I am a Primitive Man

Mao’s reaction was pretty much what Han Cheng had expected; there wasn’t much joy in resuming old trade practices, but rather a conflict-filled silence.

Han Cheng could understand Mao’s feelings. Their trade in salt and pottery had attracted the attention of the Green Sparrow Tribe, leading to a situation in which only a few of their tribe members remained.

Even primitive people experienced joy, anger, sadness, and happiness.

Most of the people in the tribe had been killed because of trade, so it was natural for Mao to develop resistance or fear toward trading in such circumstances.

Han Cheng sighed inwardly. Mao was indeed the best candidate for trading, having engaged in such activities for several years and leading people out to do so.

He clearly remembered the locations of the tribes he had traded with before.

He knew which routes to take, where the dead ends were, and where the dangers lay... All this knowledge had been accumulated over the years while he led the tribe members step by step.

These insights were invaluable assets.

If they replaced him with someone new, who would have to rediscover these routes, it was hard to tell how many detours they would have to make or what dangers they might encounter; it wouldn’t be surprising if some people ended up dying in the process.

This was also why Han Cheng still chose him for this task despite knowing that trading might leave a psychological shadow on Mao.

There was no way around it; many things couldn’t be perfect. All they could do was choose the lesser of two evils.

After a brief silence, Han Cheng patted Mao on the shoulder.

According to the primitive people's calculations, he had reached adulthood and was taller than the average primitive man. When he patted Mao’s shoulder, he no longer felt awkward about it.

“Don’t worry; the tribe is very strong now.”

Han Cheng said this while pointing to the tall walls and the many people inside the enclosure for Mao to see.

“The evil tribe can no longer harm us. Even if they come, we will defeat and kill them! We are one tribe and will not allow outsiders to harm us!”

Han Cheng spoke to Mao, his words steady.

Due to the complexity of Mandarin, which Mao had been learning but had not mastered fluently, it would take him at least a year of experience to reach the level of fluency of the elders.

There’s a saying that you should return from where you fell. This statement holds some truth.

If you don’t “get up from there,” it’s easy to be left with psychological scars that can lead to fear of similar situations in the future.

Though people understand this reasoning, the emotions and burdens endured when putting it into practice can be hard for outsiders to grasp.

However, compared to others who had “fallen,” Mao was relatively fortunate because he had a strong support system beside him.

Han Cheng was right; last year’s painful experience had indeed left a significant psychological scar on Mao.

What he once loved dearly—trading—had now become something he was unwilling to mention, and he even felt fear surrounding it.

He worried that if he went out to trade again, he might encounter the evil tribe, who could follow him back to their tribe, leading to more misfortune...

He had worked hard to rebuild a tribe, and everything about this tribe was so appealing that he didn’t want to bring disaster upon it.

However, as he grasped the meaning behind the Divine Child’s words, the light gradually returned to his eyes, and his anxious heart began to settle before stirring with excitement once more.

This tribe was no longer the small one he had been part of.

Now, this tribe had tall walls, long-range bows, numerous warriors, the wise Divine Child, and the shaman.

Even a powerful evil tribe like the Green Sparrow Tribe was no match for them; they had suffered a crushing defeat, leading to the entire tribe's extinction.

Living in this tribe, one could stand tall and fearless before any evil tribe!

This sense of security and strong confidence was something the previous tribe had been unable to provide.

A spark of hope ignited in Mao’s dim eyes.

“Don’t worry about the evil tribe; even if they come, they’ll just be bringing us slaves,” Han Cheng said casually, but his words were anything but trivial.

This was evident from the renewed brightness in Mao’s eyes.

A successful leader must know how to leverage existing advantages and paint a grand vision for their subordinates.

Han Cheng had once been led, but by observing many leaders, he had picked up on their common tactics.

Although these methods might seem old-fashioned, they were still remarkably effective among primitive people.

Compared to those in later generations who could easily exaggerate a small achievement into something grand, what Han Cheng said was far more grounded and truthful.

Based on the current situation, the Green Sparrow Tribe had the strength and confidence to confront strong enemies head-on.

As someone who would search for days if a dog from the tribe went missing, he was deeply affected when members of his tribe faced bullying or attacks from others. He knew he had to go and reclaim their honor, quickly turning those attackers into slaves for the Green Sparrow Tribe.

“I’m willing, Divine Child!”

The pure-hearted primitive was much easier to sway than the seasoned individuals of later generations. Before Han Cheng had finished his prepared speech, Mao had emerged entirely from the shadows and excitedly voiced his agreement, his fists clenched in enthusiasm.

To prevent Mao from charging out alone in a fit of zeal without asking questions, Han Cheng hesitated but ultimately refrained from expressing his more forceful ideas.

“Good! We are the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe!”

Han Cheng patted Mao’s shoulder again, this time with even more force, his voice filled with approval, giving Mao a thumbs-up.

Not enough hands? Want to recruit more people to join the venture?

It seemed Mao hadn’t been wholly fooled and was still considering practical issues.

Understanding Mao’s meaning, Han Cheng thought this himself and gave a clear affirmative answer.

Expanding the trade team was essential; otherwise, the few people left from the Original Donkey Tribe would be insufficient.

Not only would they carry fewer supplies, but they would also be more susceptible to attacks from wild beasts they encountered along the way.

Additionally, with so few people, the tribes they traded with might easily underestimate them.

Moreover, Han Cheng wouldn’t allow the trade team to consist solely of members from the Original Donkey Tribe.

Even if the Donkey Tribe hadn’t suffered any attacks, he would still swap out some of them for elders from the Green Sparrow Tribe at this time.

At the very least, he would replace half of the Original Donkey Tribe members with elders from the Green Sparrow Tribe.

This wasn’t a matter of distrust toward the Donkey Tribe but a necessary precaution.

Otherwise, if members of the Donkey Tribe, armed with new weapons, salt, and pottery, vanished without a trace, there would be no way to address it afterward.

After all, their extroverted natures differed from those of those who stayed in the tribe, making them more prone to unnecessary thoughts.

Given the heavy casualties among the Donkey Tribe, it naturally made sense for Han Cheng to assign more elders from the Green Sparrow Tribe to the trade team.

While it might seem harsh and somewhat inhumane, that was how things were.

Han Cheng had pondered this matter a lot the previous night and already had potential candidates in mind for those who would join the trade team.

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