Chapter 20: The Lower Engagement Gift (Part 2)

  Farewell Wanyan Hu, Ouyang Shu took the tiger skin and went to find Di Yu, saying: "Mr. Di, look."

  Di Yu asked what it was, and Ouyang Yi told Di Yu the origin of this tiger skin. Di Yu exclaimed: "How could the tiger skin she used to name her be given out so easily! Could it be..."

  Ouyang Yu smiled and said, "What's so difficult about that? Big Brother gave her a good bow with a tiger character carved on it - the tiger character was even carved by Yang Lao San! What do you think it means?"

  Di Yu laughed and said: "The magpie on the island in the river, this matter he concealed very tightly, I didn't see it at all. Hmm, but that complete Yan girl, revealed some flaws. Hehe, I originally thought Yan Chong didn't like her, turns out he's cold on the surface, hot underneath."

  Ouyang Shidao said, "At the beginning of our sworn brotherhood, we didn't include you because you were older and considered a senior. This kind of thing is naturally known to brothers first, but seniors are kept in the dark. However, marriage is a major event, a parental order, and a matchmaker's words. Since Laoda's parents have passed away, you can act on their behalf. You need to go talk to Wuya Shu about this matter."

  Di Yu nodded and said: "This is also. But don't be so quick about it."

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said: "No need to be so quick, why would I bring tiger skin for you to see?"

  Di Yu said: "To say that, Yan Chong has been out for so long, what exactly did he go to do? And didn't he leave? How can you call him to bring tiger skin for me to see?"

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said, "It wasn't my brother who called me here, but my future sister-in-law! The young couple is in a hurry. If we don't hurry up, something improper might happen."

  "Alright, I'll find a chance to talk to Wu Ya Shou about it. He and A Ge Da both think highly of Yan Chong, so there shouldn't be any major issues." He was originally a shrewd person, but he hadn't expected Ou Yang Shi to use the wedding as a trick on him, and this matter itself wasn't something that could be joked about, so he easily believed it.

  After Ou Yang went out, he saw A Gu Da and Zong Xiong, Wu Shu and others returning from hunting. He was moved in his heart, spread the tiger skin open and put it on the fence by the roadside to sunbathe.

  Zong Xiong glanced at the tiger skin as he passed by, stopped his horse and said: "Ouyang brothers, what are you doing here?"

  "This is my elder brother's treasure, I took it out to help him dry it, afraid of getting moldy."

  Zong Xiong carefully examined the tiger skin once more before leaving.

  Ouyang was secretly delighted in his heart: "It seems it's mostly settled."

  That night, Wuya Shu came to invite Diwu and Ouyang Yi to drink. Wan Yanhu's uncle, Aguda, and his brother, Zongxiong, were also present. The Jurchen people didn't have many tedious formalities either, and after just a few words, they got straight to the point.

  "Where did Zongyong get his sister Ahu's tiger skin from?"

  "Hey! Didn't she tell you?"

  "So she gave him a tiger skin in return for the bow he sent her, right?"

  Ouyang Yi nodded and said, "Yes."

  Di Yu glanced at Ouyang Yi and smiled: "I just heard about this matter, in my opinion, since both children are willing, why not follow their wishes? What does the monarch think?"

  Wuya Shu smiled and Ah Gu said: "Zhe Yan Chong is a hero! Marrying him wouldn't be a shame for Ah Hu."

  Ouyang Shi took advantage of the situation and said: "If that's the case, when would be a good time to arrange this marriage?"

  Agu Da looked at Wu Ya Shou who was lying on the animal hide and said: "This is a good thing, naturally the sooner the better."

  Di Yu and Ouyang both guessed his meaning. Wu Ya Shou's illness was getting heavier, if Wanyan Hu could get married earlier, it would also fulfill one of his wishes.

  Ouyang Shi said: "Then we might as well get things done and let them get married when my brother comes back, it can also be a surprise for him."

  Wuya Shu and Agu Da exchanged a glance, Zong Xiong said: "Surprise is okay, but can't wrong my sister."

  Ouyang Shi had made preparations earlier and took out a list, saying: "According to Han customs, the man's side should give betrothal gifts. We are living in exile here and don't have much property, so this gift can only be modest."

  Zong Xiong recognized the characters, took it over and looked at it, only to see that on top was written: "Fifty volumes of books with golden thread binding, ten sets of crystal bead chess, ten crystal lamps, two sets of crystal bead curtains, twenty strong bows, five precious knives, three hundred horses, three hundred cows, five hundred taels of gold, and ten catties of tea."

  Zong Xiong read it and exclaimed with great joy: "Not thin, not thin. Too thick!" He told Wu Ya Shou and A Gu Da the contents of the list.

  "We're not selling our daughter, how can we accept so many things? You didn't have many cattle and horses to begin with, now that you've given them away, what will you do in the future?"

  "Brother, it's no big deal to accept this. I've heard that according to Han customs, we still need to prepare a dowry. We don't have any jade or pearls, so when the time comes, let's just give more horses and cattle!"

  Wuya smiled and said, "To match the value of these betrothal gifts, I don't know how many thousands of horses and cattle we would have to send! The distance from here to the Han tribe's village is only about ten miles. Just bringing the cattle and horses over would probably fill up this entire ten-mile stretch."

  Everyone burst out laughing upon hearing this.

  Di Yu came out of the house and said to Ouyang Shuo: "Whose idea is this list? Do we have so many things?"

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said, "Except for gold and horses, almost all of our valuable things are on it. The crystal products were just made, those fifty books and ten catties of tea were exchanged when Zhao's steward came a few days ago! I had someone bind the books with golden thread, re-binding them beautifully."

  "Never mind about the others, but how dare you randomly send away our war horses and cattle!"

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said: "What's there to be afraid of? I knew they would return the gift. The Jurchen people have nothing else, but they have plenty of horses. So this deal is definitely not going to lose us money."

  The news spread the next day, which was a rare grand event in the Jurchen tribe in recent years. Yang Kaiyuan heard about it and found Diwu: "How could such a big thing happen, I didn't even hear about it beforehand!"

  "Didn't you hear? Weren't you helping Yan Chong engrave the bow inscription?"

  Yang Kaiyuan said: "Engraving the bow with words, that was what Ouyang asked me to do. He didn't tell me what it's all about either."

  Di Yu thought about it more and more, and didn't feel right, so he found Ouyang Shi to ask him about the details. Ouyang Shi smiled and said: "To be honest with you, Lao Da is still in the dark about this matter."

  Di Yu and Yang Kaiyuan were shocked: "What did you say?!"

  Yang Kaiyuan said: "Zhe Lao Da doesn't even know yet, how can you..."

  Ouyang Shidao said: "I have no choice either. If I don't do this, there's no way to trick the old man into joining!"

  Di Yu's face sank as he said, "Is this what you're doing in order for us to gain a firmer foothold?"

  Ouyang Shidao said, "That's right! If we don't intermarry with the Jurchen people, no matter how we hide our light and nurture ourselves, they will eventually suspect us. But if our eldest brother becomes the son-in-law of Wanyan Zongwang, the situation would be greatly different."

  "But isn't it a bit too much to sell out Zhao Lao Da just for this?"

  Ouyang Zidao said, "It's too late to turn back now. If you don't agree, then tie me up and take me to see Wuya Shu and Agu Da - but even if I'm handed over, this matter won't be easily settled."

  Di Yu and Yang Kaiyuan looked at each other in dismay, shaking their heads together.

  At the time when Zhen and Han were busy adding to their gains, Zhe Yan Chong was rushing back. This unexpected harvest, Cao Guangyi had not yet realized its importance, but Yang Yingqi was already laughing all the way with a smile that couldn't be closed.

  They hadn't even entered the village when they saw many people rushing out cheering. Yang Yingqi said, "This is strange, could it be that they received news ahead of time and are excited to this extent."

  They immediately heard the crowd outside shouting: "The groom is back! The groom is back!"

  Zhe Yan Chong and Cao Guang Bi stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Yang Ying Qi heard the three words "new official husband" and secretly worried: "It can't be Ouyang Shi..."

  Before he had even finished speaking, Yang Kaiyuan had already walked out and quietly led the three of them in. They arrived at the conference room, where Di Yu, Ouyang Shi, Aru Man, and Xiao Tienu were all present.

  "Exactly what's going on? Why is everyone surrounding me and calling me the new groom?"

  Di Yu sighed: "It's a big deal, but... maybe it's a good thing."

  Yang Yingqi saw everyone's hesitant expression and rushed to Ouyang Yi saying: "Ouyang, you wouldn't be..."

  Ouyang smiled wryly and nodded, but his eyes were full of complacency.

  "What exactly happened?"

  A'lu said: "Didn't everyone tell you? You're going to be the groom!"

  "Who?"

  "You! Folded elder brother."