Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

These words were both a complaint about rising prices and a subtle hint of impending urgency, suggesting that policies might be tightening soon and urging Liu Jianguo to make a decision as soon as possible.

The old man's words were like a needle, gently pricking Liu Jianguo.

"Even basic livestock like cattle and sheep are in such high demand; it seems a major crisis is truly not far off." A cold, hard judgment flashed through his mind like lightning, causing a slight sinking feeling in his heart. But this worry was instantly replaced by a stronger sense of urgency and opportunity—he had to seize the moment and stockpile as many resources as possible!

Liu Jianguo's face showed little emotion; his mental calculations were incredibly fast.

Two cows (1000 yuan) + two sheep (200 yuan) + two horses (1000 yuan) = 2200 yuan.

This was a huge sum of money, but he hardly hesitated, his face showing a decisive and even somewhat generous expression: "Alright. It'll be the price you asked for, sir. Two cows, two sheep, and two horses, totaling two thousand two hundred yuan. As long as the livestock are healthy and can breed, you won't be shortchanged a penny, but there won't be any tickets."

He readily agreed, partly to appease the other party and partly to avoid any unforeseen haggling; time was more precious to him. Just as the major transaction was finalized, a series of noisy, cheerful footsteps and the chattering of children suddenly approached from outside the yurt.

The curtain was suddenly flung open, and Batel and his rosy-cheeked sister rushed in first, followed by seven or eight other grassland children of similar age, all with excited and curious faces, each carrying or holding something in their hands.

Seeing this, the old man smiled faintly and nodded to Liu Jianguo: "Honorable guest, please continue with your business. The children's affairs are more important. I'll go and look after the livestock."

After saying that, he got up and left the yurt with Qin Sande, leaving the space to Liu Jianguo and the group of small suppliers.

At this moment, Batel was acting like the leader of the children, excitedly directing his friends:

"Quick! Show Uncle Liu all the good stuff we found!"

The children immediately piled the items they were holding onto the blanket in front of Liu Jianguo, as if presenting a treasure.

Suddenly, a small pile of various grassland plants appeared: dried licorice roots, astragalus with soil still attached, bundles of jute, fluffy dandelion balls, and a few herbs whose names I didn't know.

Before Liu Jianguo could make a clear distinction, three sweaty young men rushed in from outside the bag. One of them was carrying a broken wooden box with holes in it, inside which three fledgling larks were chirping timidly.

Another person carried a small cage woven from willow branches, inside which three round gerbils scurried about in a panic.

The last one is the most outrageous: two fat, squeaking marmots were tied together with ropes.

Faced with this harvest that resembled a mini wildlife park, even the well-traveled Liu Jianguo was momentarily stunned, finding it both funny and frustrating.

The children, ignoring his surprise, crowded around him, their little faces full of anticipation and a desire to be praised.

"Uncle, my herbal grandma says this is really good for treating coughs."

"Uncle! Larks can sing."

"My gerbil is the fattest."

"Dog fur is so warm."

The chatter, a mix of Mandarin and Mongolian, was like a flock of happy sparrows, making Liu Jianguo's head spin and unable to understand a thing or two.

Liu Jianguo quickly raised his hands, making a downward pressing motion, and forced a smile as kind as possible on his face, saying repeatedly:

"Quiet! Quiet! Children, one at a time!"

The children gradually quieted down as they saw his gestures and loud voice, blinking at him.

Liu Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief, pulled Batel over, and said to him, "Batel, you'll be the translator. Tell them that Uncle wants all of these things. But we have to line up and come one by one. Tell Uncle how much you want, or what you want in exchange, okay?"

He needs order, and he also needs Battelle as a middleman to balance prices and avoid chaos.

Batel puffed out his little chest, feeling very proud, and immediately relayed Liu Jianguo's message to his friends in Mongolian.

The children cheered and quickly formed a crooked little line under Batel's command, their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation.

Next, a market full of childlike fun and a little chaos began.

Liu Jianguo sat on the felt rug, like a shopkeeper receiving goods.

The children came forward one by one, and through Batel's translation, they traded herbs they had gathered or small animals they had caught.

If you need a few cents or dimes, you can go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy candy.

Many others stared longingly at the jar of honey, asking for a small spoonful in return.

Liu Jianguo accepted all offers and tried his best to satisfy them. When the last little girl traded a bunch of pretty wildflowers for a small spoonful of honey, Liu Jianguo looked at the jar, which was still half full, and smiled as he stuffed the whole jar into Batel's arms.

"Battle, you're a hero today. Share the rest with your friends as a thank you gift from your uncle."

Batel, clutching the honey jar, his face flushed with excitement, shouted loudly in Mongolian to his friends, roughly meaning:

"See! What did I tell you? Uncle Liu is a man of his word, a truly good person! You didn't believe me? From now on, you all have to listen to me!"

At that moment, his prestige among the children reached its peak.

At this moment, Qin's father and Qin Sande lifted the curtain and walked in, their faces beaming with smiles.

Qin's father said, "Honorable guest, the transaction with the children is finished. I've already sent someone to inquire about the livestock. Before it gets dark, would you like to go horseback riding and experience the joys of our grasslands? We just happened to bring back a horse; it's a well-trained and fine horse."

Liu Jianguo was looking to make some moves and take this opportunity to further strengthen his relationship with the Qin family, so he readily agreed:

"Great! I've been wanting to try riding a horse on the grasslands for ages!"

He got up and followed the Qin father and son out of the yurt.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the grassland a golden red. A chestnut-colored, well-proportioned, and muscular Mongolian horse was tied to a post not far away, snorting restlessly. Its coat was as smooth as satin in the sunlight, making it look very majestic.

Although Liu Jianguo was bold, he wasn't very skilled at riding. Somewhat nervously, he pointed to the horse and asked Qin Sande:

"Brother Sande, this horse... is it fierce? I hope it won't throw me off."

Qin Sande smiled憨厚ly:

"Don't worry, Director Liu, this horse is well-trained and docile! As long as you don't whip it hard or suddenly startle it, it'll be fine!"

Qin Sande gestured for Liu Jianguo to follow behind him, slowly approaching from the left front of the horse while explaining in a low voice:

"There are rules for riding a horse. You can't suddenly pass by from behind or directly in front, or you'll startle it."

It has to be like this, so that it sees you first from the side, and knows you mean no harm.