On a cold winter night, a warm hot drink is the best treat. Taking a sip of the bitter liquid, Tianhao said seriously: "Actually, the more people in the village, the better. I consulted with the High Priest, Yonggang, and the Chiefs on this issue. Based on the current situation of our village, the new population from outside cannot exceed 300 at most. Any more, and it will cause us trouble. ”

Guoji is deeply touched by this. He nodded slowly: "Yes! There are too many people who have come in during this time. The empty houses in the stockade were all inhabited, and even the warehouses for meat were vacated for them. Fortunately, it's winter, and the venison won't spoil when left outside. But so many people came in at once, there were many more people than in our village, and if there was really any trouble, they wouldn't listen to what we said! ”

Chang Min is about the same age as Guoji, both in their thirties. The cheeks that are often trimmed have short whiskers, and the chin has a dark blue color that pierces the hands. He had anger on his face, and he hadn't changed since he came in. Listening to Tianhao and Guoji finish speaking, he picked up the cup and poured a big sip of black needle pine tea down like drinking. The bitter liquid echoed in his mouth, and the anger that had been suppressed for a long time seemed to have been poured with gasoline, and suddenly rose in an instant.

"That damn dog mongrel of Fusong, he robbed my woman." He felt some tinnitus, but he didn't know that it was caused by a large amount of adrenaline secretion in a short period of time.

Last time, a large number of giant horn deer were hunted in the valley, so that every family in Panshi Village had enough meat to eat. Changmin took a fancy to a woman who was changed from Qinglongzhai. At first glance, he is a good hand at working in the field. The hair was neatly combed, not as dirty and smelly as other women. Although Changmin already has a wife, it does not prevent him from becoming interested in other members of the opposite sex. Finding the hunting captain Yonggang and saying that, according to the practice in the stockade, he pressed his handprint on the mud template, and Changmin happily took the woman home.

People who are exchanged from the outside belong to "public goods". If you want to get it, you have to pay a corresponding price. Build walls for the stockades, reclaim more wasteland, boil more salt, and cut down more trees for firewood...... These are public affairs in the stockade. You can get rich by labor, and you can also get a woman who is more beautiful than your current wife.

The wife did not show disgust with the woman brought back by Changmin. She is even happy to have a new sister to help her with more of the household chores and farm work. It's a good thing to have more family members, and it means that all kinds of things that were originally weighing on your shoulders can be divided in half. What's more, there is no shortage of food at home now, and the bride is very diligent, so she can settle down to get pregnant in the next few months, and then give birth comfortably and leave all the housework to her.

The sacrificial act of the chieftain Fu Song did not come without warning. Pingjun led a group of people to go door-to-door to select, and they picked out the young and beautiful women from the exchange. The number was not enough, and the women in the stockade made up six more vacancies, and together they were worshipped to the great winter god.

Sacrifice is a sacred act. Worshipping with crooked melons and inferior dates will only anger the gods and bring greater disasters to the village.

A cruel and indifferent smile rippled in Tianhao's heart, and his face maintained a calm that did not show any warning. Picking up the kettle and filling Changmin's empty cup, he patiently persuaded: "Look at it, we have a lot of grain in stock, and we can exchange more women from outside." Fu Song is the leader after all, this matter is still settled, there is no need to argue with him because of this. ”

“…… No, you don't understand...... You guys...... None of you will understand......" Changmin's face was full of painful entanglement. He lowered his head, his legs bent at the knees spread widely, his head hanging low and buried deep between the knees of the two mountain-like peaks, and let out a faint sobbing cry.

It is indeed a bit strange that this kind of thing happened to an old man in his thirties. But God can testify, Changmin swears: When he first fell in love with that woman, an inexplicable thought took root in his mind. …… All in all, this is a pretty chick that is very much in line with the aesthetic point of view of the barbarians.

She was killed. With his head stuck in a wooden pole, he stood outside the house of the leader Fu Song on a cold winter night, and he did not blink an eye.

"Fu Song will kill more women." The fierce sky madness interjected: "In a little while, the weather will become warmer." In the past, there had to be spring sacrifices on cultivated land, and the scale of sacrifices to the spring gods would be even larger. By then, more people will die than they do now. A hundred, or even two hundred. ”

These words are not original to the madness himself. When Chang Min and the others didn't come, Tian Hao said the same thing at home. He had been sighing and looking worried. Anyway, it's all family members, so it's just a whining. But in front of outsiders, especially adults older than himself, Tianmad felt that he had to show a more mature side. He needs to demonstrate his ability to take the initiative to participate in more public affairs.

Boys have an impulsive phase that tries to prove their ability to speak. Tianhao needs someone to act as his helper at this time. Tianmad fits the role very well, he didn't think it was part of Tianhao's plan at all. It's like a little boy who hears his father talking to a guest, and repeats the conversation as a show off in front of his friends, so as to show that he is smarter and more far-sighted than his peers.

Everyone was silent.

Sitting in the corner playing with the joints of the heavenly frost affected. She stopped what she was doing and looked at this side with wide, swarthy eyes, trying to see what was going on in her serious, cold faces.

After a long time, Tong Biao took a big sip of bitter black leaf tea from his cup, and he stared at Tianhao with eyes full of deep questions: "Ah Hao, when Fu Song asked you to bring the document to the patriarch, did you really write on it that our village will hand over 80% of the grain share next year?" ”

A mature man will not believe rumors. Although Tong Biao was loyal to Tianhao in public, he lived in the village with Fu Song for many years after all. There are some things that he must find out for himself.

Tianhao nodded seriously: "When he said this, Yonggang and the high priest were also present. ”

As he spoke, he turned sideways, took out the small animal skin used as a document from the leather robe placed next to him, and handed it to Tong Biao: "See for yourself." ”

The flickering light of the fire illuminated every word on the hide. Tong Biao stared at the animal skin, his hands trembling slightly. This movement soon spread along the arm to the whole body, and even the gaze was infected, revealing uncontrollable anger in disbelief.

"That's so much food, and three thousand deer...... Crazy, Fu Song must be crazy! This is the only plausible explanation that Tong Biao can find for this horrific act.

Guoji is a man with a calm personality. He frowned: "This is to hand over all the grain in our village." Later...... What do we eat? ”

"That damn bastard of Fu Song is for himself!" Chang Min was on the verge of a fierce outburst, his eyes were red with anger, and his voice was hoarse: "You all heard it during today's sacrifice, Fu Song didn't pray to the winter god to bless the stability of the village at all. He only thought about getting the last name himself, and didn't mention us a word. ”

These words instantly inspired Tong Biao, and he immediately turned to look at Tianhao: "So, Fu Song asked you to go to the clan city to deliver the papers, promising to hand over so much grain next year, just to get a surname from the patriarch?" ”

Tianhao was very satisfied with the development of events. He nodded calmly: "Yes." ”

Tong Biao still retains a little humble expectation in his heart: "The patriarch agreed? ”

Tianhao shook his head slowly and shattered his last glimmer of hope: "The patriarch said, this is impossible. ”

Although it is not the original words of Niu Weibang, the patriarch of Lei Niu, it has a similar meaning. However, changing the order of the same content with different words and phrases often has a special effect at critical times.

Tian Feng, who was lying on the sickbed, let out a long sigh and said thoughtfully: "Paying so much grain can't let Fu Song get a surname, he will be even more intense in the future, ninety percent, or even all of the year's harvest...... He'd do it. ”

The animal skin document is real, and it is laid out in black and white.

There's no need for Tianhao to lie about this kind of thing. Besides, it's easy to confirm what he just said. Dare to falsely pass on the orders of the patriarch, unless you are impatient.

Tong Biao's eyes were filled with unprecedented disappointment. He stared at the animal skin document in his hand, and let out a groan like a dying person in the water: "Three thousand deer, and so much grain will be paid next year...... We, what are we going to do? ”

No one noticed that Tianhao's eyes showed a scrutinizing gaze. He watched quietly and carefully at the changes on each person's face.

Tianhao holds a heavy hole card with decisive lethality in his hand.

Patriarch Niu Weibang has already said that he does not want the tribute of Panshi Village, and he is not uncommon to hand over a high amount of grain next year.

These things were not made public. This will become the biggest bargaining chip for himself to gain a firm foothold in Panshi Village and firmly grasp the control of the village.

Sitting by the fire, feeling the heat released by the flames, Guoji felt that some terrible thoughts buried deep in his mind were instantly ignited.

"Fusson is a selfish guy. Since he won't let us live, we will simply kill him with a knife, and then we will choose a new leader. ”