I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 892 – Ignorance Does Not Equal Innocence
“Very well done! You’ve worked hard this time!”
Within the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng looked at the more than two hundred people—some fearful, but most curious and excited—and praised Senior Brother and the others, who now looked visibly thinner, with scruffy beards.
“Go wash up first. The food in the tribe is already being prepared. By the time you finish, it will be ready to eat.”
Han Cheng pointed at the bathing baskets that had been brought over, smiling as he spoke to Senior Brother and the others.
The baskets contained clean clothes, soap, bronze razors, wooden combs, and other personal items.
“Take these children to wash up as well.”
Shared hardship and daily interactions can accelerate the bond between people.
After nearly twenty days of traveling from the Black Stone Tribe to the main Green Sparrow Tribe, these two hundred-plus individuals—mostly minors—had become familiar with Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
Especially after being carried on donkeys or even on people’s backs, treated for illness after rain, and hearing stories from returning tribe members, the children, who already held goodwill toward the Green Sparrow Tribe, had entirely accepted Senior Brother and the others as part of the tribe—and had come to regard the Green Sparrow Tribe as their own.
So, upon understanding what Eldest Senior Brother asked of them, the children happily followed to the riverside open-air baths.
With so many arriving at the riverside, the natural bath pools cleaned out after the rain quickly became overcrowded, resembling a pot of dumplings.
A spectacle usually seen only at beaches or lakes during holidays now appeared early at the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Watching the children happily follow Eldest Senior Brother to bathe, behaving like true tribe members, Han Cheng felt he needed to reconsider how to handle them.
Originally, he intended to make all these people slaves upon arrival, having them start from the bottom and eventually become citizens.
But seeing the children now, his thoughts wavered.
Compared to adults, minors are the easiest to integrate into a tribe.
This could be observed from the reactions of these children and those from allied Green Sparrow Tribe sub-tribes.
Moreover, these new minors had not experienced the Black Stone Alliance’s attack, leaving no grudges or resentment, making them even easier to assimilate.
Turning these seemingly innocent children into slaves felt wrong to Han Cheng.
A more important reason: with the surge in slave numbers this year, Han Cheng would free a significant number of old slaves at the next New Year, granting them citizenship.
Those liberated slaves would mostly be long-term tribe slaves, meaning the old-slave proportion among the total would sharply decrease.
For a long time, these new slaves would form the bulk of the tribe’s slave population.
Although not originally from the tribe, all came from the Black Stone Alliance, naturally giving them a sense of kinship.
Add in the many minors, and the potential for unexpected problems arises.
During this period, Han Cheng’s top priority was to develop the tribe quietly, establish the second branch, and expand rice cultivation.
Although the slaves were unlikely to cause serious trouble, any incidents would still impact the tribe.
Han Cheng preferred prevention over cure.
However, making these children citizens immediately would be inappropriate.
Historically, in the Flying Snake and Semi-Farming Tribes, only children born after joining the tribe automatically became citizens.
Children were cared for by their mothers until age one, then taken to the inner court to be raised alongside existing citizens.
Those born before joining the tribe remained slaves.
Doing otherwise would anger minors already assimilated as tribe slaves.
Han Cheng understood the principle: it is not scarcity but unfairness that breeds resentment.
This was troublesome indeed.
He scratched his head, momentarily helpless.
Fortunately, being from the future, he had ample reference points.
He quickly devised a solution: a “dual standard.”
Here, “dual standard” is literal, not ironic.
Adults would continue under the original promotion system.
Minors would follow a different set of rules.
Once this idea appeared, Han Cheng’s mind cleared.
Sitting in the shade, dragging a stick along the ground, he formulated the plan.
This required phased implementation.
For infants and toddlers just beginning to toddle or babble, they could immediately become citizens, move into the inner court, and be raised by female citizens alongside other children.
These children, still innocent, would grow up like tribe-born kids, loyal and unquestioning.
They would only know they were true Green Sparrow people; other matters would remain unknown.
Even if someone told them, “You were from the Black Stone Tribe, a slave in Green Sparrow, your real tribe is Black Stone,” they would not believe it.
Most likely, they would attack the messenger and possibly turn them into tribe slaves.
For older minors who were aware of past events, the approach differed.
Han Cheng planned to make them slaves first, allowing them to earn citizenship through effort.
Nothing valuable is obtained without effort; easy rewards are often unappreciated.
Of course, younger children would have more lenient requirements.
A tailored standard would allow them to shed their slavery and become citizens.
The plan: teach them Mandarin and Chinese characters, then periodically test them.
Those who performed well would become citizens and join the inner court.
The exam wouldn’t be a one-time event, but spaced over time—five attempts within three years.
After the limit, failure meant the only route to citizenship was contributions to the tribe.
This system would be temporary, adjusted as needed based on effectiveness.
Once his plan was clear, some children returned from the river after bathing.
Seeing them refreshed and happy, Han Cheng smiled.
The food being prepared in the tribe was served as they returned.
For first-time arrivals and existing slaves, meals had improved, though not as lavish as those for Senior Brother and the other contributors.
Even so, the new arrivals were amazed—they experienced the authentic taste of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Recently, the tribe’s population had exploded.
Fifty-eight from the Creek Tribe, plus two hundred forty-three newcomers, brought an increase of 301 people.
Housing alone became a significant issue.
Fortunately, Han Cheng had anticipated this. After digging two more wells, he began constructing the third slave courtyard in the outer court.
With tools, manpower, and no food shortage, thirty-six rooms of the “East Two” slave courtyard were completed before Eldest Senior Brother and the others returned, ready for occupancy—aside from some dampness.
The fifty-eight from the Creek Tribe, now citizens, did not live in the slave courtyard.
After meals, accommodations for newcomers were arranged.
This process was routine, requiring no intervention from Han Cheng; Cao Gen and other officials efficiently implemented his prior methods.
Han Cheng then summoned the tribe’s high-ranking members—Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Shi Tou, Hei Wa, Mao, Gu, Dou—for an expanded meeting to discuss his plan for the minors.
Before this, he had consulted only Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, and had Shi Tou listen in.
The three leaders had reached a consensus before informing others.
The primary purpose of the meeting was to announce, not debate, the plan.
Four days later, Han Cheng called a full tribe assembly at Green Sparrow Square.
All tribe members attended, except infants and some residents from Copper Mountain.
Slaves stood behind the citizens.
Fifty fully armed members—Third Senior Brother and the others—guarded the assembly, ten around the central platform, forty in two lines on the sides.
Their presence gave the gathering a sense of formality and solemnity.
At the center, Han Cheng spoke.
He reviewed key events over the past six months:
Discovery of a permanent, cold-resistant settlement
Successful cultivation of rice and sweet sorghum stalks
Discovery of kaolin clay and meteorite tools
Integration of the Creek Tribe
He called for harmony with newcomers, warning citizens not to bully them.
Han Cheng highlighted the Black Stone Alliance’s attack and the resulting population increase.
He praised key contributors—Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Liutou, Sparrow—for defending the tribe.
The named individuals felt honored and proud.
Han Cheng then addressed citizens and old slaves: do not harbor resentment toward the captured Black Stone Alliance slaves.
Evil Black Stone leaders and the exiled Shu Pi misled these individuals.
Han Cheng explained expertly: ignorance does not equal innocence.
Therefore, these captured enemies becoming slaves to atone for their crimes was natural.
This message was partly for citizens, primarily for slaves, to show the Green Sparrow Tribe’s mercy.
Becoming a tribe slave and later earning citizenship was a great fortune.
Old slaves understood easily; new slaves struggled to comprehend.
No problem—after the assembly, someone would explain in detail.
Han Cheng then announced what all old slaves cared about most.
“…This year, one hundred people will have their slave status removed, becoming citizens.
Besides the thirteen individuals already named—Tiedan, Erchong’s mother, Wando—eighty-seven remain undecided.
The Shaman, leaders, and I will carefully assess daily behavior and contributions.
By New Year, all will be confirmed, and a ceremony will formally grant citizenship.”
Old slaves cheered wildly.
Though aware that many captured Black Stone Alliance slaves would eventually be freed, specifics were unknown.
Han Cheng surprised them with one hundred slots, far exceeding expectations.
Excitement turned into determination—everyone resolved to perform well to earn citizenship.
Han Cheng smiled inwardly, pleased.
Announcing rewards early maximizes motivation—like telling a student the prize before the exam, not the night before.
After allowing the slaves to rejoice, Han Cheng continued, introducing a new method for minor slaves to earn citizenship.
Old slaves felt envy at the ease, but remembering the eighty-seven remaining slots, their excitement quickly faded.
Many preferred the standard adult evaluation method, seeing the language and writing exams as too difficult.
Yet they were happy for the minors, most of whom were their own offspring, fluent in the tribe’s language and characters, likely to become citizens sooner.
Without this new rule, the minors would have a long, slow path to citizenship—except for rare prodigies.