The horse archery competition is undoubtedly the grandest festival of the Shatuo people, and the Shatuo people celebrate the festival in the same way as the Turks, holding a variety of rich activities during the day and a bonfire for the whole tribe at night, which is also a festival.

As soon as it was dark, dozens of bonfires were lit, men, women, and children came from all directions, gathered around the blazing bonfires, and large pieces of fragrant yellow mutton were divided and presented to the elders.

Bags of elaborate mare's milk wine were piled up around the campfire and could be drunk as much as they pleased, children walked through the fire with plates full of fruit, laughter and laughter, young lads played the fire, loud and soulful songs echoed around the fire, and pretty maidens danced and pulled their favorite boys to dance.

The bonfire party is also a world for young men and women to talk about love, no one looks forward to this moment more than them, watching a couple of couples hugging and dancing together in the fire, Li Zhen is drunk when he sees it.

"We Shatuo people have a short lifespan and a bad living environment, and if we give birth to ten children, we will die at least seven, there is no way! If we want the tribe to prosper, we can only have more children and more pregnancies!"

Zhu Yue Fuguo was a little too drunk, and drunkenly smiled at Li Zhen: "You are a hero tonight, I don't know how many girls want to pull you into the account, don't let down your youth." ”

Li Zhen scratched his head and smiled a little embarrassedly: "Doesn't Sha Tuo want Ming Media to marry?"

Zhu Yue Fuguo was stunned for a moment, and then laughed, he patted Li Zhen on the shoulder, "If you are willing to marry a Shatuo woman as a wife, I can be a matchmaker for you, but you don't need it tonight, you just have to enjoy it tonight, this is the reward you deserve for winning the championship." ”

The Dunhuang city where Li Zhen lives is basically a gathering place for Han people, and the customs and etiquette are no different from those of the Central Plains.

What Li Zhen usually sees and hears is that he abides by the law and etiquette, and does not violate the rules and etiquette, but today it seems to be a little different.

Li Zhen was in contact with nomads for the first time, although he knew a little bit in his previous life, but it was a different feeling to be really there.

He thought of what Zhu Yue Fuguo said just now, 'If you want the tribe to prosper, you can only have more children and more pregnancies', he couldn't help but laugh dumbly, why should he bother with such a thing, he picked up the horn cup and toasted to several elders from afar.

At this time, a group of girls rushed from behind him, laughing and dragging him up, Li Zhen was caught off guard and dragged into the dancing crowd by the girls.

The Shatuo people believe in Zoroastrianism, and the dancing is carried out with a kind of religious ceremony, the dance posture is exaggerated and unrestrained, but the forms are varied, there are pas de deux in which young men courted the goddess in their hearts, and there are also a group of young girls dancing in a group, the dance posture is graceful and soft.

But the most is the song in which men, women and children participate, everyone holds hands, dances and sings around the bonfire, which is also the most popular dance in the Tang Dynasty and has been passed down to later generations.

Li Zhen laughed loudly, he led the two girls and sang loudly, even he didn't know what he was singing, but the singing was so joyful, infecting everyone present.

A group of maidens began to dance around him, and several young warriors began to play and sing:

A flock of swans flew in Puchanghai,

I am enchanted,

I can't give up chasing,

I'm looking for the most beautiful swan,

Willing to build a love nest with her

Li Zhen looked at a pair of bright and amorous eyes, his heart and the girls flew into the distance, at this moment, the song suddenly became urgent, and the rhythmic drum sounded.

I saw a girl dancing from the fire, a pair of beautiful eyes staring at Li Zhen tightly, it was Zhu Yueminzhi who had changed her clothes, she was wearing a thin short jacket on her upper body, a fiery red long skirt on her lower body, wearing a flower crown on her head, a gold belt around her waist, and dozens of braids swirling with her dancing.

The appearance of Zhu Yueminzhi made the girls retreat one after another, and many people exclaimed, "The leopard beauty is dancing!"

The young warriors all looked at Li Zhen with envy, it is said that the arrogant Zhu Yue Minzhi had never danced alone with a young man, and today they all opened their eyes.

"What, won't you dance with me?"

Zhu Yueminzhi's eyes stared at Li Zhen, who was standing still, her face was a little cold, and she glanced at the girls next to her, "You are willing to dance with those sparrows!"

"No!" Li Zhen shook his head, looked at her in surprise, and said, "Do you speak Chinese?"

Li Zhen was shocked in his heart, he realized that Zhu Yueminzhi's Chinese was actually very fluent, Zhu Yueminzhi laughed proudly, his eyes flowed, and he looked at him mischievously, "Can't you?"

"I'm just surprised"

Without waiting for him to say more, Zhu Yueminzhi took the initiative to take his hand and led him to run towards a group of young men and women who were dancing.

As the night wore on, the old man and the child had already returned, and there were fewer and fewer young men and women dancing, holding hands and snuggling up to each other as they walked into the depths of the night.

Li Zhen and Zhu Yueminzhi sat on a high ground, back to back, looking up at the vast starry sky overhead.

"I can speak Chinese because my mother is Han, her surname is Han, her name is Han Minzhi, and she is my father's most beloved woman, but unfortunately she died when she gave birth to me, and my father gave me my mother's name, Minzhi. ”

"But who taught you Chinese?"

"It was my grandfather, who invited a Han man to teach our brother and sister to learn Chinese, maybe because I was half Han Chinese, and I learned the best to make them jealous. ”

"Has anyone insulted you?"

"At first, but then I didn't dare, when I was eight years old, I killed a brother who dared to bully me, and since then no one dares to bully me, or even laugh at me, I treat myself as a man, whoever dares to be rude to me, I will kill him. ”

Zhu Yueminzhi let out a long breath, Li Zhen felt the excitement in his heart, and asked with a smile: "Today's arrow, I shot the yellow sheep in your arms, are you angry?"

"I was angry at first, but then I stopped angry. ”

"Why?

"Because you are indeed better than me in riding and shooting, I have seen the yellow sheep you shoot, and the strength and accuracy are far superior to mine, so I am convinced and not angry with you. ”

"Is it all over with a convincing mouth?"

"Then what do you want? Do you want me to go with you? No way! I won't leave the prairie. ”

"Your mother is Han, and you have half Han blood, don't you want to go to the Central Plains?"

Zhu Yueminzhi was silent for a moment and said: "I don't want to! I didn't think about it before, and I won't think about it in the future, Li Zhen, I am not a Han person, I am a daughter of the grassland, although I have a Han mother, I will miss her, but my roots are in the grassland." ”

Li Zhen looked at the starry sky and laughed, "It seems that it is impossible for me to take you away, but I can understand, just like I don't want to stay." ”

Zhu Yueminzhi stared at the stars in the sky and whispered: "We are like two stars, although we are back to back, we will never come together." ”

At this moment, a couple ran past them holding hands, and the two appeared, and everyone went back, leaving the two of them alone by the campfire.

Li Zhen stood up, took out the moonlight gem he had won from his arms, and handed it to her, "This gem is for you." ”

Zhu Yueminzhi took the gem slightly shyly and said in a low voice: "Thank you!"

Li Zhen stared at her for another moment, and said softly: "It's late at night, go back and rest!"

Zhu Yueminzhi lowered her head, and after a while, she took out a red silk flower and handed it to Li Zhen, "I also have such a flower in front of my tent, if you are willing to come, I will wait for you!"

She stuffed the words to Li Zhen, turned around and ran away, Li Zhen looked at her figure running away, gently rubbing the silk flower in her hand, and there were ripples in her heart.

He looked at the direction where Zhu Yueminzhi was going, and walked over quickly.

Zhu Yue Minzhi's dome is very gorgeous, inlaid with gold wire, the tent door is inserted with the same red silk flower as his hand, Li Zhen stood in front of the tent door for a long time, and finally mustered up the courage to open the tent curtain, there was no light in the tent, it was pitch black, in the dark, a snow-bright long sword stabbed head-on, against his throat.

"Who is it?" said Zhu Yueminzhi's cold shout from inside the big tent.

Li Zhen handed the silk flower in, "It brought me here!"

The sword was gone, and two fiery arms wrapped around his neck

At noon the next day, Li Zhen and the four of them bid farewell to the Shatuo tribe and continued to march in the direction of Dunhuang, they rode on the camels sent to them by the Shatuo people, and with the sound of camels, Li Zhen's mood fluctuated.

He held a fiery red silk flower in his hand, and couldn't help but chant in a low voice.

A flock of swans flew in Puchanghai,

I am enchanted,

I can't give up chasing,

I'm looking for the most beautiful swan,

Willing to build a love nest with her

"Look!" Xiao Xiao pointed to the sand dunes in the distance and shouted, Li Zhen raised his head, he saw that on the sand dunes in the distance, a girl in red was riding a horse to look this way.

Li Zhen also smiled, but there was an indescribable sadness in his heart.

But isn't life like this? It's like a long-distance train, passing through countless stations, most of the time just looking at the scenery, sometimes getting off by chance, but when the whistle sounds, he has to start again.

Years later, when he looks back at that station, perhaps he will remember a beautiful scenery he once saw.

Li Zhen raised his arm and waved to the girl in the distance, and gradually, their camel walked away, and the girl's figure disappeared behind the sand dunes.

[End of Volume 1]

Tips: The new domain name "biquge.info" has been launched by Biquge, and the original domain name is about to be discontinued. Please tell each other, thank you!