Chapter 90

Even the liveliest banquet has its end when the music stops and the guests disperse. The welcoming banquet finally concluded at the hour of Hai, at least on the surface.

The next day, when Yueyang woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. He touched his still slightly dizzy head and felt his mouth dry. He grabbed the teapot beside him and gulped down half a pot of tea, which made him feel a bit better.

Just as Yueyang was about to start washing up, the thick curtain was pulled open, and with the glaring light shining into the tent, a slender figure walked in, accompanied by a clear voice.

"Look at the time now, how can you still be in bed? Don't forget, you still have to present the gift list and dowry to my Ab!"

Indeed, in the科尔沁部落 (Khorchin tribe), the only person who could speak to Yueyang like this was Hailanzhu.

Yueyang smiled bitterly without a word. His fiancée was really not being polite, already thinking about his dowry so soon. He could only laugh helplessly and say, "How did you just walk in? We aren't married yet!"

Today, Hailanzhu was wearing a light white dress, with her hair tied into many fine braids, looking charmingly beautiful. She walked up to Yueyang and gave him a playful look, "So what if we aren't married? Our Mongolian girls aren't like your Han people with so many rules. Unmarried couples can't meet before the wedding, and even passing a message has to be done through servants, which is so troublesome!"

After saying that, Hailanzhu didn't avoid him and went to the side to help him fetch water and handed him a towel.

Well, Yueyang had to admit that his fiancée's behavior was more like that of a modern girl, perhaps this was what attracted him to her. Although Yueyang hadn't known her for long, he found that he felt very relaxed when he was with this cheerful and kind girl. He was willing to share things with her that he couldn't talk about with others.

Yueyang casually put the towel on the wooden rack and glanced over to see Hailanzhu sitting on the bed, folding a few of his changed clothes. Her movements were so natural, as if she had done it countless times before. The rising morning light shone through the curtain, illuminating her fair and rosy face, even the fine down on her face was clearly visible. At this moment, Hailanzhu looked so beautiful and virtuous that Yueyang was entranced, staring at her in a daze.

After a long while, Hailanzhu felt the silence beside her and looked up to see Yueyang staring at her in a daze. She couldn't help but laugh and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Do I have something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No!" Yueyang shook his head and asked seriously, "I want to ask you something. Can you answer me honestly?"

Hailanzhu raised her face and smiled gently, "Of course, ask away!"

"I..." Yueyang hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Hailanzhu, we've only known each other for a few months, and we've met so few times. We don't really know each other well. How can you be willing to marry me and spend your life in a place that is completely unfamiliar to you?"

"Hmm... Why do you ask this?" Hailanzhu looked at Yueyang in surprise. She put the folded clothes aside, lifted her left hand to brush the hair from her forehead, and thought for a moment before saying, "Your question is quite unique, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

Do you know? My younger sister, Bumbutai, married Huang Taiji ten years ago. She was only twelve when she got married. Actually, the one who should have married was me, but my Ab loved me too much and didn't want to marry me off, so my sister took my place. My aunt and my sister, two women of the Borjigit family, married Huang Taiji, which brought great rewards to our Khorchin tribe. Now our tribe is one of the strongest among the Mongolian tribes. My Ab decided to marry me to you for his own reasons. You are a merchant from the Ming Dynasty, and you have the grain, tea bricks, and salt that our tribe needs. So my Ab had the idea of marrying me to you. He also asked for my opinion, and after getting to know you, I found that we get along well, which is why we are getting married. Can you understand what I mean?"

"I can..." Yueyang nodded seriously.

Yueyang wasn't someone who believed in love above all else, thinking that he had to have a grand romance to make his life worthwhile. Even in the modern society that claims to have free love, not every couple is a result of free love. In big cities or rural areas, many young people, due to various reasons, don't have the opportunity to meet and socialize with the opposite sex. They often get to know each other through introductions by friends, family, or matchmakers, and after a short few months, they hastily get married and spend their lives together. For many people, love is still a luxury.

If this is the case in the 21st century, how much more so in the Ming Dynasty, four or five hundred years ago? So Yueyang really understood Hailanzhu's feelings. He held her small hand earnestly and said, "Hailanzhu, believe me, I will strive to make you happy. I promise!"

Hailanzhu smiled sweetly, the morning light shining on her snow-white face, making her look even more beautiful.

"Come, let me show you the dowry I brought for you!" Yueyang pulled Hailanzhu's small hand and ran out excitedly...

Time always passes quickly when you're with your loved one, and the mood is always pleasant. As the father of the bride, Zaisang was undoubtedly in a good mood, watching the numerous items of grain, tea bricks, salt, and cloth, which the tribe desperately needed, being unloaded from hundreds of carts and piled up into small mountains. Zaisang's wrinkled old face broke into a smile like a chrysanthemum.

He stroked his beard contentedly and said to Yueyang, "Dear son-in-law, it's rare for you to bring so many things, which must have been a lot of trouble for you. But don't worry, I won't let you down. I know what you need. I can't be too stingy when I marry off my daughter. Here, I'll give you a thousand cattle, two thousand sheep, and four thousand fine warhorses. I want everyone to know that Zaisang is marrying off his daughter!"

"Thank you, Father-in-law!" Yueyang was overjoyed. With these four thousand fine warhorses, he could form a cavalry of at least two to three thousand men. His father-in-law was indeed generous.

However, some people can't handle praise. Just as Yueyang finished speaking, this father-in-law walked up and put his arm around Yueyang's shoulder, grinning, "Dear son-in-law, now that I've accepted your dowry, we're family. As the Han people say, 'Family doesn't speak of two things.' So I'll speak my mind. Do you mind?"

Yueyang, in a good mood, nodded,