Chapter 735: My Grasslands, My Horses (2)
As the conversation reached this point, Zhou Chao still wasn’t sure what was going on. Images related to the topic floated in his mind, giving him a feeling of wanting to try it out himself.
“Ahem, Si Cong, you’ve changed!”
“No! Young Master Zhou, I’m just exploring the truth, just want to see if it’s really possible to exercise while on horseback. Don’t think of me so badly, okay!”
Seeing Si Cong’s earnest expression, Zhou Chao shook his head speechlessly.
After finishing their meal, Lin Wu found a particularly suitable place online. However, it was a bit far from their current location, taking about an hour’s drive.
“Huitengxile Grassland Huanghuagou Tourist Area? Is it the place we saw on the road just now?”
Lin Wu studied the map on his phone and said excitedly, “Boss, you’re right, it’s the place we passed by earlier!”
Zhou Chao glanced at Si Cong, raised an eyebrow, and signaled him if he had any thoughts.
“Let’s go, I saw it just now too, but unfortunately, we had to drive and didn’t get a good look!” Si Cong was also very interested.
Although he often went out for fun, the grasslands were a place he had basically never visited. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have suggested a self-driving tour this time.
The three of them didn’t dawdle and headed straight to their destination by car. Although it wasn’t the highway they came on, this national road was much better than the roads in other places. Not only was it spacious and straight, but the scenery was also particularly beautiful!
As Zhou Chao and his companions were about to reach Huitengxile Grassland, their attention was once again drawn to the wind turbines standing tall on the grassland. All they could see were white windmills, spinning incessantly in the wind.
“Boss, what do you think about setting up a wind turbine company when we fix those deserts? We could arrange them all over that two million plus acres of land!” Lin Wu said, laughing.
“Hey, your idea is not bad. How about we arrange for you to be in charge here when the time comes!”
Upon hearing this, Lin Wu’s smile vanished instantly. “Ahem, Boss, I’ve thought about it and I’d rather not. This aspect is still more professional in the power grid, and we’d better not get involved!”
Seeing Lin Wu’s expression, Zhou Chao burst into laughter.
Soon, the car arrived at Huanghuagou Tourist Area. Seeing various cars filling the parking lot, the three of them felt a heightened sense of anticipation for this trip.
Just as they got out of the car, a middle-aged man with glasses and slightly tanned skin approached them.
“Hello, do you three need a guide? I’m very familiar with Huanghuagou and can make your trip even more enjoyable!”
Si Cong glanced at Zhou Chao, asking for his opinion.
Zhou Chao looked at the guide in front of him, and after about ten seconds, he asked, “How much does it cost, and what if we’re not satisfied?”
“It’s only two hundred. Don’t think it’s expensive. I can get you some discounts on the activities, and if you’re staying overnight in the tourist area tonight, the price can be halved!”
Upon hearing this, the group understood. Although they hadn’t encountered this before, in this modern era with advanced information, they had heard of such arrangements. It was simply cooperation between travel companies and tourist areas, offering discounts on various expenses. These guides intercepted guests like Zhou Chao and his companions outside the scenic area.
Zhou Chao glanced at Si Cong and the others. Seeing no objections, he nodded and agreed, “Alright, we’ll rely on you for this afternoon’s journey then. By the way, what should we call you, Guide?”
Hearing Zhou Chao’s words, the middle-aged man’s face lit up, and he became more enthusiastic in his speech. “Just call me Xiao Hei. I’ve been a guide for almost 20 years, and I’ll definitely satisfy you!”
Then, Zhou Chao and his two companions briefly introduced themselves, and under Xiao Hei’s guidance, they headed towards the entrance of Huanghuagou Tourist Area.
“Mr. Zhou, are you planning to go horseback riding at Huitengxile Grassland first or explore Huanghuagou?”
“Let’s go horseback riding at Huitengxile Grassland first. As for Huanghuagou, we’ll see later. If we don’t have time today, we can visit tomorrow!” Zhou Chao made the decision without hesitation.
Originally, the three of them had come for horseback riding. Huanghuagou wasn’t initially in their plans, but if the scenery was good, they could visit tomorrow.
Xiao Hei also caught Zhou Chao’s implied message that they would stay overnight in the tourist area today.
“Please follow me, the three of you. We need to take the shuttle bus to Huitengxile Grassland, which will take about ten minutes!”
The three followed Xiao Hei and boarded a doorless shuttle bus heading towards the grassland. There were many other tourists onboard, and a few even couldn’t help but take out their phones to secretly take pictures of Zhou Chao and Si Cong.
Zhou Chao remained calm about it. There was nothing he could do. After all, he was handsome, whereas Si Cong’s previous status as the “national sweetheart” still attracted attention.
When they found themselves amidst the vast grassland, they realized how truly insignificant they were.
Along the way, Xiao Hei, the guide, also briefed everyone on horseback riding. When Zhou Chao and his companions understood, they realized there was a slight deviation from their initial expectations.
The biggest issue was that most of the horses on Huitengxile Grassland were raised by the herdsmen themselves. When tourists came to ride, the horses were led by the herdsmen. In other words, ordinary people couldn’t experience the thrill of riding freely.
“Can’t we find a solution? If it’s a matter of money, that’s not a problem!” Zhou Chao frowned slightly at Xiao Hei, the guide.
“Yeah, if it’s only going to be like this, I’d rather go back to the hotel and sleep. It’s much more boring this way!” Si Cong chimed in from the side.
Hearing this, Xiao Hei felt a sudden pang in his heart. Although he was middle-aged, he had sharp eyes and could tell that the three in front of him were not short of money.
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Hei said, “Actually, it’s not impossible. Besides paying more, you also need corresponding riding skills. If anything happens to you, even if we sell everything, it won’t be enough to compensate.”
Zhou Chao and his companions also understood Xiao Hei’s point. After all, nobody could guarantee absolute safety when riding a horse, especially on such a vast grassland. If a horse stumbled into a hole while galloping, even a minor injury would be considered lucky. They couldn’t rule out the possibility of losing their lives here.
Seeing the expressions of the three, just as Xiao Hei was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Zhou Chao’s voice.
“It’s okay. You just need to arrange things properly. If there’s an accident, it’s my responsibility!”
Xiao Hei hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement.
Lin Wu, who was about to speak, saw Zhou Chao’s confident expression and decided to hold back his words.
Soon, several Mongolian yurts appeared in their sight, and a few spirited horses were grazing on the grassland nearby.
“Akxi, my brother, I’m bothering you again!” As soon as the shuttle bus stopped, Xiao Hei shouted loudly at a burly man wearing a traditional Inner Mongolian long dress.
“Xiao Hei, my brother, you’ve brought friends again. Welcome, welcome! This is our homemade milk tea. If you don’t mind, you can taste it!”
After embracing Xiao Hei, Akxi picked up a pot and a few disposable cups and walked over to Zhou Chao and his companions.
Seeing Akxi’s warm hospitality, Zhou Chao didn’t refuse his kindness. “Thank you. Please give each of us a serving!”
Akxi then took out three cups with his left hand and skillfully poured three cups of milk tea in front of everyone.
“Please enjoy!”
As they each received their milk tea, just as Si Cong and Lin Wu were about to take a sip, Zhou Chao unexpectedly asked, “This milk tea isn’t charged separately, right?”
Si Cong, Lin Wu, Xiao Hei the guide, and Akxi were all stunned.
“N… no, it’s free. You can drink as much of this milk tea as you like. We Mongolians are very hospitable!” Akxi explained nervously.
Seeing Akxi’s nervous expression, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.