novelraw Chapter 123 - 121: Arriving at the Winter Pasture, Marching Toward Hope!
Chapter 123 - 121: Arriving at the Winter Pasture, Marching Toward Hope!
Jiang Feng bought all the qualified cattle and sheep.
The cows and sheep that were pregnant for a longer time fetched an additional price for a calf and a lamb.
Such a migration is very painful for the pregnant cattle and sheep.
Jiang Feng bought as many as he could.
Coincidentally, his ranch also needed a large number of cattle and sheep.
After all, he made millions from live streaming, so this wasn’t a big deal.
Jiang Feng called in a large truck and began to drive the cattle and sheep back, with Yang Maolin and Niu Erhu in charge of transporting them.
Then Jiang Feng went to another household.
This household had five people, and the head was a typical Mongolian man named Bu He.
Jiang Feng bought five pregnant cows and ten pregnant sheep from his family, and Bu He was very grateful.
Jiang Feng expressed his intention to follow them for a live stream, and Bu He readily agreed.
The migration in Xilingol wasn’t that tough.
You just need to walk for a day and a night on the plains to reach the winter pasture.
"The herders are starting their migration today; everyone has packed their luggage."
"Some luggage has been loaded onto vehicles, while some still needs to be carried by camels and horses."
"I’m following the camels this time."
"Everyone is quite tired, but it must be done."
Jiang Feng selected a camel and spoke to the online audience.
Bu He double-checked to see if nothing was left behind, while his father had already started driving the cattle and sheep out.
The drone was capturing this scene.
The sky was filled with snow and wind.
The herders led their cattle and sheep across the snow, seeking better places for grazing.
Such a scene touches people’s hearts to some extent.
Many online viewers were lying at home, either enjoying the heating or the air conditioner.
Watching the herders’ live stream like this felt even more comforting.
Jiang Feng told everyone:
"Bu He’s family has forty cows, over a hundred sheep, and more than twenty camels."
"I am going with them to help them herd."
Jiang Feng was holding a cute Border Collie in his arms.
The journey was somewhat lonely, so Jiang Feng let the little fellow keep him company.
At this moment, Jiang Feng was very down-to-earth, wearing a green military coat and a Lei Feng hat, with the side flaps down, feeling no cold at all.
Bu He had many camels at home, and Jiang Feng rode a six-year-old adult camel.
Such a camel has strong carrying capacity.
A few camels were pulling wooden carts, and the rest of the cattle and sheep moved forward.
Jiang Feng looked into the distance.
Bu He held a bowl of hot milk tea, sprinkling it toward the sky.
Jiang Feng explained:
"The Mongolians revere the Eternal Blue Sky, and this is their way of praying to it, wishing for a safe journey."
"This migration only takes a day, not too far."
"We will pass through uninhabited wilderness, traverse snowy wastelands, and head towards the fertile winter pasture."
Soon, Bu He also mounted a camel, and the group officially set off.
Jiang Feng controlled the drone to fly high, capturing aerial shots of the herders’ migration scene below.
Groups of animals were moving forward: black cows, white sheep, yellow camels, and brown horses.
Everything looked wild and untamed.
The viewers in the live chat commented:
[It looks so tough! The herders really have a hard life!]
[Master Jiang is really live-streaming the winter migration, amazing!]
[The master is quite straightforward; although he has money, he can endure hardships on his own!]
[This place looks so cold!]
The popularity of the live broadcast kept rising.
Although such live streams may not keep viewers hooked constantly, they can still attract people to tune in for a while occasionally.
More people joined than left.
Jiang Feng rode the camel, looking out.
The little Border Collie poked its head out from his embrace, curiously observing everything outside.
This man-and-dog duo was quite adorable.
Although the snow wasn’t heavy, the wind was fierce.
Countless snowflakes formed shapes in the wind.
At this time, a social media blogger rode over on a horse and started chatting with Jiang Feng.
She was a very forthright woman in her thirties, healthy and of average build.
"Hello, Master Jiang, I am Sun Ya, a social media blogger. Can I have a brief interview with you?"
Sun Ya was very polite.
Jiang Feng, feeling a bit bored, nodded and said:
"No problem."
"Why did you decide to join this migration? It’s quite arduous," Sun Ya immediately asked.
Jiang Feng always spoke his mind and replied, "The viewers in the live stream wanted to see it, and I just had nothing else to do, so I joined."
Hearing this, Sun Ya was somewhat surprised.
She thought Jiang Feng would say something like "I want to showcase the real life of grassland herders" or "I want to let more people know about the grasslands."
But Jiang Feng kept it simple.
He was just doing a live stream.
No other intentions.
The viewers in the live chat burst out laughing upon hearing their conversation.
[Master Jiang is really straightforward!]
[Honestly, although the master can be a bit devious and abstract at times, he’s quite a good person!]
[The way he said it makes me, as a fan, feel quite proud!]
The two continued to walk forward.
Sun Ya asked again, "Have you ever experienced such a migration before, Master Jiang?"
Jiang Feng shook his head, "My family always used to do settled herding. When the grass was gone, we would rent a pasture and transport the cattle and sheep there by car. We seldom did such migrations."
The two continued their conversation quite politely with questions and answers.
The team continued to move forward.
They had been walking for about five or six hours, though it was hard to tell for how long.
The wind and snow started getting heavier.
In the team, a black cow suddenly stopped moving.
It seemed quite exhausted, perhaps reaching the end of its strength.
Jiang Feng looked at the cow covered with a layer of snowflakes, feeling somewhat compassionate.
But he knew there was nothing he could do.
The cow collapsed to the ground, its body blanketed by ice and snow.
Bu He and his father came to the cow’s side, and Bu He gently tapped the cow with a stick, hoping it would stand up.
But it didn’t.
His family gathered around, helping the cow up, but the cow still lay on the ground, unwilling to move.
Jiang Feng also walked over.
The viewers, seeing this scene, felt a sense of oppression in their hearts.
Jiang Feng turned on the microphone and said softly:
"During migration, the biggest fear is encountering this kind of situation. If the cows and sheep stop moving, or if they’re injured, we have no choice but to abandon them."
"Because there are so many other cattle and sheep waiting to be driven to a safe area."
"At this point, there’s no certainty; the wind and snow might get worse."
"Even weather forecasts can’t fully predict the climate here."
Jiang Feng went over to check on the cow’s condition.
This cow was too cold to move, so it didn’t want to walk any further.
It wasn’t injured.
In this situation, the only option is to find a way to stir its fighting spirit.
Other cattle and sheep kept moving forward.
All around was a scene of wind and snow blowing.
Jiang Feng walked over, and with Bu He and a few others, they began pushing the cow’s rear, lifting the cow to its feet.
Perhaps feeling the collective effort, the cow wobbly stood up, then, breathing heavily, continued walking forward.
Seeing this scene, the viewers in the livestream breathed a sigh of relief.
[The cow is walking again; I was so anxious watching!]
[Yes, I was so afraid it would stop walking!]
[If it doesn’t move, it will only freeze to death!]
[There’s no other way, the main group has to move forward, they can’t individually care for it, otherwise the other cattle and sheep will be in greater danger.]
[At least it’s not giving up!]
The livestream chat quickly scrolled through.
The number of people watching the livestream kept increasing.
Jiang Feng and Bu He’s family were also relieved after managing to push the cow upright.
Then, Jiang Feng mounted another camel, and they continued their journey.
Around six in the evening, all migration activities stopped.
People began to dismantle and then set up Mongolian yurts, light stoves, and stew some hand-pulled meat and hot milk tea.
The cattle and sheep were herded to the center of the yurt area.
People would take turns checking on the cattle and sheep at night.
Before entering the yurt, Jiang Feng said to everyone:
"The weather is still manageable now, and the wind and snow tonight won’t be any worse."
"The cattle and sheep can endure it."
"We’ll rest simply for the night, and by tomorrow morning they will continue migrating. By around noon tomorrow, they’ll reach the winter pasture."
"Although it isn’t lush green there, the climate is milder, and yellowed dry grass can sprout through the snow, allowing the cattle and sheep to graze freely."
"This winter will be relatively stable."
Bu He’s family went to check on the cow that almost fell behind, feeding it some hay.
The other cattle and sheep were also fed some grass.
That night, Jiang Feng hardly slept, staying up with Bu He to keep watch.
The livestream was constantly on, with some viewers occasionally dropping in to watch.
Unknowingly, this migration had captured many people’s attention.
Before going to sleep at night, many would enter the livestream to watch for a little while.
They left messages:
[Master Jiang, I’m going to sleep; be safe!]
[It’s really not easy!]
[Hang in there, Master Jiang!]
[You can’t drive in such a place; it looks quite dangerous!]
[Watch out for wolves at night!]
Jiang Feng sat by the bonfire for warmth, continually adding wood to the fire.
He wore thermal clothes and a military coat, feeling no cold at all.
Xiaojin Hua was curled up in his arms, already sleeping soundly.
The wind and snow continued to rage outside.
By the next day, Bu He’s family woke up very early.
The women in nomadic families are hardworking and quite strong.
They dismantled the yurt together, loaded it onto a wooden cart, then woke the cattle and sheep.
Taking advantage of the sunlight, they continued their journey.
Jiang Feng checked the drone’s battery; it could maintain the livestream for half the day.
So, he started the drone, continuing to livestream the migration.
In the stream, not only Bu He’s family but a large number of herders were migrating.
The land here was so vast and empty, with not even a small hill within several kilometers, just wasteland.
Even with tens of thousands of animals, it didn’t seem crowded, but rather still appeared small.
The livestream continued.
The further they moved forward, the less wind and snow there was.
The ground started to show more wild grass, and the cattle and sheep began grazing while walking, slowing down significantly.
By the roadside, herders’ off-road vehicles could already be seen running.
Jiang Feng said to the viewers:
"We’re almost there, just ahead is the winter pasture where the herders will set up their yurts to live."
"Each family has their designated area, and the distances are quite far apart; even the nearest neighbors might be several kilometers away."
"This is the pastoral area."
"For household electricity, they all have designated solar panels sufficient for a few people’s power needs."
"This place is also covered by signal, allowing internet access."
"Water is a bit troublesome; they must either collect ice or directly use clean snow to boil for cooking."
"This is their lifestyle."
With Jiang Feng’s explanation, everyone saw a more authentic picture of the herders’ lives.
[I thought herders had it easy, turns out it’s Master Jiang who’s more laid-back!]
Someone commented.
[How could someone worth tens of millions not have an easy life?]
[Herders work really hard, if you have knowledge, don’t come back for herding!]
[Those with ideas can start new types of farms, which is pretty good too!]
[It’s all physical labor!]
[Finally arrived, I was so afraid of wolves attacking Master Jiang or something!]
The chat was buzzing with lively discussions.
Bu He’s family found their spot to live, and Jiang Feng didn’t disturb them further, waving goodbye.
"Goodbye!" Bu He waved to Jiang Feng with a smile, speaking in Mongolian.
Yang Maolin had already driven over, waiting for Jiang Feng by the roadside.
This livestream broadcast was very popular, and the rewards were pretty good too.