On the thick white snow-covered ground, a group of people, wrapped in animal skins and armed with weapons, trudged through the harsh conditions.
These individuals huddled against the cold wind, constantly scanning the surroundings, hoping to find some prey to fill their empty stomachs.
However, what troubled them was that after a heavy snowfall, the animals that had been visible when the weather was warmer disappeared again, making them extremely difficult to find.
They knew that under the thick snow lay the food they desperately needed, but the despairing part was that they couldn’t find any trace of it.
After searching for a while and not finding any living animals, the leader of the Huang Guo Tribe, frustrated, began to randomly scrape the ground with the stick in his hand, hoping to uncover any frozen prey beneath the thick snow.
Of course, this behavior proved futile. However, a surprising discovery occurred at the edge of the group.
A rabbit, which had been hiding in a snowbank to eat dry grass, was startled and jumped out.
Naturally, the taller the person, the easier it was to move through the thick snow.
rabbit, it made an effort to jump but barely cleared the surface of the snow before falling back into the snowbank, its jump not even reaching 30 centimeters.
The rabbit's excitement revitalized the group, and they began to search more diligently for prey, though they still felt uncomfortable.
The reason such moments are called “surprises” is because they are unlikely to happen.
After this, no more surprises occurred.
The leader of the Huang Guo Tribe, feeling the lack of sensation in his hands, looked up at the sun in the sky, which offered no warmth. His heart was filled with discomfort.
Even though he had ordered those left behind in the cave to unwrap their furs and let those coming out wrap themselves up, and he too had wrapped himself in thick furs, his body still trembled from the biting cold wind.
He longed to turn back, return to the cave, gather around a warm fire, and drink hot soup, no longer enduring such suffering.
But then, thinking about how only enough food was left in the tribe for two more days, he forcefully suppressed that thought.
He couldn’t go back. If he did, people in the tribe would starve and eventually be eaten...
Elsewhere in the snow, another group was also struggling forward.
Wrapped tightly and with a grey-brown cloth tied over his eyes, Mao walked at the front of the group, constantly glancing around.
Shang watched Mao, his heart tightening.
At this moment, under the heavy snow, the surrounding area was a vast, white expanse. Many familiar landmarks were now buried, losing their familiar shapes.
Shang had felt a sense of déjà vu along the way at several points. He had mentally identified three places that resembled the Huang Guo Tribe’s location, but Mao led the group forward each time without hesitation.
“There, the Huang Guo Tribe...”
Mao pointed towards the west after scanning the area. Shang looked in that direction and felt that it resembled it somewhat, but wasn’t quite sure.
He was completely confused now.
They had arrived near the Huang Guo Tribe. After walking for a while, they could turn in the opposite direction and pass through Dog Egg Mountain, which would allow them to reach the tribe.
At this point, Shang had wholly left the navigation to Mao. Upon hearing Mao’s words, the group members couldn’t help but feel a bit of joy.
Though they had plenty of "equipment," they also didn’t want to stay longer in the increasingly cold weather. During this journey, many in the group had already longed for the warmth of the tribe’s heat and the delicious food waiting for them.
Upon hearing that they were near the Huang Guo Tribe, the group felt their spirits lift. They began to steer their deer and change direction toward the tribe's location.
After the group turned and traveled a short distance, Mao, who was at the front, suddenly stopped.
Shang quickly asked, concerned that Mao might have mistaken the way back.
Mao handed the rope tied to the deer to someone behind him and walked to the back of the group to find Shang.
"Did you get the way wrong?" Shang asked again.
Mao confidently shook his head, reassuring that he couldn’t possibly have gotten the route wrong.
Seeing this, Shang breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn’t a wrong turn.
"The Huang Guo Tribe..." Mao pointed toward the direction of the tribe.
What about the Huang Guo Tribe? Hadn't they just been there recently?
They had already traded almost everything the tribe offered, including most animal skins.
Shang was puzzled, not understanding why Mao brought up the Huang Guo Tribe.
Regarding business matters, Shang wasn’t as skilled as Mao.
Seeing that Shang hadn’t understood, Mao explained with a smile.
When they had arrived at the Huang Guo Tribe not long ago, there was very little food left. Even though the Huang Guo people hadn’t traded much salt or pottery this time, the few things they exchanged mainly were food.
The problem was that the Huang Guo Tribe had few things left to trade, so the food they had exchanged wouldn't last them long.
If the weather were to warm up, it wouldn't be much of a problem, but the weather had become even colder than before, which meant the Huang Guo Tribe’s food supplies would soon run out.
What if they brought food with them now? Could they get the people of the Huang Guo Tribe to join their tribe?
With his extensive experience in trade, Mao developed a sharp instinct, especially after recalling what the shaman had said about the tribe's lack of manpower. This idea became even more appealing.
After hearing Mao’s explanation, Shang's eyes also lit up.
Compared to Mao, Shang had a more direct understanding of the situation.
The main reason he had initially led his people to join a tribe was that their tribe lacked food, and their people were starving.
Now, the Huang Guo Tribe was in the same situation. If they went there...
Realizing the situation, Shang tightly grasped Mao’s hand, showing his approval of Mao’s idea.
So, the trade group, initially heading to the Green Sparrow Tribe, now turned around and set off toward the Huang Guo Tribe’s cave.
At this moment, Shang, more than Mao, was eager to reach the Huang Guo Tribe as quickly as possible.
Having experienced a similar situation, he hoped to rescue the people of the Huang Guo Tribe from hunger and death.
In doing so, his tribe would become more substantial, and the people of the Huang Guo Tribe would no longer need to die of starvation.