Crossing the Western Tianshan Mountains

He was worried and wanted to come and see Ayala out of selfishness. Of course, Ayala was also one of the herdsmen in the Western Tianshan Mountains and had to be within his attention.

In fact, he did not blame Wu Yongjie for being careless. This was because Wu Yongjie did not actually understand the life and habits of the herdsmen in Western Tianshan. After all, he had only been in Western Tianshan for less than a year and had been living in the camp. The only herdsmen he had come into contact with were Gulinar's family and Azati and others.

But Ling Fengxi has a deeper understanding of the tough customs of the people here. Although it is already the 21st century, they have their own set of standards.

Even if they are actually kind, in this self-contained system, it is difficult for anything else to influence or change them in a short period of time.

For example, they have their own way of getting along between men and women, as well as the rules of marriage and distribution, and outsiders cannot interfere.

After walking for about an hour, we saw a long horizontal slope in the distance. In fact, there was a very long mountain blocking the way. The bare mountain was covered with heavy snow, and the original appearance of the slope could not be seen.

But there were indeed about five or six tents halfway up the slope, with smoke rising from the roofs of two of them. Gulinar said, "Except for the Hanati family, I guess no one lives in a place like this."

"why?"

"Because Hanati is the relatively wealthiest herder in our area. He also has a ranch at the foot of the mountain, where he keeps his cattle and sheep. He doesn't rely on pasture in the mountains, but instead raises the kind of native sheep that city dwellers like to eat—sheep that grew up in the mountains. With their means, even though they live on a hillside where there's no grass, they can still raise hundreds or even thousands of sheep."

Everyone finally understood that Hanati was a wealthy herder.

Therefore, he also has prestige among the herdsmen in this area, and is even a hidden leader. At this time, Ye Minglang said, "If this is the case, it is even more certain that those herdsmen that day were sent by him. He just wants to blackmail the camp and treat us as fools."

Gulinar's face was solemn. "We herders feel ashamed when something like this happens. Hanati has changed. He is no longer the legendary Hanati."

Ling Fengxi asked, "What is the legendary Hanati like?"

"Legend has it that he was a man like an eagle. There was nothing he couldn't do on the grasslands. He was also very loyal and had helped many nearby herders. He was a man of high moral character."

Ling Fengxi seemed to have figured out why Ayala had married Hanati. Ayala was so outstanding back then, so it only made sense for her to marry Hanati, who was said to be so outstanding. However, time passed, and people changed. Whether it was Ayala, Hanati, or Ling Fengxi, they were no longer the same as before.

They were still some distance away from the yurt when they saw a man walk out of it. He looked at them from a distance for a few seconds, then a whistle sounded, and two dogs came out, following Hanati. He walked towards Ling Fengxi and the others with solid steps. Gulinar had a good eye and said, "We've found the right place. It's him."

There was no conflict as expected. Hanati warmly welcomed them. When he was almost in front of Ling Fengxi and the others, he even laughed and trotted over. "Hello distinguished guests! Are you coming to my house specially? Or are you passing through here on business?"

Ling Fengxi said hurriedly, "We are specifically visiting the nearby herders, mainly you, to see if there is anything you need help with in your daily life, especially in winter."

Hanati's smile widened. He first shook hands warmly with everyone present, then patted his chest and said, "Winter in the Western Tianshan Mountains is not easy, but we herders were born and raised here, so we're very familiar with it. We're used to it. We've gotten through every winter on our own!"

The implication was that Ling Fengxi and the others' actions were unnecessary. Gulinar smiled and changed the subject, "Uncle Hanati, since we are honored guests, can we eat your boiled mutton today?"

Hanati laughed heartily and said, "Of course, it must be arranged! If not for the sake of the leaders, then for the sake of you, little girl. You've been the talk of the town this year!"

No one present could tell whether Hanati's "praise" was well-intentioned or malicious, and Gulinar was also unable to tell the difference.

Everything that was unclear was considered goodwill. Gulinar said, "I'm a little girl, and I'm honored to be noticed by an old man. I'm sure to have the meat today."

Led by Hanati, the group entered Hanati's Hasa tent. The stove inside was burning brightly, a low square table was placed on the tatami, and many quilts were neatly stacked around it... For the Hasa people, these cotton quilts are also a symbol of wealth, which means that they can easily survive the winter without feeling cold.

Hanaer yelled, "Bring some tea quickly."

Ayala, who was busy with another hassabag, came over hurriedly with a big kettle of boiling tea. Without even seeing who was in the room, he had already placed the tea bowls and poured tea for everyone. It was not until he reached Ling Fengxi that he looked up. He was stunned when he saw him. The tea had overflowed from the bowl without him noticing.

Gulinar quickly took the large teapot and said, "You're burned. Let me do it."

Hanati's face changed drastically. He suddenly took off his socks and threw them in Ayala's face. "You can't even do this! What's the use of you? Get out! Pick a big sheep. We're going to kill it today!"

Ayala's face turned red. She didn't even look at Ling Fengxi. She turned around and walked out.

After she came out, her tears began to fall. It was an unspeakable feeling of humiliation. She was sad because she had lost all her dignity in front of the person she loved.

At this time, the wind started to blow again, and there were snowflakes in the wind.

Ayala's figure seemed to blend into the flying snowflakes. The sheep pen was not far behind the slope. She turned to the back of the slope and entered a large sheep pen.

As the most successful shepherd in the western Tianshan Mountains, Hanati's sheep pen is indeed "excellent", with windbreaks around it and grass inside.

Ayala tied a big sheep with a rope, led it out, returned to the Hasa yurt, tied the sheep to a pillar in front of the yurt, and then built a fire on the large stove outdoors.

The wind and snow were so strong that it took a while to light the fire. I poured a bucket of water into the big pot above, but it was not enough, so I dug another bucket of snow and added it in.

Everyone in the tent chatted for a while. Ling Fengxi learned that there were seven or eight herders nearby, and a natural village had been formed. Hanati said that this natural village had been reported to the county, and that pastures would be marked out, names would be given, and rules would be established soon. He said he wanted to be the village chief.