Although it has been snowing for the past few days, it is not the kind of heavy snow. The snow melts as soon as it falls, leaving only a small amount of snow on the ground. Looking up, you can still see the plants in the wilderness.
Despite their large population, the Sun Tribe still relied on hunting and gathering for their livelihood. Aside from their area, the rest of the land was covered in mountains and forests. During the snowy season, the people did not hunt.
Qiao Yu ran in one direction for a while and found himself at the foot of a mountain. He could still see withered plants covered with a thin layer of snow, but there was no one around.
She paused to carefully identify the plants.
Although this place was several days away from the Valley Tribe, it was still part of the same region. Qiao Yu hoped there were also yams here that she could exchange for the hemp she needed.
But she didn't know whether there were no yams growing in this area, or the vines of the yams had withered in this season, and she couldn't find any after searching for a long time.
Knowing that Shu and the others would be worried, and seeing that it was getting dark, she had no choice but to return to the trading venue.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Qiao Yu return safely on time.
Shu comforted him, "It's okay if you can't find it. Come back during the spring fair."
Qiao Yu sighed: "This is the only way."
She was actually too impatient. This wasn't the best time to plant. Even if she found some yam and successfully exchanged it for ramie, it wouldn't survive in this weather. During the spring trade fair, while the weather was hot, ramie didn't seem to be a delicate plant; it could still thrive in a shady spot.
The next day, Qiao Yu went out to look for it for a long time, but still couldn't find it.
She wouldn't go out in the afternoon because they had to return early the next morning, and everyone started to take inventory, disposing of the remaining dried meat and animal skins to exchange for salt at the Sun Tribe salt stall.
Guang also told the people of the Sun Tribe that he had not found any hairy potatoes nearby, and told them to wait until the spring trade fair to exchange them. The other party agreed immediately.
In the eyes of the people of the Sun Tribe, although hemp is thinner, softer and more resilient than vines, and can be woven into bags to hold salt, which are better than animal hide bags, it is actually not very useful.
On the other hand, hairy potatoes are edible and filling, making them a good food for survival when hunting is scarce. Trading hemp for hairy potatoes is a very cost-effective trade.
The reason why Qiao Yu did not go out for the remaining half day was because he wanted to observe the movements of the Migrant Tribe and the Stone Tribe.
Shuo Jian saw that the people of the Valley Tribe had no doubts about his intentions. When he learned that the Valley Tribe planned to return to the tribe early the next morning, he waited calmly. However, the Liuren Tribe left in the middle of the night.
"Yu, do you think the people from the Stone Tribe will attack us halfway?" Shu asked worriedly.
"No." Qiao Yu said, "We have about the same number of people as them. If they fight us, the casualties will be similar. Shuo wouldn't be so stupid as to risk such a big risk to steal our things. After stealing them, he would have to be wary of retaliation from Shan and Hei."
Qiao Yu glanced across and said to Shu Heman, "I won't be going with you tomorrow. I'll be hiding behind you from a distance. I'm worried that the Liuren tribe will ambush you along the way, secretly follow you, and find our tribe. When the time comes, they'll attack us."
"We are in the open, and they are in the dark. This is not good for us. I plan to lurk behind you. If we find the refugees following you, I will lead them away and find their shelter. We are already struggling to deal with the Stone Tribe right now, and we can only leave the refugees for later. We can't let them find where our tribe is."
"No," the tree objected immediately. "It's too dangerous. I can't let you go alone. If anything happens to you, how can I explain it to my brother and the people of the tribe?"
"First, I'm the leader, you have to listen to me," Qiao Yu said. "Second, I'm stronger than you all, and I'm smarter. No one else can do this except me. And if I don't do it, our tribe will be in danger. I can't ignore the safety of the entire tribe just because I'm worried about my personal safety. Third, I wasn't very noticeable in the crowd before, so even if I disappeared, Shuo and the others wouldn't suspect anything. But it's different for others."
Shu opened his mouth to refute, but Qiao Yu's reasons were so convincing that he couldn't find anything to say.
"If they ask, you will tell them I am a woman. You brought me here to trade. You have already traded me to the Sun Tribe today."
"Yu, is this really necessary?" Man was worried. "We are worried about you. If anything happens to you, our tribe will suffer a huge loss."
"It has to be this way," Qiao Yu said. "I can't let anyone spy on us from behind. It's like being on guard against thieves for a thousand days. If someone wants to find out about us and attack us, but we know nothing about them, that won't work. Living in fear every day is not the solution."
Man stopped talking.
He admitted that what Qiao Yu said made perfect sense. If he had the ability, he would definitely not let Yu go. He would go and find out the enemy's situation himself. But he didn't have that ability.
"It's settled," Qiao Yu said. "You two will go back later, and I won't be going back."
"No, you have to stay with us tonight," the tree insisted. "It's dark anyway, and they can't see. You can leave before we leave tomorrow."
The trade fair was over, and tonight was the most chaotic night. Some of those who had made enemies at the trade fair, and some who coveted other people's things, would take action tonight. Shu was worried about Qiao Yu staying alone in such a place.
"Okay." Qiao Yu compromised and followed the two back to the stall.
She whispered her plan to everyone again. Although they were worried about her, they could not convince her, nor could they come up with a better solution, so they had to agree with trepidation.
The next day, before dawn, Qiao Yu left the Valley Tribe's stall. Although the Valley Tribe members were apprehensive, they pretended to be calm. They ate the dried meat, packed up their things, and called the Stone Tribe members to leave the trading area together.
The Valley Tribe, having amassed more game than in previous years, also had more yams, pottery, and rattan baskets, resulting in a bountiful harvest. They were able to exchange their wares for enough salt to last the tribe two years. However, the Stone Tribe, with its limited and unremarkable merchandise, was unable to trade most of its dried meat and hides, ultimately resorting to extorting salt from the Sun Tribe's salt stalls, which commanded a high price.
In previous years, Shuo would have been depressed, but this year, with plans in place, he was cheerful, without a trace of sadness on his face.
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