The heavy rain in July came from the Caribbean Sea, crashing and sloping on the coast of this northern land. Outside the Huastec hamlet, the long river swelled. The small lakes near the seaside also gathered together to form a large lake tens to hundreds of miles long.
"What is the name of this lake in the rainy season?"
The old militiaman squatted at the door of the village chief's hut, watching the heavy rain outside the house while chatting with the wrinkled village elder. The village elder looked timid and cautious, and answered with his head lowered.
"Sir...this is the mangrove lake."
"Don't call me Master...call me...forget it, don't be afraid, just do whatever you want! What do you mean, Mangrove Lake?"
"Yes! It's called that because there is a large mangrove forest around it."
"oh!"
The old militiaman smiled kindly. He did not feel resentful because of the previous accusation made by the village elder. On the contrary, he was even a little grateful. If the village elder hadn't attracted the canine warrior, he wouldn't have had the chance to meet his son.
"So, what about this long river? What is its name?"
"Sir, this long river is called the Heron River. There are many herons staying by the river. From the uppermost reaches to the seaport here, there are all these big white birds... so it is called the Heron River."
"Is this the name you gave me too?"
"No, it's not. That's what the original tribe of this area, the Janambule people, called it. Some people seem to call it the 'River of Flowers'. Because there are many flowers along the river, and they are full of flowers in spring and summer..."
"The Heron River...the River of Flowers...what a beautiful river!..."
Hearing this, the old militiaman Chihuaco nodded. He recalled the scene by the river, recalling the vast wetlands, flowers and birds, with a smile on his face.
"How long is this river? Where does its upper reaches lead to?"
Hearing this, the village elder wrinkled his face and thought for a while before speaking in a low voice.
"Master, this river is very, very long... It takes many days to row upstream to the west, and it is the Warrior Lake. And I heard people say that it flows down from the wasteland further to the west... As for the specifics, I don't know. ah!…"
“Warrior Lake…”
The old militiaman pondered for a while and nodded again. He did not embarrass the village elders, but quietly looked at the heavy rain outside the house and the long river in the heavy rain.
In fact, the name of this long river in later generations was Rio Soto La Marina, a thousand-mile long river in northeastern Mexico, originating from the highland wilderness in the west. Near the mouth of the river where they are now, is the Sotola Marina Wetland Delta, which is famous for its beautiful scenery and rich birdlife. The prosperous flocks of birds have stayed for a long time and spread natural fertilizers for thousands of years, bringing extremely fertile land.
In other words, this is a place suitable for farming, the entire Heron River is hundreds of miles up and down!
The old militiaman looked at the wide long river for a while, then moved his eyes to a high ground near the river. There, two acres of cassava fields have been cultivated, and a new branch has sprouted. And vigorous vitality, as well as crops that can nourish the entire land, are taking root and sprouting there.
“Do you remember how to grow cassava?”
"Remember, sir."
The village elder replied in a low voice with a grimace on his face.
"The villagers in the village also remember it."
Hearing this, the old militiaman smiled with satisfaction. He grabbed his son and worked the land for two days. As a result, the boy couldn't bear it any longer, so he called the villagers over and started planting with his father. The old militiaman wanted to beat his son, but Chippawa retorted as he ran away.
"Dad! I am an elite centurion. If you let me farm, don't you want the tribal warriors to look down on me? Besides, I am not this material, and it is easy to forget what I have learned. What if I remember it wrong? Is your education in vain?...I asked fifty men from the village to learn from you! If you teach them well, it means I know how to do it!..."
"Ah, that's right!... I'm going to take the warriors to Warrior Lake! I have to tell Sister Alan your news personally, and then get your longship back. She doesn't like the Mexicans, but For my sake, I will definitely help you!…”
"You kid!..."
The old militiamen chased for a long time, but with their old arms and legs, they couldn't catch up at all. He had no choice but to let his son go and focus on the villagers. And the performance of these villagers was indeed much better than that of the wilderness warrior Chippawa, which made him feel more at ease.
Thinking of this, he looked at the village elders squatting beside him and asked in a deep voice.
"How to harvest cassava? How to eat it? Memorize it again."
"Uh... dig out that... root piece... then soak it in water for a day or two... wash it... peel it... cut it into pieces... you can eat it after it's cooked..."
"anything else?"
"Uh...it can also be ground into powder, like corn flour, and made into pancakes..."
"What is it that you must never forget?"
"Well…"
"Um?"
"Oh! It's soaked in water. It must be soaked in water and peeled, otherwise it will be poisonous. If you eat it, you will die..."
The village elder looked bitter and sighed inwardly. These things can poison people, but if they have to grow them and eat them, isn’t that too long-lived? But he didn't dare not listen to what the old man said, he had to memorize it...
"Um!"
After hearing this, the old militiaman smiled with satisfaction. He just smiled, put his arm around the village elder's shoulders, and said leisurely.
"Brother!... That boy brought people here and ate all the turkeys and grains in the village... I planted this cassava field... Consider it a gift to you!..."
"Yes...yes! Master...whatever you say is what you say, I will listen to you!..."
The heavy rain is pouring, irrigating the new cassava fields on this warm and humid northern coast. Two old guys farming, squatting at the entrance of the thatched house, looking at the green land and the long river, it was like a freehand pastoral painting.
It rained heavily on the beach for three or four days, and then it cleared up again. Several canoes came from upstream along the rushing river. On the bow of the boat, the wilderness warrior Chippawa held his head high and looked arrogant. He brought back the order from the little chief Alan and told the village's dog-born captain Ebony Deer.
"Ebony Deer! Sister Alan said! Let you return the stolen longship to the Mexica people! And give them a weapon to defend themselves on the road! By the way, other armors, weapons and gems, we half each!"
"What? One and a half?! Damn it! Chippawa, I'm going to beat the shit out of you with my fists!"
The dog-born captain Ebony Deer was furious and cursed loudly.
"You promise! You promise to live well! I will give you my life and everything!"
"Shit! I said at the time that I wanted to kill them, so I gave you something to stop your mouth. But now, I have done nothing. Sister Alan even praised me for knowing the general situation and not being impulsive... Why should I be cheap? You? This is my father's thing. If I give you half, it's considered good... Hurry up! Take the things out, don't worry!..."
"O Lord God! O Ancestor! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!..."
The dog-born captain Ebony Deer cursed, rushed forward, punched to the flesh, and beat the wasteland warrior Chippawa. After the battle, he was bruised and swollen. He took out half of the fleet's belongings and left angrily.
"Dad! Come with me! Sister Alan is waiting for you in Red Crow City in Warrior Lake!"
The wasteland warrior Chippawa also had a bruised nose and face, but his expression was triumphant. He jumped on the bow of the longship and fumbled around for a while. Then, he looked at his worried father and shouted with a smile.
"Let's go! Come up and row!... Let me take a ride on dad's big boat! I have never seen such a big boat!..."
Note: The map is in the Easter egg chapter, and the review will take a while.
