The chief of this tribe felt quite dejected after his proposed trade terms were rejected, especially since it was the best he could offer.
As a result, the tribe no longer had much salt to trade…
While he was in this mood, a few tribal women, excited to see the Green Sparrow Tribe’s trade caravan, came running in.
Holding a large leaf, the older woman rushed to the chief, her face filled with excitement as she shared their new discovery, showing him a half-ripe, half-green fruit wrapped in the leaf.
This was indeed a new type of seed.
The chief, who had been gloomy moments before, immediately brightened up.
He took the leaf from the woman’s hand, flicked her on the forehead with his finger, which was the highest praise in their tribe.
The chief proudly placed the newly acquired fruit, which had come at just the right moment, in front of Shang and Mo. He seemed to be showing off, as if saying, “See, you didn’t think our tribe could offer anything, but now I’ve brought this.”
Shang and Mo were surprised by the tribe’s new fruit. They examined it carefully and, after confirming that it was a completely new fruit, took it without hesitation.
They then started scooping salt for the tribe.
The transaction was fair and straightforward—money in exchange for goods.
As always, once they had collected the agreed amount of salt, the trade team added half a spoonful of extra salt to the tribe’s salt jar.
Don’t underestimate that half spoonful of salt. Much of the Green Sparrow Tribe’s wealth and kindness had been earned through just that amount of salt.
And along with the salt, the tribe also gained admiration for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
As usual, after the trade, Shang and Mo took a small can of canned food from their packs and gave it to the children in the tribe to eat.
Han Cheng’s idea was to have the trade team carry cans and give them to the children in the tribes during trade exchanges.
He always remembered the saying, “A strong youth makes a strong nation,” and he fully agreed.
He recalled the days when their homeland was in turmoil, facing foreign guns and cannons, on the brink of collapse. During those times, a young man wrote innocently, “Study to make China rise.”
Later, these young people, full of ambition and ideals, worked hard in difficult conditions, coming together from all over, and slowly, with their youthful shoulders, they began to shoulder the weight of a crumbling empire.
Han Cheng had never looked down on young people because they were still young and had countless opportunities ahead. “It is better to offend an old man than a young one” best describes this.
Young people, though naive, also possess a focus and seriousness rare in adults. Once something takes root in their hearts, its influence can last a lifetime.
This was the main reason Han Cheng had the Green Sparrow Tribe’s trade team carry cans to give to the children in other tribes.
As the elders in those tribes gradually aged, these children, having grown up with the seed of the Green Sparrow Tribe’s values planted in them, would gradually see it take root and grow as they matured.
By the time they became the pillars of their own tribes, if the Green Sparrow Tribe called on them, their response would be different.
This was the subtle, long-term influence that canned goods could have.
At first, the trade team members didn’t fully understand Han Cheng’s instructions.
They liked the delicious canned food, too, and the children in the tribe always wanted more. Giving such a tasty treat to the children of the other tribe seemed like a loss.
However, after they had subdued the Huangguo Tribe, they no longer had these concerns.
The women and children of the Huangguo Tribe had shown great enthusiasm toward the Green Sparrow Tribe, and canned food had played a significant role in that.
Shang and Mo watched the children eagerly dividing the cans, their faces filled with smiles.
After this, the Green Sparrow Tribe’s trade team members began to share stories about what was happening in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
For example, food was abundant, and everyone ate from ceramic bowls…
Mo usually handled this task because he had spent the most time on trade and was skilled at communicating with tribes that didn’t share a common language.
The tribe was quiet, people gathered around animal hides or wrapped in tree leaves, staring at Mo as he danced and spoke, describing wondrous things.
For the people of this tribe, whose world was small and whose lives were monotonous, Mo’s stories were a great source of amazement and fascination.
They couldn’t believe that there were such different ways of living. “So, that’s how it can be done?”
“What do ice chimes look like? Do snowmen walk?”
“That tribe eats three meals a day…?”
As Mo spoke, astonishment filled the air. As the awe subsided, the desire to visit such a tribe grew stronger. Some imagined what it would be like to live in such a place.
Now, the people of this tribe were not only looking forward to trading food, salt, and pottery with the Green Sparrow Tribe, but also hoping to hear more of these fascinating stories.
After speaking for a long time, Mo finally stopped, looking at the people staring at him blankly. Even though he and the trade team members had seen this kind of scene many times, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.
Because these people were longing for their tribe, they had personally experienced what they were talking about.
In such circumstances, it would be strange if they weren’t proud.
With the people reluctantly bidding them farewell, the Green Sparrow Tribe’s trade team continued their journey, heading for the next tribe.
As they departed, Shang and Mo told them, “We’ll be back,” and reminded them that if they ever encountered difficulties, they should never forget the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Some children stood there, staring at the departing trade team, the beautiful flag fluttering in the wind, and the sweet cans mixing, deeply etched in their hearts…