The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 371

As Xu Tian looked at the scenery of the desert along the way, he thought to himself that although Congling was a county town, it was right next to the Western Turks, so only high-ranking officials and wealthy people lived in the county town, which was right next to the Congling County Government.

The vast majority of people live on the grasslands. Although they do not live with nomadic peoples, the two sides are separated only by the Blackwater River, and their clothing is different, so they are very distinct.

Meanwhile, a joyful scene unfolded on the grassland, with several young children holding dandelions and running forward.

"My father and mother are coming after me."

"Don't run, kid, you'll fall."

The child was completely deaf to the man's threats.

The woman came out and called out, "Xiao Sanzi, Xiao Wuzi, come back for dinner! If you run any further, you might get carried away by wolves."

The two boys, Xiao Sanzi and Xiao Wuzi, immediately stopped and walked into the tent with unpleasant expressions.

It was only then that the couple realized that the man standing beside them was a handsome and refined gentleman with a gentle demeanor that made him instantly likable.

The man was none other than Xu Tian, ​​who was coming to visit the family. The male head of the household walked into the tent, poured a bowl of mare's milk tea, and handed it to Xu Tian.

"Judging by your attire, you must be rich and noble. What are you doing on our grassland?"

The woman of the house looked at her husband and chimed in, "Looks like you're here to find someone. Who are you looking for?"

Xu Tian did not drink the milk tea, but instead placed it on the wool felt stool next to him.

The two youngest sons of the family were immediately curious when they saw the embroidered words on Xu Tian's clothes. They stood next to Xu Tian for a long time, looking puzzled. Xu Tian couldn't help but reach out and pat the youngest son's head.

"Do you want to learn? Do you want to study with the Master?"

The third son nodded immediately, a look of eager anticipation flashing in his eyes. The fifth son, still young, looked at the text with a blank expression. Seeing his older brother so happy, he was willing to stay by his brother's side.

The lady of the house was very intelligent and tentatively asked, "Are you Master Xu from Hongwen Academy in town?"

Xu Tian nodded immediately, and then saw the male homeowner beckon him and say, "Come in."

Xu Tian, ​​carrying milk tea, walked into a tent, only to find a fresh leg of lamb hanging inside. However, this leg was from last year and had very little meat; it was quite pitiful.

The woman walked over to a wooden bucket and stirred it incessantly, seemingly trying to extract some butter from the milk.

Xu Tian turned his head and saw the two children, Xiao Sanzi and Xiao Wuzi, sniffling and staring at the mare's milk tea in his hand. He immediately understood what was going on; it seemed the family was in dire straits.

The man explained with some helplessness that it wasn't that they didn't want their children to go to school, but rather that they had thirty sheep and twenty cows to herd, which he couldn't possibly manage on his own.

On the other side of the Blackwater River, the average Yuezhi family would have this many cattle and sheep, and the number of people assigned to each family would be half of theirs.

In other words, Xiao Sanzi's family simply doesn't have enough people to herd the cattle and sheep. Who would have the extra hands to go to school?

Xu Tian felt a pang of heartache upon hearing the man's words.