Chapter 95: Planting Sweet Potatoes in an Ancient Tribe

Nan Qinghuan immediately ran into the small Treehouse; when she entered, Youchao Xuan and the Great Shaman were sitting inside, and Abu's legs were still bleeding, looking on the brink of death.

Abu

Goddess has returned, Goddess, save Abu.

Youchao Xuan heard that she had brought back a wild beast; instead of fearing it, he admired her skill even more.

"Chief, please save Abu; he has done many things for our tribe, he is a good chief, he cannot die."

"Yes, chief, Abu knows how to raise those big lumps; if he dies, we won't be able to raise them."

"Raise big lumps?"

She understood—Abu was still the tribe's farming expert? "All of you go out, I will revive him."

The others dared not stay and hurried out, but Ying followed; Nan Qinghuan gave him a glance, and he stood inside the Treehouse, his gaze fixed on her.

"Ying, don't stare at me like that; Abu cannot die. I will revive him to grow sweet potatoes for us, so that our tribe's people can later eat grains and legumes."

"What did you say, sweet potatoes?"

Ying had never heard of sweet potatoes, and Nan Qinghuan didn't want to explain first; she took out a medicine pouch to treat Abu's wounds, and then, under Ying's watch, she bandaged his injuries.

The Ancient People's medicine was primitive; seeing Abu bleed so much and look pale, they said he would die, but he still had a breath left—she only needed to stop the bleeding and bandage the wound, and Abu would gradually recover.

Having done all this, the sky outside gradually darkened.

When Abu woke up, his first reaction was that he thought he was already dead, "Chief, why are you dead too?"

"What nonsense, how could my female die?"

Ying coldly answered Abu; seeing Ying, Abu was instantly a bit afraid, "Ying, you…"

"Abu, don't worry, you're not dead; I've already bandaged your wound and prepared medicine for the Great Shaman to brew for you. Rest assured, with me here you won't die."

Abu hadn't expected to be alive; he tried to rise and kowtow to Nan Qinghuan, thanking her for saving the whole tribe, but Nan Qinghuan simply held him up, "Abu, no need to kowtow; I've also dealt with the wild beast. Tell the tribe not to go to the Back Mountain, and no one will be eaten thereafter."

Hearing this, Abu was very pleased, "Goddess truly lives up to the name; I didn't mistake you, you really are the hope of our tribe."

"Abu, remember this: I, Ying, may not destroy you, but if I learn that you harm the Ying Tribe, I will…"

"That won't happen; I, Abu, only follow the Goddess's words. Since the Goddess is your female, doesn't that mean our people and the Ying Tribe are together?"

Abu was eager to change the cannibal tribe; he had his own calculations. He knew that if the cannibal tribe didn't find a leader soon, they'd be eaten by other tribes. Rather than that, he'd rather first find a capable person to help them, and he had his eyes on Nan Qinghuan.

Nan Qinghuan was Ying's female, and Ying adored her; Nan Qinghuan was kind-hearted, and he felt at ease entrusting his people to her.

Hearing this, Ying's eyes flashed coldly; so Abu was scheming? Nan Qinghuan wasn't foolish either, "Abu is right; from now on the Ying Tribe and the cannibal tribe will be one family. But Abu, I can't stay in the tribe; I must return to the Ying Tribe."

"Return?"

"Of course, Huaner must come back with me; she could never stay here."

Ying stepped forward, arrogantly asserting his authority; he reached out and wrapped his arm around Nan Qinghuan's waist, his expression steady, "Huaner, now that Abu has awakened, you can leave the affairs here to him. Every full moon, just report your tribe's matters, and we will leave."

Ying didn't want her to stay here; he only wanted to take her back to the tribe and hide her forever, lest others discover.

Nan Qinghuan was about to explain something when a panicked voice came from outside, "Chief, it's bad, the big lumps are on fire!"

Hearing that, Abu was stunned and tried to get up from the bed, "It's on fire, no! Go put out the fire, the big lumps are being burned, the tribe will starve to death."

Hearing this, Nan Qinghuan was also anxious, "Go take a look."

When they arrived, the sweet potato vines that covered the hills were all burned away, leaving a barren, heartbreaking sight; a group of tribe members knelt on the ground, continuously praying to the heavens, muttering words that she didn't understand a single one.

"When the chief arrived, the heavenly fire came; the tribe members, she is not the one who brings us hope, she brings disaster."

The Great Shaman had never liked Nan Qinghuan; now the mountain fire had burned the big lumps, she could incite the tribe against Nan Qinghuan, and she wanted to avenge the dead A Yue.

Hearing this, Ying was about to speak, but Nan Qinghuan coldly said, "Great Shaman, you mean I caused this mountain fire?"

The Great Shaman was about to say something, but heard Jingang behind her rasping and baring teeth, with a protective expression; the Great Shaman was somewhat afraid of Jingang, "If the Goddess brought this wild beast, you aren't the Goddess at all; I think you are…"

"Silence, Great Shaman, how bold you are, daring to disrespect the chief!"

Behind them, Ashu actually helped Abu to stand; seeing Abu arrive, the Great Shaman finally restrained herself a bit, "Chief, look, everything here was burned by the heavenly fire; she arrived and burned it all—could it be that she isn't…"

"Silence, these big lumps weren't burned."

"What, they weren't burned?"

Abu nodded, and in front of the tribe members walked to a sweet potato plant, squatted down and gently pulled up a clump of sweet potatoes; instantly, several sweet potatoes were lifted from beneath the stem. "See? These things are buried in the soil, not burned. Great Shaman, because you haven't properly learned how to raise the big lumps, you keep slandering the chief here. Bring someone!"

At those words, a few wild men immediately stepped forward, "Chief."

Abu, however, turned his gaze to Nan Qinghuan, "She is your chief. Chief, what should be done with this Great Shaman?"

Nan Qinghuan glanced at the short, dark-skinned woman, then slowly walked to her side and sized her up, "Since I and Youchao Xuan arrived here, you've wanted to kill us. Today you'll learn what tribal rules are. Jingang, throw this woman to the Back Mountain and let her fend for herself."

As soon as Nan Qinghuan finished speaking, Jingang swaggered forward to seize the Great Shaman; the Great Shaman, terrified, kept retreating, screaming, "Get away, get away!"

Jingang roared toward the sky, reached out and snatched her into his grasp, then sprinted toward the Back Mountain. The tribe could only hear the Great Shaman's pleas for mercy; instantly, no one dared speak.

Ying suddenly felt that Jingang was still useful beside Huaner; at least when he's not around, he could protect her.

It was the first time he felt he had done wrong.

"Huaner, you call these things sweet potatoes?"

"That's right, Abu; from today I have a task for you."

Abu promptly replied, "Chief, please speak."

She lifted those sweet potatoes and examined them; she had to admit that Abu was quite skilled at growing sweet potatoes—so large, the yield was truly high. If they were planted extensively here, both tribes would never lack food.

"I want you to clear and cultivate this land, planting only sweet potatoes. I know you have experience; this thing is called sweet potato, and it can be harvested in both spring and autumn. Mobilize the tribe to plant sweet potatoes everywhere, and each year send the harvest to the Ying Tribe. Of course, I'm not asking you for nothing; I will discuss with Ying to have him provide game. Since your tribe can't hunt, we'll trade sweet potatoes for game. That way, people from both tribes can eat sweet potatoes and meat, improving everyone's quality of life. What do you think?"