Chapter 63: Grassland 4 Dulan punished him harshly.
Muren came out after cooking the mutton, and his eyes moved between the two of them.
Su He raised his eyebrows: "Really? Then come over and have two more pots of hand-held meat, and then ask everyone in the tribe to meet you."
It was time for dinner, and Tuya invited Chen Jinshi to sit on a low stool.
Muren brought down the copper pot of stewed mutton. When he lifted the lid, a milky mist of broth, wrapped in the aroma of meat, gushed out, causing Qiqige to cheer. His little paws scratched the edge of the kang and he shouted, "What a nice smell!"
She cautiously leaned towards Chen Jinshi: "Uncle brother, can I sit next to you?"
Du Lan couldn't help but touch Qi Qi Ge's head: "Qi Qi Ge, you can sit wherever you want."
For Qiqige, the word "uncle" seems to have become a special name used to describe handsome men.
But there are not many handsome men in her family. In addition, Qi Qige and her aunt Dulan have some similarities in aesthetics. So far, there are only two people who are fortunate enough to be called "uncle" by Qi Qige.
But the smile on Chen Jinshi's face grew a little, and he didn't seem so sad anymore.
Chen Jinshi moved aside to make room for the little girl: "Of course."
Qiqige immediately squeezed over like a little sparrow, looking up at him with her little face raised: "Uncle brother, you are a little better looking than uncle."
She pinched her fingers to indicate, "Just this little bit."
Tuya glared at her daughter and said, "Stop talking nonsense! Eat your meat quickly." Then she put a large piece of fat and lean mutton into Qiqige's bowl.
Du Lan lowered her eyes and silently filled a large bowl with the best parts of a lamb, carefully selected, the fat and lean parts. She passed it to Chen Jinshi and whispered, "Try it. Mu Ren is also very good at cooking lamb."
Before Chen Jinshi could reach out his hand, she had already put it down and returned to her seat. Everything seemed to have happened inadvertently.
He looked down at the milky white soup in the bowl, the familiar aroma of mutton lingering in his nose, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Su He said: "Dulan, take good care of the guests."
"Yeah, I know." She nodded slightly.
At the dinner table, Su He enthusiastically talked to Chen Jinshi about things in the tribe, from the growth of cattle and sheep to the recent weather, and then talked about the benefits that the trade brought to the tribe, and he kept praising Chen Jinshi.
Du Lan and Chen Jinshi tacitly did not mention his relationship with Chen Jichuan.
Otherwise, you will inevitably end up pulling out a lot of complicated relationships.
At this point, Du Lan simply felt that there was no need to mention the past relationship, and Chen Jinshi probably no longer wanted to admit it.
That is a yoke on his back that will keep him from turning over forever.
"Thank you." Chen Jinshi thanked him in a low voice, scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth, and the warm soup slid into his throat, warming his chest.
Su He's face was as red as a burning charcoal from drinking, and his voice was much louder than usual: "Master Chen, I'll ask Du Lan to get some kumis and have a couple more drinks with you."
Du Lan leaned her hands on the table, resting her forehead on the back of her hands, glancing sideways lazily. After eating and drinking, she looked a little lazy.
Her eyelashes were still half-closed as she glanced sideways at Su He and Chen Jinshi.
When she heard Su He calling her, she got up to get some wine.
Tuya said from the side: "Master Chen may have official business tomorrow. Dad, please stop urging me to drink."
"Lord Chen is an honored guest of our tribe. If you don't drink well before leaving, people will think that I, Suhe, didn't entertain him well!" Suhe stiffened his neck and spoke with confidence.
Du Lan stood up. Her face wasn't flushed from drinking, but there was a misty glint in her eyes.
"Alright, alright, Dad, I'll just get a jar and let him go once he's finished drinking."
Chen Jinshi's eyes never left her, but he just pretended to be drunk and kept his eyes on her impudently.
Du Lan turned and went into the house, and soon came out holding a heavy sheepskin wine bag.
The wine bag was made of a whole piece of sheepskin. She walked to the table, squatted down, placed the wine bag on the table, and pulled out the cork. A rich aroma of milk and wine mixed together instantly filled the entire yurt.
"This is newly brewed this year, please try it, Master Chen."
As Du Lan spoke, she poured a full bowl of wine into the silver bowl in front of Chen Jinshi and poured another bowl for Su He.
Su He raised his wine bowl and clinked it with his hands: "Come and drink, hehe."
Chen Jinshi looked at the wine in the bowl, then looked at Du Lan. Her eyes were clear, with only a hint of drunkenness in them, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
But when she looked at him, her eyes were still as gentle as usual, looking at him softly, as if she would still satisfy all his requests.
But how could he? How could he dare to ask anything?
He was really afraid of her sudden departure.
When you first drink kumis, you will have a light milky and sweet taste. After you swallow it, a hint of spiciness will appear in your throat, and the aftertaste is quite strong.
"Good! Good wine!" Chen Jinshi praised.
Du Lan sat down beside him and gently poured him more wine.
The wine swayed in the silver bowl, reflecting Du Lan's drooping eyelashes.
Her slender fingertips held the mouth of the wineskin.
The warm wine slid down the wall of the bowl, making a slight sound, which was particularly clear in the noisy yurt.
Chen Jinshi's gaze slid from her fingers holding the wine bag, all the way to her shoulder, and to her neck, the place where he once loved to linger.
He could smell the faint scent of grass on her body, like a gentle net that trapped him completely.
Dulan knew he was looking at her.
With a faint smile on her face, she poured him a glass of wine and pushed it to him: "Drink slowly, this wine is very strong."
Her tone was teasing, and she just moved closer to him quickly, then quickly pulled away.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." He whispered, his voice hoarse.
Du Lan sat aside, put her hand on Qi Qi Ge's head and stroked it again and again, with a gentle smile on her face. Her profile was as soft as a painting in the light of the oil lamp.
He suddenly felt a little depressed, the spicy wine burned his throat, and his emotions were surging in his heart.
A few days passed in a flash, and there were only three days left before Du Lan and Xie Qingyue's engagement day. Xie Qingyue finally got away from the military camp.
When he arrived, Dulan was sitting at the door of the yurt weaving a wool blanket. Seeing him come back, she stopped her work and stood up: "You are here."
Her tone was calm, and no emotion could be heard.
Xie Qingyue stared at her for a long time, but Du Lan's face showed no expression.
Su He came out of the yurt to greet him. His attitude towards Xie Qingyue was much better now. He patted his shoulder and said, "Come in and rest. Tuya just stewed some mutton."
Tuya also greeted with a smile: "General Xie, please come in."
Xie Qingyue walked in, and only when he passed Du Lan did he say to her, "Did you know? Chen Jinshi is here."
Dulan's expression froze, and then he followed him into the yurt.
As soon as the family sat down, Su He began to talk about how the engagement party would be arranged three days later.
Xie Qingyue looked at Du Lan with a complicated expression, trying to confirm the certainty of the matter from her face.
Su He was still talking enthusiastically, and Tuya and Muren occasionally joined in the conversation.
Xie Qingyue kept looking at Du Lan for a long time.
After dinner, the two men came to the hillside and let the sheep graze freely while they stood under a tree.
"Dulan, if things need to change, you can just say so."
Du Lan folded her arms across her chest and said, "Xie Qingyue, you've given in too much."
"I think he looks very pitiful." Xie Qingyue's expression now looked even more pitiful.
Dulan didn't know what to say. Perhaps, for a woman from the grassland, it was not difficult to understand that she married one man in the first half of her life and then married another man in the second half.
She never quite had the idea of "having to make a choice".
The matter should be fought over by the two men.
Even if she was going to be engaged to Xie Qingyue in two days, Chen Jinshi would be sad at that time, but she would only feel sorry for his sadness and would not do anything, unless he came to fight, make trouble, and disrupt everything, then she would side with him, this was her preference.
"Dulan," he said in a low voice, finally, with a hint of fatigue, "emotions are not sheep that can be left to wander freely. They need people to manage and protect them."
Du Lan turned her head and looked at him. Her eyes were clear, yet filled with a kind of indifference that seemed to see through the world.
"Thank you, General. I grew up on the grasslands and am used to letting things take their own course. More than ten years ago, someone invited me to live in Jinling, so I went. Three years ago, someone asked me to return home, so I went home. Half a year ago, you asked my father to marry me, and I agreed."
Xie Qingyue remained silent.
"So, if you really don't want to give in, you can just show your attitude. If you say you want to give in, I will really leave."
Even though the Xie family's betrothal gift had been sent from thousands of miles away, it could not become a shackle for her at all.
Even if Chen Jinshi, with whom she had once been in love and passionately involved, came after her, she would not immediately turn to him.
No decision she made in her life made her feel bad or regretful.
Perhaps one of the main reasons why Chen Jinshi was unwilling but dared not step forward was because of her indifference.
No one can control her, not even her most beloved child; no one can kidnap her, not even marriage.
Even if she was robbed, she would not be shackled by anyone.
"Okay." Xie Qingyue took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision, "I understand."
Du Lan didn't say anything, but turned his head again and looked at the meadow in the distance.
She felt a little regretful, regretful for Xie Qingyue's determination and regretful for Chen Jinshi's cowardice.
Although she let things take their course, the balance in her heart had actually already tilted to one side.
That night, Chen Jinshi stayed at her house until very late. He was drunk by Su He. Su He felt very proud that the guest was well treated in his home.
Su He asked Du Lan to prepare a kang for Mr. Chen, and then asked Du Lan to help Mr. Chen to rest on the kang.
Du Lan did as she was told, and Chen Jinshi fell on her chest.
She put him down coldly and took off his shoes.
Apart from that, he didn't do anything out of line.
The lights in the yurt were dim, and Sukhe's snoring had already begun, like a satisfied black bear.
There was a warm, intoxicating feeling in the air.
Du Lan stood by the kang and looked at him quietly for a moment.
His usually cold eyes were now masked by drunkenness, making him appear gentle and fragile.
She bent down, reached out her hand, and with a hint of hesitation, she gently untied the belt around his waist.
Her movements were very gentle, and he kept his eyes open and looked at her, doing nothing.
There wasn't even a coquettish call of "Amu".
She felt a little regretful because she had given him many chances.
After taking off her outer garment, she began to take off her inner garment.
This simple action seemed particularly long and ambiguous.
She heard his breathing come in sharp, rapid bursts.
She said, "Take it off and sleep. It will be more comfortable."
Du Lan's fingertips touched the fabric of Chen Jinshi's inner garment, which was a delicate silk, completely different from the rough wool robe she was wearing.
Her movements were slow and solemn, almost ritualistic, as if she were conducting a secret known only to the two of them.
Chen Jinshi's eyes were still open, but they were no longer the usual cold and distant look, nor were they blurred by drunkenness. Instead, they were like a bottomless well, filled with complex emotions.
There was shock, desire, and a hint of struggle.
His Adam's apple rolled unconsciously, but he said nothing and just let her fingers wander across his chest.
Du Lan could feel the stiffness of his body and the violent beating of his pulse beneath his skin. Her fingertips also felt a little hot, and every touch was like igniting a tiny flame.
He did nothing that day, Dulan thought.
On the night before the engagement, Xie Qingyue and his two brothers came to stay in Suhe's yurt.
In addition, some of Xie Qingyue's friends in official circles, like Naren Eji, stayed at Suhe's house a day in advance as guests.
Including Chen Jinshi.
Su He personally entertained Chen Jinshi and even arranged for him to sleep on his kang at night.
The yurt was packed and bustling with activity. Tuya was busy refilling tea for the guests. Dulan was holding an oil lamp, walking carefully through the yurt, and came out of the yurt. He stood in front of the sheep pen and breathed calmly.
Friends and relatives in the tribe sang and danced in front of the campfire, and they must have drunk and had fun all night to welcome the arrival of good days.
When Xie Qingyue saw her go out, he quickly got up and followed her out: "Dulan, what's wrong?"
"It's too noisy in there, I'm going to take a break."
Xie Qingyue followed her gaze and looked at the bonfire in the distance. The firelight illuminated people's happy faces, and singing and laughter drifted over with the wind, carrying a strong festive atmosphere.
"What are you thinking about now?" Xie Qingyue turned to look at her. Under the moonlight, her face looked particularly soft.
Du Lan was silent for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Chen Jinshi appear from behind Xie Qingyue. She was a little surprised.
The moonlight cast deep shadows on his face, outlining a fierce and gloomy countenance.
His eyebrows and eyes were originally deep, and now they were even colder.
Chen Ying suddenly felt that there was an almost crazy gloom in his eyes, which was filled with jealousy, unwillingness and depression.
Under his high nose bridge, his lips were pressed tightly into a straight line, and his jawline was extremely tense, revealing his extreme forbearance.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He opened his mouth and was about to say something when Su He stood at the door and called out, "Xie Xiao General, come in. I have something to tell you."
Xie Qingyue looked at Chen Jinshi deeply and had to leave.
Du Lan avoided Chen Jinshi's eyes. He seemed like a different person today.
The laughter in the yurt was blocked by the thick felt curtains. The cold white moon stretched the shadows of the two people very long, creating entangled outlines on the grass.
"Dulan." He finally spoke, his voice lower than the night wind.
"Chen Jinshi, why are you bothering me here?"
She questioned first, thinking that they would live their own lives on the two roads and go all the way to the end.
She didn't understand why he came to such a place.
"It's because of you, Am." Chen Jinshi took a step forward.
His footsteps were so light that they seemed to be stepping on Du Lan's heart. Every step made her heart beat faster.
The air was filled with his fresh scent, mixed with a hint of alcohol, a smell that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.
It is the fragrance of osmanthus from Jinling, the fragrance of ink from the capital, and the smell of snow from Loufan.
He stopped in front of her, very close. Dulan could even feel the warmth emanating from his body, and his slightly rapid breathing brushing against her ears.
"But, but I..."
She looked up suddenly and remembered that if Chen Jinshi came here under the emperor's order, the prince would definitely know that they would meet again, and then the prince would definitely no longer mind the affair between them.
Could it be that the prince told Chen Jinshi that the handwritten letter she left behind three years ago was written under duress and was not her true words?
She looked at him tentatively, trying to find the answer from his eyes.
If he knew the truth, he would definitely give up.
If he didn't know, Du Lan didn't know what to do. Perhaps continuing to hide it from him would be better for all three of them.
But if he knew, why did he have such an attitude when he came to her house a while ago?
Du Lan now guessed that the prince still had a trick up his sleeve.
The prince is a good man, but he is not a great philanthropist.
Chen Jinshi didn't know that the letter was not her true words. He really thought that she was so heartless to him and hoped that he would never think about her or look for her in this life.
So now he is...
Chen Jinshi's patience seemed to have finally run out.
In the dim moonlight, his eyes were as deep as a cold pond, churning with a madness and gloom she had never seen before. It was an emotion suppressed to the extreme, about to burst forth. Her face, pale and panicked, was clearly reflected in his pupils.
He reached out and gently pinched her chin with his fingertips, not with much force, but with a firm strength, forcing her to raise her head.
Their eyes met.
"Why don't you look at me?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of grievance and a hint of crazy paranoia. "Even if you don't want me to come to you in this life, who am I, Chen Jinshi?"
Am, don’t you know who Chen Jinshi is?
Du Lan's lips moved and her heart was beating so fast that it was about to jump out of her chest.
Chen Jinshi looked at her like this, and the fire in his eyes burned even more fiercely. He could no longer suppress the impulse in his heart, and suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.
This kiss came unexpectedly, with an almost rough and predatory feeling. His lips were very hot, like a ball of fire, burning her lips.
Du Lan's mind went blank, but she kissed him back subconsciously.
She didn't need him to restrain her, so she wrapped her arms around his neck.
His kisses grew deeper and harder.
And she was evenly matched with him, and she accepted his kiss.
Gradually, he became aware of her affection, and his tongue, which was stirring in her mouth, suddenly stopped. When she took the initiative to plunder him, he retreated.
He vaguely felt that there seemed to be some hidden secrets that he didn't know about.
During that meal, when he was stunned, Du Lan had already started punishing him.
He was caught off guard and groaned, "Dulan!"
The voice trembled uncontrollably.
As if she was angry with him, she panted and moved her lips away. When she pressed her lips against his shoulder, she panted softly and said, "Why are you here now?"
There was almost a cry in his voice.
She frowned, things were no longer easy to handle.
Or never come, why come now...
He received the emotions conveyed by her body language. She was blaming him and was dissatisfied with some of his behaviors.
Chen Jinshi initially thought that her dissatisfaction was due to his arrival.
His heart suddenly trembled, as if he thought of something.
That letter!
For three years, he had truly believed that every word she said was from the heart. This realization exploded like a thunderbolt in his chaotic thoughts.
Du Lan thought that Chen Jinshi shouldn't be so timid.
Then it was all because of that letter.
She even thought that he should have rushed over to catch up with her on the day she left!
Chen Jinshi would have given up everything in the capital and followed her wholeheartedly!
He accepted her punishment.
"Am, I thought you really didn't want me anymore." He sobbed.
He leaned over her shoulder and bit it because it hurt.
All disguise and restraint were torn apart in an instant, and Du Lan punished him severely.
"I'm stupid..." Chen Jinshi's voice choked. He blamed himself so much that a sob escaped from his throat.
He suddenly picked up Dulan and carried him horizontally, walking towards the stable behind the yurt.
There were family members inside the yurt and relatives in the tribe outside the yurt. The two had nowhere to go.
They mounted a horse and sat, Dulan's back pressed against his violently beating chest, and he held him tightly.
He grabbed the reins, turned his horse's head, and galloped towards the depths of the grassland, trying to escape from everything.
The night wind whistled in his ears. He lowered his head and kissed her, eagerly and domineeringly, from her lips all the way to her neck.
They bounced on horseback, snuggling together.
The guests have all gathered, and it seems that there is no room for maneuver.
But this is not Jinling, nor is it the capital, this is Loufan, her territory, and she has the final say.
Each kiss was filled with the ecstasy of regaining what had been lost and the long-suppressed desire, as if it wanted to devour her whole. Dulan did not resist at all, she responded passionately, her hands tightly clinging to his arms, her body trembling slightly with excitement.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Jinshi reined in his horse. They stopped at the foot of a hillside sheltered from the wind. Here, far away from the hustle and bustle of the tribe, the only sounds were the chirping of insects and the rustling of grass in the wind.
"Dulan, if I hadn't come, you would really marry Xie Qingyue."
Du Lan lay down on the hillside, closed her eyes, and said "hmm".
He pressed down on her, aggression and oppression enveloping her.
"Are you really that cruel?"
There was a hint of hurt questioning in his voice, but his body was like that of a wild animal.
Dulan reached out and gently stroked his cheek: "I'm sorry."
He leaned on her chest and cried bitterly.
—
Xie Qingyue stood in front of the yurt and waited for a long time before the two of them came back riding on a black horse.
His eyes fell on Du Lan's face. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were clear but calm.
Chen Jinshi, as always, had a winner's smile on his face.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the bitterness in his heart, and took the initiative to step forward.
"Tomorrow is the engagement banquet for Dulan and me, and the guests are already here."
Xie Qingyue was just stating the facts. He didn't mind what the two had just done. Du Lan had endured it for three years. It was normal for her to have some physical desires when she saw her old lover.
Du Lan looked up and saw Su He walking out of the yurt behind Xie Qingyue.
Su He's eyes swept across the faces of the three people, finally landing on Chen Jinshi: "I forgot to mention that we in Loufan have an old custom for engagements."
Xie Qingyue and Chen Jinshi looked at Su He at the same time.
Dulan's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if she had anticipated what Su He was going to say.
Su He sneered and said slowly, "According to custom, at our tribe's engagement banquet, any warrior who feels he is more worthy of the bride than the groom is always welcome to step forward. As long as he challenges the groom and defeats him, he can be engaged to the bride in his place."
Su He turned and looked at Xie Qingyue. "Young General Xie, don't feel wronged. Even if Lord Chen isn't here tomorrow, our tribe and several warriors from the Taichiwu tribe will come to challenge you. Dulan is the apple of my eye, Su He, and she's very welcome!"
At the engagement banquet, the more warriors came to challenge, the more popular and glorious the bride was. However, Su He did not think that anyone could defeat General Xie before, and those warriors came to challenge just to boost Du Lan's morale.
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