Meng took the bowl full of food from Chang Tui and walked to the side.
Compared to most other slaves, the food in Meng's bowl was a little more plentiful and luxurious.
This was because Chang Tui, responsible for serving food to the slaves, had a relatively good relationship with Meng.
Over six months ago, the fight triggered by a lucky charm had brought the two closer, strengthening their bond more than that of most other slaves.
Human nature tends to be unfair, and the same holds for primitive people.
After becoming a first-level citizen of the Green Sparrow Tribe and being appointed by Han Cheng as one of the specific overseers of the slaves, Chang Tui, who frequently distributed food to the slaves, would always show Meng a little extra kindness without meaning to, because of their past friendship—even if it wasn’t much.
Holding his food, Meng went to the side, crouched down, and, like the others, eagerly started to eat.
As he ate, looking at his bowl of food—more plentiful than any other slave—Meng didn't feel much happiness.
He took a bite and looked up at Chang Tui, who was glancing his way. Their eyes met, and Chang Tui smiled at Meng, who returned the smile. Then, Chang Tui continued serving food to the others, and Meng went back to eating.
However, as Meng lowered his head to eat, the smile on his face faded.
At first, he was genuinely happy for Chang Tui, who, thanks to his fortune, had managed to escape the life of a slave and become part of the slave management. Meng was glad because he and Chang Tui were the closest of all the slaves.
When Chang Tui began distributing food, Meng, his closest friend, was given special treatment. Meng was happy with this.
But after some time, that happiness faded.
Chang Tui was no longer a slave—he no longer had to do the hardest work. Now, he lived in a spacious room behind the tall walls, eating three full meals daily and wearing cool, comfortable clothes made of linen during the summer.
Meanwhile, Meng was still a slave and only got a little extra food because of his connection to Chang Tui.
The disparity began to diminish Meng's happiness. His feelings toward Chang Tui also started to change.
Had it been anyone else who had gained such a fate, Meng would have envied them but wouldn’t have had these complicated feelings. But Chang Tui was different—he had been a slave too, and they had been the closest of friends.
As time passed, Meng’s resentment grew, and more complex emotions began to surface.
It was his fault that Chang Tui's lucky charm was found to be made of copper ore. If Meng hadn't accidentally broken it, the god would never have discovered Chang Tui.
But in the end, Chang Tui gets a promotion, while Meng remains a slave.
If Meng had gone to the Copper Mountain the second time instead of Chang Tui, he believed he could have found the tin ore, too.
Apart from having longer legs than him, Chang Tui had nothing that Meng couldn’t surpass.
Meng was jealous of Chang Tui and resented the Divine Child and the shaman. He felt that with the things he had done, he deserved at least a wooden ID card, making him a second-level citizen of the Green Sparrow Tribe—if not as much as Chang Tui, at least he should get some recognition.
Of course, Meng did not dare show his dissatisfaction, as he knew the terrifying power of the tribe's people, especially those standing on the walls, holding bows and arrows. He was too afraid to make even the slightest move.
However, his dissatisfaction continued to grow day by day.
When there were surplus resources for survival, the issue of distributing these surplus production materials began to stir up emotions that shouldn’t have existed, making pure hearts impure.
When someone who was once very close to you and on the same level leaves you far behind, many people offer jealousy instead of blessings.
Some with more twisted psyches can extend that jealousy even further, transforming it into something more potent.
Once all the food had been distributed, Chang Tui and others in the Green Sparrow Tribe waited a while before carrying or lifting the empty jars and large containers back.
The New Year's feast was over, and the exciting ritual of driving out the Year Beast was about to begin!
Flames burned, firecrackers exploded, and countless tiny, brilliant sparks disappeared instantly.
The drums thundered, resounding through the heavens, mixed with the people's laughter, warming the cold winter.
Many slaves in the slave yard at this time had no intention of sleeping. They peeked through cracks in the doors or windows or came directly into the yard, gazing with awe and envy at the large yard at night.
They imagined the scene inside the yard, filled with people laughing and celebrating.
At this moment, the person who most often appeared in their minds was the lucky guy called Chang Tui.
They, too, wanted to contribute greatly to the tribe and become a citizen of the Green Sparrow Tribe!
More and more people began to thought, and their desire grew stronger.
Meng, standing with the others and looking up at the Green Sparrow Tribe’s large courtyard, only felt injustice and resentment.
If it weren’t for the unfairness of the god and the shaman, Meng thought, he should be in that courtyard now, celebrating and laughing with the others…
As the firecrackers rang out, the old year was expelled, and after a night of dragon and fish dances, the festive atmosphere of the Green Sparrow Tribe still lingered. Everyone who had changed into new clothes exchanged greetings and well-wishes.
The plan for the new year begins in spring.
As the leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng had to make plans for the upcoming year.
With the increasing population and the growing number of animals being raised, along with various other miscellaneous things, the courtyard of the Green Sparrow Tribe had begun to feel cramped.
This year, there would need to be time for expansion.
Regarding farmland, they would need to continue cultivating new plots while ensuring the current fields were adequately tended.
As the number of crops and newborns increased, more land was needed to grow these crops.
At the same time, more grain would need to be grown to sustain the tribe’s population and livestock.
The Fire Tribe, located downstream along the river, was expected to send new linen soon.
They exchanged a lot of millet for linen last year, and this year, they were expected to exchange even more.
These numerous bottomless pits would continually consume the tribe’s food, so the work of clearing land and planting grain could not stop.
In Han Cheng’s vision, the tribe should have enough grain to last three years so they would have some disaster resistance.
Otherwise, year, the grain harvested in the first year would be almost gone by the time the new harvest came in, which was not a good sign.
It would be fine if the weather were favorable every year, but if there were a break in the cycle, life would be difficult.