Shaman expressed his guess, and Han Cheng immediately gave him a thumbs up.

"Old Ginger is spicer." With the Shaman’s explanation, Han Cheng saved himself a lot of unnecessary words.

Shaman couldn’t help but smile with joy.

Not many in the tribe could remain calm after receiving praise from the Divine Child, and Shaman was no exception.

Shang, Mao, and Shitou also realized, "So that’s how it is."

According to the wisdom of the Divine Child, they thought it wouldn’t make sense for their tribe to seek stones from distant tribes when they had stones nearby.

Once Han Cheng mentioned the ability to extract iron from stones, everyone suddenly became interested in external trade.

Even Shaman felt this was an excellent idea.

As for the previous notion that the Green Sparrow tribe had everything and didn’t need to trade with other smaller tribes, that thought had long since vanished.

They were even more eager for trade than Han Cheng, wishing the trading team could set off immediately and bring back those stones that could extract iron so they could produce many iron tools.

His enthusiasm was largely focused on iron; he didn’t care much for the new seeds and animal cubs.

After all, the tribe already had plenty of those; in his view, what they had was enough.

The news about forming a trading team to exchange for good things spread quickly, and once the tribe learned of the benefits, excitement surged among them.

In this atmosphere, it was impossible for the formation of the trading team not to happen quickly.

Within a day, the trading team members were confirmed.

Apart from Mao and the seven survivors from the original Donkey Tribe (including the two rescued from the Flying Snake Tribe), there were also twelve elders from the Green Sparrow tribe.

These twelve were led by Shang and were all regularly participating in training.

Including Shang, the group was divided into four shield bearers, four spear throwers, two archers, and two slingers.

The people from the original Donkey Tribe had also received some training over the past few months in the Green Sparrow Tribe, and their combat strength had improved.

Traveling in the wild had never been exceptionally safe, especially in this era.

So when Han Cheng chose people, the basic principle was bravery.

He could venture forth more confidently with these twenty fully armed and systematically trained individuals.

As long as they weren’t exceptionally unlucky or actively provoking wild beasts, generally speaking, such a group wouldn’t attract too much trouble from wild animals.

In addition, the trading team would have five adult deer to carry goods and Da Fu and its four fully grown offspring.

The deer would be used for transporting items. Since they walked on four legs and were quite large, they were easily able to carry loads heavier than a person.

With their addition, the trading team could carry significantly more than the previous Donkey Tribe.

As for Da Fu and its four offspring, they were also very helpful.

They could assist people in detecting dangers, especially at night while camping outdoors, when their utility was even more apparent.

Furthermore, if necessary, they could be unleashed to fight enemies or wild beasts, making them valuable allies.

When Mao looked at the five deer carrying goods and the five fully grown, strong wolves still evolving toward dogs, and then at the sturdy Shang and the others armed and carrying supplies, all his last worries disappeared.

In the past, when conditions were nowhere near as favorable, he had led the tribe’s people back and forth among various tribes, exchanging for many furs and food.

Now that conditions had improved so much, he had no reason to be any more timid!

After having a bowl of wine, Mao shouted, then took the lead with a deer, guiding the others as they exited the tribe’s main gate, following the stone-paved path and heading east.

After walking for a while, they turned to walk in another direction.

Standing at the front of the tribe, Han Cheng clenched his fist as he watched Shang and Mao leave.

He wished for the team's safe return and hoped they would bring back surprises for the tribe.

At the edge of the field, a long-legged figure looked in the direction the team had departed, confusion evident in their eyes as they shattered clumps of soil with a turned-over stone hoe.

This kind of confusion was common among the slaves.

Their uncertainty wasn’t about what these people were doing with pottery and salt; having experienced the attack on the Donkey Tribe, they understood that these individuals were going out to trade.

Their confusion lay in why they were trading at all.

Moreover, they were using precious pottery and salt.

Even the terrifying unicorn had fallen before the tribe, and the evil and powerful Flying Snake Tribe had been defeated, let alone the other small tribes around them.

They had the complete capability to attack other tribes.

After conquering another tribe, they would not only gain furs but also the population of those tribes, which would belong to their tribe, making such tedious exchanges unnecessary.

So why didn’t the tribe members act this way?

Given the wisdom demonstrated by the Divine Child, it shouldn’t have been overlooked.

The long-legged individual pondered this confusion but buried it deep in their heart, continuing to dig the ashen soil before them.

They smashed the clumps of soil apart and collected the roots and grass, piling them up to dry in the sun before bringing them back to the tribe as fuel.

After watching for a while, Han Cheng turned back and returned to the tribe.

He had done everything he could; the rest was up to fate.

He always believed in the saying, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."

For many things, success depended on diligent efforts in all aspects, but luck was equally important.

After fantasizing about the spoils that Shang and Mao might bring back, Han Cheng sprinkled a circle about two meters in diameter with wood ash around the bamboo by the window. He fetched a hoe and a bone spade and began digging.

He planned to create a stone flowerbed to encircle the bamboo.

Once these plants took root, they spread very quickly. They would overrun the courtyard in just a few years if left unchecked.

The Green Sparrow Tribe had many residents in their courtyard with various functions, so having a cluster of green bamboo as an embellishment was already quite lovely. However, a yard filled with lush bamboo was unrealistic here.

This wasn’t the Grand View Garden, nor was there a Lin Daiyu to appreciate the beautiful scene of bamboo leaves rustling in the wind. Such elegance wasn’t suitable for the current Green Sparrow Tribe.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay