The thunderstorm continues, and Kawei has never dreamed that not only will he gain a wife, but he will also live in the boudoir where his wife has lived for more than ten years.
Don’t Lilia feel strange?
She must abide by her parents' decision and must marry this young man named Kawei.
The time spent in the meeting hall seemed as long as a year. When he left the boudoir, he still held his sister's little hand, everything was just like when he was a child. Now, she had to admit that she was a wife. Although it is against tradition, the parents and the chief of Ross have fully recognized the legality of the marriage as witnesses.
Wedding? That's necessary.
The wedding was just a formality. Now the two of them are already recognized as husband and wife by everyone.
Lilia tried to accept this fact and prayed that she would really be happy by marrying him. Now, the housework she has learned for many years has finally come in handy.
Kawei stared at this short woman. Her slender hands were folding the leather jacket she had taken off, and arranging belts and other items.
Not to mention that Lilia is full of caution, why not Kawei?
He looked at Lilia’s back with long braided hair and couldn’t help but think about his future.
This girl is indeed very beautiful. Can she be a good mother? Can you give birth to and raise many young blacksmiths?
"Don't do it anymore, go to bed early."
Lilia couldn't understand Kawei's words. The girl's hands shook and she turned around quickly.
Although Kawei has no experience sleeping on a wooden bed, he does not reject new sleeping experiences. Besides, this room is obviously more beautifully and neatly decorated than his old home, and the patterned linen sheets beneath him obviously exude a special aroma.
He slapped the bed, and Lilia understood that he was asking her to come over.
The girl sat cautiously next to her husband, gently pressing against his linen robe.
Her nimble nose smelled the special smell emanating from her husband. It was not the unpleasant smell of sweat, but a strange smell - sulfur.
What a strange man. Are all Russians so strange?
Lilia still doesn’t know the secret of sulfur soap. Her newlywed husband is an elusive person. For safety reasons, perhaps it is wisest to keep quiet.
In fact, in terms of height alone, Lilia is taller than girls of the same age in Novgorod. This is because her life of more than ten years has been "pampered" compared to others. She eats better and naturally looks healthier. A healthy woman also means beautiful.
Kawei’s calloused hands gently placed on her shoulders and said some gentle words.
Although Lilia couldn’t understand, she could understand the other party’s friendship. Now, as a woman, she is even more prepared for that.
"Lilia, you are so beautiful. I am so happy to have you as my wife."
Listen, womanThe child turned her head slightly, her face turned sideways was very beautiful.
"It seems you still don't understand me. Well, you will gradually learn our language."
Kawei let go of his hand and lay down flat. A deerskin blanket he had brought covered him.
"I have been rowing all day. I washed my hair with sopa and finally felt comfortable. I am very tired, so I will rest first. Lilia, you should rest too." Kawei was minding his own business. Say it, not caring whether the newlywed wife understands it or not.
Seeing him lie down directly, Lilia breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly felt a little regretful in her heart. She muttered in her heart: "Isn't it true that my appearance does not satisfy him? That's not right."
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Lilia, who was also tired, lay down and wrapped herself in a soft linen blanket sewn from five layers of linen. And her hand touched the extremely precious necklace she had recently acquired from her husband.
At this moment, outside the wooden door, a tribesman from Baishu Manor was ordered to take advantage of the rainy night to eavesdrop on the sounds in the house. It was Ligus himself who issued the order. He had already put the chief of the Russian people and several important subordinates to bed, and then waited with complicated emotions for the tribesmen to come and report the results.
The lights in the conference hall were still bright, and Ligus was sitting on pins and needles waiting for the news.
On a rainy night, the tribesman hurried over and reported immediately: "Manor Chief, they have fallen asleep."
Ligus felt as if he had been stabbed, and his tired body suddenly tensed up. Straight, squinting his eyes as wide as a bull's eye: "My daughter has become a woman?!"
"No, the Russian didn't do anything. The room was very quiet, they had already rested ."
"Huh? Is that Kawei really calm?" After hearing this news, Ligus suddenly developed a new liking for Kawei.
Ligus himself really doesn’t understand the marriage customs of the Russians. Even the girls who married the Russians last year, they all became women after a wedding held by the Russians themselves.
The sky continues to thunder. The more the weather is like this, Kawei must maintain complete restraint out of his own beliefs.
Thor, the patron saint of craftsmen, is also the god of thunder. Kawei didn't dare to blaspheme his beliefs, and he just wanted to have a good rest because of physical and mental exhaustion.
All the Rus fell asleep, and after learning that his daughter was still pure, Rigus no longer held on.
The rain washed away the mud and grass, and the whole of Novgorod fell into a deep sleep.
It rained all night and stopped after dawn.
The rain in early summer is always like this, coming and going quickly, unlike the rain in late autumn which often lasts for many days.
The rain has stopped. After the heavy rain, the whole world becomes muddy. In this situation, the tributes still have to be collected as planned, but everyone feels really worried when they are thrown into the mud.
The sky was gloomy, and in addition, he learned from Rigus that Pine Needle Manor also collected tributes in the same way after the Russians left. Otto was determined to do well.Give them sanctions.
After all, the rain affected the time arrangement of the tribute. Looking at the current situation, Otto felt that it was absolutely impossible for him to collect the tribute from all the manors in just one day.
If the plan cannot keep up with the change, there is no choice but to stay for a few more days.
Just think about happy things!
Early in the morning, Ligus met his eldest daughter Lilia and learned from her that Kawei had not done anything to him after one night.
"Maybe Kawei is a restrained Russian. Well, you take a rest first. The priest will come back in a while, and we will hold the wedding at home." Rigus said, stroking his daughter's face. .
Lilia nodded, and then went to dress up as arranged by her mother. She knew that her sister Svetlana was also waiting for her.
Ligus also sent someone to inform Kawei that since he has become a son-in-law, he should follow the etiquette of the Novgorod people and put on the traditional clothes of local young men to participate in the Novgorod Festival. style wedding.
According to Novgorod tradition, the wedding should be held at the groom’s home, followed by a celebration banquet at the groom’s home.
After all, the Russians’ hometown is too far away, and they are not residents of Novgorod.
Ligus has already agreed with Otto that his daughter must hold a wedding in her hometown first. He really felt that he was taking advantage by doing this. The wedding was held at the bride's house, and he could proudly tell other manor heads that he had recruited a son-in-law.
When the younger daughter grows up, her wedding to Chief Ross’s only son must also be held at home. That’s another bigger bargain!
Ligus has always had a noble status in the manor, and his daughters also have a noble status.
Distinguished people are very particular about this. Why do ordinary residents have so much trouble?
The head of the manor, Ligus, had already let go of the news. Early in the morning, a group of residents of the manor gathered in the square of the manor with their daughters who were of marriageable age.
Several costumed priests came to the square early. These goddesses wore linen coats with obviously deliberately drooped linen strips, wore a crown of rattan on their heads, and held droopy cloths in their hands. With long tambourines, they dance around the well in the middle of the square.
Completely different from the Ross people, the priests of White Tree Manor do not have that much power. The value of the manor priest's existence, apart from performing rituals on festivals to pray for good weather, is to act as a witch doctor and recite some incantations to patients that are said to be blessings.
The main thing is that they dance and recite mantras, which basically can only provide psychological comfort to the patients. The residents of the manor did not trust the priests very much, and they were more willing to believe in the determination of the manor director Ligus.
The priest cannot recite a spell to drive away the Ross people who asked for tribute. Only the head of the manor can use some means to make the manor pay an acceptable price to curb the violence of the Ross people.
A group of manorsThe girls wore plain clothes and crowns with flowers on their heads. They wore felt boots and walked on the muddy square.
What came forward was a large group of Ross people. They entered the collective wedding scene under the leadership of the leader of Ross.
Ligus originally planned to hand over thirty girls, but after the news was conveyed, fifty girls were sent to the scene by their parents!
Why? !
On the rainy night that just passed, those young Ross men who returned with their pregnant wives not only proved that they cared for their wives, but also provided considerable gifts to subsidize the lives of their wives’ parents’ families. .
Those families who have daughters who are waiting to be married, based on inquiring information, learn this reality, and their previous hesitation disappears!
Marry women to Russians! The son-in-law will bring his daughter back to visit relatives, and visiting relatives is equivalent to receiving a financial gift! People from Russia come here every year, and their families receive gifts every year!
If you marry your daughter to another manor, that group of people will not be as generous as the Ross people.
Things were completely beyond Otto's expectation.
He really didn’t expect that Ligus would be so cooperative, just for the sake of marriage, vowing to marry all the girls in White Tree Manor to young Ross men as wives.
If they are willing to cooperate like this, why wouldn’t the Russians do the same?
The wedding scene started with a blind date conference.
Fifty Ross boys brought the betrothal gifts they had prepared, some amber rough stones, or some silver coins, and found girls they were satisfied with.
As for the other fifty Ross boys, they chose to continue to wait and see.
A few pieces of amber and a dozen silver coins. If you take these treasures to Smolensk in the south during the off-farm time, you can exchange a large amount of linen threads from the locals, or pay a little silver coins in exchange for weight. Considerable rations.
Compared with the tribute paid by one’s own family, how could the betrothal gift paid by the son-in-law be more valuable? !
Because of marrying off a daughter, even a family in trouble can quickly improve its poverty situation.
This marriage is obviously a win-win situation.
After seeing each other clearly, the collective wedding ended smoothly in peace.
Due to serious disturbances from rainfall and some other incidents, Otto ordered everyone to continue to stay.
The wedding was over, and the fifty young Russian men who had completed the wedding were taken home by their parents-in-law. Language barrier? That's not a big deal. They hope that their daughter and son-in-law will have sex immediately and put their relationship to work.
However, the Russians all maintained restraint.
It is not that they have a high degree of self-discipline, it is entirely because of their beliefs. Only when the Russian priests preside over a Russian-style wedding can the relationship between husband and wife be solidified.
The priests of Rus will examine the bodies of these newlywed girls. If they are found to be unclean, the wedding must be cancelled. Of course, young men and women can still live their lives, but they will be ignored by others.Contempt, the children born will also be despised. For this reason, the Ross people actually showed some restraint and self-discipline in front of more White Tree Manor residents.
Such a move is a strong mental shock.
Are they really barbarians? Will the barbarians maintain mental restraint?
Even if there is a language barrier, a young Russian man with a wife can still realize that he is highly respected by his wife's family.
They are also teenage boys, with brave and fierce hearts who also long to be admired. They can understand this kind of praise from the faces of their parents-in-law, and they are happy to get it further.
Many newly married Russians actually help their parents-in-law chop wood. This kind act may seem altruistic, but it is also strongly self-interested.
Newly married girls have to accept the fact that their husbands are Russians. Unlike their parents who laughed after taking money, they need to carefully understand what kind of person their husbands are.
My husband actually used a precious iron ax to chop firewood for his family! This is unimaginable.
Since the husband is willing to do things for his family, then for himself...
The girls were moved one after another.
Fifty young men married girls from White Tree Manor. Otto estimated that there was no other manor in Novgorod that was as cooperative as White Tree Manor.
What about Pine Needles Manor?
No! This year, that estate needs to be sanctioned.
The sky was still dark in the afternoon. Fortunately, the shadow of the sun appeared faintly in the western sky. There may not be any rain for many days in the future.
After eating the black bread and mead provided by White Tree Manor, Otto, who felt very comfortable, also personally inspected the barn filled with tributes.
Although it was raining, when he touched the linen bag filled with oat kernels and rye kernels, it was still very dry inside. The tribute furs were also very dry, and there was no difference in quantity.
A group of free-range chickens with all their flight feathers cut off were stuffed into cages, and the cattle and sheep that were supposed to continue grazing were also brought back to the manor.
Ligus cooperated very well and handed over all the tributes!
Standing outside the barn full of tributes, Otto, who was in a good mood, held the hilt of his sword and said with emotion: "Ah, Rigus, if all the manors are as cooperative as you are, then it will be How wonderful!"
Ligus immediately cheered up, nodded and leaned close to Otto, and said deliberately: "We are willing to be the servants of the Russians forever, my master, they are still right. You are very hostile."
"Hostile?" Otto blew his beard contemptuously, "You mean the Pine Needle Manor?"
"Yes, that's them. . I heard that they are the leaders of the entire Novgorod. Oh, this is really stupid. The smart manors know that you are our masters."
"You are very good. Speak."
"No, that's all I said.These are words from the bottom of my heart. Ligus continued to nod and bow, "I have found all the children you want." Your Rurik needs servants, and I have found him nine maids and one footman. ”
“Oh? Otto asked hurriedly: "Why is there only one boy?" "
"Yes. Because all boys will grow up to become a labor force in the fields, and they will produce more wheat for the Russians. "
"So what's going on with this boy? "
Ligus hurriedly replied: "The child's mother was killed by a bear while collecting mushrooms in the forest. We organized people to go into the forest to search, and we killed the bear, but two people died as a result. The child's father died from serious injuries. Poor him, he has become an orphan. "
"This is fate. "Hearing this story, Otto immediately thought of his nephew Arik, "But it is also his destiny that he becomes my son's servant. One boy and nine girls, what are their ages? ”
“All the children are under eight years old and meet your requirements. "
Otto nodded: "Yes, it is best for a servant not to be older than his master. I want to meet these kids now. ”
Actually, Otto had no interest in a group of children at all. When he saw the children, their clothes were in tatters, and he was even less interested.
He noticed that the little boy whose parents were killed by a bear had a dull face. The bear was his father-killing enemy. How could he take revenge with such a dull and cowardly look?
These children gathered in Ligu? The scene of Otto examining these children at the door of Si's house was also closely watched by the children's parents.
My young daughter is going to be a servant to the young son of the leader of the Rus. It was a good thing that they didn't know. The Russians would pay ten silver coins for each child, which was of particular concern to the girl's parents.
Otto pointed at the boy and said to Rigus: " Let the kid come over. "
"Yes. "Ligus hurriedly grabbed the child over himself.
The boy faced the tall and strong leader Ross, and he was dull and showed fear.
"A thin child ,What's his name? Otto asked.
“The name is Kamne. " Rigus explained.
The name means stone. Otto stretched out his hand to place the boy's chin, looked left and right before letting go: "At least my son has nothing to do with servants. Require. Rigus, I don't like this kid, he's too cowardly. "
"This... maybe I should choose another excellent one. "
"No need. Otto waved his hand, "A coward is best suited to be a servant. It's just a pity that this boy cannot be trained into a warrior." My Rurik doesn't have this requirement. "
After that, Otto opened his money bag and handed it to Chief Ligus; "Give the silver coins to the parents of the girls. As for this Kamne, his parents are dead and you continue to take care of him as the head of the manor. Ten silver coins are given to you.reward. ”
“Oh, great leader, you are so kind. "Ligus nodded quickly.
"Mercy? Maybe. Otto still thought of another thing, "A hunter and his loyal dog may share the same piece of barbecue." You, White Tree Manor, are our loyal servants. It seems that Pine Needle Manor now has some new ideas, and I really need to teach them a lesson. "
Ligus immediately asked alertly: "Is it an attack? "
"Are you eager for us to attack? "Otto suddenly turned his head and stared at Rigus.
As an old guy who has lived for more than fifty years, Otto can feel that this Rigus is very much looking forward to a good crusade by the Ross army. Take a look at Pine Needles Manor
“I don’t know. ”
“You don’t need to know. I haven't gone to Pine Needle Manor or other manors to collect tribute. The rain and the wedding have delayed so many things. Now, I want to gather my people together. Tomorrow I will take them to Pine Needle Manor. The 10,000 pounds of wheat harvested less from your White Tree will be provided by Pine Needle Manor. And you, Rigus! ”
“Yes, Master. " Rigus complimented.
"Now you organize the women to make a lot of toast for us, which will be the food for our return journey. Listen, the bread you gave my people yesterday seemed to have a sour smell, and my people complained. You are not allowed to be tricky this time. "
"Yes, I will do it immediately. All your people can enjoy the freshly baked bread. "
Otto nodded: "Enable all your ovens and do your best. I'm scheduled to leave in three days, during which time you have to turn a thousand pounds of oats into giant toasts. To do otherwise would be disloyal. "
"Yes. "Ligus agreed hastily.