Gold Cannot Buy a Horse's Bones, Snowy Grounds Seek Further Suffering

Grandma was just an ordinary person, but in Huangfu Duan's heart she was the greatest person. After Huangfu Duan buried his grandmother, he never smiled again. Every day, apart from the strange man who taught him medicine, he was only accompanied by this lonely pillow and mat.

With horses and sheep, Huangfu Duan's life became much more fulfilling. His happiest time of the day was after finishing his medical studies, when he would herd horses and sheep on the grassland.

Although there was only one sheep, he was very content. He didn't intend to eat it, since the sheep's milk had saved the foal. Watching the horse and sheep happily grazing on the grass, he lay on the grass looking at the blue sky and listening to the babbling brook. He felt very happy, filled with longing for the future and anticipation for what lay ahead.

But life is not easy right now. The people, who have been oppressed by foreign tribes, are full of resentment towards Huangfu Duan because of his foreign appearance.

Sometimes, human nature is quite ridiculous. People are subservient to the strong, but attack the weak with vengeance. These people dare not vent their anger on the Liao people, so they can only take it out on Huangfu Duan. Whenever Huangfu Duan goes out, he is either scorned or insulted. He also pays more for things than others. Despite having the most superb medical skills, he cannot even find a job. Unless it is a last resort and there are difficult and complicated diseases that he can only cure, no one asks him to treat animals.

No matter how kind Huangfu Duan is, he can't live like this. The most important person to him is gone, and his master has left. So why stay in his hometown?

Since his hometown was no longer worth staying for, Huangfu Duan decided to travel around. He didn't have much savings, except for his two most important companions, a foal and a ewe.

After kowtowing three times at his grandmother's grave, Huangfu Duan left his hometown with his foal and ewe to travel the world.

Nothing happened along the way. Huangfu Duan's horse wasn't a thoroughbred, but he treated it very well. After traveling to Zhuozhou, Huangfu Duan met Duan Jingzhu, who was quite famous in Zhuozhou for his ability to judge horses. However, he made a living by stealing horses, which Huangfu Duan found extremely distasteful.

However, their shared experiences and appearance as foreigners fostered a deep mutual respect between them.

Huangfu Duan advised Duan Jingzhu to stop stealing horses, offering to open a veterinary clinic with him so he could stop stealing horses. However, Duan Jingzhu did not want to be bound by such rules. Just like his nickname, Golden Retriever, he wanted to roam freely like a dog, galloping across the vast world.

Seeing that he could not persuade Duan Jingzhu, Huangfu Duan had no choice but to leave. He wandered around for a while with his ewe and foal, and eventually settled in Dongchang Prefecture. The peace and prosperity of Dongchang Prefecture attracted him, and he decided to stay there.

Dongchang Prefecture is not xenophobic, but there has been no war for many years, so horses are very scarce. There are also few people in the prefecture who raise poultry, so Huangfu Duan barely makes ends meet. However, he is quite content to spend his days with his foals and ewes.

One day, Zhang Qing brought a horse to Huangfu Duan for treatment, and the two eventually became sworn brothers. Zhang Qing was very generous and forthright, while Huangfu Duan was easygoing and kind. Perhaps their personalities complemented each other. The two often drank and chatted together. Later, Zhang Qing introduced his friends Gong Wang and Ding Desun to Huangfu Duan. These days were the happiest days for Huangfu Duan.

That day, Huangfu Duan was reading at home when an uninvited guest came to his door. Huangfu Duan looked and saw that it was Duan Jingzhu, whom he had met in Zhuozhou years ago. Why would he come to his door?

When Duan Jingzhu was mentioned, Huangfu Duan had very complicated feelings. Duan Jingzhu had almost become his confidant. Duan Jingzhu's ability to judge horses was in no way inferior to his. The two could talk about horses from dusk till dawn, as if they had endless topics to discuss. Huangfu Duan also greatly admired Duan Jingzhu's skills.

The difference is that Duan Jingzhu treats horses more as commodities to be sold. While it's normal to buy and sell horses, Duan Jingzhu mainly steals and sells them, which clashes with Huangfu Duan's values. This is why Huangfu Duan insisted on leaving at the time.

Seeing Duan Jingzhu come to see him, Huangfu Duan sighed and said, "Brother Duan, what brings you here?"

Duan Jingzhu chuckled awkwardly, "I'd like to go to Changbai Mountain to buy some horses to sell back in the Song Dynasty. Would you like Brother Huangfu to accompany me?"

Huangfu Duan asked in confusion, "Changbai Mountain? Are you going to buy horses from the Jurchens?"

Duan Jingzhu nodded and said, "Yes, I used to go to the Liao Kingdom often. The Jurchens were the Liao Kingdom's mortal enemies. I heard that the Jurchen cavalry's fighting power caused the Liao Kingdom to suffer heavy losses. So I'm thinking of going to Changbai Mountain to buy some horses. If I can sell them to the Song army, I'll be rich. Or even selling them to the common people would be better than our own horses, right?"

Upon hearing Duan Jingzhu's words, Huangfu Duan nodded and said, "In that case, I'll go with you."

Huangfu Duan instructed his old servant to take good care of his home and feed the ewes. The old servant was a pitiful man, destitute and alone, and was taken in by Huangfu Duan, who assigned him small tasks to do on a daily basis.

The next day, Huangfu Duan and Duan Jingzhu set off for Changbai Mountain on horseback. Huangfu Duan naturally rode his own little horse, which he also planned to take to Changbai Mountain.

Huangfu Duan had long heard of Changbai Mountain, but had never been there. However, he had heard people say that Changbai Mountain was beautiful, and the snow on the mountain all year round was like a white coat covering it, making it exceptionally charming.

There is a lake, its waters clear and sparkling like a mirror, reflecting the surrounding mountains in a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. Like the Yangtze River, it flows ceaselessly, irrigating the surrounding life.

The two endured wind and rain, finally arriving at the foot of Changbai Mountain. Looking at Changbai Mountain, which was regarded as a sacred mountain by the Jurchens, Huangfu Duan was still somewhat excited.

It was already the dead of winter. Looking at the occasional Jurchen people, some searching for ginseng, others carrying arrows and holding bows to hunt, Huangfu Duan was still moved by the generosity of heaven and earth, which had bestowed upon humankind so much.

Duan Jingzhu didn't have as many thoughts as Huangfu Duan, and pulled Huangfu Duan to find a Jurchen horse trader.

Inside the tent, the Jurchens were very hospitable, pouring them hot wine to ward off the cold. Huangfu Duan took a sip; the wine was very strong, and after drinking it, it felt like a knife was churning in his stomach, but it did indeed relieve a lot of the chill.

The tent in front of them was simple, with a charcoal fire providing warmth so the three of them wouldn't get too cold. A sheepskin was laid on the ground, with a table on it, and the three of them sat down on the ground.

Huangfu Duan didn't understand Jurchen language. Seeing Duan Jingzhu chatting so amiably with the Jurchen, he smiled and took another sip of wine.

Feeling much warmer, Huangfu Duan, who had been traveling for days, was a little tired. He lowered his head and fell asleep.

When Huangfu Duan woke up, it was already slightly bright. He saw that he was lying on a bed, covered with a quilt and with a cashmere mattress underneath him. He felt a warmth in his heart and guessed that Duan Jingzhu had gotten him into bed.

Dressed and ready, Huangfu Duan felt a little hungry, but Duan Jingzhu wasn't in the tent. There was some wine and meat on the table. Huangfu Duan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down to eat. After finishing, Duan Jingzhu still hadn't returned, which Huangfu Duan found strange. There was also some noise outside, so Huangfu Duan decided to go out and take a look, and also get some fresh air.

Not far from the tent, Duan Jingzhu and a group of people were gathered together, pointing at a horse and talking. The horse was rearing up and neighing loudly. Huangfu Duan approached and saw that the horse was as white as snow, without a single stray hair. From head to tail, it was ten feet long, and from hoof to spine, it was eight feet tall. Huangfu Duan was captivated by the horse. It wasn't very old, only about three years old, but it was definitely a steed that could travel a thousand miles a day; he was certain of that.

Duan Jingzhu was talking to a Jurchen when he saw Huangfu Duan and walked over with a smile, "Brother Huangfu, what do you think of this horse?"

Huangfu Duan nodded in admiration, saying, "I have never seen such a fine horse in my life; it is truly one in a million."

Duan Jingzhu also praised, "This is the horse we wanted to buy. The Jurchens told me about it before, but I didn't believe them. Seeing it today, it truly is a precious steed!"

Huangfu Duan was somewhat incredulous and asked doubtfully, "This horse is priceless; do you really think the Jurchens are willing to sell it to us?"

Duan Jingzhu nodded with a hint of pride and said, "Of course."

Huangfu Duan was somewhat incredulous. Everyone knows what a good horse means, and he didn't quite believe that the Jurchens would sell this horse. But it wasn't until Duan Jingzhu paid the money and led the horse away that Huangfu Duan realized it was all true.

The two men and three horses left the Jurchen tribe and slowly made their way out of Changbai Mountain.

Duan Jingzhu was overjoyed, and Huangfu Duan kept looking at the horse. The two of them continued to move forward, chatting and laughing. Suddenly, a group of people came from afar and blocked their way.

The group consisted of about fifty men, all fully armed, all cavalry, armed and watching the two men intently.

Huangfu Duan was a little flustered. Duan Jingzhu said something in the Jurchen language, but the other party did not react at all.

As the two were wondering what was going on, the leader spoke up: "Hand over your valuables, and we'll spare your lives." He was speaking in Chinese.

Duan Jingzhu had no choice but to take out some silver and offer it with both hands. Huangfu Duan didn't have much silver with him, but he also took it all out.

The leader saw the silver in the two men's hands, sneered, and mocked, "With so many brothers like us, you think you can give a beggar such a pittance?"

Duan Jingzhu was taken aback, and said tremblingly, "But, we only have this many?"

The chieftain said with a smile, "Actually, horses are worth quite a bit of money too."

Duan Jingzhu felt a chill in his heart. The other party had come with a clear purpose: this precious horse. But at this critical juncture, if he didn't hand over the horse, his life would be in danger. The best course of action now was to hand over the horse to save his life.

One of the cavalrymen didn't care about anything else. He dismounted and took the money from Duan Jingzhu and Huangfu Duan, then went to take their horses. It seemed he was going to steal all three horses.

Huangfu Duan spoke up, "We really can't get out of Changbai Mountain without horses. Could you please leave one for us, Chief?"

The leader laughed heartily, waved his hand, and left Huangfu Duan's horse behind.

The little horse was actually born with insufficient vital energy. Although Huangfu Duan treated it carefully and took great care of it, the lack of vital energy was something that human power could not change. Therefore, the little horse would have a hard time even being a warhorse, let alone being compared with a thoroughbred.

However, in Huangfu Duan's eyes, the little horse was more precious than any other fine horse.

The leader of the small horse didn't like it either, so he decided to do a good deed and leave it for Huangfu Duan. He had come to snatch the fine horse anyway, so it didn't matter whether he wanted the small horse or not.

Watching these people leave, Duan Jingzhu felt resentful, but going forward rashly would only be suicide. He sat on the ground in frustration, a fire burning inside him.

Huangfu Duan's silver was also robbed, but compared to Duan Jingzhu, he was still much better off. Huangfu Duan guessed that the white horse had cost Duan Jingzhu all his wealth. Huangfu Duan went over to comfort him and said, "Brother Duan, as long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback. Let's leave this place first, lest those people change their minds and come back to take our lives."

Duan Jingzhu could no longer hold back; his nose stung, and he burst into tears, hugging Huangfu Duan.

Huangfu Duan felt somewhat helpless and patted Duan Jingzhu on the back. After a while, Duan Jingzhu stopped crying, but he was still sullen. Huangfu Duan didn't know what else to say, and the two of them walked slowly like that.

Unfortunately, the weather in Changbai Mountain is unpredictable. Although it was cold when we arrived, at least it hadn't snowed yet, and we could even see the sun occasionally. But when we left, it started snowing heavily.

When they came in, both of them had mounts and were moving quite fast, but when they went out, they only had one horse, which was not enough to carry two big men, so their speed naturally slowed down. It seemed that God was playing a joke on them. After walking for a day, the snow did not stop, but instead fell heavier and heavier. At this point, the situation was quite bad.

First, the two left the Jurchen tribe without any provisions, and the remaining provisions were already gone. After buying the BMW, Duan Jingzhu was afraid that the Jurchens would change their minds, so he hurriedly left with Huangfu Duan. They were not prepared and originally planned to find a restaurant to replenish their supplies after they left, but unexpectedly they encountered a robbery and then a sudden heavy snowfall.

All they could see was a white blur, making it impossible to tell which way to go. To make matters worse, their body temperatures were starting to drop. If they didn't eat something and find a warm place soon, they were afraid they would both perish here today.

Duan Jingzhu was unwilling to die here like this. Looking at the little horse curled up and snuggling against Huangfu Duan, he naturally knew the relationship between the horse and Huangfu Duan. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke, "Brother Huangfu?"

Huangfu Duan looked at Duan Jingzhu, wondering why he had called him.

Duan Jingzhu hesitated for a long time before speaking, "Brother Huangfu, you know the situation. If we don't find some food soon, we might die in this godforsaken place." He rubbed his hands together to keep himself warm.

Huangfu Duan nodded and said, "Yes, if this continues, we will all die."

Duan Jingzhu continued, "First and foremost, we need food."

Seeing that Duan Jingzhu seemed to have a solution, Huangfu Duan said, "Speak your mind."

Duan Jingzhu didn't speak, but nodded. Huangfu Duan understood and shook his head, saying, "Little Horse is like my family. I can't possibly eat it."

Duan Jingzhu felt somewhat helpless, but he knew that Huangfu Duan was a stubborn person who would not change his mind once he made up his mind. He was not someone who would easily give in, so he had no choice but to continue walking forward, and Huangfu Duan followed.