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

Chapter 132 A Surprise from Above!
Xia Minghao opened his eyes and looked at the roughly made wooden ceiling in the narrow cabin.

He couldn't quite explain what kind of feeling he was experiencing.

It's a rather complex feeling, hard to explain. Perhaps it's the sense of security that comes with having more partners to continue the bloodline, mixed with the enjoyment of the power to have more mating opportunities.

It evokes a sense of returning to childhood, like having a new toy.

If this were the case with the primitive people of this alien world, they certainly wouldn't have this feeling.

These complex feelings we have today are actually a result of culture, a result of civilization, and a result that society can only have when it has progressed to a certain level.

Xia Ya playfully drew circles on Xia Minghao's chest with her hand, then suddenly thought of something that worried her. After thinking for a moment, she whispered in Xia Minghao's ear and asked a question.

"Chief, will we die when we have children?"

As she said this, Xia stopped drawing circles and instead nestled against Xia Minghao's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

It seems that as long as she can hear a heartbeat and know that the man is alive and by her side, she can feel safe.

"Dead?"

Upon hearing Xia Ya's words, Xia Minghao suddenly realized that while he had considered taking responsibility for his child, he had completely forgotten to consider the issue of hygiene during childbirth.

Having a child in primitive times with modern standards must have been a real hassle.

Thankfully, it was pulled out at the crucial moment, though it got all over Shia's face.

This reduces the probability, making the chance of getting a kill on the first try much smaller.

However, Xia Minghao couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis. This was only the first time, but not the last.

Moreover, in another world, one definitely needs offspring, and there must be many, not few...

So what should we do? Of course, we should quickly increase productivity, promote the arrival of a real "life," and ensure adequate sanitation.

The pressure surged up instantly, and Xia Minghao suddenly understood why some companies prefer to hire people with families, preferably with some loans.

Pressure really is a motivator.

Stroking Shia's little head, it was quite soft, probably after being soaked in soap.

As the Xi clan, which enjoys the best average treatment in the Xia tribe, this was naturally not difficult.

Suddenly thinking about the chaotic relationships between men and women in this era, and considering that Xia Ya was a native of the primitive world, Xia Minghao reminded her with some concern.

"You've mated with me. You can't mat with anyone else now."

“I know, I can read, I’ve seen what’s written on the stone slab. I will mate with you and have your child.”

Hearing what Xia Ya said, Xia Minghao, being somewhat suspicious by nature, was still a little uneasy.

If I really get cheated on, where can I go to seek justice?
Right, checks and balances...

Originally, I didn't plan to bring any women with me during the first wave of expansion, so naturally I didn't plan to bring Shia either.

It's a good idea to let Shia go back. Dali has always been possessive, and the two of them together can be considered to be able to keep each other in check.

Moreover, after this period of education, the Xia tribe has already developed this awareness.

Furthermore, to avoid falling into chaotic relationships between men and women again, the stone tablet severely condemned the crimes of the marriage law.

The minimum penalty is five lashes, and the victim can request the death penalty.

With the emerging signs of so-called "public order and good morals" and the clearly defined order written on the stone slab, a balance of power has been established between the two.

So the situation of being cheated on, which was already unlikely to happen, has been completely avoided.

Sleepiness washed over him, and he embraced Xia's petite body, about to drift off to sleep.

But suddenly, Xia in my arms started being naughty again.

"What are you doing?"

"I still want to..."

Shea whispered in Xia Minghao's ear, while thinking about that wonderful feeling.

It did hurt at first...

But then it took flight like a bird...

……

……

……

"What? The ship started shaking again when the moon was in the middle?"

As dawn broke, it was Datun's turn to stand guard.

Hearing the person changing shifts say this, he was horrified.

"Yes, it shook twice more, no, three times. The last time it shook for a while and then stopped."

As the others left, Dathun grew increasingly uneasy until the sun had fully risen above the horizon.

Then they saw the chief walk onto the deck.

"Chief, Chief!"

Datun quickly reported this unusual situation.

Xia Minghao's expression remained unchanged, but he knew exactly what was going on in his mind.

Wow, is this big ship really that unstable?
That's not right, we definitely tested it before departure.

After a moment's thought, Xia Minghao recalled that during the test, the stone anchor seemed to still be on the ship...

It seems that after anchoring, the ship's center of gravity rose, which caused the instability problem.

It seems we need to come up with more ways to weigh down ships in the future.

In calm waters, it's fine, but if something bad happens, like the water totem tribe upstream that the wise man told us about, and they create big waves, the whole boatload of goods might end up in the river as food for the blackfish.

Well, shipbuilding technology needs improvement, but that requires more manpower and can't be rushed.

Looking at Datun again, Xia Minghao casually said that it was the wind blowing at night to get by.

Datun was somewhat bewildered after hearing this, only vaguely understanding the situation.

And because of this, I forgot to report to Xia Minghao about the strange stone I saw last night.

"Ye Zi, I was a little tired yesterday, so you'll be in charge of steering the boat today."

Ye Zi slept soundly and didn't even feel the ship shaking, naturally because she found that her people's condition had improved when she left yesterday.

"Yes, Chief!"

Xia Minghao then returned to the cabin, intending to rest a while longer with Xia in his arms. Because the leaves could only stir up one sail, the boat's speed was quite slow.

Xia Minghao didn't wake up until the sun was blazing overhead. He went to the deck and took out his binoculars.

You can still see the small river upstream in the distance, and the speed of travel is indeed quite slow.

Looking further downstream, Xia Minghao saw large, flat areas.

The floodplains should be just ahead!
Taking over Ye Zi's work, Xia Minghao used the Wind Stone Bracelet again to propel the ship forward at full speed.

It was already flowing downstream, and with the added force of the wind, its speed was much faster than that of a small river channel.

By the time dusk reappeared, Xia Minghao had a complete view of the flooded plains.

Plains are not truly flat; they have a certain gradient.

The mountains are visible to the naked eye, with large tracts of forest everywhere, but not as dense as the rainforests near Yanquan Mountain.

Unfortunately, the watchtower was not tall enough, so the trees and mountains blocked the view, and very little could be observed.

"anchor!"

As dusk approached and the operation of the large ship had taken a toll on their energy, Xia Minghao ordered them to rest there.

At the same time, taking advantage of the last rays of the sunset, they began to think about the issue of settlement.

Firstly, according to Hima, the Fire Totem tribe should be located on the right side of the riverbank, but this information was from ten years ago.

It's hard to say exactly where they are now, but Xia Minghao feels that the possibility of them migrating across the river is unlikely.

At first, we should naturally avoid the Fire Totem Tribe's sharp edge and figure out whether the terrifying power of the Fire Totem that Hima spoke of was really that scary.

What kind of effects will it produce, and how much destructive power will it cause?

Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

Therefore, their settlement should naturally be located on the left side of the river.

The second question is where to settle down specifically.

This is something that can't be seen from the lookout tower; you have to find a high vantage point on the shore.

However, Xia Minghao did not intend to disembark easily. Instead, he planned to stay on the river for a day to observe the downstream section of the river through binoculars and see if anyone would appear on the riverbank.

Although not entirely accurate, it can provide a general idea of ​​tribal density.

After all, the Xia tribe has less than a thousand people at most, and only a few dozen came on their first visit.

If the settlement you choose at the beginning is surrounded by various tribes, the competition will be fierce, and there may even be hidden, unknown totem tribes, making the start of the game extremely difficult.

Having just arrived and knowing nothing about the situation, one must proceed cautiously and prudently, taking each step with care.

After dinner, it was time to rest. Xia wanted to experience that feeling of "not knowing what the world is" again that night, but Xia Minghao refused.

There's absolutely no drop left...

But in the end, I still cuddled with Shia and fell asleep together. I have to say, it really does make sleeping much more comfortable when you're holding something.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Xia Minghao went up to the lookout tower.

He picked up his binoculars and began to observe the situation from all sides.

The river channel is not straight, and its bends are quite obvious, so much so that the telescope cannot actually exert its full power, and the effective detection range is only about one or two kilometers in front and behind.

Xia Minghao sat on the lookout tower for a whole day, but he didn't see a single person.

I did see quite a few animals, like deer!
Deer can be domesticated, and it seems that venison tastes quite good, belonging to the aristocratic diet during the pre-Qin period.

"That's strange... there's not a soul in sight. Don't they need water? Or is there simply no one here?"

Xia Minghao put down the binoculars and pondered.

It's not hard to understand if there were no one, since according to Hima and the sage, these totem tribes were quite brutal, causing many ordinary tribes to migrate.

It's a good thing that I've actually made room for myself.

But there are no primitive people on either side of the river. The Fire Totem Tribe is only on one side. What are they running to on the other side?
Xia Minghao's guess was quite unfavorable in this regard.

Either the totem tribe also mastered the technology of crossing the river, or there really is an unknown totem tribe on the other side of the river, as brutal as the fire totem tribe!

Of course, there are many possibilities. It's also possible that the totem tribes in the vicinity have developed pottery making, or that they have some other way of storing water resources, so they don't need to come to the river to fetch water every day.

If that's the case, they'll definitely be found in ten days or half a month, but Xia Minghao's food reserves won't last that long.

Once they disembark, it will take an unknown amount of time to find arable crops, and the return journey will involve going upstream, which will take even longer.

With a sigh, Xia Minghao decided to go down and check the situation anyway, but he could only go down by himself.

If they encounter danger, the wolf totem stone can at least help them escape. But if others are in real danger, things will be much worse.

……

……

……

"Chief, be careful!"

The others were frightened by Xia Minghao again, and they all stood on the deck on high alert for any possible accidents.

Only Xia Ya watched Xia Minghao's departing figure with a worried expression.

Upon hearing Xia Ya's words, Xia Minghao turned around and suddenly felt a weight in his arms as Xia Ya rushed into his arms.

Stroking Xia Ya's back and saying a few comforting words, Xia Minghao descended the ladder woven from straw ropes and wooden sticks and came to the shore.

The vegetation density is much lower than that of rainforests, and it doesn't block out the sun as much, making the roads easier to walk on.

He took out a compass and reconfirmed the location of the nearest high point he had observed from the lookout tower, remaining vigilant about his surroundings.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Xia Minghao's legs were so tired that they were a little numb, and finally they saw the small hill that wasn't very high.

After searching for a path and expending a lot of effort, I finally realized that I still had to climb.

This is a real climb, not just a walk.

Using both hands and feet, he climbed step by step towards the summit, and finally succeeded in reaching the top.

Fortunately, he didn't overestimate his abilities and choose a higher vantage point; otherwise, Xia Minghao probably wouldn't have finished climbing even by sunset...

After brushing off the various weeds from his hands, Xia Minghao adjusted his breathing and was about to pick up his binoculars to check the surrounding area when he suddenly noticed a certain plant on his hand that he had brushed off.

Why does it look familiar?

No, it's not just familiar, it's extremely familiar!
It's foxtail grass!

(End of this chapter)