Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 228 The Little Star of the Hezhe People

In winter, the once noisy waves of Suifenhe disappeared and turned into a big shining mirror.On the mountains to the east of Fuldan City, the once lush forest in autumn has lost all its leaves.

In such seasons, the border residents of Hezhefeyaka around Xingkai Lake go out in groups on sledges pulled by dogs.In addition to hunting the sables to be handed in for the reward of the Wulin Conference, roe deer and elk are their prey.With meat to eat and furs to keep out the cold, the Hezhe people either roast meat and drink by the fire every day, or lie down in the cellar made of birch bark and sleep soundly.

In the birch forest behind a ridge, hundreds of dogs are playing in the snow.They were in groups of three or five, playing happily on the snow. Some Hezhe children were running around on a small sled pulled by three dogs.

16-year-old Ushiha walked out of the wooden house, her little face was soon flushed from the cold.When a group of puppies saw her, they huffed and surrounded her.She was wearing a light yellow suede fox fur coat, and her roe deer leather trousers were tucked into high-waisted moccasin boots.On his head was an otterskin hat with a few strands of red and blue silk wreaths tied on the tip of the hat. It looked so heroic, but also had an indescribable beauty.

Wu Xiha bent down, took off the fox fur gloves, and stroked the puppies in front of him one by one. The girl's sweet laughter and the barking of the puppies echoed in the forest.

Since the Ming Dynasty, the Hezhe people have been called the "Dog Envoys". They are best at driving dog sleds in winter, fishing and hunting in the mountains and forests.

Not far away, a young man wearing a fur cloak was carrying a bag and whistled, and the dogs rushed over in a swarm.The young man took out small dried fish from the cloth bag in his hand, and scattered them on the ground in handfuls.

Seeing that the puppies in front of him had all run to eat, Wu Xiha turned around and took out a pair of skis made of ash from the sleds standing outside the house, and picked up a pair of ski poles.

She put on the sled, bent her knees slightly, and the ski pole touched the thick snow, and she flew out on the snow like a swallow, leaving only a wave-like snow curtain.

"Wuxiha, why are you running around? Don't go far, come back soon!" Inside the wooden house, a man in his fifties came out of the wooden house and shouted at Uxiha's back.

"Understood. I'm not a big bear squatting in a warehouse. I eat and sleep all day long, and I eat and eat when I sleep." Wu Xiha complained, his figure had already rushed to the bottom of the valley, and at the turning point, he quickly crossed the mountain ridge and disappeared Deep in the jungle.

The wind whizzed by Ushiha's ears, and the skis wrapped in badger skin suddenly took her up the steep hillside, and then coiled up the mountainside.When she had had enough fun and was about to go down the mountain, she suddenly heard a loud noise from the west.

"boom!"

Immediately afterwards, the wailing of a beast came.

"It's a tiger!"

Wu Xiha looked nervously at the valley to the west, but she couldn't see anything except the lingering sound in her ears.Wu Xiha leaned on his ski pole and slid quickly from the hillside to the bottom of the valley. With the help of inertia, he quickly rushed to the opposite mountain ridge.

In the red pine forest, Liu Sheng pulled the wrench of the lever rifle, and a yellow, steaming bullet flew out of the magazine.He quickly reached out to copy, and the bullet casing was already held in the glove.Seeing this, several guards around him immediately applauded in unison.

"It's not easy! I have been chasing after you for two days."

More than ten meters away, a Siberian tiger with yellow and black patterns was lying on the snow, and the blood gurgling from its abdomen stained a large area red.

On the night of the fourth day of the first lunar month, the tiger broke into the yard of a refugee family outside Fuldan City, apparently looking for food.However, Fuldan City is still under the wartime system at present, and has always implemented a supply system. Regardless of whether it is inside or outside the city, all families go to several dining spots in the city to eat together.Not to mention meat, each family doesn't even have food.

The tiger wrecked that family's house once, and just caught up with the family's return.The hungry tiger violently attacked people, biting the hostess and the child seriously.Hearing the news, the neighbors rushed over with torches to scare off the tiger, and rushed the injured father and son to the medical station in the city.

After Liu Sheng heard about it that night, he was worried that he would have nothing to do during the Chinese New Year, so he took Seldan and his guard team into the mountains to fight tigers early the next morning.Fortunately, there was an old hunter named Seldan following the tiger's footprints along the way. A dozen people chased it for only two days before they were caught.

The tiger in front of me must have weighed more than 200 kilograms, and the Mongolian horse Liu Sheng and the others were riding couldn't carry it at all.Several soldiers took out axes and handsaws from their saddle bags at this time, and prepared to chop wood to make a sledge.

Liu Sheng walked up to the tiger with a gun in his hand, and kicked it twice worryingly to make sure that the tiger was dead, then leaned over to touch the fur that was like a dancing flame, and cursed casually: "You said you are good!" If you don’t stay in the nest, why come out to wander around?! Is this the end of the game? You don’t eat so many stupid roe deer in the mountains, you insist on biting people, you are an idiot!”

"Puchi!" A chuckle, obviously from a woman, came from behind a red pine tree.

"Who?! Come out!" Liu Sheng stared, stood up and raised his gun, aimed at the place where the sound came out, and shouted loudly.The soldiers in the guard class and Seldan also raised their weapons when they heard the sound.

"You guys killed this tiger? You are really interesting, what's the point with a dead tiger?" A light yellow figure flashed under the tree, Wu Xiha pursed his mouth and walked away with a smile on his face. out.

"Where is the little girl? How can you speak Chinese?" Liu Sheng was slightly surprised, and then continued to shout with a straight face: "Let your accomplices come out too."

Wu Xiha tilted his head and looked at the burly man seven or eight meters away, shook his head and said, "I don't have accomplices, I'm out for skiing. By the way, why do you look like a black bear?"

Liu Sheng's forehead was immediately filled with black lines, and he pretended not to hear.

Seldan put down the compound bow in his hand, and asked, "Girl, which tribe do you belong to? How can you speak official Chinese so fluently?"

Wu Xiha let out a "Yeah" and asked joyfully, "Uncle, are you also from Hezhe?"

Seldan shook his head and said, "I am from Kulkazi."

"Oh, so you are Yiche Manchuria. Which banner are you from?"

"It used to be a blue flag."

"Before? What about now?"

"Hehe, this girl is really a curious baby." Liu Sheng murmured to himself dumbfounded.

"Wait! What are you talking about? What is a curious baby?"

"Well, I didn't say anything, I said myself. Okay?"

"No! You must tell me today, what is a curious baby?"

Seldan saw that the girl was determined to get into the wrong place, and quickly interrupted: "Girl, it's getting late, you should go back early. After going so far, the family members should be in a hurry."

Wu Xiha turned his head and asked, "Uncle, what about you?"

Seldan said helplessly: "We came from the side of the twin castles. The tiger broke into a house and hurt people. We came out to fight the tiger."

Seeing the innocent and harmless appearance of this pretty woman, the soldiers in the security squad relaxed and started to go about their business again.Liu Sheng returned to his horse, took out a jug of white wine from his saddle bag, took a sip, and handed it to Seldan.Seldan took a sip and returned it.

Uxiha looked at this group of strangers curiously. She had never seen the clothes, shoes and hats they wore, the tools in their hands, and the strange shotgun on their backs. The novelty aroused her curiosity.But she saw that the soldiers were too busy to talk to her, so she came to Liu Sheng again, and said with a smile, "Big man, are you an official?"

"Oh? You also guessed this?"

"That's right. Everyone else is working, but you don't do it. You look like a lieutenant."

Can this still be a good chat!Liu Sheng couldn't say a word when he was pushed.

"Girl, what's your name?" Seldan asked without looking back while helping the soldiers to tie up the sledge.

"My name is Uxiha. Hezhe."

Seldan praised: "Your parents really know how to name you! This name is good!"

Liu Sheng said: "Old Se, what do you mean?"

"Wu Xiha, Manchu means little star."

Liu Sheng said "Oh", and asked Wu Xiha curiously: "Little Xingxing, how can you speak Chinese?"

"I used to stay in Ningguta City, and I studied with Mr. Private School for two years. That's where I learned Mandarin." Wu Xiha looked at the wine pot in Liu Sheng's hand, which had a very strange shape. Also wears a leather case.So he said to Liu Sheng: "Big man, your jug ​​is not bad. Give it to me? I'll exchange it with you."

Liu Sheng chuckled and said, "What do you want in exchange?"

Wu Xiha thought for a while, then took out a small leather bag from his arms, and waved it casually, there was a crashing sound coming from inside. "I'll trade Al Chukuoqi for you."

Ah Qi, what is this?Liu Sheng curiously took the bag, opened it, and suddenly realized: "So it's a sheep crutch!"

"You idiot, this is not a sheep crutch, it's a roe deer crutch!"

Liu Sheng took out a roe deer bone, and saw that it was as white as jade; perhaps because it had been played with for a long time, it had already revealed a jade-like crystal luster, and he couldn't help but marvel at it.

"Big man, do you want to change it? If you don't change it, return it to me."

"Okay. Wait a minute." After Liu Sheng finished speaking, he walked up to his horse, took out four small stainless steel wine glasses with leather covers from the saddle bag, and took out a funnel for pouring wine.After thinking for a while, he took out another cloth bag, put the wine glass and funnel in it, and handed it to Wu Xiha together with the jug.

"There's still half a jug of white wine here, all for you."

Wu Xiha took the things with great joy, and kept rubbing the leather case of the jug in his hands.

At this moment, Seldan reminded: "Girl, it's getting late, should you go back?"

"Oh! It's terrible! Ama is going to scold me." Wu Xiha hurriedly put the things into his arms, and said to Liu Sheng: "Big man, I'm leaving. When the spring begins, I will go to Fuerdan City with Ama I want to play with you." After she finished speaking, without waiting for Liu Sheng to argue, she said to Seldan: "Uncle, Kaichun'er, I will look for you. What's your name?"

"Hehe, my name is Seldan."

"Oh. Remember."

Wu Xiha walked to the place where he was hiding just now, took out his skis and poles, and after putting them on, he waved to Liu Sheng and the others. Then he pushed his poles harder and disappeared on the mountain ridge not long after.

"This girl is really interesting." Seldan smiled and looked at the back of the girl going away.

"That's right, I almost shot just now." Liu Sheng said with lingering fear.

After a while, the sledge for transporting the tiger's body was tied up, and everyone lifted the tiger's body onto the sledge and tied it up with ropes.Seldan tied the sledge to both sides of his saddle again, then looked up at the sky, and said to Liu Sheng: "Let's go quickly, and find a place to camp in a while. It will snow again at night."

At this time, the sky was getting gloomy, and Wu Xiha skied all the way back. Just halfway, he ran into Ama who was leading the tribe looking for her.

Sahalian looked at his sweaty daughter, and couldn't help scolding: "Damn girl! Where did you go? I'm so anxious! It's almost dark!"

"Ama."

"Forget it, forget it, as long as you find someone. Come back, everyone." A few clansmen on the side persuaded.

"Come up!" Sahalian shouted at his daughter.Only then did Wu Xiha take off his skis, and obediently got on the dog sledge.He, Ama, glared at her angrily, then turned his head and ignored her.After blowing the whistle, he started to walk back on the sledge.

At night, in the Hezhen people's camp, Sahalian, who had had dinner, was asking his daughter what happened during the day.

"You said they came from the twin castles?!" Sahalian exclaimed.

"Yes. Didn't you ask just now?" Wu Xiha pouted, looking like a doormat.

"Silly girl! You are so lucky!" Saharian sighed.

"Ama, what's the matter? Haven't you been to the Twin Castles before?" Wu Xiha asked in surprise with Bling Bling's big eyes shining.

"Ask me to tell you what's good! You don't know, the twin castles were taken by a group of unknown rebels. I heard that they took down Hunchun City. Those people you met today may be Those rebels!"

"Ah! But they are very nice. There is also an uncle from Kurkazi inside, who speaks very kindly. That's right!" Wu Xiha remembered the flagon she had exchanged with that big man, and hurriedly took it out of her arms He took it out and handed it to Sahalian.

"What is this?" Sahalian asked in surprise.

"The jug, I traded it with someone else. Thinking that you usually like to drink a few sips, I traded it with someone else. Look, there are still cups here." Wu Xiha unscrewed the lid of the hip pot while talking.A strong aroma of white wine wafted out.

Saharan felt gluttonous in his stomach and couldn't help taking a sip.A hot current flowed from his throat to his lower abdomen, making him feel warm all over. "Good wine!"

"It's just good wine. I worked so hard to get it for you, and you still talk about me."

"What did you exchange for?" Sahalian's face suddenly changed, as if he had thought of something.

"Al Chukuoqi." Wu Xiha replied indifferently.

"What?!" Saharan became anxious when he heard it.Wu Xiha's roe deer abduction was made from dozens of roe deer when his daughter was young.Shaggai is just a child's plaything in later generations.But in this era, it is still a divination tool.The so-called "the one who solves it is bad, and the one who fits is good", "precious back is good, donkey pit is bad, and precious buns are good".

Generally, when people make this, they pick it from cooked lamb leg bones or roe deer bones.But Uxiha's pair was picked from raw meat, so it is extremely white.Over the past ten years, these six abduction bones have been used for divination for a long time, and they have been nourished by blood and energy, which is very rare.Before going hunting these years, Sahar used this thing to divination to ask good and bad luck, which was very effective.Unexpectedly, Wu Xiha was actually exchanged for the jug!

The wine jug in his hand is not bad, and Sahalian likes it very much.But the six Alchus are one of a kind. No, things must come back!
Thinking of this, Sahalian couldn't help poking Wu Xiha's forehead with his index finger, and said angrily: "You, you! You are sixteen this year, why do you still look like a child who can't grow up!"

Seeing that Ama was really angry, Wu Xiha shed tears of grievance. "What's the rush! At worst, I'll accompany you to find them tomorrow and come back!"

Sahalian sighed and said, "It's easy to say, what if people don't give it? Forget it, let's catch up first tomorrow morning."

Early the next morning, Saha harnessed the dogs to pull the sledge, took dozens of animal skins and three days' worth of dry food, and took her daughter all the way west, towards the city of Fuldan.

(End of this chapter)