Unbeknownst to Gu Nanxi, all kinds of books about foot binding were flying around, filled with so much melodrama that the audience almost had a cardiac arrest.
Foot binding lost its mystery and became a common element.
The people of Yunzhou are almost fed up with these bizarre stories. They never want to hear the word "foot binding" again in their lives.
Gu Nanxi didn't expect Wen Yu to be so efficient.
When Wen Yu signed the military order, Gu Nanxi decided to give her half a year and wait and see the results after half a year.
Putting the matter behind him, Gu Nanxi went to various grassland gathering places without stopping.
The grassland tribes each have their own character.
Some people love new things in the city and prefer to stay in Fuming Town in winter to live a lively life.
Some adhere to tradition and move their cattle and sheep to new pastures before winter. In their view, lambs cannot grow up without exposure to wind and rain.
Gu Nanxi had already met the tribal leaders in the town, and this time they were going to one of the large gathering places on the grassland, the Tashi tribe.
The cold wind on the grassland was like a knife, cutting off the herdsmen's shouts. The snow swallowed up all sounds, leaving only the beating of heartbeats.
The carriage rolled over the snow, and the axles made a dull squeak.
Gu Nanxi's team stretched out across the snowfield.
When there were no Tartars, nature was mankind's greatest enemy.
Occasionally we would meet a caravan, say hello, walk together for a while and then go our separate ways.
These caravans crossed the snowy plains, loaded with silk and tea, amid the sound of camel bells.
There are always some tribes that are unwilling to enter the Han cities, but instead guard their own pastures and wait for caravans to come and trade with them.
The tribes exchanged furs and good horses for ironware and salt. When there was a language barrier, they used gestures to communicate. The goods spread out under the firelight demonstrated a brief prosperity.
The iron swords of the caravan guards were stroked and admired by the tribal youths, while the Han merchants were fascinated by the carved saddles of the grassland.
Gu Nanxi watched the team leave and moved forward firmly along the established route.
"Great General!"
"The general is here!"
The people of the grassland prefer to call Gu Nanxi the Great General. In their eyes, the Great General is a more majestic title than Duke Yun. He is incomparably strong and majestic, like an eagle in the sky and the sun that never sets.
Chasu, who married into the Tashi tribe, seemed to be the next chief's wife.
She had a slightly bulging belly and smiled warmly.
The members of the Tas tribe followed Gu Nanxi closely. They tied the short knives around their waists with leather ropes, and the cow horns hanging around their waists swayed in the cold wind.
Just now, they were driving the sheep to the leeward valley, building a simple windbreak with the accumulated snow, and digging up the dead grass as feed.
As soon as they heard that the general was coming, they hurriedly put down their work and ran over. They were too embarrassed to talk to Gu Nanxi, so they just stood not far away and grinned foolishly.
Gu Nanxi greeted the chief and others, then waved to the tribesmen, causing bursts of whistles.
The strong and passionate emotions are all in this whistle.
Gu Nanxi walked into the leader’s tent.
The tent was decorated with colorful silk, with a wolf skull hanging in the center. The burning cow dung in the fire emitted a faint warmth, and smoke rose from the skylight on the top.
"We tried using coal, but the smoke from coal was too black," Chasu explained.
Burning coal has a strange smell, but burning dried cow dung has a fresh fragrance of grass and trees.
What’s more important is that coal costs money, but cow dung is within easy reach.
Why would Gu Nanxi care about such a small matter? He waved his hand and asked Cha Su to sit down as well: "How many months has it been? Have you told Haas?"
A motherly smile appeared on Cha Su's face. "It's been four months. I've already told my parents. My mother said she would buy a piece of cotton cloth in Fuming Town to make underwear for the child."
Gu Nanxi nodded: "Cotton is breathable and soft, and the baby's skin is delicate, so it's suitable for wearing close to the body."
The leader of the Tas tribe is about to become a grandfather. Ever since he got the news, he has been so happy that he couldn't stop smiling and his temper is extremely good.
The tribesmen brought biltong and cheese, and also took out a piece of fresh venison, which they had hunted yesterday while chasing the deer.
Cha Su was worried that Gu Nanxi would not be used to the meat strips, so he personally cooked a bowl of salty milk tea on the fire. Fearing that Gu Nanxi would not be full, he grabbed a handful of fried rice and meat and put it in the tea.
In fact, Gu Nanxi didn't like salty milk tea very much, but under the eager gaze of the leader and Cha Su, she ate it in big mouthfuls without changing her expression and praised it again and again.
For a moment, everyone in the tent was filled with joy.
After eating and drinking, Gu Nanxi asked, "How is life this year? Have you encountered any difficulties?"
Chasu glanced at his father-in-law, carefully considered his words, and then replied: "Our tribe is very good. The pasture allocated to us is very fertile. There are many cows and ewes. The old man said that they can all survive."
Gu Nanxi waited quietly for the next but.
Sure enough, Chasu: "But some tribes are not doing well."
"Oh? Tell me more about it."
Chasu's expression was a little serious: "In several small tribes, people have frequently disappeared this year. No one can find the person alive, and no one can find the body after death."
On the grassland, once a person loses his way, he is basically dead.
There are a few such incidents every year, but this year there have been more.
Gu Nanxi's eyebrows jumped: "Do you suspect this is not normal?"
Cha Su nodded: "I don't have any evidence, but I once heard from the friends of the missing people that they rarely go to unfamiliar places."
Gu Nanxi: "Where do they usually go to work?"
"Yongzhou. They often go to Yongzhou for short-term work and are very familiar with the route there and back. They shouldn't have gotten lost."
"Didn't you report it to the authorities?"
"I did. After the government investigated, they said the man went missing after leaving the city. There were many eyewitnesses, and the soldiers guarding the city could testify to that."
Yongzhou, Xie family, mine.
Gu Nanxi roughly guessed what was going on and needed to confirm it.
"Okay, I'll remember this. We'll solve it after the New Year."
Cha Su breathed a sigh of relief, she knew that Duke Yun would not ignore this matter.
After Chasu finished speaking, the leader of the Tashi tribe said, "I heard from Abujiji that there are many orphans in the south, and the government is having a headache about how to place them."
Gu Nanxi: "Yes, they are basically from Henan County, and most of them are between seven and ten years old."
Younger children would not be able to survive in such cold weather without the protection of their elders.
If you are older, you can do some odd jobs to make ends meet.
The leader rubbed his hands together, and two suspicious red clouds appeared on his dark face: "Would you like us to help share some of the pressure?"
Although they do not understand that inbreeding is not allowed, the experience of their ancestors tells them that they should communicate more with the outside world.
In some very remote tribes, whenever a caravan passes by, the female herders will enthusiastically invite the merchants to spend the night with them.
The leader of the Tashi tribe has been coveting these orphans for a long time: "I promise that the herdsmen in our tribe will treat these children as their own!" (End of this chapter)
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