"Of course, we can't simply hand out oxen. Although our Han Tribe has a large population, we still don't have enough Draft Oxen. Generally speaking, in the commanderies north of our tribe, most oxen are raised collectively by the Government Office. If commoners need to use them, they can pay to rent them.
"As for your situation here, you naturally don't have much money in your hands, but you can use grain to pay instead."
Iron Anvil explained.
"Oh, so that's how it is." The Tribe Elder's eldest son murmured in response.
Although the Han Tribe was powerful, it clearly wasn't wealthy enough to hand oxen directly to the common people. The Tribe Elder's eldest son had never expected that much.
As for selling them oxen, they might not even be able to afford one. Oxen were important assets. In this era, having an ox was about the same as having a Lamborghini. How many people could afford one?
What he had hoped for most was that the Han Tribe would lend them oxen to use. But the Han Tribe had not done that. Instead, they wanted them to pay money or grain to rent them.
Although this made the Han Tribe seem somewhat petty, looking at it from the opposite angle, it was actually the best arrangement for their current relationship.
By renting them, they would pay a price and therefore would not owe the Han Tribe a favor. They would also have more confidence when dealing with the Han Tribe, and the arrangement seemed fairer.
After all, the oxen had been obtained and raised at great expense. Why should they let you use them for free?
The Han Tribe's approach neither belittled them nor treated them as inferior people. It treated them as equals and did not fawn