Qinglang had a gloomy face and stood in the shadow far away from the fire with Huo, staring at Qiao Yu fiercely.
On the other side of the fire, Qiao Yu's sharp senses instantly felt the fire and the blue wolf's sinister gazes, which were as tangible as a physical object. She narrowed her eyes and ignored them.
With the arrival of Shan, the former leader, and Yu, the strong competitor, the election naturally began.
Shan didn't have the energy to speak, so he asked Lu to preside over the leadership battle.
"Everyone knows that Shan is injured." Lu paused here, giving everyone time to remember that Shan was injured by Qinglang, and then continued, "So he can no longer continue to be the leader of the tribe. Today we will choose a new leader."
He glanced at the crowd and said, "I think everyone knows the rules for selecting a leader passed down by our ancestors. That is to choose the strongest person in the tribe who can protect the tribe."
At this point, he looked around and said, "Whoever thinks they are the strongest and wants to be the leader, please stand up. Let's fight each other, and the winner will be the new leader of the tribe."
Qiao Yu immediately stood up and walked to the side of the road.
There was silence for a moment, all kinds of complicated gazes fell on her, and whispers gradually sounded.
When Qiao Yu stared and listened carefully, he could hear many words like "How can a woman be a leader?" and "She is so young, how can she know how to handle tribal affairs?"
These should be the result of the fire being fanned by the fire one evening, but they are also the voices of many people.
She smiled and said loudly, "If I stand up, many people may grumble, thinking that even if I'm strong, I shouldn't be the leader. This is because I'm a woman, and there has never been a precedent for a woman being the leader of the tribe."
No one said anything, but judging by their expressions, it was clear that they agreed.
"But today, I must stand up." She looked around, "Because even though my father is injured and can no longer be the leader, he has protected the tribe for seven or eight years, and he is worried about the tribe."
The discussion gradually died down, and the place suddenly became quiet. Everyone remembered Shan's contributions to the tribe over the years, and how the tribe had gradually improved since Shan became the leader.
"My father was worried that the tribe didn't have enough food stored and couldn't exchange it for salt at the trade fair; he was worried that the elderly, the weak, and the lonely would die of hunger and cold in the winter," Qiao Yu continued.
"Although I'm strong, I didn't want to compete for the position of leader. But when I saw my father like this, I couldn't help but think that if I became the leader, I would make sure everyone lived in peace and security like my father did. No matter the situation, whether there were able-bodied men in the family or not, the tribe would be fair and just, ensuring that everyone had food to eat, animal skins to wear, salt to eat, and a safe winter."
“So, here I am.”
The valley grew quieter.
Everyone was thinking about Qiao Yu's words.
Everyone opposed Qiao Yu becoming leader. Regardless of their reasons, they all came down to one thing: they were worried that she was too young to handle tribal affairs, or lead the group on hunts, thus making their lives uneasy. The fact that she was a woman was the least important factor.
After all, in primitive society, survival was paramount. Ensuring everyone was well-fed and clothed was paramount, regardless of gender. Using women as an excuse was simply a result of fire's instigation.
Now after hearing her words, everyone's hearts suddenly calmed down.
Yes, there's a mountain behind Yu. It doesn't matter if she can't manage the tribe; the mountain will help her. She just needs to lead everyone up the mountain to hunt.
With her terrifying strength, which could even kill a tiger, she led the team up the mountain without fear, even if they encountered a pack of wolves. The women and children in the tribe also felt much more at ease, no longer having to worry about the men encountering danger outside.
Seeing that Qiao Yu stopped talking, everyone started to buzz and talk again.
Shu couldn't help but lean closer and whispered to Shan, "Brother, when did you teach Yu these words?"
Shan glared at him, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up: "I didn't teach her."
His daughter's performance today was beyond his expectations, and the only worry in his heart also dissipated.
Just based on her courage, eloquence, wit and sense of responsibility when speaking in front of others, his daughter will definitely be a good leader.
Shu was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Qiao Yu, who was standing beside the fire with a calm and composed expression, and was suddenly filled with emotion.
As expected of my brother's daughter, she is better than ordinary people.
Seeing that Qiao Yu was silent, Lu said, "Then, if anyone wants to compete with Yu for the position of leader, come up quickly."
Huo had persuaded quite a few people this afternoon. Although they were reluctant to pay attention to him because of Qinglang's frame-up of Shan, many of them finally listened to him because it concerned their own interests and planned to compete tonight.
Although Yu is incredibly strong, able to kill a tiger and uproot a tree, it doesn't mean that just because someone is strong, they will fight. Hei is stronger than the mountain, right? In the end, he was still defeated by the mountain.
But after hearing what Qiao Yu said, everyone hesitated.
They all wondered: if they truly won and became leader, would they know how to manage the tribe? Would they be able to lead the tribe in hunting more prey? If a tiger or a wolf approached, would they be able to charge in front, sacrificing themselves to protect the tribe from danger? Could they be as good as the mountain?
Being a leader is certainly glorious, and one gets more meat than others. But the responsibilities and duties involved are numerous and heavy. This year's stockpile of dried meat is already insufficient, and some must be traded for salt. This winter is destined to be much more difficult than in previous years.
If more people died of starvation this year than in previous years, would the tribe blame him and oust him? Even if they didn't, would he still have the nerve to continue being the chief?
Thinking of this, many people began to back off and just sat there motionless.
Hei was a simple-minded person who didn't think too much. He wanted to go up, but when he looked around, he felt that the atmosphere was not right.
Why is it so quiet?
He touched his head, wondering, when he heard his mother urging him: "Hei, hurry up."
Hei immediately stood up, walked up to Qiao Yu, and smiled innocently: "I want to fight with you."
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