The bonfire was blazing, and the wine was flowing freely.
As the undisputed pillar of the nomadic family, Zamuhu spared no enthusiasm in hosting Zhang Yuan.
The gratitude of the grassland people was equally simple: plenty of at and wine!
Zhang Yuan alone devoured at least five pounds of roasted lamb.
As for the mare’s milk wine he consud, it was beyond asure.
Zamuhu accompanied Zhang Yuan, eating at and drinking wine heartily. When this grassland man was flushed with inebriation, he clapped his hands forcefully and shouted a few words to his wives.
Although Zhang Yuan didn’t understand, he soon grasped the aning.
Zamuhu’s three wives went into their tent, quickly erged, and were all dressed in what appeared to be festive costus and adornnts.
Then Zamuhu’s elderly father had a child bring out a morin khuur and a drum made of cowhide.
To the crude and fiery accompanint, Zamuhu’s wives sang and danced, expressing their welco and respect to Zhang Yuan.
Their singing and dancing could hardly be called graceful.
But they were filled with rich grassland charm, a kind of unadulterated beauty.
Zhang Yuan felt a bit awkward at first but soon got into the rhythm, clapping along to the beat.
Zamuhu was very pleased.
This grassland man had much to say to Zhang Yuan.
As it turned out, his family was on a migratory journey, with Nacuoda, the holy site of the Hulan Grassland, as their destination.
Nacuoda is also where the king’s yurt of the Hulan Tribe is located!
If all went well, Zamuhu’s family would reach Nacuoda in half a month.
Just in ti for the tribe’s annual Saigut Festival!
After the Saigut Festival, they would continue to stay in Nacuoda for two or three months.
Then they would once again migrate towards greener pastures.
However, three days ago, Zamuhu and his son hunted a lone grassland wolf.
Unexpectedly, this provoked the revenge of a wolf pack.
Fortunately, Zhang Yuan appeared in ti to help, otherwise, their pilgrimage would have turned into a death march.
"Brother Zhang Yuan..."
Zamuhu said at last, "You are a true warrior. I have nothing to repay you with now, but once we reach Nacuoda, I will find a way to repay your kindness!"
Zhang Yuan smiled and said, "I just happened to be there; just take to Nacuoda, and we’ll be even."
He developed quite an interest in the Saigut Festival of the Hulan Tribe.
According to Zamuhu, the Saigut Festival is both a tribal celebration of harvests and victories, a ti to worship deities and ancestors, and a festival of trade and competition.
At that ti, herdsn from the Hulan Grassland would ride horses, drive carts, bring furs, dicinal materials, and other goods, and gather in droves at Nacuoda.
They would set up tents across the grassland beneath the sacred mountain.
The excitent would reach its peak!
Zamuhu didn’t argue against Zhang Yuan’s "even" proposal but rely shook his head dismissively.
By this ti, it was deep into the night, and the wine and at were nearly consud.
Zamuhu’s family had set up a separate small tent for Zhang Yuan to rest for the night.
However, just as Zhang Yuan lay down inside the tent, a graceful figure suddenly flashed in!
Zhang Yuan was taken aback.
With his keen vision, he could clearly see who it was, even in the extrely dim light inside the tent.
It was none other than Zamuhu’s youngest wife!
What was going on?
Zhang Yuan was truly confused.
He rembered that Zamuhu’s wife was nad Nalan, only nineteen years old, still in the pri of youth.
Besides being the youngest, Nalan was also the most beautiful among Zamuhu’s three wives.
Because she was newly wed, she hadn’t had children yet.
Although Zhang Yuan didn’t know why Nalan sneaked into his tent, she clearly had no ill intentions.
Her cheeks were flushed, her body trembled, showing signs of obvious anxiety.
Zhang Yuan quickly sat up.
Before he could say anything, Nalan spoke softly, "Brother Zhang Yuan, it was Brother Zamuhu who, who asked to serve you."
Her words were stamred, her deanor bashful beyond control!
Zhang Yuan suddenly understood.
He recalled reading in books about the customs of so Outer Tribes before.
But such customs were truly sothing Zhang Yuan couldn’t accept.
He gently said, "Thank you, but I don’t need your service. Please go back and tell Brother Zamuhu that I am very tired and need a good rest."
"Okay."
Nalan nodded lightly, "I understand."
Then the young grassland girl, like a frightened rabbit, swiftly fled Zhang Yuan’s tent.
Zhang Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle.
He wondered if it was an illusion, but Nalan’s last words seed to carry a hint of disappointnt.
It must have been an illusion!
Zhang Yuan shook his head, then lay back down on the carpet, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he awoke to the sound of bustling activity.
Zhang Yuan got up and stepped out of the tent, seeing Zamuhu’s family busy loading their luggage and supplies, with one tent already dismantled.
They were clearly preparing to leave.
At this mont, Zamuhu approached, smiling, "Did we wake you?"
Zhang Yuan said, "No worries."
Zamuhu’s wives had already prepared breakfast, and it was quite abundant.
Steaming milk tea, delicious beef patties, fragrant and hot lamb offal soup, and hand-grabbed mutton, all made Zhang Yuan savor with delight.
Once he finished his breakfast, Zamuhu’s family was almost ready as well.
The tents and other items were loaded onto carts, pulled by specialized packhorses, with a herd of cattle and sheep following closely behind, and Zamuhu rode with his children on fine horses, guarding the flanks.
His wives and young children sat in another cart, protected in the middle.
Zamuhu initially wanted to give a horse to Zhang Yuan as a mount.
But Zhang Yuan ultimately chose to ride in the cart loaded with goods, lying comfortably as they traveled.
"By the way,"
Zamuhu, walking beside Zhang Yuan, said, "The Wolf King you killed, my father has already skinned it, but it will take a few more days to turn it into leather for you."
The pelt of an ordinary grassland wolf was already valuable, let alone that of a Wolf King, which was even more precious; he couldn’t possibly claim Zhang Yuan’s trophy.
"You guys keep it."
Zhang Yuan didn’t mind, "I have no use for it."
Zamuhu was taken aback, "Brother Zhang Yuan, this Wolf King pelt is of excellent quality; in Nacuoda, you could exchange it for an equivalent weight in gold. Just let keep one wolf tooth."
But Zhang Yuan waved his hand dismissively, "I said, it’s all yours!"
He lay amidst the thick furs, closed his eyes, and began to catch up on sleep.
Zamuhu was both amused and exasperated.
This grassland man had t generous people before, but never soone as magnanimous as Zhang Yuan.
In fact, besides gold, a nearly perfect Wolf King pelt could be exchanged for items that couldn’t be asured by money!
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