Chapter 229: Guriâs Affection for Tarico
Translator: Fan Translation Studio
After saying what he wanted to say, Tarico rode away without looking back at Dati and Guri. The two women went back in a huff. Both of them looked unhappy.
âWhy is Tarico always against us? If your father dislikes anything, Tarico will do it on purpose! Does he think all the people in our tribe owe him something?â
Guri remained silent. Her mind was all over the place. Tarico hadnât looked at her once just now!
â¦
After going back, Guri hastened to find a local girl who lived near Tarico. This girl hadnât followed the migration group and instead stayed in the tribe for a whole winter.
âHey, I have something to ask you. Did you go skiing this winter?â Guri asked.
It was publicly known that Guri liked Tarico, so this girl understood her meaning at once.
âYes,â she said. âYou want to ask if Tarico went skiing, right?â
Guri replied indirectly, âNow that you know this, just tell me!â
The girl just giggled.
Guri could only take out a package of cheese prepared in advance and handed it to the girl. âNow you can tell me. What did he do this winter? Who did he mix with?â
The girl took the cheese and said with a grin, âI donât know much. Except for fis.h.i.+ng or riding, he also usually stayed at home. But one day, I saw him skiing with a refugee woman very happily.â
âWhich woman?â Guri resisted the impulse to crack her whip.
âThe one who asks Auntie Dilly questions all the time of course. Tarico likes Auntie Dilly. So does that woman. Maybe they often date in Auntie Dillyâs house secretly.â
Hearing that, Guri became even angrier. Needless to say, it must be Ye Xiaoxian.
Noticing Guriâs fury, the girl continued, âYou like Tarico, right? But your parents donât like him. Is there any future between you and him?â
âItâs none of your business!â Guri mounted the horse and rode away.
The girl held the cheese and cursed at Guriâs back. âWho do you think you are? A princess? How could Tarico like you?â
â¦
After Ye Xiaoxian returned from collecting potherbs, she heard about the Festival of Sacrifice and also how Tarico had embarra.s.sed Dati by selling them a goat for only one silver tael. She couldnât help laughing. This was indeed what a man like him would do.
She didnât feel it strange for Tarico to do so, but Squire Liu asked her secretly, âIn your opinion, why Tarico is so kind to us?â
She said, âHeâs a nice guy. Thereâs always such a person wherever we go.â
âI donât feel the same. He may have an intention, and that may be you.â
She shook her head immediately. âSquire Liu, please donât think that way. Even if heâs helping me, thatâs because weâre friends and have common topics to talk about, like the cooperation over the camel team. Thereâs nothing more.â
Squire Liu said, âAll right, but have you ever thought of marrying a local man?â
âMarrying?â She shook her head again. âNo, Iâve never thought about that.â
Squire Liu took on a serious tone. âAfter living together for so long, I know youâre a good woman. Your mother also supports you to remarry. If you want to marry, I think Tarico is a good choice as long as you like each other. He doesnât have parents, so he can choose who he marries by himself.â
She declined resolutely, âOh, please donât joke. I donât want to remarry. Please donât talk about Tarico that way, or I couldnât have normal contact with him anymore. No, not just him, I wouldnât talk to any men in the tribe!â
Hearing that, Squire Liu could only shut his mouth.
â¦
The day before the Festival of Sacrifice, Li Chengru came to the tribe again. His entourage was the same as last time. He had come here this time just to have fun at the Festival of Sacrifice. So he also brought six goats over, three for the tribe and three for the two families.
Mahal felt fortunate that he hadnât done anything to provoke the Seventh King. It was such a blessing that Tarico had stopped Dati and Guri from charging 10 silver taels, or Squire Liu would tell the Seventh King about his heartless exploitation. If so, the Seventh King would certainly fly into a rage again.
After an impatient meeting with Mahal, Li Chengru took his people to Ye Xiaoxianâs house. Seeing him, the Xiaos and the Lius became wild with joy. They hadnât expected him to come again after a long cold winter. They had even been worried that he had returned to the capital and could no longer protect them.
So, they invited them into the yurt hospitably. Some went to chop firewood, some prepared the food and some poured tea for the guests.
On sitting down, Li Chengru said, âLittle Ye, I miss the milk tea I drank last time. I could drink a huge pot of it this time.â He said this as if talking to a friend.
Ye Xiaoxian didnât think in terms of hierarchy or consider him as a king. âI happened to have made milk tea last time, but now as you can see, thereâs none. To cook milk tea, I have to buy milk and boil tea. Itâs too troublesome.â
âBut I donât drink anything else except for that.â
She smiled. âDo you want to try some honey-jujube tea I newly made. The honey and jujubes were all collected from the mountain. I promise it tastes as good as milk tea.â
Everything she makes is delicious. I may as well try some,
he thought.
After a sip of it, he felt fascinated and drank one after another cups of the new drink, relegating milk tea to the back of his mind.
Fengsheng was worried that his master would rush to the toilet after a while.
Learning that Li Chengru would give them three goats, Xiao Tieshu asked Squire Liu, âWhat about Taricoâs goat? Are we going to buy it or not?â
Squire Liu said resolutely, âNo. We have goats now. Itâs not a fair deal for him to sell the goat for only one silver tael.â Then, he turned to a servant and told him to inform Tarico that he didnât need to bring a goat over tomorrow because they had goats now.
Li Chengru asked, âYou have to buy a goat to join the festival? How much is a goat?â
Squire Liu replied, âA few days ago, the leaderâs wife came here and said that if we want to join the festival, we have to pay money, sacrifice a goat or work for them. If we pay money, we have to give her 10 silver taels and will get two goats. If we donât have money, we need to work for them. Itâs a good choice to help with work, but some refugees donât have a chance to join the ceremony at all. They say they have to feed goats on that day. But the goats eat gra.s.s, donât they? They just herd the goats to the pasture in the morning and drive them back in the evening. They donât need to watch the goats eat all day! Itâs obvious that the leader doesnât want their partic.i.p.ation and the farmers donât want to pay for them.â
Li Chengruâs face suddenly fell.