Chapter 52: Root Connection
The Vision's long-term plan provided a clear path for the Alliance, but Lin Chen realized that true sustainability required a deeper connection. One rainy spring afternoon, he stood on the terrace of the Knowledge Tower, watching the endless stream of tribes coming and going, and a new vision emerged in his mind.
"Our alliance is like a great tree," he said to Canglan, "the branches and leaves meet in the air, but the roots need to connect deeper underground."
Canglan's silver-gray eyes reflected the raindrops: "What new connection points are you thinking of?"
Lin Chen smiled: "It's not just about connection, but deep integration. I want to promote intermarriage and cohabitation among the tribes, so that the alliance will not only be a political and economic alliance, but also a fusion of blood and culture."
The idea sparked heated debate at the alliance meeting. Supporters believed it would strengthen alliance ties, while opponents worried about cultural dilution and the loss of traditions. Pragmatists questioned the practical difficulties of implementing it.
After months of discussion, the alliance decided to try the "Roots Project": encouraging but not forcing intertribal marriage and intermingling, providing support to reduce barriers, while respecting the traditions of each tribe.
The first challenge was cultural differences. Each tribe had distinct wedding customs: the Silvermoon Tribe's wolf-shaped ceremony, the Mountain Tribe's eagle-crying celebration, the Nomadic Tribe's wind-swept vows, the Lake Tribe's water-bound union, and the Shell Tribe's tidal covenant.
The Harmony House established a special team to study the wedding customs of various tribes, looking for commonalities and ways to integrate them. They ultimately designed the "Alliance Wedding Ceremony," retaining the core elements of each tribe to form a new ritual.
"It's not about replacing tradition, but about increasing choices," explained the team leader.
The first inter-tribal wedding was between a young hunter from the Silver Moon tribe and a flute player from the nomadic tribe. The ceremony, a fusion of wolf-shaped dances and bagpipe music, was both solemn and joyful, earning the blessings of the entire audience.
"Love transcends tribal boundaries," the groom said during the ceremony, "just as the wind is not limited by the valley."
The alliance provides practical support: building special houses for intertribal couples that incorporate the architectural strengths of each tribe; providing bicultural education so that children can learn the traditions of both sides; and even setting up mediators to help resolve problems caused by cultural differences.
The plan for mixed settlements also progressed gradually. Each tribe designated areas for members of other tribes to live in, forming mixed communities. Initially, each kept its distance, but as they lived and worked together, the barriers between them gradually melted.
In a mixed community, Silvermoon farmers teach their nomadic neighbors planting techniques, nomadic herders teach their Silvermoon neighbors animal domestication, lakeside fishermen instruct everyone in aquaculture, and mountain hunters share hunting techniques.
“It turns out we can learn from others while maintaining our own identity,” an elderly man lamented. “It took me so long to understand this.”
Perhaps the most successful outcome of the Roots Project is the next generation. Children from different tribes naturally master multiple languages and cultures, and their minds are more flexible and open-minded. The Alliance Academy has designed a curriculum specifically for these children, leveraging their cross-cultural strengths.
"We're not half this, half that," a mixed-race girl said confidently, "we're doubly rich."
The alliance also established a "Cultural Heritage Center" where tribal elders teach traditional skills and culture, which is open to all interested people. This not only protects traditions but also promotes understanding.
"Teaching others helps me better understand my own culture," said an old weaver from a mountain tribe.
The Roots Project hasn't been without its challenges. Some couples have been separated by cultural differences, and some communities have clashed over misunderstandings. But the Alliance has established mediation mechanisms to learn from each challenge.
The most unexpected benefit is the acceleration of innovation. When people from different backgrounds live together, new ideas naturally emerge. For example, the pasta-making skills of the nomadic tribes combined with the oven-baking techniques of the Silver Moon tribes created a new type of bread; the fur processing skills of the high mountain tribes combined with the waterproofing technology of the lakeside tribes created better cold-weather clothing.
“Innovation often occurs at boundaries,” Lin Chen observed. “New things are most likely to emerge at the intersection of different cultures.”
In late autumn, the alliance held its first "Roots Festival," celebrating intertribal marriages and the fruits of mixed communities. Blended families showcased their blended lives: bicultural parenting, fusion cooking, and mixed arts.
At the festival, a special segment was very moving: children from different tribes performed "Our Story", using the art forms of each tribe to tell the story of the formation of the alliance and their own diverse identities.
"My Grandma Silvermoon taught me about the stars," said a child, "and my Nomad Grandpa taught me how to judge wind direction. I can do both!"
The Roots Festival decided to establish an “Alliance Family Tree” to record intertribal families and histories to help future generations understand their diverse heritage.
"Knowing where we come from can help us better decide where to go," said the person in charge of the genealogy project.
After the Root Festival, Lin Chen and Canglan strolled into a mixed-inhabitation community. Under the setting sun, members of different tribes chatted in the common area, and children played games that incorporated the rules of each tribe.
"From political alliance to cultural integration," Canglan sighed, "what a deep connection this is."
Lin Chen nodded: "A true alliance is not just about treaties and deals, but about shared lives and intertwined destinies."
He pointed to the blended families: "Look, their very existence is living proof of this union. It's not imposed by external forces, but chosen by the heart."
In the center of the community, a newly planted "alliance tree" is growing, with colorful strips of cloth tied to its branches, symbolizing the union of different tribes.
Under the starry sky, the Tower of Knowledge, the Place of Harmony, and the Eye of Farsight were brightly lit, and participants in the Root System Project continued to communicate. Signal lights from various tribes flickered, reporting peace and harmony.
In this world without nation-states but full of cultural integration, human beings are building communities in the most essential way: not eliminating differences through assimilation, but enriching the whole through respect; not maintaining purity through isolation, but creating new possibilities through communication; not dividing boundaries through blood, but creating connections through choice.
The Roots Project not only strengthens alliances but also creates new cultural dynamics. Intertribal families become natural bridges for cultural exchange, mixed communities become hotbeds of innovation, and diverse identities become a source of broadened thinking.
The soul from another world, standing under the Alliance Tree, no longer missed the multiculturalism of modern society, but cherished this organically grown cultural integration.
Here, differences are not problems but resources, integration is not a threat but an opportunity, and change is not a danger but hope.
As the stars rise, illuminating the lights of the mixed community, the Silvermoon Tribe and its allied partners are ready to continue their deep integration. The road to connecting roots has just begun, but the direction is clear: respect, exchange, integration, and innovation.
On this night with deep roots, human civilization continues its eternal exploration in the oldest yet freshest way: how to be together and yet maintain oneself, how to share and yet enrich oneself, how to change and yet continue oneself.
And all this is just the beginning of countless explorations.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
