GBP Chapter 394 might be of great help.
Chapter 394 might be of great help.
Li Xiangyang tried to decline, but Bu He enthusiastically grabbed his arm: "Come on, come on, everyone's waiting! How can you leave so soon after just meeting? That's disrespectful!"
Li Xiangyang glanced at Wang Ergou, who shrugged helplessly, his face showing an expression that said, "Just accept your fate."
"Alright then, but the wine... could you..." Before Li Xiangyang could finish speaking, Bu He was already laughing and pushing him out.
"Don't worry, you're not from the grasslands, so we won't force you! However..." Buhe winked, "not finishing the wine offered by the host is considered very disrespectful here!"
The party that evening was even more lively than the day before.
Representatives from each village brought local specialties and fine wines, and presented hadas (ceremonial scarves) to Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou as soon as they met.
An elderly man with gray hair took out a sheepskin bag and poured Li Xiangyang a bowl of mare's milk wine with a smile: "This is the best mare's milk wine from our Qingshan Gacha, specially prepared for you!"
Li Xiangyang couldn't refuse, so he accepted the wine bowl.
Seeing this, the old man poured another bowl for Wang Ergou with a hopeful expression.
Wang Ergou looked at the milky white liquid that was shimmering in the bowl, his face turned a little green, but he still gritted his teeth and took it.
"Come on, drink this bowl!" the old man shouted, and the people around him applauded and cheered.
Li Xiangyang gently touched Wang Ergou's bowl, and amidst the other's despairing gaze, he drank it all in one gulp.
The liquor was hot and spicy as it went down my throat, even more stimulating than what I had drunk the day before.
Wang Ergou gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and gulped it down, looking like he might collapse at any moment.
"Generous! What a generous young man!" The old man clapped his hands happily and then refilled their glasses.
And so it went, round after round, with representatives from each village offering toasts, each time filling a bowl to the brim.
Around midnight, Li Xiangyang felt like the whole world was spinning, but he was still able to stay awake.
Wang Ergou was already lying unconscious on the table, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, occasionally muttering incoherently.
Looking at Li Xiangyang, Buhe nodded in satisfaction: "Impressive drinking capacity! I don't think any of the men on the grasslands can hold their liquor as well as you!"
Li Xiangyang forced a smile: "No... I don't deserve that. Director Bu, are we going to Qingshan Gacha again tomorrow?"
Buhe patted him on the shoulder: "Of course! I've already made arrangements. Dalai from Qingshan Gacha will take you there. That young man is a good hunter and knows the terrain very well."
Li Xiangyang wanted to nod, but his head felt too heavy, so he could only reply with his voice, "Okay...okay."
"Alright, you've had enough," Buhe said with a smile, standing up. "I'll have someone take you back to rest. You can set off again tomorrow when you're awake."
Li Xiangyang managed to stand up and staggered to Wang Ergou's side, trying to help him up, but found that he was also about to give up.
Seeing this, Buhe called over two strong men, each carrying one of them, and took them back to their lodgings.
On the morning of the third day, Li Xiangyang was awakened by a severe headache.
He opened his eyes and found himself lying in bed, still dressed, only covered tightly by the blanket.
Wang Ergou was lying on the bed next to me, snoring loudly, and it seemed he wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
There was a gentle knock on the door, and Buhe's voice came from outside: "Brother Li, are you awake?"
Li Xiangyang answered with difficulty, "You're awake...come in."
Buhe pushed open the door and entered, carrying a steaming bowl of soup: "Here, have some hangover soup. This is a secret recipe from our grasslands; it'll make sure you feel refreshed in no time."
Li Xiangyang took the bowl, smelled it, and a rich aroma of meat and herbs wafted towards him. He took a sip, and the taste was surprisingly good, savory with a hint of sweetness.
"Is it good?" Buhe asked with a smile.
Li Xiangyang nodded and continued drinking, feeling that his headache had indeed eased considerably.
Buhe glanced at the still-sleeping Wang Ergou: "Your friend can't hold his liquor, but he has a good personality. He was calling out his wife's name in his sleep last night!"
Li Xiangyang couldn't help but smile: "That's just how he is; he can't keep things to himself."
Buhe sat down in his chair, his expression turning serious: "Brother Li, Dalai will be coming to pick you up today to go to Qingshan Gacha. The wolves there are really fierce; you must be careful."
Li Xiangyang put down his bowl and wiped his mouth: "We will. But are wolves really that powerful?"
Buhe sighed, "It's more formidable than you imagine. The scariest thing is that those wolves seem unafraid of humans; in fact, they attack proactively."
Li Xiangyang frowned: "This isn't normal. Generally speaking, wolves are very afraid of humans unless they're cornered."
“Who knows,” Buhe shook his head. “Maybe they were just too hungry.”
At this moment, Wang Ergou finally woke up, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he covered his head: "Mommy, it hurts so much..."
Buhe smiled and handed him another bowl of hangover soup: "Drinking this will make you feel better."
Wang Ergou took it with some skepticism, took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly drank it down in large gulps.
Li Xiangyang got up, put on his coat, and fastened his belt: "When do we leave?"
Buhe glanced out the window: "Dala should be here soon. You should grab something to eat while you're here."
A moment later, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a young Mongolian man walked in.
He was in his early twenties, tall and strong, wearing a thick fur coat and a sharp hunting knife hanging at his waist.
“Director Bu,” the young man nodded to Bu He, then turned to Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou, “Hello, I’m Dalai from Qingshan Gacha.”
Li Xiangyang extended his hand: "Hello, I'm Li Xiangyang, and this is Wang Ergou."
Dalai shook hands with the two men; his hands were rough and strong. "I heard you're here to help us fight wolves?"
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Yes, the Forestry Bureau sent us to provide support."
Dalai looked the two up and down, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Just the two of you?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou became agitated: "What, you look down on us? We've hunted more wild animals in the mountains than you've ever seen!"
Buhe quickly smoothed things over: "Dalai didn't mean that. He was worried about your safety. The wolf pack in Qingshan Gacha is indeed ferocious; even the most experienced hunters in the area have been injured several times."
Li Xiangyang patted Wang Ergou on the shoulder, signaling him to calm down: "We'll be careful. Dalai, when do we leave?"
Dalai looked out the window: "The weather's nice, we can leave now. The journey will probably take half a day."
Buhe stood up: "Then let's not delay any longer. I've sent someone to move your guns and luggage into the car. Dalai will drive you to Qingshan Gacha in a jeep."
The three followed Buhe out of the room, where a jeep was already waiting in the courtyard.
The convoy delivering supplies was preparing to return home. Li Xiangyang went to see them off and found the experienced driver who had traveled with them all the way.
"Master, when you get back, please tell your family that everything is fine here." Li Xiangyang handed the old driver a small bundle. "There are some grassland specialties inside; give them to my wife to try."
The experienced driver took the bundle and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll definitely get it. By the way, when are you going back?"
"We'll head back after we've finished fighting the wolves, probably in about ten days," Li Xiangyang estimated.
"Then there's no need to trouble yourself. I'll just wait for you in Qili, and we'll go back together," the experienced driver said.
After speaking with the experienced driver, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou prepared to depart. Bu He solemnly stepped forward to say goodbye: "Be careful, those wolves are more cunning than you think. If you need anything, send someone back to inform us."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "We will. Thank you very much, Director Bu, for your hospitality these past few days."
Wang Ergou also waved goodbye, even though he still looked a bit hungover.
The jeep started and drove eastward. As the vehicle disappeared into the distance, Buhe's expression gradually became serious.
His assistant behind him whispered, "Director Bu, are we really going to send them? It's too dangerous there."
Buhe took a deep breath: "There's no other way; the situation in Qingshan Gacha has reached a critical point. If they are really as capable as Director Zhao said, they might be of great help."
The assistant remained worried: "What if something happens..."
Buhe shook his head and said nothing more, only staring at the direction where the jeep had disappeared, his eyes filled with worry.