Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 35 Expectation
"...Sir, I need some bricks."

Francisco Favian Lorenzana, who was in charge of the camp's livestock and poultry, pushed the door open after receiving permission. He first bowed to Li Xianqing inside, then nodded slightly to Lin Afu beside him. He slowly approached and said boldly, "Those rabbits are digging holes everywhere in the pit, making it difficult to manage. I don't even know how many they have reproduced. So, I need some bricks to build a solid retaining wall around the edges and bottom of the pit."

"Yes, sure." Li Xianqing nodded with a smile after listening to Lin Afu's translation. "Later, I'll have someone bring you some bricks and help you repair the rabbit hive. By the way, do the pig shed and sheep pen need to be reinforced with bricks?"

"Oh, no need, sir." Lorenzana shook his head and said, "Pigs and goats don't dig holes randomly. As long as they are kept in the shed, they will grow well. Speaking of goats, I have good news. One of the female goats is already pregnant and may give birth to one or two lambs in a few months."

"Oh, really?" Li Xianqing was immediately interested. "Is the other goat pregnant? Oh, and how are those two pigs? Can they have a litter of piglets too?"

"I'm sorry, sir." Lorenzana looked embarrassed after hearing Lin Afu's retelling. "The other female goat may not have been in heat, so she hasn't conceived yet. As for the two pigs, I'm sorry, they are two sows. Without a boar, they can't conceive on their own."

"Oh, what a pity." Li Xianqing laughed bitterly, then thought of something, "By the way, what about those dozen or so poultry? Have they hatched any more chicks and ducklings?"

"Sir, chickens and ducks usually incubate their eggs in the spring because the weather is warm and there's plenty of sunlight, which is conducive to the healthy growth of the chicks and ducklings," Lorenzana replied. "Also, after the chicks hatch in the spring, there's plenty of feed in the wild, which helps them grow quickly."

"Not bad, not bad!" Li Xianqing couldn't help but look at the Spaniard in charge of livestock and poultry with new eyes, praising him repeatedly. "Well... Lorenzana, you must have been a very competent and dedicated farmer. From now on, the prosperity of our livestock in Shixing Fort depends on you."

"...Thank you for the compliment, sir!" Lorenzana bowed, somewhat flattered, after hearing Lin Afu's translation. "I'm deeply honored to receive your recognition, sir. I promise to more than triple the number of our livestock and poultry within this year, ensuring that everyone has regular access to eggs and goat's milk."

"Very good!" Li Xianqing was very satisfied with his statement. "Lorenzana, as long as you work hard, you will be richly rewarded in the future, not only in material terms, but also in reputation and status. Believe me, in twenty years, you will feel immense pride and honor for the choices and efforts you have made. Your descendants will also be honored by your achievements and status."

"...Thank you, sir!" Lorenzana's mouth twitched when he heard this.

What kind of lofty honor and status can I, a farmer who is responsible for taking care of livestock and poultry, gain in the future?
Could it be that if our group grows stronger in the future, or establishes an independent kingdom, you will award me a title and make me an enviable noble lord?

Haha, with just a few of us, what can we achieve in the end?
At most, it is just a local autonomous group with a little bit of military power, just like the pirate groups that occupy a deserted island in the Caribbean.

Of course, it is also possible that for some reason, this group will fall apart and disappear into thin air.

It is also possible that they would be discovered by the colonial government in New Spain and be ruthlessly destroyed by the army.

It is even possible that we will encounter a terrible plague and die here silently.

Alas, since I have committed myself to this and am facing such a difficult situation, I can only take it one day at a time.

As for the future, what better can I expect?
Compared with Lorenzana who was full of pessimism and confusion about the future, the Indians called "red noses" by Wei Zhonglong were very positive and optimistic.

More than half a month ago, his tribe was attacked by the "Black Bear" and all the tribesmen became their slaves. Only he and four companions managed to escape.

Fortunately, on the way of escape, they met people from the coastal tribe, and then used a weapon that could make a loud noise to repel the warriors of the "Black Bear" tribe, thus pulling them back from the brink of death, and then they joined them.

It was originally thought that this seaside tribe would go to war with the "Black Bear" tribe, defeat the other side, and then rescue their captured tribesmen.

Or, with the powerful weapons in their hands, they can directly conquer the "Black Bear" tribe, replace them, and become the new ruler of this land.

However, they never expected that the leader of the seaside tribe would choose to reconcile with them.

Not only that, the two sides also established a cooperative relationship. The "Black Bear" tribe could exchange furs, prey, berries and other supplies with the seaside tribe for seasonings and tools such as axes and knives.

If there is no material exchange, it doesn’t matter. You can work for the coastal tribe in exchange for things, such as cutting wood, processing prey, moving bricks, digging soil, and clearing fields.

However, the people of the "Black Bear" tribe were not very willing to work for the people on the coast. They felt that they were too restricted and had to obey their management and do things in a methodical manner, which was very different from the free and casual life they were accustomed to.

However, a few days ago, God suddenly sent down a fire, burning a large area of ​​forest. Not only did it cause a devastating disaster to the birds and animals in the forest, but it also seriously affected the people of the "Black Bear" tribe.

Originally, the Black Bear tribe's camp was far enough from the fire to avoid being engulfed by it. However, their chief, Black Bear, coveted the superior living conditions of the two invaded tribes. Under the guidance of the coastal residents, they built log houses, covered with mud and branches and grass, with doors and windows. These were the finest dwellings they had seen in thousands of years. He moved in with some of his tribe.

As a result, the fire spread everywhere and soon set their camp on fire. If he had not been quick to act, "Black Bear" might have been the first tribal chief to be burned to death in hundreds of years.

Even though they managed to escape the fire, more than 20 tribal women and children were killed, and all their winter supplies were burned.

Under such circumstances, the members of the "Black Bear" tribe had no choice but to seek help from the coastal tribe, hoping to get some food to survive the rest of the cold winter.

The seaside tribe did not reject their request, but proposed an aid method of labor in exchange for food, requiring all able-bodied "Black Bear" tribe members to work for them and serve them before they could get a meal and necessary cold-proof supplies.

In recent days, young and middle-aged people, the elderly, women, and half-grown children, under the guidance of people living on the coast, have been cleaning up debris and digging out tree roots on the burned land. They have also been working hard to turn the soil with wooden plows and wooden hoes and burying the burnt ashes in the soil.

To be honest, these jobs are still very hard for the Indians. They are far less easy than hunting deer in the forest, picking fruits from trees, and catching fish in streams.

They also couldn't understand why these coastal tribesmen would go to such great lengths to do all this.

There were neither wild fruits nor small animals hidden in the soil, so no food could be dug out.

This is simply because I have nothing to do after eating!

Oh, that’s not right, I just didn’t eat enough.

They were only provided with one meal, and they couldn't work for long, and their stomachs were empty, so they were extremely hungry.

However, if you don't work hard, even having enough to eat becomes a luxury.

Now, it is cold winter, the time of year when food is the most scarce.

The coastal tribes, however, could always obtain food easily.

As the exploding sounds rang out from time to time in the forest, agile elks would fall to the ground in the snow, nimble pheasants or wild ducks would fall from mid-air, and even ferocious wild wolves that came out to hunt for food would die in their hands.

Needless to say, the food they provided was really delicious. A pot of venison, stewed until tender and sprinkled with delicious seasonings, made you want to swallow your tongue after taking a bite.

As one of the first Indians to surrender wholeheartedly, "Red Nose" gained the attention of the coastal tribesmen. Not only was he allowed to eat with them, but he was also provided with a soft "fur" that was soft, soft, and very breathable. It was much more comfortable to wear than smelly animal fur.

He felt that the days he spent in the tribal camp by the sea were the most "enjoyable" time he had ever had since he could remember.

Not only do they eat well, but they also sleep well, living in a warm and comfortable wooden house. They don't have to worry about the cold wind or attacks from wild beasts.

Moreover, because they were considered "one of us", the "Red Noses" were assigned to supervise the "working" Indians and be responsible for distributing food.

This responsibility suddenly made him feel unprecedentedly sacred, because in the tribe, distributing food was an authority that only the leader had.

Although he didn't know there was a word called a promising future, he felt that joining the seaside tribe and becoming one of them might be the wisest move in his life.

He also had some expectations and yearnings for his future life.

Perhaps, our future lives will undergo unprecedented changes.

(End of this chapter)