Luo Ziling also made so requests to Hala, hoping for their assistance.
He wanted Hala to help them borrow thirty horses and hire so skilled male and female riders; he would pay for their wages and rental.
Such a small matter was completely effortless for Hala, so he readily agreed.
Soon, the secretary of the town also arrived.
This was a Han person, with a bit of a weathered look.
Out here, far from the imperial watch, they were like local emperors, highly regarded in their area, yet they were completely unaware of the happenings in the Capital City. Although Ling Ruonan was a high-ranking official at the vice-ministerial level, they did not know her.
Ling Ruonan did not introduce her identity, and they did not dare to inquire, giving only the due respect and courtesy.
Hala and the secretary also toasted them during the al, expressing their sincere gratitude, and prepared gifts on behalf of the town.
After lunch, it was already four in the afternoon.
There was a two to three-hour ti difference between the local sunset and Yanjing.
In other words, four o'clock here was equivalent to not even two o'clock in Yanjing.
There were at least four more hours until dark, so they could completely make it to Qingfeng Village after finishing their al at this ti.
Saying goodbye to the enthusiastic townspeople, and taking plenty of food they were given, the group set off grandly.
The horses arranged by Hala were used to carry luggage, and the hired riders managed the horses and helped those who weren't up for walking to ride.
It was about thirty li from the town to Qingfeng Village, of which twenty-six to twenty-seven li had to be walked, as the bus had to be parked in town, and an off-road vehicle could hardly go a few li. There was a lot to carry, and Luo Ziling was worried the won in the group wouldn't manage the walk.
After all, walking more than ten kiloters, with much of it on mountain roads, isn't easy for most people.
So of the advance party had already reached Qingfeng Village, with a few people along the way to assist.
Before departure, Wuyue got in touch with them, and after confirming the path ahead was clear, everyone set out.
Three people stayed in the town to keep in touch and coordinate with the townsfolk, in case they needed help.
The edge of the small town was flat grassland. Even though the place was remote, the scenery was nice with vast prairies; few tourists ca, so locals couldn't make a good inco from tourism.
Like Vinnie, who often sold roasted at in town, locals hardly bought it since almost every family did their own barbecue of beef and lamb, leaving his business not so good, relying on occasional outside visitors and town staff. Selling barbecue alone wasn't enough to make ends et for his family.
It was a very poor town, but the prairie stretched all the way to the foot of Tianshan. You could actually see the Tianshan Peaks from town, though the distance and the clouds obscured the view. Nevertheless, the overall scenery was pretty good.
Those seeing this beautiful landscape for the first ti were already filled with excitent.
Two off-road vehicles and a bus were all parked in the courtyard of the town governnt; everyone either walked or rode horses into the village.
Luo Ziling asked for a horse, and after getting friendly with the seemingly unruly horse and understanding its temperant, he leapt onto its back in a very graceful airborne move under the gaze of a group of won.
The horse still didn't want Luo Ziling riding it, so as soon as he got on, it raised its front hooves, trying to throw him off.
But with excellent riding skills, Luo Ziling completely ignored the horse's protest, sitting firmly as it bucked and ran wildly. Then he gave a heavy slap on the horse's neck, and the horse, feeling the sting, started to gallop.
After Luo Ziling mounted the horse, Ling Ruonan, Yang Qingyin, and the other won watched nervously, fearing he might get hurt.
Ling Ruonan even asked Wuyue to help, but Wuyue couldn't ride, so he was of no help.
Luo Liansheng told everyone not to worry, knowing how good Luo Ziling's riding skills were and that such a horse couldn't possibly hurt him.
After seeing Luo Ziling gallop wildly for a while, the won finally relaxed.
"I didn't expect Mr. Luo's riding skills to be so outstanding; it's truly amazing," Fang Dongxun couldn't help but comnt, "I've ridden horses, and I'm a director at an equestrian club, but I wouldn't dare ride this kind of horse."
"Big brother, can you pick a gentler horse for to ride later?" Fang Qianqian also wanted to ride a horse; she had been to equestrian clubs with Fang Dongxun a few tis, but always under the protection of a trainer and had never ridden alone.
"No problem," Fang Dongxun agreed cheerfully but added, "But I won't be able to gallop across the prairie like Mr. Luo."
"You take for a ride first, and then I'll ask Mr. Luo to take on a gallop."
Fang Dongxun looked at his sister and, quite helplessly, said, "Look at that, so many won are eyeing Mr. Luo. When will it ever be your turn?"
Fang Qianqian was instantly frustrated, losing interest in riding. Fang Dongxun's words were overheard by Yang Qingyin, Ouyang Feifei, Dai Shulan, Luo Yuqing, and others, suddenly making them feel awkward and unsure of what to say.
After a short while, Luo Ziling rode back and smilingly asked the won, "Who wants to ride a horse?"
"Ling'er, stop fooling around, let's keep moving, we still have a long way to go!" Ling Ruonan, afraid of disputes among the won, quickly intervened, "You're good on foot, let others ride or carry things. If you want to ride, wait till we reach your village, okay?"
Seeing Ling Ruonan's peculiar expression while saying this, Luo Ziling could only agree.
After handing the horse to the hired rider, Luo Ziling walked alongside Ling Ruonan, Yang Qingyin, and others.
Ouyang Feifei was also on foot; she planned to ride under the protection of the rider when she got tired.
There were plenty of horses and many hired riders, as well as several won, so Luo Ziling was not worried about anyone having problems due to exhaustion.
"Why do you live in such a remote place?" after walking a few miles, Luo Yuqing couldn't help but lant, "Good thing you moved out. If you still lived here and we ca to visit, wouldn't we just die of exhaustion?"
"If you can't walk anymore, you can ride. They'll lead the way or guard you so you'll save energy." Luo Ziling pointed to the horses and smiled, "It's not really that far. The scenery along the way is pretty good. We can walk and stop at our own pace, as long as we get there before dark."
"Let's walk slowly then, treat it like a tour!" Ling Ruonan instructed Luo Ziling, "No rush, so no one gets too tired."
Luo Ziling naturally agreed.
After a while, Wuyue approached Luo Ziling and quietly reported the situation: "Young master, news ca from Yanjing: Chen Ruchang's grandson, Wu Yuanqiao, died in a car accident this morning."
"What?!" Luo Ziling instantly burst out laughing, "It's like karma in action!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers