That evening, Liang Xu led everyone back from hunting.

This time, it was another resounding victory. Every teammate was laden with prey, and some even carried back a deer.

Initially, Jin Shu followed the rule of "everyone sharing the spoils," meaning that no matter how much prey there was, everyone would share it.

Because there was enough prey, there was no need to worry about anyone going hungry.

Later, Jin Shu gradually established new rules, namely, that apart from the elderly, children, and women, other male beastmen would receive resources according to the principle of "more work, more reward."

That means that in group battles, the one who hunts the most can exchange for the most shells with Jin Shu.

The purpose of shells is to be exchanged for resources other than food within the tribe.

For example, animal hides, sugar, salt, and charcoal, which is essential for winter.

Basically, any male that goes out hunting can exchange for shells upon returning. As for those resources that are hard to come by besides food, the difference in living standards is determined by the number of shells.

In addition, Jin Shu also encouraged everyone to establish their own small tribes based on their families.

Each small tribe receives one male and one female domestic rabbit, one male and one female piglet, and a plot of land to raise them. In addition, each household also receives a share of the work at the mine.

Since it's no longer a free-for-all, some lazy males and females will be forced to work alongside everyone else.

Moreover, it's not just males; Jin Shu also has many jobs that females can do.

For example, sugar making, tanning animal hides, and Jin Shu has just set up a cub breeding base in the tribe, which also requires many females to help.

However, the number of shells one can get each day varies depending on the intensity of the work.

Of course, these measures will also cause dissatisfaction among some people.

In the past, females did not need to work; their task was to stay in the tribe, get pregnant, give birth, raise children, and then receive care from the males.

Now Jin Shu is even assigning jobs to females.

While most females are happy to contribute to the family beyond reproduction, some females are quite dissatisfied.

They felt that Jin Shu was exploiting their existing rights.

Jin Shu usually gives these females a chance to chat with her alone.

The females usually don't come alone, but rather bring a few like-minded people, and once they sit opposite Jin Shu, they start complaining.

"I have so many males, why should I work? I feel like I'm just making trouble for myself, it's completely unnecessary."

"With your current arrangements, everyone else is going to work, making me feel useless at home all day."

"We females are born only to give birth; this is a gift from the Beast God. Why should we make things difficult for ourselves?"

"Having children for them isn't enough, we also have to do their work? Why should we?"

“You are also a female, and you are indeed better than us, but you should also understand how difficult it is for us females. We take care of so many offspring every day, how can we have the energy to do anything else?”

After listening to their chatter and complaints, Jin Shu nodded to indicate that she understood.

“I understand what you’re saying. I get it. Each of you has three to five males. If it’s just about filling your stomachs, you really don’t need to go out to work to survive.”

Of course, if all you want is to fill your stomachs, to fill the babies' stomachs, then you really don't need to do any extra work, and I won't force you.

But those females who actively go out to work want to earn more seashells, not just to fill their stomachs.

Look at the animal skins they're wearing—deer skin, rabbit skin, sheep skin, and even tiger skin. They're much warmer and more comfortable than the old animal skins you've been wearing for over a decade.

Besides, the seashells you have can be exchanged for three pounds of charcoal a day, but the females who have finished their work can earn three pounds more charcoal than you every day.

So people could burn charcoal for heating not only at night but also during the day, making the house warm and cozy.

besides"

Actually, halfway through the conversation, those females who had been so emotionally agitated had already fallen silent.

Jin Shu looked at them and smiled.

"Sisters, we were all poor and suffered the same way before, and there was only so much food. It really didn't matter whether you worked or not."

But now that filling their stomachs is no longer a problem, the other women have higher aspirations.

Of course, if all you're thinking about is filling your stomachs, then you really don't need to work, and I won't force anyone.

Jin Shu spoke calmly from beginning to end, with a smile on her face, leaving the females opposite her speechless.

Indeed, Jin Shu never forced the females to work.

"Even if someone is forcing you, it's you who are forcing yourselves. Whether you want to live a more comfortable life like everyone else is entirely up to you."

The difference between humans and animals lies in this.

Human desires are limitless.

Animals will sleep and mate once they have filled their stomachs.

But people are different. Once people have their stomachs full, new desires will arise.

For example, right now, Jin Shu has satisfied everyone's desire to have enough to eat. If she doesn't create other desires, how can the tribe progress? How can it develop?

Based on Jin Shu's experience over the years, men's desires are wealth and power, while women's desires are much more complex.

So she would say to the males, "Work hard, whoever does the best job will become the leader."

In front of females, all she has to do is lay out what they want.

After that, no female ever complained about work again.

Alternatively, your male is capable enough to earn you enough shells.

You either have to earn it yourself.

In fact, Jin Shu understood one thing: once these females experienced the joy of self-reliance, they would never again be people who spent all their time giving birth.

Once living conditions improve and food becomes plentiful, the birth rate and survival rate will naturally increase, so Jin Shu doesn't need to worry about that.

The annual market opening is just around the corner.

Unlike the monthly market held once a month, the annual market is much larger in scale, and the entire northern beast race will go to the annual market to exchange goods.

In preparation for this year's market, Jin Shu had the Rat Queen arrange for several thousand young and strong rats to take over a hundred cartloads of supplies and set off for the market in a grand procession.

Along the way, they encountered many natural enemies who wanted to seize supplies, but Jin Shu came prepared this time.

The venom glands of the snake cubs she had been raising were almost fully developed, so Jin Shu spent the entire night making over a hundred bows and arrows, coating the arrowheads with venom, and training a group of archers in advance. (End of Chapter)