ATPnovel Chapter 35 Kitahara Autumn and Winter
Chapter 35 Kitahara Autumn and Winter
In late autumn in Kitahara, the sky hangs extremely low.
The wind came from the far north, carrying sand and broken grass, sweeping across the fields and slopes.
Below the hillside, cattle and sheep surged in the autumn wind, resembling a living sea.
On the hillside, two figures lay prone in the withered grass, their bodies covered in sheepskin, blending into the landscape.
"Moon".
The burly man beside the girl spoke in a low voice, his deep tone overwhelming the howling north wind.
The girl turned her head when she heard the sound.
She was still quite young, about ten years old, and while her appearance wasn't exceptionally beautiful, she possessed the heroic spirit of a child from the Northern Plains.
She nestled close to her father and softly replied:
"Father, what's wrong?"
The man continued to gaze at the sheep, speaking casually:
"In a few years, you will reach the age for marriage."
"Any young men you fancy?"
Wanyan Yue was startled, her ears turning crimson. She shrank back, burying her head in the grass, her voice barely audible:
"Father...you...you're talking nonsense..."
The man lowered his voice and chuckled a few times:
"What's there to be ashamed of? A girl from Kitahara will eventually settle down and start a family. Since I'm free today, I'll teach you."
"Let me teach you what kind of men we in Kitahara should choose."
He counted on his rough fingers, speaking with relish:
"First, you must be able to ride a spirited horse. Horses are the legs of the Northern Plains people; if you can't even sit steadily on a horse's back, you're not a man."
"Secondly, one must be able to draw a strong bow. Only one who can shoot through a wolf's eye from a hundred paces away can protect his woman and guard the tribe's cattle and sheep."
third......"
He paused, gazing at the distant mountain ranges, his expression profound:
"A man must have his tribe in his heart. A man who can only fit into his own tent, no matter how good he is, is a wild horse without a bridle, and should never be married."
Wanyan Yue's face flushed and her heart pounded as she listened, and she retorted softly:
"But Father...in Kitahara marriages, isn't it always the groom's family who chooses the bride? The bride's parents agree, and then the girl goes with them...how can it be the daughter who chooses?"
"That's the rule for the weaker factions," the man said casually, his words laced with arrogance.
"Our Wanyan tribe is different. We are powerful, so naturally we have the right to choose."
Wanyan Yue blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite. She thought for a moment, then said:
"But I heard Hatu say... he said that when women grow up, they should marry into powerful tribes so that the tribe will prosper. Father... don't you want that?"
The man is silent.
He reached out and placed his rough, broad palm on the girl's head, rubbing it gently.
"Among the people of Beiyuan, none of them do not wish for their tribe to become powerful."
"But peace gained through marriage alliances, and strength gained through women's bodies, are ultimately unreliable. They are like a tent made of withered branches, which will collapse in a snowstorm."
He pointed down the slope to the endless flock of sheep:
"Look, even without relying on marriage alliances, your father has managed to grow the tribe to this extent, hasn't he?"
Wanyan Yue followed his finger and looked at the countless cattle and sheep, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she stared at her father:
"Father... are you saying this because of Mother?"
The man was taken aback by what he heard, his expression subtle, then he smiled meaningfully and touched his arm.
Just as Wanyan Yue was about to ask another question, the man suddenly let out a soft sigh, his gaze returning to the flock of sheep, and his gentle expression vanished.
The girl had no choice but to shut up and watch the cattle and sheep grazing like the sea below the slope.
The wind grew colder.
Wanyan Yue's gaze followed the flock of sheep, gradually becoming lost in thought.
A ewe was lying in the grass, her body convulsing. A short while later, a calf wrapped in blood-stained amniotic sac slid out from her and fell onto the withered grass stems.
The ewe turned her head and lowered her head, repeatedly licking her calf, gently removing the blood from the amniotic sac, showing the utmost tenderness and protectiveness.
Wanyan Yue was captivated by this scene of reproduction.
Just then, the man beside her gently patted her.
"look."
Wanyan Yue suddenly snapped out of her daze and looked in the direction her father had indicated.
Down on the hillside, in a crevice between the rocks, a grayish-brown shadow was stealthily emerging.
It was a wolf, its eyes gleaming with a faint green hue in the dim light of the day.
It crouched low, its belly pressed against the ground, and silently crept towards the outer edge of the flock.
"They've finally arrived," the man said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on him like a hawk's.
Wanyan Yue's breathing suddenly became rapid.
She felt her palms sweating and her calves cramping.
"Scared?"
The man kept his eyes fixed on the wolf, without glancing to the side.
Wanyan Yue bit her lower lip, hid her trembling hands in her sleeves, and said in a hard voice:
"No...no. I'm not afraid."
The man then turned his head and glanced at her.
"lie."
"Everyone is afraid. But the children of Kitahara must learn to conquer... including fear."
Wanyan Yue was stunned for a moment. For some reason, after hearing these words, the trembling in her body actually stopped slowly.
She took a deep breath, reached for the longbow beside her with her small hand, struggled to draw it, pulled out a short arrow, nocked it on the string, squinted, and aimed the arrow at the wolf that was still lurking.
Just as the bowstring was fully drawn and the arrow was ready to be released, a broad, calloused hand reached out and firmly pressed down on the bow arm, stopping her.
"Don't shoot."
Wanyan Yue glanced sideways, her eyes full of confusion.
"That's a she-wolf," the man explained in a low voice.
"She's pregnant. With winter approaching, she's desperate and has no choice but to try and earn some food for her unborn babies."
He continued:
"Let's see. If it only takes one, then let it live. If it's too greedy... then it's not too late to shoot it."
Wanyan Yue was about to retort, but looking at the vast flock of sheep below, she finally pursed her lips and fell silent, releasing the bowstring.
The two continued to observe.
The mother wolf was extremely cautious. She crept to the edge of the flock, spotted a lone lamb, and pounced suddenly, swiftly biting through the lamb's throat. The action was clean and efficient, without any unnecessary struggle.
It did not covet the herds of cattle and sheep before it; carrying a lamb in its mouth, it turned and fled into the wilderness, disappearing into the distance.
On the slope, the father and daughter remained lying down, watching the scattered flock of sheep gather back like clouds, returning to peace.
......
Winter arrived without warning, yet it seemed to have been brewing for a long time.
After three snowstorms, everything in the world will be white.
When the first snow fell, the Wanyan tribe was still reinforcing their felt tents and repairing their fences. After three snowstorms, everything in the world was covered in white.
Beneath the leeward cliff, a nest of rocks is hidden among the snow, with dry grass and broken bones lining the inside.
A female wolf lay on her side among them, her waist and abdomen rising and falling.
Before long, a wet wolf cub rolled down into the grass.
The mother wolf licked it clean again and again, then carefully moved it under her belly to keep it warm.
Immediately afterwards, the second and third cubs were born.
When the last one was born, a hint of confusion flashed in the mother wolf's dark green eyes.
This cub was much weaker than the other three, resembling a large rat.
Its downy fur is as white as snow, pure and flawless, with a golden thread starting from the back of its neck and running along its spine throughout its entire body.
The mother wolf tilted her head, then stuck out her tongue and licked the gold thread vigorously, until the wolf cub rolled over.
The gold thread remains as it was.
Unwilling to give up, it turned around and rubbed it repeatedly. But the gold thread did not fade; instead, it became even brighter from the saliva.
It can't be licked clean.
After several fruitless attempts, the mother wolf finally stopped, looked down at the freak, then glanced at her other ordinary and healthy children, and finally gave up and ignored them.