It is unnecessary to elaborate; Ding Sitian's expression already told me that a frightened herd of cattle was rushing toward us. Herding cattle on the Grassland are usually docile, but once they panic and charge as a group, their momentum is fiercer than runaway wild horses. Hundreds of cattle charging in a frenzy cannot be stopped; they can even crush a car into sheet metal.
I didn't have time to find out why the Herding Cattle panicked. I leaped up from the ground and kicked Fatty awake, but Chief Ni, the "Leader," had drunk too much yesterday and couldn't be woken up no matter how hard I kicked. In desperation, Fatty and I had to carry him. Fortunately, he was sleeping in his clothes; his entire fortune was just this outfit. We only grabbed the military satchel and rushed out of the Zhang Fang with Ding Sitian.
Outside, the sky was already bright. Dust rose in a massive cloud from the east, and the sound of frantic hooves mixed with the mournful cries of the Herding Cattle, surging toward us like a tidal wave. A few loyal sheepdogs rushed out, barking fiercely at the crazed herd, trying to help their masters stop the Herding Cattle. But by then, the Herding Cattle were Red-eyed, their frantic pace never slowing. In an instant, those few dogs were trampled on the Grassland, crushed into pulp.
I never expected such a scene. Seeing the herd charging wildly, it was too late to circle to the side to avoid their impact and trampling. If we waited where we were, we would immediately be flattened by the hooves. We were aghast, and in the brief moment of stunned silence, even the sound of our voices was drowned out. In the Chaos, Ding Sitian grabbed my arm and desperately ran toward the back of the yurt.
I knew perfectly well that two human legs couldn't outrun panicked cattle, nor could I ask Ding Sitian why she was running that way. Although I worried she had lost her mind from fear and was fleeing randomly, I still followed her, carrying Old Ni with Fatty. Without turning back, I could tell just from the sound that the herd behind us was getting closer and closer. The yurt where we had been standing was already flattened. Within ten steps, we were certain to be trampled to death by the wild hooves.
Just as despair set in, I noticed a dry Earth Ditch a few steps ahead. This ditch had been Weathered for a long time, having dried up for who knows how many centuries. The ditch was gradually being eroded by sand, soil, and wild grass, now remaining only as a gully remnant about a meter deep and half a meter wide, like a Crack appearing on a velvety green carpet. It was also one of the many natural firebreaks on the Grassland. Only then did I understand Ding Sitian's intention: she was leading us here so everyone could jump into the ditch and avoid the charge of the frightened herd.
Fatty and I carried "Chief Ni," and together with Ding Sitian, we used all our strength to scramble, the four of us practically rolling into the dry Earth Ditch. As soon as we entered the ditch, the space above our heads became pitch black. Dirt, sand, and grass clippings rained down. The deafening sound of hooves Shook our hearts until they trembled. We covered our ears tightly, and after an unknown amount of time, the wailing and screaming herd finally passed over the ditch.
Chief "Old Ni" finally woke up from the ordeal. Sitting in the ditch, he looked at the three of us, completely bewildered, wondering what had just happened. At that moment, "Old Sheepskin" and his son and daughter-in-law rushed over. They ignored chasing the herd and were relieved to see Old Ni was safe first. They pulled each of us out of the ditch one by one. When everyone talked about what happened, it turned out that almost everyone had drunk too much the night before. Someone, upon leaving, had led their horse and knocked over the fence of the cattle pen. The largest Herd of Cattle in Balin Left Banner was here. Fortunately, the loyal sheepdogs had kept the Herding Cattle together so they didn't get lost; the Herding Cattle were grazing on the grass outside the pen, and nothing seemed wrong that morning.
When "Old Sheepskin" woke up in the morning, he saw the cattle were out of the pen. This happened often, so there was no need to make a fuss. He called his son and daughter-in-law out to help herd the cattle. Just as they turned behind the herd, something unexpected happened: a large Gadfly appeared from nowhere and bit one of the Herding Cattle hard.
The tail of a Herding Cattle usually swings back and forth primarily to swat away Gadflies or mosquitoes in the grass. Gadflies are insects, and they are actually divided into carnivorous and herbivorous types. Males only suck grass juice, while female Gadflies exclusively suck the blood of livestock; they are grayish-black with transparent wings. Compared to mosquitoes and flies, Gadflies are especially feared by Herding Cattle. This large Gadfly probably evaded the swat of the cow's tail and bit down hard on a sensitive spot of the Herding Cattle. The pain caused that cow to leap several feet high, scaring all the other cattle into a frenzy. They bolted out like headless flies, charging toward the yurts. Ding Sitian, upon discovering the cattle had panicked, did not flee herself but risked her life to save the three people still sleeping. Otherwise, everyone and the tent would have been turned into turf by now.
Once the herd panics, no one can stop them. Because the momentum was so fierce, even the horses were scared stiff, their four legs weak, and they dared not chase behind, left only to let the cattle run wildly across the Grassland until they were exhausted. Only then could the herdsmen catch up and bring the cattle back.
After understanding the whole story, Chief "Old Ni" was so scared he almost lost his soul. If the Educated Youth hadn't risked their lives to save him, he might have died in his sleep without ever knowing how. He shook our hands repeatedly in gratitude. What kind of Leaders had Fatty and I not seen? Of course, we didn't treat Old Ni, this petty official, as a big deal like ordinary Herdsmen did, but we felt he was quite easygoing and approachable, and saving lives was the right thing to do, so we didn't claim any credit.
Chief "Ni" then said to everyone, "Even Chairman Mao said—On the small globe, a few flies bump against the wall. I think a few Gadflies causing trouble on the Grassland is not a big deal, but it is important to quickly retrieve the scattered Herding Cattle. I will report your exemplary deeds in the Pastoral area when I return. The higher-ups plan to call on all Pastoral areas and forest areas to learn from you, so there absolutely cannot be any Mishap at this juncture." After speaking, he looked at the wide-eyed "Old Sheepskin" and asked him why he wasn't quickly going to chase the Herding Cattle?
Old Sheepskin's wrinkled old face was Ashen-faced, his expression utterly lost. After the Herding Cattle crossed the ditch, they split into several groups and scattered. One group bolted toward the direction of the "Hundred Eyes Cave" deep in the Grassland. If they had run elsewhere, it would have been fine, but mentioning that place made "Old Sheepskin's" heart tremble constantly. Of course, he dared not tell Old Ni this reason directly.
I saw clearly from the side and understood "Old Sheepskin's" difficulty. I didn't believe there was any Demonic Dragon deep in the Grassland. I immediately stepped forward and told Old Ni that I would be responsible for chasing back the cattle that ran west. It is not easy for the League to have an exemplary Pastoral area; could this matter be kept quiet for now? Otherwise, "Old Sheepskin's" advanced model status would become a lagging example.
Old Ni nodded and said, "It's good that the Educated Youth are going to chase the herd over there, but you must be careful. Beyond the Northern Desert is the border line. If the herd runs into Outer Mongolia, getting them back will be troublesome; that would be an international incident, causing huge losses to national property. For now, I will use my utmost ability to temporarily suppress this matter and wait here for your return. Only after counting the total losses will I report back to the higher-ups. The herd trampled quite a few young calves to death while fleeing; I think we must find a way to minimize the losses."