Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

Song remained calm and explained to them, "Resources are scarce in the mountains, and there are few sources of protein, so we have to eat everything we can."

"Only in this way... can we live."

After he finished speaking, the expressions on the faces of those present were not very pleasant.

Just as the people of the Central Plains tied their hair up and wore crowns, the Baiyue people cut their hair short and tattooed their bodies with dragon and snake totems.

This isn't for aesthetics, but to reduce drag when fishing in the water. The tattoos are a tribal symbol and also part of the "Dragon Son" belief. Locals believe that having dragon and snake tattoos will prevent them from being afraid of water monsters and crocodiles.

The dwellings in front of us are people living upstairs, with livestock kept downstairs.

This is because Lingnan is humid and rainy, and snakes and insects are everywhere. Living on high places was to protect against dampness, insects, and wild animals; it was a necessity dictated by the environment.

Then look at the old man in front of you, he's having his teeth extracted.

Some Baiyue tribes in the area have a custom of knocking out a few front teeth during coming-of-age ceremonies, which applies to both men and women.

Such "barbaric" customs are also a way of life determined by the level of productivity...

At this moment, only one thought kept running through Ying Yinman's mind: So this is the place outside of Qin?

She never imagined that there were people who "lived" like this.

On the other side, the clan chief picked his teeth with a bamboo skewer, turned around and called out into the bamboo house.

A moment later, a young woman came out carrying a rough earthenware bowl, which contained a semi-solid, dark red paste.

Ying Yinman squinted and examined it for a long time before discovering that it was a paste-like substance mixed with ant eggs and honey, with a few thin, unidentified grass roots floating on top.

The clan chief took the bowl, presented it with both hands, and spoke a few words in Xiou language towards Song Ye.

The interpreter said, "The chieftain said, 'Distinguished guests have come from afar. The tribe has nothing to offer but this ant egg honey paste. Please try it.'"

"..."

The next moment, everyone present took a half step back in unison.

Just as Song was about to politely decline, Li You stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said a few words in Xiou language.

The translator said, "Prefect Li said, 'You have already used it, so there is really no need for the clan chief to go to such trouble. Thank you for your kindness.'"

The clan chief nodded and didn't insist.

Seeing this, Ying Yinman secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her expression visibly relaxing.

But just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he got stuck again.

She suddenly realized something: what the chieftain had brought out might be what he thought was the best thing.

It wasn't intentional harassment, but rather a genuine expression of hospitality.

Just like when entertaining officials in the Xianyang Palace, the dishes served were roasted mutton, glutinous rice, and candied fruit.

Here, ant egg honey paste is their equivalent of roasted mutton.

"Grandpa Chief, do you think... this is delicious?" Jianglu asked cautiously.

The interpreter nodded in agreement: "Ant eggs are the best thing in spring."

"It's high in protein, sweet, and kids love it. We usually only bring it out when we have important guests."

The princes and princesses: ...I deserve to die!

...

Afterwards, the group continued walking along the dirt road by the stream deeper into the village.

It's called a road, but it's really just a muddy ditch worn out by too many people walking on it. After the rain, it's so slippery that your feet will slip.

After passing several stilted bamboo houses, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A terraced field, cultivated along the mountainside, stretches from the foot of the slope all the way to the mountainside.

The ridges of the fields were crooked and uneven, like a drunken snake coiled on the mountainside. The fields were filled with shallow water, and several Xiou people were barefoot in the mud, bending over to plant rice seedlings. The mud was up to their calves, and each step they took was accompanied by a muffled "squeak".

Along the edge of the field, a thick irrigation ditch meanders along the foot of the mountain.

It's called a canal, but it's really just a shallow ditch dug on a slope, with pebbles haphazardly piled up around the edges. Water is drawn down from the upstream stream, leaking and seeping along the way, until only half the ditch remains by the time it reaches the fields.

When it rains heavily, this ditch will definitely collapse, and the floodwaters will wash away the field ridges, turning the entire field into a muddy pond.

Not far away, behind the stilted bamboo house, several large banyan trees provide shade, their roots intertwined, with some messy things scattered underneath.

Ying Yinman didn't see clearly at first, but when she got closer, she realized they were jars and pots. Some were buried in the soil with only the opening showing, while others were placed next to the tree roots and covered with banana leaves.

She looked at it a couple more times out of curiosity.

The interpreter followed her gaze, his expression changed, and he whispered something.

Li You waved his hand, signaling to keep quiet.

Ying Yinman sensed something was wrong and asked in a low voice, "What is that?"

The interpreter hesitated for a moment, then translated: "It's an urn coffin."

"...What coffin??"

"When the Baiyue people died, they would put the body in a pottery urn, seal it, and bury it under a stilt or next to the roots of a large tree."

"They believe that the spirits of their ancestors remain near their dwelling and will protect their descendants."

"!!!" Ying Yinman gasped upon hearing this and subconsciously took two steps to the side.

There might be one buried in the mud beneath her feet.

People in the Central Plains believe that burial is the key to peace, and they have a whole set of rituals, including coffins, tombs, and three years of mourning.

Here, when people die, they're stuffed into jars and buried downstairs in their own homes...?!

Further ahead, there is an open space by a stream.

Several Yue people sat around a fire in the middle, roasting something on it.

Song looked closely and saw an old woman sitting by the fire, holding a thin bamboo strip in her hand, wiping the forehead of a child who looked about five or six years old.

The child neither cried nor made a fuss, but stared wide-eyed as the blood droplets trickled down the bamboo strip.

After making the cut, the old woman picked up the bowl of dark green liquid and smeared it on the wound. The child wrinkled his face, but still didn't cry.

"What is this?" Song was also puzzled.

"Tattoo."

Li You said, "When Xiou children reach a certain age, they have totem patterns drawn on their foreheads or cheeks. They make a cut with a bamboo strip, then apply herbal juice to it. After the wound heals, it leaves bluish-black lines."

As the words fell, the child, whose forehead was still bleeding, looked no more than five or six years old, yet he had to endure this...

"Does it hurt?" she couldn't help but ask.

The translator translated it, and a young Yue man next to him listened, paused for a moment, then shook his head and said a few words.

"He said it didn't hurt. The cut he got when he was a child was much deeper."

"His father cut him with a stone knife, but the pain subsided after half a month."

Upon hearing the words "stone knife," Gongzi Gao's lips twitched violently.

What kind of customs are these?!

If you get through that, you'll be an adult.

If you can't get through it, it means "the ancestors have taken you away."

"..."

Hahaha, what a hellish joke.

Afterwards, Song Ye and his group also saw human bones.

You read that right, it's human bones.

Several finger bones were strung on a vine, and a tooth, polished to a shine, hung below.

And so it was placed openly at the building entrance.

Li You said, "These are ornaments made from the skulls of hunters."

"Headhunter?"

"When fighting or performing sacrifices, take the enemy's head and hang the skull at the door to ward off evil."

"..."