Autumn is harvest щww..lā
For the settled nation-states on the other side of the equator, this season is the busiest time at the end of the year when they harvest grain for the second time after summer and prepare for storage for winter. Due to the abundance of food, frequent wars often break out at this time.
The so-called thinking when you are full, human beings who have nothing to do after they are full will always start to find something to do. Throughout history, human ambition expansion and territorial conflicts are often inseparable from the seasons. People with sufficient food need some activities to vent their excess energy. People on the west coast chose war in exchange for the endless Abu Serra. On the prairie, the nomadic peoples who are regarded as barbarians here have chosen a relatively "peaceful" approach.
The ceremony to gather to celebrate the harvest has been busy with preparations since this morning.
Some of the livestock that had been fattened since the rainy season were slaughtered in these days, the wool was washed and dried, the hides were soaked in water and matured, and a small amount of inedible internal organs and blood were discarded all over the entire area. The smell of blood wafting far away attracted a large group of predators that were ready to move. Herdsmen armed with short bows were patrolling on horseback nearby, waiting to seize the opportunity to shoot certain species whose body parts could be exploited or that were too dangerous.
The large amounts of salt required for curing and preserving meat can only be obtained by prairie people through plunder, so of course there is not enough for everyone. But as we have been saying, humans can learn quickly and find ways to adapt no matter where they are. If it cannot be cured, huge racks are set up for smoking. A large row of fresh meat cut into strips hung neatly on the huge bonfires in major camps are dried in advance and then smoked to preserve it.
Dried meat smoked by burning livestock dung was a bit unacceptable to Henry and his group. Fortunately, after staying here for two or three days, they were invited to the banquet by the head of the Aries clan and they did not have to force themselves to try it - those Things must be preserved until the dry season before being eaten. In the rainy season, when resources are abundant, people enjoy the first celebration of fresh livestock that has just been slaughtered.
After all, the means of preservation are limited, and no matter how you process the dried bacon, it will never taste as good as fresh. The barren and long dry season, the dangerous lack of resources, the heat and lack of water making it impossible to grow food - after surviving another dry season and ushering in the rainy season, the best way to celebrate all this is naturally to eat and drink. , laughing, singing and dancing.
Henry and his group of mercenaries and merchants who were invited stayed at the Aries clan's camp. A huge bonfire was lit and shot into the sky since the morning. Tens of thousands of people were densely packed and busy in the entire basin area. Due to the high demand, various livestock meats that had to be cooked early were burned and dripped with fat on the ashes, making a "sizzling" sound. Things like grains were scarce in quantity, so they were added to the cauldron and cooked together with the fragrant meat.
The large metal vessels used to cook them, which are quite common even on the barren west coast, are also treasures for the prairie people. Mira looked around and could see that there were many large pots with a glow on the outside. With a green color, it was obviously a vessel made of bronze rather than iron from the early days.
In addition, there are many brass cauldrons and even earthenware pots. Because the thermal conductivity is so good, the handles on both sides of the copper pots are wrapped with thick cowhide for heat insulation.
Many women among the Abu Serra people brought spirits brewed from mare's milk and goat's milk and placed them on the surrounding chairs and tables. This sour smell attracted many mercenaries from the south. They all frowned. Dairy products and meat are the main foods of the Abu Sera people. A woman poured rich yogurt into a huge clay pot, seemingly stirring it to make some kind of drink. In addition to the fermented yogurt, she also added some Sun-dried fruits and grains.
The spices that the group had presented to the clan leader were quickly used and put into several large pots nearby to cook together with the broth. As the pots were tumbling, the smell of spices gradually spread, causing many dirty people to drink. The Xixi slaves and the smaller surrounding tribes all looked at this with envy.
Among the nomadic peoples whose social structure is quite primitive and simple, the kind of political means possessed by humans in other areas can still be glimpsed. Although it is a simplified version many times, this kind of show-off behavior is obviously to show the beauty and strength of one's own ethnic group, which makes the tribe feel very face-saving. It is similar to the nobles on the west coast and the southern border who use their gorgeous clothes and exquisite The carriage used to express one's own approach is exactly the same.
"We have something you don't have."
In the final analysis, whether it is building a luxurious palace or a tall statue, it is just a further extension of this behavior. All people always yearn for a better life, and how to prove that your life is better is naturally by comparing yourself with others.
Showing something that others don't have, or if others have it, show it is better than them. This kind of winning people's hearts makes the members under their command have a greater sense of identification with this group, and at the same time makes people around them start to feel envious of themselves. The behavior is primitive and effective - the old patriarch is an old patriarch after all. Even though he seems to be a bit old and dim, he still plays very smoothly on how to control the psychology of the tribe.
The leader of the caravan Yin Yaji generously took out the spices and salt that were considered high-value commodities even in the south and shared them with the tribe. It's not that he doesn't know how precious these things are, it's just that compared to keeping them for himself, the benefits of distributing them are greater.
If it were a young and inexperienced patriarch, he would probably feel that he has the status of a noble and therefore should enjoy everything. However, this behavior of taking everything as his own can indeed be suppressed by using his status as a noble. If one person makes his subordinates dare not complain, it will eventually lead to gossip within the group, eventually leading to estrangement and even conflict.
Give up some of the benefits, don't be greedy to possess them all but use them to win people's hearts. Taking out these spices and sharing them in public, the aroma that can be directly felt by the mouth and nose allows the tribesmen under his command to realize the benefits of trading with the people of the South instead of fighting, instead of forcing everyone to accept it as the leader of the tribe. , just pulling everyone to the same front to feel what he felt - the old patriarch of the Aries clan didn't even need to do much, and the people under his command naturally accepted Henry and his group. The fact that we are here to celebrate together.
This shows how cunning and cunning it is. Although it can be regarded as a cooperative relationship at the moment, after Henry and Mira made a rough analysis, the white-haired Luoan girl had to secretly be vigilant.
Everything has its own two-sided existence. If the old patriarch of the Aries clan was a traditional prairie man, then they who advocated robbery would probably not negotiate with his group at all. From this aspect alone, it is a good thing that he has a more enlightened and settled mind.
But at the same time, it is precisely because he is not the kind of warrior patriarch who simply says one is one and two is two, but has a strategic and political mind and is good at using tactics to achieve his own goals. The people on their side are also Can't completely trust each other.
Just like the merchants in the southern border, the old patriarch of the Aries clan is also a guy who believes in profit first.
Don't look at the fact that he is quite friendly to a group of people now and even invites them here to participate in important celebrations - if anyone touches the bottom line, such as offending the leaders of other clans with a higher status than him, then this old patriarch He will not hesitate to fall out immediately in order to protect himself.
To some extent, he is more dangerous than other simple-minded prairie people. And this seemingly friendly invitation was actually not a bit of a test - which is why not everyone came after being invited, and Henry had to explain all this to Mira before setting off. The reasons why.
Those mercenaries who acted casually and uncontrollably were left in the rear camp. Firstly, this was used as a trump card to keep. Secondly, they were worried about what kind of taboos those wanton guys might accidentally touch, resulting in The problem becomes bigger - killing themselves is a trivial matter, and the prairie people will not listen to your explanation. Once the matter gets serious, everyone will have to be buried with some idiot. They are now in the enemy camp. If one is not careful when facing tens of thousands of nomads, it is a matter of course that the whole army will be annihilated.
"..." The total number of people attending the banquet was twenty, including Mira and Henry, and the mercenaries under Felix's command, accounting for more than half, while the remaining seven were all members of the caravan. . The instructions when they arrived put a lot of pressure on these people, making it impossible for them to enjoy the campfire and food. Several young caravan members looked around like timid little rabbits, trying to find an empty place. Hiding in a corner, in contrast, the slightly fat Yin Yaji, the caravan leader, maintained his usual smile and remained calm.
The difference in reaction between people who have never seen the world can be seen in the details. When the celebration started, Mira and Henry naturally walked to somewhere nearby and sat down. Although it is necessary to be vigilant, there is actually no need to reach the level of nervousness. This is a very important celebration ceremony for the grassland people. When it officially begins, all the real Abu Serra people are immersed in it. Except for those with ulterior motives, probably not many people will care about them. The existence of this small group of outsiders.
The bonfire was strong, and the people talking to each other in Sumu language that Mira could not understand. Only the high emotions could be conveyed across the language barrier. Throughout the day, preparations for slaughtering livestock were being made on the ground near where rivers of blood flowed. A large section of the large shallow lake holding water in the basin was dyed red, and the blood rolled and dissipated in it. In the evening, preparations were finally completed. The working Abusera people put on some clothes and jewelry after finishing the work.
The celebrations officially began.
The priests wearing luxurious clothes were the first to appear. Under the guidance of the most influential high priest in this area, they started from the largest camp in the middle and visited one by one along the way. The place where the ethnic group resides. The priests, whose faces were smeared with red clay, wore clothes made of sheepskin and linen dyed with complex colors and looked solemn and solemn. They chanted some ancient language in unison. Although Mira couldn't understand it, from the elongated and vague pronunciation, she felt it was a bit like the new ancient language she had heard the dwarf blacksmith Mike speak before.
The priests kept repeating these words, and combined with the ups and downs of kneeling and worshiping, it was inferred that it should be praying for the protection of some kind of god, so that the life in the coming year would be peaceful and healthy.
People stood quietly and watched the presence of these priests. Even the slaves did not say a word. After they finished praying and thought about the next direction, people suddenly seemed to have been relieved of the interference with their vocal cords. The collective silence spell suddenly erupted with festive sounds.
The Abu Sera girls wearing gold and silver jewelry passed down from their mothers began to look for the men they liked and danced together in the company of the bonfire. The sky gradually turned from dusk to dark blue, and people laughed, sang and danced wantonly. The oily and fragrant food was freely placed on the table, and even slaves were free to go and get it. When the stars filled the sky, the lively singing and dancing gradually became quiet.
Each clan camp held its own celebrations. The leader of the Aries clan placed a chair at the entrance of the main camp and sat on it to observe everything. The last few young people who performed in front of the campfire returned to the group. After hitting the target, someone suddenly brought out several targets made of compacted weeds. As representatives, several grassland warriors took out short bows and arrow feathers. It was obviously appropriate to use archery as an after-dinner digestion activity. There were continuous cheers, and the arrows hit the target again and again, making the surrounding people laugh. Many people were eager to give it a try.
The atmosphere was very lively, and a lot of food prepared during the day was almost eaten by now. Some people started to prepare more barbecues again, but Henry, who seemed a little idle, and his group of twenty people did not just stay like this. Ignored by the people of the Aries clan.
"Next, let's invite our guests to come up and perform!"
I don't know what An was thinking, but the patriarch of the Aries clan suddenly spoke like this. The performance he was referring to was obviously related to martial arts. This was beyond the expectations of many people in the team. For a moment, even experienced caravan leaders like Yin Yaji were at a loss. This matter was not planned in advance. Notice, everyone who had not been mentally prepared now began to panic.
Who should they send? If it is too strong, losing face of the Aries clan will obviously lead to conflicts, so it must be lost directly?
Is this some kind of strategy used by this cunning clan leader to show his people that the people of the South are actually quite weak? ——Henry looked over from a distance and met each other’s eyes across the bonfire. Unlike the group of people who were still struggling, the Aries clan seemed to have chosen the candidate for the “performance” early——
"...Me?" The white-haired Luoan girl pointed to herself with some hesitation. The man who walked over and stood opposite her was about twenty years old. He was the youngest son of the old clan leader. There were many members of the Aries clan. The absolute first class.
"Yes." The young man, who had his black hair combed back and fixed with a hairband to expose his forehead, was about 1.78 meters tall. He held a long gun in one hand and said something in Lamani with a strange pronunciation. A simple byte, and then waved towards Mira, as if he was her opponent.
"Go." Many other people in the team looked at the Luoan girl nervously. Only Henry remained calm. He nodded slightly, while Mira, who received support from her teacher, There was no further hesitation, and after a slight nod towards the opponent to show respect as an opponent, he stepped forward. (To be continued.)
