The arduous and long journey was tiring, coupled with the physical discomfort during menstruation, Xia Shuanghan, who was nestled in Lu Shaoyun's arms, fell asleep in a daze not long after. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

Lightly placing the person in his arms, Lu Shaoyun, who also got into the quilt, looked down at Xia Shuanghan, who was curled up in a ball because of the cold, and said with pity: "It's soon, at most ten or so days, no matter what, we should also arrive at our destination." ”

Advancing along the official road in the northwest from the capital to the inland areas, the further you go, the more difficult the living environment becomes. During the journey, the dense mountain forests were gradually replaced by the Gobi desert and grasslands, and the bustling towns were replaced by scattered villages and felt tents.

On the evening of July 13, Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan, who had traveled for 20 days, finally arrived at Tongcheng Pass, a northwestern border.

The thick walls that stretch out and hover between the mountains and mountains are delicately connected to the Great Wall in a distant place. The towering city gate tower reflects the golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a bright lamp hanging in the sky, guiding the direction of travelers from afar.

Riding a horse into the last town in the pass, looking at the Great Xia soldiers on duty at both ends of the city wall and horse road, Lu Shaoyun, who had been in Beijing for a long time, couldn't help but think of the thousands of days and nights he had spent here.

"I like it more here than in the capital." Looking up at the majestic tall arrow tower standing on the city wall, he also remembered the summer frost and cold of the years he lived outside the gate in his previous life, and turned his head to Lu Shaoyun beside him and smiled slightly: "Let's go Tingxuan, we have to find an inn to stay." If we're lucky, we'll be able to find out tomorrow, and we should be able to meet Brother Taruk and Sister Bariya. ”

Meeting in the last town in Tongcheng Pass, this was before the caravan left Beijing, and the Hazru family had agreed with Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan.

Of course, according to the speed of the entire caravan, a month and a half was enough for them to reach Naming Village, which was more than five hundred miles outside Tongcheng Pass. However, if the caravan from Naming Village went directly to the outside of the pass and did not stop at Tongcheng Pass at all, then they would inevitably miss the market on the fifteenth day of the town, such an opportunity to do business.

Therefore, when the large army arrived at the border pass on the 10th day of the seventh month and continued on its way, a small number of young men remained in the town with some goods as needed.

Those who remained would stay in the town for a few days, and at the earliest, after the market had dispersed on the 15th, they would restart their journey to their hometowns on the morning of the 16th.

Therefore, what Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan are looking for is the brother and sister Taluk and Baliya who stayed to set up a stall in the market according to their father's request. As for Lin Xiran, who followed the caravan first, Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan obviously couldn't see him at Tongcheng Pass.

According to Hazlu's meaning before leaving Beijing, when he came, Lin Xiran was a guest, and when the guest arrived at the door of the host's house, he did not invite him in, but let the guest help with business, what is the reason?

Second, in order to make Lu Shaoyun, who is a Han, and Xia Shuanghan, who is only half of the Rong blood, eat and live comfortably on the first day of entering the village, Lin Xiran, who is also a Han Chinese, will return to the village with the army first, and then provide opinions and suggestions for a series of matters such as the room layout that the Hazru family will carry out next, which is the best choice.

Therefore, if they want to meet Lin Xiran, who is one step ahead, Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan can only wait until they enter the village.

"Whew, I've been tied up for more than three months, and I can finally be liberated tonight!" At night, in the inn room where the two stayed together, the summer frost after bathing took off the chest cloth on his body and changed into the long-lost Rong women's clothes. She stretched her arms and moved her body, and sighed comfortably: "I finally don't have to endure that suffocation anymore!" ”

When Lu Shaoyun, who walked into the house, heard this, after glancing at the chest cloth that was thrown into the basin by Xia Shuanghan and was about to be cleaned, he instantly remembered the beautiful touch he had kneaded with his right hand two months ago. So, he couldn't help but lock his gaze on Xia Shuanghan's bulging chest.

"Lu Tingxuan, I advise you not to look at it." Realizing Lu Shaoyun's gaze, in line with the idea of thinking about his body, Xia Shuanghan, who was dressed properly and wrapped tightly, so he didn't feel shy, suggested very kindly: "If you continue to think about it, you have to go out and soak in cold water, and then come back to sleep on the floor." ”

"Hey, Shuang Han, I said that you are an unmarried girl, this kind of thing can be said when you open your mouth, is this really good?" Putting away the thoughts in his mind, Lu Shaoyun stepped forward and sat down at the table, helplessly folded his legs and began to wait for the pain to pass.

To be honest, in the twenty days that the two of them walked together before arriving at the border pass, Lu Shaoyun, who had put all his thoughts on the two things of "hurrying" and "the physical condition of his sweetheart", never had any "evil" thoughts about Xia Shuanghan. Although the two of them shared the same bed almost every night, the hardships of the journey and the discomfort of the summer frost and cold menstrual period all completely killed Lu Shaoyun's desires that had not arisen in the bud.

But now, when they arrived at Tongcheng Pass, and were bound to marry Tang Shixuan and Xia Shuanghan in the next period of time, those things that Lu Shaoyun had suppressed and forgotten intentionally or unintentionally began to revive in his mind and body.

"I said Tingxuan, can you be reasonable?" Glancing at Lu Shaoyun's posture of sitting with a bitter face folded and legs folded, Xia Shuanghan, who has already been a wife psychologically, has nothing to understand. So, she gloated and couldn't help laughing: "Pretending to be a husband and wife was originally an idea you came up with by yourself, why is it that now you are uncomfortable because you can't help it, but it has become mine, isn't it?" ”

"Hmph, just laugh, just laugh!" Lu Shaoyun, who glared at Xia Shuanghan who was smiling non-stop angrily, and tried to calm down the natural reaction of his body, did not say the rest of the last half of the sentence in his heart-"When we really spend candle night in the cave room, you see how I clean you up!" ”

Of course, such a sentence can't solve the problem of "getting rich" now, so Lu Shaoyun, who is not qualified to touch the summer frost, cannot be said by him confidently for the time being. But he believes that one day, he will find a solution to the problem, and then put this sentence into practice on the night Xia Shuanghan married him.

On July 14, the bustling sound of the market woke Xia Shuanghan, who accidentally overslept after a long journey, from his sweet dream. Washing, eating, traveling, stepping on the busy street with Lu Shaoyun, she led the way forward, and led the people behind her to the inns that specialized in the business of foreigners.

After running three or four places, in the backyard of an inn where horses and camels neighed each other, Xia Shuanghan and Lu Shaoyun finally found Taruk and Baliya, a brother and sister, who were preparing for the second day's market.

"Oh my God, Sister Shuanghan, I haven't seen you for a month and a half, why did you get so dark?" Rushing forward to take a look at Xia Shuanghan's obviously darkened skin, but still with a healthy ruddy color, Baliya bent her crescent-like eyes and quipped with a smile: "Sister Shuanghan, are you being treated as a suckling pig and roasted on the fire?" ”

"No, the reason why I'm so dark is because I haven't taken a shower for more than half a month!" Xia Shuanghan, who didn't mind Baliya's joke, joked: "Baliya, do you know, it's the dust and dirt along the way that make me so black!" ”

"I lost, I lost!" Baliya, who was defeated by Xia Shuanghan's joke that was obviously a few points higher, laughed and turned to Lu Shaoyun, who had finished greeting Taruk.

A short greeting was followed by a busy line of preparations. According to Baliya's request, Xia Shuanghan, who was assigned to make the job of "wolf repellent powder", took Lu Shaoyun to the open space in the corner of the courtyard.

"Here, Ting Xuan, these medicinal fruits will all help me grind them into powder." From the dozen or so kinds of medicinal herbs and medicinal fruits spread out on the ground, he grabbed a handful of reddish-brown medicinal fruits and threw them into the mortar, stuffed the brass mortar into Lu Shaoyun's hand, and then turned around and sat down on the pony on the side, bent down to pick up another handful of medicinal herbs, and began to chop them into fine pieces.

"Frost and cold, what are these herbs and medicinal fruits for?" Lu Shaoyun, who was holding a brass mortar, was grinding the medicinal fruits with a clanging heart, while curiously looking at the various medicinal materials spread out in front of him.

"This is used to make wolf repellent powder. The Gobi Desert and grasslands outside Tongcheng Pass are full of wolves, you know that. While wolves generally don't attack caravans in packs, it's always good to be prepared. ”

Xia Shuanghan said as he poured the finely chopped powder into the copper basin at hand as he continued: "Wolf repellent powder is made from more than a dozen kinds of herbs and medicinal fruits that are crushed and mixed in proportion. ”

"If the group is too small and there are wolves waiting to move not far away when camping in the Gobi Desert and grasslands at night, then in order to ensure their own safety and avoid attacks on their livestock, sprinkle wolf repellent powder on the campfire, and the smell of its burning can drive the wolves away."

"Of course, although the smell of burning wolf repellent powder is very irritating to wolves, it is not an unacceptable smell to people."

"Then if there is such a good thing, why do the herders lose so many lambs every year because of the wolf pack?"

"It's obviously because wolf repellent powder is too expensive, so it's impossible to burn a handful every night!"

Xia Shuanghan, who took the medicinal fruit that had been ground into powder from Lu Shaoyun's hand, turned the mortar upside down and poured all the medicinal powder into the copper basin, continued: "I asked Baliya just now, due to various reasons, the people who will leave for Naming Village early in the morning after tomorrow, counting the four of us, there are only eight people in total, and four of them are girls, so this wolf repellent powder, it's not okay if you don't prepare enough." ”

Seeing that the more than ten kinds of medicinal materials in front of him had all turned into powder, and then they were poured into a copper basin by Xia Shuanghan and mixed into a dark gray mixture with a uniform texture, Lu Shaoyun, who thought he knew the Rong people very well, couldn't help but have such an idea: It seems that in order to fully adapt to and integrate into the life of the Rong people, he still has a lot of things to learn and master.

The Gobi Desert and the wilderness stretch to the foot of the mountains and rivers that rise above the horizon, agile gazelles and wild goats climb and jump on the steep rocky mountains, foxes chase hares through the low bushes and weeds, and soaring eagles hovering over the wilderness as messengers from heaven......

The world outside the gate is majestic and vast, and at the same time, it is also simple and desolate. On horseback on the last 500 miles to Naming Village, Lu Shaoyun, Taluk, and two other young men of the Rong tribe, armed with bows and arrows, hunted enough food for the whole team for lunch.

Beside the babbling river is a makeshift stove made of stones, the flames of crackling branches boiling the hot water in the iron pot, and the sultry aroma of the cured rabbit meat in the boiling water. Unlike the other three girls who were busy cooking, Xia Shuanghan, who was squatting by the river, was buried in cleaning up the rabbit skins that had just been peeled off.

"There are so many rabbit skins and miscellaneous hairs, they can't be sold for a good price, right?" Lu Shaoyun, who came to the small river and looked at Xia Shuanghan, was busy, and after receiving affirmative answers from the people around him, he couldn't help but wonder: "Then since they can't be sold at a good price, why are you still dealing with them so seriously?" ”

"I want to wait until I get to the village and use these rabbit skins on your and Ziran's winter clothes." Xia Shuanghan, who knows how long and cold the winter is outside the gates, explains: "The clothes brought from the capital can't help us withstand the cold outside the gates, so I have to start preparing for the winter while the weather is still warm." Otherwise, in the winter, I will have frostbite on my hands, and then my hands will be itchy and painful, red and swollen, and I will not be able to hold a needle and thread at all. ”

"Are you going to make me clothes?" Lu Shaoyun, who has only worn through the sewing room of the Guogong Mansion and the clothes made by the army's quartermaster department since he was a child, couldn't help but light up when he heard this, and said expectantly: "From the inside out, can you make me a copy?" ”

"Yes, from head to toe, including winter hats, hand guards, and boots, I will make them for you and Ziran before it snows."

“...... Well, Frost Cold, can Ziran's clothes be made for him? Lu Shaoyun, who felt a little awkward in his heart and didn't want Xia Shuanghan's craftsmanship to be worn by other men, tentatively put forward his own requirements.

But before he could get Xia Shuanghan's reply, Bariya, who had been busy by the stove for a long time, greeted him loudly: "Sister Shuanghan, the meal is ready, you and Brother Shixuan come over quickly." ”

"Come on, Bariya." While responding to Baliya, Xia Shuanghan, who stood up with the processed rabbit skin, glanced at Lu Shaoyun's slightly aggrieved appearance, and said with a light smile: "Shixuan, you forgot, the girls of the Rong clan can't make clothes for men other than their relatives and sweethearts, so you want other girls to make clothes for Ziran?" Then let Ziran find a Rong girl who is willing to marry him first! ”

The journey to Naming Village still continues, every night, after leaving the customs, there is no inn to stay, and the group always sleeps under the bright Milky Way. The smoke from the campfire dispersed, driving away the wolves that had not been far away from them. In the constant echoing wolf howls in the wilderness, the group wrapped themselves in blankets, huddled together in twos and threes, and slowly fell asleep.

On the afternoon of July 20, after four nights of camping in the wilderness, the group finally arrived at their destination, Naming Village.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and water, the village is located in a valley in the Chuz Mountains. As far as the eye can see, rows of houses and vine-covered courtyards stretch from the plains to the mountainside along the rising terrain. Among the many crowded houses, the residence of the Hazru family, where Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan stayed, was located in the center of the village, closest to the foot of the mountain.

After entering the village, the friends waved goodbye to Xia Shuanghan and his party one after another, and then drove their carriage to their residence. In the jingling of the horse's neck bells, Lu Shaoyun and Xia Shuanghan, who followed the two people who led the way in front of them in the village, finally came to the wooden gate of the Hazru family after a few pillars of incense.

"Dad, mother, brother, sister-in-law, we're back!" Baliya, who was walking at the front, raised her hand and knocked on the wooden gate in front of her that was carved with various Rong characteristic patterns.

As the knock on the door fell, the brick-clad courtyard walls soon began to hear the cries of answer and the noise of children.

"Oh, Baliya, Taruk, you're finally back." Opening the door was greeted by a young woman in her twenties. This woman with a brightly colored turban, soft eyes, gentle temperament, and a reserved and light smile is none other than Taruk's wife, Camorra.

After the four people outside the courtyard entered the door, they immediately unfolded mutual greetings and introductions in the courtyard, which was very busy.

Of course, for Xia Shuanghan, who had lived in Naming Village for three years in her previous life, the Hazru family had already become a relative to her. Therefore, she was busy hiding the excitement of seeing her "family" again, and it was impossible for her to experience the strangeness that Lin Xiran had experienced a few days ago.

However, unlike Xia Shuanghan's enthusiasm and familiarity, Lu Shaoyun, who was standing beside her and listening to everyone in front of her speak the Rong language, was obviously unable to fully integrate into the family in such a short period of time.

Because, in the case of seeing so many strangers at one time, there is a problem that Lu Shaoyun can't avoid, that is, even if he understands the Rong language, it is not easy for him to remember the names of such a large family in front of him at once.

The surname of the Hazru family is Yehon, that is, to be precise, if you want to correctly call the family who live in the same house in this compound, the real name should actually be "Yehon family".

The eldest of the Yehon family is Bariya's grandfather and grandmother. His grandfather, Baimat, was a lean hunchbacked old man with a goatee, who was over seventy years old; Grandmother Paj Lush, also over seventy years old, was a short, stern, and stern old woman.

The head of the family, Hazru Yehong, as the leader of the Rong caravan in Naming Village, has been quite prestigious in the entire village for many years and is deeply respected by the villagers. His wife, Sanisa, who was in her fifties, was a middle-aged woman with a kind and friendly smile and a slightly blessed figure.

Next, the third generation of the family, in addition to the two daughters of Baliya and Camorra, is the young and middle-aged laborers of the family - Taluk, who has a lot of tips and care for Lu Shaoyun on the way, and Agil, who once tried to propose to Xia Shuanghan.

Of course, the two of them, who have already been familiar with Lu Shaoyun and Lin Xiran, do not need to be introduced. The ones who really need their attention are Taruk and his wife, Camorra, who are still three young children.

The tallest child, with his little hat and chest puffed out, was the eldest son of Taruk and Camorra, Yustov; With a small bald head and a strange roll of his eyes, it was the second male Chagap; As for the little girl who shyly tugged at the corner of her mother's clothes, hiding behind the adults and not daring to come out to face strangers, it was the youngest member of the family, Tireco.

"Well, good girl, you really look like your mother!" Sanisa, who looked excited and lovingly rubbed Xia Shuanghan's cheeks, looked through the young girl in front of her, as if she saw her friend who had died early. She warmly beckoned Xia Shuanghan to sit down on the carpet and continued: "From now on, you will treat this place as your own home, and live well, you know!" ”

"Well, I see, thank you, Aunt Sanisa." Xia Shuanghan, who sat on the soft cushions, spoke to the milk tea that Camorra poured for her, and then sipped the smooth liquid in the cup while looking up at the exotic mansion.

Most of the dwellings in Naming Village are basically the same in terms of courtyard layout and architectural style.

Generally speaking, when you open the wooden door of the house, the first thing that catches your eye is the front yard with the well and the lush grape trellises, and the chicken coop and stove house are located on either side of the front yard.

Directly opposite the front yard is a three-story residential building with a civil engineering structure. The first floor is an important place for receiving guests and holding family gatherings, and there is not only a fire pit for heating in winter, but also a spacious corridor with a curtain and a wooden roof for cooling.

The second and third floors, with their beautifully carved wooden balustrades, are where residents live and do needlework. The wooden floors are covered with brightly coloured and intricately patterned carpets, while the brick walls are hung with carpets that keep warm and decorative.

The backyard at the back of a residential building is where the barn (usually a stable or sheepfold), the storehouse and the cellar are located. In addition to the horses, there are also commercial carriages parked in the stables. The warehouse is stacked with all kinds of goods that have just been collected or are about to be sold. In the summer, the cellars, which are almost empty except for the pickle jars, are stocked with all kinds of vegetables and fruits for the winter until October. (To be continued.) )