Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

The adults smiled with tolerance as they watched the children's joyful figures disappear into the distance, filling the yurt with a cheerful atmosphere.

At this point, Qin's father formally extended an invitation to Liu Jianguo through Qin Sande: "Honorable guest, finding the treasures of the grasslands requires time and luck. The sun is about to set, so why not stay and join the bonfire party we have prepared for you? We will offer you a whole roasted lamb, which is the most solemn hospitality on the grasslands. Please do not refuse."

Liu Jianguo's mind raced: It was already late, and forcing his way back to the Baogang headquarters would be both unsafe and impolite.

The bonfire party was the perfect opportunity to build a deeper relationship with the Qin family, especially since the large-scale livestock transaction had not yet been formally discussed.

Both professionally and personally, staying is the best option. He immediately showed a delighted and grateful expression: "Old man, you're too kind. It's an honor we couldn't ask for to be able to participate in the bonfire party on the grassland and taste authentic roasted whole lamb. Then we won't stand on ceremony and will stay the night with you."

After agreeing, Liu Jianguo had other plans in mind. A fat sheep is worth a lot at this time and place. The other party is treating him with the highest courtesy. If he accepts it all, although it is in keeping with their friendship, it may put too much burden on the other party and make him seem immature.

He found an excuse to signal Qin Sande to follow him out of the yurt.

Outside the bag, he lowered his voice and said to Qin Sande with a troubled expression:

"Brother Sande, this whole roasted lamb... is too extravagant. There are so many of us, and only one lamb... According to our Han customs, we can't let the host spend so much. If I give them money directly, I'm afraid it will be impolite. How about... I give you the money and say it's to help out, is that alright?" His actions showed that he was considerate of the other party, but also tested the boundaries of the grassland hospitality customs.

Upon hearing this, Qin Sande waved his hands repeatedly, his tone resolute yet tinged with fear:

"Oh dear! Director Liu, this is absolutely unacceptable. Serving a whole roasted lamb to honor guests who have traveled from afar is our custom and an honor. If I were to accept your money, I, Abu, would surely whip me. If word got out, my family would be utterly disgraced on the grasslands. Please accept our kind offer." In the hospitality of the grassland people, honor is far more important than money.

Liu Jianguo persisted for a few more minutes, but seeing Qin Sande's unusually firm attitude, he knew that mentioning money again would only make him seem distant and disrespectful.

He understood immediately and stopped pressing the matter. He put away his wallet and patted Qin Sande on the shoulder, saying, "Alright! Since you put it that way, it would be presumptuous of me to be polite any further. I, Liu Jianguo, will remember this kindness." He had already made up his mind to repay this generous gift in another way when he left after the transaction was completed tomorrow.

Back in his bag, Liu Jianguo pressed on, speaking solemnly to Qin's father through Qin Sande's translation: "Sir, thank you very much for your hospitality. Before the party begins, there's something important I'd like to discuss with you. I don't know if Brother Sande has mentioned it to you, but besides official business, I really want to buy some genuine local specialties from our grasslands to take back with me."

Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in Qin's father's cloudy yet shrewd eyes. He stroked his gray beard and slowly said, "San De did mention it. But I wonder what kind of local specialties our esteemed guest would like." He emphasized the words "local specialties," clearly understanding that this was not referring to ordinary milk tofu or dried meat.

Liu Jianguo leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke frankly:

"I mainly want to buy some live livestock. For example, strong yaks and sheep, and if I could get some well-trained horses, that would be even better."

After listening to the translation, Qin's father remained silent for a moment, a complex expression appearing on his face. He sighed and said:

"Guest, you don't know this, but things are different now than in previous years. Pastures... sigh, cattle and sheep are becoming more and more precious. It's only because you came now that my family and a few acquaintances can still scrape together some. If you had waited another month or two, until the policies from above were fully implemented, I'm afraid... sigh, even if you have money, it would be hard to buy them."

His words revealed the scarcity of supplies, hinted at the pressure of a policy change, and further increased the value of the resources at hand.

Liu Jianguo was overjoyed. The key now was being able to sell those four words.

This means that the transaction channels are open and the other party is willing to sell, likely wanting to cash out before the policy is completely tightened.

He suppressed his excitement and pressed on, "What the old man said is true. Then... I wonder how the current market rate is calculated?"

Qin's father gave Liu Jianguo a sharp look and slowly said:

"The price is different. It depends on whether you want freshly slaughtered livestock, or... live animals that can accompany you back to the interior."

This is the key difference: the price and risks of live animals are far higher than those of meat-producing animals.

Without hesitation, Liu Jianguo said decisively, "They have to be alive. And preferably a pair, male and female, the kind that can walk on their own and reproduce!"

As soon as he said this, a glint flashed in Qin's father's eyes. He immediately understood that this guest's intentions were far more than just reselling meat; he wanted to establish a long-term breeding herd. A smile, a mixture of businesslike seriousness and a hint of helplessness, appeared on his face as he continued, following the old man's words:

"To be honest, sir, I did come here with a task from the factory. You know, such a big factory has tens of thousands of people to feed, so the logistical support is under a lot of pressure. The higher-ups are planning ahead, thinking they should prepare as much as possible."

He deliberately concealed his personal needs under the guise of factory tasks, which not only enhanced the legitimacy of the transaction and gave the other party a seemingly secure reason, but also left himself an escape route in case of investigation, implying that it was for the public good rather than for personal gain.

A knowing glint flashed in the old man's cloudy yet shrewd eyes. He stroked his beard, pondered for a moment as if weighing something, and then slowly spoke, his tone carrying the characteristic cunning of the grassland people—seemingly simple and honest, yet actually shrewd and calculating:

"Since it's a public matter... well then, I'll swallow my pride and go to a few familiar herder families to see if I can scrape together some money for you."

He first emphasized the difficulty, then quoted the price:

"These days, livestock are expensive. A yak weighing 500 to 600 jin costs 500 yuan. A sheep weighing around 130 jin costs 100 yuan. A good Mongolian horse weighing over 600 jin also costs 500 yuan."

The price he quoted was slightly higher than the market price, but it was right at a point where the public might accept it, but private individuals would find it too expensive.

After quoting the price, the old man sighed heavily again, his face filled with worry:

"Sigh, it's not that I'm not trying my best, it's just that... everyone's keeping a close eye on their livestock these days. I reckon even if I run myself ragged, I could only manage to find you a pair of each kind at most. If you come ten or fifteen days later, I'm afraid... sigh, even if you have the money, there'll be nowhere to find them."