We made you the chief, and now you've become the world's chief?

Chapter 83 Taro and Wild Duck

Wild ducks can be considered an extremely high-quality livestock resource.

However, they were also a group that was overlooked in the process of human civilization, and were not domesticated until the later stages of the agricultural era.

It's not like humans initially came up with the idea of ​​domesticating wild ducks for the sake of eating meat or for any other reason.

The initial domestication of wild ducks was due to the gradual maturation of paddy field agriculture, while the problem of pests in the fields remained unresolved, such as the rampant infestation of golden apple snails.

So people thought of wild ducks, which led to the development of "wild duck farming". Later, they found that ducks were easy to raise and could easily provide a large amount of meat resources, so they shifted their focus.

Wild duck farming has thus become a significant part of animal husbandry.

It's no wonder the Da tribe couldn't discover it; perhaps even after the Da tribe went extinct, they still wouldn't have thought of raising wild ducks.

But now that Xia Minghao has arrived and seen it, the wild duck farming industry has naturally emerged.

Of course, we won't say it now. We'll only consider it after we've completely controlled the Da tribe and made it a complete part of the Xia tribe.

Otherwise, allowing the Da tribe to obtain duck meat reliably would be tantamount to crippling themselves.

"Chief of the Xia tribe, what's wrong?"

Seeing Xia Minghao's strange expression, Damon asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's just this, it's very good."

"This? Marada?"

Damon had actually noticed Xia Minghao looking at the wild duck earlier, and now that he heard this, his face immediately turned bitter.

It was because Damon misunderstood Xia Minghao's meaning, thinking that the chief of the Xia tribe had seen wild ducks and wanted to eat them.

The reason they remain silent is because wild ducks are extremely difficult to catch.

Not only because wild ducks can attack people, but also because entering the swamp can cause illness and there is a possibility of encountering crocodiles.

The last time I caught wild ducks was a long time ago, when I was very young, and the tribe didn't have an endless supply of taro.

During the rainy season, there was nothing to eat, but wild ducks appeared in the shallow waters of the swamps that had expanded due to the torrential rains.

Only then did everyone start to catch them...

They didn't encounter any crocodiles, but two people who went into the swamp fell ill and died a terrible death, as if cursed by the swamp.

"Marada?"

Upon hearing this word, Xia Minghao recalled the harsh words spoken by the man named Wolfskin when the Da tribe brought people over.

"What is that Kraka?"

"Kraka, it's terrifying, floating like rotten wood."

Upon hearing Damon's description, Xia Minghao guessed that "Krakka" must be the original word for crocodile.

He looked back at the swamp, a smile playing on his lips.

That's convenient. We can start a wild duck farming business and also hunt crocodiles and get some crocodile meat to eat.

Damon looked at Xia Minghao, neither agreeing nor refusing to ask whether or not to catch wild ducks.

He certainly saw what the Xia tribe had brought, but Damon didn't want his people to pay the price with their lives for the sake of "friendship."

Where are your taro?

Xia Minghao, however, was completely unaware of this and had already begun to plan how to utilize the swamp at that time.

The purpose of swamps is certainly not limited to raising wild ducks and hunting crocodiles.

But since they are not agricultural experts, they cannot come up with all the development methods at once.

Damon was relieved to hear that the Xia tribe chief hadn't directly asked for wild ducks.

He immediately pointed to the stems in front of him.

"Here? Which one?"

At first, Xia Minghao didn't understand, but he was surprised when he saw the stem that Damon was pointing at.

Is this taro?
It was a dense, large patch; I initially thought it was some useless plant growing at the boundary between a swamp and a forest.

Xia Minghao squatted down, took out an entrenching tool, and dug up the taro root.

First, I saw a taro ball in the very center, surrounded by several small taro balls.

Are these all of them?

He planted the taro back in the soil, stood up again, and looked around.

The boundary between the swamp and the forest was densely covered with waist-high stalks, almost forming a clear dividing line between the two. So many?
No wonder Daka said he couldn't finish the taro; I thought he was exaggerating.

With so many taro, even if the Xia and Da tribes combined had only three hundred people, they still couldn't finish eating them all.

Such a large quantity of taro means that the demand for earthenware pots and jars will inevitably increase.

Earthenware jars and pots are typically depreciating in value, which was within Xia Minghao's expectations.

After all, it's impossible to break every single piece you use; having a few is enough, so there's no longer a need for pottery.

That's why the initial price was particularly high.

But if the amount of taro is that large, then a lot more earthenware pots will be needed.

"How do you store taro?"

"Store, taro?"

Upon hearing the Xia tribe chief's question, Damon thought for a moment before understanding and then replied.

"Dig a hole, put the taro in, and cover it with dry straw."

"How long can it be stored?"

As soon as he asked the question, Xia Minghao realized that the tribe members still couldn't count, so he added another sentence.

Is there any rainy season this long?

Upon hearing about the rainy season, Damon's face immediately showed some worry, and then he shook his head at Xia Minghao.

"If you leave the taro indoors during the rainy season, it won't last as long as the rainy season itself. The taro will change, and if you eat it, you'll vomit, like drinking water from a swamp. It could even kill you."

"But if there is no rain, it can be stored for as long as during the rainy season."

After thinking for a while, Xia Minghao finally understood what Damon meant.

In that case, earthenware jars or vats can be considered an essential necessity.

Once these people understand the function of pottery, the Da tribe can exchange whatever they have for pottery. In other words, what belongs to the Da tribe belongs to the Xia tribe, and of course, what belongs to the Xia tribe still belongs to the Xia tribe.

"I gave you the big one and the small one. Put the taro in, and it will help you get through the rainy season."

"pottery?!"

"It's fine during the rainy season, and it's fine in winter too. Taro won't spoil, so it's edible."

Seeing Damon's surprised expression, Xia Minghao didn't mention the storage techniques along the way, such as using wood ash or other moisture-absorbing substances.

The main concern is that Damon might not be able to process so much information at once, so we'll let him digest it first and explain the specific storage method before he leaves.

Upon hearing Xia Minghao's words, Damon was initially shocked, but then immediately thought of his father, the Wise Man.

Only then did I fully understand why wise men valued pottery so much!

"Chief! Chief! The people of the Divine Tree Tribe are here again!"

While still deep in thought, Damon suddenly heard a sound coming from the wolfskin behind him.

The joy on his face vanished instantly.

"Chief, the Divine Tree Tribe needs salt."

Wolfskin, panting heavily, said to Damon.

Only then did she notice Xia Minghao, and she seemed somewhat afraid.

"take me."

These past few days, Damon had been harassed by the Divine Tree tribe and was quite angry. He frowned and said something to Wolfskin.

It seems to be some kind of tribe?
Xia Minghao overheard their conversation, thought for a moment, and decided to go and see what was going on.

If it's a new tribe, then it's a good opportunity to see if we can establish any connections.

The Da tribe hasn't found anything good to exchange for yet, except for taro. Xia Minghao naturally wants to make his hard currency go out of business.

So he took a few people and followed Damon's figure from a distance.

After walking for a while, several figures appeared in front of them.

Upon seeing the figures of these people, Xia Minghao's expression changed drastically.

This! How is this possible!

(End of this chapter)