Chapter 449 — The Girl on the Wooden Chest
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
"This is a Dragon Qilin, a cross of dragon and qilin. " Xiong Qi'er poked her little head out of Dragon Qilin's fur, looking about her in curiosity, and the girls were astonished again; they took a great liking to Xiong Qi'er and wanted to kiss her and hold her. Shen Mu had no choice but to bring Dragon Qilin near, lift Xiong Qi'er up, and set her on the chest.
He fell into talk with the girls, and the reason for their astonishment was that he had Xiong Qi'er with him. The customs of the Western Lands were unlike others: after a man and a woman had walked their marriage, if children were born, the sons were sent to the man's family and the daughters kept by the woman.
This custom had bred the strangest of sights in the Western Lands — many a household held only women, or only men, and even whole villages where not a single male could be seen among the women. Seeing Shen Mu with Xiong Qi'er, they took her for his daughter; but Shen Mu looked young, a sunny big boy, not like a man with sons and daughters, and so they could not help their surprise. "Big sisters, let me ask you something.
" Shen Mu was much perplexed by the customs here, and ventured, "I met a girl, and we'd only laid eyes on each other once, and she invited me to her home — but she wouldn't let me in by the front door. She wanted me to climb in through her window instead. What sort of courtesy is that?
" The girls all giggled, and the leader's eyes curved into crescents again. "Li'l brother must be a fool.
When a body asks ye to climb through her window, it's to kiss ye she wants — like mandarin ducks with necks entwined, cheek and temple rubbing together. " Shen Mu scratched his head, puzzled.
"How do mandarin ducks entwine?
" The leader leapt down onto Dragon Qilin's head and laughed. "Don't ye move. " With that she leaned into his arms, took his two hands in hers and set them before her waist, pressed her face back against him, brought her long slender neck against his chest, rubbed her cheek against his cheek, and touched her earlobe to his earlobe — sleek and slippery, soft and bewitching beyond words.
Shen Mu went red as a beet, at a loss for what to do with his hands and feet, and all he could smell was the scent of the girl's body. The girl giggled and went back to the racing chest, and the other girls, seeing his drunken, flustered look, all laughed clear and bright, merry as could be. One of them teased, "Eldest Sister, has your heart been moved?
Why not take him walking in marriage?
" The girl glanced at Shen Mu, rather taken with him, and said hesitantly, "I fear he wouldn't be willing. . . " The other girls all urged her on in a chorus, and the girl took out a scented pouch and tossed it to Shen Mu, giggling.
"Li'l brother, ye can climb my window at night, and I'll teach ye how to be mandarin ducks.
" These girls were bold in their ways, spicier even than the girls of the capital of Jingping, and Shen Mu found them more than he could handle. He hastily changed the subject.
"Do you know the way to the True Heaven Palace?
"