Batel was careless and didn't pay much attention to the jade, but the knowledgeable old man could tell from the emerald green material that the jade was quite unusual.
Chapter 1127 Visiting (Part 2)
Upon hearing his father's words, Batel waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's just a piece of jade, it's fine. Fei Zi is my good brother, what's his is mine..."
Don't let Batel's current life of herding livestock on the grasslands fool you; he lives no worse than the average person. If he were to sell all his cattle, sheep, and horses, they would be worth at least a million or two, which would put him in the middle class even in inland China.
In Batel's view, such a piece of jade was worth at most a few thousand yuan, and given his friendship with Peng Fei, there was really no need to haggle over it.
"You don't know anything! That's jadeite, top-quality jadeite, it's valuable..."
The old man glared at his son with displeasure. The old man's father, who was also Batel's grandfather, had been a steward for a Mongolian prince before the liberation. The old man had seen many rare treasures when he was young, and he had a keen eye for them.
Moreover, with the advanced information technology available now, even inside this Mongolian yurt on the grassland, there are TVs, refrigerators, and everything else. According to the old man's estimate, this thing is worth at least tens of thousands of yuan.
It's true that Mongolians are generous and have a tradition of exchanging gifts, but an elderly person would not dare to accept a gift worth tens of thousands of yuan given on the first meeting.
Seeing the little one in his arms anxiously reaching for the jade pendant around his neck after hearing his grandfather's words, Peng Fei quickly said, "Uncle, it's alright. Batel and I are like sworn brothers. Giving my little nephew something is only right..."
In fact, Peng Fei didn't know how much this thing was worth. He only knew that Zhuang Rui gave his son a piece that was even more emerald green and transparent than this one, and it was said to be worth tens of millions. Zhang Qian was so afraid that she broke it and never gave it to the little guy.
Peng Fei scoffed at this, thinking it was just an external possession, so if it broke, it broke. Even though he estimated that his jade piece wasn't cheap, he still generously gave it away.
Batel, standing to the side, chimed in nonchalantly, "Yeah, Dad, please don't say that. Fei Zi and I are sworn brothers, let's not talk about money..."
After hearing his son's words, the old man didn't say anything more, but his gaze towards Peng Fei and the others became even gentler, and he repeatedly invited the three of them to sit down in the yurt.
Although this money may not prove anything, a person who regards money as dirt is bound to be described as "generous and magnanimous," which perfectly matches the temperament of the Mongols.
After Zhuang Rui and the others sat down, the yurt became lively. Batel's wife also came over from the yurt next door, bringing steaming hot milk tea, and served tea to each of the guests.
Following Mongolian custom, three snow-white hadas were hung around the necks of Zhuang Rui and his two companions. Hearing that guests were coming to Batel's house and that a bonfire feast would be held that evening, many men and women from the yurts gathered in front of Batel's house.
As darkness fell, a bonfire three or four meters long was lit in front of Batel's yurt. Four or five cleaned and gutted whole sheep were placed on top of it, and people happily gathered around the bonfire, talking loudly.
"Brother Zhuang, Brother Ren, let's go outside and sit down..."
Today, Zhuang Rui and his group were the main characters. After the campfire was lit, Batel invited the three of them to go outside, but he stayed behind and pulled Peng Fei along.
"Feizi, how much is that jade? My dad just scolded me again..."
Although he had a good relationship with Peng Fei, shouldn't one know the value of a gift received from someone? Batel knew nothing about these things, so of course he turned to ask Peng Fei.
"I don't know either. It was given to me by Brother Zhuang. Anything he gives away is probably worth at least several hundred thousand, right?"
Peng Fei said somewhat discontentedly, "I gave it to my nephew, why do you care how much it costs? Hey Lao Ba, we haven't seen each other for years, why have you become so indecisive?"
"Several...hundreds of thousands? No way, we can't let that little brat take it..."
Batel was shocked by Peng Fei's mention of several hundred thousand. He had worked hard at home for several years and only had a net worth of several hundred thousand. The jade pendant around his son's neck was worth so much. Even Batel, who was usually generous, felt that his heart couldn't accept it.
Batel's voice was rather loud. Zhuang Rui, who was walking ahead, couldn't help but laugh when he heard Batel's words and said, "Brother Batel, it's alright. These things are just material possessions. Let Bayar take them; they'll keep him safe..."
When he heard Zhuang Rui say "keep safe and sound," Batel was stunned for a moment. What all parents in the world want most is for their children to be safe and sound.
"Alright, thanks both of you brothers. You absolutely must drink the toast Old Ba is offering you today..."
Batel wasn't used to saying thank you. After leading Zhuang Rui, Peng Fei, and the others to sit down by the campfire, he turned around and ran back to his yurt. When he came out again, he had a wine jar under each of his arms.
"Brother Batel, you're really willing to bring out this wine?"
"That's right, this is Dad's precious treasure, aren't you afraid of getting a spanking?"
"Yes, Batel, you didn't even drink this wine at your wedding..."
When Batel came out carrying two jars of wine, the people around him started to make noise and jeers, which made Zhuang Rui, who hadn't paid much attention to it before, also look at the two jars of wine.
The wine jar was not particularly eye-catching, but it was quite large, probably holding about seven or eight jin of wine. The jar was entirely black, with the mouth sealed with red clay and wrapped in a layer of silk cloth.
Batel's father stood up and said loudly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Today is Batel's sworn brother, our most honored guest. What's wrong with bringing out two jars of wine..."
“Alright, Brother Batel’s sworn brother is also our brother. Wait, I’ll go home and get two jars of good wine…”
"Hmm, I still have some raw liquor that I got from the distillery last time, I'll go get some too..."
It was clear that Batel held a high position of authority here. Upon hearing that he was Batel's sworn brother, several young men got up and went home to get wine.
“Brother Zhuang, this wine was left by Grandpa. Dad never wanted to drink it, so he left it to me. Let’s drink it all today…”
After Batel sat down, he used his hand to break the seal on a jar of wine, and a rich aroma of wine immediately filled the room.
Three large bowls were placed in front of Zhuang Rui and the other two. When the wine was poured from the mouth of the jar, it was clear to the naked eye that the yellow wine was very viscous and did not spill a single drop when poured into the bowls.
After pouring wine for Zhuang Rui and the others, Batel poured wine for his father and some of the older relatives, then walked to the center of the venue.
"Today, my good brother Peng Fei, along with his elder brother Zhuang Rui and Brother Ren, have come to our great grassland. I offer this bowl of wine to them, wishing our friendship will last forever and our brotherhood will be stronger than gold." It must be said that although Batel is a big and burly man, his toast is quite eloquent. After he finished speaking, he walked to Zhuang Rui's side and picked up Zhuang Rui's wine bowl first.
The first bowl of wine was offered to Zhuang Rui, because Batel already knew that Zhuang Rui was Peng Fei's sworn brother, and therefore he had great respect for Zhuang Rui.
"Thank you, Brother Batel. May our friendship last forever..."
Zhuang Rui knew that the toasting etiquette of the Mongolian and Tibetan people was similar, so he took the wine bowl with both hands, dipped his ring finger in the wine, and touched it towards the sky, the earth, and the bonfire to show his respect to the gods of heaven, earth, and fire.
After doing all that, Zhuang Rui brought the wine bowl to his lips, tilted his head back, and gulped down the entire bowl of wine.
"hot……"
After finishing the bowl of wine, Zhuang Rui felt a burning sensation from his throat to his lower abdomen. Fortunately, the effects of the wine didn't hit him too quickly. After finishing the bowl, Zhuang Rui turned it upside down with both hands so that he didn't waste a single drop.
"good!"
"What a hero!" "Brother Batel is a hero, and his friends are heroes too!" When Zhuang Rui drank almost half a jin of liquor in one gulp, cheers immediately rang out in the room.
In northern China, a person's generosity is judged by their drinking capacity, and Zhuang Rui's performance undoubtedly increased the goodwill of these Mongolian men.
"Zhuang Rui, aren't you getting me into trouble?"
Zhuang Rui downed half a jin of liquor in one go, which was fine, but Dr. Ren sitting next to him frowned. Actually, according to Mongolian custom, those who don't drink should just take a sip, but with Zhuang Rui's excellent performance, Dr. Ren couldn't very well take a sip, could he?
Sure enough, Batel's second bowl of wine was served to Dr. Ren. Seeing this, Ren Chunqiang decided to keep him company and, like Zhuang Rui, tried to gulp down the wine in one go.
"Cough...cough cough..."
However, Ren Chunqiang's alcohol tolerance was indeed a bit low. After drinking more than half of a bowl of wine, he was already swaying and about, and half of the remaining half of the wine spilled on himself.
"He's a real man, Wuyun, hurry up and cut the meat and bring it over..."
Batel gave Dr. Ren a thumbs-up and called his wife to cut the roasted mutton. Although Dr. Ren's alcohol tolerance was a bit low, his heart was there, which was worthy of respect from the Mongolians.
However, when the golden mutton was served, Dr. Ren had already slumped against Zhuang Rui. This bowl of wine, which was very likely aged for hundreds of years, sent Ren Chunqiang straight to sleep.
Seeing Dr. Ren's appearance, a burst of good-natured laughter rang out around them. This situation is very common in Mongolia. Many tourists from the mainland, unable to refuse the hospitality while drinking, end up getting drunk and passing out on the ground.
Batel called over a man and had him escort Dr. Ren into his yurt. Then he toasted Peng Fei with a bowl of wine, and the toasting ceremony was finally over.
The atmosphere inside the arena grew increasingly lively. A man in his thirties stood up and said loudly, "Brother Batel, you're in a good mood today, how about you wrestle a few times?"
Chapter 1128 The Competition (Part 1)
"Okay, let's have some fun then..."
Batel had just drunk two bowls of wine and was quite tipsy. When he heard that someone was going to wrestle, he immediately stood up, walked to the middle of the field, and said, "Who wants to go first?"
"Dema, since you suggested it, why don't you play with Battier for a bit..."
"Timur, why aren't you going up, you brat?"
"I can't beat Battier in a wrestling match, so of course I'm not going to play..."
When Batel stood in the middle of the arena, none of the Mongolian men around him dared to approach, which surprised Zhuang Rui. He pulled Peng Fei aside and asked, "Brother Batel, are you very good at wrestling?"
It should be noted that Mongolian men are known for their fierce nature; even in defeat, they would never cower like cowards. The fact that this scene has occurred can only mean that Batel has scared them all away.
"Of course, if he hadn't joined the army, he might have even participated in the Olympics. He taught me wrestling..."
Peng Fei nodded. In terms of wrestling skills, he was no match for Batel, but when it came to killing techniques, Batel was far inferior to him.
Seeing that no one came up, Batel beckoned to Peng Fei and said, "Fei, come here and show them what my brother is capable of..."
"Alright, you think you can be afraid of me? Old Ba, don't let yourself get caught off guard!"
In this situation, Peng Fei felt as if he had returned to the army camp, where a group of brothers were playing and competing together. He was in high spirits and tore off his shirt, took off his watch and other items and put them in front of him. He then jumped to the middle of the field.
"Watch out, or you might fall and be unable to get up tomorrow, hey!"
Batel let out a low shout, grabbed Peng Fei's right hand first, and secretly planted his foot in Peng Fei's ankle, ready to grab Peng Fei and throw him away with all his might.
Although Peng Fei was not as strong as Battul, he was much more agile. With a leftward step, he dodged Battul's hand and came to Battul's side.
Before Batel could turn to the side, Peng Fei lowered his head and bent his upper body, grabbing Batel's waist and letting out a shout. With a burst of strength, he lifted the 180-190 pound Batel up by the waist.
"good!"
"Fall down..."
"Haha, Brother Batel has a rival now..."
"Peng Fei, well done, give him a good wrestling!" The onlookers seemed to have all suffered at Batel's hands. Seeing Peng Fei gain the upper hand, they all shouted as if they were afraid the world wouldn't be chaotic enough. Some even rushed forward to cheer Peng Fei on loudly.
Zhuang Rui was also infected by the passion of this sport that combines strength and skill between men. With the alcohol rising, he also stood up and shouted loudly, his face full of excitement. If some people in the industry in China saw this, I wonder if they would still recognize this leading figure in the jade circle.
Batel's reputation for being able to make adults run away when he was just a teenager was well-deserved. Although his feet were off the ground at this moment, he was not flustered at all. Instead, he leaned forward and lay on Peng Fei's back, wrapping his arms around Peng Fei's waist.
Just then, Peng Fei was pushing forward when he was suddenly grabbed around the waist. Before he could react, he felt a strong force and was sent flying forward face up.
The move Batel used was called a waist-grab over-the-back throw. However, after throwing Peng Fei, his back also hit the ground. Of course, Peng Fei was in a worse state, as he was completely dazed by the fall.
"Well done, let's do it again..."
"Haha, Brother Batel has also fallen to the ground..."
"Brother Peng is really skilled; he can go toe-to-toe with Battulga in wrestling. Impressive..."
Although Peng Fei was at a disadvantage this time, in the eyes of the wrestling experts in the arena, Peng Fei had forced Batel to use all his strength. Even if they were to step into the ring, they might not be able to defeat Peng Fei.
Peng Fei sprang to his feet with a somersault, stretched his body, and said somewhat resentfully, "I'm not coming anymore, I'm not coming anymore, Old Ba, you're just relying on your strength, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to throw me off like that..."
"Hehe, you're no match for skill either..."
Batel wasn't exaggerating. For Mongolians, wrestling is like horseback riding; they've been playing it since they were toddlers, and it's become an instinctive physical reaction. If he hadn't underestimated his opponent at the beginning, he wouldn't have been caught by Peng Fei.