บท 4: Chapter 4: Two Orphans
Shamans, or wizards, are usually knowledgeable and respected people in the tribe, and their status is second only to the chief.
Of course, small clans don't have so many rules. In Ma Shao's impression, whether it is the chief or the shaman, the intuitive feeling is similar to the uncle next door.
Ma Shao followed Shaman Stone Crow and soon arrived at the chief's tent.
The chief was called Sleeping Bear, which was the name of the clan.
He was in his fifties, with gray hair, but still in good health and spirit. He was holding a cigarette in his hand and looked worried.
There was another person in the tent, a little boy with a delicate look, about the same age as Ma Shao.
"You are here." The old chief took a puff of his cigarette and looked at the two children, "Little whistle, and the sound of the wind."
"Chief." The two children greeted.
The old chief first turned his gaze to Fengsheng, another boy with a delicate appearance, and said in a comforting tone: "Fengsheng, your father may no longer be here."
Feng Sheng was stunned and didn't react for a moment.
The old chief continued, "When we were hunting buffalo, your father accidentally fell into the river. The current was very fast and we didn't find him...May the Great Spirit bless you."
Ma Shao now understood why the chief called them two. Naturally, he had to take care of these two poor little orphans.
His father was killed in the war last year and his mother died in today's attack.
Feng Sheng's mother died when he gave birth to him, and he had been raised by his father. Now his father was washed away by the current and is in great danger, so he naturally became an orphan.
Ma Shao turned his head to look at Feng Sheng, ready to say a few words of comfort.
What was unexpected was that when Feng Sheng, who was sitting on the ground, learned the news that his father was most likely dead, he had no expression on his face. He just lowered his head slightly, like a chess player who had lost the game but still maintained his composure.
Ma Shao was speechless for a moment: "..."
But this is not too surprising. Feng Sheng's personality is extremely introverted and he never shows his emotions on his face. He can be said to be mature beyond his years.
"And little whistle, you may have already known. Today's attack by the white people killed most of the women in the tribe, including your mother."
Ma Shao could only lower his head. After all, his Indian personality had been diluted to a negligible level, and he did not have strong feelings for this mother. At least now he could not cry.
"Both of your parents are gone, and you are still young. If you have any problems in the future, come to me and eat with me. If I'm not here, you can go find Stone Crow."
"Also, you must work harder in the future to practice your fighting skills and become the bravest warriors. Only in this way can we take revenge on the white people." Having said that, the old chief knocked the ground with his pipe.
He gave a few more instructions, and then Ma Shao suddenly said, "Chief, have you ever been to the white man's world?"
"I have been there, what's wrong?"
White people and Indians were not always hostile. For example, during the American Revolutionary War, the British formed an alliance with many Indian tribes - the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
In addition, there are some white people who have other intentions, such as businessmen, who will try their best to maintain relatively relaxed relations and communicate with the Indians in order to do business.
Ma Shao hesitated: "I want to understand our enemy."
"An evil race, a group of shameless invaders!" The old chief gave a brief reply. The various Indian tribes vary greatly, but this is one of the few consensuses.
This is obviously not what Ma Shao wants: "When did the white people start invading us?"
"It happened a long time ago, about three hundred years ago. First it was the British and the Spanish who occupied our land, and now it's the Americans, but all white people look similar." The old chief said slowly.
Ma Shao followed his words and asked questions indirectly, finally leading the conversation to the topic of date.
"...The United States once belonged to Britain, but later established its own country. As for the time of independence, according to them, it seems to be 1,776 years." The old chief said slowly.
Ma Shao then asked, "One thousand seven hundred and seventy-six years? How is this calculated? What year is it now?"
The old chief frowned. "I don't know. It seems to be the birthday of a white god. Now, it is one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine."
"That was last year, Chieftain," Stonecrow added.
"Oh yes, this was last year's news. This year should be one thousand eight hundred and forty." The old chief slapped his forehead and corrected himself.
1840 AD!
Upon hearing this time, Ma Shao's eyes moved slightly.
There is no doubt that this is a special year for the Chinese. It was in this year, 1840, the Year of the Gengzi, that the First Opium War broke out between Britain and the Qing Dynasty, opening the humiliating modern history of China.
In fact, when he was just reborn, Ma Shao had the idea of going to China.
His soul is that of a real Chinese, and his Indian body also belongs to the yellow race, so it does not seem difficult for him to integrate into Chinese society.
But it's just a thought. If you think about it carefully, you will know that it is not feasible.
First of all, he had to reach adulthood before considering other things. Secondly, even if he reached adulthood, as an Indian, it would be extremely difficult for him to board a ship to China in the United States.
As for their identity as Chinese... Chinese workers had not yet come to the United States at that time. There were only a few Chinese in America. Even if there were, their treatment was not much better than that of the Indians, and they also had difficulty moving forward.
Moreover, there was not even the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in China at that time. After he returned, he could only keep his braids and work for the Qing court for a while.
When thinking about braiding hair, Ma Shao thought that the Indian stone punk style was also pretty good...
"Don't run around and meet white people, understand?" the old chief warned seriously, "It's very dangerous."
"I know." Ma Shao replied.
"Let's eat dried meat tonight. We have to prepare for the funeral of our tribe members in the next few days." The chief said at last.
The hunting was fruitful. The clan hunted a lot of bison and had abundant reserves of fresh beef. However, the Sleeping Bear Clan at this time obviously had neither the heart nor the time to make barbecue or anything, so they could only eat some dried meat.
Afterwards, Ma Shao and Feng Sheng had dinner with the old chief, which was beef jerky, one of the most important foods of the Indians, and for a hunting clan like the Sleeping Bear Clan, there is no other.
Barbecue is usually only eaten right after hunting. The remaining bison meat must be made into jerky for long-term preservation.
Beef jerky is not bad, but it has no flavor either. It cannot be compared with the rich delicacies of the 21st century. The only advantage is that it is rich in protein, which is very important for children's physical development.
Mmm, protein...
While chewing on beef jerky, Ma Shao felt that he should make a nutrition plan for this nine-year-old body.
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