Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 324 - 259: Settling In (Part 2)

"Roger that," David replied over the radio.

Feng Shan nodded in satisfaction.

The good plots certainly couldn’t be put up for sale; at the very least, they had to be prioritized for internal needs.

Living in mobile cabins definitely wasn’t a long-term solution.

Yves was bringing his wife and kids over and needed a place to live, and Maria was bringing her grandmother over and also needed a place to live.

After breakfast, Feng Shan took Nash and rode a snowmobile to the Bear Tribe’s camp.

After several days of setup, the Bear Tribe’s camp had taken on a completely new look.

A dozen or so animal-hide tents were scattered picturesquely along the small river. Within the range of the tribe’s Fire Seed, the ice on the tundra’s rivers had all melted. Meltwater from the snowy mountains trickled by, solving the Bear Tribe’s water problem.

Outside each tent were simple daily necessities—hand-woven baskets, wooden tools, and so on. At a glance, it was as if one had traveled back in time to an ancient tribal era.

"Khilla, you’re here!" Liu Lan, carrying a basket, came running back from outside. Seeing Feng Shan, she excitedly trotted over, spilling berries from her basket all along the path.

Feng Shan smiled and crouched down, a gentle expression on his face. He reached out to help pick up the berries scattered in the grass while looking up at Liu Lan.

"So, do you like it here?"

"I do." Liu Lan first nodded emphatically, but then she lowered her head slightly, a look of disappointment appearing on her face as she said softly, "But Teacher Lucy isn’t here. There’s no one to teach us."

Feng Shan stood up and gently ruffled Liu Lan’s hair. "Don’t worry, I’ll bring Teacher Lucy here."

"Chuli, I’ve told you to be respectful to Khilla." Just then, a somewhat stiff voice suddenly rang out, shattering the brief, warm atmosphere.

"I know, Father." Lan stuck out her tongue and secretly made a face in the direction of the voice. Then, as if afraid of being seen and scolded by her father, she quickly turned and ran off, soon disappearing among the tents.

Hearing the voice, Feng Shan turned around and saw Nash’s father slowly emerging from a tent, supported by his daughter.

His steps were slightly unsteady, and each one seemed to take some effort, yet he persisted, walking toward Feng Shan step by step.

Feng Shan was indeed conflicted about how to address Nash’s father.

You see, the Assabasca people have their own unique customs regarding marriage and childbirth.

They generally marry young; boys and girls often wed and have children between the ages of 16 and 20.

Take Nash, for example. He was the eldest son, born when his mother was 17.

By that calculation, Nash was only 22 this year, which meant his parents were only around 38 or 39—not even ten years older than Feng Shan.

Back home, by custom, it would feel awkward and inappropriate to call someone "uncle" with such a small age gap.

But not calling him anything would seem impolite.

After some thought, Feng Shan decided it was more appropriate to address him by his name as the chief of the Bear Tribe. This would both follow the Assabasca people’s tribal traditions and avoid the awkwardness of using an unfitting familial term for someone not much older than himself.

"Dene, how are you feeling?" Feng Shan hurried forward to greet him, his face filled with concern.

"Khilla, thank the Spirit of All Things! Under your great and radiant light, I feel like I could go hunt a brown bear right now."

As he spoke, Nash’s father tried to straighten his somewhat stooped back and push away his eldest daughter’s supporting arm, wanting to display the spirit of a Bear Tribe warrior.

But as soon as he pushed her away, his body swayed, and his eldest daughter quickly stepped forward to steady him again.

Feng Shan blinked.

’Quit bullshitting.’

’You look like you’ll fall over the second she lets go, and you want to hunt a brown bear? More like you’re delivering a meal to the brown bear.’

’Just stay home and recover.’

Although that’s what Feng Shan was thinking, he was very polite with his spoken words of discouragement.

"Dene, you need to take care of yourself. You can go hunt brown bears after you’ve fully recovered. Now that you’ve moved to a new camp, are there any problems that need solving?"

Nash, ever perceptive, brought over a hide-covered chair and gently placed it behind his father. He then waited for his older sister to help their father sit down slowly.

Dene was silent for a moment, as if to catch his breath from the recent exertion. He took a few deep gasps, composed himself, and then spoke.

"The tribe’s young people stayed behind on the reservation to work. The ones who migrated here are all elders and children."

After a pause, Dene continued, "We don’t lack food or resources. It’s just that the Bear Tribe wants to do something for the Crown Territory. We can’t just do nothing every day. Our bodies will get rusty."

Do something!

Feng Shan lowered his head slightly, his hand unconsciously stroking his chin as he began to think seriously.

A moment later, as if he had thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he looked up to ask,

"Dene, does the Bear Tribe know how to herd?"

"Yes. Our tribe used to have a ranch on the reservation where we raised American Bison for the Wild Bull Tribe."

As Nash’s father recalled the past, a hint of nostalgia appeared on his face, but it quickly turned somber.

"But later, a plague broke out on the reservation, making it unsuitable for raising livestock, so the ranch was abandoned."

Learning that the Bear Tribe had herding experience, Feng Shan’s interest was immediately piqued. He proposed with a broad smile,

"How about this, then? I’ve purchased a batch of cattle and sheep from Horned Ranch. If you’re willing, I’d like to put them under the Bear Tribe’s management."

"Of course, we can."

Hearing this, a light flashed in Nash’s father’s eyes. His expression became excited, and he agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

In his eyes, this was a great opportunity.

The tribe’s elders could take up their old trade again, putting their skills to use, and they could also contribute to the Crown Territory. He couldn’t be happier.

"Then it’s settled. The livestock should arrive in the next day or two. If you’re short on anything, just tell Nash directly. He’ll know what to do."

He had come for a visit and ended up sorting out the issue of herdsmen.

Feng Shan couldn’t be happier.

You see, in Crown Camp, there was really no one who understood the craft of herding.

If he had to hire people from outside to manage the cattle and sheep, it wouldn’t just be a significant expense.

Moreover, outsiders would need time to integrate and familiarize themselves with the camp’s situation, and there was no guarantee that all sorts of troubles wouldn’t arise.

But now, the Bear Tribe had herding experience and was happy to take on the job. It was the most perfect arrangement imaginable.

After bidding farewell to the Bear Tribe, Feng Shan carried Liu Lan, who wanted to go play with Erica, and returned to the camp.

Halfway there, he got a call from Frank.

He had to let Nash take Liu Lan back first while he got out of the vehicle to answer the phone.

As soon as the call connected, before Feng Shan could even say a word, he was met with a barrage of complaints from Frank.

"Buddy, are you deliberately avoiding me?"

Feng Shan, with an innocent expression, said into the phone, "No, what gave you that idea?"

"I asked you to hang out, you said you had to go to the shelter. Then you secretly ran off to the Wild Bull Tribe. By the time I got there, you had secretly run back to the Crown Territory. If you’re not avoiding me, what are you doing?"

Frank continued to chatter on like a wronged wife full of grievances, becoming more and more convinced of his own suspicions as he spoke.

In response, Feng Shan could only use the Bear Tribe as an excuse.

’Could I really tell Frank that the Wild Bull Tribe is plotting to get their hands on my Fire Totem?’

He did his best to make his tone sound sincere and natural.

"Buddy, you’re overthinking it. The Bear Tribe moved to the Crown Territory, and there was urgent business to take care of. Otherwise, why would I have flown back overnight?"

"Is that so?" Frank, still half-believing and half-doubting on the other end of the line, felt Feng Shan’s explanation was a bit far-fetched. He had a nagging feeling that something was being hidden from him, but he couldn’t find any holes in the story to argue against.

"If you don’t believe me, come to the Crown Territory and see for yourself," Feng Shan said, throwing out the challenge.

In any case, he was telling the truth. There were indeed many things to arrange and handle for the Bear Tribe.

"Alright, alright, I believe you. There was a distinguished guest who wanted to meet you, but who knew you’d come to the Wild Bull Tribe early and then leave again." Frank said from the other end of the line, his tone still tinged with a little regret. "You just stay put in the Crown Territory. We’re flying back to the Crown Territory now. Remember, don’t go running off again."

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