Chapter 142: Chapter 143: [A Serious Illness]
Putting aside the California Gold Rush that is set to take place next year, this is undoubtedly a rather unreliable plan.
However, it was obvious that Chief Ma Shao had already made the decision, so the councilors did not say much, and most of them expressed their approval with some doubts.
It was not until the end of the meeting that Rainy Day could not help but ask, "Are you sure you want to go to California to build a new city? And you want to go there in person?"
"Sure." Ma Shao said.
He adjusted his sitting position on a rainy day. "You have to know that it might take two or three months to get to California from here. By the time you get back, the Mexican-American War might have been over."
Ma Shao: "But California is really important. It has the only coastline we have a chance to acquire. We must act early, otherwise when white immigrants pour in, we may not have a chance."
Rainy Day hesitated for a moment: "But...isn't this too early, or too hasty?"
"We can build a new city a few hundred kilometers to the west, and then build another one a few hundred kilometers away, and extend our influence to California in a few years."
Ma Shao was silent for a moment. "This is indeed a good plan, but you should do as I say. I will take some people with me and set off for California in a few days."
He patted Rainy Day's shoulder and said, "While I'm away, the affairs of the tribe will be handed over to you."
He frowned on the rainy day and didn't speak for a long time.
Ma Shao smiled and said, "Just think of this as a test for the Apache tribe... to see if the tribe can function well without me."
This era always made him feel a sense of crisis, not only because of his Indian identity, but more because of the level of productivity of this era.
Especially the efficiency of information exchange.
The telegraph had not yet become widely available, and in a desolate place like the Midwest of the United States, a person could disappear suddenly and silently. Wild beasts, poisonous insects, hunger, disease, or bandits could all be the causes.
So Ma Shao would think about this question from time to time: If he suddenly died one day, how would the Apache tribe develop? How far could they go?
As a teacher, he knew the principle of teaching people how to fish, or in other words, this was his job.
If the Apaches languished without him, his work would undoubtedly be a failure.
Just as Xia Yutian estimated, Ma Shao's round trip would take at least a year and a half.
According to original history, the Mexican-American War would end at the beginning of next year.
As the Browning pistol spread, the timeline of the present world has obviously been disturbed.
In the end, this war may end later or earlier. When Ma Shao returns, the war may have ended.
I hope that in the next year or so, the Apache tribe will be able to operate stably.
In fact, he still has some confidence. After all, the last epidemic occurred when he was out, and he handled the rainy day very well.
A few days later, Ma Shao completed the formation of the "Westward Team".
There were a total of 300 people in the westward marching team, 100 of whom were regular soldiers, fully trained and well-equipped, each with a rifle and two Browning pistols.
The supplies they brought were not much, mainly food and various necessary tools, so they were traveling light.
Each person has two horses, and horses are the most common living creatures in the tribe.
One day in April.
Early in the morning, the sky was dim and a cool mist filled the fields.
Ma Shao and the 300-man westward team were ready to go, and left slepping bear city from the west gate.
Looking at this team that was about to march 2,000 kilometers westward, many tribesmen waved goodbye at the city gate.
Those who have close relatives and friends in the team can't help but feel sad and shed tears.
"Brother Shao...why don't you take me with you?" The little sparrow pulled Ma Shao's hand with red eyes.
Ma Shao touched her hair and said, "I'll be back in a few months, don't worry about me."
"Brother Whistle..." She lowered her head.
Ma Shao smiled again and said, "After I leave Mian Xiong, don't forget your homework. When I come back, I will specifically examine you."
The little sparrow doesn't speak.
Ma Shao then looked at Yu Tian and reminded him again: "I'll leave the tribe's affairs to you."
"I understand." Rainy Day nodded solemnly.
"Let's go, warriors heading west." Ma Shao said as he turned over and rode on the majestic Black Breeze.
"Whew——"
The sound of horses neighing rang out, and the team was like a slowly starting train, gradually speeding up and heading west with the rhythmic sound of horse hooves.
Ma Shao looked back again, and this time he suddenly noticed that there was another petite figure among the crowd of people seeing him off.
The girl in the white dress squeezed into the crowd with difficulty and finally stuck her head out when the horse whistle was about to be submerged in the fog.
"Millie..." Ma Shao murmured, and then the fog blocked his sight.
Originally, he had not felt any sadness about parting on this long journey, but at this moment, his mood suddenly became as lost as the fog around him.
Ma Shao saw Millie, but he suspected that Millie, who squeezed out of the crowd at the last moment, probably didn't see him.
Because he knew that his eyesight was better than almost everyone else. Even if they were at the same distance, he could see others, but others might not be able to see him...
This inexplicable depression lasted for several days.
Until a guy in the team successfully diverted his thoughts and attention.
"Nonsense, which way should we go on this road ahead, south or north?" Ma Shao turned around and asked.
The guide was a thin young man with two dimples on his face. He smiled very brightly. He said enthusiastically, "It's all right, Chief."
"Anything is OK?" Ma Shao frowned slightly.
"Yes, you can go north or south." Feihua further explained, "It's just that it takes one month longer to go north than to go south."
"..."Ma Shao didn't know what to say.
Du Tiao couldn't help it: "I say, can you please stop saying this useless nonsense!"
Nonsense replied: "How can this be called useless? Even if something seems useless, it may still be useful, and even if something seems useful, it may still be useless."
After spending some time together, Ma Shao and even most people in the team understood why Feihua was called this name.
This person talks a lot of nonsense. Almost every time he opens his mouth he says something nonsense.
For example, a few days later, when the westward marching team was hit by a rainstorm and was taking shelter from the rain, someone said, "Alas, I don't know when this rain will stop."
The guy next to him looked up at the sky and said, "It doesn't look like it will come soon, but it probably won't take too long. We'll know when it will come when the rain stops."
Ma Shao couldn't help but glance at him, thinking: This kid might have a serious illness...
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