Upon seeing this, Xu Chu was displeased. "My lord," he said, "do you think marrying a wife is like buying vegetables at the market? You think you can just run over, pay the money, and bring her home?" He continued, "Even if it were buying vegetables at the market, you'd still have to go and negotiate the price, wouldn't you?"
"Good heavens!" Lin Mo gasped. "You actually managed to put your skills to use?"
"Then, Guangxiao, why don't you represent me and try to negotiate the price?" Lin Mo said.
“Your Highness,” Yao Guangxiao replied, “as far as I know, when the chieftains of Shu seek marriage, regardless of the suitor’s status, the suitor must personally go to the capital. Otherwise, it will not comply with their rules, and no agreement will be reached!”
"So, does that mean I need to prepare some gifts and dress up nicely to propose marriage?" Lin Mo asked.
"Yes!" Yao Guangxiao nodded.
According to the customs of the Great Xia Dynasty, a normal marriage proposal should be initiated by the matchmaker, followed by six rites: receiving gifts, asking the name, receiving auspicious gifts, receiving betrothal gifts, requesting auspicious gifts, and welcoming the bride.
The process is similar on Earth; the groom, accompanied by his parents, brings large and small bags to deliver gifts.
Then both parties learn about each other's family situations and discuss what to do next.
In ancient times, the process included analyzing the birth dates and times of two people to see if their birth charts were compatible.
Finally, when it comes to negotiating the price at the store, the price is basically based on the market conditions at the time and is clearly marked.
Once both parties agree on the price, they can discuss the wedding date.
The rules of the chieftains in Sichuan were not as numerous, but the most basic requirement of visiting the bride's home to propose marriage was still necessary.
And when it comes to proposing marriage, one certainly can't go empty-handed.
To this end, the demonic monk had already prepared gifts for Lin Mo and had also made prior arrangements with the Su clan chieftain, agreeing on a rough time for his visit.
In other words, the wicked monk Yao Guangxiao had already dug a pit, just waiting for Lin Mo to jump in.
And so, Lin Mo was unwittingly tricked into embarking on the path of seeking marriage by the evil monk.
~~~
A strong wind mixed with drizzle lashed at Lin Mo's face. He kicked the spurs and crossed the swollen stream.
Xu Chu, standing beside him, was also soaked to the bone.
A sudden north wind arose, and wet leaves fluttered down like a flock of dead birds.
The chieftain was defeated by Lin Wenzhong and hid in the forest, so Lin Mo had to enter the forest to go to the stronghold of the Su chieftain to propose marriage.
"It's more like the forest was flooded than the forest nurtured by trees," Lin Mo thought pitifully.
It rained for a full day and night, making the road conditions extremely dangerous, with mud and gravel everywhere.
A strong wind blew up, and rain poured down into Lin Mo's eyes, making him suffer terribly.
At this moment, the demonic monk must be sitting by the fireplace in the hall, drinking his appetizer before dinner.
"Damn it, I should have brought that damned wicked monk with me no matter what!"
Lin Mo's soaked shirt clung to his body, damp and itchy, while his neck and shoulders ached from the weight of his armor and longsword. Even worse, he was utterly fed up with the taste of wet food.
Ahead, a horn emitted a trembling tone, its sound appearing particularly hazy through the swirling rain.
"Your Highness, we're almost there!" the scout announced from ahead.
"Finally!" Lin Mo exclaimed.
Continuing on, Lin Mo's mood soured. "Could this be my future father-in-law's place?"
Before coming, he dared not imagine it, so he sketched out a picture of a wooden building surrounded by a wooden wall in the bushes. Unexpectedly, the reality was even worse.
There was only a garbage dump, a house, and a hall made of branches and mud, nothing worth mentioning, not even windows. The hall was long and low, the wood was rough, and the roof was thatched.
The largest room was built on a small hill that hardly deserved to be called a hill, and was surrounded by an earthen embankment.
"My God, am I really going to marry a fifty-year-old savage woman?"
"Your Highness, this is not the stronghold of the Su clan chieftain!" A soldier reminded Lin Mo at the opportune moment, "This is just one of their outposts!"
"That scared me to death!" Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's hurry up and leave, this godforsaken place is really torturous!"
As Lin Mo passed by the house, he felt as if someone was inside.
He instinctively turned his head and saw that there was indeed an old man hiding inside, peeking at him.
"Who's lurking around like that?" Lin Mo shouted.
Upon seeing this, Xu Chu immediately dismounted, picked up his double axes, and went over.
The old man was dragged out in no time. "You scoundrel, why are you spying on my lord again?" Xu Chu roared. "What's so interesting about him?"
Lin Mo, “…”
The old man didn't know how to answer for a moment.
"I didn't peek!" After struggling for a while, the old man finally managed to utter this sentence.
"Not behaving yourself? Watch out for my axe!" With that, Xu Chu was about to chop.
Lin Mo, having been caught in the rain all day, was in a terrible mood. Now, with a lewd-looking old man spying on him, he was even more furious.
It was hard to say that this godforsaken place was a spy for the Feng clan chieftain, so they tacitly approved of Xu Chu's actions.
At this moment, his soldiers hurriedly reminded him, "General Xu, Your Highness, you mustn't! This is the stronghold of the Su clan chieftain; their sentries are definitely inside! You..."
"Is that so?" Lin Mo nodded. "Alright, Xu Chu, let's ignore him and go!"
Xu Chu snorted heavily before releasing the old man.
After they had walked away, the old man in the hut sighed, "Is this the King of Shu?"
After walking for a while, we finally arrived at the stronghold of the Su clan chieftain.
"This place does resemble a fortified village a bit!" Lin Mo commented.
The city of the Su clan chieftain is more like an abandoned city. From a distance, the cracks in the ancient bricks and stones are covered with thick moss, and the spider webs on the city walls look like the veins on the legs of a withered old woman.
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