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

Chapter 180 Return to Salt Spring Mountain

The title of "first among the five grains" has changed, just as rice and flour are now the main staples of modern society.

However, during the pre-Qin period, millet was undoubtedly the top of the five grains, which is the origin of the latter in the term "Sheji" (社稷).

why?
Because it is hardy, has a short cultivation cycle, and produces a large yield.

Of course, this refers to millet, not foxtail grass seeds.

So when Xia Minghao saw the foxtail grass before, he was happy, to say the least, but not much.

But now, it has evolved so rapidly that the foxtail grass has lost its original appearance, which has a completely different meaning!

Who planted millet in front of my house?!

After a brief moment of surprise, Xia Minghao's heart was immediately filled with doubt.

Logically, this is illogical. They're all foxtail grass, so why did you become millet? Even if it's a genetic mutation, it's a slow, gradual change.

Looking at the millet plant by the door and then at the foxtail grass growing everywhere nearby, Xia Minghao asked Huo Li.

"Have you brought any strange foxtail grass into the house before?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Li frowned slightly, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, Huo Li spoke softly to Xia Minghao.

“I have never brought foxtail grass with me, but when I was unpacking cattails before, I left the bundle of foxtail grass outside the door.”

"cat-tail!?"

This reminder immediately gave Xia Minghao a clue. Just then, the large ship had just delivered the goods, including some cattails that were still tied up and unopened.

When Lipa brought over a copy, Xia Minghao stared wide-eyed at it.

The foxtail grass spikes above are long, but otherwise they are no different from wild foxtail grass.

Although the differences are not significant, such evolution is already quite remarkable.

And unlike the foxtail grass in front of my own cabin, there wasn't just this one plant.

These dozen or so foxtail grasses tied with cattails all look the same.

Evolution is never a genetic mutation in an individual plant, but rather a change in the gene frequency of a population.

It is necessary to "advanced evolution drive subsequent evolution" and then achieve "co-evolution" to truly enter a new level of life. It cannot be considered a success if only a small number of plants have evolved.

The fact that such a large number of evolved foxtail grasses could be attributed to some special circumstances in the area where these foxtail grasses originated.

Then why is the foxtail grass next to my cabin even better than these?
Naturally, this is because he is a descendant of these foxtail grasses, exhibiting traits that have already mutated but have not yet been expressed.

If I planted this bunch of foxtail grass that I used to tie up the cattails, it would probably grow to the size of the foxtail grass by the door that it is now.

The original intention was simply to spread the foxtail grass and increase its density so that there would be enough seeds when the agricultural era began the following year. I never expected it to bring such a pleasant surprise.

If we go to swampy areas and discover the mystery of the "rapid evolution" of foxtail grass, which can affect newly discovered primitive rice and even other crops, then maybe in a few years we will be able to eat fragrant rice that is no different from that in modern society!

It was already late, and even though Xia Minghao was anxious, he knew that haste makes waste. So he simply cooked the foxtail grass, which had already undergone its initial evolution, into foxtail grass seed porridge again, to taste the flavor of its evolved form.

But after drinking it, the feeling it gave him was not as amazing as when he first saw it.

It still has a bitter taste and a strong grassy flavor.

This is normal, after all, which plant doesn't evolve to live better? Evolving to taste better has nothing to do with "benefiting oneself".

On the contrary, it is harmful. If it tastes too good, it will surely cause people to have no offspring.

If we could truly grasp the secrets of evolution, we would definitely need to conduct artificial breeding to find mutant individuals that would benefit humanity.

Without human intervention, such individuals would have little competitive advantage and would often gradually die out, and their genes would not be passed down.

After finishing the canola porridge, it was already late. Xia Minghao then joined Huo Li and the others in studying the laws of genetics, waiting for tomorrow to arrive...

……

……

……

One evening, Shia and Huoli came out of the wooden house, chatting and laughing as if they had become best friends.

This was actually a consensus reached by chance between the two during their research on the laws of genetics.

Dali, on the other hand, was sulking, her face dark and gloomy.

The love triangle came to a close last night, with her being the one who was rejected. This was naturally due to her personality.

What angered her most, however, was not that, but that Huo Li would deliberately singe her fur with fire...

After the cattails went out last night, they were completely bare when I looked again...

Dali could only sulk in silence, not knowing how to express her feelings.

After Xia Minghao stepped out of the wooden house, he immediately began to enthusiastically call on people to reload the boat.

This time, he not only wanted to bring back some olive oil to test the market in Yanquanshan, but also because the rapidly evolving foxtail grass had him itching to get back to it.

This was evident last night in the cabin; there was absolutely no intention of going to Wushan together.

This is often the case at work; one only has the energy to deal with women when one is satisfied and has free time.

After loading the boat, along with a group of people from the Great Lake Clan who were to be taken there to promote racial integration within the Xia tribe, Xia Minghao disembarked and headed towards Salt Spring Mountain.

We traveled upstream along the river and finally returned to Yanquan Mountain in the afternoon.

This was Xia Minghao's first time returning here since he went to explore the riverbank.

At a glance, the changes in Yanquan Mountain are truly remarkable.

The number of houses increased exponentially, and the houses that Reba and the others built at the beginning were like slums.

And that is indeed the case; these houses have often been transferred to new occupants, while the original residents have moved into better houses.

Has a house been sold?
Xia Minghao found it amusing, but he wasn't worried about the situation in the Xia tribe.

If a crisis arises due to housing, it is often not a natural trend, but rather a result of human factors.

As long as Xia Minghao isn't so incompetent as to cause the Xia tribe to become financially strapped and unable to make ends meet, he won't resort to such methods to create a bubble and exploit the Xia tribe people who always wear smiles on their faces.

If he doesn't do it, then no one can create this kind of man-made crisis, so there's no need to worry about it at all.

After Xia Minghao inquired about the details, he was surprised to find that the reality was even better than he had imagined.

It's not even considered a sale; as long as the transferor helps build a new house, you can own the original old house.

This was due to the necessary labor time and the collective spirit of cooperation that arose in the Xia tribe under Xia Minghao's leadership.

Indeed, the economic base determines the superstructure. Today, the Xia tribe is in a stage of rapid economic growth. The "harmony" of society does not need any propaganda. Everyone can recite it, and it is still rich in reality.

"Chief."

When Hilla saw Xia Minghao, she immediately walked over and nodded slightly.

"Has anything happened at Yanquan Mountain and on the other side?"

It was already afternoon when they arrived, close to dusk, so Xia Minghao didn't rush to the swamp area. Even if he set off now, he would still have to walk in the dark by the time he got there.

Let's take a closer look at the specifics of the Xia tribe. Although writing has become widespread among the upper echelons of the Xia tribe, they still don't have paper money, making it impossible to effectively transmit large amounts of information. They can only rely on oral communication. Therefore, the information Xia Minghao obtained in Hebian Village was quite brief.

Upon hearing this, Sheila's eyes flickered slightly, but she ultimately remained silent.

Xia Minghao nodded. Since everything was alright, that was for the best.

The next morning, after leaving the empty hut where he had once lived, Xia Minghao headed straight for the swamp area.

……

……

……

Xia Minghao has never been back to this place since he left last time.

If it weren't for the mystery of evolution, we might not have had this time until the Xia tribe became the Xia Dynasty.

As the small boat approached, Xia Minghao was astonished to see the most changed swampy area.

Such a large sculpture?

Or is it my sculpture?

Xia Minghao was dumbfounded when he saw the huge sculpture.

Both Salt Spring Mountain and the opposite bank of the river have their own sculptures, all built to consolidate their rule.

But this swampy area, which was "unofficial," was ignored.

The sculpture, at this height, is made from a single piece of stone, much like a lighthouse on the edge of a swamp. Just moving the stone over was no easy feat, let alone carving it.

I reckon they must have hired stonemasons from the Da clan; with this project, they'll truly be set for life.

Moreover, Xia Minghao also noticed that a half-brick wall had been built near the lighthouse.

Is this a house to be built for this sculpture?
This is outrageous! This isn't just about building a sculpture; it's about constructing a temple!

If Xia Minghao were a person who loved grand achievements, he would naturally be overjoyed at this moment, but he values ​​seeking truth and being pragmatic.

How much resources and manpower will be wasted in this massive construction project?

Most importantly, who organized so many people to build their own idols?

After getting off the boat, Xia Minghao looked up at his idol, only to see that the idol was holding a large, round ball covered in thorns.

Is this... the sun?
Goodness, if this thing were replaced with an electric light, the swamp area would probably be like daytime at night.

“You from Salt Spring Mountain, you cannot look directly at the Sun God; you must kneel down.”

Just then, Xia Minghao suddenly heard a woman's voice behind him.

Xia Minghao turned his head to look, but he didn't recognize the person at all. The person on the other hand was wearing a robe made of nettles from his Xia tribe.

It was impossible for them to know each other, since there were ten tribes in the swamp region, and they had only met seven or eight guys who had been tricked by the Sacred Tree tribe.

But the girl recognized Xia Minghao; behind her was a statue of Xia Minghao!
"You, you are the sun god!"

"I?"

The girl's body was trembling with excitement, and then she knelt down.

Hearing the exclamation, the others rushed over as well.

Seeing a crowd of people suddenly gather around and kowtow to him, it's impossible to say he's used to it.

Xia Minghao quickly spoke up.

"Get up and tell me what's going on with this idol?"

But the questioning voice was immediately drowned out by the increasingly orderly chanting.

Good heavens, what is this? Is it for performing a ritual to help the dead pass on?
After a moment of surprise, Xia Minghao frowned deeply, realizing he couldn't communicate with these people at all.

Xia Minghao turned to look at the two women from the Xi clan who had come with him.

"Do you know that they are like this?"

The two women exchanged a glance, then nodded.

Although they had never been here before, this was all done by specialized people for transporting goods.

However, as Xia Minghao's personal guard, under Sheila's command, they had sufficient knowledge of all aspects and had naturally heard about some things.

"Do you know what this statue is all about?"

“It’s Aisha, she says it’s your oracle.”

Aisha?!

Xia Minghao immediately thought of the girl he had only met once, but who was incredibly passionate about him.

Has he become a priest of the sun god?

My priest?

And I never said that; obviously, this was made up by Aisha.

This is what Xia Minghao is most worried about: what will happen after the birth of a religion.

That would be "falsely conveying imperial edicts," which would undoubtedly bring enormous administrative resistance.

Fortunately, due to management costs, we did not completely take over the swamp area; we only needed the supplies there.

If it were truly and completely integrated into the Xia tribe, who knows what kind of trouble this "Sun God Authority," with himself as the main god, would cause during his absence.

After a moment's thought, Xia Minghao frowned and spoke loudly to the crowd.

"Where is Aisha? Take me there!"

The names they dared not utter were loudly proclaimed by Xia Minghao, carrying a powerful penetrating force in their ears.

The previously noisy chanting stopped abruptly, and the girl who had first noticed Xia Minghao finally spoke up, remaining prostrate and not daring to get up.

"Your beloved daughter is trying to communicate with you. Please come with me, Sun God."

Xia Minghao: 6.
After walking a distance, Xia Minghao looked back at the prostrate crowd and saw that not a single one of them had gotten up, which made him feel even more helpless.

Meanwhile, they began questioning the two women from the Xi clan about their situation along the way.

It turns out that the people I met at the beginning all claimed to be the sons of the sun god, and Aisha even claimed to be his most beloved daughter.

This is clearly an attempt to stir up trouble under their own banner, and it's even possible that something like a "Young Sun God" could emerge in the future, potentially even impacting the legitimate territory of the Xia tribe.

It was unimaginable what might have happened then, but luckily I returned in time and saw what was going on.

This was the first time venturing deep into the heart of the swamp, which was full of humus. There weren't many paths to walk on, but they weren't nonexistent either.

The air was filled with a damp, fishy smell. It wasn't foul, nor was it unpleasant, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. You got used to it after a while.

After walking for a long time, Xia Minghao finally saw a figure standing on a large rock in the swamp.

Even more surprisingly, a small stone temple prototype was built on this large rock!
Inside the stone hall, the figure was groping around in the air; it was Aisha.

(End of this chapter)