Chapter 576: Can You Lead Us to Prosperity?
Nan Qinghuan's words were something Nan Tian had never heard before; he doesn't understand farming or cooking at all, let alone doing them.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Nan Qinghuan knew he didn't understand, "You know you can't do it, right?"
Nan Tian drooped his head, "I never thought of what you said; I just want my people to have a better life."
"But you don't realize a better life must be created through labor. Look at the city people—they know everything, they earn money to support themselves. And your people? They only gather fruit, do simple physical work. If no one leads them, they simply cannot survive anywhere. Even if you capture the city, what then? The surroundings have nothing—no forest. Where will you go to pick fruit for a living?"
After Nan Qinghuan's scolding, Nan Tian finally realized his tribe truly lived in a different world from Kuaihuo City.
"But I don't want to see my people continue living like this. I want them to learn what you mentioned. Nan Qinghuan, will you help me?"
After saying that, Nan Tian actually knelt on one knee, "Help my people leave here and live with you; I'll give you the Herbal Medicine you want, okay?"
"What, you want me to move all these people to Kuaihuo City?"
"Yes, I've heard people there live very well; I also want my people to eat soft fragrant rice, tasty meat, and have beautiful houses. Our Bai Tribe has lived here for generations, surviving on wild fruits from the mountains, but now the fruit is gone and game is scarce. I know if we don't find a way, my people will starve to death. My father is the same; he fell ill from years of not getting enough to eat. If you help me, I'll do whatever you ask."
Lan Tian thought it over; since Kuaihuo City couldn't be taken by force, the only option was to ask Nan Qinghuan for permission to relocate their tribe there, thereby changing their fate.
Nan Qinghuan didn't expect Lan Tian to do this, to have her bring everyone back.
She thought for a moment; Kuaihuo City is no longer the Small Town it once was, so what can Nan Tian's people do there? She turned away and said, "I know what to tell you. I can only say that I don't oppose your people entering the city to earn a living, but how they fare is beyond my control. There are too many people; I can only agree to let them reside in the city, but their lives are their own responsibility. They must forget everything here, go there, relearn living skills, acquire crafts, otherwise they'll starve. Do you really think there are no poor or starving people in the city? There are; you just don't see them."
Hearing Nan Qinghuan's words, Lan Tian's complexion darkened; he truly hadn't considered that daily life also required living skills.
"Then do you agree?"
"I have nothing to object to; I also welcome you into Kuaihuo City, but helping the tribe become self‑sufficient will still take some time."
"That's fine, we are willing to learn; we can become like those people, we are willing to learn."
Nan Qinghuan looked at the youngster, seeing his strong desire to move into the city, and explained the pros and cons, "Think carefully: if you move there, the Bai Tribe will cease to exist. Understand?"
Those words made Lan Tian's face darken; he naturally knew what lay ahead.
But he also knew that if the tribe didn't change, it would truly perish; in recent years food had nearly vanished, and those who had gone to Kuaihuo City envied its people's life, so… "I've thought it through; for my people to survive, I can only abandon this place."
"Alright, go persuade your people to follow you down the mountain, and also prepare the Herbal Medicine I want; then we can go back together?"
She had actually come here with a plan to subjugate the Bai Tribe, because it was a small tribe easy to manage; now it seemed she didn't even need to speak, as Lan Tian already brought it up.
So she naturally went along with it.
She wanted to accommodate more people to live in the city and develop the economy, but this also indicated that primitive tribes were indeed gradually disappearing.
They became the newest Common People.
And she, Nan Qinghuan, transformed into the City Lord's Lady, wielding power over the lives and deaths of those Common People.
Nan Tian, seeing her agreement, was delighted, nodded, "Alright, I'll go fetch the tribe and ask their wishes. Nan Qinghuan, wait for me."
After Nan Tian left, Nan Qinghuan stood there looking down the mountain; she suddenly felt as if she had returned to the old Ying Tribe, a wasteland everywhere, a place with no sign of hope.
A gentle breeze blew, and Nan Qinghuan felt very comfortable; she simply found a spot to sit, savoring the feeling of nature.
Although she now lived in the city, she hadn't felt such a pleasant sensation in a long time.
This visit to the Bai Tribe turned out to be the right one.
The Herbal Medicine can be obtained, and the Bai Tribe can be subjugated.
Two birds with one stone!
Perfect!
She thought of Ying and his child, wondering how Ying was now—whether the child was crying or not. Suddenly, a woman's voice came from behind, "Excuse me, are you the Goddess?"
Nan Qinghuan turned her head toward a girl behind her, whose face was covered in dust and ash; the girl's hair was a tangled mess hanging down, she wore no shoes, and only a few pieces of bark to cover herself.
She recalled seeing A Yue before; A Yue dressed the same way.
"You are…"
"Goddess, I am a member of the Bai Tribe. The Clan Leader sent me to bring you this fruit. You must be hungry; have some."
When Nan Qinghuan saw the fruit, she was startled; it looked like… modern cherries.
The girl placed the fruit on a leaf, droplets of water clearly showing she had washed it; indeed Nan Qinghuan's stomach was empty.
"Thank you, girl."
She reached out, took one, and, not to be denied, the taste was truly good.
A sweet‑sour, delicious flavor.
"Goddess, I heard your home is beautiful and the rice is delicious. Is that true?"
The girl was curious about the outside world and asked Nan Qinghuan if it was true. Nan Qinghuan's face darkened, she nodded, "It is true; that place has many tasty foods. Girl, do you want to go?"
The girl was thin and bony, with little flesh on her chest; it was clear the Bai Tribe was reaching its end. In her eyes shone longing, and she licked her parched lips.
"Of course we want to. We dream of leaving this place; there's no food left for us. If this continues, we'll starve to death. My mother died of starvation just a few days ago…"
"What, starve to death?"
??
End of Chapter
