive, so they rose up in rebellion.

If the villagers of Hexibao lost these fields and only relied on cattle and sheep, they would probably have to return to the state of hunger and starvation.

"Even if it's for the people to have enough food to eat, we can't let the Mongols come to wreak havoc in the northern border." Li Xiao thought secretly in his heart.

Then he turned and looked at a young man not far behind him.

"Da Hu, will your second uncle continue to reclaim wasteland this year?" Li Xiao asked.

"Your family only has a few people, and you already have so much land. Can you farm it all?"

The boy looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a tall figure and a simple face. His eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar to Li Xiao.

He is Li Xiao's cousin, Li Dahu.

He is fourteen this year, one year younger than Li Xiao and one year older than Li Erhu.

He is the eldest son of Li Xiao's uncle. He also has a younger brother named Li Erbao, who is eleven years old this year and one year older than Sanbao.

One dragon, two tigers and two leopards, these are the five brothers of this generation of the Li family.

The ages are fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, eleven and ten respectively.

In addition, Li Xiao also has an older sister named Li Dafeng, who has married to Hedong Fort, twenty miles away.

I also have a younger sister and two cousins, all of whom are unmarried.

Generally speaking, Li Xiao's family has quite a few people.

However, two years ago, under the auspices of the old man and the old lady, the two brothers separated their family. Li Xiao's family, as the eldest wife, was responsible for providing for the two elders in their old age. However, the relationship between the two families is still very good, and the cousins are also very close to Li Xiao.

"There's nothing I can do. My dad just likes farming."

"He always said that the more land he had, the more at ease he would feel." Li Dahu said with his head down, driving more than a hundred sheep from his family with his brother, following behind Li Xiao's flock.

Compared to the fierce and slightly impulsive Li Erhu, Li Dahu seems to be a bit dull, doesn't like to talk, and spends most of his time working with his head down.

"Second Uncle has a kind and honest character. He is a man who maintains the status quo and is frugal. He will definitely be able to build a good foundation for you two in the future."

"But it will definitely take a few years of hard work." Li Xiao shook his head slightly.

I feel deeply moved that the Chinese people's love for the land is simply engraved in their bones. They are not afraid of hardship or fatigue. As long as the conditions permit, they will work hard on the land.

Actually, it can be summed up in three words: I’m scared of being hungry.

For thousands of years, how long have the lower-class people in China been able to truly have enough to eat?

Very few.

Most of the time I was on the verge of not having enough to eat but not starving to death.

Nowadays, there are a lot of wastelands waiting to be reclaimed in the south of Hexi Fort. Once they are reclaimed, they will all belong to you.

Who wouldn't be tempted by such an opportunity that can benefit future generations?
Anyway, whenever my second uncle has nothing to do, he goes to reclaim wasteland. Now, his family has a little more land than Li Xiao's.

"I'm not afraid of hard work, as long as my father is happy." Li Dahu said with a slight smile, whipping the sheep forward.

It can be seen that he is a filial child, and his personality is similar to his father, both of them are honest and kind, and they don't cause trouble.

On the other hand, Li Xiao's younger brother, Li Erhu, who is one year younger than him, has been an energetic guy since he was a child and can never sit still.

After hearing what the two said, Erhu, unable to hold back his temper, turned from the side of the flock and shouted, "Anyway, we are fighting the Qarluk people."

"Then let our father and second uncle capture more Karluk people and bring them back to farm for us."

"As long as there are enough Karluk slaves, it won't be a problem for Second Uncle to cultivate as much land as he wants."

Li Erhu shouted excitedly, his face full of excitement when he talked about the war with the Karluk people.

Li Sanbao on the other side poured cold water on him, saying, "Second brother, the Karluks don't even farm themselves, so how can they farm for us?"

“They don’t know how to farm, right?”

Sanbao is only ten years old, but he is very smart and much more clever than Erhu. His favorite thing is to argue with his second brother with words.

Li Erhu is not good at speaking and often suffers losses, but he never gives in when it comes to fists.

He clenched his fist and gestured to Sanbao, then snorted, "If they don't know how to farm, teach them how to farm."

"If they refuse to learn, or can't learn, then beat them."

"Whip it with a whip and beat it with a stick."

"They've all become slaves, and yet they're rebelling against them?"

Sanbao shook his head and said, "How can the Karluks be easily captured? They are very fierce."

"Even Wang Tingpishi's army suffered many losses at the hands of the Qarluk people!"

"That's a useless general of the Pi Shi Army. If I were in command of the army, I would have killed all the Qarlugs without leaving a single piece of armor." Erhu boasted with his neck raised.

(End of this chapter)