The territory of the Glitz tribe is in the west-central part of Hokkaido, and it will take three days to land on the southern coast. However, because the Cossack immigrants had to cultivate the land and graze cattle and sheep, it was impossible to live too intensively, and many Eastern European-style towns had already appeared in the vast Hokkaido plain, although they were not yet perfect, but they were already beginning to take shape. We arrived in such a town that night, and it seemed that everything had been arranged.

Our plough stopped in front of one of the largest houses in town, and I stepped down to move my numb legs, and then looked up to take in the surroundings. The house in front of me was nearly ten zhang wide, and although it was not visible, it was not small, and the walls were made of logs with a diameter of more than two feet, and the gaps between them were carefully plastered. In order to prevent the heavy snow from crushing the house in winter, all the roofs have been created with steep spires, and are also made of planks, only this time with bark. I don't know if it's for the sake of warmth and wind, but all the windows are small, and dim lights and bursts of laughter shine through them. Although the dozens of houses around them are smaller, they are basically the same style, and it seems that since they arrived, the primeval forests of Hokkaido have suffered a lot. I also found a problem where the height of the upright wall is only two meters at most, if you don't count the roof height! If you were Japanese, it might not be a big deal, but for the size of these European immigrants, it may seem a little too economical. Looking back at Huo Sijin beside him, he might have to bow down all the time after entering the house.

"Come inside! Haven't had enough of the freeze all day? The little fox of the mirage urged impatiently behind me, because I had not explicitly agreed to her request to buy her a falcon and was in a bad mood.

"Yes! Dinner has already been prepared for you, and you have worked hard all day! Huo Sijin was also graciously invited.

"Good!" I smiled and nodded to Huo Sijin, ignoring the little fox, and walked inside. Then I noticed that there were more than a dozen horses tied to the barn next to the house.

"Please be careful!" It wasn't for Huo Sijin's support that I almost fell, it turned out that the terrain in the house was nearly a meter lower than the outside, although there was a simple staircase, but it was easy for people who didn't know to ignore this detail. This is the reason why the house is tall and short, which is good for keeping warm and saving materials.

"Oh!" I stood still and took a closer look at the inside of the room, which was really spacious enough. There are four fireplaces connected to the big stove on the two walls, which will satisfy the heating of the whole room, and a large table two meters wide and twenty meters long is placed in the middle of the room, and a large number of chairs and stools around it still seem empty. The wooden walls were decorated with the heads and skins of bears, deer, wolves, and the other side, and on the inner side there were four small doors, probably small single rooms.

There was already a lot of crude but absolutely affordable food on the table, and a dozen or so people around the table stood up when they saw us enter, and to my surprise, the Joseph brothers and others I saw during the day were among them, and they were greeting us frequently.

"Fuster, Duluke!" An old man in his 50s walked over quickly and warmly stretched out his hand to Huo Sijin. Although the top of his head was almost completely bald, and his face was covered with the nicks left by the Wind Sword and Frost Sword, he still looked radiant, and his eyes shone brightly.

After Huo Sijin and the old man saluted each other, they began to introduce us. It turned out that this was also the residence of a certain family belonging to the South Kelin tribe, which was not very large, with a population of just over 300. It is also a common practice for the old man to be both the mayor of the town and the patriarch of the family. This large house is a place where the whole clan gathers to discuss matters, and it is usually used to receive passers-by (most of them are Cossacks), and it is considered an informal hotel.

The richly flavored roast beef with potatoes is indeed full of temptation for people who are hungry and cold, and we don't need to be too harsh on Comrade Khrushchev's "communist standards"! The Joseph brothers' prey was made into roasted deer spine and canned braised venison, which was unconventionally elaborate; Beetroot soup and Russian omelette are traditional items that those of us who have been nibbling on dry food for a day are in high spirits with the "big lieba". Shinhachiro has the best appetite among everyone, and even the Russian sauerkraut, which most people taste at a sipping time, is also greeted by a lot.

"Isn't the atmosphere a little depressing? Not most of the northern peoples ......" Looking at the few jars on the table, I asked Huo Sijin beside me suspiciously. It is inconceivable that there was not enough vodka at the Cossack feast. "Is it because we have something to prevent here?"

"You're so careful!" As if he was in a hurry to answer for fear that I would misunderstand, his face became very red at the same time. "We don't mean anything out of sight of you, just some objective reasons......" He couldn't think of a reasonable reason to justify himself for a moment, so he stopped talking in embarrassment.

"This gentleman is a businessman, isn't he?" Joseph, who was sitting directly across from me, suddenly turned to me and said to me that he was surprised that he spoke Japanese, which was not standard but had no problem understanding it. "Forgive me for being rude, but my affection for the Khoskin brothers and the sense of honor of a Cossack made it impossible for me to remain silent. It was a shame for the Cossacks not to be able to entertain distant guests with a full glass! Although words alone should be used to justify one's mistakes, I would like you to believe that our Cossack hospitality is sincere! ”

"Knowing a person should be by the heart, not just by the eyes, and not by the tongue! My shop has been working with Mr. Khoskin for a long time, and from him I feel all the Cossack hearts of gold! "I don't think further contact with this person would be harmful, but it shouldn't make Hoskin speculate.

"Cheers to your wisdom, it's enough to brighten up the long night in the snow!" Joseph raised his glass to me with some emotion, even though it wasn't full. My words obviously worked well, and Hoskin relaxed.

"If my friend is having any difficulties, I want to know the real situation, so that I can do my best!" I realized that they were in trouble and I should know the details, not to blackmail, but to move them at a critical time.

"The land here is very fertile, but the cold weather makes the land as hard as iron...... "Huo Sijin's voice is a little low, "so although wheat can be grown, not only is it not easy to cultivate, but the yield is very low." In this case, it is important to ensure the supply of food rations, which are easier to preserve than meat, and livestock to exchange for other necessities.

"That vodka...... It's a pity! "I'm not used to that kind of high spirit, but it's a "famous" decline.

"It's still being made, but the yield is low!" Hoskin continued: "After all, this is the cold north, and spirits can sometimes be a lifesaver! Just being a drink has become a luxury, and now I wonder if some of our other traditions will disappear with it! With that, he raised his glass to the old man. Cheers to the generosity of the hosts! ”

"How can I help?" I asked, after taking a short sip.

"There can be no doubt about your sincerity and ability, as evidenced by the recovery of the Gilitz clan!" Joseph spoke again, with a subtle hint of envy in his tone.

"Oh! You've heard of me too? "I was really surprised this time.

"The cooperation between our Glitz tribe and the South Colin tribe has not been overnight, although it cannot be said that there are no secrets between us, but at least the scope is very limited!" Hoskin's words were very natural, and Joseph nodded in full agreement.

"I haven't heard of you personally, but I've heard a lot about your shop and the business you do on the other side of the sea! Hey......" He let out a long sigh and said, "You know what? There are too few businessmen like you......" and then he told me about other things.

Because of the subjective speculation of the bitter cold region of "Ezo" in the early days, the residents here were regarded as cannibals, and no one wanted to have anything to do with it. The situation was exacerbated by the mass migration of the Cossacks, because their appearance was too "characterful" in the eyes of the Japanese! The Cossacks had to make trade contacts with the Japanese mainland in order to obtain daily necessities that were not produced locally, but they were limited in what they could provide. The Japanese did not have a large demand for cattle and sheep, and horses were originally a good product, but the nearby Tohoku daimyo did not lack horses, and the big merchants in the south did not agree with these barbarians, and it was impossible for small merchants to do this, so that the fur dealer who occasionally ventured here would be noticed, and it was because of this that he learned some simple Japanese. Although the value of valuable hides is high, it is impossible to mass-produce, and the largest export to the south is cowhides! There are not many cattle in Japan, but there is a great demand for leather armor.

As I listened to him, my mind raced. This Joseph was obviously an important figure as well, and with his insightful speech and confident tone, he must have had some influence among the Southern Collin tribe. The main thing is that he has a good relationship with Hoskin, and he also has the idea of innovation to change the status quo, maybe here I can get the support of two of the three major tribes, if that happens......

"Please tell the master that I want to buy all the wine in this town!" I turned my head to Hoskin and whispered.

"Oh?" Although he was a little confused, he turned my words over. "Mayor Mare, though it's a bit of storage, it's important to all of them! I beg your pardon for ......" after receiving a reply, he was a little embarrassed.

"I'll exchange it for a hundred pieces of cotton cloth, and I'll send it as soon as spring opens next year!" I smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "But for now...... It's up to you to vouch for me! ”

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Bear in winter: The allusion to "potato roast beef" comes from the Sino-Soviet polemic in the 10th year of the last century*, and those who don't know don't need to force it. In addition, the transliteration of the two sentences in Russian may not be standard.