thefictionvixens Chapter 1270 Experiencing Herding
Chapter 1270 Experiencing Herding
Looking at Ying's expectant face, Shao Yun felt quite gratified.
Although the family has settled down in Nata, Ying spends most of his time on adventures. Now, he is taking the initiative to care about the ranch's operation and even wants to help with herding. This kindness warms his heart.
He was relieved, but he really didn't want Ying to suffer the same pain as him.
What fun is there in herding? It's nothing more than following the cattle and sheep around in circles on the grassland, and you have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't run away. A morning like that is tiring and boring.
He pondered how to make Ying give up without spoiling her mood, and with a sudden thought, he suggested:
"Actually, herding is really not interesting. You deal with cattle and sheep all day long, which is very boring."
"If you're not going on any adventures today, why don't you take your brother around Nata?"
“Kong has been so busy lately that he hasn’t been home much and probably hasn’t had a chance to explore Nata properly. Why don’t you take him to try Nata’s specialty grilled meats and buy some trinkets? It would be so much more fun than herding sheep.”
When Ying heard that Shao Yun was still making excuses and refusing to let her accompany him to herd the sheep, her bright eyes instantly dimmed, and she pouted in dissatisfaction, letting out a soft hum.
"Um... No! I just want to go herding cattle with you. I've never experienced it before. Can't you take me to try it?"
As she spoke, she gently tugged at Shao Yun's sleeve, her pitiful expression a perfect reflection of the same spoiled "Haji Ying" she used to be.
Shao Yun couldn't stand Ying's appearance the most, looking at her slightly puffed-up cheeks and listening to her nasal humming.
He sighed helplessly, reached out and ruffled Ying's hair, and smiled as he gave in, "Alright, alright, I give up. Since you're so eager to experience herding cattle, let's go."
"But let me make this clear from the start: if you feel bored or tired, you're not allowed to throw a tantrum."
"Yay! That's great!" Ying instantly stopped crying and jumped up excitedly, turning around and shouting towards the dining table.
"Paimon! Paimon, eat up! We're not going on any adventures today, we're going to herd cattle with Shao Yun!"
Paimon was sitting at the dining table, enjoying his steamed buns, when he heard Ying's shout. He quickly swallowed his food, flew over, and asked with a bewildered look:
"Huh? Herding cattle? Why do we suddenly have to herd cattle? Shouldn't we go to the Adventurers' Guild and see if they have any good quests?"
"A commission isn't always a good thing, but herding cattle is a rare experience!" Ying said excitedly, pulling Paimon's hand.
"Just imagine, we're walking on the grassland with a large herd of cattle and sheep, feeling the wind, and looking at the blue sky and white clouds. How wonderful that would be! And this would be our first time herding livestock, it's sure to be a lot of fun!"
Paimon still didn't quite understand why Sparkle had suddenly changed her mind.
But seeing Ying's excited expression, and considering that "herding livestock for the first time" was indeed a novel experience, Paimon nodded and obediently agreed:
"Oh? Okay... I'll do whatever you say."
There are three reasons why Ying chose to herd livestock with Shao Yun today.
First, it's to strengthen my relationship with my husband. I can't just focus on sex; I need to spend more time with him in our daily lives too.
Secondly, Ying was also worried about the dragon trader named "Manco". If he went out on an adventure, he might take the little dragon with him. What if the little dragon was stolen?
(Kukulkan: Holy crap, why has this blond traveler become so cautious?)
Thirdly, Ying was worried that the extremely vicious rider she mentioned yesterday might suddenly cause trouble for her husband.
As the saying goes, "Like father, like son; like brothers, like brothers," so I can't let my wife, who is the rightful wife, be a useless ornament!
In case the other party launches a sneak attack, I can stand with my husband and fight side by side! Maybe I can use my Star Absorption Technique to absorb the other party completely?
……
Sunlight streamed onto the grassland at the entrance of the ranch, a few leisurely white clouds drifted in the blue sky, and the wind carried the fresh scent of grass—it was indeed a perfect day for herding.
"You ride Buel ahead and lead the cattle and sheep toward the pasture; just be the 'leader'."
Before setting off, Shao Yun patiently instructed, "Don't run too fast, just walk slowly. The cattle and sheep will follow you. I'll follow behind to prevent any of them from falling behind."
Ying excitedly mounted the horse, sat steadily in the saddle, pulled on the reins, and Buer snorted obediently.
"Don't worry! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" She gave Shao Yun an "OK" sign, gently kicked the horse's belly, and Buer started walking slowly towards the edge of the ranch.
Shao Yun, holding his "radish," waited for Yuan Shang to release the cattle and sheep.
As soon as the gate to the cattle and sheep pen opened, herds of cattle and sheep came out in an orderly fashion. Seeing Buel walking ahead, they subconsciously followed him and slowly moved towards the pasture in front of their home.
Ying rode on Buer's back, glancing back at the herd of cattle and sheep that followed obediently. A smug smile appeared on her face.
After finally driving the last cow to the pasture, and watching the cattle and sheep scatter and graze, she reined in the horses, nodded in satisfaction, and boasted to Shao Yun, who was catching up:
"Alright, the cattle and sheep are all driven to the pasture! I don't think herding is difficult, it seems quite simple!"
Shao Yun rode his horse up to her side, looking at her with a forced smile.
On the way here, at least three or four sheep sneaked into the bushes by the roadside, and a cow almost fell behind. He quietly brought them back.
Fluorescent was so focused on leading the way that he didn't notice these little incidents at all.
However, he didn't expose her, since it was Ying's first time herding livestock, and it was already quite good that she was able to successfully lead most of the cattle and sheep to the pasture.
Besides, I was originally in charge of filling in the gaps and making up for any mistakes!
He laughed and chimed in, "Haha, that's right, my Ying is really amazing, her first time herding went so smoothly."
Anyway, Shao Yun didn't expect Ying to support the family by herding livestock; he just wanted her to have fun.
For the rest of the time, the two rode their horses, watching over the cattle and sheep while keeping an eye on their surroundings to prevent any unsuspecting treasure-hunting groups or wild dragons from getting close.
Compared to Shao Yun, who used stillness to control movement, Ying was very excited about herding livestock for the first time, and would occasionally maneuver Buel around the grazing cattle and sheep.
Paimon sat in her lap, watching curiously as the cattle and sheep grazed.
The mother goat, who was grazing with her head down, became somewhat uncomfortable with the frequent stares.
She looked up and glanced at Ying, who was riding around in circles, and Paimon, who was peeking out.
What's with this big one and little one? They keep staring at me as I eat grass. Haven't they ever seen sheep grazing before? It's so strange...
So she shook her head, ignoring the two of them, walked to the edge of the herd, lowered her head, and continued to focus intently on picking at the tender green grass.
Ying rode her horse slowly around the edge of the pasture, and then her gaze inadvertently swept towards the northern plateau, where Diluc had built his new winery in Nata.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She pulled on the reins of Labour, maneuvered the horse slowly to Shao Yun's side, and said with a smile, "Oh, right, I just remembered something!"
“The other day I risked passing by the construction site of Diluc’s winery, and he mentioned you to me. He said the reward he promised to give you to my husband would be ready in the next couple of days. Don’t you want to go and take a look?”
Shao Yun followed Ying's gaze and began to make plans in his mind.
Almost a month has passed, and judging by the time, the main construction of the winery should be nearly complete.
Moreover, the reward promised by Diluc at the time was particularly tempting: the "winemaking techniques" of Château de la Dawn, something he had always been quite interested in.
After all, it would be nice to brew some fruit wine or beer on the ranch and have a glass in your spare time.
However, Shao Yun didn't ask for it so as not to bother Diluc... After all, it takes some time to prepare for something like this, doesn't it?
“We really should go and take a look.” Shao Yun nodded, but then hesitated as he looked at the cattle and sheep grazing leisurely on the grassland.
"But let's wait until I've finished herding the cattle. If we leave the cattle and sheep here now, it will be troublesome if something happens."
During the grazing season, the well-being of the cattle and sheep is paramount; we don't want to cause any mishaps because we're in a rush to collect our wages.
Besides, Ying is a complete novice...
Upon hearing this, Ying immediately tilted her head, blinked her eyes, and said playfully, "Don't worry, the cattle and sheep won't get lost!"
"Look, they're all eating grass obediently and won't run around. And you have to trust my ability to keep an eye on them as the 'great adventurer'!"
As she spoke, she gently tugged at Shao Yun's sleeve, her voice softening as she began to act coquettishly and cutely.
"By the way, I'd also like to try and see if I can look after the cattle and sheep by myself for a while. How about I treat it as a little test?"
"Go to Diluc's winery without worry. I promise you'll come back with all the cattle and sheep, and you'll have plenty to eat!"
Looking at Ying and Paimon's confident expressions, Shao Yun still had some doubts.
Ying is indeed clever and courageous when adventuring, but herding and tending cattle and sheep is not her forte.
As the saying goes, a good sailor may not be a good cook, wouldn't you agree, Pearson?
Therefore, even an adventurer skilled in combat may not be able to manage a herd of slow-moving cattle and sheep.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say a few more words, but the words were cut off by Ying's expectant gaze.
Then, Shao Yun thought again and remembered that there was still that mother goat on the pasture.
With her "observing from the shadows" nearby, even if Ying and Paimengzhen encounter some minor troubles, there shouldn't be any major problems.
"Alright, I'm going to see Diluc now. I'll take this opportunity to see how his manor is progressing."
Shao Yun verbally agreed to Ying's request, but his gaze drifted to the mother goat grazing not far away, his eyes carrying a sense of "entrustment".
The mother goat sensed his gaze, slowly raised her head, and stared at Shao Yun for a moment, understanding the meaning in his eyes.
It was nothing more than asking him to take better care of his wife and goddaughter, and secretly watch over the cattle and sheep, acting as a "shepherd dog."
She scoffed dismissively, scratching the grass with her hind hooves in obvious disgust, as if reluctantly agreeing.
Even after receiving the mother goat's "guarantee," Shao Yun was still uneasy and took out the blood oath: the sheepskin scroll of plague from his backpack.
Considering that Ying can now use fire elemental power, she might be able to save her life if she really encounters danger.
(However, Shao Yun was going to be disappointed, because Yingdian couldn't be lit... After all, it was a blood alliance, and not just anyone could use it. But at least it could serve as a show of force.)
But Shao Yun was unaware of all this. He simply handed the parchment to Ying as instructed, saying solemnly, "Oh, by the way, this is for you."
Ying took the parchment scroll with a puzzled look, staring at the intricate patterns and dark red writing. "What is this? It looks strange..." she asked.
"I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it's something you can use in an emergency." Shao Yun explained simply, "Take this with you, and if you encounter any danger, try lighting it; it might help."
Although Ying still didn't understand the purpose of the parchment scroll, seeing Shao Yun's serious expression, she knew he was thinking about her safety, so she obediently put the parchment scroll away and gave Shao Yun a sweet smile.
"Oh? Okay, I understand! Thank you, honey. Don't worry, I'll take good care of the cattle and sheep and wait for you to come back!"
……