Chapter 65: Grassland Chapter 6: Dressed in fiery red Loufan bride attire, with hair...
"Dulan, is he okay?" Tuya walked in to check on him and glared at her husband. "How can you talk like that?"
Chen Jinshi looked at Muren leaning against the door and curled his lips: "Brother, if there is anything we need in the future, just come to me."
Tuya sat down on the kang, carefully examined Chen Jinshi's face, and nodded: "Looking at your spirits, you shouldn't die."
She paused, then continued, "This is how life is in Loufanren. It's not like back in the capital. There's endless work to do every day, and it all requires a lot of energy. You'll be Dulan's husband from now on, and this family will depend on you to support it."
Shen Qingyuan finally came out from the inner room and began to look carefully at his real son-in-law.
"Tuya, it's not as sad as you say. Our family life is not what it was more than ten years ago."
"Mother." Tuya called out and gave up her seat.
Shen Qingyuan looked at Chen Jinshi for a while.
Chen Jinshi lay down and greeted her.
"Dulan is different from me. She's not as stubborn as me. She can survive anywhere." Shen Qingyuan said, then suddenly changed the subject and asked, "I heard that the emperor only wants you to stay in Loufan for three years?"
Chen Jinshi nodded.
"That's right. Three years from now, have you figured out how to bring Dulan back?"
Chen Jinshi's eyes became firm: "Mother-in-law, I will bear all the blame."
Seeing that the conversation was about to turn to those things again, Du Lan didn't want to listen and quickly said, "Mother, we can't say for sure what will happen in three years. Let's get through these three years first."
Du Lan thought to herself, three years is enough to give birth to a whole litter of lambs, let alone human cubs, so why think so far ahead?
If Chen Jinshi didn't obey, she might kick him out in three years.
Shen Qingyuan glanced at his daughter and snorted. Dulan was a very free and easy person. He hoped that in three years, General Xie would not be the unlucky one again. As soon as Lord Chen left, Dulan would pull him over to take care of their children.
Don’t even think about it, General Xie is really capable of doing such a thing.
Dulan really could make him run around in circles.
He didn't feel sorry for himself either.
However, when it comes to matters between men and women, they are both willing to do so, and outsiders cannot explain it.
In the blink of an eye, it is golden autumn, and the wind on the grassland brings a hint of coolness. The Dulan family has moved their cattle and sheep to the autumn pasture with more abundant water and grass. The mountains here are sheltered from the wind, and their family will spend the entire winter here.
An imperial edict with a large vermilion seal was delivered to the governor's office. Chen Jinshi unfolded it and frowned slightly.
The imperial court rewarded the Loufan people with a certain amount of tea and silk, but at the end of the document it stated that the tribe needed to regularly "tribute" good horses to the imperial court as a sign of "submission."
Chen Jinshi has been here for half a year on the emperor's behalf. The court has given him a lot of benefits. It seems that it is time to get some rewards.
He saw through the political implications of this. Most people in the court still believed that barbarians should be treated toughly. If too many benefits were given, it would only whet their appetites.
The word "surrender" was like a thorn piercing Chen Jinshi's heart.
It is not easy to be a border governor, and this is where the difficulty lies.
He knew very well that all the tribal leaders of Loufan, including Suhe, attached great importance to their dignity and would never agree with such words.
Chen Jinshi has now gained Su He's trust, so he cannot break this trust again.
Even though he is Dulan's fiancé.
In the early morning, Chen Jinshi rode a Mongolian horse with great endurance and it took two days and two nights to reach the pasture where Suhe's family was now.
Dulan was carrying a milk bucket and preparing to go milking cows when she saw a familiar figure riding a horse from afar, coming towards their yurt.
She squinted her eyes and saw that it was Chen Jinshi.
Du Lan was delighted, put down the milk bucket and walked over quickly.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't be here until the end of the month?"
Chen Jinshi turned over and dismounted, and took Du Lan into his arms, hugging her tightly: "I missed you, so I came to see you."
He was covered in dust, and the fatigue from the journey was clearly engraved on his face.
There were bloodshot eyes and stubble on his jaw.
The two hugged each other for a while. Du Lan leaned in his arms, smelling the familiar scent on him, and her heart warmed: "I miss you too."
Chen Jinshi let go of her, held her hand, and said with a smile, "What are you busy with?"
"Milkling."
"I'll go with you." Chen Jinshi said with a smile, and took the milk bucket from Du Lan's hand.
His skin was tanned to a light honey color, which made the skin on his neck and wrists look even cleaner. His facial features were clearer and more defined than before, with a tight jawline and a hint of sharpness.
There was less calculation and alienation in his eyes than in the court, and more openness and gentleness. Especially when he looked at Dulan, the tenderness in them almost overflowed, like a lake filled with the clearest water on the grassland.
Chen Jinshi rolled up his sleeves; the air on the grassland was exceptionally fresh.
Several cows were leisurely wagging their tails.
The two chatted while milking. Chen Jinshi did not mention the imperial edict immediately, but only asked about the situation at the ranch and whether she was doing well recently.
"The grass is growing very lush this year. It seems we had a lot of rain here in the summer."
Dulan's hands were slender and flexible. She held the cow's warm nipples and applied a little force with her knuckles. The snow-white milk flowed into the bucket as smoothly as silk, making a gurgling sound that carried the breath of life.
He followed her example and reached out to hold the cow's other teat. He felt a warm and soft touch, and the warm milk splashed on the back of his hand. A drop of milk ran down his wrist bone and into the wide cuff of his sleeve, leaving a milky white wet mark.
Dulan chuckled and reached out to wipe it off for him.
His eyes changed.
There seemed to be two small flames hidden inside, staring at her passionately and intently.
"slim Shady."
The milk in the bucket was still slowly accumulating, emitting an extremely rich aroma.
After milking the cows, the two returned to the yurt with the milk buckets. Su He and Shen Qingyuan were already up and sitting by the kang drinking tea.
"Hey, Xiao Chen is here." Su He waved at him with a smile, "You must have rushed here overnight."
Chen Jinshi walked in with a milk bucket and a smile.
Tuya came out and poured Chen Jinshi a bowl of milk tea. Chen Jinshi took it, thanked him, and took a sip.
Tuya smiled and added a piece of milk tofu to Chen Jinshi's bowl. When her fingertips touched the edge of the bowl, she reminded him, "This is freshly brewed milk tea. Drink it while it's hot to warm your body. You look so tired, you must not have rested well."
Su He put down his tea bowl and pointed to the empty space beside the kang: "Come sit here, it's a good opportunity to talk to you. The grass on the pasture is growing vigorously this year. At the beginning of next month, we plan to move the sheep flock in the east to the river bend. The water there is sweet, and the sheep grow fast after drinking it." As he spoke, he picked up the pipe on the kang table and slowly rolled a cigarette, his eyes full of thoughts about the pasture.
Chen Jinshi was listening intently when Qiqige came running in, holding a half-eaten baked potato, her small leather shoes clacking on the carpet. She came up to Chen Jinshi and looked up at him, "Uncle, did you bring any candy cakes this time?"
Tuya tapped her head and said, "You're greedy again. Finish the potatoes quickly." Qiqige stuck out her tongue, but didn't move. She still stared at Chen Jinshi.
Chen Jinshi smiled and took out an oil-paper bag from his arms. Inside was an osmanthus cake sold in Bingzhou City. He handed her a piece and said, "Eat slowly. Don't choke."
In addition to the osmanthus sugar cake, the rest is the date paste cake that Dulan loves to eat.
Tuya went to the kitchen and said, "I'll go heat up the hand-held meat I cooked this morning and let you try some of the goat we just slaughtered. It's stewed to perfection."
Du Lan sat next to Chen Jinshi, quietly shook his hand, with a smile in her eyes.
At night, they lay on soft wool blankets, which were hand-woven by Dulan. The texture was rough but soft, and they were spread on the grass.
Every strand of wool carried the warmth of her fingertips, fine and warm, wrapping them snugly like countless gentle kisses.
He suddenly thought, it would be great if he could live forever in this undisturbed place in the heart of Loufan.
Dulan's skin is delicate and smooth, with a unique healthy glow, and a faint honey color under the moonlight.
Chen Jinshi's palm was placed on her waist, and he could clearly feel the warm body temperature and slight tremors beneath her delicate skin, as if vitality was flowing under his fingertips.
Their lips touched, carrying each other's warmth and breath, like two warm currents converging together.
But Chen Jinshi learned something new.
When she was most lost in thought, with fireworks about to explode in her mind and a surge of water rising up her spine, he suddenly pulled away. She opened her eyes and looked at him, grabbing his arm with a puzzled look on her face.
And he repeated: "Eminem, you said you wanted me."
This is his desire.
She originally thought that she would not give in because she had always been the superior.
But the sudden stop made her raise her head, like a swan waiting to be slaughtered. She grasped his arms, and a pleading word escaped from her lips: "Please, Shi'er."
He shuddered, his deepest, deepest desire aroused.
Then Chen Jinshi would naturally do his best to repay Am with gratitude.
A large and thick wool blanket wrapped around their naked bodies. Du Lan's cheeks were flushed and her breathing was slightly short.
"Mom," Chen Jinshi's voice was low and hoarse, with the laziness after love. He gently stroked her smooth back, and every inch of the touch made him eager. "Do you know? I have been thinking about you for a long time."
Chen Ying squeezed his buttocks, feeling the amazing power that had just burst out.
"Really?" Du Lan nuzzled into his arms, raised her head, and looked at him with a dazed look in her eyes. "When?"
"Since the first time you held me in your arms."
He said sullenly, "Amu, I thought at that time that your breasts were so big that sooner or later they would suffocate me to death."
He imitated the movements he made with the cows during the day, tightened his arms, and hugged Dulan tighter.
Dulan felt a little guilty. He must have been only eleven at the time. Her actions were unintentional, but her breasts could nourish everything. She could be the mother of the earth, the mother of all things, and she always had a heart that embraced everything.
"Oh." Du Lan looked up at the sky with sudden realization, her fingertips rubbing across his tight back, feeling the power hidden underneath.
According to Su He's wishes, the wedding was not a grand one.
The night before, Dulan and Tuya sat on the grass behind the yurt and had a long and deep conversation.
As the night deepened, the wind on the grassland was cool, making the hair of both of them a little messy.
"I'm getting married tomorrow," Tuya spoke first. She held a grass stem in her hand, unconsciously twisting it around her fingertips. "Dad said we can't have a grand wedding because he can't bear to part with you."
Du Lan looked at the vague outline of the meadow in the distance and hummed softly.
"Do you like him, Dulan?"
"Um?"
Tuya turned her head, a look of surprise that had been hidden for a long time appeared on her face: "I just realized that you raised him as your son."
Dulan laughed: "That's all in the past."
"Has he always felt this way about you?"
Tuya was like a little girl who had just discovered some explosive secret and had many curious questions.
When talking about the past, Du Lan's cheeks flushed for a moment and she felt a little embarrassed, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Yes," she smiled, revealing her white teeth, "I brought him up."
Tuya was amused by her: "No wonder Dad dislikes him. It's fine to raise someone from childhood, that's what our family should do, but in the end, I still have to marry him, it's really a bargain for him."
Dulan had a faint smile on her lips. She held her chin up to her hand and looked at the night sky. She said slowly, "So Dad said, it wasn't me who married him, it was him who married into our family."
The autumn sunshine, like a thin layer of golden gauze, gently covers the Loufan grassland.
The Dulan family's autumn pasture was particularly lively today. The yurt was spotlessly clean, decorated with colorful strips of cloth and fresh willow branches. The air was filled with the rich aroma of boiled mutton, kumis, and butter tea.
According to Loufan customs, a temporary "wedding tent" is set up on the grassland for weddings. This tent is three times larger than an ordinary yurt, woven with the freshest wool and embroidered with auspicious patterns of the sun, eagles, and sheep.
Chen Jinshi wore a fur hat with a long peacock feather on the top, looking very heroic.
He was wearing a brand new royal blue robe and a leather belt that Dulan had sewn himself, inlaid with a small turquoise. A dinner knife and a flint were also hung on the belt, which were indispensable items in grassland life.
He wore a pair of high leather boots with pointed toes and the shafts reaching below his knees.
His hair was no longer in the bun style of the literati in the Central Plains, but was braided and tied into a high ponytail at the back of his head in the style of Loufan men.
He stood outside the wedding tent, nervously adjusting his clothes, his eyes occasionally glancing toward the distant path. According to custom, the bride, Dulan, accompanied by her family, would ride a horse from her yurt to the wedding tent.
Not long after, the sound of clear horse hooves and cheerful singing came. Chen Jinshi immediately straightened up and looked in the direction of the sound.
Du Lan was seen riding a white horse, walking slowly towards them accompanied by Mu Ren and Tu Ya.
She was dressed in a fiery red Loufan bride's dress, with a headdress made of red coral and pearls on her head, revealing a pair of bright and moving eyes.
Her posture is upright, and she rides on the horse like a gorgeous flower blooming on the grassland, dazzling and eye-catching.
Chen Jinshi's heartbeat accelerated instantly. He walked forward quickly and stopped in front of Du Lan's horse.
According to the Loufan wedding ceremony, Muren first dismounted and helped Dulan down from the horse.
Then, Chen Jinshi reached out and held Du Lan's hand. Her hand was warm and soft, and she held his tightly in return, passing on each other's warmth.
The two walked into the wedding tent side by side. In the wedding tent, Su He and Shen Qingyuan sat at the top, their faces full of relieved smiles.
The wedding ceremony was presided over by the oldest shaman in the tribe. Holding magical instruments, he chanted ancient blessing spells, praying to Changshengtian to bless the newlyweds with eternal love and happiness.
Then, Chen Jinshi and Du Lan knelt down and bowed to Su He and Shen Qingyuan, offering them a generous cup of kumis.
"Dad, Mom." Chen Jinshi and Du Lan said in unison.
Next, Chen Jinshi and Du Lan toasted to the tribesmen present one by one. Everyone offered their blessings, and the wedding tent was filled with laughter and joy.
Xie Qingyue also came and sat at the table drinking.
Qiqige is very happy today because she has plenty of candies to eat.
Tuya had no time to take care of her, so Chen Jinshi brought her all kinds of candies from the yamen, packed in an exquisite wooden box, including red, green and white ones.
Chen Jinshi knew that Qiqige liked sweet things.
The little girl was wearing a pink Mongolian robe and holding a candy tightly in her hand. It was so sweet that her eyes narrowed into slits.
Tuya noticed her in the chaos and quickly put her into Xie Qingyue's hands: "General Xie, please take care of her. I still have to go to the banquet to help. Just don't let her cause any trouble."
This was not the first time that General Xie had helped their family take care of the children, and Tuya was somewhat accustomed to being ordered around by him.
Xie Qingyue smiled and nodded: "Sister-in-law, you can go ahead and do your work. I will take care of Qiqige."
As soon as Tuya left, Qiqige stretched out his hand to him, with several candies of different colors spread out in his palm: "Uncle, which one do you want to eat?"
Xie Qingyue had no intention of correcting her misunderstanding about her uncle. He took a candy wrapped in green paper from her hand and said, "Take this one."
Qiqige held her stomach and laughed for a while. After he ate it, she said, "Uncle, this is candy for the bride. If you eat it, you will become the bride."
Xie Qingyue was stunned: "What do you mean?"
It was probably a game among children, where they used the color of candy wrappers to draw out identities when playing house. In this game, Xie Qingyue got to be the bride.
The wedding ceremony reached its climax in the wedding tent.
The shaman's chanting of blessings grew louder and louder, the bells in his hands jingled, and a solemn and sacred atmosphere permeated the entire wedding tent. Chen Jinshi and Du Lan knelt side by side on the felt carpet, heads bowed, listening to the blessing of Changshengtian.
"Jinshi," Su He's voice was deep and powerful, carrying the weight of a grassland man. "From today on, you are my son-in-law, Su He, and a member of our Dalan tribe. I hand Dulan over to you. You must protect her as you would your own eyes, and guard her as you would the grassland. Can you do this?"
Chen Jinshi took the silver bowl and looked at Su He with a firm gaze: "Don't worry, Dad. I, Chen Jinshi, swear to heaven that I will never let Dulan down and I will never let down the trust of the tribe."
Su He nodded with satisfaction and turned to Du Lan: "Du Lan, my daughter. You have grown up and are going to be a wife. Remember, you are not only Chen Jinshi's wife, but also the daughter of our Loufan people. You must learn to carry the sky of your family and protect your husband."
Dulan's eyes reddened slightly. She nodded vigorously and took the silver bowl: "Daughter will remember this, Father."
Chen Jinshi and Du Lan linked their wrists and drank the kumis in the bowl in one gulp. The mellow aroma of the kumis spread in their mouths, with a hint of intoxicating warmth flowing through their bodies.
After drinking, the shaman came forward and gently tied the two people's wrists together with a rope tied with colorful cloth strips. This is a form of "hair-tying ceremony", which means "eternal love and dependence in life and death".
"In the name of Eternal Heaven, I bless you!" the shaman sang loudly. "May your love soar freely like an eagle on the grassland; may your life flourish like lush grass; may your offspring grow strong and healthy like lambs in spring!"
The relatives and friends in the wedding tent applauded and cheered.
After the ceremony, the atmosphere in the wedding tent relaxed. Everyone began to enjoy the sumptuous wedding banquet. Large pieces of roasted lamb were served, golden and shiny, fragrant and fragrant. Large bowls of kumis and milk tea filled every corner.
Chen Jinshi held Du Lan's hand as they went from table to table, toasting to the friends and family. Every table they visited was filled with blessings. Loufan's friends and family were generous and forthright, drinking freely, toasting the newlyweds with glass after glass.
Chen Jinshi has a good alcohol tolerance, and his relatives coaxed and praised him, so much so that the corners of his mouth were almost raised to the sky.
He could say that even the day he was selected as a Jinshi by the emperor would not be as glorious as today.
After drinking a bowl of wine, he couldn't help but pick up Dulan, hold her waist, and lift her up to the sky.
"I love Loufan! I love Dulan! I love you!" He shouted, tears welling up in his eyes, tears of excitement oozing out.
Du Lan leaned on his shoulder and hit him, and the people around him burst into laughter.
Muren pointed at him and said to the people around him, "When I first saw this guy, I thought he was stupid. This is not the case."
As Su He came over and was about to persuade him to drink, Chen Jinshi put Du Lan down and hugged Su He again: "Dad! I love you! I love you, Dad! Thank you for giving birth to Du Lan!"
Suhe's face turned red. No man on the grassland had ever been treated like this.
But when he saw the boy in front of him with snot and tears all over his face, he opened his mouth and comforted him: "I know Dulan is good, you should drink less, alas."
Then he turned to Dulan and said, "Keep him under control and don't let him drink too much."
Xie Qingyue, wearing the "bride" wreath that Qiqige had playfully put on his head, came over with a bowl of wine and a sincere smile on his face: "Then congratulations to the two of you, you have finally achieved your goal."
The crown made of grass stems and wild flowers looked a little funny on his head.
The three people's wine bowls collided gently with each other, making a crisp sound.
Xie Qingyue had just left for a while when Qiqige started to stir up trouble again: "Uncle! Look at this new headdress I found for you!"
Xie Qingyue's scalp tingled. Chen Jinshi pointed at himself and glared at Qiqige: "Look carefully, who is your uncle?"
Qiqige put some more foxtail grass on Xie Qingyue's head and glanced at Chen Jinshi with dissatisfaction: "It's not like you can only have one uncle."
Everyone around him laughed, and Su He couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh out loud: "Good job! Qiqige!"
What a pity, otherwise, it would be great if he had two sons-in-law.
General Xie is also a very good young man. He is good at climbing hills, walking down hills, herding sheep and chopping wood.
Chen Jinshi grabbed Qiqige by the scruff of her neck and brought her to him.
"You little girl, you only have one aunt, how can you have two uncles?"
"Why not?" Qi Qige's arms were too short to break free from him, so he could only stare at him.
Chen Jinshi pointed at her and sighed, but he had no way to deal with this girl.
"Well, whatever you want."
Su He smiled: "Oh! Good son-in-law! A good son-in-law must be generous!"
Chen Jinshi smiled and clinked his wine bowl with his hands: "Dad, another bowl, please."
"It's almost time for today," Su He waved his hands repeatedly, "You still have to go back to the wedding tent and Dulan's bridal chamber."
The wedding tent was specially built for them and was decorated very gorgeously.
The night fell like a huge piece of black velvet, gently covering the entire grassland.
"Uncle, please go with Qiqige tonight."
Qi Qige climbed onto Xie Qingyue's broad back and twisted his ears, as if he could see his frustration and loneliness.
Inside the wedding tent, the flickering candlelight illuminates the festive atmosphere in the room.
It's hard to say that the two of them are not perfect.
Xie Qingyue stood beside the fire pit on the lawn, where dry cow dung was burning vigorously, making crackling sounds.
"hiss!"
Qi Qi Ge twisted it so hard!
"Uncle, don't you want to follow Qi Qi Ge? They don't want you." Qi Qi Ge lay on his back with his head tilted.
Xie Qingyue bent down and put her down: "I'm leaving, alone."
It was dark and the banquet was over.
Inside the wedding tent, Dulan sat on the edge of a kang covered with a thick wool blanket, her fingertips sinking into the soft wool.
As soon as Chen Jinshi came in, he raised his hand to unbutton his clothes before the wind that was shaking the curtains had even stopped.
The outer robe slipped off, revealing the torso. The waistline was neat and tight, without any excess fat.
He walked over to her and knelt on his knees.
"Dulan," he held the whip woven with cowhide in both hands and raised it above his head, his eyes filled with extreme piety and extreme passion, "I want to get on the kang."
Du Lan looked at his upper torso. The marks of being beaten by Xie Qingyue were still scattered across his chest. After several months, they appeared a light pink under the warm light.
She raised her head slightly and ordered him in an unquestionable voice: "Chen Jinshi, call me Ammu now."
He leaned close to her, his whole body burning hot, still full of aggressive energy just now. Then he leaned over and buried his head in her warm belly, clinging to her like a child, with a little trembling: "Amu."
…
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