Chapter 120: Kindness Repaid

They began searching through the village and spotted several Tibetan Mastiffs, but dared not approach. From a distance, the dogs looked formidable—far more fierce than the ones raised in the city. No wonder people said that once the Mastiffs left the Tibetan region, after several generations they became little different from ordinary dogs.

The villagers all spoke Tibetan, making communication impossible. Yu Qian had wanted to ask questions but was stopped by Zhuang Chen. As outsiders, it was wiser to follow Baza’s lead and let him negotiate.

“Did you see the Mastiffs the Tibetans keep? Any luck?” Baza asked cheerfully upon returning to their base.

Yu Qian shook his head regretfully. “There were some fine Mastiffs, but without communicating with the locals, we could only observe from afar…”

Baza laughed heartily. “Good you understand. Many visitors previously barged in asking prices and caused all sorts of trouble. I told you, these dogs aren’t city pets—they have a different status. Any rash approach would definitely lead to fights.”

“So when can we find Mastiffs we can actually buy?” Yu Qian asked eagerly.

“Tomorrow, we’ll visit a few families I know well. They have two good Mastiffs and usually sell a few puppies each year. Just be patient!”

There was no choice. After a restless night and a day full of rough travel, everyone went to bed early. The next morning, after breakfast, they set out again.

The roads grew tougher. They saw many wild animals and Tibetan herders driving large herds of cattle and sheep, with two or three Mastiffs guiding them. The herders rode horses, brandished whips, shouted slogans, and sang songs—a harmonious, natural scene.

“Uncle Maimaiti, are you home?”

By mid-afternoon, they finally reached the second village. After disembarking, Baza led the two to a Tibetan home. Hearing a call, a man in his fifties appeared.

Baza greeted him warmly with an embrace. The two spoke in Tibetan; this must be the friend Baza mentioned who sold young Mastiffs.

“So, can we see his Mastiffs?” Yu Qian asked impatiently as Baza returned.

“He happens to have puppies now. If the deal goes well, we can go take a look.”

Yu Qian pulled Baza along eagerly. After two days, to finally see genuine Tibetan Mastiffs was no easy feat. Following Maimaiti into a spacious courtyard—they said land here was cheap—Yu Qian saw dozens of sheep in pens, the real treasure.

Maimaiti led them behind the house. Sure enough, two large Tibetan Mastiffs were there.

“Don’t move. Let the owner go first. Strangers who walk in will be attacked!”

Baza hurriedly pulled Zhuang Chen and Yu Qian back, fearing an attack if they approached recklessly. The two Mastiffs immediately grew wary at the sight of strangers, lowering their bodies and growling menacingly, ready to strike.

Maimaiti approached calmly, soothing the dogs. Gradually, they relaxed and lay down again. Only then did he signal the three to come closer.

“Come on, we can get a bit closer now, but don’t touch them—just look!”

Baza was nervous and warned Yu Qian again. At moments like this, he was most fearful. Even with the owner nearby, the dogs here would never tolerate being touched by strangers; trouble was sure to follow.

The three approached slowly, stopping two or three meters away. The dogs started growling again. Maimaiti signaled this was as close as they could safely get.

The two Mastiffs were at least one and a half meters long, standing over fifty centimeters tall. One was black, the other yellow—both fierce and powerful, their eyes wild with primal intensity.

After consulting with Baza, Maimaiti went back inside and returned with two small puppies, likely just over a month old. Fluffy and adorable, both yellow—probably offspring of the yellow Mastiff.

Yu Qian quickly took one, cradling it like a precious treasure, his heart blooming with joy. Baza chuckled, “These pups were born just last month. Maimaiti planned to keep them himself, but seeing your sincerity, he’s making an exception and letting you choose one. Want it?”

“Of course!” Yu Qian was thrilled, eyeing both puppies fondly. Though they said he could pick only one as a courtesy, he didn’t dare be greedy. After much careful consideration, he selected the larger, presumably stronger one.

Next came bargaining. Though Maimaiti made an exception, the price was not cheap—only four or five pups were sold each year, making them precious. In the end, Yu Qian secured the puppy with 280,000 in cash, much to everyone’s delight.

After bidding farewell, they pressed onward. Their journey was only halfway done, with several more families to visit. Since they had come this far, more fine Mastiffs wouldn’t hurt—and they still had money.

The following day brought no success. They arrived at several Tibetan homes too late; all the puppies had been snapped up. They could only hope for better luck next year.

Their hopes now rested on their final destination. Baza explained, “The village is called Hashi. It’s very primitive—no electricity even. The Tibetans live by the rhythms of nature, herding livestock. The environment is harsh; large packs of wolves often roam. The locals train their Mastiffs to protect their homes.”

“The villagers are very conservative and rarely sell their trained Mastiffs. Each native Mastiff is precious. In our guide circles, the village is well-known, but no one has succeeded in buying from here yet.”

After a full day’s rough travel, they finally reached Hashi. Baza went ahead to negotiate and soon returned excitedly. “We’re in luck this time. A few families just had puppies. They breed native Mastiffs with native Mastiffs—each generation stronger than the last. Every dog is a treasure.”

Walking through the village, they saw several native Mastiffs, majestic and imposing, lazy on the ground basking in the sun. They squinted at strangers with cautious eyes, letting out low growls.

Xia Long and Xia Hu were on full alert. They sensed just how brutal these seemingly lethargic creatures could be. Any rash intrusion into their territory would provoke a deadly attack.

They arrived at the innermost stone house. Baza explained, “This is the village chief’s home. They call him Old Qiao—respected and authoritative. Any dog dealings must have his approval. We’re here to try our luck; if it doesn’t work, we leave immediately.”

“I have an idea,” Baza said. “The village children are now school-aged, but their ancestors survived by herding. Life was hard for generations. Many villagers want to send their children to the city for formal education, so they won’t live as uneducated as their parents.”

“This is an opportunity. The only valuable thing in the village is their Mastiffs. When we go inside, I’ll use this as a bargaining chip with Old Qiao. If you really want native Mastiffs, you must be firm!”

Zhuang Chen and Yu Qian exchanged a look. This rare chance to acquire native Mastiff puppies must not be missed.

They entered the simple stone house. It was dark inside, no electricity. An elderly man in his sixties sat in the center, robust and dignified.

“Where are you from?”

Just as Baza prepared to greet him in Tibetan, Old Qiao unexpectedly spoke in imperfect Mandarin. The group was taken aback. Yu Qian quickly replied, “Greetings, sir. We have come from the capital in search of Tibetan Mastiffs.”

“Bring me the puppies!”

Without hesitation, Old Qiao demanded to see the little one in Yu Qian’s arms. After a moment’s hesitation, Yu Qian placed the golden pup from the incubator before him.

Old Qiao examined the puppy’s head and teeth, nodding. “It’s purebred. Golden male Mastiffs should mate with golden females to produce pure gold offspring. If the parents are not this color or if the lineage is unclear, the pups might be mixed colors. This one will grow into a yellow Mastiff, not a golden Mastiff!”

The group silently marveled. Truly, a master from the deep mountains—just a glance and he could identify the breed and foresee its development.

Seeing the good atmosphere, Baza quickly proposed their plan. Old Qiao listened quietly before speaking after a long pause.

“I am old. I have guarded this village for decades. Society has changed; our generation is being left behind, but our children should not live like us.”

“In fact, some villagers have long wanted to sell Mastiff puppies to outsiders to improve their children’s lives. I used to oppose it, fearing it would disturb Hashi’s peaceful life. But in recent years, I’ve come to accept it. It’s inevitable; let them be.”

Yu Qian smiled inwardly and pressed the advantage. “Don’t be sad, sir. Everyone chooses their own path. If the children are allowed to experience the wider world, it’s for the best. When their studies succeed and they return to build Hashi, won’t that be even better?”

Old Qiao waved his hand, solemn. “You’ve traveled a long way just to buy Tibetan Mastiffs, haven’t you? From now on, I decide that all puppies born here, except those kept by villagers themselves, will be sold to you!”

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