TPWBI Chapter 108

When the chili peppers welcomed their first great harvest after the large-scale planting, Yang Yi once again began preparing for this year’s first trade fair in May.

Based on last year’s experience, the Spark Tribe had already decided that the trade fairs would be held twice every year: in early May and early November. The May fair was called the “small trade fair”, while the November one was known as the “big trade fair”.

May was the time when various tribes had just pulled through the famine, so not many people could participate. Most would wait until November before traveling thousands of li to engage in trade.

However, according to the information they had now, the number of tribes attending this year’s small trade fair would be much greater than the number that participated in last year’s big trade fair after the harvest season.

Some of the smaller trade fairs had even decided to cancel, all rushing together to the Spark Tribe.

Not only were there more varieties here, but more importantly, the services provided by the Spark Tribe ensured that traders would not be confused during exchanges. They could use fewer goods than before to trade for the things they desired. Their safety would also be guaranteed.

Although, for now, it was inevitable that some still harbored doubts about the Spark Tribe and did not fully trust them, they were nevertheless willing to come and give it a try.

“We still have quite a lot of groundfruit, sweet potatoes, and potatoes left,” Yang Yi said as he flipped through the warehouse inventory.

The newly appointed secretary, Ying, smiled and said, “These were all kept in the warehouse as strategic reserves. Everyone always treated them as if they didn’t exist, tightening their belts and eating from other supplies instead. In the end, not a single one of them was touched.”

The enormous population filled everyone with a sense of crisis. Everyone understood clearly what turmoil would mean for the entire tribe.

The tribe reduced its food distribution, and everyone cooperated willingly.

Even so, the amount of food they had during winter still far exceeded what they once had. It was only that they no longer consumed it as recklessly as they did in other seasons.

For the people of the Eastern Continent, this was entirely normal. Every tribe was the same.

During winter, when it was difficult to find food, life was always rather bitter.

Everyone would take advantage of the harvest season to fatten themselves up, precisely so that in winter they would have fat reserves to consume.

Because of this, no unrest was stirred up. People’s attitudes remained very calm. It was much better than Yang Yi had expected.

These people were very optimistic. The sense of private ownership had not yet formed, and there weren’t so many petty schemes.

“The potatoes haven’t sprouted, have they?”

“The warehouse keepers just went to check. Only a small portion has started sprouting, which has already been taken for planting. The majority are still good.”

“Food safety must be strictly observed. This absolutely cannot be taken lightly,” Yang Yi instructed.

Previously, when poultry at the farm had fallen sick and died, to be on the safe side, Yang Yi had ordered all the diseased poultry to be buried out in the wilderness, so that no one would eat them and get sick as well.

Unexpectedly, not long after, they were dug up again.

At first, Yang Yi worried that perhaps some tribespeople, unwilling to part with them, had done it. But later investigations revealed it had been the wild animals. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

From then on, however, Yang Yi ordered that instead of simply burying them, they should go through the extra trouble of burning them all.

If people ate them, it would be trouble. If animals ate them, that would be no good either.

If they couldn’t block the virus and it spread among the animals, then hunting in the future would become difficult.

Fortunately, the viruses here were not so strong, and wild animals had very strong resistance, so nothing bad happened as a result.

From that point on, Yang Yi began paying even greater attention to food safety.

In the past, people hadn’t cared much about such things. Now it was necessary to correct their mistaken awareness step by step. He had Ting periodically carry out hygiene and health education for everyone.

“Yes!” Ying responded crisply and jotted it down in the folder she always carried with her.

Ying was also a clever person. Although not as meticulous as Ye Jian, her mind was quick, and she was a talent of speed.

However, her speed manifested differently from others. She didn’t run fast, but her hands were fast, especially in writing. She was exceptionally quick at note-taking, with strong shorthand skills.

At present, aside from serving as Yang Yi’s secretary, she was also responsible for copying the books Yang Yi had brought.

She had been transcribing books all along, with a huge daily workload. Moreover, she wasn’t someone who knew how to save effort or slack off. Not only did she write quickly, but her writing was good and precise, which made the intensity and difficulty even greater.

The overly heavy work, coupled with her fast pace, led to severe tenosynovitis, to the point where sometimes she could barely hold a pen.

Ying herself never told anyone, only afraid it would affect her work. She went to the hospital for a checkup and medicine, but Ting discovered it and reported it.

No one dared let her overexert herself anymore. But this girl was earnest. She loved copying books very much, feeling that doing so brought her closer to God.

Just as it happened, Yang Yi didn’t have a secretary at his side, so she was directly appointed to the role.

During her free time, she could still copy some books, but no longer endlessly day and night as before.

When Yang Yi learned of Ying’s story, he was deeply moved. No wonder their tribe had developed so quickly. There were simply too many adorable people like Ying in the tribe.

“In another month, the earliest batches of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and the like should be ready for harvest, right?”

Ying nodded with certainty. “Yes. I just went to the fields this morning to check. The early-maturing batch can be harvested in about a month. The yield this time will be quite large, because the planting area is much bigger than before. Even if the yield per unit is lower, the total volume won’t be affected.”

Sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and the like were all extremely high-yield crops, and they had become the main staple foods of the tribe.

Rice and flour were still considered relatively luxurious foods. They were also more troublesome to eat, requiring threshing, pounding, and milling. In contrast, sweet potatoes and the like only needed to be boiled or roasted.

Now, with a new batch of sweet potatoes and others about to be harvested, the older batch would be left over. However, the amount wasn’t very large. If Yang Yi hadn’t specifically brought it up, Ying wouldn’t have mentioned it either.

“Let’s deal with this batch at the trade fair,” Yang Yi said. “We’ll exchange them for other kinds of food.”

Ying wrote it down in her folder, but after a moment of thought, she couldn’t help but speak up: “But the food we can get in exchange will be much less than their original value. Our tribe’s grain supply is still tight. Wouldn’t this be a bit of a loss?”

Yang Yi lifted his eyes to look at her. Ying immediately grew tense. Her words, without a doubt, could be taken as questioning the Divine Envoy.

A hundred thoughts flashed through her mind. The room fell into an eerie silence.

Ying held her gaze, not retreating, determined to get an answer. Yang Yi suddenly laughed.

“The fact that you can raise this question shows that you’ve truly thought about it.”

Yang Yi admired Ying more and more. Compared to Ye Jian, she was bolder. This boldness wasn’t reckless, but the result of careful thought.

Ying copied books every day. Even though she always copied quickly, after writing so much, inevitably, some of the content would enter her mind. It always proved useful in one way or another.

“Directly trading them as they are wouldn’t be very suitable,” Yang Yi continued. “But if they’re processed, made into something more delicious and unique, then they’ll be able to fetch much more in exchange.”

Ying immediately understood and quickly thought of something:

“Divine Envoy, are you planning to make sweet potato starch and potato starch?”

Yang Yi was surprised. “How did you know?”

At present, the tribe was still struggling just above the subsistence line. So although the canteen tried its best to make the food tasty, it wouldn’t spend too much time on secondary processing of staple foods.

They hadn’t yet reached that economic level. They couldn’t afford to put too much time and manpower into eating. Only when preparing vegetables and meat would they put in some extra effort to make the dishes more delicious.

Staple foods were basically eaten by boiling them directly. As for flour, it was usually made into mantou or steamed buns, while more complex variations were generally reserved for special occasions.

Things like sweet potato starch, potato starch, rice noodles, and other foods that required secondary processing of staples had never been made before.

“Divine Envoy, I’ve eaten the ones you brought before! They were really delicious! I’ve always remembered their taste. The texture was so unique. I’ve even seen them described in some of the books,” Ying said, smiling a little embarrassedly. She was someone who loved to eat and was especially sensitive to such things.

Yang Yi laughed. “Looks like it’ll be easy for you to find the books with instructions on how to make them.”

“I know exactly where they are!” Ying said excitedly. “They’re all on the gourmet bookshelf.”

“Take them out later. I’ll have the chieftain start preparations right away. We’ll try to produce enough before the trade fair.”

“Divine Envoy, leave it to me! I’ll gather all the related materials!”

Seeing her like this, Yang Yi chuckled. “You like it that much?”

“It’s really delicious! Especially when added to meat soup. The texture is unique, smooth, and some even have a springy bite. Even though it’s the same ingredient, after processing, it becomes completely different. And it’s not just me, everyone loves it!”

“If we sell it to other tribes or caravans, do you think it will be popular?”

“Of course!” Ying replied with great certainty. “Whether it’s potato starch or sweet potato starch, both are crystal clear. The caravans from the Western Continent will definitely love foods that look like that.”

Yang Yi was also full of confidence. Even if they didn’t sell for a high price, letting the tribespeople enjoy a change of taste wouldn’t be a waste.

“I’ll have a team assembled for you by tomorrow,” Hei Lie, upon hearing Yang Yi’s words, immediately gave a timeline for completion.

Yang Yi was surprised. “So soon?”

Although the tribe had grown in numbers, that didn’t mean pulling out manpower was easy. It still required investigation and proper arrangements. Otherwise, other work could be disrupted.

“The canteen’s cooks have been itching to try for a long time. Those fellows love nothing more than experimenting with food.”

Those assigned to the kitchen all had culinary talent.

Some had an exceptionally sharp sense of smell. With just a whiff, they could tell how food would taste. Others had an acute sense of taste. With one bite, they could tell how a dish had been cooked.

Aside from those, there were other kinds of gifted individuals. Even if their senses were only slightly sharper than ordinary people, when it came to cooking, they possessed a natural, unmatched advantage.

Although the canteen’s dishes were relatively simple, made with the most basic cooking methods to save time and ingredients, and prepared within certain limits of time, the taste was excellent. And it was clear to everyone that the chefs’ culinary skills had been steadily improving.

The tribes or caravans that came to trade nowadays, as long as they had a little money, didn’t like cooking for themselves. They would all buy meal tickets from the Spark Tribe to eat at the canteen.

Those who loved cooking were always fond of experimenting. But they also knew very well that the tribe couldn’t afford extravagance yet, so they could only exercise their creativity within the range of what was available to them.

Now that by-products could start being made, no one was happier than them.

“Not many technical personnel are needed. The main thing is still assigning laborers. Time is tight now. We need to process all the stockpiled goods in the warehouse before the trade fair,” someone reported.

“You don’t need to worry about that. The union’s operations are gradually becoming more organized. Pulling manpower is much easier than before. Leave it to me. You can set this aside completely,” came the reply.

Hearing this, Yang Yi also set the matter down in his mind.

“Ah, soon we’ll be able to eat hot-and-sour noodles! What a pity we don’t have enough rice. Otherwise, we could also make rice noodles, rice sheets, and so on.”

Just the thought made Yang Yi swallow involuntarily. They still had to keep working hard. For now, they couldn’t just eat whatever they wanted. The costs had to be considered.

Not to mention living free from worries about food and clothing, at the very least, they should occasionally be able to eat foods that require more elaborate preparation, to improve the overall standard of living.

Yang Yi’s ambitions were neither too big nor too small. His goal was to build a safe city filled with all sorts of foods, a city brimming with vitality.

He had no great desire for a luxurious life. After all, he had once been a rich second-generation himself. Even back then, he hadn’t had much craving for material things.

Nor did he enjoy controlling power or the hobby of ordering others around. He simply liked farming. The kind where one could reap the harvest without having to work personally.

“If you want to eat something, I can make it for you right now. You don’t need to restrain yourself because of others. As long as it’s something we can make, no matter what it is, you have the right and the freedom to enjoy it.”

Yang Yi smiled. “I wouldn’t go so far as to mistreat myself like that. I still have some reserves in my space. It’s just that I prefer to share with everyone.”

“Remember this well. Never wrong yourself,” Hei Lie said with great seriousness.

Yang Yi brushed his brow gently. “I won’t leave so easily.”

Ever since the two of them had come together, Yang Yi could feel Hei Lie’s unease even more clearly.

Don’t be fooled by this man’s tall stature, his great strength, or his domineering and flamboyant temperament. He still had his vulnerable side.

Hei Lie stayed silent, saying nothing.

Every time their thoughts unintentionally turned to such matters, the atmosphere would grow a little heavy.

Yang Yi shifted the topic, sharing something cheerful he had encountered today:

“Our first batch of silkworms has a very high survival rate. They’ve all grown plump and white now.”

Yang Yi had also brought silkworm eggs with him. Last year, he had already planted mulberry trees, but hadn’t raised silkworms yet.

Silkworms were delicate creatures. Silk clothing, whether in ancient times or now, has always been very expensive. The fabric itself was also fragile.

Last year, the main concern was still solving the problem of food and clothing. At that time, the tribe hadn’t yet established a stable position in trade, so Yang Yi hadn’t rushed to raise silkworms.

This year was different. Although food and clothing were still the top priority, they had already established friendly relations with the Western Continent caravans and some powerful tribes, confirming their capacity and demand for luxury goods.

Therefore, it was time to begin raising silkworms and producing silk fabrics.

The ancient Silk Road on Earth was enough to prove just how important silk products were, and what kind of position they held in trade.

“This really is good news. Your skin is more suited for silk products. The others are too rough.”

Yang Yi’s mouth twitched: “Don’t make me sound so delicate. I’ll think you’re mocking me.”

His body was clearly much healthier than before. But after that sudden transformation, nothing had changed for a long time, which left Yang Yi quite depressed.

He had thought that even if he couldn’t become as robust as the warriors here, at the very least, he should reach the level of an ordinary person’s physique. But it still fell short.

As for charging into battle and slaughtering enemies in all directions, that was out of the question. Better to just oddly keep farming.

“They’re more fitting for your identity,” Hei Lie rephrased.

Yang Yi couldn’t be bothered to argue with him: “I believe the Western Continent caravans will definitely be fascinated by them. The essential oils from before were enough to drive them crazy.”

After Maple Leaf City brought back the essential oils and soap, a frenzy swept through. Very soon, caravans braved the severe cold and snow to rush to the Spark Tribe.

Qiao was furious, feeling they were too unfair. Having such good things, yet they weren’t the first to have them.

Those Western Continent people were utterly obsessed with them. Both men and women fell in love with those scents.

Even in the cold season when no flowers could be seen, they could still release captivating floral fragrance.

Not to mention they also had beauty, sleep-aiding, and other effects, which made them even more alluring.

From both the caravans that came from the Western Continent and the information they gathered, it turned out that in those great cities, the nobles—whether men or women—were extremely concerned about their appearance.

When they saw the makeup set that Jin Huan had, they completely went mad.

If Jin Huan hadn’t been fierce and strong-willed, she would have compromised and handed it over long ago.

When they came to the Spark Tribe, they also spent no small amount of effort scheming to obtain it.

At the time, Yang Yi hadn’t bought too many of those things. After all, he didn’t wear makeup. It was only with the mindset of “just buying a little of everything” that he had added them to the shopping cart.

The people of the Green Python Tribe loved beauty. To establish friendly relations with them, Yang Yi had practically emptied all his belongings, yet still couldn’t take out much.

But judging from the lavish spending habits of the Western Continent caravans, those people absolutely weren’t short on money. They were the best consumers for luxury goods.

In this regard, they were much more particular than most tribes of the Eastern Continent, and the market would also be larger.

Now, there were too many people in the tribe. Relying on agriculture alone, it was impossible to greatly improve their standard of living. They still had to develop more industries to acquire wealth.

This was a mutually beneficial approach. Compared to the Blackstone Tribe’s bandit-like ways, being friendly and thinking long-term was better.

“This year’s flowers are more than last year’s. Over in the Green Python Tribe, it’s doubled directly. We’ll be able to produce even more essential oils.”

“We could actually make other things, too. But right now, there’s no time to spare.” Yang Yi regretted.

Rouge, face powders, and so on. All those items that once dominated the consumer market on Earth could be made here, too. There should even be some books in the database that recorded traditional handcrafted formulas.

They wouldn’t dare compare with Earth’s similar products, but it was still possible to make some items with real effects.

“It’s not too late for us to better understand the Western Continent first. If we take out too many good things all at once, it will affect prices on both sides. Occasionally, releasing just one, and then, after people recover from their frenzy, releasing another. That way, we can gain even more profit.”

Yang Yi was full of admiration and gave him a thumbs-up: “You really are learning more and more now.”

“I can’t fall too far behind you.”

Yang Yi couldn’t help but laugh and cry: “No, no, no. You’ve misunderstood yourself.”

In just one year, Hei Lie had at least reached the level of junior high, and this was in subjects like physics and chemistry. As for the humanities, he had advanced even further.

Because of this, Yang Yi’s feelings were very complicated.

The trade fair was about to arrive. Qiao and En once again led the caravan ahead of time, heading for the Spark Tribe.

When they were close to the Spark Tribe, the group temporarily stopped to rest.

Actually, they could have gone straight to the Spark Tribe in one go, but after making so many trips back and forth, Qiao and En, who prided themselves on being gentlemen, didn’t want to enter the Spark Tribe covered in filth.

The Spark Tribe was truly an odd existence. No matter what city they visited, they never felt that dirty.

But when it came to this land they once looked down on as barbaric, every time they arrived at the Spark Tribe, they instead felt like they were the barbarians.

Especially after traveling such a long time, none of them dared to casually bathe outdoors in the wilderness, so their bodies neither looked good nor smelled good.

Although the people of the Spark Tribe never looked at them with strange eyes, they themselves felt very uncomfortable inside.

So they decided that before reaching their destination, they would wash themselves clean in a small stream, change into a fresh set of clothes, and only then enter.

“Chief, I think we’ve gone the wrong way!” A scout ran back in terror.

Qiao was stunned: “What? The wrong way? How could that be!”

“How did you scout? How could we possibly go the wrong way? We’ve come here so many times.”

En was extremely angry. If it weren’t for the fact that the scout was usually reliable in his work, he would have killed him on the spot.

The scout quickly explained: “Not far ahead, a tall mountain blocked the view. I couldn’t see the fields and buildings that should have been visible at all.”

Qiao and En hurriedly stood up and went together to check. Sure enough, the view in the distance was blocked.

Because it was too far, they couldn’t clearly make out what it actually was.

“What’s going on? It’s impossible for us to have gone the wrong way.”

En looked all around. The scenery around them was clearly familiar, yet now he felt a bit uncertain.

“This road can’t be wrong. It must be that the Spark Tribe has come up with something new again.”

Their rest ended in haste. Everyone wanted to see what was really happening.

When they arrived at the edge of the Spark Tribe, they were immediately stunned by the sight before them.

Alongside a deep and wide moat, a thick and towering wall had been built! From afar, it looked as magnificent and imposing as a mountain.

There had been watchtowers for patrols before, but the scale back then couldn’t compare at all to now. This was even grander and taller.

The city gate structure was even higher and larger than the walls, more magnificent and beautiful, full of deterrence, with elite soldiers stationed above it.

From their high vantage point, they could see people approaching the tribe from far away.

“They actually built such a terrifying wall in such a short time!”

Qiao was dumbfounded. This group of people just kept bringing out new things.

The last time they came, it hadn’t even been built yet. And now, in such a short time!

“Oh, Chief, what kind of demon is that down there! So hideous, so ferocious!” a follower cried out in shock.

Everyone immediately looked down into the river, and all of them gasped.

A monster with a long, elongated snout full of hard, sharp teeth opened its huge mouth toward them. Its eyes gleamed with viciousness, and it looked extremely savage.

They could easily imagine that if anyone fell down there, the outcome would definitely not be something they wanted to see.

The drawbridge of the city gate was slowly lowered, and a person from the Spark Tribe walked toward them at an unhurried pace.

“These are our guardians,” he explained, “specifically raised to attack those who try to sneak across the river and cause trouble. Their skin is extremely tough, and their teeth can easily crush a person.”

“It can actually be like this!” Qiao and En were utterly astonished.

Their own cities also had small sections of moats, but people usually threw their household garbage into them.

So the moats were terribly smelly. Everyone joked that it was to suffocate any swimming intruders to death in the stench.

They never expected that the Spark Tribe would actually raise ferocious beasts inside theirs! That method was indeed ingenious.

Those beasts couldn’t climb up at all. They just stared at the people passing by, their eyes fixed and waiting, as if ready to leap up at any moment to tear everyone apart.

And when they saw Yang Yi, their eyes were completely drawn to him, unable to look away.

What was he wearing!?

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