It Was Good to Be Alive
The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated when the Fire Tribe members were already up. Dajutou new member of the Fire Tribe this year, stood at his doorstep, stretching. He was the leader of the Big Orange Tribe in the Orange River basin. This year, he led his entire tribe to join the Fire Tribe. Now his face was fuller, his complexion was better, and even his skin was whiter. He looked down at his belly, patted it—it wasn't as flat as before. He grinned, revealing a set of fairly even teeth.
"Honey, dinner's ready!" came his wife's voice from inside the house.
Dajutou sat down, picked up the bowl of porridge, and took a sip. The porridge went down his throat, warm and comforting, all the way to his stomach.
"Husband, do you think we can live like this forever in the Fire Tribe?" His wife asked cautiously, holding a bowl. She was a petite woman, her face still showing the fear she had felt when she first arrived, but her eyes already had a light in them.
Dajutou swallowed the biscuit in his mouth, took a sip of porridge, and said, "Yes, why not? As long as you follow the rules and are willing to work, you won't go hungry." He paused, pointed outside the door, "Didn't you see? Those who came before us are all well-fed, warmly dressed, and living comfortably. If they can make it, so can we."
His woman nodded, her expression relaxing somewhat.
"Moreover," Dajutou lowered his voice, "I heard from Feiyu Chief that the Fire Tribe plans to build even more large ships and cultivate more fields next year, which will require even more manpower. As long as you're willing to work hard, there will be plenty of opportunities."
His wife nodded again, this time with a light in her eyes. Next door lived Xiaojutou, who was the leader of the Little Orange Tribe. He and Dajutou were neighbors, and the two families had always had a good relationship. Xiaojutou was a few years younger than him, but when he first arrived, he was very thin. Now he was much stronger, his face had color, and his voice was more powerful.
"Big Orange Brother!" Xiaojutou called from the doorway, holding a bowl of porridge. "Have you eaten?"
Dajutou came out carrying a bowl, and the two of them stood at the door, drinking porridge and chatting.
"Where are we going to work today?" Xiaojutou asked, taking a big gulp of porridge, which got on the corner of his mouth.
Dajutou thought for a moment and said, "I heard we're going to till the land today. That wasteland on both sides of the Fire Creek River Valley needs to be tilled before the snow, so it'll be easier to plant next spring."
Xiaojutou nodded, finished his porridge, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and said, "I'll go too. The more work I do, the more grain I'll get at the end of the year."
Dajutou said, "You little rascal, now you know how to hoard food?"
Xiaojutou said, "Of course. Back in the Orange River basin, you couldn't save money even if you wanted to. The harvest was so meager all year round that it wasn't even enough to eat, let alone save. Now it's different. We have food, clothing, and shelter, so what we save is ours."
The two walked back talking as they went back to their houses to prepare. Huaguo stood at his door, looking at the fields in the distance, feeling a mix of emotions. He was the leader of the Flower Tribe in the Red Flower River basin. This year, he led his entire tribe to join the Fire Tribe. When he first arrived, he was worried that the Fire Tribe might mistreat them or treat them like slaves. But now? He smiled, laughing at how his initial worries had been unnecessary.
The people of the Fire Tribe treated them very well. As soon as they arrived, they were provided with food, clothes, and shelter. Although the food wasn't lavish, they were full every meal. Their clothes, though made of hemp, were much more comfortable than the animal skins they used to wear. Their lodgings, though collectively allocated, were spacious and bright, neither cold in winter nor hot in summer. The children could even attend the Youth Team to learn to read and acquire skills, something they had never dared to dream of before.
"Dad!" A little boy of about seven or eight ran over, holding a piece of bread in his hand, his face covered in rice grains. "I'm going to the Youth Team today! Daya Leader said he'll teach us new characters today!"
Huaguo squatted down, patted her son's head, and said, "Then study hard, and once you can read, you can become a teacher."
The little boy nodded, took a bite of the rice ball, and ran off. Huaguo stood up, watching his son's retreating figure, his eyes welling up with tears. He remembered his own childhood, when he couldn't even get enough to eat, let alone learn to read. Now that his son had this opportunity to learn a skill, he was determined to cherish it.
Hongmao and Honglian also came out of the house. The two were the leaders of the Big Red Tribe and the Little Red Tribe in the Red Flower River Basin. They were old acquaintances of Huaguo. Hongmao was burly and strong. He was strong before, but now he was even stronger. His arms were as thick as Shugen. Honglian used to be thin, but now he had gained weight, and the wrinkles on his face had stretched out.
"Huaguo, let's go, let's get to work!" Hongmao shouted loudly, his voice as loud as thunder.
"Coming!" Huaguo responded and strode over.
The three walked side by side toward the fields, the sunlight warm on their bodies. Hongmao walked on the left, Honglian on the right, and Huaguo Fruit in the middle. Their shadows stretched long on the ground, overlapping and separating, then overlapping again.
"Tell me, how come the Fire Tribe is so wonderful?" the Honglian suddenly asked, his voice tinged with emotion. "We have food, clothing, and shelter, and they even teach our children to read and write. We never dared to dream of this before."
Hongmao thought for a moment and said, "They're skilled; they can make pottery, salt, shipbuilding, and even grow grain. With skills, they can live a good life."
Huaguo Guo nodded and said, "Yes, we used to live in the Red Flower River Basin. We had nothing, and the grain we grew wasn't enough to eat. We were hungry all year round. But now, thanks to the Fire Tribe, life is getting better every day."
The Honglian laughed and said, "That's right! Look at the three of us, we've all gained weight. My husband says I don't snore anymore when I sleep."
Hongmao and Huaguo both laughed. The three of them walked and talked, and soon arrived at the edge of the field. There were already many people working in the field. Some were turning the soil, some were repairing ditches, and some were accumulating fertilizer. Everyone was chatting and laughing, working enthusiastically. These newcomers all had smiles on their faces, smiles that came from the heart, satisfied and at ease. Their bodies were also visibly stronger. When they first arrived, they were all pale and thin, and they could barely walk. Now? Their faces were fuller, their complexions were better, and they walked with more energy.
Dajutou and Xiaojutou were already in the field, each with a Chutou, turning over the soil. Chutou and fell, dirt flew up, and clods of black, oily soil were turned up, gleaming in the sunlight.
"Huaguo, over here!" Dajutou waved to them.
Huaguo and his two companions walked over, picked up Chutou, and began to turn the soil. The Chutou were heavy, made of bronze, and much more effective than the stone hoes they used before. With each stroke, the soil was turned up, saving both effort and time.
"This bronze Chutou is really useful," Hongmao said as he turned the soil. "Before, we used stone hoes, and it would take forever to dig. Now, one stroke and the soil is turned upside down."
Huaguo nodded and said, "Yes, the things from the Fire Tribe are very useful."
Several people worked diligently, no longer speaking. Chutou and fell, soil flew, and sweat streamed down their faces, dripping onto the earth. The sun rose higher and higher, making them feel hot, but no one stopped. In the distance, several women carried water on the ridges of the fields. They carried wooden buckets filled with herbal tea made with honeysuckle, which quenched their thirst and relieved their fatigue. When they saw someone tired, they would invite them over for a bowl.
"Dajutou, have a bowl of tea!" a woman called out.
Dajutou straightened up, wiped his sweat, walked over, took a bowl of tea, gulped it down, and felt refreshed as the cool tea went down his throat. He returned the bowl to the woman, wiped his mouth, and went back to work.
The woman watched his retreating figure and smiled. She was also a new member of the Fire Tribe. Before, in the Orange River basin, where could they get tea? They drank river water when thirsty and ate wild vegetables when hungry. Now? Life was much better.
When the sun was high in the sky, everyone stopped what they were doing and found a shady spot to rest. Some took out the dry food they had brought and ate it with some herbal tea, some lay on the grass and sunbathed with their eyes closed, and some gathered together to chat and laugh.
Dajutou sat on the edge of the field, watching the people still busy in the distance. A sense of satisfaction welled up inside him, a satisfaction he had never felt before. Before, in the Orange River basin, every day he opened his eyes to worry—worry about food, worry about clothing, worry about how to survive tomorrow. Now? No worries anymore. As long as you are willing to work and follow the rules, you will have food, clothing, and shelter. Life is getting better day by day, and his heart is becoming more and more at ease.
"Big Orange Brother, what are you thinking about?" Xiaojutou walked over and sat down next to him.
Dajutou shook his head and said, "I wasn't thinking about anything, I just felt that it's good to be alive."
Xiaojutou also said, "Yes, it's good to be alive."
The two sat on the edge of the field, looking at the distant mountains, the clouds in the sky, and the busy people in the fields. The sun shone on them, warm and comforting, and the wind blew by, carrying the fragrance of the earth and the scent of grass.