I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 675: The Precious Guilt

Mao’s words earned him more admiration from Han Cheng and led him into deep thought.

The idea of exchanging population for salt, pottery, and other items was something Han Cheng had never considered before. It wasn’t that he had never thought about it; it was just that whenever such thoughts arose, he instinctively pushed them away.

As a person from the future, facing such matters always filled him with a sense of guilt, making him subconsciously avoid methods of population increase like this one. He was even more reluctant to entertain such ideas, especially when he recalled the evil triangular trade he had learned about.

The triangular trade had unleashed all the wickedness of human nature, turning people from humans into demons that crawled out of hell. Han Cheng always believed that people should live with good intentions and a reverence, for those without respect for the law were no longer human but beasts, no better than animals, and perhaps even worse.

With these principles in mind, he led the Green Sparrow Tribe step by step and never resorted to extremes. He preferred a slower approach in certain situations and was unwilling to cross lines that would affect his inner moral compass.

So far, under his guidance, the Green Sparrow Tribe has developed quite well. Although progress was slower and sometimes detours were taken, the tribe was gradually growing stronger in terms of population, food, and weapons.

Moreover, as the tribe developed, there was less oppression, less ill will, and less backstabbing. There was more unity and cooperation, and more effort was being put into building a better future for everyone. Han Cheng’s calm and peaceful personality had played a significant role in this, and he was very pleased with the current state of affairs. Living in such an environment naturally made one feel at ease.

Compared to the world he came from, the tribe’s material conditions were far inferior, but gradually, Han Cheng felt that life in this primitive society was more joyful than his previous life in the future.

Yes, he had to admit that, in this sense, he had somewhat embarrassed the group of transmigrators. After all, many others had entered high-ranking societies and thrived, whereas he had arrived in a truly impoverished, primitive world and lived a joyful and carefree life.

With these thoughts, Han Cheng had initially planned to reject Mao’s proposal outright. However, what Mao said next caused him to reconsider.

What Mao suggested wasn’t particularly extraordinary. Despite his relatively good speaking skills compared to the average person, Mao couldn’t compare to professional persuaders like Su Qin or Zhang Yi, who could talk endlessly and sway others with their rhetoric. He expressed how the outside tribes admired the Green Sparrow Tribe.

As Mao described it, Han Cheng welcomed this situation. On the one hand, it proved that his external strategy had been effective. On the other hand, it meant that the Green Sparrow Tribe had a bright future ahead, which was encouraging.

Thinking about it in this light, the idea of exchanging salt for people began to take on a new dimension. Compared to those blinded by gold and silver who couldn’t see anything else, Han Cheng realized that it wouldn’t be as wicked even if they exchanged people for salt.

The people being exchanged wouldn’t become slaves; they would become citizens of the Green Sparrow Tribe. After arriving, they would live in warm homes, have enough food to eat, and their labor would improve life for themselves and others in the tribe. Here, they would not be oppressed, and Han Cheng would never be cruel enough to skin them, turning their skulls into drinking cups or decorations. Moreover, this exchange would be voluntary—there would be no coercion.

When viewed this way, it became clear that what initially seemed like two similar situations was very different at their core. With this understanding, Han Cheng felt that exchanging people for salt might not be bad.

After all, very few tribes dared to provoke the Green Sparrow Tribe now, leaving them with fewer sources of population. Han Cheng’s trade team’s “canned food” plan was a long-term project that would take time to show results. In the short term, the Green Sparrow Tribe was in a difficult position, caught between scarcity and opportunities to grow its population.

Now, it seemed wise to open this door to exchange. The number of tribes willing to trade people for salt wouldn’t be significant, and such events wouldn’t happen often, but it would be a good thing for the tribe to gain new members occasionally.

After thinking this through, Han Cheng consulted with Shaman to discuss the matter. Unlike Han Cheng, who was from the future, Shaman was much more straightforward. After learning that the proposal would benefit the tribe, he immediately agreed.

The Shaman believed that anything that benefited the tribe and didn’t bring too many negatives should be pursued. He was completely unconcerned about any feelings of guilt associated with it.

This was evident from his carefree behavior, like chewing on a rabbit leg with his few remaining teeth while humming a tune, showing that feelings of guilt had no place in his mind.

With this decision, the Green Sparrow Tribe would now include the option of exchanging salt for people in their trading operations. Han Cheng reminded Mao, Sha, and other trade team members to ensure that any such exchanges would be voluntary and without force.

However, if any tribe dared to harm members of the trade team, the trade team members were instructed not to hesitate in defending themselves and ensuring their safety; those who tried to harm the Green Sparrow Tribe should be captured and made slaves.