Chapter 1343 Hunting Seal (1/2)

The reindeer pulled the sleigh, just as Li Du had seen in Christmas postcards.

The Nganasan traditionally lived by fishing at sea. They hunted and consumed the meat, traded in furs and herded reindeer. Their livelihood depended on those activities.

They were strongly dependent on the reindeer and were skilled in training these animals. Under the hands of the Nganasan, the tall and big reindeers were as tame as cows and other farm animals.

As the whip cracked, the reindeer started to run swiftly. Their hooves made a crisp galloping sound as they struck the ice. It was a unique sort of beauty.

There was a leader reindeer in front of the pack of each sleigh. Just like leader sleigh dogs, the leader reindeer had a bell tied around its neck. The ringing was as clear and loud as the sound of their hooves.

Ah Ow and the other animals, too, wanted to get on the sleigh. However, the reindeers were afraid of them. Whenever the animals neared, the reindeers would congregate fearfully.

As a result, Li Du made them get off and let them follow their course by running at a distance.

Ah Meng and Crispy Noodles stared blankly. We are not trained to run, they seemed to say.

Li Du did not care. In any case, the reindeers were slow and the animals would be able to keep up.

Again, Ah Bai jumped onto Ah Ow's back. The latter was already attuned to such an arrangement. With a shake of her head, she started to pick up the pace too, with Ah Bai riding her back.

The area where the Nganasan were situated was not far from the shore. It was at a patch of grassy area.

The place was named Little Grassy Land not because its surface was small but because the grass that grew there was short and wiry. It looked similar to moss and a bunch of reindeers bent their heads to the ground, looking for food.

”Seems like the Arctic does have some life after all. There's even a bit of grass here,” Madman said in surprise.

Sissy flipped him the middle finger and said, ”Don't be a country bumpkin. There are even volcanoes and hot springs here.”

The settlement was not big, consisting of no more than fifty or sixty people.

Big Ivan looked at the tents and smiled. ”Boss, we are in luck to have bumped into the Nganasan. They are rarer than polar bears.”

Amongst the inhabitants, there were children, teenagers, and adults. However, there were few elderly people.

Living in a rough place like the Arctic, most people did not lead a long life. One was considered lucky to live to be sixty years old.

The women were preparing the food. They stirred a few big pots and the aroma filled the air.

The men came to welcome Li Du and the rest. They were extremely friendly. Obviously, Soutar Nasang had already told them about the gifts from Li Du.

Li Du looked around him curiously, marveling at the unexpected piece of greenery among all the ice.

Just as the desert tribes would search for oases of greens, the Nganasan were the same. They led a nomadic life and when the seasons changed, they would follow along where the reindeer migrated.

Unfortunately, because international corporations were discovering the resources of the Arctic such the natural gas and coal, the migration paths were becoming destroyed or polluted. Hence, the environment where the Nganasan lived in became poorer and poorer.

The weather was gloomy and the temperature dropped quickly, but it was still mild compared to the harshness of the winter season.

That meal that the tribe women had prepared consisted of steamed fish, deer meat and other types of cooked meat. In any case, the Nganasan made a sumptuous meal for Li Du and his people.

The Nganasan were also aware of the importance of consuming vegetables. In every bowl of meat stew, they would add in some greens. The green looked even brighter as the boiling soup was poured over it.

Li Du checked out the greens and realized that they looked just like the wild grass growing on the shore.

He asked Big Ivan, ”The vegetables that these people consume – do they eat whatever plant they see?”

Big Ivan shrugged.”Living in such a place, do they have a choice?”