Chapter 151: Calculations

A Li, thank you! If it weren't for your family helping us so much, we wouldn't have adapted to the Silver Eagle Tribe so quickly.

Ahe knew very well that after entering the Silver Eagle Tribe, Yun Li's family could easily cast aside those beastfolk who seemed unable to help them.

Because they had already brought so many beastfolk into the Silver Eagle Tribe, how they fared from then on depended on their own effort.

Ahe's family, unlike some beastfolk who think naively that Yun Li's family brought them into the Silver Eagle Tribe, would naturally turn to them first for any matter.

But the problem is, no one should be responsible for beastfolk other than their own family for a lifetime.

They had voluntarily followed Mu Qing and Leng Xiu out of the Tribe, merely choosing, among two survivable paths, the one they believed offered a greater chance of staying alive.

Later, following Mu Qing and Leng Xiu to the Silver Eagle Tribe proved their choice was indeed correct; they not only survived the beast tide, but entered a great tribe in their eyes, believing they could now live the good lives they had never imagined.

But reality fell short of ideal; when they failed to achieve the imagined good life, their days were even worse than in the Flat Mountain Tribe.

Looking around, everywhere were beastfolk stronger than them, so it was only natural that those beastfolk fared better.

If Yun Li's family, the outlier, had never appeared, the Flat Mountain Tribe's beastfolk wouldn't feel a disparity, nor would any beastfolk, after sensing a huge gap, develop various thoughts about Yun Li's family, let alone blame them for the hardships they faced in the Silver Eagle Tribe.

If they hadn't brought them to the Silver Eagle Tribe and then let them fend for themselves, how could they have ended up like this…

"After all, it was A Qing and his group who brought you here; if we can help, of course we'll lend a hand."

Hearing Ahe say that, Yun Li only smiled.

To be honest, she was willing to help them, partly because they were all beastfolk from the same Tribe originally, and offering aid when needed stemmed from a sense of banding together for warmth.

Because her Beast Husband's strength is strong, no one can know whether her family will need help later; having helped them this time, next time they look for help they won't be left without someone.

On the other hand, it was also Yun Li's own selfish desire to cultivate a group of beastfolk who would obey her orders; strength was secondary, loyalty more important.

Ahe's dependent beastfolk were clearly the easiest targets for Yun Li.

Teaching them skills and earning their trust is the first step; getting them to later follow her commands wholeheartedly is still to be achieved.

Thinking this, Yun Li then asked Ahe about their current situation in the Tribe.

Upon hearing that, Ahe suppressed the emotions stirring inside and roughly briefed Yun Li on the state of the Tribe's beastfolk.

"A Li, didn't you teach us how to make bamboo baskets before? Those baskets require hollow trees, and we've used up all the hollow trees we brought back."

"Now some beastfolk are asking us where to find hollow trees."

Speaking of this, Ahe was still angry, because when several families followed Yun Li's instructions to bring back these hollow trees, some beastfolk in the Tribe said bringing them was useless.

Back then they stood by idly; now that bamboo baskets made from hollow trees are popular among other beastfolk, they each complain about how few they brought originally.

It really is infuriating.

Upon hearing that, Yun Li mused, "Hollow trees were discovered by the Bear Tribe; we don't yet know if such trees exist near our Tribe."

"Later I'll ask Leng Xiao to have the Patrol Team's beastfolk look for them, and we'll inform you once we have news."

She always prefers to act cautiously; although she was certain the beastfolk needed bamboo baskets, she didn't seize the moment to have Ji Xuan bring them back, opting instead to let Ahe and his group carry them.

First, she only then realized Ji Xuan's mindset; he had already helped them a lot in rescuing people, and hollow trees weren't seen as useful by everyone. Even if A Qing's group could produce a tangible proof of usefulness, the item wasn't something everyone would deem essential.

If she had spoken up then, even if Ji Xuan agreed, it would have caused her some trouble.

Second, it was based on a sales psychology—scarcity makes goods valuable; bringing few raw materials yields few finished items, which, when needed, seem useful yet scarce, thereby creating urgent demand.

Yun Li seized the chance to propose establishing a trade relationship with the Bear Tribe that possessed hollow trees, making it not just her personal matter.

And once the door to trade with the Bear Tribe opened, the Silver Eagle Tribe's dealings with other Tribes would become easier.

Regional trade, once started, would break the isolation between Tribes.

As the behind‑the‑scenes beastfolk who promoted these trade relationships, Yun Li could profit from them with ease.

Ahe had no idea about Yun Li's calculations, and upon hearing her say so, smiled and nodded immediately, then after a moment added:

"If it's truly unavailable, then never mind. Although many beastfolk have asked us, honestly, bamboo baskets aren't hard to make; I think if they saw how we made them, they'd be able to make them themselves."

"So have you considered going to Red Grass Valley each year to fetch hollow trees, then each time making a few and trading a bit more with the Silver Eagle Tribe's beastfolk?"

Yun Li pierced straight to the heart of their thoughts, and Ahe laughed awkwardly, then, a bit embarrassed, whispered:

"Because everyone's strength is weak, no Hunting Squad will let our Tribe's beastfolk stay with them for long, and forming our own hunting parties outside the Tribe is very risky."

"So everyone thinks of swapping some bamboo baskets for salt stones and food; it's a bit hard work, but still relatively safe."

"But bamboo baskets aren't without substitutes, and their usable lifespan is also somewhat long."

"They hope to monopolize bamboo baskets and settle peacefully in a corner, but that's merely self‑deception."

"I understand your point, but have you thought about your younglings?"

Yun Li retorted, "You can live modestly in the Tribe by swapping bamboo baskets for necessities.

"But your younglings have grown up in the Silver Eagle Tribe; if other younglings can go hunting under their parents' protection, yours are hindered because their parents lack strength or the connections to let them go."

"Over time, the gap between your younglings and those of the Silver Eagle Tribe will widen more and more."