In primitive society, there was indeed a clear hierarchy, similar to the status of the current sea tribe, and the division of positions was already in the upper half of the front row of the timber fence.
The upper half of the front row had about seven small areas, meaning there were seven tribes of the same size as the Sea Tribe, which wasn't a large number. The lower half had many smaller tribes, and the locations of the blocks were relatively vague.
"A charlatan?" The second priest introduced a tribal leader to Ma Yue in the upper half of the area. The leader of the 'Rain' tribe seemed to have not yet understood what a charlatan meant.
The second priest was roughly explained, which was similar to the meaning of a super high priest. He was a primitive man, and his vocabulary was very limited.
The chief of the 'Rain' tribe also spoke in 'dialect', which Ma Yue could not understand, so the second priest could only translate for him.
There seemed to be an imbalance of status, or at least, of tribal responsibilities. The chief of the Rain Tribe was somewhat acquainted with Ma Yue, but his primary communication was with the Sea Tribe's chief, Hai. Primitive people were quite capable of communicating in dialect, and Hai and the chief of the Rain Tribe had no difficulty communicating.
There were leaders and priests from the big tribes in the upper half of the area. Ma Yue gradually got to know the leaders of the big tribes such as the "Red" tribe, the "Summer" tribe, the "Spring" tribe, as well as some of the main leading comrades such as the priests who came.
Of course, the subsequent specific communication will still be communicated by the second priest and the leader "Hai".
On the second day, after most of the tribes participating in the "Ice and Snow Festival" had arrived, the chief and high priest of the "Niupi" tribe finally made their appearance. Just showing off! Aren't important leaders always the last to show up? It seems that in this area, the "Niupi" tribe is truly the most powerful.
There were seven positions in the upper half, but only six showed up. According to the second priest, a tribe called 'Blue' did not come this time.
The Second Priest felt that this was unusual. It was normal for the small tribes not to come to such an "Ice and Snow Festival," but it was unusual for the seven major tribes not to come. After all, the most important transactions at the "Ice and Snow Festival" were conducted among the seven major tribes.
Normally, everyone was busy, so it was normal for them to miss each other's chances of meeting when they came to trade with the Niupi tribe. The seven major tribes would gather almost exclusively during the Ice and Snow Festival.
Ma Yue thought it was normal. At least, for the Sea Tribe, they could trade a large number of tools, pottery, and furs on a regular basis. So, what was the point of this "Ice and Snow Conference" which was like a big gathering?
Not all tribes have sacrifices. Among the six major tribes present, only three have sacrifices.
The chieftain of the Niupi tribe, who presided over the Ice and Snow Festival, spoke in a dialect that Ma Yue couldn't understand. Finally, the Niupi tribe's high priest let out a strange cry, and the tribesmen below began to cheer.
What does it mean?
The people of the "Niupi" tribe brought up large clay pots, preparing to make a fire and cook.
The most surprising thing was the sight of fat sheep being led out one after another. What did that mean? Was the Niupi tribe planning a meat treat? Ma Yue looked at the Second Priest, who was also bewildered.
Chief 'Hai' came over. He had communicated a lot with the chief of the 'Rain' tribe and knew some details.
Even if the Sea Tribe annexed the Bear Tribe, with a population exceeding 100, it would barely qualify as a large tribe. Large tribes like the Red, Summer, and Spring Tribes, with populations of 400 to 500 and hundreds of warriors, were truly large tribes.
Therefore, among the seven so-called large tribes, the Sea Tribe currently holds the lowest status. The Rain Tribe is also not very large, slightly better off than the Sea Tribe, with a population of nearly 300 and around 70 to 80 warriors.
In this world, the strength of a tribe is measured by the number of able-bodied men who can join the hunting team. If a tribe consists of a bunch of old and weak people, and has a large population, what's the point?
It seems that fifty warriors is the minimum standard for a large tribe. The original Bear Tribe was just like that.
Chief 'Hai' said that for such an 'Ice and Snow Festival', the food supply should mainly come from the 'Niupi' tribe, and the other seven tribes must also make contributions. To put it bluntly, they also have to bleed.
No wonder the small tribes below are so excited. To them, it’s completely free food.
All right, Ma Yue understood what Chief Hai meant. Since his tribe mainly produces salt, he should produce it. Salt is also very precious, isn't it?
The Hai tribe brought a lot of salt to participate in the "Ice and Snow Conference" organized by the "Niupi" tribe this time, so Ma Yue was not worried.
Many fire sheep were slaughtered, chopped up, and thrown into large clay pots for stewing. Other large tribes also contributed some meat, and the leader "Hai" threw some salt into each large clay pot...
Where did the Niupi tribe get so many live sheep? Is it really possible to raise live sheep in winter?
Ma Yue doesn't know how to herd.
Let's eat first, eat! It was the prelude to the "Ice and Snow Festival". After eating and drinking, the high priest of the "Niupi" tribe once again waved his bone stick and performed a hip dance.
The trade fair officially begins.
The Second Priest was very busy, and so was the Chieftain, Hai. Indeed, during this grand feast, many tribes, both large and small, who had never tasted salt, set their sights on the coarse salt of the Hai Tribe.
Interesting, this is a disguised coarse salt promotion.
Ma Yue was not worried, as the second priest and the leader 'Hai' had extensive experience in bargaining, something Ma Yue was not good at.
What the hell? Is this a horse? It's a bit taller, but it has two horns on its head, similar to the wildebeest from my past life. Shouldn't this be an animal only found on the African savannah? Ma Yue was a little confused.
"Switch?" The one who led out the wildebeest was the chief of the 'Niupi' tribe, and he seemed to have deliberately walked in front of the horse.
Although Ma Yue didn't understand what the man was saying, he was really interested in this wildebeest. The wildebeest was alive and well, and it didn't seem to struggle. Could it be that it had been tamed?
This "cow hide" tribe, with live sheep and live wildebeest...
Ma Yue turned around and exchanged a few words with the chief 'Hai', and the chief 'Hai' understood. So, the chief 'Hai' and the chief of the 'Niupi' tribe began to communicate with each other.
Damn! Three wildebeests were exchanged for three bags of coarse salt from the Sea Tribe. Even the leader, Hai, felt that the Niupi Tribe was going too far. This much coarse salt would take the Sea Tribe a dozen or so people roughly a month to produce.
Change! We have to. After all, wildebeests are great workers and can carry far more than humans. Who wants to carry loads all the time? One male and two females, what if they can reproduce?
Seeing an opportunity, the chieftain of the Niupi tribe offered to trade for live sheep. It seemed the Sea Tribe charlatan was particularly fond of live sheep.
Ma Yue flatly refused. Live sheep are good, but whether they can be kept alive is still a question. Let's try to keep these three wildebeests alive first.
Ma Yue didn't know anything about reins, so he asked someone to make a rough harness out of ropes and put it on the wildebeest's head. He just needed a rope to pull it.
Ma Yue found a few pieces of animal skins that he had exchanged for coarse salt and spread them on the wildebeest's back to prevent it from being strangled by the weight.
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