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.
Doesn’t Lilia feel strange?
She must abide by her parents' decision and marry this young man named Kawei.
The time she spent in the meeting hall seemed as long as a year. When she left the boudoir, she held her sister's hand. Everything was just like when she was a child. Now, she had to admit that she was a wife. Although it was against tradition, her parents and Rose
The chief minister has served as a witness and fully recognized the legality of the marriage.
Wedding? That's necessary.
The wedding was just a formality, and 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 when she married him. Now, the housework she had learned for many years had finally come in handy.
Kawei stared at this short woman, whose 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 at heart, why not Kawei?
He looked at Lilia's long braided back and couldn't help but think about his future.
This girl is indeed very beautiful. Can she be a good mother? Can she bear children and raise many young blacksmiths?
"Don't do it anymore and go to bed early."
Lilia couldn't understand Kawei's words. The girl's hands shook and she quickly turned around.
Although he has no experience of sleeping on a wooden bed, Kawei does not reject new sleeping experiences. Besides, this room is obviously more beautiful and neatly decorated than his old home, and the patterned linen sheets beneath him clearly 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, leaning 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 she has been "pampered" compared to others in her more than ten years of life. She eats better and naturally appears healthier.
, a healthy woman also means beautiful.
Kawei's big 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 was even more prepared for that.
"Lilia, you are so beautiful. I am so happy to marry you."
Hearing this, the girl 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 on his back, covered with a deerskin blanket he brought with 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 said to himself, not caring whether his newlywed wife
Listen clearly.
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: "Doesn't my appearance satisfy him? That's not right."
Lilia, who was also tired, lay down, wrapped in a soft linen blanket sewn from her own five layers of linen. Her hands touched the extremely precious necklace she had recently acquired from her husband.
At this moment, outside the wooden door, a tribesman from the White Tree Manor was ordered to take advantage of the rainy night to eavesdrop on the sounds in the house. The person who gave the order was Ligus himself. He had already put the leader of the Ross people and several important subordinates to bed.
, and then waited with mixed emotions for the tribesmen to come and report a result.
The lights in the conference hall were still bright, and Ligus was on pins and needles waiting for the news.
On a rainy night, the tribesman came over in a hurry and reported immediately: "Manor Chief, they have fallen asleep."
Ligus felt as if he had been stabbed by a knife. His tired body suddenly straightened up, and he squinted 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 taken a rest."
"Eh? That Kawei is really calm?!" After receiving this news, Ligus instantly developed a new liking for Kawei.
Ligus himself really doesn't understand the marriage customs of the Russians. Even the girls who married Russians last year, they all became women after a wedding organized by the Russians themselves.
The sky continued to thunder. The more the weather was like this, Kawei had to maintain complete restraint out of his own beliefs.
Thor, the patron saint of craftsmen, is also the god of thunder. Kawei did not dare to blaspheme his faith, and he just wanted to have a good rest because of physical and mental exhaustion.
All the Russians fell asleep, and after learning that his daughter was still pure, Ligus no longer persisted.
The rain washed away the mud and grassy beaches, 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 became muddy. In this situation, the tributes still have to be collected as planned. Even though it is muddy and muddy, everyone feels really worried.
The sky was gloomy, and he learned from Rigus that Pine Needle Manor also collected tributes after the Russians left, so Otto decided to punish them harshly.
After all, the rain had affected the timing of the tribute. Looking at the current situation, Otto felt that it was absolutely impossible for him to collect the tribute from all the estates 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 the 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 Kavey that since he was a son-in-law, he should follow the etiquette of the Novgorod people, put on the traditional clothes of local young men, and participate in the Novgorod-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.
Rigus has already discussed with Otto that his daughter must have a wedding in his hometown first. He really feels that he is taking advantage by doing this. If the wedding is held at the woman's house, he can proudly tell other manor heads that
He recruited a son-in-law.
When the younger daughter grows up, the wedding between her and Ross, their only son, will have to be held at home. That is another even greater advantage!
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, but why do ordinary residents have so much trouble?
The head of the manor, Rigus, had already spread 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 gorgeously dressed priests came to the square early. These goddesses wore coats with obviously deliberately drooped linen strips, wore a crown of rattan on their heads, and held tambourines with drooped cloth strips in their hands, surrounding the square.
The well-jumping master in the middle.
Completely different from the Russians, the priests of White Tree Manor do not have that much power. The value of the existence of the manor priests, apart from performing rituals to pray for good weather during festivals, 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 perform great spiritual chanting spells, which basically can only provide psychological comfort to the patients. The residents of the manor don't really believe in the priests, and they are more willing to believe in the determination of the manor director Ligus.
The priest cannot recite incantations to drive away the Russians demanding 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 Russians.
A group of girls from the manor wore plain clothes and crowns with flowers on their heads. They wore felt boots and stepped on the muddy square.
What came forward was a large group of Ross people. Under the leadership of Chief Ross, they entered the collective wedding scene.
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 Russians who returned with their pregnant wives not only proved themselves that they cared for their wives, but also provided considerable gifts to subsidize the lives of their wives' parents' families.
Those families who have a daughter to be married based on inquiring information, once they learn about this reality, their previous hesitation disappears!
Marry a woman to a Russian! The son-in-law will bring his daughter back to visit relatives. Visiting relatives is equivalent to receiving financial gifts! Russians come every year, and his family can receive gifts every year!
If you marry your daughter to another manor, those people will not be as generous as the Russians.
Things were completely beyond Otto's expectation.
He really didn't expect that Ligus was so cooperative, just for the sake of marriage, vowing to marry all the girls in White Tree Manor to the 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 took the betrothal gifts they had prepared, some amber rough stones, or some silver coins, and found the girl they were satisfied with.
As for the other fifty Ross boys, they chose to continue to wait and see.
With a few pieces of amber and a dozen silver coins, if you take these treasures to Smolensk in the south during the off-season, you can exchange them for a large amount of linen threads from the locals, or pay a little silver coins in exchange for a considerable amount of rations.
Compared with the tribute paid by one's own family, how can the betrothal gift paid by the son-in-law be more valuable?!
Because marrying a daughter, even a family in trouble can quickly improve its poverty situation.
This marriage is obviously a win-win situation for both parties.
After realizing this, the collective wedding ended smoothly and peacefully.
Due to serious disturbances from rainfall and other incidents, Otto ordered everyone to continue their stay.
The wedding was over, and the fifty young Russian men who had completed the wedding were taken home by their parents-in-law. The language barrier? That was not a big problem. They were eager for their daughter and son-in-law to have sex immediately and make their relationship work.
However, the Russians all maintained restraint.
It's not that they have a high degree of self-discipline, it's entirely because of their beliefs. Only when the Russian priests preside over a Russian-style wedding can the relationship between husband and wife be solid.
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, even if they will be despised by others, and the children they give birth to will also be despised. For reasons
For this reason, the Ross people actually showed some restraint and self-discipline in front of more White Tree Manor residents.
Such an action is a strong mental impact.
Are they really savages? Will savages 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 aggressive and ruthless 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 further obtain it.
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.
How about Pine Needles Manor?
No! This year, that estate needs to be sanctioned.
The sky was still dark in the afternoon, but fortunately the shadow of the sun appeared faintly in the western sky. There might not be any more rain in the next few days.
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.
Even though it was raining, he touched the linen bag filled with oat kernels and rye kernels, and found that 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, it would be great if all the manors were as cooperative as you are!"
Rigus immediately cheered up, nodded and leaned close to Otto, and said deliberately: "We are willing to be the servants of the Russian people, my masters forever. Even some people are still very hostile to you."
"Hostile?" Otto blew his beard contemptuously, "You mean the Pine Needle Manor?"
"Yes, that's them. I heard that they are the head of the estate and the leader of the entire Novgorod. Oh, this is really stupid. All smart estates know that you are our masters."
"You are a great speaker."
"No, I am speaking 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 nine maids and a boy for him.
servant."
"Oh?" Otto asked hurriedly: "Why is there only one boy?"
"Yes. Because all boys will become farm laborers when they grow up, and they will produce more wheat for the Russian people."
"So what's going on with this boy?"
Ligus hurriedly replied: "The child's mother was collecting mushrooms in the forest and was killed by a bear. We organized people to go into the forest to search, and we killed the bear, but two people died. The child's father died of serious injuries. Poor him has become an adult.
Orphaned."
"This is fate." After hearing this story, Otto immediately thought of his nephew Arik, "But it is also fate that he became my son's servant. One boy and nine girls, how old are they?"
"All 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 see these children now."
In fact, Otto had no interest in a group of children at all. When he saw children, their clothes were in tatters, he was even less interested.
He noticed the little boy whose parents were killed by a bear. The boy had a dull face and eyes. The bear was his father-killing enemy. How could he take revenge with such a dull and cowardly look?
These children gathered in front of Rigus' house, and the scene of Otto examining these children was also closely watched by the children's parents.
Their young daughter has to work as a servant for the young son of the Russian leader. They don't know whether their daughter is a good thing. The Russians will pay ten silver coins for each child, which is of particular concern to the girl's parents.
Otto raised the boy with his big finger and said to Rigus: "Bring the boy over."
"Yes." Ligus hurriedly grabbed the child over himself.
The boy faced the tall and strong Ross collar, and he looked frightened despite being dull.
"A thin child, what's his name?" Otto asked.
"It's called Kamne." Rigus explained.
The name means stone. Otto stretched out his hand to place the boy's chin, looked left and right and then let go: "At least my son has no requirements for servants. Rigus, I don't like this child.
He is 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 does not have such requirements."
After that, Otto untied his money bag and handed it to Rigus; "Give the silver coins to the parents of the girls. As for Kamne, his parents are dead, and you continue to take care of him as the head of the manor.
A silver coin is your reward."
"Oh, your great leader is 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. Your White Tree Manor is our loyal servant. It seems that now Pine Needle Manor has
Some new ideas, I really need to teach them a lesson."
Ligus immediately asked alertly: "Is it an attack?"
"Do you want us to attack?" Otto suddenly turned his head and stared at Rigus.
After all, as an old guy who has lived for more than fifty years, Otto can feel that this Ligus is very much looking forward to the Ross army attacking Pine Needle Manor.
"This...I don't know."
"You don't need to know. I haven't gone to Pine Needle Manor or other manors to collect tributes. The rain and the wedding have delayed too many things. Now, I have to gather my people. Tomorrow I will take them to Pine Needle Manor.
The ten thousand pounds of wheat harvested less from your White Tree will be provided by Pine Needle Manor. And you, Rigus!"
"Yes, Master." Ligus complimented.
"Now you organize women to make us a large amount of baked bread, which will be the food for our return journey. Listen, the bread you provided to my people yesterday seemed to have a sour smell, and my people complained. This
You are not allowed to be naughty once."
"Yes, I will do it immediately. Your people can all eat the latest baked bread."
Otto nodded: "Enable all your ovens and do your best. I plan to leave in three days. During this time, you must make a thousand pounds of oats into large toast. Otherwise, it will be disloyal."