Chapter 681: Chapter 677: Each with Their Own Agenda
In summer, Yizhou has a large temperature difference between day and night, with daytime highs reaching over thirty degrees Celsius, and nighttime lows dropping to fifteen or sixteen degrees.
Lin Wanwan used a small packet of tea leaves from the modern yurt suite minibar to win a brief friendship with Baye Feng.
Although Baye Feng still did not believe in Lin Wanwanâs aristocratic status, at least he admitted that Lin Wanwan was very wealthy.
In Yizhou, no one just pulls out a handful of tea leaves like that.
Baye Feng was quite poor, and food scarcity was his biggest survival challenge.
He had never seen this type of loose tea leaves that Lin Wanwan took out, only having seen tea cakes pressed into blocks from the old monk Shi Panduo, who was always trying to lure him into monastic life.
A small tea cake could be exchanged for many cattle and sheep in the tribe, but tea was certainly a cherished item; not only did the aristocracy love it, but commoners also enjoyed it for alleviating heaviness, and everyone pursued it despite its high cost.
Besides tea, there was also salt.
Baye Feng walked ahead without looking back: "If you want to stay at our tribe, my advice is to change into the Tang clothes in your bundle, hold your strange weapon, and sleep with your eyes open."
Baya Naba jumped down from her brother, put a piece of dry tea leaf in her mouth, and chewed.
Children raised in sheep herds drink sheepâs milk, eat sheepâs meat and various strange meats their brother hunts, but have little chance to taste tea leaves.
The aunts in the tribe said that tea leaves were something only nobles could afford, capable of easing stomach discomfort.
But the little girl only tasted bitterness when chewing a piece of green tea and couldnât find the flavor.
Lin Wanwan once again gave her a few sugar balls, and now perhaps emboldened by her powerful brother, the little girl boldly licked one of the sugar balls and couldnât put it down after that.
She even shared one, while saying something in perhaps saying "you eat too" in a foreign language, as she brought the sugar ball to Baye Fengâs lips.
Baye Feng turned his face away, and the little girl didnât force him, tightly holding onto the sugar ball, fearing it might drop.
Baye Feng continued leading the way.
"Are you thinking that fat sheep like me are easy to trick?" Lin Wanwan asked Baye Feng.
"I never underestimate a woman walking the river and lake," Baye Feng replied indifferently.
Lin Wanwan raised her hand and shot at the large tree beside her.
With a "pff" sound, a slender nail pierced through dried and emerged, with impressive penetration, and a faint smell of gunpowder filled the air.
This was a nail gun capable of easily penetrating steel plates and concrete walls.
Baye Feng stopped, turning his head to watch Lin Wanwan retrieve the arrowhead she had just fired, his expression unreadable.
Lin Wanwan stood up, smiling brightly at the siblings: "I hope thereâs no misunderstanding between us, I truly want to help you two go to Changâan!"
After all, people as poor and talented as the young man in front were hard to find, and recruiting him as a subordinate would be a great asset.
Lin Wanwan trained in the Armed Department of the manor and had seen the power of Tang Dynasty men; she immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of this square-headed, sharp-eyed young man.
However, he was truly impoverished, which was evident from the siblingsâ clothing and complexion.
This impoverished yet strong Hu ren youth was definitely a favorite for human traffickers, and rather than being fooled into going to the battlefield as cannon fodder, or becoming an assassin or bandit, it would be better for him to serve her.
Baye Feng suddenly smiled, faintly saying, "I believe you."
Since everyone has their motives, this is best; with this, Baye Feng felt less burdened leading her to the leader with an intention to fish.
The terrifying weapon she held might be an artifact from Changâan, extremely fast in deployment and requiring no effort, but its reasons were unknown.
In a surprise situation, even he might not react in time; he believed the leaderâs reaction couldnât be faster than his.
Driving wolves to swallow tigers, how interesting.
The old monk was right; single women walking the rivers and lakes, the most dangerous.
"Iâll take you to meet our leader," Baye Feng resumed walking.
Lin Wanwan frowned, looked at Baye Feng, then at the little girl with a curious expression beside her, and slowly followed.
Baye Feng watched her cautiously out of the corner of his eye, feeling great, quickening his pace.
"Arenât you concerned about your sheep?" Lin Wanwan asked him.
"We have dogs," Baye Feng replied succinctly.
Lin Wanwan scanned the sheep herd and indeed spotted a vigilant shepherd dog.
"Do you need the leaderâs permission to leave the tribe?"
"Hmm." Regardless of what Lin Wanwan said, Baye Feng would just go along.
Soon, they approached the tribal tents; there were many eyes scrutinizing them, "chirping" was the Hu language, possibly Turkic, which Lin Wanwan couldnât understand.
But she knew it was definitely about her, as several Hu women were pointing at her.
They soon arrived at a yurt that looked cleaner than the surroundings, and Naba cheered and rushed in first.
Baye Feng stood outside the yurt, telling Lin Wanwan: "Go inside and change, wearing Tang clothes will earn more respect."
Of course, Lin Wanwan couldnât change clothes in a strange yurt, especially since she hadnât brought ancient costume dresses, which take up space.
"Is this your home?" Lin Wanwan asked, though she didnât plan to change clothes, looking around was no harm, it was a chance to learn more about the siblings.
Approaching the camp, spotting other Hu people, Lin Wanwan confirmed, it wasnât her research being wrong, but rather these siblings being different.
The clothes on the other Hu people didnât show original colors, and lice could be seen running through their hair without getting too close.
This was the norm for a Hu person who bathed only a few times in their lifetime.
The Baye Feng siblings were so clean, there must be a reason.
The younger one was still naive, at an age to wipe her nose with her sleeve, so the clean one was the Hu youth in front.
Their yurt was also clean; although there wasnât much, it was neatly organized.
Lin Wanwan watched the small girl excitedly bring out a jar and carefully put the candies Lin Wanwan had just given her inside.
After observing a bit, Lin Wanwan crouched down and asked the little girl, "Is your mother from the Tang?"
The little girl was about to speak when Baye Fengâs indifferent voice came from outside the yurt.
He spoke in Hu language, but Lin Wanwan knew it must be telling the girl not to talk to her.
Lin Wanwan laughed; even though the little girl didnât answer, she nodded!
No wonder the siblings were different, turns out they were half Tang blood.
Lin Wanwan guessed it was the mother and not the father because, in the current fatherly society, if their father were Tang, they would be recognized as Tang.
But clearly, they lived in the Hu circle, with a stronger Hu identity.