I'm involved in poverty alleviation in a primitive tribe.

Looking towards the tribe's exit, the chief sat atop a majestic celestial wolf, another skeletal beast-level creature in the tribe, one of the most powerful beings there.

The chief and the wolf seemed to be one, their tacit understanding and cooperation were breathtaking.

This celestial wolf was not only the chief's mount, but also his powerful ally in battle. Together, they protected the tribe's safety and defended against foreign invasions.

In the tribe, this seraphim is the absolute king, its presence overshadowing all other seraphim.

This time, because of the autumn grain storage, a lot of meat needed to be dried, so the clan chief personally led people to the seaside to collect salt.

In addition, autumn is the time when the seaside trading area opens once a year. Only when resources are plentiful in autumn will nearby tribes trade together here.

The trading area is also a matchmaking event for nearby tribes. The primitive tribes have a small population and people are aware of the dangers of incest, so they all rush to find a spouse when the trading area opens each year.

It was precisely because of this important event that the clan chief personally led the team.

"The chief is back!"

"Chief!"

"Hey! Dahe, you little rascal! Who's riding on Tianlang's back?"

The tribespeople greeted the chief, and some even noticed the extra person in the group and couldn't help but tease him.

This soldier, named Dahe, is almost twenty years old. He is a brave and resolute soldier, but he still feels shy when others tease him.

He stole a glance at the woman on Tianlang's back, thinking no one had noticed his gaze, but in reality, his expression and actions had already betrayed him.

For this shy warrior, battles and adventures are what he has always been pursuing, but when it comes to emotions, he is still a novice.

Soon the tribesmen unloaded the salt they had brought back. Although it was called a trading area, there wasn't much there. The main purpose of this trip was to help single tribesmen find mates.

This time, only one person was brought back by the river, and one person from the tribe also married out. Overall, the tribe has a relatively balanced male-to-female ratio.

The tribe also needs to prepare some gifts for the bride's family, because the world is inconvenient to travel to and very dangerous outside. Ordinary people may only leave the tribe a few times in their entire lives. Once separated, she may never see her family again.

Similarly, the other tribe will also prepare gifts for them.

The chief arranged for a hunting party to prepare supplies to deliver to the bride's tribe, and then went to the cave to meet the shaman.

Hunting Team One is the hunting team that Jiang Ning's father, Qingpan, belongs to. The team leader, Hongyue, possesses the tribe's third strange-boned beast, whose strength is second only to the chieftain.

Jiang Ning looked at the bride from the river and felt that her skin was whiter than that of the people in her tribe.

Some enthusiastic tribespeople had already started chatting with her. Dahe was also busy preparing things to send to the Furong tribe.

"I am from the Lotus Tribe, and my name is Hibiscus. Our tribe uses the lotus as its totem, and our warriors contract with lotuses as their battle pets."

Furong seems to be the complete opposite of her spouse, Taihe; she has a cheerful and outgoing personality.

"Lotus? What does a lotus look like?" asked a tribesman who had never seen a lotus before.

"The lotus is a very beautiful flower. They grow in water, with pink or white petals and yellow buds. The lotus seeds and lotus roots that grow there are edible. Raw lotus roots are sweet, and cooked lotus roots are soft and glutinous. There are also round leaves floating on the water surface," Furong explained patiently.

"Can I see your battle pet?" Some clansmen still couldn't imagine what Lian looked like.

"Are you stupid? She's not even married yet, how could she have a contracted beast?"

"Oh right, I forgot." To ensure the uniqueness of the totem and belief, only women who have already married will undergo bloodline awakening and contract formation.

Jiang Ning is different. She is a disciple of the shaman and a future shaman. She will never bring Tianlang to join other tribes.

As for the man, it is said that a man once entered the Sirius tribe under the guise of marriage, but it turned out to be a plot by an external tribe to attack. This caused great losses to the Sirius tribe, and in the end, the Sirius tribe destroyed that tribe, and the man's wife personally executed him.

From then on, the shamans of the Sirius tribe took this as a warning and never allowed men from other tribes to enter their tribe, nor did they allow men from their tribe to live in the tribes of women. Therefore, men were not subject to the restriction that they could not undergo bloodline awakening without marriage.

I've heard that there are also tribes in the surrounding area that don't allow unmarried men to undergo awakening for various reasons. Generally speaking, this is all to maintain the uniqueness of the tribe's totem.

There are also warriors who have lost their spouses and remarry. In such cases, the shaman must erase the previous tribe's totem and replant the new tribe's totem; otherwise, marriage is not allowed.

Furong didn't seem to care. "I brought some ordinary lotus seeds that I can scatter in your river, but I don't know if they'll be eaten by river beasts."

"Won't your lotus flowers be eaten by river beasts?"

"Of course not, our lotuses are battle pets! They can use the lotus flowers and their fragrance to attract prey and then attack. Every summer, the lake is covered with beautiful lotus flowers, their petals swaying in the wind, layer upon layer, stretching into a sea, it's very beautiful."

Everyone was captivated by the beautiful scenery described by Furong, as if they could also feel the clear lake water, the beautiful lotus flowers, and the unique fragrance.

Someone couldn't help but say, "Let's try it in the shallow water; ferocious river beasts usually don't come to shallow areas."

"Yes! If all else fails, we'll dig a hole and fill it with water! That way you won't miss home so much!"

"Yes, Furong, this will be your home from now on!"

Touched by the warmth of her people, Furong smiled and nodded.

At this moment, the chief and the shaman came out, and everyone quieted down. Their appearance together must mean they had something to announce.

The chief asked the shaman for his opinion with his eyes, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he spoke first: "There are a few things to announce today. First, we will hold a bonfire party tonight to welcome Hibiscus."

The tribespeople cheered, and Furong bowed to the crowd in thanks.

"The second thing is that, starting tomorrow, apart from the gathering teams and those responsible for cooking, the hunting teams will continue to take turns hunting. After returning, they will go to the riverbank with the rest of the tribe to till the land and prepare to plant mustard greens and red finger fruits. The gathering teams should collect as many mustard greens and red finger fruits as possible."

"Our tribe currently has 322 people. Subtracting the 193 people in the hunting team, the 52 people in the gathering team, and the 48 cubs, there are 29 people left."

"Three people are responsible for taking care of the cubs, while the rest are responsible for cooking and preparing dried meat and vegetables. Each time, the hunting team that stays behind in the tribe will help with drying and sorting, patrolling the tribe and outposts, and selecting ten people with good stone-working skills to choose stones to make pickle jars. Everyone else who can move will go and till the land. From now on, our Sirius tribe will not only hunt and gather, but we will also have to grow crops!"

"Yes!"

"The third thing is that our Sirius tribe has finally produced a shaman disciple, and that is Jiang Ning! After all this time, I believe everyone is aware of her guidance to us, and under her leadership, our tribe will surely become stronger!"

"Jiang Ning! Jiang Ning!" The tribespeople began chanting Jiang Ning's name, and the enthusiastic atmosphere deeply moved her. The tribespeople weren't surprised; they had a premonition that Jiang Ning had been staying with the shaman these past few days. She stood before them, looking gratefully at each familiar face, her heart filled with determination.

"I will do my utmost!" Jiang Ning said firmly. Her voice echoed in the tribe's square, each word clear and powerful. She promised not only to continue leading the tribe to a stronger future, but also to do her utmost to live up to the expectations of every tribesman.

Jiang Ning's determination and courage inspired everyone, and they cheered for her resolve and commitment.

The shaman said, "Next spring, once Jiang Ning's battle pet has grown up, Jiang Ning will go out with the hunting team to gain experience. This is a path you must take."

"Yes."

In the evening, the tribe held a grand bonfire party, both to welcome Hibiscus's arrival and to celebrate the tribe now having a shaman disciple.

When the night was deep and quiet, Jiang Ning asked the system, "You don't seem to have any demands on me? You just let me do whatever I want?"

"We focus more on cultivating the host's own capabilities. If the poverty alleviation system interferes too much and causes the host to become overly dependent on the system, that is not the result we want."

What if I'm someone who just drifts along?

"If you were that kind of person, I wouldn't be here."

"What if I use you to do bad things?"

"If you were that kind of person, you wouldn't be here."

The system continued, "Every decision you make, every step you take, is your own choice. No one can experience it for you, and no one can control your actions. Your choices are your control over your life and your decision about your future direction. Even when faced with difficulties and challenges, you must choose how to cope and how to move forward. Whatever the outcome, it is your own choice and a testament to your growth."