Chapter 52 - Scheme (1/2)
Chapter 52 - Scheme
Translator: xiinEditors: apricot & juurensha
The Big Bear Tribe had always traded for salt with the Green Hill Tribe. But now that something had happened to the Green Hill Tribe and their territory had been occupied by other tribes, it had become more troublesome for the Big Bear Tribe to trade for salt.
However, even if it had become more troublesome, they still needed to trade for it.
Salt could make people in the tribe more powerful; it could make the people of the tribe less likely to get sick, and it could be used to preserve food… The current Big Bear Tribe was no longer able to live without salt.
Since that was the case, they would need to go and try to find new tribes willing to trade salt with them, or perhaps even work out a deal with the people who had taken over the Green Hill Tribe’s territory.
Xiong He finished speaking his thoughts.
Xiong Qi was unsatisfied, “Chief, they killed people from our tribe. Do we have to go and trade for salt with them?”
The tribe that had taken over the Green Hill Tribe’s territory was called the Giant Tiger Tribe, and it was rumored that their tribal chief’s animal form was a very powerful saber-toothed tiger.
In the beginning, the people of the Big Bear Tribe hadn’t realized that the Green Hill Tribe had been replaced, so they had been very polite when they initiated the trade talks. Yet as a result, the people of the Giant Tiger Tribe attacked them without saying a word and killed several of their team.
These people had all been led there by Xiong Qi, and many of them had had a good relationship with him…
Xiong Qi, who had just been busy praising Xiong Ye on how good the flower wreath looked, had immediately gotten angry after hearing Xiong He’s words.
“The Giant Tiger Tribe has taken over the Green Hill Tribe and should also have obtained the Green Hill Tribe’s salt exchange route… If we don’t trade for salt with the Giant Tiger Tribe, who can we trade with?” Xiong He replied.
“We can bypass the Giant Tiger Tribe and trade for salt with the people who trade with the Giant Tiger Tribe instead!” Xiong Qi suggested, “Otherwise, we can go and trade with the Little Brook Tribe who traded salt with us last time.”
After being attacked by the Giant Tiger Tribe last time, they had finally ended up going to the Little Brook Tribe that wasn’t far from the Green Hill Tribe to trade for salt.
“That’s doable.” Xiong He said, “It’s fine as long as we can trade for salt.”
Xiong Qi heard him and replied, “Let me lead the team again this time. I will definitely bring back some salt!”
“We need more salt, and it’s best if we can establish a stable salt trade channel.” Xiong He stated.
“Not a problem!” Xiong Qi said.
“Who would like to go this time?” Xiong He asked the crowd.
Previously, Xiong Qi had also been injured when he and Xiong Ye had gone out hunting together, but they were all surface wounds, and he had recovered a lot after eating and drinking his fill over the past few days. The salt team would only depart after another ten days, which was enough time for him to heal up and lead the team.
Other than him…
Xiong Ye, who was still wearing the flower wreath that the priest had given Zhou Ji around his own neck, stood up. “I’m going too.”
Zhou Ji’s expression shifted.
Xiong Ye’s injuries were much worse than Xiong Qi’s, especially his broken leg.
Although Xiong Ye had been fed well these past few days, his injuries might not all heal in ten days.
Of course, the main reason why Zhou Ji’s expression had changed was because going out with the salt team was dangerous.
At this moment, Zhou Ji regretted a bit that he had helped Xiong Ye heal his injuries so quickly.
The tribe had quite a few people who were just as proactive as Xiong Ye. After Xiong Ye offered to go, a good few others also took the initiative to join the salt team. Most of them had nobody they had to take care of at home, and some of them were people who had gone out to trade for salt before, like Niu Er.
Xiong He: “Alright. I will discuss it with the priest and then decide who will go.”
The tribe meeting ended here, and after it was over, Xiong Qi went over to find Xiong Ye. “Xiong Ye, do you really plan to go? This time’s salt exchange is different from before…”
Before, when the salt team went to trade for salt, the risks wouldn’t be too serious even if they encountered danger. However, it was different this time.
Everything they would face this time was unknown, and nobody knew what they might encounter.
However, this time he had nothing pressing to do, and even if he was currently injured, he would be mostly recovered ten days from now.
Salt was related to the survival of the entire tribe. Xiong Ye felt that he should participate in the trade in any way he could.
As for danger… There would still be danger even if he remained with the tribe and went out hunting on a regular basis. And he wouldn’t refuse to go out hunting just because it was dangerous.
“You’ve become stronger?” Xiong Qi looked at Xiong Ye in amazement. “Xiong Ye, you’re really impressive. You’ve actually grown stronger again! If this goes on, it won’t be long before you become the strongest person in the tribe!”
Xiong Ye felt a little helpless––Xiong Qi was really… He was always able to find a way to praise him no matter what!
When he first heard these words of praise, he had been both a bit embarrassed and a little excited, but now there was nothing left but awkwardness.
“Xiong Ye.” Zhou Ji called over, “Let’s go back.”
“Alright.” Xiong Ye agreed and followed Zhou Ji to head back to their cave.
There hadn’t been even the slightest trace of a smile on Zhou Ji’s face just now, and he knew that Zhou Ji was likely unhappy, but even if that was the case, he was still going to join the salt team.
If there was no salt in the tribe, they would have no way to preserve and store food. If they couldn’t store food, how would they survive the winter in the future?
If they couldn’t even prepare food for winter, then it was likely that the tribe’s elderly as well as the weaker members would perish during the cold.
This was why the Big Bear Tribe had had so few people in the past, and Xiong Ye didn’t want to see such a scene.
Speaking of which, Zhou Ji was also a weak person.
However, Zhou Ji would definitely worry about him.
Once they reached the cave, Xiong Ye said, “Zhou Ji, don’t worry. I’m very strong, and I’ll definitely be alright…”
“Something almost happened to you not long ago.” Zhou Ji said.
“That was an accident… In fact, if there had been more people, I would’ve been fine even if we encountered another such scene.” Xiong Ye said.
“Do you have to go?” Zhou Ji asked again.
“I’m going.” Xiong Ye was determined.
Zhou Ji looked at Xiong Ye’s expression and knew that Xiong Ye had already steeled his heart to go.
He no longer spoke. He brought out a pot and began to boil water.
Seeing Zhou Ji expressionlessly boiling water, Xiong Ye inexplicably felt his heart clench in guilt. He added, “In fact, accidents can happen anywhere… If I go out to trade for salt, I’ll definitely be able to bring back a lot of salt… Is there anything you want?”
Zhou Ji cut off a piece of the ginseng that the priest had given them and tossed it into the water along with some of the herbs he had brought back over the past few days.
Xiong Ye faintly sensed that something was wrong.
An unpleasant smell wafted out from the pot. All kinds of herbs were mixed and boiled together before it finally simmered down into approximately a big bowl’s worth of sludgy black water. Zhou Ji used a long-handled spoon to ladle the concoction into a bowl, then handed it over to him. “Since you’re so insistent on going, you should recover properly. Take your medicine!”
“You said before that I don’t need to eat it!” Xiong Ye said. That thing called ginseng was something the priest had given him. On the first day, when Zhou Ji had boiled it in water and given him a bowl, he had found it extremely nasty and didn’t want to drink it. Later on, Zhou Ji hadn’t urged him to drink it anymore, saying that it was fine if he didn’t drink any.
But now, Zhou Ji was actually telling him to drink it again!
Not only that, but Zhou Ji had also added a bunch of other things to it!
When Xiong Ye saw that bowl of blackened things, he really wanted to retreat and give it a wide berth.
“You’re going to trade for salt. Shouldn’t you take better care of your body?” Zhou Ji asked him, pushing the bowl of medicine over.